We can make intentions, but the defining force in the Amazon basin is water, and this morning a light rain thwarted our early morning attempt at an outing. After breakfast, the rains lightened. So we gathered, loaded the skiffs and navigated up the Yarapa River. This is an area known for wooly and spider monkeys, both species of which we found languidly draped in the treetops. A bonus sighting: a coati napping in the canopy. It gave a big yawn and continued its morning of ease and rest. The coati is a member of the raccoon family and looks to be made of leftover parts with its long nose, long striped tail and arboreal, as well as terrestrial, lifestyle.
In the afternoon we visited the village of San Francisco and learned about living along a river that predictably floods every year. Community leaders shared with us a number of different skills they practice, such as roof thatching, rice husking, sugar cane sugar extraction and basketry dyeing. We ended our visit with a hefty support of the impromptu market where locally made crafts were offered for sale.
