This morning we visited a colorful and lively Amazon human settlement, San Jorge community. In this location we witnessed and experienced how people live nowadays in most of the Amazon. We observed the houses and the normal lives of their inhabitants.
We listened to some local representatives speaking about Minga Peru, a local organization that Lindblad Expeditions chose to help by implementing a fund.
The highlight of this cultural visit for many was the visit to the local school. We sang songs to each other and gave some presents. Before coming back to the ship we admired and bought some of the beautiful handcrafts the locals made in this community.
Once on board at around 11:15 in the morning we had a very special celebration. The ship was located in the famous confluence of the Marañon and Ucayali Rivers, the geographical place where the Amazon River takes its name. With a toast we commemorate this especial event.
In the early afternoon we had a photography talk with our photo instructor Jose Calvo. Jose touched on various topics, especially those related to how to take better photographs.
After the talk we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring Nauta Caño either by skiff ride or by kayaking. Besides the many spectacular bird species and some monkey troops, the most spectacular sightings were in fact the astonishing green and thick landscapes that were a delight to our eyes.
Once on board, refreshed with a shower and with drink in hand we shared our impressions of the day at Recap. After dinner we watched a nature documentary entitled Amazon, River of the Sun that gave us a broader idea of the drastic changes between the dry and wet seasons in the Amazon Basin and also showed us interesting details about the Amazon Ictiofauna including the giant Arapaima and some other fish species.
At the end of the day when I am writing these paragraphs it is hard for me to explain with words the full array of feelings that this day brought to our lives. I just can say that today the magic of the Amazon with its combination of exotic wildlife, fascinating people, colors, and sounds touched all of us deep in our hearts and minds forever. You have to live it to believe it, the Amazon was at its best today.
