San Francisco Village & Cedro Caño
An early pre-breakfast skiff ride along the Marañon River gave us some wonderful rewards. Several Amazon bird species were seen as well as some few furtive Squirrel monkeys’ troops.
After breakfast we went to ¬San Francisco community. In this location we witnessed and experienced how people live in the Amazon. In this human settlement we observed the houses and the normal lives of their inhabitants. We were all marveled to realize how simple but at the same time the richness of their environment. The highlight of this cultural visit was the stop at the local school. Children are not in classes at this time of the year but they gathered there to share a smile with us. We sang songs to each other, gave some presents. Before coming back to the ship we admired and bought some of the beautiful handcrafts they locals made in this community.
Once onboard we had a very special celebration. The ship was located in the famous confluence of the Marañon and Ucayali Rivers, the geographical place where the Amazon River takes its name. With a toast in hand and many pictures we commemorate this event.
At around 11:15 after leaving the Amazon River behind us we had a fruit exhibition, with naturalist Rudy Flores. We learned about and tried many of the regional Amazon fruits.
In the early afternoon we had a question-and-answer session before going for an outing in Cedro Caño. Many various topics were covered, especially those related to how the local inhabitants make a living in such remote locations.
After the Recap was over we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring Cedro Caño. At the beginning the sun was shining with its entire splendor but little by little as the day progresses it became a little cooler. A soft and kind of refreshing rain was our company during most of the outing. Besides the many spectacular bird’s species and some monkey troops the most spectacular sightings were in fact the astonishing landscapes that were a delight to our eyes. A few guests explored the area by kayaking instead of riding on the skiffs.
Once back aboard, refreshed with a shower and with drink in hand we shared our impressions of the day. After dinner we watched a nature documentary entitled Amazon, River of the Sun that gave us a broader idea of the drastic changes between the dry and wet seasons in the Amazon Basin.
At the end of the day when I am writing these paragraphs it is hard for me to explain with words all the array of feelings that this day brought to our lives. I can only say that today the magic of the Amazon with its combination of exotic wildlife, fascinating people, colors and sounds touched all of us deep in our hearts and minds forever.
