Piranha Caño, San Francisco Community & Cedro Caño
Early in the morning we went to Piranha Caño on our skiff boats before it got too hot. This time of the day is the best to observe birds and monkeys. We got our reward for being an early riser and nature lover. Some squirrel monkeys were seen jumping from branch to branch interacting among themselves or just performing for us. The monkeys were probably looking for food. We came back on board with the many melodious sounds of the Amazon performers in our heads.
After breakfast, we had our first chance to visit a very small village with no more than two-hundred inhabitants; they were very welcoming and invited us to go inside their houses. Delfin II naturalist guide Juan Luis Ihuaraqui, with his great interpretation skills, facilitated the communication. The local villagers explained to us how to use different tools for fishing and hunting. While walking in the village we had the opportunity to encounter a Rainbow Boa. This snake are not considered dangerous to humans because they are non- venomous, they are constrictors that go after small prey only.
We also had the opportunity to visit the community school. Our guests had the chance to teach the local children some English phrases and to pick up some basic Spanish phrases as well. The people also invited us to see their handicrafts work accompanied with some local music and dancing.
In the afternoon, we went out at around four o’clock, for this time of the day is also a good time for wildlife observation. The place we visited, Cedro Caño, has a very narrow long river with thick vegetation, mostly covered with big trees. It was a good place to observe monkeys, sloths, hawks, and many bird species. We counted thirty species of birds in just two hours with the help of our eagle-eyed local naturalist guides!
Cedro Caño has several big open areas covered with tannin-rich black waters reflecting the trees, birds, and people—just like in a mirror. At one point we just turned off the motors of our skiffs to listen and recognize different sounds. It was a memorable moment and everybody felt very connected with the Amazon inhabitants.
It was an extraordinary day with great sightings and memories. To finish our day we had a beautiful and magical sunset of the Peruvian Upper Amazon rain forest.
