Our group this week arrived yesterday in the afternoon after traveling from Lima to join a once in a lifetime expedition in the Upper Peruvian Amazon. Our adventure started after breakfast with an introductory walk in the rainforest. We visited a “terra firme” place known as “Casual.” “Terra firme” is a term used in tropical ecology to describe a terrain that never gets flooded. In the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve, the largest flooded protected area in South America, most of the surface area is under water the whole year around therefore this kind of relatively dry ecosystem is of great interest for our expedition. Along the trail our talented naturalists explained some aspects of the enthralling ecology of the rainforest. Three native scouts from a nearby village came with us as well to help us to spot creatures. Colorful poison arrow frogs, tarantulas, a red-tailed boa, a juvenile bicolor-spined Porcupine, and insects were admired and photographed. In the afternoon, we visited a dynamic human settlement, Amazonas Community. We witnessed firsthand how people live nowadays in the region. We listened to some locals speaking about “Minga Peru” as well. The latter is a nonprofit organization founded in 1998 with the mission to promote social justice and human dignity, primarily for women and families in rural communities of the Peruvian Amazon. Leadership training, radio programming, and natural resources management are some of their main projects in the area. After dinner, we went for a night walk to enjoy the feeling and thrill of being out in the forest at that time of the evening. It was an extraordinary first day of our expedition on the enigmatic Upper Amazon in Peru.
10/8/2022
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Delfin II
Amazon Village and Casual Forest
We have had an astonishing week full of the kind of unfathomable experiences that only happen once in a lifetime. Tomorrow, we will be back to another jungle built with cement and other kinds of wildlife. But this morning, we are visiting a very small community at the foot of the Amazon River. People living here are poor in possessions but rich in a very natural way of living, and you see very happy people everywhere. Our guests enjoyed interacting with locals, eating their food, and learning how they use local materials found in the jungle for agriculture, fishing, and handicrafts. Minga Peru is a non-governmental institution. The Lindblad Fund supports these communities in the Upper Amazon through education and by empowering people, especially women, to develop job skills, create jobs with better incomes, and eradicate domestic violence. In the afternoon, we went to Casual Forest. With the help of some local, expert guides, we explored the jungle. The site is home to many creatures, like tarantulas, tiny frogs, and boas. We observed many medicinal trees. This outing was a great learning experience for our guests. Once we got back on board, we enjoyed a farewell cocktail party with all the crewmembers. Our guests were very happy after a great week exploring the Amazon of Peru. Our week was very special. We found capybaras and large caimans during our nocturnal outing, and the highlight was spotting a big jaguar resting on the riverbank of the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve. To celebrate the end of our memorable journey, our talented crew performed in the dining room. They played some local music and danced. We will depart in the morning for Iquitos, where we will visit the Manatee Center and the city’s boulevard. We had a wonderful time together. We made new friends and will remember this trip forever. Cheers to Peru!
