This morning, dawn came with a nearly cloudless sky; it was the first real hot sun we have had all week. We boarded the skiffs early and motored a short distance on the Marañon River. Then we moved up Pahuachiro Creek to see what Mother Nature had to offer. We found yet another high-hanging three-toed sloth, and this one did a slow-motion climb along a Cecropia branch for us to enjoy. We also found our daily squirrel monkey troop. Squeaking and leaping through the treetops as always, they entertained us on this lovely clear morning. As the sun lit up the tallest trees, we saw herons and egrets, parrots and parakeets, and a black-tailed trogon.
After a delicious breakfast, we hiked up and down trails maintained by the Casual Community. With the help of local guides, our naturalists showed us a huge strangler fig and a variety of interesting palms and liana vines–including one we could swing on! We found a tarantula and some colorful frogs. After our walk, we visited the artisan market.
Our afternoon visit was to Amazonas Community. We heard about the admirable reforestation efforts, the women in leadership, and the anti-violence workshops organized by Minga Peru in these local riverside communities. We had a chance to look around the village and learn how the artisans make natural dyes from leaves, roots, and berries. We had a final opportunity to buy handicrafts, and then we boarded our skiffs back to Delfin II. After a farewell dinner, the crew played music and danced. We all went to bed with smiles on our faces. We are all well pleased with the fascinating week we have shared here in the Peruvian Amazon.
