It rained heavily last night, and it continued to do so until early this morning. This is how the Amazon weather normally behaves during this time of the year; the good thing is that by the time we were ready to depart on our skiff excursion this morning, the rain was already long gone.
This morning we reached the furthest western point into the Ucayali River that time has allowed us during this expedition. After our morning excursion, we will have to head east, retracing some of our steps in the Ucayali River.
Our morning destination was the Pacaya River, which is a small tributary of the main Ucayali River. Its black waters have one of the most phenomenal landscapes within the reserve; the forest was perfectly reflected on the river water, and lots of birds were flying above our heads on their daily foraging journeys. Here and there we stopped to observe some of the animals, especially when howler monkeys appeared at the tip of the trees!
Our journey this morning had a specific purpose, which was to reach a beautiful lagoon for swimming. Once we got there, it didn’t take long before almost all our guests had jumped in the lake, enjoying the warm and still waters. We were not alone, as pink river dolphins entertained both the swimmers and all who decided to stay dry!
Once we were back onboard, the ship navigated through one of the heaviest rainfalls we have had during the whole voyage. Then, as if scheduled, the rain stopped minutes before the afternoon outing started!
Zapote River is another small tributary of the Ucayali, and we spent the late afternoon both visiting briefly the nearby community and exploring the extensive healthy forest around us.
We definitely had quite an adventure today, and we are very much looking forward to more as our expedition continues!
