Trip Amazonas Colombia 21.-24. November 2009

I went to a 4 day trip with a group of Colombian Travel agencies. Our starting point was Leticia, Capital of the Colombian Amazonas, bordering with Peru and Brasil. After a briefing about the area and itinerary we went already to our first 1 hour boat ride on the Amazon River.

 

Day 1: First site we visited was the Javary Tucano Lodge in Peru where we met plenty of squirrel monkey (you may remember them from the story Pippi Longstocking-Pippi Langstrumpf) and Ara Parrots.

Unfortunately the Parrots were domesticated, but still nice to look at.

At night we went with traditional wooden tail boats to a night trip. Was good fun, especially the water continously entering in our boat, but that kept us busy. Finaly we found one baby caiman on the river shore.

Day 2:  We continued our trip to the natural Reserve de Maharsha in Puerto Alegria wich is located in the rivermouth from the Rio Javari to the Amazona River.

Just an incredible place! There is a still lake surrounded by primary Amazon Rainforest.

We explored it of course by kanus and we found again a group of squirrel monkey. They were very curious and grapped quickly the bananas we brought with us.

Impressive the giant water lilys with their beautiful white flower, they say the big floating leaf is able to carry a baby.

After we walked one hour back to the Amazon River through the Rainforest. We could observe plenty of frogs (dentrobates, hyla) and butterflies. Back to the jetty appeared suddenly some indigenous people with an adult Ozelot and offered this huge cat for huging.

We were not really sure about but we could'nt resist to take him in our arms. While we were huging pussycat, the indians gave him milk to deviate his attention.

They did'not ask us for money, but neverthless it might not be a recomendable tourist attraction. 

The same night we moved by boat to Puerto Nariño, a very clean and nice village with 7200 habitants consisting in 21 indigenous comunities belonging to the ethnics Ticuna, Cocama en Yagua. At nightime we went with motorboat and torches following the river. It was amazing, millions of diferent sounds in the air.

Day 3: The higlight was the Tarapoto Lake where we could witness the pink river dolphins. 

Now we headed to the Amayacu National Park.

On the way we made a short visit "en la casa de los micos", the house of squirrel monkey, wich is a monkey protection program leaded by an North American woman.

After we continued to the Amayacu, one of Colombias numerous national parks (www.parquesnacionales.gov.co). We used it as a base for a 2 hour walk called Sendero de Capinurus leaded by an indigenous guide. Again we observed plenty of butterflies and received interesting informacion about flora and fauna.

Unfortunatley we had already to move back to Leticia, the capital of the Colombian Amazon Department Leticia.

Back to Leticia we went to a certified farmacie only using Amazon plants, there is a drug for almost any problem you may suffer. We also had time to crosse the boarder to Brasil and went shopping for the Capiriña ingredients.

Day 4: Flight back to Medellin

Resumen:

It was a very interesting trip. I learned the the Colomiban Amazonas area is mainly untouched and we hope that increasing tourism will help to protect this amazing Paradise, wich is an essential part of stabilizing our climate and providing oxygen to all of us. 

Its value as a natural provider of medicin is enourmous and still not entirely researched.