When I was preparing my camera and backpack last night, I had the feeling that today was going to be a fantastic day, and I was not wrong. The Pacaya River was spectacular! We started our exploration very early. At 0545, we were already on our way with high spirits and expectations. The remote Pacaya River is the farthest destination of our expedition this week.
Our three skiffs formed a caravan to explore the river, and we went as far as we could to look for wildlife. We had extraordinary sightings! We saw pink river dolphins, Amazon giant otters, blue-and-yellow macaws, and hundreds of egrets and neotropical cormorants.
After a couple hours of exploring, we stopped and looked for shade to enjoy our breakfast outdoors on the skiffs! This experience was, in one simple word, amazing! We were surrounded by the rainforest as our early meal was served in the most fashionable way possible, including white gloves and hot coffee. All of this amidst the green forest and a concert of sounds for company.
After breakfast, we continued exploring. We stopped momentarily to disembark at a Reserve Warden's vigilance point to stretch our legs and use the facilities. We had the opportunity to swim in Yanayacu Lake as well.
In the late afternoon, we visited a large sandbank in the Ucayali River. Rivers and lakes have very low levels at this time of the year, and large sandbanks are exposed along the mighty Ucayali River. We walked a long distance and observed the many terns and skimmers that are abundant in these seasonal sandbanks. We ended up in a tent that our crew installed, where we rested and enjoyed cold drinks. Some guests covered themselves with mud. We had a lot of fun!
It was certainly a long day but well worth the effort! Remoteness and expecting the unexpected made this day of exploration a very special one.
