The tropical rain forest honored its name for most of the day. We experienced life-giving rain through our morning exploration of the jungle. We ventured by foot through the terra firme, or the non-flooded forest. We explored a private reserve called the Amazon Natural Park. One of its highlights is a set of suspended bridges. From an elevated vantage point, we could admire the beauty of the rainy jungle from above.
After a very interesting presentation called “Fishes of the Amazon" by our naturalist and photography instructor, Carlos Navarro, we visited the community of San Regis, which is located along the Marañón River, not far from Amazon Natural Park.
We met with local promoters of the Minga Perú, an organization focused on social work which we support. Our original plan was to visit them in their village, but because of complications due to the rain, we decided to have the local villagers as our guests aboard Delfin II. Eight women, a man, and even little girl came on board to talk to us about Minga Perú and to show us their crafts. We were honored to have them on board with us, and they were equally pleased not only to share their experiences with us, but also to share some of their skills for making cord. It was great to see the local women teaching us how to twist the fibers from a palm called chambira. Every inch of thread made here is rolled over the leg with extreme skill. We now understand the value of the many handcrafts that we see here almost every day.
We had a wonderful day full of surprises and felt a real connection with the local villagers. We are happy to have spent time with them!
