Our expedition continued today very early in the morning with an exploration of Yanayaquillo Caño. This small creek is covered with dense vegetation where our naturalists spotted several species of neo-tropical birds like parrots, herons, flycatchers as well as some few birds of prey. The overcast skies added a magical halo of mystery to the surroundings.
After breakfast, we had a presentation on medicinal plants of the area given by naturalist Ericson Pinedo. Growing up in the area, he has a fascinating knowledge and wisdom of the rainforest. Ericson described several medicinal plants and how to use them, and answered guest questions.
In the afternoon we visited the Amazon Natural Park, a private protected area located on the boundary of the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve. The owner, Mr. Rotondo, passed away three years ago but his well-managed preserve was recognized by the Peruvian environmental authorities as a protected area in June 2011.
We started our activities by boarding three catamarans. We crossed a lagoon by rowing peacefully. After a short ride we disembarked to go for a 2.4 mile hike. Some guests opted to go for a shorter walk. While walking in the forest, we admired very large and famous trees like the rubber tree and some lianas, vines and some wild flowers as well. The trail leads to a very long suspension bridge which is approximately a quarter of a mile in length. From the bridge we had a breathtaking view of the middle strata of the forest just below the upper canopy. At that height we could see the rainforest from a completely different perspective.
Finally, late in the afternoon during cocktail hour, the whole crew lined up in the lounge for an official presentation. The Delfin II naturalists shared brief but meaningful summaries of their upbringing in the reserve. After dinner we had a night walk, where we spotted insects and amphibians.
