The Amazon: Moonlit Boat Ride.

In the middle of the week at the retreat there is always a night off from "ceremony." It's a nice break, especially when you have come to despise the taste of the ayahuasca.

At the new retreat center, they arranged for a moonlit boat ride on the Amazon. We were going to stargaze, constellation gaze, and hunt for night animals.

One of the guests, who had been there a few times before, brought a lovely surprise for everyone...

Day-glow bands!

We piled them on, and then piled into boats down the muddy bank to the river.

We rode a few minutes on the river - I've no idea what direction - till we heard a loud honking/chirping sound.

We turned the motor down and  guided the boat toward a collection of bushes in the river, near the bank.

We were looking for the sound.  And we found it...

A frog!

Our guide educated us on the frog... And insisted on getting closer into the brush.

Then he found another frog he wanted to show us...

A teeny frog!

He had to hold it by squeezing (gently) one of its hind legs. It wanted to jump away. And who could blame it? We were shining a bright light on it.

Off in the distance, about 10 miles away, was a storm. We could see the sky light up with red bursts...

Yes. A very poor shot. But I was shooting with my iPhone.

We gazed at the Moon with binoculars... And looked up at constellations that you don't get to see in the Northern Hemisphere.

I was able to doctor up a shot I took of myself with the Moon in the background...

A silhouette!

It was a fun excursion.

The river had pushed us back towards to the retreat center... So we only had to power boat a small distance to get to it.

I climbed up the rickety steps and went into the game room. I grabbed a hammock and immersed myself in a book for about an hour, with the remaining electricity we had for the evening.