Other Photos of Local Humans and Their Footprint

These were pushed off the "Better Photos" page... but I hope you still find them worth perusing. If you see one that you think should replace something on the Better Photos page, I'd love to hear your thought!

From time to time, we would enounter local people cleaning the day's catch from their gill nets. It made an easy way to see the interesting variety of what lived in the river... although I think the boy is wondering when he can have his fish back, so he can finish cleaning it. The lady holding the fish is one of our excellent guides from Jungle Expeditions. Note also the beautifully made dugouts.

[Image of ]

I wonder what this child made of our group? We met in Yarina, on the Tapiche.

This man was selling gourds in the craft market in Iquitos. The designs were quite exquisite, and artistic. See the two squirrels in the detail at the lower left? And the bushmaster about to eat one of them?

The fish in the central detail along the bottom is the largest of all fresh water fish.

It is only fitting that ants (or are they termites?) get represented: the two groups account for 30% of the weight of living animal tissue in the area.

We didn't meet up with Paddington bear, or any of his relatives, sadly, but somewhere near here lives a family that Pooh bear would like to visit. You are looking at a honey bee nest which has been made a bit more human accessible. The platform jutted over the river, about 9' above where the water was at the time we were there. (The water levels change considerably with the seasons.)

Note how beautifully the dugout is carved. This one had more freeboard than many.

I'm pretty sure that this is Indiana, a little way down river from Iquitos. The general "feel" of the parts of the river we visited was "empty", but such settlements, while dispersed, were not unknown.

Our excellent guide, getting a "tattoo"....

[Image of ]

... it goes on clear, but comes up dark blue within an hour, and lasts perhaps 10 days. the same curandando who showed us this plant also explained that crushing lemon grass between your palms, and smearing it all over your face and neck is a good insect repellant. One day, some children visiting the ethnobotanical garden weren't listening closely, and confused the lemon grass and the source of the tattoo sap....

Another child of Yarina

[Image of bluegirl]

Sorry... which crop is best, please?

When a part of our group set out from a settlement to go swimming on a nearby sandbar, a bunch of the local kids wanted to go too.... so why not?

Dogs are people too!

Fishing on the river.

As we passed people going about their lives, we were usually the object of friendly interest.

Think of this little dugout as their bike. For residents of the varsi forest, for part of the year, it will also be the only alternative "dry land" if they want to leave their house-on-stilts.

Getting ready to set the gill nets with which dinner is gathered.

Sorry... I haven't made my mind up as to which crop I like better. What do you think?

The local boatsmith at work. The finished dugouts were usually of a high standard, not crude.

Another case of not being able to decide between crops. Which version is better?

So... which is the best photo of these kids? This one? ("version one")...

... or version two?...

... or version 3?

One of our full time Explorama guides, and one of the boys who guided us into the jungle. The child may not have access to the internet, but he walks tall, and did a good job of looking after us.

Amazing dock at Requena... note the scale of the thing from the people shown in the inset. We saw nothing comparable on the river. What it is here for, I do not know. Note the excellent design... this can be moved easily when, and it will, the river changes it's course.

Near their ExplorNapo camp, Explorama has established and supports a center for the study of enthno-biology. Plants believed beneficial by the traditional healers are planted here, and knowledge and lore is collected. A fine talk and demonstration was given in a large circular building. This is the view straight up from the middle of the room, showing the rafters supported the ubiquitous palm leaf thatching. Although the photo looks "flat", you are looking upwards inside a cone.

Sorry... this page is just getting started.... I'll try to re-order the photos, add comments, get the file sizes right.... Later! More photos, first? ...

You are on the "Other (2nd quality photos) Local Humans" page.
"Other (2nd quality photos) Tourists" page.
"Other (2nd quality photos) (other) animals" page.
"Other (2nd quality photos) non-animal organisms" page.
"Other (2nd quality photos) Scenery" page.
"Other (2nd quality photos) Miscellaneous" page.

Return to page with the "first cut" general photos.

Return to main page about the trip... which includes links to other photos for this trip, and other trips.