Pacaya River
We entered and exited the Pacaya-Samaria Reserve via the Pacaya River today, with the rising and the setting of the sun. This vast waterway penetrates deep into the reserve and we took full advantage of the prime hours of the day for exploring this area. Having both an early morning and a late afternoon visit to this part of the reserve gave us an understanding of not only the vastness of this area, but the stunning beauty and abundant wildlife here as well.
Once again today, we set off just after sunrise and only made it a short distance before massive flocks of parakeets and parrots were seen feeding in the same trees as squirrel monkeys. We slowly progressed on, adding new discoveries. But today, instead of returning to the Delfin II for more delicious food, we ate breakfast in the skiffs with hoatzin birds above us and pink river dolphins in the water around us. Being able to sample more delicious Amazon food in this setting was magical.
In the afternoon we went even farther into the reserve, with three main highlights standing out for me. Swimming in the Yanayacu Lake with dolphins around us and parrots overhead was unforgettable. Finding red howler monkeys hanging by their tails in giant trees was a great addition to our wildlife experiences. And exiting the river with an incredibly fiery sunset followed by a brilliant display of stars was the perfect ending to another spectacular day.
