A brand new day started in the Upper Peruvian Amazon with a beautiful view of the Marañon River covered in mist. Little by little the mist went away and we had a sunny morning. After breakfast we visited the Amazon Natural Park. This private protected area is located outside the boundaries of the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve. The owner, a previous functionary of various Peruvian governments, manages the property so well that it was recognized by the national environmental authorities as a national private protected area as recently as in June 2011.
We started our activities in this area boarding three catamarans to cross a lagoon by rowing peacefully. After a short ride we disembarked to go for a hike. While walking in the forest we admired very big and famous trees like the rubber and gum trees and some lianas, vines, and wild flowers. The trail leads to a very long suspension bridge that is approximately a quarter of a mile in length. It allows an exciting walk in the middle strata of the rain forest just below the upper canopy. At that height we could see the rain forest from a completely different perspective. To some extent we had an idea how the inhabitants of the Neotropical rain forest watch the world from their perspective.
After the walk we boarded the catamarans once again to come back to the skiffs that were waiting to take us home, the Delfin II. Once aboard, refreshed with a well-deserved shower, we had a question-and-answer session with the Delfin II naturalists and our lunch. In the early afternoon, our photo instructor Jose Calvo gave a talk on how to take better pictures. Jose shared some photo tips and gave advice about composition as well.
The rest of the afternoon was spent exploring Nauta Caño. This stream is locally known in Spanish as “caño” (roughly translated to English as a creek). It is covered with thick vegetation where our naturalists spotted several species of colorful birds like macaws, parrots, horned screamers, as well as a couple of squirrel monkey troops, and even some three-toed sloths. Some guests opted for kayaking in these peaceful waters and had a blast while exploring the stream at their own pace.
Finally, late in the afternoon during cocktail hour, the Delfin II naturalists told our guests about their interesting lives and backgrounds. After dinner we had a night walk. The darkness of the night together with the beautiful sounds made us realize that we were not dreaming; we were in fact walking in the Amazon at night! We finally came back on board and went to bed with many unforgettable feelings and memories, a little tired after so many activities but happy of having spent a great full day of exploring the Peruvian Upper Amazon.
