Pink dolphins and

silver piranhas

23 Jan 2011

Roderick Eime journeys into the seldom visited Peruvian Amazon rainforestand finds much more than monkeys

Pink dolphins andsilver piranhas

SUBLIME ECO-TOURISM:(Clockwise frommain picture) Avillager on theAmazon; theAqua; and guests explore asmaller stream.

Pictures: Roderick Eime

NO SOONER have I dropped thelittle chunk of prime tenderloin in themuddy water than the battle begins.It starts with a teasing nibble but

quickly becomes a ferocious tug ofwar as the ravenous little fish gets ahold of the hook and the line isquickly veering in all directions.A solid jerk on the line and he’s

stuck. I flick the rod, really just a bitof pointy stick with some line crudelytied, and a flash of silver and red isflying into the boat.Ola! exclaims Roland our field

guide, this is the big bad boy of theAmazon. He’s only a few hundredgrams, but the short-nosed, red-bellied piranha is the nastiest littlebrute in the family, of which there are35 known species. His razor-sharpfangs will easily take off the end ofyour finger.

I’m travelling aboard the 40m,400 tonneMVAqua, based at the riverport of Iquitos in Peru’s northeasternstate of Loreto, the last word in luxuryriver cruising in these parts. With just24 passengers doted on by the samenumber of charming crew and guides,Aqua transports us into remoteprimary jungle wilderness inaccessibleby any other means.Giant panoramic windows open on

to an ever-changing riverine vista,while dining includes many dishesusing the produce of the jungle,such as heart-of-palm soup, camu-camu fruit and the ubiquitous anddelicious catfish.Most clients prefer the wet months

between December andMay whennavigation is easier, but during thedry season the forest comes alive asanimals and local Riberenos (riverpeople) feverishly gather fish andfruit only abundant during the low-water months.

The majestic Amazon, the world’slargest river by volume andmorethan 7000km long, is fed by morethan 1000 tributaries, such as theevocatively named Yanayacu(blackwater) and Ucayali (canoebreaker), and home to more speciesof fish than the Atlantic Ocean.Sublime pink dolphins, almost

blind, chase schools of all typesaround the forks of streams andcreeks occasionally breaking thesurface for a breath of air. Another,the mysterious paiche or Amazoniancod (arapainia gigas) once grew tomore than 3m long and weighedseveral hundred kilos, but fishingpressure has restricted the rare,partly air-breathing and tasty,creature to less than a metre.The Amazon though is muchmore

than simply a river. The entire basin,called Amazonia, covers 6.8 millionsquare kilometres within Brazil,Columbia, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuadorand at any one time contains morethan 20 per cent of the world’sfreshwater reserves.

Tens of thousands of plant species, agreat many with life-saving medicinalproperties, thrive along the banks,lagoons and within the rainforests.Described by some scientists as ‘‘thelungs of the word’’, this almostincalculable mass of vegetation is

responsible for re-oxygenating muchof Earth’s CO2-heavy atmosphere.

Notwithstanding the pricelesscontribution to the world’s breathableair, vast tracts are vanishing at analarming rate every day to make wayfor farms and grazing land. Legal andillegal logging is also taking its tolland the sky is often heavy with smokefrom burn-off.Add to this the effects of global

warming and you have this dryseason’s lowest river levels inrecorded history – and they’re stilldropping. Many times our tenderruns into the mud andmust back out.

Most of our time is spent withinthe expanse of the Pacaya SamiriaNational Reserve, one of several thatconsume virtually the entire state ofLoreto but attract just a few thousandvisitors annually. Almost the size ofSri Lanka, the reserve is supposed toprotect the fragile biodiversity withinits largely unpatrolled borders.Naturally, poaching and illegalharvesting are rife among the poorRiberenos families looking to feedtheir average of six children.

Instead of policing draconian lawsand stiff penalties, Aqua’smanagement are working with the280 local communities to reinforcethe importance of preserving theirimportant resources and cultivatingsustainable farming practices.

The villagers are drafted asvolunteer rangers in exchange formanageable fishing and farmingrights. Hunting is forbiddenanywhere in the reserve.

During our seven days on the river,we visit villages and are welcomedwith open arms. School supplies,simple medicines and toys aredistributed to eager, smiling childrenwho have little more than the grubby

clothes on their backs. Ali and Ari,young dentists visiting from Canada,gleefully distribute toothbrushes andtoothpaste. I leave a pile of T-shirtsand a handful of pens while Raoul,the ship’s medico, examines infantsand toddlers while comfortingworried mothers.

As we’re readying for a reluctantdeparture, Aqua Expeditions CEOFrancesco Zugaro, joins us for acoffee and tells us his plans for asecond vessel, due for launch in April2011. ‘‘MVAriawill have 16 speciallydesigned cabins with floor-to-ceilingpicture windows and is built fromscratch.’’ Aqua, on the other hand, isa reclaimed hull with 12 suites.The wildlife may be plentiful, but it

is not the deluge you’ll experience inplaces like the pantanal or GalapagosIslands. We see several species ofmonkeys, iguanas, pink dolphins,sloth, caiman, scores of bird speciesincluding the bizarre, pre-historichoatzin and curiously dubbed hornedscreamer, while thebotanically mindedguests go crazy.Eco-tourism is

muchmore thanturning up to ogle exotic species andswanning about in luxury. The bestoperators adhere to a policy ofconsultative interaction with localcommunities that give them tangiblebenefits such as better health andeducation while helping preserve theindigenous culture and environmentthat makes them such an asset.We leave smiling, waving children

clutching books, pens and a feelingthat someone, somewhere gave adamn, even for just a moment.

Thewriterwasaguestof LANandAquaExpeditions.

Destination Peru4 Escape.com.au

Go2GRAND TOURHowtoget thereLAN Airlines flies six timesweekly from Sydneyto Santiago, Chile, and offers service tomorethan 50 destinations in 10 South Americancountries. From Santiago, LAN flies daily to Lima,Peru, and on to Iquitos. For more informationvisit www.lan.com or call 1800 221 572.

Doing thereAqua Expeditions operates three, four andseven-night journeys departing Iquitos, Peru.Prices start from $2250 a person twin share forthe three-night expedition. Includes allexcursions, meals, housewine and local beers.Gratuities are extra. Bring binoculars, camerawith long lens, tropical-strength insectrepellent, sunscreen, sun hat and light, long-sleeved shirts. Take village donations such asexercise books, pencils and clean clothing.For bookings or further information, contactScenic Tours (www.scenictours.com.au)

MoreFodor’s Peru andwww.peru.info

5Escape.com.au

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