After two early mornings the last couple of days, we gave ourselves a bit of a rest today and started our skiff rides after breakfast in the Yarapa River. We enjoyed incredible sightings of blue-and-yellow macaws perched in the canopy and flying overhead. We spotted a sloth, long-nose bats, and a big male woolly monkey in the trees above. Along the way, we stopped to visit a family building a small lodge for ecotourism and got a closer look at some of the jungle animals they have as free-ranging pets, including an uakari monkey, a peccary, and two small capybaras. It was a fascinating window into the human-wildlife relationship here among communities living within the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. Back on board and underway, we celebrated entering the official start of the Amazon River with a special drink from our bartender at the point where the Ucayali and Marañon Rivers merge. After lunch, we sailed down the Marañon and visited the community of Amazonas to get a look at life for people living in and near the reserve. We learned about traditional foods and handicrafts from a number of women in the community before hearing their stories during a presentation on Minga Peru. This local nonprofit spearheads many important projects for the communities in the Upper Peruvian Amazon. Many of us took home memories we won’t soon forget from our first day, which we spent connecting with the people of this special place.
7/23/2024
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Delfin II
Pahuachiro Creek, Casual Forest, and Yarapa Creek, Upper Amazon, Peru
Today was packed with activities. We started early, heading out in the skiffs to explore Pahuachiro Creek. In addition to an abundance of birds, our eagle-eyed skiff driver spotted a green iguana, camouflaged in the greenery. On the bird front, we enjoyed watching a pair of black-capped donacobius engage in a courtship display. Later, a great kiskadee allowed us to get close enough to capture some great photographs. After a hearty breakfast, we took a walk in the Casual Forest with the help of locals to search for the smaller insects and reptiles, such as poison dart frogs and bird-eating tarantulas. After the walk, there was an opportunity to help the local economy by buying some hand-made crafts. Javier, one of our naturalists, gave a fascinating participatory presentation on the fruits of the Amazon, and then we were off again in the skiffs to Yarapa Creek. We experienced our first rain shower, a reminder that we’re in the rainforest! But it was over quickly, and the provided ponchos kept us all dry. To end the day, we had a stunning sunset as we rode the skiffs back to Delfin II .