Our expedition on the mighty Amazon started with high spirits! After breakfast, we put our rubber boots on and we went for a hike in the vicinities of San Jose community, in an area known locally as Casual. We had the company of three local native scouts from the community, who helped us to locate wildlife in their well-maintained rainforest trail. This introductory walk and the knowledge of our naturalists helped us to understand the fascinating ecosystems that exist in the tropical rainforests. We photographed several spiders, amphibians and reptiles that our experienced scouts and naturalists spotted. In the afternoon, we went to an Amazonas village. This visit gave our visitors the extraordinary opportunity to watch and experience the lifestyle of the people in the Amazon. One of the highlights of this cultural visit was an informal but meaningful meeting with some town representatives of Minga Peru. This non-profit organization, founded in 1998, has adopted a mission of promoting social justice and human dignity for women and families in the remote rural areas of the Peruvian Amazon. They have been developing various projects in the area, including educational workshops focused on the protection of the environment and the development of leaders. They also broadcast radio programming twice a week, reaching more than one hundred thousand inhabitants, focusing on the prevention of domestic violence, the management of natural resources and spreading knowledge of health issues. This has become a popular way to reach the most remote communities in the area. They also work to provide technical training to women and community members in agroforestry, crop cultivation and the construction and management of fish ponds, which has proven to be invaluable to the mission of increase the economical sustainability of many people.
5/31/2025
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Delfin II
Marayali River, Amazonas Village, Peru
Leaving Delfin II at 06:00 for our morning skiff ride, we explored the Marayali River. The birds were up and working on obtaining breakfast while the three-toed sloths chose to sleep the morning hours away. On our way back to the ship, we encountered a snail kite having its namesake prey for breakfast right in front of us! The rest of the morning was spent at Amazonas Village getting an introduction to life along the river. Demonstrations of how to get sugar water out of cane, how to make and dye fiber for baskets and other items, as well as food preparation were given. We chatted with children who had monkeys as pets! Our evening was topped off by a toast to the beginning of the actual Amazon River, where the Marañon and Ucayali Rivers converge. Salud! This is my final daily expedition report as a full-time Lindblad employee. I am retiring after 21 years as a National Geographic certified photo instructor and naturalist, ready to begin a new life of travel and exploration. I want to give a big thank you to all of those Lindblad guests whom I have traveled with over the years, and I will leave you with these words: Travel as often as you can, as far as you can, for as long as you can. May God and your luggage be with you!
