En route to our landing, we had a good view of another sloth. This particular fellow was descending a stout liana in what (for a sloth) was a great hurry. We also heard pygmy marmosets (Cebuella pygmaea) whistling, but never saw them. Among the many birds pointed out was the Cream-colored Woodpecker and Blue-crowned Trogan.
Once we had landed and started down the trail, we saw a number of interesting plants, including a couple species of Begonia (Begoniaceae); a tree in the Spurge Family (Euphorbiaceae) with small waxy white flowers; a member of the Annonaceae (probably Annona) with large cream-white flowers and spiny green fruit; and a leafless parasitic angiosperm (Helosis, Balanophoraceae) that looked like a red baby's rattle stuck in the ground. Just before we reached the lake, we saw a long column of leafcutter ants (Atta sp.). They were marching from a tree on the bank of a marshy area, across a narrow footbridge, to another tree about halfway across the bridge. The foragers each carried a large chunk of a leaf back to the nest, where it would be used as a substrate on which to grow the fungus that makes up the ants' diet. It was quite an impressive sight!
Once over the footbridge, we were on the banks of Shimiguay, where we boarded a couple small rowboats. We paddled around awhile, studying the many aquatic plants. The star among these, of course, was the legendary giant water-lily, Victoria amazonica (Nymphaeaceae). Unfortunately, it was not at its prime here, as most of the cabbage-sized white flowers were either in bud or past anthesis. Floating free on the water's surface were the water-ferns Salvinia (two species) and Azolla; Water Lettuce (Pistia stratioides, Araceae); a largish duckweed (Lemna, Lemnaceae); and a bladderwort (Utricularia, Lentibulariaceae). The latter bears emergent yellow snapdragon-like flowers and finely-dissected submersed leaves and is a carnivore. Among the leaves are tiny bladder-like traps that suck in and digest microscopic aquatic invertebrates. In the shallows were stands of the woody aroid Montrichardia with its arrow-shaped leaves and white calla-like inflorescence. It was nearly 1 PM by the time we got back to ExplorNapo. No sooner had we entered the dining hall for lunch (beef steak), than it began to pour down rain, which continued for over an hour.
A little past 3 PM, we embarked in the boats again. This time, our destination was a small village along the Río Napo. It began to rain again as soon as we arrived. Before entering the village, however, we walked downstream past cultivated fields to a flooded area where we saw hoatzins (Opisthocomus hoatzin), a chicken-size bird that is so unusual that it is placed in a family all its own, the Opisthocomidae. The hoatzin is the only bird that eats leaves - up to 80% of its diet is tree foliage - thanks to endosymbiont bacteria in its crop that ferment the leaf pulp. The young are unique in possessing claws on the wings, which facilitate tree climbing.
We divided up into groups of seven and went with a guide to visit a home. The people here are ribereños (Spanish/Quechua-speaking rural mestizos) rather than the indigenous Peban-speaking Yagua. As such, they are ethnically much the same as Peru's urban dwellers. Though simple, their lifestyle really is no more "primitive" than was that of many rural Americans living in isolated areas prior to the widespread availability of electricity. The ribereños practice subsistence agriculture, bartering for things they can't produce themselves.
At the particular home we visited, the señora was most hospitable, despite the fact that the rain had left us looking like a pack of drowned rats. There were seven children in the family, from an infant to a child perhaps 10 years old. Our guide described their home life, schooling, food preparation, and so forth. The sun was setting as we returned to the boat.
Once we were back at ExplorNapo, I showered and changed into dry clothes. Dinner was at 7:30 PM and featured creamed shredded chicken and Russian salad. Afterwards, I played Uno® for awhile with Jeremy, Amy, Birgitta, and Katherine. When they turned in for the night, I stayed a little longer to listen to Shannon, who was playing a borrowed guitar and singing. This was our last night at ExplorNapo.
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