The River Sea

by Mary Jo

I'm madly trying to finish this year's book, Once a Laird, so I'm invoking Wenchly Privilege to rerun an older post. Since currently travel isn't happening, I thought it would be fun to go with one of my earlier travel posts, and cruising on the Amazon seems delightfully distant and exotic.  So here we go!  (The colorful straw frogs to the right were centerpieces on the dining room tables.)

These days when we talk about Amazon, we're probably referring to the mega-selling online site, but after visiting the real Amazon, it was easy to understand why Jeff Bezos chose to name his company after the mightiest river in the world. 

The longest river in the world can be disputed--just exactly where do the headwaters begin?--but everyone accepts that the Amazon River is the largest river in the world.

 Statistics abound: the water flow is greater than the next seven rivers combined.  The world's largest drainage basin by far.  The estuary at its mouth is 150 miles wide. The Amazon Basin includes parts of nine different nations. No wonder it's sometimes called the "River Sea."

The Amazon is a distant place of jungle and danger, myth and mystery, and Sean Connery movies.  Naturally the Mayhem Consultant and I wanted to visit. <G> 

For several years, I eyed an Upper Amazon cruise offered by the partnership between Lindblad Expeditions and the National Geographic Society. 

 

 

I'm madly trying to finish this year's book, Once a Laird, so I'm invoking Wenchly Privilege to rerun an older post. Since currently travel isn't happening, I thought it would be fun to go with one of my earlier travel posts, and cruising on the Amazon seems delightfully distant and exotic.  So here we go!  (The colorful straw frogs to the right were centerpieces on the dining room tables.)

These days when we talk about Amazon, we're probably referring to the mega-selling online site, but after visiting the real Amazon, it was easy to understand why Jeff Bezos chose to name his company after the mightiest river in the world. 

The longest river in the world can be disputed--just exactly where do the headwaters begin?--but everyone accepts that the Amazon River is the largest river in the world.

 Statistics abound: the water flow is greater than the next seven rivers combined.  The world's largest drainage basin by far.  The estuary at its mouth is 150 miles wide. The Amazon Basin includes parts of nine different nations. No wonder it's sometimes called the "River Sea."

The Amazon is a distant place of jungle and danger, myth and mystery, and Sean Connery movies.  Naturally the Mayhem Consultant and I wanted to visit. <G> 

For several years, I eyed an Upper Amazon cruise offered by the partnership between Lindblad Expeditions and the National Geographic Society. 

 

 

 

The cruise boat, DELFIN II, (delfin means dolphin) is small and specially designed for river cruising.  With only 14 passenger cabins that hold 28 passengers, the week long cruise really does feel rather like an expedition--albeit, a very comfortable one.

We explorers gathered in Lima, a very old city worthy of a blog in itself.  After a night's sleep and a brief city tour, we flew to Iquitos, a sizable jungle city where motorcycle rickshaws called motocars are the main transport.  We boarded our boat at Nauta, then sailed off into the night--and off the grid.  No wifi, no cell phones.  That was really rather relaxing. 

The Rivers 

The boat is never anchored because the river bottoms are all silt, with no rocks to hold an anchor.  So the Delfin nudges into the river bank and is tied to a tree--very low tech.  <G>  It's pretty exotic to wake up your first morning to find tropical vines and trees smack up against the wide window! (You can see our window frame on the left in the picture.)

The Amazon is generally considered to start when the rivers Marañon and Ucayli join together.  Both of these are LARGE rivers--larger than the Danube we sailed on in September.  Nauta, our embarkation port, is on the Marañon, and we sailed through the joining of the rivers into the Ucayli.  When we entered the Amazon proper, the ship's emergency horn briefly blasted.  I noticed because it was -right- outside our door. <G> 

There was regular river traffic, everything from dugout canoes to river ferries.  The Delfin carried three 10 passenger skiffs, and several times a day each ventured forth with passengers, a driver, and an amazingly knowledgeable naturalist to spot wildlife and explain the jungle around us. 

Wildlife watching

The naturalists were all local, and some had grown up in primitive riverside villages.  (Their stories of how they got the education and credentials to become naturalists were truly impressive.)   The best rides were way too early in the morning, when wildlife is most active, but we had multiple opportunities to explore the many tributaries, oxbow lakes, and lagoons. 

Wildlife watching in Africa is more dramatic because really, how can even a macaw in flight upstage a herd of zebras?  But the Amazon is justly famous for its vast array of bird life, and a sky full of nighthawks taking off all at once from a bare tree is truly striking.  As are the fishing bats, with 20" wing spans as they swooped around our skiff when we returned to the Delfin at dusk. 

We saw leaping dolphins, both pink and the smaller Amazon gray dolphins.  We learned that while piranhas do sometimes attack humans, the Hollywood image of cows being stripped to their bones in mere moments is a myth.  And when it rained on a skiff ride, very encompassing ponchos were instantly handed out to us.  <G>

One thing I particularly wanted to see was giant water lilies, and on the last day, I did.  It wasn't their blossoming season, but they're still pretty darned impressive!

The River Folk

We visited villages of ribeñeros, those who live on the riverbanks, and they were lovely, friendly folk.  They liked waving at us almost as much as we liked waving at them. <G>  We met with a local advocacy group, Minga Peru, and women told us how they were being empowered to improve their lives.  Lucho, our terrific expedition leader, encouraged us to contribute money toward building the group a meeting place, and we passengers more than exceeded the goal that was set because we were so impressed by the work being done.

Daytime temperatures were in the 80s, which wouldn't be bad if humidity wasn't in the 90%+ range.  So it was pretty sticky, though not awful, particularly if the sky was overcast, which it often was.  Definitely there were bugs, but my insect shield shirt and pants from L. L. Bean served me well, along with some repellent.  The ship itself was very comfortable, with most areas except an open lounge air conditioned, and lots of gleaming wood and pale colors. 

And we ate very, very well, with beautifully decorated tables and mixtures of familiar and unfamiliar foods, including juices and ice creams made from tropical fruits I'd never heard of such as the cocona and camu camu.  Juice pitchers at breakfast had a cut piece of fruit in front of them so we could see what we were drinking.  Sliced tropical fruits also joined pineapple and watermelon on the fruit tray.  A couple of things were served that virtually no one would touch (some sort of river snail that looked like a chewed up rubber gasket comes to mind <G>), but there were always other choices, and no one went hungry. 

Since this was our vacation, the MC and I didn't go on every skiff expedition because it was also lovely to sit in the open lounge with our e-readers and feel the breezes blow through as we admired the river and the jungle.  (I prefer print, but it's hard to beat an e-reader for a well stocked vacation library!) 

Monkey fun

Monkeys were the most viewing fun, and we saw five different varieties.  On the very first day, one of the skiffs rescued a wet, hungry baby squirrel monkey only about two weeks old.  He was brought back to the boat, fed and cuddled, and instantly became the darling of the cruise.  Here's a picture of him asleep in Lucho's arms.  Later in the week he was transferred to a natural farm where he would be fed and looked out for but allowed to roam free so he could return to the jungle.  We missed him.  <G>

On the last day, we visited a monkey island where several pet monkeys had been released by people who no longer wanted them.  The island was opposite an eco-lodge, and the monkeys were flourishing.  We arrived bearing gifts in the form of small bananas which the naturalists stuck onto the branches so the monkeys would zoom in.

I asked our naturalist, Rudy, if the monkeys ever jumped in the boats.  He hesitated, then said yes, which is why we backed up after he placed bananas.  At one point, the monkeys came so fast that Rudy said they regarded him as a piñata. <G>

I've already gone on too long, so I'll stop here, though I reserve the right to talk about Lima someday.  I'll just summarize that it was a great trip to a magical place in a great country, and I'm very glad I had the opportunity to visit.

Would you like to visit the Amazon, or Peru, or some other distant jungle?  Have you been to such a place?  What would your dream vacation be?  I'd love to know, because sometimes, someday, those dream vacations can true

 Mary Jo, ending with a picture of ancient Peruvian jewelry in the wonderful Larco Herrara museum in Lima.

 

The cruise boat, DELFIN II, (delfin means dolphin) is small and specially designed for river cruising.  With only 14 passenger cabins that hold 28 passengers, the week long cruise really does feel rather like an expedition--albeit, a very comfortable one.

We explorers gathered in Lima, a very old city worthy of a blog in itself.  After a night's sleep and a brief city tour, we flew to Iquitos, a sizable jungle city where motorcycle rickshaws called motocars are the main transport.  We boarded our boat at Nauta, then sailed off into the night--and off the grid.  No wifi, no cell phones.  That was really rather relaxing. 

The Rivers 

The boat is never anchored because the river bottoms are all silt, with no rocks to hold an anchor.  So the Delfin nudges into the river bank and is tied to a tree--very low tech.  <G>  It's pretty exotic to wake up your first morning to find tropical vines and trees smack up against the wide window! (You can see our window frame on the left in the picture.)

The Amazon is generally considered to start when the rivers Marañon and Ucayli join together.  Both of these are LARGE rivers--larger than the Danube we sailed on in September.  Nauta, our embarkation port, is on the Marañon, and we sailed through the joining of the rivers into the Ucayli.  When we entered the Amazon proper, the ship's emergency horn briefly blasted.  I noticed because it was -right- outside our door. <G> 

There was regular river traffic, everything from dugout canoes to river ferries.  The Delfin carried three 10 passenger skiffs, and several times a day each ventured forth with passengers, a driver, and an amazingly knowledgeable naturalist to spot wildlife and explain the jungle around us. 

Wildlife watching

The naturalists were all local, and some had grown up in primitive riverside villages.  (Their stories of how they got the education and credentials to become naturalists were truly impressive.)   The best rides were way too early in the morning, when wildlife is most active, but we had multiple opportunities to explore the many tributaries, oxbow lakes, and lagoons. 

Wildlife watching in Africa is more dramatic because really, how can even a macaw in flight upstage a herd of zebras?  But the Amazon is justly famous for its vast array of bird life, and a sky full of nighthawks taking off all at once from a bare tree is truly striking.  As are the fishing bats, with 20" wing spans as they swooped around our skiff when we returned to the Delfin at dusk. 

We saw leaping dolphins, both pink and the smaller Amazon gray dolphins.  We learned that while piranhas do sometimes attack humans, the Hollywood image of cows being stripped to their bones in mere moments is a myth.  And when it rained on a skiff ride, very encompassing ponchos were instantly handed out to us.  <G>

One thing I particularly wanted to see was giant water lilies, and on the last day, I did.  It wasn't their blossoming season, but they're still pretty darned impressive!

The River Folk

We visited villages of ribeñeros, those who live on the riverbanks, and they were lovely, friendly folk.  They liked waving at us almost as much as we liked waving at them. <G>  We met with a local advocacy group, Minga Peru, and women told us how they were being empowered to improve their lives.  Lucho, our terrific expedition leader, encouraged us to contribute money toward building the group a meeting place, and we passengers more than exceeded the goal that was set because we were so impressed by the work being done.

Daytime temperatures were in the 80s, which wouldn't be bad if humidity wasn't in the 90%+ range.  So it was pretty sticky, though not awful, particularly if the sky was overcast, which it often was.  Definitely there were bugs, but my insect shield shirt and pants from L. L. Bean served me well, along with some repellent.  The ship itself was very comfortable, with most areas except an open lounge air conditioned, and lots of gleaming wood and pale colors. 

And we ate very, very well, with beautifully decorated tables and mixtures of familiar and unfamiliar foods, including juices and ice creams made from tropical fruits I'd never heard of such as the cocona and camu camu.  Juice pitchers at breakfast had a cut piece of fruit in front of them so we could see what we were drinking.  Sliced tropical fruits also joined pineapple and watermelon on the fruit tray.  A couple of things were served that virtually no one would touch (some sort of river snail that looked like a chewed up rubber gasket comes to mind <G>), but there were always other choices, and no one went hungry. 

Since this was our vacation, the MC and I didn't go on every skiff expedition because it was also lovely to sit in the open lounge with our e-readers and feel the breezes blow through as we admired the river and the jungle.  (I prefer print, but it's hard to beat an e-reader for a well stocked vacation library!) 

Monkey fun

Monkeys were the most viewing fun, and we saw five different varieties.  On the very first day, one of the skiffs rescued a wet, hungry baby squirrel monkey only about two weeks old.  He was brought back to the boat, fed and cuddled, and instantly became the darling of the cruise.  Here's a picture of him asleep in Lucho's arms.  Later in the week he was transferred to a natural farm where he would be fed and looked out for but allowed to roam free so he could return to the jungle.  We missed him.  <G>

On the last day, we visited a monkey island where several pet monkeys had been released by people who no longer wanted them.  The island was opposite an eco-lodge, and the monkeys were flourishing.  We arrived bearing gifts in the form of small bananas which the naturalists stuck onto the branches so the monkeys would zoom in.

I asked our naturalist, Rudy, if the monkeys ever jumped in the boats.  He hesitated, then said yes, which is why we backed up after he placed bananas.  At one point, the monkeys came so fast that Rudy said they regarded him as a piñata. <G>

I've already gone on too long, so I'll stop here, though I reserve the right to talk about Lima someday.  I'll just summarize that it was a great trip to a magical place in a great country, and I'm very glad I had the opportunity to visit.

Would you like to visit the Amazon, or Peru, or some other distant jungle?  Have you been to such a place?  What would your dream vacation be?  I'd love to know, because sometimes, someday, those dream vacations can true

 Mary Jo, ending with a picture of ancient Peruvian jewelry in the wonderful Larco Herrara museum in Lima.

Comments

[Karen Hackett]

My dream vacation is going back to Scotland for a longer trip. There are places we didn't see because we didn't know about then at the time like the Isle of Skye.

[Christina Courtenay]

I've been to Peru - Lima, Cuzco and Machu Picchu - but your Amazon trip sounds even more amazing! Thank you for giving us a little bit of armchair travel while we're all stuck at home!

[Sue McCormick]

I'd much prefer another tour of places in the British Isles, but your description is fascinating.

Years ago (he;s been dead for years) in an essay on the great rivers of the world, Isaac Asimov said there is the Amazon and then there are all the other rivers. Some of the great rivers of the world are tributaries to the Amazon. Asinove did talk about the great river system I live on (Missouri-Mississippi) and the other commonly considered great rivers, but he convinced me: There is the Amazon and there is everything else.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Karen, there is NEVER enough time to see everything wonderful! My philosophy is to enjoy as much as I can short of exhaustion, and hope to return again some day.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Christina, my sister has been to Machu Picchu several time, and I haven't been even once! I think the lesson is that we both need to go back and switch destination. *G*

[Mary Jo Putney]

Sue, I haven't read that piece of Asimov, but having seen the Amazon, I understand, I understand what he said. I've seen my share of great rivers, including the Missouri-Mississippi system that is the backbone of America, but the Amazon is in a class by itself.

[Kareni]

What a fascinating article, Mary Jo; thanks for reposting it! A dream vacation -- hmm, flying first class with my husband to Korea to visit our daughter would be fun (especially if someone else is footing the bill!)

[Mary Jo Putney]

Kareni, for a flight so long, one would want at least business class if not first class! But flying to see your daughter halfway around the world would be a wonderful dream to achieve. I hope can achieve some version of it!

[Maryellen Webber]

Thank you Mary Jo for the repost of your Amazon cruise. My dream vacation is to visit the Britain again. Now that I know more about my Scottish ancestry, I would love see where my twice great grandmother lived.

[Constance]

My husband and his best friend went on an Amazon river cruise years ago, while I went with my niece on a two-week driving tour of Scotland. It was not my first trip, but it was hers and her first trip out of the US since she was three years old. That was almost 10 years ago now I realize, and she was 14. It made me see Scotland in a totally different way, and it helped us develop a relationship that continues to be very special and very precious to me. While the idea of a trip to any place with high humidity makes me cringe, it is always wonderful to hear the joy that other people find in travel, so thank you very much, Mary Jo, for sharing your Amazon adventure! And very good luck in finishing Once a Laird - based on how many of the comments include a desire to see Scotland, we can only hope that at least part of your new book will take us there! 😉

[Mary Jo Putney]

Maryellen, having a goal always makes a trip more fun! I hope you get back there again.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Thanks for the good wishes on finishing the book, Constance--all good thoughts gratefully received!

The dual vacation of your dh and his friend and you and your niece sound wonderful for all concerned! For you and your niece, there is that lasting benefit of closeness. Well done.

[Annette N]

Ma'am, thanks so much for this post. I have never been on this kind of vacation. But, you have made me wish I could go.

I have the idea that going on a trip on the Amazon would be absolutely wonderful. And with what you have shared with us, I know I was right. Your descriptions have made every aspect of your cruise feel very real.

Thank you for that. I hope everyone is taking care and staying well.

[Teresa Broderick]

This was a wonderful post and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm not a traveler. Partly because I don't like flying but mostly because I couldn't afford it. I'm like some of the people above. I'd love to go back to Scotland again some day. I would love to visit the highlands and some of the islands there. Somehow I don't think it'll happen now.
Enjoyed this peek into your holidays. Armchair travel is always interesting.

[Mary Jo Putney]

You're very welcome, Annette. Yes, I think you'd enjoy a cruise on the Amazon. It's a different world, and seeing it from a comfortable boat is lovely for those of us who aren't Indiana Jones style explorers! I hope you make it there some day. Someday the world will open the travel again. and for now--we can dream.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Teresa--at least you don't live so very far from the Highlands and Islands should you someday decide to visit again! No airplanes required. But I agree that that is much to be said for armchair travel. I'm a big fan of it!

[Margot]

This was interesting and brought back memories of my childhood in Paraguay. We had large patches of jungle near us as well as open camp land. I am not sure I would like to go back there as the jungles have all been cut down to make way for fields. I wonder how the area you travelled has been affected by fires and tree removal.
I would love to explore more of Scotland, Ireland and Germany. Have been to them all but now want to spend time with friends who live there and see sights that I missed, plus take long walks and enjoy the countryside. Would love to live there for a few months to appreciate a town, village or neighborhood.

[Margot]

I am eager to read the book you are working on so hard. I do hope you have the time to do all you need to do to get it to us soon.

[LilMissMolly]

Never been to the Amazon or South America. I’d love to visit Brazil and Natal one of these days. One of the most fascinating places I’ve visited was the Orkeny Islands. I can’t wait to go back there!

[Mary Jo Putney]

It sounds as if returning to your childhood home would be disappointing, Margot. Jungle are mysterious. Fields, not so much. WE didn't see any fired or jungle destruction; probably because we were in the upper Amazon, which is in Peru rather than in the longer stretch of the river in Brazil.

Yes, going back to place you love and being able to spend time with friends is the BEST!

[Mary Jo Putney]

Margot--I hope I have all the time I need, too! IT's going to be close.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Molly, we LOVED Orkney! In fact, a fictionalized version of Orkney is the setting for the book I'm writing now. Shetland was great too, but Orkney resonated more with me emotionally.