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Published: April 2nd 2012
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We have just spent four wonderful days in the amazing Amazon. After boarding our boat the MV Aqua we settled in for four days of excursions to lakes and tributaries that are all part of the Amazon. Each day we had at least two excursions aboard skiffs with our Naturalist guides (all locals trained in tourism) to seek wildlife. As it is the rainy season we were able to venture into areas that would normally be inaccessible (albeit some of them had to be persuaded with a machete that the guide pulled out and used where necessary). We really were in the jungle. Their enthusiasm was infectious even for those of us that really didn't thinkl bird watching would be all that interesting. We were all given a wildlife checklist to fill out when we saw the wildlife which added to the experience. The highlight of the first morning was a small anaconda which Victor one of the guides caught and was subseqently passed around the three skiffs. In the afternoon we saw our first pink dolphins , different in shape to the grey ones that we see. as darkness approached we used a spotlight to find a caiman (alligator). Once
again the guides caught them by hanging off the front of the skiff. Lots of photos before it was released. Shortly afterwards the heavens opened and torrential rain poured over us for the trip back to the boat. We had ponchos on but you had to keep your head down as the rain felt as if it was cutting your face.
Each day continued with pattern of excursions morning and afternoon each time revealing something different to look at or experience. We will never forget the sundowner with all three skiffs tied together while we drank champagne and ate nut wrapped in leaves (recyclable) or the breakfast where we did the same and Dennis opened up his box of tricks to reveal wooden trays, silver cutlery, crockery cups and saucers and food.
The Amazon at present is flooded and many of the houses in the villages are underwater but the locals are undeterred. They either move on or move up and live in the rafters until the water recedes. we stopped at a small village and gave the children some small gifts and purchased beautiful embroideries that the women had made. Each child introduced themselves to us as
we did to them. I am sure they were all the better for us singing Waltzing Matilda to them. It was difficult for us to imagine how we would cope with their lifestyle but their happy faces were a joy to see.
Another highlight was fishing for Pirahna. At our first stop where the skiffs moored we had to move because we were near a bee's nest and the driver was being attacked. Our second was more productive and after feeding them copious amounts of chicken we all managed to catch at least one fish. The guide Julio showed us the difference in the teeth size between the largest and smallest (Kevin caught one of the most ferocious kind and the biggest). Hollywwod has led us stray...surprise, surprise. They do not jump out of the water and unless you have a cut on you and they can taste the blood you can swim quite happily amongst them.
All on all an amazing experience which is difficult to put into words.
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