It’s only taken us a few days to adjust to life in the Amazon—early to rise for a skiff ride up a narrow tributary looking for birds and animals, back to Delfin II for a hearty breakfast followed by a second outing before lunch, which is followed by a mandatory siesta, then a presentation by the expedition staff, followed by another outing in the late afternoon, back in time for a mandatory pisco sour, followed by another delicious dinner.
Our sunrise outing on the skiffs took us up another narrow, black water tributary where we encountered many new birds and even a glimpse of the elusive pigmy marmoset. However, this morning there was a slightly different twist, with a kayak option offered before breakfast. There’s nothing quite like paddling up a back water river with the sights and sounds of a wilderness rainforest river overloading your senses—the calls of parrots and parakeets, the trills of wrens, the squawks of macaws echo through the flooded forest.
After breakfast we visit a village accessible by skiff only during the wet season. The children welcomed us ashore to walk around the settlement, meeting the locals and visiting the primary school where we were treated to a welcoming song and questions from the children. We presented the schoolteacher with supplies donated by our fellow guests. Kids are kids and we have fun with them as they smile for our cameras.
This afternoon we are thankful that the rains come during siesta time before we head out again in the skiffs to explore another narrow tributary. We enjoy a blissful time on the water with sightings of Amazon kingfishers, hoatzins, and a number of different woodpeckers. We return to the boat just in time to enjoy a colorful sunset with pisco sours in hand.
Another great day in the Amazon ….
