Our trip with International
Expeditions took us up river on the Peruvian Amazon starting in
Iquitos traveling some 640 nautical miles aboard the boat and 180
nautical miles on the skiffs. We were on the newly launched La Estrella
Amazonica which is a beautifully designed boat. Our room had a floor
to ceiling sliding glass door which led out on to a private verandah.
Every morning we opened our eyes and looked out on to the Amazon
River--what an amazing sight. Each day with our naturalists we took
at least 2 trips off of the boat to bird and animal watch, go ashore
for a jungle hike and visit the local villages. We traveled on the
Amazon and many of the tributaries along the way. One of the trips
was a nighttime venture (yes, no street lights or headlights on
the skiff) looking for frogs, night flying birds and Cayman. We
got to try our luck at fishing for piranha, sardines and cat fish,
also watched and listened ot a piranha eat another fish. After identifying
some 140 species of birds, I discovered there is a huge difference
between being a bird watcher (see it, identify it -with the naturalists
help- and check it off of your list) and a photographer (try to
find it, get it to hold still and end up with something you can
identify). The people in this country are unbelievably warm and
friendly. The children want you to take their pictures on a digital
camera then show it to them as they don't have mirrors and don't
know what they look like. International Expeditions is very involved
in helping supply fresh drinking water and filters in the villages
so the river water can be used, taking school supplies and a garden
project in Lima. This was an amazing trip which hopefully will be
seen in the pictures I share. *** I tried my very best to identify
the birds correctly, but I don't guarentee it. |