The Amazon
Christmas Eve in the Amazon. What a way to begin our voyage here in the upper Amazon basin of Peru. Dreaming of a white Christmas? I am pretty sure it will be a green Christmas. Surrounded by the lush and incredibly diverse rain forest, we spend our first day getting to know the many hues of green that make up this forest. Skiff riding on a small blackwater stream, walking in the terra firme forest, cruising in one of the most beautiful ships anywhere, and eating delicious food. Our day was not a typical Christmas Eve for many of us.
To begin and end the day, we boarded our fleet of skiffs to explore two different blackwater streams penetrating into the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve. Stained dark by the tannins of the leaves, it is like being in a big mug of strong tea. Sloths, monkeys, butterflies, and birds, we had a little bit of everything today. Even a visit with a local fisherman, to learn about his catch for Christmas morning breakfast. And then there were the kids. Climbing a tree and jumping 30 feet into the river while others were “sledding” a piece of plastic down the bank into the river. Laughter all around.
In the morning, we also went for our first rain forest walk at the community of Casual. Here our local guides found a treasure trove of cool critters including many frogs, fruits, butterflies, and lizards, including one brightly colored one. We also learned many of the local uses of the plants, and marveled at the size of many of the trees.
As the sun was setting we gathered in the lounge for some celebratory champagne. A lovely Christmas dinner followed, and to top it off, some wonderful tunes by the talented crew. After a fierce rendition of “Feliz Navidad” many of us retired to the hammocks to enjoy the moon and stars and contemplate Christmas in the Amazon.
