At 6:30 we had breakfast and half of us went canoeing and half went hiking. We saw caimans, many varieties of birds, jaguar tracks in the mud, and the red fur remains of a monkey that had met its demise. Many birds are very loud, giving us our daily dose of tropical sounds. We came back to the lodge around 10:30 and rested or showered or studied. Lunch was at noon and then we had class until 3:15 and by 3:30 we were boarding canoes for our afternoon adventure. The guides helped us find monkeys, including the uacari, and blue and yellow macaws. We traveled a long time away from the lodge to a lake where we saw more caimans and a beautiful sunset. Dinner at 8 and then a video before rest time.
The Amazon feels unreal, so green and vibrant, with surprises around each corner. Watery, with animals located by our guides, who were truly amazing. But the inconveniences are also surprising, like the unadulterated Amazon-river water bathroom-showers (which are cold but felt good in the oppressive heat – – after the initial shock) and the totally amazing attack from mosquitoes who did not observe our insect repellent. See Video!
