Day 1    Iquitos - Sinchicuy Lodge - Yagua Community
We will meet you at the airport or your hotel and transfer to Iquitos. To begin we will give a brief orientation of Iquitos and its history of how it became the most important Amazonian river port during the 19th century and the famous "Rubber Boom". Arriving in Iquitos you'll meet your guide then transfer to the port where your boat will be waiting to take us to downriver (45 mins) to the Sinchicuy Lodge. This natively-styled lodge is built of natural materials and is surrounded by a garden of lush foliage on higher ground and safe from heavy rains. We will have a welcome drink of cocona, camu-camu and copoazú before we check into our rooms. From our lodge we will either walk or take canoes to visit the Yagua native community whose ancestors were first discovered in 1541 by Francisco de Orellana. There, we will learn about their customs and clothing made from palm fibers then try their blowgun "pucuna". We'll return to our lodge for lunch which consists of natural products from the river and local plantations "chacras". This could be fried catfish (Brachyplatystoma flavicans) with a cocona salsa and locally grown vegetable salad, yucca, beans and banana chips. In the afternoon we'll take a walk to learn about the nearby cat's claw, sour cane, copaiba, aguaje and ayahuasca where the local shaman will explain its properties and uses. We'll visit the Santa Maria de Ojeal plantation to learn about sugarcane extraction, fruits orchards, fish farming and cattle raising. Here, we'll learn more about the local residents' typical customs, houses, schools and projects in ecotourism. At night we'll explore the mysterious world of nocturnal insects of cicadas, spiders, praying mantises and learn how to recognize the owls' songs "ayaymamas" which are interpreted by the locals as the language of fantastic beings. We'll return to our lodge for dinner and a briefing on the next day's activities by our guide. Night in lodge.

Meals LD

Day 2    Sinchicuy Lodge - River Dolphin Watching - Fundo Neiser Custody Center
Early in the morning from 5 - 6 am we can set out to spot birds on the river banks or plantations of the community before returning to our lodge for breakfast. We'll enjoy hot dishes and drinks as well as fresh locally grown fruits such as papaya, orange, melon, cocona. We will then board the motorboat for the "opposite end of the Amazon" or "Huashalado" according to the locals. During these 25 mins we have the opportunity to see the legendary pink and grey river dolphins which are the famed protangonists in Amazonian mythology. Since they are very shy, we need to be patient and diligent in waiting for that one photo. After arriving at the "huashalado" river we now reach the Fundo Neiser Custody Center which is a wildlife project where we can observe and interact with the sloth, monkeys, achunis, macaws, toucans, boas and lizards. Thanks to this project we are able to get up close and personal with animals which are extremely hard to find in the dense surrounding jungle. After learning about these animals we'll return to our lodge for lunch. We will return by boat to the port of Iquitos where your transfer will be waiting to take you back to your hotel or the airport.

Meals BL