Today we started the day off with an early skiff ride along one of the many small creeks in the area. These creeks are locally known as “caños.” Marayali Caño, the one we visited this morning, connects the Marañon River with the Ucayali River. This pre-breakfast outing was one of great success, for we spotted many bird species including ringed kingfishers, black collared hawks, horned screamers, tanagers, swallows, herons and flycatchers.
After breakfast we visited a colorful and lively Amazon settlement, Amazonas community. In this location we witnessed and experienced how people live nowadays in most of the Upper Amazon in Peru. We observed the houses and the normal lives of their inhabitants.
After walking around in town we listened to some local representatives speaking about “Minga Peru.” The latter is the local organization that Lindblad Expeditions chose to help by implementing a very successful fund that has helped to empower women and has provided alternatives to improve the familiar income using sustainable initiatives.
The highlight of this cultural visit for many was the visit to the local school. We sang songs to each other and shared a laugh. Before coming back to the ship we admired and bought some of the beautiful handcrafts they locals made in this community.
Once onboard at around 11:15 in the morning 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 we commemorated this especial event. In the early afternoon we had a photography talk with our photo instructor Aura Banda.
In the afternoon the ship was positioned in Clavero Lake. In this place we had several activities that included combinations of swimming, kayaking and skiff rides. We all enjoyed Clavero Lake, its beauty and biodiversity. Several grey dolphins and a couple of pygmy marmosets were seen as well. The latter is the smallest monkey species in the world. At sunset we came back to the ship.
Once onboard, refreshed with a shower and with drinks in hand, we shared our impressions of the day at recap time. 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 and also showing us interesting details about the Amazon Ictiofauna including the giant arapaima fish and some other fish species.
At the end of the day while I am writing these paragraphs, it is hard for me to explain with words the array of feelings that this day brought to our lives. I can just 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.
