What an amazing day we spent in the Peruvian Upper Amazon! We all had great expectations to visit the remotest area in our expedition, the Pacaya River. Early in the morning (06:00), we went as deep and far as we could into the river, which is the farthest and most pristine destination in our expedition this week. Our caravan consisted of three skiffs, twenty-two guests, three naturalists, a LEX photo instructor, a paramedic, three drivers, two deckhands, our bartender, and myself. We all went together to explore the Pacaya River. Hundreds of egrets and herons accompanied us along the way. We had great wildlife sightings. We observed many bird species and several red howler and squirrel monkey troops as well.
At around 08:00, we were served our breakfast outdoors! The three skiffs were tied together under the shade. White gloves and hot coffee included, we had our first meal of the day surrounded by the beauty of the location.
We stopped briefly at the ranger station located in front of Yanacocha Lake to stretch our legs and use the facilities before we went swimming in the lake. Many swimmers observed several pink dolphins at a close distance. It was a long but rewarding adventure with all the ingredients of a memorable expedition.
In the afternoon, we explored a large tributary of the Ucayali River, the Magdalena River. The late hours of the day are prime time to search and observe the extraordinary biodiversity that inhabits the rainforests. During this skiff ride, we had excellent sightings of neotropical rainforest birds and monkeys. After coming back aboard, a beautiful atmosphere was felt among all of us. We had a delightful and successful day of exploration in the Upper Amazon of Peru.
