Our day began with a gentle rain along the Marañón River. We had planned to do a pre-breakfast skiff exploration. The rain began to fall stronger with the idea to make sure we remember that we were in the Upper Amazon’s rainforest. As much as we wanted to experience this, we returned back to the Delfin II.
Today was our opportunity to visit a village of “ribereños.” The Amazon’s basin is more than animals and trees. It is also about its people that day after day are finding a way to live in harmony with nature.
Right after breakfast, we visited the community of San Francisco. A group of smiling faces went to greet us at the port. They were so happy for our visit. Smiling faces loaded with energy walked us through the entire village. They all wanted us to visit their homes.
Each of them would share with us their daily life. Some were grinding sugar cane and gave us a chance to try this delicacy. Some were weaving palm fronds for roofs while others were pealing rice in a traditional “pilon.”
This community has been receiving the support of the nonprofit organization MINGA Peru. This use to be a community in which the female abuse was very common. But little by little, the women have been empowered and now they represent a new face of the families in the Amazons. The women learn to do lovely art crafts for sale. With this, they help in the economy of the house and men are no longer the only ones who bring resources home. On the other hand, men were taught to make fish farms in order to have a sustainable activity that could increase their income.
This visit was a life changing experience for all of us. Everyone, from the smallest kid to the elders, gathered to give us the farewell after we enjoyed a few minutes buying some of their beautiful arts and crafts.
Back on board we gather in the open lounge to make a toast since we were arriving to the birth of the Amazon River. In this point is where the Marañón and the Ucayali River meets to form the Amazon.
Our expedition continued along the Ucayali River towards our afternoon destination, Clavero Lake. As soon we arrived, we loaded into the skiffs and went to explore this place. We had a quest that we wanted to accomplish. We were in the search of the smallest primate of the Upper Amazon, the pigmy marmoset!
We were enjoying the different species of birds along a small creek when our mission was accomplished. We saw a small group of this primate running and jumping on the canopy. It was a great show and there was no better way to finish this day than with the sighting of the pigmy marmoset!!!!
