This morning we got up and started the. Day with a hike in the forest. We saw lots of insects and a few toads that have quite the ability to blend in! We also saw more macaws and two new species of monkeys up in the trees. Our guide told us lots about how all the flora interact with each other and with the insects to survive. Part of the walk went through a swampy area and two of the others in our group got in knee deep because they weren’t careful enough where they walked. It was at least entertaining for the rest of us!

We went back to the lodge for lunch and then had a siesta after before heading out in the boat again. We started with looking for anacondas but didn’t find any again. We saw a few parrots up close and a few other birds like the stinky turkey, white heron and red capped cardinal. We also saw our fourth species of monkey called the squirrel monkey. We saw the highly talked ink dolphins, but just a bit if their head because they are so shy! While enjoying the sunset I decided to go for a swim tonight in the laguna. I think it is just scary because of the caimans you see at night and knowing that their are piranhas and huge fish.

I don’t think I mentioned yet how amazing our boat driver is. He navigates the river in complete darkness without even a flashlight. I keep cringing as we drive, but the driver is obviously very good at what he does. After dinner tonight we got a speech from one of the guides on the importance of tourism in this area as it helps to keep away the oil companies because the local communities can survive. You often see companies advertise about responsible tourism and ecotourism, so it was cool to actually hear how it all works here. It’s time for bed now because we are getting up early tomorrow to do some bird watching!