Sapote River & Supay River
It is early in the morning and we are ready for a new exploration. We take off by skiff or kayak to enter the realm of Sapote River, with its three-toed sloths, various kinds of Jacamars, King Fishers, Blue-headed Parrots, and hummingbirds. Our guide was very surprised to spot a two-toed sloth up on a tree. Two-toeds are mammals from terra firme, and we were at a flooded forest. We couldn’t find an explanation for this intriguing sighting, but we definitely enjoyed it. Long-nosed bats rested on a tree trunk, while Yellow-rumped Caciques performed their early morning songs.
My morning highlight, believe it or not, was a rat. A Yellow-crowned brush-tailed rat; such a long name for a tiny nocturnal creature hiding in a tree hole.
After learning to fold towels in various shapes and to prepare Juane, a traditional Amazonian dish, we had lunch with the view of the passing by Ucayali River.
In the afternoon we had the option of exploring a community we rarely ever visit, a village of 22 families, half of them from the Matse ethnic group, also known as “cat people.” We were surprised by the absence of elderly residents; we asked, and we were told that the town started only 27 years ago. With dozens of men and women in their thirties, this is a young community flourishing in the middle of the forest. It reminded me of the fictional village of Macondo in the book, One Hundred Years of Solitude. I just hope this place is not forgotten by the government, by the world, like Macondo was; or would they be better off? Is that what they really want? I sometimes wonder.
