An early morning always pays off in the tropics and today was well up to our expectations. We set out to see macaws and succeeded admirably with several blue and yellow, red-bellied and a few scarlet flying by. Later had a chance to experience Varzea, a land that floods seasonally, by doing a short walk where we learnt about the trees and plants adapted to live in this water environment for a good part of the year. A short skiff ride on Yanallpa Caño was enough to discover yellow-crown bush-tail rat (a long name for a very tiny, cute little fellow), saddleback tamarin, night monkeys and cayman lizard plus a number of other birds including great views of some toucans. During the afternoon, an intrepid group went exploring by kayaking and after their return we all went for a slightly longer skiff ride that extended into the night. Along the way we encountered a place to toast to the Amazon and spent time searching when the night dwelling critters became active. A great end for a day full of wildlife wonders!
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!
