San Francisco Village & Cedro Caño
The Marayali is a beautiful creek that connects the Marañon with the Ucayali River. This morning we had the opportunity to explore its flooded areas.
Most of the people who inhabit these areas have had to move to higher elevations because at this time of the year the water levels are too high for farming. As soon as the river level drops, all the people will move back along the river once more. Under those conditions there are lots of riverbanks. It is a perfect time of the year for farming different products such as papayas, cassava, rice, bananas, and many other tropical crops as well.
These areas also provide a good habitat for dozens of river bird species. This morning we had the chance to explore the creek from our comfortable skiffs. We spotted many species of herons and egrets, some of these creatures are cosmopolitan because they have been able to colonize all continents, and we also had the opportunity to see some species, which are found in the Amazon region only.
Later in the morning we had a chance to visit San Francisco village to learn more about the local residents. It was a great morning experience with wildlife and people; right before lunch we sailed for about one hour to enter the confluence of the Marañon and Ucayali Rivers, the place where the Amazon River starts its course towards the Atlantic Ocean.
In the afternoon, we continued our expedition at Cedro Caño; its waters are black due to the high concentration of tannin acids from tree leaves. The reflections of the vegetation were just spectacular; this natural phenomenon accompanied with water river birds makes this place so peaceful and magical.
We had some great encounters with parakeets, parrots, White-eared Jacamars, kingfishers, hawks, a Great Potoo, and many other interesting sightings.
We went to a place where the whole area was covered with water lettuce, which is the main food source for manatees and is also the habitat for lots of insects and caimans as well.
One more time we had nice weather, blue sky and a perfect sunset as a farewell for our extraordinary day in the Upper Amazon in Peru.
