Before crossing the boca from the placid Rio Sierpe into the sea, we don our life jackets.
People can drown here if the boats are too small or too full, if the capitan catches the wave wrong.
But the waves are smooth, our captain is good, and we pass through without any problem. All the hotels in this area make sure their boats have powerful enough motors for the boca crossing, and they always go at high tide. Twenty minutes to the south we head in towards the shore, where two men appear, wading into the water to hold the boat as we arrive. As we slosh onto the beach, six scarlet macaws fly overhead. A good omen.