It was our last day in the rainforest. We woke to the sounds of howler monkeys again. On the river, the whitewater changed to black, and the current was strong, and all three rowers put forth good effort. The trees were shorter, here, in high water.

We saw squirrel monkeys parading through the trees, and what Señor called a night monkey – I think it was a kinkajou, but I only saw it briefly. Toucans flew and alighted near us. Traveling westward, we saw a sloth scratching itself, and later, a sloth with her baby clinging to her belly, feeding slowly on leaves.

Just before we left, we came across a bonbon of an animal: saddleback marmosets. They are remarkable for both their cuteness and their matriarchal, polyandrous ways.

Heliconias appeared again, red against the green. The sun came out of the clouds, and all was quiet and beautiful.

And then it was over. We reached the shore of the river by the ranger check-in. Señora made lunch, which we ate, and then went back to Lagunas.

That night we had dinner with Jefe and his wife and daughter, as well as Señora, Señor, their youngest daughter, and their grandson. Afterwards, Señor, Señora, the Professor and I went to La Canoa, the biggest discoteca in town. It is out in the open air, and when the municipal power cuts out at 11 pm, it fires up a generator and keeps the party going until three.

Señora wouldn’t dance, she said, because of the emotional pain in her heart. I told her I hoped she would dance again one day. But Señor dances still, and he and Señora both smiled broadly when he danced two songs with me. The Professor and I danced with some other folks from the tour company as well, but mostly we danced with each other.

Baile baile baile! We had a wonderful time, and then said our farewells.

– The Private Eye