Alaska couple's South American journey
While many tourists to the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest stay in lodges that dot the Napo River, Anakonda, seen here with its motorized canoe tied aft, is the only luxury ship cruising its waters. The ship's captain found a sturdy tree to tie up to each evening, which surprised and delighted us.
The crew of Anakonda stop regularly at a local woman's farm to pick up fresh produce that the ship's chef uses to create gourmet meals. Don and I oversaw harvesting a yucca plant, and thankfully, my husband was handy with a machete. We pulled several tubers from the roots.
Emotions ran rampant when the canoe pulled into the grass reeds and stopped short of this 15-foot green anaconda in the Yasuni National Park. Fear diminished when we realized it was asleep. It is a non-venomous boa and is the largest, heaviest, and one of the longest snakes in the world. These snakes can reach more than 21 feet long.
We stopped at a small settlement of eight families along the banks of the Napo River. They live in primitive huts with thatched roofs, as seen in this photograph. There were 67 people in this village, most of them children, who all lived as their ancestors have for generations. When the children reach adulthood, they travel to other villages to find mates.
After a mile-long hike into the Ecuadorian Amazon jungle, we were rewarded with the sight of dozens of scarlet macaws flying in to feed at a clay lick. The birds are about 32 inches long, with about half that length in the tail. We heard them before we saw them, as they make loud squawks, squeaks and screams that can carry two miles.
Part four in a four-part series.
After exploring Peru and Quito to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary, my husband and I flew to Coca. Known as the gateway to Ecuador's Amazon rainforest, the town sits at the confluence of the Napo and Coca rivers. That's where we climbed into a motorized canoe and spent two hours speeding down the Napo to our ship, Anaconda.
From the moment we stepped aboard the 148-foot, 20-cabin ship, we were excited to see what Smithsonian Journeys and Audley Travel had arranged for us. The vessel, though compact, exuded an air of elegance and comfort. Since Don, 80, and I, 72, are seniors, comfort is key. We were pleased to find the accommodations surpassed our expectations. Our cozy cabin, with floor to ceiling windows overlooking scenery along the river, provided a tranquil sanctuary amidst the lush, wild wilderness outside.
There were few passengers on this sailing. The 2020 Covid pandemic and 2022 local political trouble had decimated tourism, and it was just beginning to recover. We had nine crew members, including a naturalist who was born in the Amazon, attending six passengers.
Following a gourmet feast of shrimp soup, prawns, and flan, we sat at the bow with our shipmates to enjoy the raw beauty that surrounded us as we slowly made our way down the river. We then climbed into a canoe and spent an hour sightseeing close to the bank. With binoculars pressed to eyes, we spied a Greater Ani, white-winged swallows, and a couple hoatzin-which locals call stinking turkey for its foul odor.
The next morning we rode the canoe to Roca Fuerte, the last Ecuadorian settlement before entering Peru's waters. We then continued to a creek where we entered the Yasuni National Park, a UNESCO biosphere reserve. Within minutes, we had pink river dolphins popping up and disappearing all around us. They were too fast for us to get photos.
We continued to a large grassy area where crew members climbed on the canoe's bow to look for reptiles. Soon one lookout shouted and pointed into the reeds. The rudder man gently urged the canoe about three feet in. And there we saw an enormous green anaconda curled up and asleep-thank goodness. The crew estimated the huge snake was at least 15 feet long.
The crew motored our canoe back the way we'd come, then tied it to a mangrove tree. The chef, who accompanied us on this trip, handed us homemade roast beef sandwiches and other goodies to eat while some of the guests tried their luck at fishing for piranha. No fish bit the shrimp bait, however, as dolphins were too close.
After lunch, we returned to Ecuadorian waters and stopped at a primitive thatched-roof settlement of eight families. The second chief met us and explained they live the way of their ancestors and shied away from civilization. Children only go to school through the sixth grade and then help sustain the village by hunting, fishing and other traditional methods.
We were struck by the warmth and hospitality of the villagers. Despite our differences in language and culture, there was an undeniable sense of kinship that transcended our individual backgrounds. We bought nut and fiber bracelets the children had made to help them purchase items the villagers needed, such as flour and salt.
The next morning we canoed to a local farm owned and operated by Cecilia, a 71-year-old matriarch of a Quechua family. It was fun listening to our naturalist speaking her language. The crew of Anaconda regularly purchased locally grown fruits and vegetables from her, and part of this arrangement included guests harvesting what the chef needed to prepare his meals.
Don and I were put in charge of cutting down a yucca plant and then pulling up the roots where tubers were attached. Don turned out to be a master with a machete. We harvested seven big tubers. Two Canadian sisters chopped down a bunch of plantains and the other couple from the East Coast downed a palm tree and found its heart.
A tiny black Tabor monkey watched as we hauled our harvest down to our canoe along a path lined with cocoa plants, edible ferns, and herbs. On the trip back to Anaconda, we passed a woman handwashing clothes in the muddy, sand-filled river.
When we returned to the ship, the chef held a cooking class and taught us how to make shrimp and heart of palm ceviches. And that night we enjoyed yucca bread and fried plantains made from our day's harvest.
A highlight of our adventure came the following day when we canoed to the Kichwa Anangu clay lick where scarlet macaws often frequented. After pulling the canoe up on a beach, we climbed steep steps to reach a leaf-strewn dirt trail. We then hiked about a mile, including crossing logs laid across a stream, to reach a bird blind that faced the lick.
We sat quietly for about 10 minutes. Suddenly one scarlet macaw flew in, then another, and another. We lost count at 20. The beautiful red, yellow and blue birds were mesmerizing as they ingested clay from a pond near a foliage-filled rock wall. Soon orange-cheeked parrots and cobalt-winged parakeets began showing up. It was an unbelievable sight.
That evening, the crew held a barbeque to bid us farewell. We feasted on sushi, ribs, roasted potatoes and more while listening to the night sounds in the middle of the Amazon jungle. In a world that often feels increasingly interconnected yet distant, the Amazon reminded us of the importance of slowing down and enjoying the wonders of the natural world.
Our once-in-a-lifetime trip was amazing, and we want to advise our fellow seniors who might be yearning for an adventure of their own to not let age be a barrier to exploration. Whether it's savoring all that South America has to offer or embarking on a journey closer to home, there's a world of discovery waiting to be uncovered at any age.
