Our third day exploring the Marañon River began just before sunrise. We had spent the night close to a riverside community known as San Francisco. Our plan was to do an early walk in a nearby trail. The orange colors of the first sunrays invited us to gear up and load the skiffs.
With a spectacular sunrise, we cruised to the entrance of the trail. The different bird calls and a cool breeze welcomed us as we made our way through the trail. Our naturalists shared with us the natural history of different plants and insects that are found in this place. Even though we were enjoying the outing, we had to return to the Delfin II for breakfast. Curiously on our way back to the skiff, we spotted a green iguana that was trying to blend in one of the branches of a mighty fig tree.
Once we were done with breakfast, we landed in the community of San Francisco. Here we had the opportunity to wander around and learn about the common activities done by the village’s people. This village has gone through several positive changes. A nonprofit organization called Minga Peru has helped this community to develop sustainable activities. They have also empowered the women in order to have more participation, a decision that has benefitted the growth and development of the village.
After this interesting visit we went back on board and started cruising to our next destination of the day. A little before midday we crossed to the Ucayali River, the longest tributary of the Amazon River. Small little villages were seen along the riverside. We were so excited to get to Clavero Lake.
Once we arrived, we loaded into the skiff one more time and went to explore the lake. Several fishermen were setting their fishing nets while others were collecting the catch. As we passed next to them, they showed us the different fishes they had caught. One of the most interesting was the red belly piranha.
We had great wildlife sightings. A small troop of pigmy marmoset performed a show, undisturbed by our presence. A yellow-crowned brush-tailed rat popped his head out of his tree hole, curious to the sound of the engine of the skiffs. Different species of colorful birds flew by us as we started our return to the Delfin II. It was hard to leave this hidden paradise.
