Today we had a blast far upstream on the Ucayali River.
Early in the morning we started the day riding our skiffs on the on the black water Pacaya River searching for wildlife. Today we succeeded in finding squirrel monkeys, capuchin monkeys, and many different birds like egrets, toucans, screamers, hawks, parakeets, macaws, plus reptiles and mammals: caimans, iguanas, dolphins, and sloths.
This place is indescribable; the flooded forest during low water season means unprecedented abundance and access to fish—all creatures are busy. The river is low; it looks like pockets of mirrors all over the ground reflecting the puffy clouds in the blue sky. The unique calmness makes it the perfect place for our visit and an unusual event—breakfast! Yes, all of us got together at the riverside we named “Martin’s Restaurant” as our skiffs anchored together for a well-deserved feast. Juices, coffee, tea, sandwiches, and even muffins served under a jungle canopy with fine silverware and china.
We explored deep into the reserve and returned to the ship for a cooking class on local cuisine preparing our riverside “Juanes” by bulking large leaves, clustering chicken breast with half-cooked locally-seasoned herbs and rice brought to a further boiled and cooked to perfection.
We enjoyed another delicious lunch and at 3 p.m. many of us opted to go swimming in Yanayacu Lake. We had a visit from local aquatic mammals the pink dolphins and enjoyed a cold local cerveza—both surprises on the lake and very appreciated by our guests. Only a few of us took the second option—a skiff ride further upstream and into the river. This afternoon we saw red howler monkeys and a river teeming with different kinds of fish bursting at the surface for oxygen.
The sun set and in the east the moon rose majestically. On our way back to the ship we were impressed by the romantic landscape—this place is simply breathtaking and we are bounded by it diversity and beauty.
