Today we all woke up with high expectations to enjoy the second full day of our expedition in the Peruvian Upper Amazon. After breakfast, we went to visit the Amazon Natural Park, which is a privately-owned reserve with huge trees in a well-preserved primary forest. We were greeted by a soft constant rain that fell throughout most of the morning.
We started our adventure by crossing a small lagoon on rustic catamarans, we saw several beautiful morpho butterflies flying around and sticking out of the green background with their electric-blue color. We spotted a couple of large groups of white-winged parakeets, pairs of blue-headed parrots and many other birds that entertained us along the way. The Amazon rainforest is one of the most incredible places for photography, but it can be very challenging, a lot of patience is required to tell a story with photographs especially under the misty rain. After the catamaran ride, we went to a trail hiking a couple of miles through the rainforest and learned from our Delfin II naturalists about many of the notorious tree species that have been used over centuries. We saw such important species like the rubber tree, whose sap was once the main product harvested in the Amazon and which brought immense wealth to the area. We also observed a long suspension bridge. This bridge is a state-of-the-art piece of engineering. It was built using tall trees to support it. The bridge allowed us to have the thrill and excitement to walk in the middle strata of the rainforest.
In the afternoon, we explored Nauta Caño a minor tributary of the Marañon River by skiff rides or by kayaking. This beautiful creek is covered with thick vegetation where our naturalists spotted several species of birds like Horned Screamers, parrots and toucans.
We can hardly wait what the mighty Amazon will bring tomorrow to our lives.
