Tuesday, Sept 10
After breakfast at the resort we got back on the boats and headed further down the Amazon to an Indian village. We went a little stroll through the forest seeing interesting plants and butterflies before we got to the natives. When we arrived we were greeted by this only woman wearing some kind of sarong and a fringe around her neck. She didn't speak English but welcomed us. Mainly it was the women of the tribe that were there and when we arrived many of them were walking around in just their sarongs. Apparently the men were off farming. All the men except for the chief. He was there to talk to us (and he didn't speak English either.) We gathered in the big building and he performed a ceremony were he went around and smeared orange paint on our cheeks as a symbols that we were friends. Next he demonstrated how he would use a blow dart gun. He demonstrated on a balloon that our tour guide had. He then allowed anyone to try it out.I don't think there were many successful attempts. When the presentation was done we had the opportunity to purchase little trinkets that they had made. I purchase a few little items and gave a little girl some coins to take her photo.
We left the village and walked out back to the boats. We walked by other locals and saw how they lived. There were some kids with their pets: a few sloths and lizards. Several of our group took photos hold them. The tour guide was one of group to hold them and he later told us that the sloths were covered in tics. Eek! The kids were super cute and the sloths were pretty cool to see.
We got on the boats and headed farther down the Amazon to see the worlds largest lily pads. They were on the property of a man who is the most wealthy in the area. He also make moonshine. We were shown the press where sugar cane would be made into the moonshine. We were given the opportunity to sample it. I didn't. :)
After lunch back at the resort we headed out to spot pink dolphins and fish for piranhas. We spotted several pink dolphins but it was nearly impossible to photograph them because they would just surface in random spots. And as for piranhas, the boat I was in only caught catfish but the other boat caught a piranha. The catfish we tool back to the resort where they served it up for dinner.
We got back to the resort for dinner and then went on a night time jungle walk. It was kind of spooky but we all came back alive! Before bed we spent a little time in the pool. Pretty cool to be swimming in the middle of the rain forest.
