We set out on our morning skiff excursions under a brooding sky that quickly turned into a torrential downpour; reminding us how the waters we’ve been navigating can rise so high in the wet season. Photo instructor Michael Nolan and I led an iPhone photography class while the rains died down and then we headed to the small village of San Francisco de Loreto. There we spent time meeting the local people and getting a glimpse of daily life along the Marañon River. Before lunch we toasted with pisco sours while passing the official head of the Amazon River at the confluence of the Marañon and Ucayali Rivers. The afternoon gave us an opportunity to take a skiff ride on Lake Clavero.
5/24/2025
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Delfin II
Yarapa River, Amazonas Village, Peru
Leaving Delfin II at 06:00 for our morning skiff ride, we explored the Yarapa River and monkeys were everywhere! We saw common wooly monkeys, monk saki monkeys, and common squirrel monkeys. We weren’t monkeying around! In addition to the monkeys there were woodpeckers galore! We photographed crimson-crested, yellow-tufted, and cream-colored woodpeckers as they were busily hammering away at trees and termite nests. Our afternoon was spent at Amazonas Village getting an introduction to life along the river. We enjoyed demonstrations of food preparation, basketmaking with palm fibers, and hand-dying with local plants to give the baskets vibrant colors. We also had an introduction to Minga Peru, a group serving 40 different communities in this area. Our evening was topped off with a toast to the beginning of the actual Amazon River, where the Marañon and Ucayali Rivers converge. Salud!
