Sapuena & Yana Allpa, Rio Ucayali
After leaving the Rio Maranon, which forms the northern boundary of the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, we navigated the headwaters of the Rio Amazonas and began our journey on the Rio Ucayali. By morning we were in the vicinity of Sapuena and headed off on the water by skiff and kayak.
Later in the morning we took advantage of the opportunity to visit the small community of Sapuena, home to less than 1,000 people living on the banks of the Rio Ucayali. School is on holiday at present, so the children were out playing and accompanied us as we walked through their village. We found a community at work harvesting produce ahead of the rising waters. The concrete football/basketball court had been turned into a temporary corn drying area. Nearby, a piece of timber was being worked into a dugout canoe. We have seen many examples of the end product, so it was a useful insight to see the start of the process.
Later in the afternoon we were back out on the water in search of wildlife once more, this time at Yana Allpa. This location once more proved itself to be one of the most reliable wildlife sites that we visit. The night monkeys were located in a hollow tree stump, one of their regular daytime resting places. Three other species of primates were encountered during the afternoon, while the diverse birdlife included sightings of two species of macaw.
Under clear skies and a crescent moon we continued our navigation up the Rio Ucayali, heading for an early morning arrival at Rio Dorado.
