Gentle drops were falling from the sky when we decided to do a pre-breakfast skiff exploration. High up in the sky we could see the sun trying to filter its rays through the gray clouds. A cool breeze surrounded us, something very unusual for this time of the year here in the Upper Amazon.
The skiffs approached the river bank. Several species of birds were still perched side by side on the tree branches, waiting for the sun to warm them up. To our delight, the contrast of their bright colors against the overcast sky, created some excellent photographs.
A flock of red-bellied macaws were beginning to warm up for their daily ritual of taking off from their perch at the same time. In another tree, a pair of bat falcons were beginning their courtship rituals. There is always something interesting to see early in the morning, here in paradise.
We returned to the Delfin II to recharge with a delicious breakfast. The sky didn’t open for the sun but that wasn’t going to hold us back from going out again. Once we were fed, we geared up and loaded the skiffs. Our goal was to hike a trail in the nearby varzea forest.
On our way to the trail, the rain began to fall but we were prepared for it. Rain ponchos were given to us, and we actually enjoyed the fresh feeling of the rain rushing through the vegetation—this is what the rainforest is all about. It slowed down once we arrived to the trail, and suddenly we were surrounded by tall trees, lianas and vines which spend from one to four months of the year under water. We learned a lot from our naturalist about how the vegetation survives this natural event as we walked through the muddy trails.
Back on board the Delfin II, we gathered in the open lounge to learn how to prepare the local dish “juanes”—new recipes to practice back at home! In the meantime, we cruised to our evening destination, Dorado River, for our next adventures of the day.
Late in the afternoon, as we arrived to our destination, we geared up and loaded the skiffs and made our way up the river. The ribereños of the village had gathered to wash their clothes and to salt some fishes. They welcomed us with friendly smiles, showing us some red-bellied piranhas they had caught.
There was a lot to enjoy in this expedition. It had become dark as we made our way back to the ship, and we were reading with our flashlights—it was the perfect opportunity to search for caimans! Their little red eyes reflect off of the flashlight beams, betraying their location, and as we approached them, they would stare at us before sinking. Spectacled caimans, black caimans and boat-billed herons were some of the highlights of our evening outing on the river. .
We reflected on the incredible experiences of the day as we cruised back to the Delfin II under the bright light of the moon and stars.
