We had a full day today, exploring two remote locations—El Dorado River in the morning and Yanalpa Caño in the afternoon. In El Dorado River, we observed many bird species like flycatchers, horned screamers, wattled jacanas, and a couple of three-toed sloths. In addition to the latter animal species sightings, we had the thrill of having our breakfast outdoors onboard the skiffs! This experience is simply amazing, and we had our early meal served in the most fashionable way, white gloves included, with the green rainforest surroundings and a concert of sounds as companions.
Shortly before lunch, the kitchen galley showed us how to cook a local dish by the name “juane” which is a very popular dish in the city Iquitos, and in the whole region. Later on, during lunch, we had the “juanes” that we had helped to prepare served as a side dish in our flavorsome lunch.
In the afternoon, we had plenty of time to explore far and beyond Yanalpa Caño. A very strong tropical sun marked the beginning of our adventure. Little by little, dark rain clouds covered the area, and we had a constant tropical rain during the rest of the outing. We had several interesting sightings, like a curious roadside hawk that we could observe at an unusual close range, and a beautiful Amazon bushed-tailed rat. The latter mammal, with its round eyes and sweet appearance, helped to erase the bad press and undeserved negative image given to all rodents by their city cousins. We experienced firsthand the extraordinary biodiversity of the rainforests, and the sudden climate changes that are typical of this ecosystem. After a while, the rain stopped and we were able to explore the shores of the Ucayali River. There is a section of this river in the vicinity of Yanalpa Caño, where many dead palm trees can be seen. These trees make up homes for many colorful birds, and we observed many parrots and macaws coming back to overnight in the dead trees that they inhabit.
Late in the evening, at around 1800, we finally arrived back to the Delfin II with the wonderful feeling, from spending a great and peculiar day in one of the most intriguing and fascinating ecosystems on earth, the enigmatic Amazon. Today we had not only extraordinary sightings and challenging weather, we also had the company of a beautiful group of energetic, enthusiastic and appreciative women that made this expedition one to be remembered.
It might sound like a cliché, but unfortunately this week has gone so fast. We are getting ready for tomorrow our last full day of exploration around the Peruvian Upper Amazon, and we are excited to see what surprises are in store...
