Freshwater snorkeling in the Rio Triste

• Excursion to snorkel in the crystal clear Rio Triste
• All kinds of fish, two freshwater stingrays and capuchin monkeys seen from a very short distance
• Relaxing afternoon in the pousada
• Break off the evening visit to the Lagoa das Araras due to a thunderstorm

The excursion to the Rio dreary on the program. We wait to be picked up by our guide, but then realize that we have to drive ourselves. On a pretty bad dirt road we drive the 18 kilometers to the starting point on the private land of a farm. Equipped with a snorkel, diving goggles and life jacket, off we go. The wonderfully clear small river flows leisurely through a pristine section of forest. We can already see numerous fish from outside the water.

Only once in the pleasantly warm river does the amazement really begin. The Visibility is fantastic, fish romp around everywhere. After a few instructions from our guide (he also only speaks a few bits of English) we start. And there we already have one Freshwater stingray turned off. Here it is important to exercise caution, after all, a sting should be quite painful. For a fee, the guide can take a few usable souvenir photos with his underwater camera.

A little further downstream we meet a much larger conspecific. Lured by corn kernels, we see whole schools of different freshwater fish. Fallen tree trunks protrude into the river, which in sections becomes extremely shallow. A family romps above our heads in the canopy of leaves Capuchin monkeys. You could even come across a yellow anaconda or coral snake, says our guide. After just under an hour, the fun is over. All in all a wonderful excursion, if not cheap, like the whole area.

Back at the pousada, we satisfy our hunger at the nearby per-kilo restaurant. We spend the hot afternoon planning, relaxing, skyping, writing a diary and collecting our freshly washed laundry.

At 5 o'clock we go to good cheer again Lagoa das Araras. Thunderclouds appear within a very short time and it doesn’t take long until a real tropical thunderstorm rains down on us. Just at the moment when six yellow-breasted macaws There is no stopping us from appearing and we withdraw.