The sun is shining and the sky is blue here in the Upper Amazon! We have been lucky this week. It rained a bit, but most of the time we had have perfect weather for our explorations.
It is Friday now. Time passes so slowly here in this remote area of the world. It has been almost a week far away from civilization—no airplanes, cars, traffic, etc. Just the sounds of nature and the sounds of the jungle. We woke up with lots of energy to have fun and to discover more of this amazing place, which is like no other. We had a nutritious breakfast and then went to explore Atun Poza. We had a great morning there, and saw monkeys such as the brown-mantled tamarinds, common squirrel monkeys, and red howlers, as well as parrots, parakeets, and tropical birds. Then we stopped to visit a little village of few inhabitants. The big surprise was the very warm welcome we got from about 15 kids, girls and boys from different ages that came to play, to sing, and to talk to our guests. They were vey happy and showed us some of their pets, such as a very small short-tailed parakeet. They have a wonderful life there. They don’t have much in their small houses, which are made of wood, but they are happy and seem to have all that they need to survive, including a very small school and a church. We then spent time helping out their economy by buying handicrafts they have made with great ability and creativity.
The afternoon was also superb! We visited the Pacaya River, a place full of wildlife. It was a real adventure to ride a skiff along narrow canals covered by vegetation, grass, water lettuce, shallow waters, and thick dense branches. Our expert skiff drivers did a good job taking us through these inhospitable estuaries. Finally we ended in the “promised land”: a big black lagoon where we plunged into the water to cool off. The scenario was perfect, just breathtaking. We were swimming surrounded by trees, which reflected in the water with no end, the colors of the sky were gorgeous, and the frosting on the cake was several pink dolphins swimming close to us, circling our area. It was a magical finale for a unique and unforgettable day in the Upper Amazon.
