Las Guacamayas II - on the river.

Our last act in Guacamayas was an early morning boat ride for two hours along the edge of and into the protected selva. We split the cost of the trip with three young men from Mexico City who were on a high speed road trip through Chiapas. The river was swollen, a thick brown, full of of floating debris shaken free by the storm the night before. We passed many kilometers of thick impenetrable jungle. Tremendous trees, vines, dense vegetation in all directions. Saw lots of birds: tiger herons, flycatchers, two types of toucans, parrots, chachacala, howler monkeys and spider monkeys flying through the air together in the tops of trees.

Though neither our words nor photos will reflect it, it was a truly amazing trip - the river and forest seem so large, so powerful, so mysterious, so impenetrable, and so full of life. Fortunately, this large expanse of forest is protected, in theory forever, from human exploitation.

Then off to the Lacandon River, selva, and people along the border with Guatamala, and in the neighborhood of Bonampak and Yaxchilan - both famous Classic Mayan ruins that date back to the first millennium after Christ.

It should be emphasized that the Mayan had their own time-marking systems (plural) that were considerably more complicated than the one invented in the West. The Mayans/Mesoamericans also independently developed very sophisticated writing systems, astronomy, architecture, agriculture and political and religious and economic systems (that included warfare, slavery, torture and other unsavory activities) that supported fantastic cities - that left the Hernan Cortez and his invading troops literally speechless. Much of this knowledge of course was destroyed and burned by Europeans when they conquered the area - as the works of Satan...

Our early morning departure was delayed a bit because our boats were literally underwater in the morning, due to the deluge the previous night. The guy responsible for managing the boats through the night dropped the ball. The boat needed to be bailed.

Here is a shot of the river from our camp. On the far side is the protected selva/biosphere.

Cesar who led us on the forest walk the previous day, led our boat trip as well.

This is one of the many isolated settlements - probably for just one family - in the forest along the river. Simple homes of rough-cut lumber and palm leaf roofs. Growing crops, fishing, raising livestock.

The river is immense, and swollen, brown, and full of debris, as a result of last night's rains.

The giant, sacred Ceiba tree. Today, it is Mexico's national tree.

Another towering Ceiba.

We saw howlers - saraguatos and spider monkeys - mono arano - high in the trees from the boat.

I must admit...this looks a little bit like the classic Bigfoot photo. You'll have to trust us on this one.

Dense, impenetrable forest.