Day 4: ExplorNapo- land of Squirrel Monkeys, Capybara, Shamen and Piranhas.
Virtual Tour: Explornapo GoPro
By Hannah Cotten
July 27, 2017 We left Explorama after breakfast. On our way out, we ran into an unknown species of watersnake. He was modeled dark brown and grey, with a flat underbelly. Our very experienced and knowledgable guides hadn't ever seen this type of snake. Did we identify a new species?? How cool would that be?! |
Then, we hopped on our water taxi and ventured off down the Amazon River. We were headed for the Napo river, a river that runs into the Amazon from the North.
According to Britannica.com,
"The Napo River, Spanish Río Napo, river in northeastern Ecuador and northeastern Peru. It flows from the eastern slopes of the Andes in Ecuador and descends generally eastward to the Peruvian border. There it turns southeastward and continues through dense tropical rain forests, joining the Amazon River approximately 50 miles (80 km) downstream from Iquitos. Explored by the Spanish soldier and Amazon explorer Francisco de Orellana in 1540 and then by the Portuguese Amazon explorer Pedro Teixiera in 1638, the river, 550 miles (885 km) long, is an important transportation artery, for much of it is navigable. Cattle are raised along its banks, and the forests yield rubber, chicle, timber, and furs."
According to Britannica.com,
"The Napo River, Spanish Río Napo, river in northeastern Ecuador and northeastern Peru. It flows from the eastern slopes of the Andes in Ecuador and descends generally eastward to the Peruvian border. There it turns southeastward and continues through dense tropical rain forests, joining the Amazon River approximately 50 miles (80 km) downstream from Iquitos. Explored by the Spanish soldier and Amazon explorer Francisco de Orellana in 1540 and then by the Portuguese Amazon explorer Pedro Teixiera in 1638, the river, 550 miles (885 km) long, is an important transportation artery, for much of it is navigable. Cattle are raised along its banks, and the forests yield rubber, chicle, timber, and furs."
When we hopped onto the Napo river, the forest started growing more dense. The river began snaking back and forth. I could feel us venturing deeper and deeper into the rainforest. How exciting!
When we arrived, we approached a boat dock and stairs leading up to the main lodge. Apon climbing the stairs, a local favorite animal and friend, a capybara named Charlie, sauntered my way. A capybara is the largest rodent in the world. When I pet Charlie, he felt quite like a large guinea pig. His feet were odd- four-toes, slightly webbed. Since capybaras are semiaquatic, this webbed footing proves rather helpful. Check out these fun facts about capybaras: http://www.animalfactguide.com/animal-facts/capybara/ Also, here is a sweet GoPro Video I took of my experience with Charlie, the famous Capybara of Peru! youtube..... |
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After meeting a capybara in the wild (I had seen them at Zoos, but I've never seen one just sauntering around in the wild--so cool!), we then found ourselves surrounded by a Squirrel Monkey colony. Squirrel monkeys are about the size of squirrels, so naturally, they are SUPER CUTE!
It was so fun watching the monkeys jump from one tree to the next. The locals at the lodge set out bananas for the monkeys. Apparently these squirrel monkeys only visit this area one month out of the year and we were fortunate enough to be here just when that occurred. Each day, they would eventually swing by the lodge to check out the food status and then they would move on throughout the rainforest, swaying trees along the way.
It was so fun watching the monkeys jump from one tree to the next. The locals at the lodge set out bananas for the monkeys. Apparently these squirrel monkeys only visit this area one month out of the year and we were fortunate enough to be here just when that occurred. Each day, they would eventually swing by the lodge to check out the food status and then they would move on throughout the rainforest, swaying trees along the way.
After giggling tirelessly while watching these adorable creatures swing in the trees and munch on bananas, I rejoined the group to visit with local Shamans to learn about herbal medical plants and Amazon remedies. This was pretty cool I must say.
We arrived under a large hut in the forest, greeted with shaman who proudly wore warm smiles and head dresses, paired with contemporary athletic shorts and a t-shirt. Talk about modernized shaman. It was neat to see the shaman at their real state, dressed how they would normally, and not making a show of anything. They just wanted us to learn about and respect their tribe, culture and profession. The shaman passed around different plants and using our five senses, we aimed to absorb as much as possible about these natural remedies. Then the shaman performed a ritual "blessing" on us. This act was to rid one of bad thoughts and negative energy. Honestly, they were using the science of aroma therapy, calming sounds and the allure of an ancient ritual to relax the muscles and slow down the mind. It was quite effective. I was certainly calmed down and relaxed. I really liked smelling the scents of flowers and herbs. The shaman would chant in his tribal tongue, blow smoke at our heads, shake leaves by our ears, and then pass around different types of smells from plants, mostly flowers. At first it felt kind of awkward, but after a while, it was very soothing and hypnotic. After we relaxed our muscles, the shaman painted on temporary tatoos, kind of like henna, using a fruit with dark juice. This juice will last about 3 weeks on a human's skin. The shaman painted a jaguar on my arm for protection. Each animal had a different meaning and reason for painting. Quit interesting.
We also learned about bot flies... those are gross! I'm not going to tell you much about them, other than the fact that bot flies lay their eggs in your skin and then their larva grow inside of you and craw around, leaving a large lump under your skin. Locals get these regularly.... SO DISGUSTING! However, the shaman had an herbal remedy from a plant. You mix up the serum and then rub it on the infected area. Then the bot fly larva squirm their way out of your skin.... EEEEEK! Gross! Fortunately for us, typically only locals are here long enough to get a case of the bot fly. Hopefully I never do! Our guides each experienced this two different times throughout their life time.
We arrived under a large hut in the forest, greeted with shaman who proudly wore warm smiles and head dresses, paired with contemporary athletic shorts and a t-shirt. Talk about modernized shaman. It was neat to see the shaman at their real state, dressed how they would normally, and not making a show of anything. They just wanted us to learn about and respect their tribe, culture and profession. The shaman passed around different plants and using our five senses, we aimed to absorb as much as possible about these natural remedies. Then the shaman performed a ritual "blessing" on us. This act was to rid one of bad thoughts and negative energy. Honestly, they were using the science of aroma therapy, calming sounds and the allure of an ancient ritual to relax the muscles and slow down the mind. It was quite effective. I was certainly calmed down and relaxed. I really liked smelling the scents of flowers and herbs. The shaman would chant in his tribal tongue, blow smoke at our heads, shake leaves by our ears, and then pass around different types of smells from plants, mostly flowers. At first it felt kind of awkward, but after a while, it was very soothing and hypnotic. After we relaxed our muscles, the shaman painted on temporary tatoos, kind of like henna, using a fruit with dark juice. This juice will last about 3 weeks on a human's skin. The shaman painted a jaguar on my arm for protection. Each animal had a different meaning and reason for painting. Quit interesting.
We also learned about bot flies... those are gross! I'm not going to tell you much about them, other than the fact that bot flies lay their eggs in your skin and then their larva grow inside of you and craw around, leaving a large lump under your skin. Locals get these regularly.... SO DISGUSTING! However, the shaman had an herbal remedy from a plant. You mix up the serum and then rub it on the infected area. Then the bot fly larva squirm their way out of your skin.... EEEEEK! Gross! Fortunately for us, typically only locals are here long enough to get a case of the bot fly. Hopefully I never do! Our guides each experienced this two different times throughout their life time.
For an evening adventure, we went Piranha fishing! Wow is that cool. We learned that it is in fact a myth that piranhas eat humans. They are significantly smaller than they are pictured in holly wood, and even if you jump in and swim with the piranhas, they would only nibble on you, feeling like a tiny pinch. They are not dangerous or harmful towards humans. So no need to fret! Their teeth are quite sharp though, and they are devious when it comes to fishing. They know how to slowly nibble away at the bait without getting hooked. They are quite smart, in that regard! We were evaded many a time! We cooked the piranha we caught and it was tasty, but not much meat to them. We each tried a little taste of the freshly caught fish and were all quite proud.
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Day 5: Bird Watching, Villages, Service Project, water balloons and soccer
We woke up early in the morning to go bird watching via boat. We spotted bats along a tree, camoflaged quite well. Can you spot them in the picture below? We also saw a sloth crawling down a Cecropia tree. That was a ray find! Some birds we laid eyes on were:
After we soaked in the morning life surrounding us along the Napo River, we visited local tribes around the area. First we visited the Maijuna. We learned about their history, interacted with the locals, and toured their tribe. For a tribe of 300 people, they only had about 30 houses they lived in. Families of 10-20 would live in one house together. |
The next tribe we encountered was the Yagua tribe. CONOPAC, or Conservacion de la Naturaleza Amazonica del Peru, is a Peruvian non-profit organization, that aims to bring more access to clean drinking water for tribes in the Amazon, educate the locals, bring school supplies and soil for the tribe, and build relationships to foster growth and friendship with Peruvians.
"CONOPAC is responsible for operating the Adopt-A-School program, which now supports over 70 remote rural schools in the Peruvian Amazon. School supplies, books, anything the schools will need, are all very thoughtfully organized, purchased in Peru, and the supplies delivered in April each year. Recently IE (International Expeditions) funded the building of a small boat, outfitted it with a powerful outboard motor, so that CONOPAC employees would be able to travel between the villages without being dependent on other boats."
http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2009/07/21/voluntouring_with_internationa/
CONOPAC helped bridge the gap between the locals and the tourists, while also provide the opportunity for us to work alongside and provide aid for this tribe. CONOPAC brought fresh, nutritious soil, seeds to plant, paint, and tools to improve the village. I worked with the children in the garden, tilling the soil, planting peppers and tomatoes, and watering the newly planted seeds. This was my favorite experience with the tribes because the locals were truly glad to see us. They celebrated our arrival and welcomed us with open arms. They were thankful for our help and we bonded through working together on their village. Afterwards, we had a water balloon tossing competition (provided by CONOPAC). Me and my little girl partner won the second game of water balloon toss! How fun. You should have seen her big smile! Then we played soccer with the kids. (I watched from the sidelines and talked in Spanish with some children.) The shoeless kiddos were much better than our full grown American adults. It was fun to watch!
After we returned to the Explornapo lodge, Dr. Meg Lowman talked with us about different types of plants. She handed out different leaf samples and discussed adaptations of each type. She asked us all three questions: 1) Old or young? 2) Top or bottom? 3) Defended or undefended? We first had to use our deduction skills to try and interpret the answers to each of these questions. They we dissected our observations with Meg. If there is a lot of moss, lichen, algae or brown spots, the leaf is most likely older. The size of the leaf can also help us know if it resides up high in the canopy or down low in the forest floor. Generally, leaves in the canopy are significantly smaller in size, but more durable to withstand the elements in the canopy. Leaves are larger on the forest floor to try to absorb as much sunlight as possible. Leaves that are defended have thorns, spikes, or poison in their leaves to fend of predators. Leaves with mining or a significant sign of herbivory, are usually not defended leaves. Some leaves spend their energy defending themselves, by making these defenses. Other plants spend their energy growing as fast as possible.
Afterwards, we went for a night boat ride along the Amazon River. We spotted a lot of wildlife and were surprised at the numerous shining stars and clear milky way in the night sky. It was breathtaking.
Throughout our time at Explornapo, we spotted these birds:
Great Egret, Straited Heron, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulter, Black collared Hawk, Smooth-billed Ani, Short-tailed Swift, White Taile Trogon, Chestnut-earned Aracari, White Throated Toucan, Chestnut-eared Woodpecker, Yellow-headed Caracara, Cobalt-winged Parakeet, Lesser Kiskadee, Plum-throated Cotinga, Masked Crison Tanager, Velvet-fronted Grackle, Night Hawk, Grey winged trumpeter
"CONOPAC is responsible for operating the Adopt-A-School program, which now supports over 70 remote rural schools in the Peruvian Amazon. School supplies, books, anything the schools will need, are all very thoughtfully organized, purchased in Peru, and the supplies delivered in April each year. Recently IE (International Expeditions) funded the building of a small boat, outfitted it with a powerful outboard motor, so that CONOPAC employees would be able to travel between the villages without being dependent on other boats."
http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2009/07/21/voluntouring_with_internationa/
CONOPAC helped bridge the gap between the locals and the tourists, while also provide the opportunity for us to work alongside and provide aid for this tribe. CONOPAC brought fresh, nutritious soil, seeds to plant, paint, and tools to improve the village. I worked with the children in the garden, tilling the soil, planting peppers and tomatoes, and watering the newly planted seeds. This was my favorite experience with the tribes because the locals were truly glad to see us. They celebrated our arrival and welcomed us with open arms. They were thankful for our help and we bonded through working together on their village. Afterwards, we had a water balloon tossing competition (provided by CONOPAC). Me and my little girl partner won the second game of water balloon toss! How fun. You should have seen her big smile! Then we played soccer with the kids. (I watched from the sidelines and talked in Spanish with some children.) The shoeless kiddos were much better than our full grown American adults. It was fun to watch!
After we returned to the Explornapo lodge, Dr. Meg Lowman talked with us about different types of plants. She handed out different leaf samples and discussed adaptations of each type. She asked us all three questions: 1) Old or young? 2) Top or bottom? 3) Defended or undefended? We first had to use our deduction skills to try and interpret the answers to each of these questions. They we dissected our observations with Meg. If there is a lot of moss, lichen, algae or brown spots, the leaf is most likely older. The size of the leaf can also help us know if it resides up high in the canopy or down low in the forest floor. Generally, leaves in the canopy are significantly smaller in size, but more durable to withstand the elements in the canopy. Leaves are larger on the forest floor to try to absorb as much sunlight as possible. Leaves that are defended have thorns, spikes, or poison in their leaves to fend of predators. Leaves with mining or a significant sign of herbivory, are usually not defended leaves. Some leaves spend their energy defending themselves, by making these defenses. Other plants spend their energy growing as fast as possible.
Afterwards, we went for a night boat ride along the Amazon River. We spotted a lot of wildlife and were surprised at the numerous shining stars and clear milky way in the night sky. It was breathtaking.
Throughout our time at Explornapo, we spotted these birds:
Great Egret, Straited Heron, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulter, Black collared Hawk, Smooth-billed Ani, Short-tailed Swift, White Taile Trogon, Chestnut-earned Aracari, White Throated Toucan, Chestnut-eared Woodpecker, Yellow-headed Caracara, Cobalt-winged Parakeet, Lesser Kiskadee, Plum-throated Cotinga, Masked Crison Tanager, Velvet-fronted Grackle, Night Hawk, Grey winged trumpeter