Today we continued exploring the Ucayali River. October is the last of the dry season in the Amazon basin, and the flood season will soon begin. Along the riverbanks, all houses and lodges are built atop wooden pillars; this is to avoid flooding and unwanted visits from animals.
This morning we rode our skiffs to explore the area and we found a few surprises. There is an island where some woolly monkeys live, so we took a short walk to see these incredible primates. We observed them playing up and down along the vines of huge trees and jumping from branch to branch. They are very agile and use their prehensile tail as a fifth extremity to climb the trees. It was a unique and astonishing experience to share their environment for a short time. Farther along the river we found some local fishermen, catching freshwater fish for their own livelihood.
In the afternoon we motored on the Delfin II to Jose de Paranapura, a small village where a colony of Victoria regia, or large lily pads, are found. We walked into the jungle to a pond where we found many of these unique plants growing and flowering. Frogs, spiders, and some birds like to sit on these lily pads because they create food and shelter for both aquatic and non-aquatic wildlife. They float on the top of the water and make the ponds cooler for other species of animals. Lilies produce natural oxygen that allows fish to breathe and beneficial bacteria to thrive.
Later on we navigated to the conjunction of the Marañon and Ucayali Rivers, which is where the Amazon River officially starts. Our captain offered a cocktail to celebrate this event. It’s not every day you have the opportunity to be in one of the largest rivers of our planet, watching an incredible sunset, and relaxing with the delicious Peruvian Pisco sour. Cheers!
11/18/2023
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Delfin II
Casual Rain Forest and Amazonas Community
Today we explored Pahuachiro Creek before breakfast, looking for special sightings along the Maranon River. Pahuachiro Creek is a small body of water with beautiful forest on both sides. This area is home to creatures such as yellow-headed caracaras, black-collared hawks, large-billed terns, and some species of monkeys. In the morning after breakfast we explored Casual Rain Forest on the riverbank. As the name suggests, it is a rainforest! It is a vast green jungle with an interesting trail that leads through an amazing collection of giant trees and palms where many types of animals hang out. As we explored the forest, we had an encounter with the master of the jungle! We spotted a red-tailed boa slowly moving among the bushes. Its camouflage is impressive — without the expert eyes of the local guides we would have missed such an event. These forests are so full of life; besides the abundance of trees there are the many creatures here that we saw with our own eyes. On the ground there were snails and tarantulas, and the sounds of many insects that we cannot see due to their camouflage. The Upper Amazon is not only a vast green forest but also home to many human settlements divided into small communities close to the riverbanks. Today we visited Amazonas Community to learn about the local culture and way of life. It was very interesting and exciting to spend some time with the leaders of the community, hearing their stories about education, fishing, and agriculture. It was a very enriching experience for all the visitors. Over the years we have visited different settlements along the rivers of the Upper Amazon, and we have seen how their lives have improved in terms of education, empowerment, and production of fine handicrafts. Today we had an opportunity to buy some souvenirs produced by the women of the community. Their figures and weaving are amazing, very colorful and of good quality. All these items are made from natural palm fibers found in the surrounding forest. It was another amazing day in the heart of the rainforest!
