Sapuena Village and Belluda Caño
The Amazon basin is famous for incredible animals, the volume of water flowing in the river, and the huge diversity of plants found here. What is not so well known but is another amazing part of this place is the people living here. The people along the river are an essential part of this story as they help shape this place that is the Amazon. This morning we got to explore a little bit of their world.
The village of Sapuena is a medium sized village of around 600 people. On a gentle bend in the Ucayali River, they grow rice and other crops, as well as catch a lot of fish. Main street is a single paved sidewalk, and along this we strolled today learning all about the people and their lives here. Different foods, medicines, and social activities were discussed, and of course curious children were a highlight. A visit to the school was both educational and fun, for us and the children!
Approaching lunchtime, Delfin II continued farther up the Ucayali River. Dining on board is certainly a delight with so many new and incredible flavors. To help us learn more about the foods of the Amazon, we were taught how to make one of the traditional dishes. Juanes are a concoction of rice, chicken, and many spices all wrapped up in the leaves of a Marantaceae leaf. Some of us helped make them and later all of us helped eat them. Yum!
After lunch we divided to explore an area near Belluda Caño. Some set off for a skiff ride and discovered one of the strangest birds around, the Hoatzin. Monkeys, nighthawks, and a Rufescent Tiger-Heron were more exciting discoveries. A few hikers quietly walked through some excellent forest and had some wonderful finds. A Common Pauraque nest, fuzzy caterpillars, jagged spiders, and some beautiful Rubiaceae flowers were certainly nice. But a female sloth, only six feet off the ground and slowly looking around, was a grand finale for another special day. But more was in store for us. We again got to experience the human side of the Amazon. This time though, it was tasting the Amazon with a delicious dinner followed by the beautiful music of the crew.
