San Francisco, Amazon and Yarapa Rivers
The early birds left and returned after an hour, once more having added new species to the list, but also having solidified our familiarity with the constants (donacobious, social flycatchers, tropical kingbirds, seed-eaters, oropendulas and caciques among others). Some new ones this morning were the golden olive woodpecker, grayish saltator, solitary blackbird and several perched yellow-headed vultures!
Another walk awaited us after breakfast, through the forest to the community of San Francisco. The long walkers took a long, round-about route up the hill and over the dale to finally come out in the community. Everyone was grateful that Sally decided to come on the long walk, because alhough fourth in line, she was the first to spot the delicate pattern of mottled skin on the forest floor...a juvenile red-tailed boa! Curled up in the leaf litter, this most beautiful animal almost got away without capturing attention but no, photographs were had, thank goodness for the rest of us!
The short walkers stayed out half the time and had a gentler trail to follow, though a few log-bridge crossings made it interesting. Inside the forest, “oje”, a fig, was explained to be good for intestinal parasites (mix it with orange juice, BTW), the tangarana tree with its fire ant residents was used as a form of punishment (tie the offender to the trunk), then as we came out into the town area, our guide found some guanabana fruit (Anona family, along with chirimoyas, custard apples) and uvas (Amazonian grapes) for us to taste.
The town of San Francisco is home to around 300 people and the recurring theme throughout the village are blue outhouses. During the presidency of Fujimori, many abandoned, distance communities were provided with electricity and a water system for better hygiene and health. Outhouses were installed here, and painted blue, the color of Fujimori's political party.
Down by the Delfin II, the talented artisans of this community had brought out their wares, primarily woven from palm fibers, and many colored with natural dyes from the tropical vegetation, so before boarding the Delfin II, some lively purchasing was made to the contentment of all involved.
Once back on board, hot and sweaty for the most part, the Captain of the Delfin II took the ship downriver to a special place, a geographical location renown world-wide: the beginning of the Amazon River. Much discussion has taken place over the years about the exact origin – lake, stream, junction of the first trickle of snowmelt. Whatever people have decided, we know for sure that the name “Amazon” starts at the junction of the Marañon and Ucayali rivers, our destination in just a few short minutes.
On arrival we lowered a couple skiffs, and about half of our total number got in, prepared for a quick dip in the mightiest of all rivers on earth. Twenty-percent of the Earth's freshwater flowing into our oceans comes from the Amazon. From our point of immersion, we could drift 3,969 miles or 6,387 kilometers to reach the Atlantic Ocean, if we wanted to.
Our swim was a delight and fully refreshing. We bobbed around in the current a while before returning to the ship, in time to get ready for a couple of “happenings.” One, our naturalist Reny was going to speak on the various exotic fruits of the Amazon with taste-testing included (caimito – called the kissing fruit because your lips stick together from the sap - tumbo, zapote, chambira, copazu, aguaje); and two, we prepared to raise a glass in honor the significance of being in this exact place, at this exact time. Our celebratory drink was in the form of a “Seven-root Sour”, a drink made from Pisco and the extract from seven different roots. We were very happy with the situation, sticky lips and all.
The afternoon had us traveling up the Yarapa River, then taking an even narrower channel known as the Cumaceba River. Water lettuce lined the edges, trees towered overhead, chestnut-eared Araçaris flew over in flocks of a dozen or so, yellow-rumped cacique condos hung suspended over the stream and paradise tanagers decorated the tops of a tall tree with their blue, green and red coloration. Undulated tinamous called from forest understory, and red howler monkeys roared from the interior. A huge troop of squirrel monkeys caroused through the tree-tops, while the greater anis led the parade with their deep blue-black plumage and elegant tails.
Back for an early dinner allowed a select group of adventurers to go ashore yet another time today, this time under the cover of darkness. A level trail leads inland, and flashlights lit the way, searching out the reflection of eyes, anyone and everyone. One set of reflections led the group to an extraordinary praying mantis whose shape and colors mimicked a dead leaf, and a pair of young Tui parakeets was found nestled in a termite nest up in the trees. This is their preferred nesting site, and the warmth inside the termite nest is ideal for incubating eggs and keeping chicks warm at night. A variety of tree frogs and a cane toad were seen, but the thrill of the evening came during the return on board when a capybara, the largest rodent on Earth (the size of a large pig), was seen on the banks of the river. It at first went into the water, then came out, and confused by the lights, was still for a short while before crashing back into the undergrowth.
