Activity
Agenda 
El Tigre Journey's
Rainforest
Odyssey provides a thorough and insightful look at the natural
world and native cultures of the Peruvian Amazon. You will gain an appreciation
and perspective on the real Amazonia that few visitors experience through
standard tourism packages.
You will find
a deeper understanding of this marvelous region through the expert guidance
and interpretation provided by noted ethnobiologist and herpetologist
Howard
Lawler, veteran Amazon explorer don Miguel Donayre Moreno and their
competent and honest local staff.
Here
are some of the activities you will experience in Rainforest Odyssey...
(we must reserve
the right to change or modify described activities due to circumstances
beyond our control)
We will visit the Allpahuayo-Mishana rainforest reserve and field station
operated by the government's Peruvian Amazon Research Institute (Instituto
de Investigación de la Amazonia Peruana = IIAP).
This Peruvian
national rainforest reserve has recently been expanded in size to include
extensive tracts of old-growth terra firme rainforest. Here we will learn
about IIAP's important demonstration and research projects exploring old
and new uses for the incredible diversity of plant species endemic to the
upper Amazon region. We'll be guided and instructed by staff of the medicinal
plants and biology departments discussing such topics as medicinal plant
cultivation and jungle aquacultural and agricultural practices.
Biologists
will lead an instructional tour of the cultivation projects and surrounding
high rainforest (monte), much of which is primary old-growth forest. We
will find, identify, and discuss many plants of ethnobotanical interest.
This forest type is ecologically distinctive from the seasonally-flooded
lowland forest in which we'll spend most of the week.
We will visit an experimental game ranching research project. Here we will
see several fascinating projects designed to promote captive breeding of
some of the most commonly hunted rainforest game species.
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These include
large rodents like capybara, paca (left), and agouti, as well as collared
peccary, white-lipped peccary, caiman, and moon snails.
Their meat
is savored as carne de monte (jungle meat) throughout Amazonia. |
This project
demonstrates the feasibility of similar community-based projects throughout
the region designed to supplement human protein needs while reducing local
hunting pressure on wildlife.
We will visit the neighboring Bora
Indian village of San Andres. You'll enjoy the warm hospitality and
gentle open nature of these people of the rainforest. We will spend much
time with them over three days as they share their traditional knowledge
and use of rain forest plants for food, shelter, communication, medicine,
decoration, utensils, and communication. We enjoy a special relationship
with the Bora and Yahua due to our close proximity.
We will hike and boat with our Bora friends to gather rainforest plants
of ethnobotanical importance and share the experience of their daily lives.
This opportunity to get to know the Bora people first hand on a personal
basis is a rare and unforgettable experience.
We
will visit a small neighboring band of Yahua
Indians who will share their culture and customs with us. They are
masters of blowgun skills and will provide us instruction in its use. Yahua
craft is culturally distinctive from that of the Bora artisans.
We
will visit Cocama Indian villages where we will see a contemporary indigenous
lifestyle much more integrated with the mainstream mestizo culture than
that of the Bora and Yahua people. We will visit skilled Cocama potters
who produce nice ceramic work using gray clay from the banks of the Río
Nanay.
We will visit Witoto Indians and hike in high, well-drained terra firme
rainforest where a rich variety of wildlife and plants abound. We will
spend at least one night here amidst the intriguing and mysterious sounds
of the rainforest.
We will take a nocturnal boat ride on the Río Momón. If the
skies are clear, we'll savor the incredible celestial views of the Southern
Hemisphere including the famed southern cross amidst the many varied sounds
of the jungle. Water level according to season dictates safety considerations
for this activity. Nocturnal wildlife are commonly seen and heard.
We will visit Parque Quistococha, a park located in beautiful rich old-growth
forest with delightful nature trails surrounding a natural oxbow lake nourished
by the Rio Itaya. This is no ordinary zoo visit. We'll tour the exhibits
with professional zoologist Howard
Lawler, who will elaborate the biology and natural history of a diverse
collection of native Amazonian wildlife including mammals, birds, reptiles
and fishes. Howard's professional biological experience and knowledge of
Amazonian wildlife spans over thirty years and will enrich your appreciation
as never before.
In Iquitos we will tour the old Belén Indian market where an extensive
array of tropical fruits, vegetables, fish, game, and medicinal plants
are sold. This is an excellent opportunity to purchase raw medicinal plants
or prepared elixirs, potions, and tonics with assurance of authenticity.
The
floating city of Belén offers many unusual and exotic sights, sounds,
and smells not soon forgotten.
Optional
activities:
We can arrange a tour a local ornamental fishes exporter to view an incredible
variety of native fishes, many specialized for live in the varied aquatic
habitats which constitute the upper Amazon basin. There are more species
of fishes in the Amazon drainage than in the entire Atlantic Ocean!
We can arrange a tour of a local government-licensed private serpentarium
where boa constrictors, rainbow boas, and emerald tree boas are bred in
captivity. These beautiful constrictors are sometimes encountered in nature
but here is an opportunity to see the remarkable variation in color and
pattern within each species. No venomous snakes are maintained on the premises.
Friday evening festivities abound in Iquitos
and you will enjoy your final night sharing fun and fellowship with the
friendly Loretano people.
Rainforest
Odyssey is a superb and comprehensive introduction to the rainforest,
wildlife, plants, and indigenous people of the Peruvian Amazon.
The workshop
tour is conducted in a safe, educational, and recreational manner by professional
biologists, rainforest naturalists, and indigenous people who have lived
their entire lives in the jungles of Perú. We highly recommend
Rainforest
Odyssey as an unforgettably bonding family activity.
Rainforest
Odyssey is an excellent educational workshop on Amazonian ecology
and culture for teachers, school classes, youth organizations and families.
Contact us
about reduced group rates and special instruction options. We will be delighted
to assist you in developing a school curriculum about Amazonian rainforest
ecology and native cultures.
El
Tigre Journeys
attn:
Reta Lawler (Rainforest Odyssey)
P.O.
Box 1704
Boulder,
Colorado 80306-1704
(303)
442-8090 phone/voice mail/fax
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E-mail us your
postal mailing address for a registration packet.
We welcome your
questions and comments. |
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Rainforest
Odyssey
El Tigre
Journeys
Educational and Adventure
Travel Opportunities to Perú
All
rights reserved, © El Tigre Journeys, 1999-2012
