The morning is overcast with drizzles, this is the rainforest and the weather changes quickly from a rainy day to sunny day, so we’ll see what happens later! It is our second full day of exploring the jungle. Here, animals are more active early in the morning or late in the afternoon; so, you have to come out early to experience the vast biodiversity of fauna seen in this emerald world.
We woke up early and had breakfast at 6:00 a.m., then at 7:00 a.m. we moved onto the skiffs and motored for one hour along several creeks to reach our place, which is far away from human presence, and better for our interests, because the farther you get into the jungle the more fauna you can see. At this time of the year the river is not as high as normal; this year has been unusual about rain and the maximum tide is not yet reached. Nevertheless the creeks are deep enough and flooded because of the rainy season. The tide goes to 30 feet here and you can see on the bark of the trees last year’s watermark. At the entrance of the creek we found a group of pink dolphins feeding, Then, along our way, we found many species of birds, and at the end the highlight was a walk around a small lake to learn about plants and animals, ending by spotting two of the most famous birds: hoatzins (known as the pre-historical bird) and horn screamers.
After four hours of exploration we came back onboard to have lunch, then in the afternoon some of our curious guests went to visit Carola, a very small ceremonial house where a “women shaman” or a “shawomen” offered her services to them. Encountering a person that has ancestral knowledge is a great and a unique traveling experience.
After this unique and spiritual visit, some guests went to walk at the Amazon Park, which is a protected area of 50 hectares of primitive primary forest; the place is astonishing! Once you disembarked on the riverbank you walk for 5 minutes to reach a nice freshwater manmade lagoon. Then you embark on little boats, catamaran-style, and paddle for 10 minutes or so to get the other side of the shore. Once there you walk for an hour and a half into the jungle where the huge ancient trees are impressive and millions of creatures, from a bullet ants, frogs, snakes, and birds of all the sizes. To add more excitement to the journey we walked on canopy bridges that take you high up and you get a monkey’s perspective of the surroundings. At the end we had the opportunity to see a capybara, the biggest rodent mammal found in the jungle. Other guests went to explore Iquitos Creek, finding a two-toed sloth, crimson tanagers, herons, wood peckers, caiques and more. The sunset was beautiful, the day ended perfectly, and every day we get to have a delightful time in this incredible place of our planet: the Amazon!
