Day 8 / June 28, 2013 Today the group hiked to the Macaw clay lick and there was no activity. It had rained a lot the day before and was overcast, which isn’t great for parrots. Back to lodge to start the two hour Capo Tree forest hike. It was STEAMY and hot and the trail was so muddy it took extra effort to pull boots out of mud without having them slip off. Our guide was a frolicking fun guy and started climbing the huge vines wrapped around this one humongous tree. One of the more athletic girls wanted to try it. I thought briefly about the possibilities of an accident but as soon as that flew through my brain she had given up and was back at point zero and we were on the move again. The ultimate tree was definitely worth the hike, which also included forging a trail through the tangle of jungle and up a steep slope to try to see some spider monkeys, which eluded us. Oh well, I would be able to have that extra helping of dinner later that night! 
After lunch we went kayaking. One of our grandmother and granddaughter pair chose not to participate so they rode in the motorboat that followed us. Thankfully the river had receded from the heavy rains two days before, so the conditions were great. Most of group shared kayaks but there were two of us – myself and Katherine – that had single kayaks. Prior to this day, Frank and I had discussed every aspect of this activity considering all possible conditions for the safety of our group. The day had arrived and as soon as I was on the river, I was able to accurately assess my level of comfort and thankfully, I felt calm and capable. It was really an awesome and intimate way to experience the river. I think the two who declined wished they had done it! 
Tomorrow we leave for Sacred Valley. Next post >> Previous post >> Learn more about this program >>
