We were wakened before 6 am for an early bird-watching excursion. This stand of trees was unusually homogenous, but there were no other signs that they were cultivated

We boarded the skiff at dawn. The sky promised yet another rainless day!

Hawk

Furry caterpillars that debelop into beautiful ble butterflies. We saw a few of the butterflies.

Termites build their nests above theflood level of the river - the locals use this as a guide to set the height of their stilts.

This is why one should not play with anthills

The tree is a ficus. Do not water the ficus in your living room to much.

The flooded forest - between the river and terra firma

At the end of the jungle walk a few locals were ready to sell their wares. Even though they were prepared for tourists, not many seemed to be around. We did not see another tour group the whole week, and only met a couple of individual travellers

The boat towels were always presented origami fashion.

After lunch we visited a shaman, who made a presentation (via a translator) and answered our questions. His training consisted of a long apprenticeship to an older shaman, and included months of living in the forest after partaking of a herb that was an illusion creating alkaloid and a purgative, to purify the mind and body.

He described several of his herbs and potions. He was well aware of their limitations. If he could not treat an ailment he would refer the patient to the local hospital.

He had an assistant who was a shaman in training. She was 25 years old. He was in his fifties.

They performed a ceremony which would assure us of good luck and health

The ceremony concluded with a ritual blowing of smoke.

Afterwards they posed for pictures. When I showed him the picture in my LCD he grinned broadly - the first crack in a serious demeanor

This is apparently the world's second smallest monkey

Red leaves attract pollinators to a white flower

The guide stopped at trail-side and pick this up - how he spotted it I do not know.

We were put on catamarans and told to row. Lifejackets were mandatory.

Capybara - the largest rodent