The Marañon, Yanayacu, and Pucate Rivers
The first morning we awoke very early and by 6 a.m. we were out on the Marañon River as the sun came up. It was a real effort to get going so early because yesterday was a very long travel day – but oh was it worth it! The first impression was of the swift current sweeping logs, branches and plants with it, although the overwhelming effect was a quiet calm. It was dreamy and timeless. There were egrets, herons, terns and plovers – familiar birds from home but of different species here on the river. There were also many types of birds we’d never seen before: Black-collared Hawks and Russet-backed Oropendolas.
One of the biggest surprises was the continuing speed of the current sweeping foliage and branches past the Delfin II and the skiffs. The guides taught us that the current propels the two rivers, the Marañon and the Ucayali, that snake around, with one side of the river as old growth forest while the other side as new forest depositing silt. Our guide turned off the skiff motor so we could drift and listen to the emerging sounds of the Amazon jungle forest.
After a great breakfast, we split into three groups to hike in the Amazon forest. Our adventure was led by Jesus and Kitty. My first impression was being surrounded by a lush green and vast world that was beyond time and millennia. The highest trees are hundreds of feet tall that interact with a system of vines and natural structures. The interrelationships between plants and animals at each level dwarf mere humans. Every growing thing has its own strategy for reaching the sun and survival. The whole system is incredible in its interconnectedness. Jesus, our naturalist and a Bora native, told us about the medicinal properties of the plants and trees, many of which are used as the basis for modern medicines. Jesus’ grandfather taught him how to survive in the forest. For example, you can’t lose your way, even in the complex jungle environment. The first branch on every tree always points to the east and the second branch always to the north. During our hike, we encountered four types of ants including the dreaded bullet ant (at least as big as your pinky finger). We saw leaf-cutter ants laboriously working long highways, some of which crossed our path at right angles, and tiny termites and insects. What an experience!
Before lunch, Kitty gave a terrific lecture on the rain forest that set the context for the entire trip. And after lunch, Jesus taught us about the geography of the area.
This afternoon, out we went on the skiffs for a long trip upriver into successively smaller tributaries. We saw so many pink and gray dolphins that we almost started to take them for granted. A few of our passengers were accomplished photographers and saw more with their cameras than we could with our naked eyes but after a while, Juan Luis taught us to spot animals on our own. In a tributary on the new growth side of the river, we saw egrets, herons, tanagers, some very noisy parakeets and anis.
We then ventured up a blackwater tributary into a narrow creek filled with weeds. This particular experience evoked every movie you’ve ever seen about the Amazon – hidden, mysterious, filled with wonder, worrisome. Juan Luis spotted a white-faced Amazon rat way up in his tree hole that none of us could see except through binoculars. And we saw bats so camouflaged against a tree that we had to get within three feet to recognize them. Juan Luis saw them from 100 meters away.
Our trip was topped off by a magnificent sunset, with colors brilliantly reflecting in the water. This place is timeless and filled with beauty and mystery.
