Sapuena Village and Rio Ucayali
Last night we travelled the short distance to the south and completed the transition from the Maranon River to the Ucayali River. The junction of these two rivers is considered by many people to be the location where the Amazon River begins. Once again the pace of our day was dictated by the tropics and life on the river, beginning with a skiff ride in the cool of the early morning, enjoying views of dolphins and birds.
After breakfast we headed ashore at the small village of Sapuena to see at first hand the life of the riberenos, as the people who inhabit this section of the Amazon are known. These people are a mixed race group, with indigenous heritage that has become integrated with the European settlers. With an existence that is tied to the flow and the rise and fall of the river, their lives are inextricably linked to water. For the past couple of days we have seen them in passing, travelling on their watery highway in a wide variety of vessels and making a living from the river. Today was a chance to see up close their lives onshore in the small village of Sapuena, home to about 500 people and with a high street consisting of a single concrete walkway.
To get to the village we first had to walk up the riverbank through the seasonal field of local rice that will soon be flooded once more as the cycle of life on the river moves towards high water. Once in the village we received a low key but friendly welcome from the inhabitants as we learned something of their lives. Our walk through the village ended at the school, where we interrupted the lessons to share some time with the children of the village. Like children anywhere, they seemed enthusiastic for the distraction and were happy to entertain visitors. But soon it was time to move on and this afternoon we were back out on the river and in the jungle, by skiff or on foot, returning to our theme of the search for wildlife, which will continue tomorrow…
