The women of the little town of Amazonas have long since taken control of the village. With the help of local NGO Minga Perú, those that were once abused, neglected or plainly ignored have overcame their fears and spoken up. So much so that they are now leaders in their communities and share their success with other women in the Amazon. The do not only produce and harvest food for their families, but they also sell the surplus to produce an economic income. And they do all this in a sustainable way, even helping the Amazon rainforest recover! A win-win situation and a remarkable story that we had the privilege to hear from them. In the afternoon, after toasting to the birth of the Amazon at the very confluence where it is formed, we cruised up the Ucayali River, where we are to spend the rest of our expedition until we reach the southern and wilder part of the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve.
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!
