We spent our last week in Peru on a 7-day cruise of the Amazon. Both of us have wanted to see the Amazon for years. When we were teaching, we would explain to our students how important this ecosystem is to the health of the planet...we wanted to see that for ourselves.
If you are thinking "Ah, a cruise down the Amazon would be so relaxing," well you must think again. From the day we arrived, we were busy with activities--evening trips on the skiffs to see night critters (pointed out by extremely knowledgeable nature guides), afternoon walks in the forest and in the forest canopy to see forest birds and critters, and of course, morning trips on the skiff to see the pink and gray dolphins and fish for piranhas. We also saw caimen, sloths, large snakes of 3 varieties, 4 different varieties of monkeys, and frogs, and the guides identified over 50 different species of birds (egrets and herons were everywhere, as were vultures and hawks). The macaws, kingfishers, and many others that we don't remember were less numerous. When we arrived, we were amazed by the teeming life everywhere. This was in comparison to the altiplano (Arequipa, Cusco, Puno) and the desert (Lima, Paracas, Ica).
We also visited 3 villages sponsored by the La Perla company--one in which we planted trees, one in which we buried turtle eggs for a conservation project, and one where we assisted in the release of newly hatched butterflies. Each of our outings ended with an ice cold washcloth to remove jungle sweat/dirt and a lovely glass of fresh fruit juice. The daytime highs were around 90 degrees with tons of humidity.
Between these activities each day, we had 3 delicious buffet meals, highlighting the fruits and foods of the area (the 3 cooks were exceptionally talented), and before dinner in the evenings, the staff sang to us and encouraged us to dance with them and with each other. It was so much fun! This was not a "high-end" cruise. The other 24 guests were just like us.
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