Dawn on the Amazon Captain’s Blog

Dawn on the Amazon III motored up the Nanay River for three days and two nights to observe and photograph the 6th annual Great Amazon River Raft Race. We spent the first night at the village of Nina Rumi. Before the roosters crowed, the sounds of machetes echoed through the fog as the teams streamlined the balsa logs they chose for their rafts.

These rafts were not so much built as engineered. The race did not start until 11:00 a.m. and most teams were still testing and modifying their rafts at 10:45. I circulated among the rafts like a man studying horses before placing his bet and took an interest in 4 rafts that I perceived as being the most aerodynamic.

One raft in particular caught my attention. It was built in secrecy by a small group who had camped and fished by themselves overnight on the sandbar across the river. I heard them laughing into the night and knew they were having fun. We took my jon boat across to spy on them.

They had conceived an experimental design using 7 balsa logs shaped very slim, charred over the fire to make them dry and buoyant, sanded, and then painted so they would not absorb water during the long race. The original plan called for 8 balsa logs but they decided 7 were advantageous and left the eighth on the beach.

They were delighted with the interest we showed and were happy to share their secrets with us. They showed us the big tub of fish they were cleaning and salting to save for the second day of the race. I chose them, # 21, Los Bikingos, to win. They tied their raft together using light fishing net line, tested it, retied, tested, retied and tested several times. I knew I had picked a winner.

We took the jon boat back to Nina Rumi and studied the other rafts and teams, comparing them to Los Bikingos. I started loosing confidence in my choice when I learned that the Amazon Golf Club team had a ringer. One of their members had won every canoe competition he had participated in. I looked at the rest of the Amazon Golf Club team and saw they were all big strong athletes. I decided to choose them to cover my bets.

Then I found out the team that won last year was back to defend their title. They were all dressed in red with matching red paddles and a big # 1. They looked like a NASCAR team. I switched my allegiance to them, Los 4 Amigos, when I found out they were from Santa Clara and had home court advantage.

My sentimental favorite was # 91, Los Moshacos, because my buddy Jocko was part of that team. Jocko’s team got off to a good start but within 30 seconds it was obvious my sentimental favorite was a bad choice. Los Moshacos finished the first leg of the race at Santa Clara a respectable 11th place, but out of contention.

No one told me team # 10, Los Increìbles de Padre Cocha, was unbeatable. They were soon out of sight and the race was for second and third. The Amazon Golf Club got to Santa Clara second, seven minutes and 36 seconds behind Los Increìbles.

My original favorites Los Bikingos finished a disappointing 29 minutes off the pace in 5th place. I admired them again because they immediately paddled across the river to the solitude of a sandbar, and began working on their raft. I watched them untie, and reconstruct and tie back and practice and untie and start over until after dark. When I got up at 5:30 the next morning they were already refining the design.

Under cover of darkness, the other three members of Jocko’s team left him and returned to Iquitos. He vowed to finish the race by himself. Fortunately for Jocko, when the rest of the crews found out his team had abandoned ship, they stripped his raft and used the pieces to modify and improve their rafts. Jocko was disqualified because he had no team and no raft.

In the end, Los Increìbles de Padre Cocha were incredible. They used the current and the wind as their friends. Everyone else tried to cut corners short and stalled in the slack water of the sand points with the wind in their faces, and fell behind. Los Increìbles paddled farther, stayed in the channel, tucked in close to the steep river bank out of the wind, and went faster, earning the S/1000 first prize money, finishing the 50 kilometers over 18 minutes ahead of Los Hermanos, another team that I overlooked. 2nd place paid S/600. Los Amigos finished 3rd for S/400. The Amazon Golf Club finished 4th and Los Bikingos finished 5th, both out of the money, but with a lot of pride.

We had a great time, learned a lot, and are making plans for next year’s race. Dawn on the Amazon will sponsor an international team. Please send me your resumes. We will be taking Dawn on the Amazon III again.

Visit this link of our online photo album to see more pictures of the Great River Amazon Raft Race. Anyone who would like to enjoy the race in comfort with gourmet food, cold beer, cool wine, and good company should contact me for details.

Brown Rice With Brazil Nuts and Asparagus for 4 Persons

330 grams (10-12 ounces) asparagus
3 tablespoons chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 clove garlic, mashed
3 Chinese green onions, separate the white and green parts and chop each
1 tsp ginger, minced
2 cups of brown rice, cooked in advance
1/2 cups of brazil nuts pealed, chopped and and toasted in a skillet with no oil, until just as the nut pieces turn light brown
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoon of cilantro, diced
Just enough oil to fry the rice

Trim off the fiber bottom part of the asparagus and discard. Cut the rest into 1 centimeter pieces.

Mix the chicken broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and the sugar.

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok and stir fry the garlic, the white part of the green onions, and the ginger for a few seconds.

Add the asparagus and stir-fry for 1 minute.

Add the rice and mix with the rest until hot.

Add the toasted Brazil nuts and the mix of sauce.

Stir all together and add the sesame oil and the green part of the onions and the cilantro.

Dawn on the Amazon Peruvian Cuisine Cookbook

Technorati Tags: recipes,Dawn on the Amazon,Peru,Peruvian cuisine,cookbook

The Advantages of Bird Watching from Iquitos Peru, with Dawn on the Amazon

A few days ago I received an email from a nice woman complimenting my work on the Captains blog, and asking for more details about the Dawn on the Amazon bird watching expeditions. I want to take this opportunity to explain to you the advantages of bird watching the upper Amazon from Iquitos Peru with Dawn on the Amazon.

The more I observe about the rainforest the more I realize how many different major ecosystems there are, and how many micro-environments within each ecosystem. When I first explored the upper Amazon a decade ago, the rainforest appeared monotonous to my untrained eye. I thought it was beautiful, with a thousand shades of green, but it was like a green shimmering curtain. Like most new visitors, I saw the forest but not the individual trees. I would like to share a little of what I see with you now that the curtain has been opened for me.

The first year I explored for five weeks and never saw an orchid. Now I wonder how that could be possible. Obviously the curtain was closed because, believe me, the rainforest is full of orchids, with different species proliferating in each ecosystem and micro-environment.

On the Pacaya River there is a small, stunning, orange orchid that we see for a couple of hundred meters, and then do not see again even though I always look for it for the next hundred kilometers.

Now I know a species of bromeliad that is prolific one hundred kilometers up the Nanay River, but does not grow along the first 60 kilometers at all and is rare in the next 20 kilometers. Black piranhas become larger and more numerous in that same stretch of the Nanay River.

I know a short stretch of a few bends on the Tahuayo River where a beautiful variegated bromeliad grows. The variegation is so attractive that it would make make a perfect house plant whether it blooms or not. Those same few bends in the river are also the most likely place to observe the blue faced Capped Heron.

Those three examples are from the best bird watching areas in the upper Amazon. I might as well say the best bird watching areas in the world. Each example is from a different large ecosystem with unique micro-environments, habitats, food chains, shelter, and bird populations. When you learn more about these crown jewels of natural history, you will want Dawn on the Amazon to take you there.

The beautiful, black water, Nanay River is how we access Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve, which was established to protect a rare white sand forest. Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve is home to 475 species of birds, 21 of which are associated with only the white sand forest, and 5 species recently identified, named, and registered by science. Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve has set many records for bio-diversity including the most butterfly species of any site in the world.

Tamshiyacu Tahuayo Reserve is a mega-diversity hot spot, protecting more species of primates than any other reserve in Peru, and the 500 species of birds are an impressive number. One attempt to try to explain the mega-diversity of Tamshiyacu Tahuayo Reserve, the Pleistocene refugia theory, speculates that millions of years ago a climate change turned most of the Amazon Basin into savanna with only a few pockets of remaining rainforest. Those pockets evolved for a few million years in a much different way than the part that became savanna. Tamshiyacu Tahuayo Reserve is believed by some scientists to be one of those pockets of permanent rainforest. When you combine that theory with the fact that Tamshiyacu Tahuayo Reserve has more high ground than any other place I know in the upper Amazon Basin and is the watershed divide between the Amazon and Yavari Rivers, you can better understand this unique ecosystem and how it is so different from Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve.

Pacaya Samiria National Reserve is a huge flooded forest the size of the state of New Jersey. Among the 450 bird species protected in Pacaya Samiria National Reserve are the highest numbers of birds requiring wetland habitat. The Pacaya Samiria National Reserve is home to, and protects, nearly all the species native to low lying jungle that are threatened with extinction, including the spider monkey, giant otter, manatee, and harpy eagle.

Each of the three reserves is home to more or less 500 species of birds. Even more amazing is that in each of the reserves approximately 50 to 100 species of the 500 are different than the other two reserves. Don’t hold me to these numbers as some exact science but I hope you understand what I mean. A bird watcher cannot come to Peru, go bird watching at a lodge, and think they have seen it all.

The big advantage of bird watching with Dawn on the Amazon is our mobility. We move our boats, from eco-system to eco-system. For instance, we can spend three days studying Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve, two days studying Tamshiyacu Tahuayo Reserve, and five or six days studying Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. On the way we can spend a couple of hours bird watching permanent Amazon islands, partially flooded Amazon islands, black water oxbow lakes, smaller streams, and pastures. I believe we have the ultimate bird watching program.

Besides the advantage of mobility, one of my crew, Alberto, is the best bird and wildlife spotter in the upper Amazon, and my entire crew are extremely enthusiastic about bird watching and making sure our guests are happy. It is not unusual to see members of the crew with binoculars around their neck, mopping the floor, stopping every few minutes to glass the shore. We have binoculars for our crew and our guests.

I believe Dawn on the Amazon has the most extensive library about the natural history of the Amazon of any cruise boat or lodge. Seven of those books are specifically about bird watching in the Amazon. Our two newest editions are excellent, Birds of Peru by John O’Neill and Birds of Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve by Pepe Alvarez. Birds of Peru got bad reviews because it was too large to use as a field guide and because it was too expensive. In my opinion it is just the right size to lay on the table of our observation area and easily make a positive identification.

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? Depending on how many hours of the day a birdwatcher watches, a birdwatcher could watch as many birds as a birdwatcher could. Seriously, I get asked all the time, “How many species will we see?” The answer depends a lot on our guest, but in one week of bird watching it is reasonable to spot, hear, and identify 200 species. There are diminishing returns on the second week, another 100 species would be a good goal, but it is not as easy as it reads.

I want to tell you more about the Dawn on the Amazon style of bird watching. We travel between 11 and 21 kilometers per hour (depending on the current and points of interest) to the reserves, all of which we have permission to take our boats into. The reserves are the ultimate nature observation destinations. Do not imagine they are like the State or National Parks in the United States or Europe. They are difficult to access, distance is great, supplies are scarce, they have no infrastructure, and only Pacaya Samiria National Reserve even has park rangers. Frequently we go for days and never see another tourist.

As soon as we arrive in the reserve, or if we see something interesting before then, we slow down to 6 or 7 kilometers per hour. That is the best speed for bird watching, and we cruise slowly along as close to shore as is safe.

When we see anything of particular interest we stop, back up if necessary, maneuver the boat as close as practical, and take in the scene with binoculars and cameras. When we find a ripe fruit tree, a marching troop of army ants, or a swarm of insects that have attracted multiple interesting species, we sometimes tie up and hang out watching the show. We always try to find a place like the ones just mentioned to tie up late in the afternoon well before dark. That usually results in a great nature show in the evening and frequently early the next morning. In fact, you will see more wildlife just hanging out quietly in an appropriate place than you will tromping around in the rainforest on a jungle hike. It is best to lure them to you. Location is crucial however, like always.Three or four days in a reserve moving 6 kilometers per hour is the best way to access the most micro-environments and to see the most species.

I am living in Iquitos Peru, pursuing my favorite hobbies with a vigor. If I can lure a monkey or tropical bird up close enough to get a good photo of it, and a bromeliad blooming in a tree, and then write a little story about the experience, I usually stay pretty happy. My occupation is my hobby, and I am passionate about it. That may be your biggest advantage bird watching with Dawn on the Amazon.

Follow these links to another post about bird watching, Bird Watching Iquitos Peru , and my online bird watching photo album, Birds and Bees of the Amazon Rainforest

The Advantages of Bird Watching from Iquitos Peru, with Dawn on the Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bill Grimes, Welcome to Peru, Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three years ago today I arrived in Iquitos Peru and became an expatriate from Indiana. I do not like the word expatriate. To me it implies leaving a homeland because of some dissatisfaction. I moved to Iquitos for the same reasons most travelers come here, adventure and romance.

I began planning the move five years ago today. During the two years before the move I visited Peru three times for a total of eight months. During that time I accomplished the three most important steps to make my new life possible. I received my Peruvian residency, officially started my business, Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises, and started construction of my third boat Dawn on the Amazon III.

To put in perspective the importance of planning ahead it is important to know that Peru ranks 5th of all the countries in the world in the volume of paper work required for operating a business. To complicate life even more, the attitude of many government workers seems to be “no hurry, tomorrow is soon enough, in fact it is even better; tomorrow or the next day.”

When I stepped off the plane three years ago I stepped into the loving arms of my fiancée, Marmelita. What a special moment that was. We had been conducting a long distance romance for three years. We both risked a lot. We both did what we said we would do. We were able to trust each other. Trust is a good quality to build a romance and a new life from.

Marmelita kept her job at the La Pascana Hostel until I arrived, hurrying out at lunch, before and after work, buying materials for the boat builders, supervising and paying the crew, and making sure things stayed on track. She emailed me every evening with a progress report and lots of questions that all needed answering immediately from 2000 miles away. I wouldn’t have much without her. She is smart. Marmelita learned more about boats, saw mills, wood, hardware stores, and tools than any other woman in Iquitos. I wouldn’t trade her for a harem full of fantasy concubines.

When I was being impatient and frustrated by various government officials (never pound the Captain of the Ports desk) Marmelita was remembering their birthdays, baking cookies, making jokes, and making friends.

I know it seems obvious, but the best advice for someone attempting to become a resident and start a business in a foreign country would be, make friends. That is the way to get things done.

When I stepped off that plane three years ago I was already a resident, with a business, a web site, and my flagship three-quarters finished. It had taken the full two years to arrive on January 7, 2005, with a chance to succeed.

We had no home or office, and my boat was not finished. Except for those and a million other minor details, we were all set. We found a quiet, secure house with a spare bedroom to use as an office. Our office consisted of my laptop, two straight back chairs, and three cheap tables. We added a used printer, got a phone, and we were “in business.”

I am very proud of what we have accomplished since then. We started construction of a second wooden boat, and launched both of them together at the end of August, 2005. During that same time period we built a Jungle Cabin near the border of Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve, on the outskirts of Llanchama village. A new tour and cruise company was built from scratch, on my terms. I had a vision of how it could be, and the vision became the reality, Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises.

In the 80s and 90s, I traveled over a big part of the world and only used travel agents to purchase the plane tickets to get to my destination. I was an independent traveler. That has been part of my vision.

Rarely does a week go by without some big travel company emailing asking me to send them a schedule, itinerary, how much commission I pay, and how much they can add to my price. You can not experience Dawn on the Amazon by calling a travel agent. Cut out the middle man and contact me directly from my web site at www.dawnontheamazon.com .

I have been lucky. My boats are nicer than my vision. I expect to meet my first goal for Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises this August, three years from when the boats became operational. Marmelita and I are in love like we imagined we would be.

Our guests seem to like us. Many have become our friends. Some have returned the next year to share with us again. Journalists have written articles. We have a strong internet presence. Dawn on the Amazon has great reviews in the Lonely Planet Travel Guide, the Moon Handbook, and Iquitos, Gateway to Amazonia.

Now we have moved our office and home to a better location in the heart of the tourist district, overlooking the boulevard and the Itaya River.

I love my crew. I would have nothing except for them. There are fifteen of us working together on this project. Most of them feel a sense of ownership in building something special. I have never known such loyalty and dedication. Marmelita is the executive administrator. That is not an adequate title for her. She is the engine that drives the day to day details that make a business. She does everything. I could single out nearly everyone of our team for special attention.

A friend of mine emailed me that she thought I was smart. Some days I get to feel smart. For the last couple of days I have been reflecting about living in Iquitos full time. Building the boats, the business, my relationship with Marmelita…my life has been interesting and exciting to me and I am happy. Tiny little, lita, Marmelita is a large part of making me seem smart. What if we had broken up two and a half years ago? Would I get to feel smart any days? Oh probably a few. But because this is the most love, appreciation, and trust I have ever experienced in a relationship, it still feels very precious three years later, and I get to feel a little smart.

“Well, is true we had hard time building all this together but we did it. I must say we are a team that respects and admires each other even with our mistakes, so that is great.

For me I couldn’t have a better couple than Bill. He always says that he is not so smart, he is wrong, I am completely sure that he is. He has a great confidence in himself and in the rest of us. Bill has a lot of logic sense in all the things of life, and makes the things that are wrong, right. One of the qualities that I admire in him a lot is that he always is projecting and planning for the future, is true his brain stops when he sleeps, not like mine…ja,ja,ja but I consider that quality is one sign that you are alive, that your life is not over because you pass the 50th year, the life is here and waiting for you to enjoy it.

Now, after three years, we are together yet, liking each other, respecting and admiring each time more, for both of us it is a great experience living and sharing our lives. It is wonderful to have this feeling for someone, I am sure that if you felt that way before you will understand. I am deep in love and every time I can see his beautiful and loving eyes I feel that I am in the right place and with the right person. We are very lucky to have each other and we are thankful for that.

Thanks everyone that reads our story and be happy too.”

Bill and Marmelita, Welcome to Iquitos Peru, Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises