Our first day in the upper Amazon began with a delicious breakfast onboard the Delfin II, our home for the next few days. We had spent the night tied to an enormous tree on the river bank of the Maranon River. This is a wide river that together with the Ucayali River, make up the principal tributaries of the Amazon River. Right after breakfast, we geared up with rubber boots, bottle of waters, cameras, binoculars and a great spirit to explore the Amazon Basin. We loaded the skiffs and headed towards Casual Trail.
At the trail, local guides were waiting to escort us through the jungle. Little children gathered around us, greeting us with lovely smiles—an excellent way to begin our hike through the tropical forest of tierra firme. A great part of the Amazon Basin remains under water for almost six months of the year. This type of forest is called varzea forest. But the water level does not reach Casual Trail, because it is part of mainland, which is called tierra firme.
Our naturalists explained to us the connections that exists in this forest. Looking for insects, amphibians and plants was the main target of the day. Little by little, the local guides began to call us as they spotted the wildlife of the trail. One of the first sightings was a juvenile three-toed sloth, calmly moving up a tree trunk. The cameras began to shoot, and smiles began to show up on our faces.
We continued our hike and another guide called us, he had spotted a juvenile green anaconda in a creek. We couldn’t contain our excitement when the next guide pointed out a red-tailed boa. Besides these reptiles, they also pointed out pink-toed tarantulas, bird-eating tarantulas, dart frogs and many other animals.
Back on board, we commented on everything we had seen and waited eagerly to arrive to our next destination of the afternoon. We cruised along the Maranon River and saw the areas that remain underwater during the high waters seasons. Now, they are being used to plant crops.
Soon we arrived to Yanayacu and Pucate River, our afternoon destination. We could clearly see the junction of the two rivers, as the black waters of this river getting mixed up with the Maranon River. Pink dolphins and gray dolphins gather at this point to feed and play. It was a great challenge to take picture of these swift dolphins, but it was an exciting encounter.
The rest of the afternoon was spent exploring the Yanayacu River by kayak and skiff rides. There was so much to see and enjoy. A lovely sunset gave us the farewell as we return for dinner to the Delfin II. Our first day exploring the Upper Amazon has been just a marvelous day.
