Uakari Lodge - Mamirauá II
The activities revolve around getting out on the various part of the river to see wildlife and nature. The area is flooded now, with an anticipated one meter rise in the water before the levels start subsiding. This means that there is little wildlife on the ground - because there is no ground! So fish, dolphins and water creatures have plenty of space to disperse, and are hard to spot. You see a dolphin pop up here and there but by the time you get your camera pointed at it, it's long gone. I have seen the famous pirarucu not only on my dinner plate, but also surfacing under the shade of the flooded forest only to disappear before I can squeeze off a photo.
The trips into the major waterways are done in motorized boats. This is local guide Jonathan
The canoe option. Poor guy does all the work.
Trips are made in open boats, motorized for open water and seating 6-8 people and small paddled canoes for one or two people in the flooded forests. It is especially exciting when, on the way back from an hour long trip out, the rain comes and absolutely soaks us to the skin. At first you think; oh, how refreshing. Then it soon wears off as the giant Amazon raindrops pelt your head and body and your jolly mood wears off quickly. It seems to take forever to reach the pousada.
Pouring rain.
So far I have seen black monkeys, orange-brown howlers, common brown monkey, and cappuccinos. Not a Uakari monkey yet, but others say they have seen one or two. Plenty of birds; my favorite has been the opportunity to photograph in a non-blurry way, a pair of macaws. My one toucan photo is very bad, but you can make out that it is in fact a toucan! Woodpeckers, ducks, cormorants and others as well, some of which I was able to photograph, but I think to get those award winning shots, you need some serious photographic equipment, plenty of time and the right light conditions. There have been times where I am so frustrated with the quality of my photographs that I am tempted to drop the camera and lenses into the water and forget all about it. Then, I get one good shot and my faith is renewed.
It's a jungle in here
"and above us, only sky" J Lennon