I Love the Smell of DEET in the Morning

October 13 It's a 7:30 A.M. departure today so that we can get 50 miles upstream in our open boats to an area in the Reserve simply called "The Second Ranger Station". We stop for animal sightings en route and when we arrive, there is a substantial building with an inside loo. Heaven. We are truly hot, but we're going to spend an hour walking in the jungle so we don our leather shin guards (yes, the gators are to protect against snakes), gear up, and off we go. The guides explain the medicinal uses of several trees and we then encounter the hugest ficus I have ever seen. Many creature sightings including howler monkeys. Back for a picnic lunch, a short respite, and our return to La Amatista. En route, we put on our rain ponchos (think plastic sauna) except for my hero who stands in the stern and gets wet, enjoying the cool. With the return of the sun, we feel like raw eggs frying. Back on board, our lovely down time is complete with the serenade of driving rain. Great naps in those air conditioned cabins. For the cocktail hour, we are entertained by Nando and the River Rats - different name same players - and have a great time before dinner. We see a nice powerpoint presentation on the role of the Reserve we've been visiting but I have a hard time squaring the conservation efforts with what I think happens to the sewage from our ship. No hot shower since we left Lima, but that likely helps with water conservation. Washing time is as brief as possible, reminiscent of the showers we gave the kids in Juvenile Hall. Get wet, water off. Soap up, water on. Rinse, water off. Finito!