This morning once again we head out early, just as the flooded forest is waking up. The trees are alive with birds and small mammals. It’s not long before have great sightings of horned screamers, a large, goose-like bird with a feather sticking out on the top of its head. We also encounter a couple of large troops of squirrel monkeys eating yellow fruits. Blue and yellow macaws fly overhead, announcing their arrival with loud squawks that echo through the forest. The highlight of the morning is a sighting of a monk saki monkey sitting on a branch in full view. Then, as if to show off its amazing athletic ability, it jumps between trees overhead.
But the real highlight is breakfast, which the guides brought along with us on the skiffs. Tying the boats up to a tree, we enjoy fresh fruit and egg sandwiches while a three-toed sloth looks down on us from a tree near by. A great way to start the day!
Before returning to the Delfin II we visit a small village with a handful of houses built on stilts. This time of year, when the Amazon basin floods, there is little or no dry land. It’s very humbling to see how simple life is on the river. No cars, no roads, and no machinery other than the small engines for their dugout canoes and chainsaws for cutting wood for building materials and firewood.
This afternoon we head out on another skiff ride into the flooded forest. Crossing the main channel of the Ucayali River we enter an intricate network of black water streams that take us to large oxbow lake. As rivers meander they often leave behind large bends that are cutoff from the main flow of the river. These lakes are home to a great variety of wildlife, and also the giant lily pads famous here in the Amazon. Pink and gray river dolphins seem to be everywhere, no doubt eating the same small fish that the yellow-beaked terns are after with their acrobatic plunge dives. We also encounter more monk saki monkeys gorging on fruit in the trees above. In in the distance we hear the ever-present haunting cries of red howler monkeys.
The highlight this afternoon was a refreshing swim in the middle of the largest oxbow. Jumping off the skiffs we float quietly listening to the blows of pink river dolphins nearby and the howlers in the distance. It’s hard to imagine a better way to spend an afternoon in the rain forest.
Cruising back to the ship we once again navigate the narrow channels past giant lily pads, horned screamers, and dozens of great egrets. Rain showers on the horizon create rainbows as the sun breaks through the storm clouds. The colors in the sky cast a strange light reflecting on the river as we enjoy pisco sours on the sundeck, a fitting end to a magical day along the upper Amazon.
