Peru 2024 - Part 8 - Upper Amazon - Communities

Sunday, 22 September through Sunday, 29 September 2024

In addition to some larger towns & cities, there are scattered small communities throughout the upper Amazon. We visited three and passed many more along the rivers. They announce their name and date of establishment on signs visible from the river.

Yanallpa

We walked through the agricultural forests of Yanallpa, but didn’t really interact with the residents - except at the dock, where we were able to watch boys carry produce to the ferry so that it could be taken to market.

You can see the ferry in the background.

A water-level view of the ferry.

The passenger section of the ferry. The trip to Iquitos can take up to two days each way. For accommodations, the passengers hang hammocks for resting and sleeping.

Huarmi

Most villages have their houses and support buildings around a central area, which is inevitably a futbol (soccer) pitch. Even though the village is about 30 feet above the river, you can tell how high the water can get by the fact that the houses are elevated about 4 feet above the ground. 

Across the field are the church and school.

Inside the one-room school. Huarmi is a small village, and only has an elementary school. For secondary education, the students must transfer to a larger community.

The latrine behind the school. The tank at the left collects rain water from the school roof. The water is then piped into a sink in the classroom and the bathroom.

Wildlife pets are common in the villages. Here a resident proudly shows off his pet turtle. (Wild animal pets are not legal in cities and towns.)

A baby howler monkey kept as a pet, and a wooden piranha toy.

Pacaya Samiria National Reserve

The Pacaya Samiria National Reserve is the largest natural reserve in Peru, and encompasses most of the area between the Ucayali and Marañon Rivers. When it was established, the residents were allowed to stay and continue to practice their subsistence farming and fishing. They are now also employed to help patrol the reserve and help with aiding endangered species.

The ranger station where we had to check in when we entered the reserve.

At another ranger station there were two raised beds filled with turtle eggs. As they hatch, the baby turtles are released into the river system.

Amazonas

Amazonas is a long-established community at the confluence of the Ucayali and Marañon Rivers. It is fairly large and has education through secondary school. The community buildings were mostly concrete block, and the sidewalks were concrete - a huge “upgrade” over dirt paths in the rainy season!

A caiman skull protects the entry to a house. It had a puma skull on the other side of the door. Skulls of powerful animals are considered protective talismans.

The owner had been cooking all day and presented a variety of dishes - mostly fish and veggies. Delish!

Piranha soup.

Fresh barracuda.

Crushing sugar cane to extract the juice.

A demonstration of preparing palm fibers and the natural dyes used to create the vibrant colors.

A typical Amazonas house.

Pet parakeets at the house above.

Of course, there’s an area for sports.

Internet and cell service are available. In all the villages, many homes had satellite TV dishes, but Internet service was not generally available. Electricity is provided mostly by generators and sometimes solar panels.