Travel

Editor's note: This is the second in a three-part series about a recent trip that David Boozer took to the Amazon River in Brazil and Machu Picchu in Peru.

Waking up Tuesday morning, having spent the day before handing out school supplies to ecstatic students in a small, Amazonian village I left to go bird watching and view animals such as three-toed sloths. Sunrise is the time when birds are abundant; the sloths basically just hang around, barely moving all day.

After breakfast, we took the flat-bottom skiff up a tributary for a walk through the rainforest. Walking on a narrow trail, we learned about the local vegetation and its uses. The sap from the rubber tree stretches just like a rubber band. Another tree is home to a type of ant that protects its fruit from animals, i.e., keep your hand on the trunk for a few seconds and you will understand why.

Then there were the medicinal plants. As a child, our tour director Johnny, who is from Iquitos, Peru, had to take ficus sap to prevent worms. He went to the toilet 10 times that day, he recalls, and then for six months had to eat chicken soup and other soft foods to repair the damage to his stomach and intestines.

Among the plants we saw squirrel monkeys, sun bitterns, hoatzin (a crested, large South American bird), ora pendula (a russet-backed bird that builds gourd-like, hanging nests) and jacana (long-legged and long-toed tropical wading birds).

On Wednesday, we arose early to visit the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve up the tributary waters of the Maranon River for a full day of discovery in Peru's largest national park. After breakfast we watched a presentation on the life, history and culture of the Amazon's main tribes. We also had an introductory discussion about shamanism — local beliefs in the ability to speak with the spirit world— that helped us understand the traditions of the rainforest people.

Our ship arrived in the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve, where we visited a local shaman — a mystic, a minister, a healer and, believe it or not, a Catholic — in his sacred, thatch-roofed temple. He explained that his Catholic belief was for the heavens and the native religion was the earth, the waters, the vegetation and the fauna.

We sat in a semicircle facing the 64-year-old and his 24-year-old lady shaman-in-training. He introduced us to his spiritual healing craft and told us about rainforest plants that indigenous people say possess curative properties. He blew tobacco smoke in our upheld palms and the lady blew the smoke on the back of our heads as he gave each a blessing. I did not have an out-of-body experience, but it was out of the ordinary for sure. If our tour director had not been there I would not have felt safe.

Afterwards, we walked to the crescent-shaped Enchanted Lake to take catamarans (two canoes joined by poles, each canoe holding three persons) to view the different animal species of the area. There are more than 200 bird species and 10 primate species within the boundaries of the reserve. We also saw nutria on the lake bank; they are the world's largest rodents and are about three feet long and 18 inches high.

We arrived back at our boat to rest before departing for a home cooked meal. The host family had eight children but the wife said that the children factory was now closed. She is on the pill from the government and should she run out, she has alternate measures.

The main course was some type of animal hunted the night before and barbecued over an open fire. The accompaniments were roasted nuts, tomato salsa, red peppers, tiger catfish caught that morning cooked in banana leaves and mashed plantains both raw and cooked.

After our visit we walked to the village to purchase native handicrafts. I bought Pat a beautiful bracelet in black made from some kind of native nuts. I also purchased a small Andes flute costing about 5 posidos (about $1.70), as did the bracelet. Eat your heart out ladies.

We returned to the boat about 2 p.m. to rest for a nighttime boat ride. One of the crew jumped in the knee-deep water and captured, barehanded, a three-foot alligator from among the reeds and brought it onboard our skiff. Our tour director held out his arm among the reeds and we were rewarded by having three beautifully colored frogs, all different, attach themselves to it.

On Thursday we left at 6:30 a.m. to explore the Pacaya Samira National Reserve. Afterwards we went up the Nahuapa River to fish near its banks for piranha, a dietary staple for many of the indigenous people. I was unable to catch any (lack of patience, I guess) while some caught several that we had as part of our evening meal. While piranhas have been pegged as ferocious, they are delicious if fried.

Later that afternoon, five of us took the boat to another local village, hoping to bring some of the inhabitants back to explore our river boat. I was surprised that they were reluctant, but perhaps it was not out of fear but because the few that were in the village were left behind to be on duty of some sort. The remaining villagers had gone to another village for a soccer match.

After some coaxing, they gave in and climbed aboard our skiff. I took a 58-year-old man and his grandson in tow, showing them my cabin, the shower with hot water, the toilet and the remaining areas of the boat including the galley. They were most impressed with the hot water and the toilet and pleased with the bar of soap and bottled water that I gave them.

From what I saw the people of the Amazon area were healthy. Especially evident to me was the quality of their teeth. I asked, "How do they brush their teeth?" I was told they have toothbrushes and toothpaste acquired by trading fish, bananas, a chicken or whatever.

Next week: Exploration of Cusco and discovering the "Lost City of the Incas."