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. We watched
the sky slowly become a collage of
fiery colors before darkness set in
and paved the way for stars to give
us a doubl e feature. One evening, we
took the skiffs out for a ringside
seat to this performance. We were
serenaded by a chorus of frogs,
while fire ies and glow worms
winked irtatiously at us. ur 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 28 passengers and
crew. In addition to staterooms, there’s
a dining area, lounge/bar, lecture/
meeting room and even a tiny workout
facility. ood is served buffet style
with several entrée 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 640 miles on the
river. We explored several tributaries
of the Amazon, as well as the famed
Pacaya-Samira National Reserve, one
of the largest protected areas in
Peru, with a size approximating
Belgium. Its main purpose is to
preserve ecosystems of the Omagua
Region 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 93,000 people
live in and around the area within
208 communities. Rangers work
with residents to preserve this
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unspoiled locale, and they take
their role seriously.
Throughout the journey, I kept my
eye out for the elusive Mrs. Conda;
first name, na. s 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. s 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, wellcamou aged 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. We 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
uni ue itineraries to far ung
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 Urban
Garden Project in Iquitos, Peru.
For more information about
International Expeditions:
www.i.e.travel.com.