It's animal madness in the pampas

Cruising through the pampas in our little dugout

Carl is sleeping in the hammock next to me. He's worn out, poor bugger. Too much excitement already today: pink dolphins swimming beside our dugout canoe, turtles sunning themselves on submerged tree branches, monkeys flinging themselves from tree to tree above our heads, and spectacularly-coloured birds trying to look inconspicuous in the green foliage. Oh, and let's not forget the parrot, monkey and wild pig in our restaurant at lunchtime.

Our little monkey friends

This part of the Amazon is known as the pampas (lowlands). A vast flat expanse of land filled to the brim with wacky and wonderful animals. It took us nearly six hours to get here - three rough hours in the back of an old jeep along dusty dirt roads and three cruising down a river in dugout canoe built by nearby villagers. It's the end of rainy season, so the river level is still rising. According to our guide, Bizmark, it's going to be tough to find anacondas. But he promises us piranhas, alligators, caymans and more.

The best spot in the camp!

Our camp is simple: little wooden shacks connected by wooden walkways, and row of hammocks that just beg you to lie down. We can see the water underneath our cabin through the large gaps in the floorboards (eek!). It seems that mosquito nets are our only real protection against the nasties that come out to play after sunset.