Dophin sunrise and monkey island

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Today set alarm for 515 and we had to be at the boat at 6.



There were so many Dolphins around the boat today. Turns out the gray dolphin is a lot easier to capture on camera than the pink. This morning we also witnessed our first sunrise. Every other day it seems to have been to cloudy or too late to see anything. I somehow managed to get an amazing picture of the dolphin and the sunrise in one snap. Pretty happy with that. The gray dolphins seemed to surface a lot more and do more acrobatics than the pink. They also stayed up longer and swam in a pattern that made it easy to know where they were heading and where they were likely to surface.



We went back out to the island we were at last night to see the birds set off for the day. The boat ride was cool through some really windy parts. Once again so many birds, mostly same species that we had already seen.



We jumped in the skiffs and went to a little village near the boat. I cannot remember the name of the village but it apparently translates in English to happy place. A lady from the village had a pet sloth so she brought it out and we got to have a cuddle. It was so cute. She grabbed on to Ashleys hair and gave it a good pull. I noticed in the picture she had the most evil face while she was pulling Ashleys hair. So smug. Its like a clown or something from a horror movie. For a sloth she sure could move her hands quickly to grab on to you.



The village tour we got to go into a house and see the kitchen and meet 4 generation of women. They have so many children like 13/14 each. I don't know how that is physically even possible. We were also shown how they use the trees leaves to make roofs and how they make rice.



After the tour of the village we went into the classroom. We went around the room with us introducing ourselves in Spanish and the children repeating our names. They were incredible. The guide would have about 5 of us say our names and then point to someone who already had introduced themselves and ask the children who is this. They all knew and got the name right every time. They all said my name correctly when most people struggle. The children then introduced themselves in Spanish and we had to try remember one then say who we remembered and then the child ran up and gave us a hug. The children sang us a song in Spanish and then we had to sing back to them. We did Itsy Bitsy Spider in English with the hand actions and the guide translated back in Spanish at the end. Some people brought gifts for the kids so the teacher distributed them around and made sure everyone got something.



When we left the classroom Juan Carlos delivered me an anaconda. He was only little but I was still very happy to see him. We were told he was found around the village but he was pretty quiet so I wouldn't have been surprised if it was another village pet. Juan Carlos then picked the Anaconda up and put the tail straight into Emilys hand and walked off so she was handling it by herself. It thrashed around a little for her and was bending towards her and Warren was trying to save her with his go pro stick.



I was next with the anaconda. He was a good boy for me he stayed really still in front of me. He wasn't bending around and trying to climb up for me like he was for Emily. So happy to get to handle an Anaconda. I've ticked my must see in the Amazon boxed now. Everyone was joking the day we hold the snake is the day we all wear shorts leaving the legs exposed. Ashley and Christine were after me and the Anaconda was thrashing around a little for them too but really it was a pretty chilled snake. No attempts to strike the person holding him or the go pro poles being shoved in his face.



The town had a cute little butterfly sanctuary too so got some butterflies up close and 'release' some into the enclosure.



We returned to the boat to use facilities then back to the village where they prepared us a traditional lunch. The locals showed us how to make some jungle food and Emily and Ashley had a go. For lunch they cooked fish in leaves with some tomatoes oil and cilantro and then a rice chicken egg bundle wrapped in leaves. Christie had a fail and dropped her lunch on me. Can't take that girl anywhere. The food was pretty good. We are it traditionally too - with our fingers. Scooping up of all the rice was a little tricky however I am way better at using fingers than I am using chop sticks.



When we returned back to the boat tried to sleep but didn't happen. House keeping knocked a few times while I was trying.



At 300 Juan Carlos gave us a lecture in Zoopharma something or other. Basically how a monkey was bitten by a snake and ran off and treated itself using plants and he survived a venomous bite. Further research showing animals also eat certain food for indigestion etc when they feel sick and by studying some of these animal behaviours we have learnt about uses of some of the Amazon plants and use them in mainstream medicine today.



Back out on skiff we went on a monkey excursion. We found both a Howler and spider monkey together. We got so close. When we approached the spider monkey came flying out and jumped and swung on a brand just over our boat. We all screamed, the other boat screamed. He looked like he was coming in the boat with us for sure. We moved around a few times and he kept running at us but as much as it looked like he was going to launch himself in our boat he was just calling our bluff and intimidating us. He then chased the other Skiff along the river bank. These two were really big monkeys compared to the other species we have seen. The howler has such a sad face, it looks so miserable. When we left the spider monkey did one last charge behind me and I actually jumped out of my seat for that one nearly taking Emily out on the way. Daniel had told his boat the monkeys in that area where released after being confiscated at the airport for people trying to smuggle them out. I guess that's why they are not too worried about people and have the species mixing together that normally wouldn't.



When we got back we had some free time so I had a shower and we went upstairs 6.30 for Pisco sours and we watched band play again.



Towards the end the beauty therapist lady and Alinson came in dressed up an danced for us. He looked so embarrassed the poor guy. So obviously being the nice girls that we are we took advantage of that to make him more uncomfortable by whistling and taking heaps of pictures. Most of us got pulled up to dance. First I was with Juan Carlos and then Alinson and then it somehow turned the it turned into a Congo line sorta thing. It was a fun night.



Dinner was cat fish in a garlic sauce, hosin chicken, broccoli and Tiramisu for desert.



Tonight's boat trip we didn't see much in terms of wildlife. However we did get very stuck in a fishing net to extent the boys were swearing. We were under a lot of trees so the boys were working on engine standing right on the edge of boat cutting the engine out of the net via torch light. They then wanted the spare torches to scan the trees to keep an eye on snakes. Some of us were excited about that, others not so much. The newbies nearly sent the boys overboard a few times as they kept jumping up to get away from the bugs and rocked the boat. The boys set us free eventually but it did take a while. Juan Carlos was paddling with one paddle at one stage and Ashley asked if he had another or if we could do anything to help. He said no just get ready to swim.



After that incident we got out of the narrow river route we were on and back in the main river so there was not much was around. At one stage Alinson drove us to land and Juan Carlos leaped out of boat and kept running but came back empty handed. He said he had spotted a snake, the venomous one he told us about in the monkey story. He tried to catch it for us but it got away. The newbies and possibly most of us were actually a little thankful he missed that one. Pythons I'm good with, the venomous kinds not so much. We didn't was to get up too close and personal with something that could kill us.



The stars out tonight were incredible. There was so many and we could even see Mars. Because I am from the Southern Hemisphere the sky is what I would see at home. Obviously could see a lot of more it out here though as no lights getting in the way. However the the rest of the group were all from northern hemisphere so the sky looked very different for them. We turned off all the torches and boat light and sat in silence for a few minutes before heading back and calling it a night.

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