Supay Caño & Flor de Castaña
It might sound like a cliché but unfortunately this week has gone so fast. We did have a great time in this expedition around the Peruvian Upper Amazon. We had not only extraordinary sightings and wonderful weather but had the company of a beautiful group of energetic, enthusiastic and appreciative women that made this expedition one to be remembered.
Early in the morning we started today with our planned activities of the last full day of the trip. It was a little foggy and rainy but we went out on the skiffs anyway. After all we are in one of the wettest ecosystems on Earth and rain is a vital component of the complexity of the Amazon rain forests. After breakfast we went out again to Supay Caño looking for not only wildlife but for that hard-to-explain feeling of being part nature at its most intimate and pristine state.
We were rewarded with many animal sightings that included a big variety of tropical bird species. After being almost a week in the rain forest our guests have already created a deep connection with the mechanics and singularities of the rain forest. Kingfishers, flycatchers, tanagers, raptors, monkeys, flowers, etc. are little by little being recognized as if they were old friends already.
Once onboard we learned how to prepare the national Peruvian drink: the Pisco sour. This was a delicious appetizer for our lunch that was as fashionable as you can imagine. A delicious mixture of high cuisine with regional Amazon flavors that make a hard-to-beat combination that is a pleasure for all senses.
The afternoon was devoted to visit a local community, Flor de Castaña. In this peaceful town we had a great cultural interaction with its inhabitants. We observed their normal life, while some people were working at their homes some others were cooking, taking care of their young children, building wooden canoes or washing clothing at the river. Many children and kids were following us everywhere we went. At the end we all gathered in the local school where our guests were greeted by warm Spanish children’s songs that were reciprocated by a couple of English songs sung by the ladies of Olivia. After donating many school supplies and useful goods that were brought from the United States by our caring ladies we came back onboard with the sincere satisfaction of have spent a real precious time with all the Flor de Castaña community.
Before dinner we gathered around the plasma screen in the lounge area to celebrate with laughter and admiration the showing of a couple of slideshows of the expedition. A succulent BBQ dinner was next followed by the performance of the talented Delfin II crew band that with their lively tropical music had us dancing. The joy and laughter was a golden finale to this successful adventure in one of the most enigmatic and yet beautiful places on earth, the mighty Amazon.
