Features Travel
Features Travel
Estrella Amazonica , enjoying happy hour on the top open-air deck , and listening to our multi-talented naturalists and crew play everything from traditional Peruvian folk music to American rock �n ’ roll . �e watched the sky slowly become a collage of fiery colors before darkness set in and paved the way for stars to give us a double feature . One evening , we took the skiffs out for a ringside seat to this performance . �e were serenaded by a chorus of frogs , while fireflies and glow worms winked flirtatiously at us . Our guides and boat drivers used their beacons and spotlights to locate nocturnal wildlife . Seeing the red eyes of a caiman blaze in the darkness gave me an eerie feeling , knowing that these and other creatures in the jungle were watching our every movement .
Living quarters on the charming La Estrella Amazonica are cozy , yet comfortable for the 2� passengers and crew . In addition to staterooms , there ’ s a dining area , lounge�bar , lecture� meeting room and even a tiny workout facility . Food is served buffet style with several entr�e options , including fresh fish , and plenty of delicious tropical fruit and veggies . Staff are accommodating and hospitable , making every effort to please .
They are gracious and polite , and never fail to greet you with a warm , welcoming smile . They also have a great sense of humor , which automatically sets passengers at ease .
The naturalists are not only guides extraordinaire , but musicians and storytellers . They enjoyed regaling us with Amazonian folklore , which often dealt with superstitions and myths about such creatures as the jaguar , sloth and pink dolphin . Many of the tales had morals and warnings that people in the villages continue to adhere to even today .
In the span of our week-long trip , we went a total of ��0 miles on the river . �e explored several tributaries of the Amazon , as well as the famed Pacaya-Samira National �eserve , one of the largest protected areas in Peru , with a size approximating Belgium . Its main purpose is to preserve ecosystems of the Omagua �egion and to promote sustainable development of local villages . The reserve ’ s biodiversity is immense , and the level of involvement of residents in regards to conservation is remarkable . Nearly �3,000 people live in and around the area within 20� communities . �angers work with residents to preserve this unspoiled locale , and they take their role seriously .
Throughout the journey , I kept my eye out for the elusive Mrs . Conda� first name , Ana . As the days went by without a sign , I began to accept the reality that this legendary snake and I were destined not to meet . At the tail end of the trip , we went on a jungle walk , where local trackers came along to assist naturalists in finding various creatures . As we trekked through the thick foliage , lined by walking palms and massive banyans or �Avatar-like� trees with their gnarly roots and thick trunks , the intensity of color was almost blinding . After examining such creatures as bullet ants , poison dart frogs , horned toads and a red-tailed boa constrictor , we heard a sudden shout . Mrs . Conda had been found , exactly where expected � on the edge of a boggy swamp , wellcamouflaged in her eco-green skin . The tracker picked up the snake and held it out to us for a good look , keeping his hands and body away from its fangs , while it struggled mightily and forcefully to be released . Though the anaconda is not venomous , it is incredibly powerful and employs constriction to subdue its prey . �e noted that the snake ’ s girth was large �some grow as big around as a grown man� , but that it was not very long in size , and one of the naturalists commented that it was probably an immature anaconda .
I was ecstatic nevertheless with this younger version , a Miss Conda , if you like � mission accomplished�
If you go
There are a number of companies that offer riverboat trips in the Peruvian Amazon . I opted to go with International Expeditions , due to its stellar reputation in the industry . It is a pioneer in ecotourism and is known as a world leader in smallgroup nature travel , with a host of award-winning experiences and unique itineraries to far-flung destinations . I was also attracted to the company because it has a long history of supporting conservation projects across the globe . In the Amazon , for example , it helps to fund ongoing conservation efforts , such as building water-treatment plants in villages , funding the Amazon Medical Clinic and developing Las Malvinas �rban �arden Project in Iquitos , Peru .
�or more information about International Expeditions� www . i . e . travel . com .
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