Rio Ucayali: Supay & Flor de Castaña
Rain… in the rainforest! Having been here a while and learned a bit about the changeability of the weather, we didn’t let it deter us. A full complement of kayakers and quite a few skiff explorers headed out before breakfast to investigate Supay. Toucans were the bird of the day, with several chestnut-eared aracaris spotted in trees and flying their huge bills across the river.
After breakfast, we headed out again. The cool morning and scattered showers continued, and we like to think that this is what afforded us such wonderful views of the shy dusky titi monkeys that we saw a couple of times. One skiff even spotted the nearly miniscule pygmy marmoset huddled on an overhanging branch. Skiffs allowed us to push further inland, winding up at an open flooded area full of palms and parakeets.
Things got a bit unexpectedly adventurous when one of our skiffs had a bit of engine trouble, but we joined forces, did a bit of towing, did a bit of head-scratching, and made things work. Meanwhile, we had perhaps the best views of pink river dolphins of our trip, with one small animal cavorting around us, even coming almost entirely out of the water at one point—a rare occurrence.
We found a new channel out of Supay Lake and out to the Ucayali, one that was narrow and winding. “Does this go to the river?” our guide asked a couple of kids driving a canoe in the opposite direction. “Si,” was the answer, and we continued. Aside from the channel with all its overhanging vines and the drama of its sinuosity, we were treated to lovely views of blue morpho butterflies (Vladimir Nabokov’s favorite) and even the weirdly bright cream-colored woodpecker.
The heat of the day was spent sharing stories, preparing for the next day or so, and watching a gray river dolphin swim off our stern, at times herding fish with such force that the poor silver things fled to the air. Then, in the early afternoon, we headed out by skiff to explore Flor de Castaña’s waterways.
Glorious. There’s only one way to describe this afternoon’s excursion. Glorious. The open lake where we swam at the beginning of our trip was still and the reflections were exquisite. Then, we pushed further along, traveling a channel that opened to the arbor muerte. This stand of flooded trees is now bare of leaves, although bromeliads brighten many of the silvered branches. The water was absolutely calm. Parakeets and woodpeckers flitted through, perching and further excavating the cavities that they no doubt had begun. It was eerie and beautiful, and the opportunity to see these birds without leaves obscuring their movements was wonderful.
Dinner was festive and bittersweet. We shared memories, feasted, and then enjoyed a final performance from The Teenagers, which is by far and away the best band in the upper Peruvian Amazon.
