Atun Poza & Pacaya River
By now, we are becoming accustomed to life onboard the elegant Delfin II here in the Amazon. We are enjoying many different aspects of our voyage, especially the wildlife, the people, and the food. Today, we focused heavily on these three things, and added a bit of recreation as well.
The food on board the Delfin II is a rich blend of styles that is becoming famous in Peru. Relying heavily on local ingredients, eating is certainly part of the adventure. Breakfast today was extra special as we ate it in the skiffs! We picked a spot with large trees and were rewarded with hawks and parrots dining with us, and even a Monk Saki. Our white-gloved “waiters” added to the joy of our meal as well. Before lunch, we also had a local fruit demonstration to learn about the wide diversity of fruits we have been enjoying on this trip.
The “ribereños” are our constant companions on this trip, whether we see them fishing, passing by in a ferry, or when we visit their communities. Today, we encountered a few folks fishing and enjoyed seeing their catch. Two young boys had a great breakfast, including a few piranhas. One woman emphatically waved us down, incredibly proud of the large catfish she had caught. We later visited the community of Atun Poza, which is one of our favorite spots. Here, we learned about their village and its state of flux. We also delivered some Christmas presents to our friends here, which the children certainly enjoyed.
The wildlife did not take a backseat today either. Monkeys were abundant with multiple species being observed. Squirrel monkeys are the most abundant here and numerous groups were again spotted. We not only had our breakfast Monk Saki, but later found a few more of these big black fuzzy monkeys watching us from high above. Today the exciting new discovery was howler monkeys. These are the largest monkeys we see as well as the only ones with prehensile tails. Multiple small family groups were seen, including some performing massive jumps.
Add to all of this, a swim in a beautiful blackwater lake, and it was a rewarding day for sure. We returned to the Delfin II with cold beers in hand, and another spectacular sunset.
