Zapote River & Supay
An early start got us out into the fresh and cool Amazon, this time headed for the interior of the Zapote River. This river lies in the buffer zone around the periphery of the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, where the local inhabitants are aware of the importance the reserve has for their livelihood. In this case, the community that established itself at the mouth of the Zapote River before the reserve was formed, takes care of the river by controlling who comes in and out and what they do upriver. So as a result, the condition of the forest is in excellent shape, logging is limited to sustainable use only by the residents, and fishing is limited to sustainable levels for the most part.
By kayak and skiff we head upriver where a variety of animals were seen, including a big troop of squirrel monkeys at one point, and the cutest yellow-crowned brush-tailed rat (Isothrix bistriata) you ever did see. He hid in a hole, but couldn’t resist peeking out at us, so the whiskers and face were visible for a long while. One of local experts, Reny, saw a Harpy eagle while taking care of the kayakers, but it was long gone by the time the rest of us got together to look.
Back on board the morning was filled with a load of presentations by experts of all kinds: towel origami by the cabin stewards, “Juanes” making by the chef, question-and-answer session with the naturalists about local cultural customs, and Kitty gave a presentation on bird evolution! All before lunch!
Just after lunch we got a true Amazonian rainstorm: thunder, wind, lightning, and all. It was fabulous, and over in a half-hour. By 3:30 p.m. we were on our way up the Supay River to see if we could get to the community of Matses to visit and handover some school supplies. Winding our way and crossing the lagoon, we finally arrived to a cheer from the kids who had been listening for our arrival. We were welcomed into the community of these people seldom visited (because of their distance from the main river) by gentle fingers giving us “markings” on our cheeks and foreheads made with Bixa orellana, or “achiote” also known as lipstick tree. These people speak their own language, plus Spanish of course. We were shown their new one-room schoolroom (with flush toilets from rainwater), and the composition of their community explained. Twenty-two families, 11 kids of primary school age, but plenty ready to enter kindergarten and pre-school.
It was a delightful visit, and all too short, as we had to make our way back before nightfall. Quite a few handicrafts richer, we made it back I good time for our slideshow, farewell camu-camu piscos and a lively dinner. Wonderful friends have been made, and perhaps some of us will be fortunate indeed to travel again in the future and reminisce about this unique week spent together in one of the most remote locations on Earth…the headwaters of the Amazon River and the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve.
