Our morning started with a skiff outing to visit an area known as Atun Poza. This beautiful location lies within the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve by the Ucayali River, and it has all the benefits of being protected and unspoiled. As we traveled comfortably on board the skiffs, we made our way into the narrow creeks full of shore birds that are visiting the area during this time of the year. Hundreds of great egrets, cormorants, herons, wood storks and Jabirus were perching the tree canopies or simply surveying the area looking for food. It was amazing to see them all fly alongside the skiffs as we gently navigated the creeks. The overwhelming view forced us to put our cameras away, as there would not be a picture that could do justice to what we were all experiencing, so the best thing to do in these cases is to simply try to capture it with your minds rather than your memory cards!
Our skiff ride took us to a calm area where we were able to enjoy an outdoor breakfast onboard the skiffs. As we ate, we chat and took pictures of the landscape and observed quite a few birds enjoying their meals too, like the case of a great black hawk which captured a fish and took it to a tree branch for breakfast!
After a nice morning outing and a local cuisine cooking class on board, we then had an invigorating lunch that deserved a nice traditional Peruvian siesta!
Once we arrived to Pacaya River, we boarded our skiffs for a ride into this long and wide black river water system full of mirrored reflections. This afternoon was one of the best opportunities to understand why the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve is also known as the mirrored jungle, as the beauty of its ecosystem was constantly reflected on its black waters. The area is also known to be visited constantly by troops of howler monkeys, and today was not the exception as we had quite a few encounters with this primate, considered to be one of the smartest primates of the new world.
The sudden stop of the skiffs marked the arrival to our true destination, which was the Yanayacu lagoon. This was the place where the majority of us enjoyed a refreshing swim, some beers and a great pink river dolphin show! It might sound a cliché, but I love when a plan works out!
