We woke up around 04:00, after sleeping fairly well.  It was easier for us to sleep knowing that the room was screened, and also additionally there was mosquito netting over the bed.  After waking up, it was basically just insect sounds until around 05:00, when birds, monkeys, etc. started up.  Probably not coincidentally, it got light just after 05:00 as well.  There were sparse low clouds (or maybe fog) hugging the rainforest floor.  We saw lots of birds flying around from above the canopy, including some parrots and papagayos (macaws).  Crystal went down around 06:00 to get some coffee, and Justin stayed up until around 06:45, trying (mostly in vain) to get photos of the various birds flying around.  He did manage to get a couple photos, including parrots, a Toucan, and a couple Russet-backed Oropendola (at least according to Google image search).

At 07:00 we went to breakfast, which was a mix of some sweet and savory items.  There were three types of fruits (pineapple, mango, and papaya), an egg dish, a corn cake of some sort, and some type of crepe/pancake thing.  As soon as we wrapped up, we left with Vladimir to go to Caño Cristales.  It was maybe a 5 minute boat ride downriver, but it was an eventful one, as we saw an alligator getting into the water from the riverbank.  When we got out of the boat we met Dinar, who we think may have been a guide for the National Park.  We also saw the three American women who’d been on the plane with us the day before.  Crystal chatted with the Houston woman while we filled out some paperwork and the employees checked our bags for things like sunscreen and insect repellent.

This meeting area, named Cafuche, refers to the local name for peccaries, who used to live in the area (until they were hunted extensively).  There are several different routes available from Cafuche, depending on the fitness (and willingness) of the patrons.  We’d indicated that we were in good shape and willing to walk, hoping that some of the more amazing parts might be a bit further away.  We were on the route they called “Los Pianos,” named for the waterfall formation at the end of the hike.

At pretty much every stop along the river, both Vladimir and Dinar were taking photos.  In our experience, that is a very good sign that we lucked out in terms of conditions.  Vladimir told us that the river is most colorful when there is bright sunlight and when river level is low - we had both today.  But that also meant it was about 35 Celsius (95F) and about 90% humidity.  Our luck today wasn’t entirely luck, however, as we’d seen that the season for the best color was July through mid-November, and we assumed that the time just before mid-November would be best.  [Whether this was true, or we just had dumb luck, we don’t know.]

Vladimir told us that the red color in the plants comes from having at least 8 hours of sunlight per day; otherwise the plant stays green.  We saw some plants that were a mix of faint green and faint pink, apparently straddling the line.  The yellow color in the river comes from sediment at the bottom of the river, usually in deep circular basins.  Over the millenia, the low spots in the river got lower because wherever there were whirlpools, the sediment acted as sandpaper that slowly made the circular depressions deeper and deeper.

By the pianos we stopped for a bit and Justin got in the water for a bit.  Crystal rested on the shore in the shade again.  We also stopped at a couple other places where we could’ve gotten in the water, but we chose to just keep going each time.  Eventually Vladimir indicated it was probably time for lunch, and we realized it was around 13:45, so we profusely apologized and agreed to stop for a bit.  We ate by a big pool in the river, one of the largest we’d seen.  There were some birds around, including three of the same species - we weren’t sure if they were a family or an unrelated trio.   Right nearby was “Los Ochos”, so named because a couple of adjacent pools resemble an 8.  The whole area was chock-full of holes, like Swiss cheese.  Vladimir told us that the holes are connected by tunnels underneath, at least a lot of them.

On the way back to Cafuche, we saw some oil coming directly out of the ground, like a wound.  Apparently there is oil underground around Caño Cristales, but thankfully the locals fought to avoid oil companies coming in and destroying things.  It was really hot and the sun was beating down on us pretty good, so we walked back to Cafuche (and then the river) rather quickly, then bid adieu to Dinar.  We went with Vladimir back to the hotel by boat, arriving a little before 16:00.  

When we arrived at the hotel, to our surprise, we found out that we had a short excursion at 17:00.  We tried to go to our new/different room, and our bags weren’t there, but it turns out we went to the wrong room.  Once in the correct new room, we saw it was about 3-4 times bigger, but perhaps because of that it was not fully screened.  At least for the two of us, when we’re somewhere hot and humid with bugs, all we really want is a screened room with a mosquito net on the bed and a fan - anything else is unnecessary.

Once situated inside, Crystal showered and Justin checked our photos.  He’d been having issues with our smaller Sony camera, and wasn’t sure if the camera itself was over or under-exposing photos, or rather the screen on the back wasn’t showing accurate exposure levels.  Fortunately, from the pictures today, most everything looked pretty close to accurate.  After Crystal was done showering, it was Justin’s turn.  

We went to get a drink before our excursion at 17:00, but when we got to the bar they told us to get down to the boat.  It was just the two of us, the boat captain, and one other guy, who we came to believe was a musician.  We went up the river a bit, then they killed the engine and we slowly drifted back towards the hotel with the current taking us downriver.  At first it was quiet and we watched the birds and other wildlife go about their daily lives.  Then after a bit the musician walked to the front of the boat, just a couple of feet in front of us, and started playing guitar and singing.

We initially were worried it was going to be hokey or seem contrived, but it was quite nice.  The sun went down and we had music and papagayos flying overhead.  Back at the hotel we got a margarita (Crystal) and a glass of a rum (Justin).  The rum, La Hechichera, was new to Justin.  There is quite a bit of Venezuelan rum available in Tenerife, but hardly any Colombian rum.  We aren’t sure if there are just less Colombian rums, or it's a sourcing issue.  We waited around the bar for a bit until 19:00, then went to dinner.  As soon as we finished dinner, we went to our room and then went straight to sleep.