Seeing the wilderness of the Amazon is only half the story. This morning we had the privilege of visiting the San Jorge community on the north banks of the Marañon River. Kids on their summer vacation greeted us at the dock, and acted as tour guides at their 400-inhabitant village. We then met with the women of Minga Peru, a NGO focused on women’s empowerment and environmental sustainability. It was hard leaving such an enlightened village, but today would be our longest day of river navigation of the trip, and we would meet the confluence of the true Amazon River before heading up the Ucayali.
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!
