Amazon Wildlife Cruise Special

The following departures are discounted 10%
July 7 - 13
August 4 - 10
September 8 - 14

The glory days of Amazon riverboat history are coming to an end.  The two most historically important boats plying its waters—the M/F Clavero and the M/F Ayapua—are being retired to a maritime museum in 2014. But for now, these beautifully restored reminders of the magnificent opulence of the Rubber Boom are still carrying passengers on the most unforgettable trip of a lifetime-deep into the remote regions of the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve of Peru.

Seeing the Amazon in all its magnificence—the river, the rainforest, the wildlife, people and customs—from the comfort of ships that have been such a part of the history of the Amazon Basin is an experience unlike any other.  Surrounded by the trappings of a bygone era, one can actually feel what it was like to be traveling the Amazon in the early 1900's. It’s almost like starring in a movie!  From the picturesque bar and dining room to the air-conditioned Victorian-style cabins, these riverboats evoke all the charm of a bygone era.  But it will come to an end after 2013, so we are soaking up the sights and sounds to the max.  Come join us!

The M/F Ayapua, named after Lake Ayapua in Brazil, was built in Hamburg, Germany in 1906 and transported rubber along the Purus, Japua, Jura, Putumayo and Yavari rivers in Brazil and Peru during the early part of the 20th century. Restoration work was undertaken from 2004 to 2006.

The M/F Clavero, is a historic naval boat of the Peruvian Amazon and is the oldest boat still traveling on the Amazon River. The Clavero was built in Paris, France, in 1878 and its original name was the Cahuapanas. The Peruvian Navy bought her in 1892 to be used on the Amazon.
Restoration work has been on-going for several years.

If you want a more intimate experience of the Amazon and deeper insights about the history, the land, the cultures and the animals, this is your golden opportunity.

Call 970-884-6107 for more information or to reserve your space now.

GreenTracks Amazon Cruises

 

THE HIDDEN AMAZON

Species, species, and more species...
A cornucopia of unrivaled biological diversity, the Upper Amazon Basin boasts the highest number of plant and animal species in the world, with even more than the much celebrated Manu region in southern Peru, or of the Lower Amazon Basin in Brazil.  Area surveys of the Upper Amazon have demonstrated the world’s greatest variety of trees.  A hectare of land (2.5 acres) can have 40 to 300 tree species compared with 4 to 25 in North American forests.  The greatest numbers of monkey species are to be found in this region; 17 kinds have been recorded in one small area.  The Amazon proper indisputably contains the highest number of fish species in the world, with over 2,000 known and another 2,000 species likely.  It also is believed to hold 95% of the world’s 350,000 kinds of beetles and, in one tree alone in the Upper Amazon, over 1,500 species were taken!  Peru has over 400 species of butterflies.  GreenTracks’ long-term natural history inventories in this region have produced the greatest number of amphibian and reptile species for any single locality on earth.  Bird life in the countries comprising the Upper Amazon Basin is staggeringly rich, representing over a fifth of all the species found throughout the world.

Why so many kinds of living things?
There are several theories, among them changing habitat, river barriers to dispersal, and topography.

Forest to grassland and back....
We know from the study of fossil pollen that the Amazon Basin has changed dramatically several times owing to fluctuating relative humidity during glacial and inter-glacial periods through the Pleistocene era.  Much of the forested region we see today has, in fact, been grassland at different times, and this leads some to think the expanding and contracting forest fragments have effectively served as “islands” and thus have allowed for plants and animals to speciate extensively.

Rivers as prisons...
Nearly 150 years ago, the famed naturalist Alfred Russell Wallace noted that range boundaries for a number of animal species in the Amazonian rainforest seemed to coincide with the region's many rivers. That observation marked the origin of one of the leading hypotheses for why the Amazon harbors such extraordinary biodiversity for its size. In its modern form, this "riverine barrier hypothesis" posits that the Amazon's major rivers functioned as natural barriers to gene flow between populations. As a result, the populations ultimately diverged. This model has received a certain amount of support from molecular studies in recent years.

Hills and valleys...
Recent investigations along the Jurua River, one of the Amazon’s largest tributaries, point to a different explanation. The pattern of diversity in frog and small mammal communities along the Jurua does not fit with predictions based on riverbank affiliation. Rather the composition of these communities is best predicted by geographic distance and habitat type. What’s more, the distributions of small mammals terminate perpendicular to the river and parallel to the Andes Mountains, which suggests that the topography of the Amazonian lowlands may generate the biodiversity. Thus far only a single river has been studied, but it is believed that the results can be extended to all large meandering rivers in the region as a working hypothesis.

Going, going, gone...
So, much remains to be studied, and the Amazon Basin stands today as the single most complex, daunting, tantalizing, and stimulating place on the planet.  And it is slipping away at an alarming rate. Scientists estimate that tropical forests cover only 6 percent of the planet, less than half of what they recently occupied. The Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation, founded to foster the exchange of ideas among scientists working in tropical environments, notes unprecedented changes, with 1.2 percent of the remaining area disappearing every year.

Until recently, the forests and rivers of the Upper Amazon Basin were accessible only to intrepid explorers willing to brave hardship, disease, hostilities, and, perhaps worst of all, their own fears of the great unknown.  Thanks to advances in medicine and travel it is now possible to see this great tropical wilderness first-hand.  Diseases are easily avoided through vaccines and air and boat travel make access simple.  The region is still filled with mystery, but we know so much now that was regrettably unavailable to the early explorers.  Recently, GreenTracks has designed several natural history programs in the Upper Amazon, and they include comfortable lodge accommodations where one can relax or participate in our ongoing projects, such as monitoring amphibian diversity.  Simply tracing the steps of those who first entered the Amazonian region, seeing everything from piranhas to gigantic capybaras and manatees (largest mammal on the continent), and doing so in relative ease and comfort, is a remarkable privilege.  And knowledge has allowed us to see things once considered to be repugnant as beautiful and interesting.

Getting there..... 
GreenTracks has designed new Natural History Programs in the Upper Amazon Basin, some of them featuring lodge accommodations along the Marañón River, where upland forest can be visited.  Our lodge is comfortable and situated in a prime location for access to a diversity of places including the famed Pacaya-Samiria Reserve, the Yanayacu-Pucate River, and the origin of the Amazon River.  It is a superb place for viewing and photographing Amazon flora and fauna.  For those who share with us the desire to simply BE THERE, this is an excellent opportunity to fulfill that dream.

In addition to the Upper Amazon activities, GreenTracks manages high quality programs to:

* Macchu Picchu and the Inca Trail
* Cuzco
* Tambopata National Reserve
* Manu Wilderness & National Park
* Lake Titicaca, Peru & Bolivia
* Madidi National Park, Bolivia
* Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Visit our Website at www.GreenTracks.com

 

GreenTracks Facebook page now has a new photo album of spectacular photos of Cuzco, Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Click on the link below.

GreenTracks Facebook

 

GreenTracks zoologists’ expertise provides an unmatched Amazon rainforest experience

Founded in 1992 by prominent tropical biologists, including William W. Lamar, who has done extensive research and publication in the fields of zoology and herpetology, GreenTracks offers the best in travel to the Amazon rainforest. GreenTracks’ extensive knowledge and experience with the various rivers and forest types allows them to customize each trip based on water levels and time of year to maximize wildlife viewing opportunities and not be locked into itineraries that never vary.

William W. Lamar, a graduate of Rhodes and the University of Texas, has spent 37 years living and working in the Amazon Basin.  He has authored several dozen popular and technical articles and three books, including two top references on Amazonian fauna.  Bill has been filmed by the BBC, Zebra, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., the History Channel, Wild Discovery, and National Geographic and regularly consults for all of these companies. He is fluent in Spanish and thoroughly at-home in the Peruvian Amazon.

GreenTracks zoologists’ continued involvement and oversight can’t be matched by standard travel industry companies. By traveling with these experts the guests’ experience is greatly enhanced and allows them to come away with a much more in-depth understanding of the Amazon and its diversity. This includes not only which plants and animals inhabit the rainforest, but how the interaction between them, and the people who live there, make this one of the most complex and exciting ecosystems on the planet.

GreenTracks seeks to celebrate all that is beautiful and fascinating in the Amazon, from flora and fauna to people, cultures, and food.  They believe observing such things is both fun and educational, and that only through direct experience can the wider understanding necessary to protect this delicate wilderness be achieved.

GreenTracks expertise has also been used by both amateur and professional naturalists, and on documentaries shown by National Geographic, the British and Canadian Broadcasting Systems, Animal Planet, the History Channel and the Discovery Channel.

For more information on Amazon travel with GreenTracks visit the website at www.GreenTracks.com or call 1-800-892-1035

 

Traveler's Feedback

GreenTracks has delivered memorable adventures with expert guidance to countless travelers, including both amateur and professional naturalists. We recently received a trip report from some travelers who visited Heath River Wildlife Center and Sandoval Lake Lodge in southern Peru.

"Thank you for the wonderful stay at Heath River Lodge and Sandoval Lake (17-21 September 2012). We will definitely recommend the trip to our friends and I wouldn’t be surprised if we decided to come back one day. We had taken this tour expecting to see macaws and monkeys and if fortunate enough, we were hoping to see glimpses of other Amazonian animals but the stay blew us away in its wildlife diversity."

Eric Host
Stephanie Coronado-Host
Françoise Kuenzi 

Click on the link below to see their full report and see more of their spectacular photos...

Amazon Tours - Heath River and Sandoval lake Lodge

 

NEW GreenTracks video

GreenTracks has added a new video to our YouTube Channel - the GreenTracks Amazon Riverboat Wildlife Adventure. These trips take you into remote areas of the Peruvian rainforest to observe monkeys, sloths, birds, dolphins and other creatures that inhabit this majestic place. GreenTracks is a leader in these types of trips with 20 years of experience and an intimate knowledge the rivers and lakes.

 

Click on the link below

GreenTracks Amazon Riverboat Wildlife Adventure

 

Traveler's Feedback

GreenTracks has delivered memorable adventures with expert guidance to countless travelers, including both amateur and professional naturalists.

As seen in:    
                      National Geographic Adventure magazine - April 2005
                      Delta Airline's in-flight magazine: SKY - August 1999
                      Conde Nast magazine,
                      Reptile magazine,
                      Once In A Lifetime Trips


Here's what people are saying about GreenTracks tours...



"Thank you for arranging an excellent trip for us. We have all just returned to the US from three weeks in Perú. Each of the three segments (GreenTracks cruising the Rio Marañon aboard the Ayapua, InkaNatura to Heath River and Lake Sandoval lodges, and SouthWild tour of Cuzco and Machu Picchu) were very interesting and educational. The food was excellent. We photographed more wild animals than we expected. And every travel connection was perfectly smooth and on time. Great job! We will recommend your travel services to our friends.

Sam Bunge


"I just wanted to thank you for putting together such an excellent itinerary for Alison, Colin, Nell, Deb and me. The whole trip was an unqualified success with all the arrangements working perfectly and excellent guides (Ari, Xavier and Perci). My only problem is that I have come back with too many photographs (I usually throw away about 70%, this time I am struggling as I want to keep almost all of them!). It was one of the best holidays of my life (and Deb and I have been lucky enough to travel extensively) - I am really most grateful for your hard work and expertise. Thank you."

William Blackhouse


"I'd been watching Trip Advisor for some time before deciding on a 3-week trip to Peru. For someone from the dry desert--that's me!--the Amazon rain forest would definitely be a change I wanted. Some conversations on Trip Advisor led me to check out GreenTracks, and I'm glad I did. GreenTracks offers a broad variety of services, so I chose what I wanted and they lined things up for me. I wanted to immerse myself in exploring this Avatar-like world, spending my time as I wanted. I was traveling alone and really didn't want to be stuck with a tour agenda, but I also didn't want to spend too much time looking for legitimate guides, boats, directions, prices, etc. I liked the way GreenTracks knew all the tourist services available, and which ones were trustworthy and met my expectations. They arranged for my stay at a jungle lodge as well as the historic Casa Morey in Iquitos. My favorite part of the trip was my 7-days on a restored steamboat, the historic Ayapua. The guide, I believe he was fluent in French as well as English, spent his childhood living in the rain forest and was like a walking encyclopedia! He could quickly spot and name birds of all kinds, sloths, iguanas, anacondas, dolphins, tapirs, monkeys, insects, tiny frogs--and I can assure you, they are all masters at camouflage. Then there were all the different trees and plants and how they were used by the people for food, medicine, construction, protection, etc., etc.!"

Kathryn Jennings


"We returned safe and sound Friday morning from a WONDERFUL trip! GreenTracks delivered on all that you promised. We were very well taken care of from beginning to end. All transfers went extremely smoothly and we felt very safe. In particular, the local guides were all outstanding. Victor on the river was so much fun and taught us so much. The guide in Iquitos (I can't remember his name) also was very good, taking us to some very colorful places. Eddie in Cusco just has to be the best guide from that area. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with him. All in all, the trip was all that we had hoped for and more. I hope we can travel with GreenTracks again."

Mary McCartney Nederhoed


"I have learned a few things on this trip:
1. In the movies, the piranhas eat the people; here the people eat the piranhas.
2. The people living in the jungle, though sometimes shy, treat you like family.
3. The people who made my tour possible were genuinely interested in my welfare and desired that I come to know Peru as they know it -- A land of possibilities.
Thank you!"

Doug Hagens


Visit our website at www.GreenTracks.com

 

December Getaway - GreenTracks Amazon Cruises

Explore the Amazon on a historic riverboat Wildlife Cruise to the Pacaya Samiria Reserve in Peru with GreenTracks this December. Experience the flora and fauna of the largest rainforest on Earth.


GreenTracks  Amazon Cruises are an adventure cruise aboard a restored rubber boom-era riverboat. There are several excursions daily off the riverboat, led by the GreenTracks Naturalist Guides. By small excursion boat, you will explore the creeks and oxbow lakes in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve in search of wildlife. There are both day and night hikes on rainforest trails in search of interesting animals, multicolored butterflies, bizarre insects, exotic flowers and gigantic trees.



Travel on the restored rubber boom-era riverboat - the M/F Ayapua. Steamboats were at the heart of the rubber boom trade, carrying raw rubber from remote regions of the rainforest to Amazon River port cities such as Iquitos, Peru and Manaus, Brazil. But, the steamboats are gone and virtually all of the original boats have disappeared. Fortunately, the M/F Ayapua has been restored to approximate it’s original splendor, converted to diesel for efficiency and is now the only operating riverboat of it’s type left from that era.

This is a 7 day/6 night cruise operating December 17 - 23, 2011. The riverboat has plenty of room to spread out and relax. Each cabin is air conditioned with a private bath. There is an enclosed air-conditioned dining room and an outdoor bar area. Meals of both international and regional cuisine are served buffet-style. A GreenTracks Amazon Riverboat Cruise is fun, stimulating and educational. With 20 years of operation GreenTracks has provided memorable experiences of the Amazon to thousands of travelers.


Click here for more info...

GreenTracks Amazon Cruises

 

Magical Christmas in Cuzco with GreenTracks

The ancient Inca capitol of Cuzco blends a traditional Christmas with the Andean culture to provide a unique and magical setting for an unforgettable experience. As Christmas approaches hundreds of artisans gather in Cuzco’s Plaza de Armas for one of the largest craft fairs in Peru, the Santuranticuy market, on December 24th. The Santuranticuy (meaning Saints for sale) market harks back to the days of the Spanish conquest and here can be found, laid out on blankets, Christmas figurines, handmade ceramics, superb Andean textiles, Nativity scenes in Huamanga stone, retablos (sophisticated Andean folk art in the form of portable boxes) featuring images related to Christmas and carved gourds called mates burilados decorated with Yuletide scenes. The festive glow of lighted Biblical animals and the Andean version of Baby Jesus, el Niño Manuelito, are seen throughout the Plaza. Another important part of Christmas Eve is the Chocolotadas, where hot chocolate, bread and toys are given out to the poor by churches and local businesses. Street vendors sell ponche, a traditional hot, sweet rum punch to counter the chill of the Andes. At midnight everyone gathers to watch magnificent fireworks displays.



On Christmas Day itself the Plaza de Armas is cleared, traditional religious ceremonies take place and families spend the day together in their homes that are intricately decorated with Nativity scenes, retablos and lights. Peruvians, being a warm and hospitable people, often invite visitors into their homes to share this occasion.
On December 26th there is a Holy Births Contest aimed at promoting Christmas spirit with art. Judging takes place and prizes are given out. And then on December 27th is the time for the Situa Raymi, an Inca ceremony celebrating the Moon. On December 29th there is a New Year celebration with a video, light and sound show to highlight ancestral culture.

GreenTracks offers programs to Cuzco that include visits to the Cathedral, the Inca Temple of the Sun, the nearby ruins at Sacsayhuaman and the Inca Bath at Tambomachay plus a visit to the famed citadel of Machu Picchu, without a doubt the most important attraction in Peru and one of the world's most impressive archaeological sites. It was recently voted to be one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Built by the Incas on the summit of Machu Picchu (Old Peak), over-looking the deep canyon of the Urubamba River in a semi-tropical area 75 miles from the city of Cuzco at 8,000 feet above sea level. It is thought to have been a sanctuary or temple inhabited by high priests and the "Virgins of the Sun".



Visit the GreenTracks website

 

GreenTracks EcoTravel's Channel

Greentracks has now added a new video to our YouTube Channel - Flight of the Egrets and Cormorants.



You can also see our videos on Bushmasters, Oropendolas, Anacondas and more.





Click on the link to see all the videos -

GreenTracks EcoTravel's Channel

 

GreenTracks’ tours combine an Amazon Riverboat Cruise and Machu Picchu

This exciting GreenTracks package combines the grandeur of the mightiest river in the world, the Amazon, with the mystery and incredible sights of Cuzco and Machu Picchu. Experience diverse geography, culture and history in one unforgettable trip.

Years of experience exploring the Amazon allows GreenTracks to offer a unique cruise experience. The GreenTracks Amazon Riverboat Cruise is a wildlife adventure cruise. There are several excursions daily off the riverboat led by bilingual Naturalist Guides. Using small excursion boats explore the creeks and oxbow lakes in search of wildlife in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. After dark do the same in search of caiman and colorful frogs and hear the incredible night sounds of the jungle. There are also hikes on rainforest trails in search of interesting animals, multicolored butterflies, bizarre insects, exotic flowers and gigantic trees.

These are 7 day cruises departing from Iquitos, Peru, on scheduled dates. Group size is always small, typically 8 - 12 people. The Amazon riverboat has plenty of room to spread out and relax. Each cabin is air conditioned and has private bath & shower. There is an enclosed air-conditioned dining room and an outdoor bar area. Meals of both international and regional cuisine are served buffet-style in the air-conditioned dining room.

A GreenTracks Wildlife Cruise is fun, stimulating and educational. With over 20 years of operation GreenTracks has provided memorable experiences of the Amazon for thousands of travelers.


Cuzco, the ancient capital of the Inca empire is now a modern small city that has retained much of its colonial charm. A tour of Cuzco includes visits to the Cathedral, the Inca Temple of the Sun, the nearby ruins at Sacsayhuaman and the Inca Bath at Tambomachay. Cuzco is an excellent place to purchase wonderful arts and crafts. Plan on picking up some of the local Alpaca wool sweaters.



The Legendary "Lost City of Machu Picchu" is without a doubt the most important attraction in Peru and one of the world's most impressive archaeological sites. It was recently voted to be one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Built by the Incas on the summit of Machu Picchu (Old Peak), over-looking the deep canyon of the Urubamba River in a semi-tropical area 75 miles from the city of Cuzco at 8,000 feet above sea level. It is thought to have been a sanctuary or temple inhabited by high priests and the "Virgins of the Sun".

The Combination Trip can start with any of the scheduled Amazon Riverboat Cruise dates and continue with a 3, 4 or 6 day program to Cuzco and Machu Picchu the following week. Call 1-800-892-1035 or click on the link below

GreenTracks Amazon Cruises and Machu Picchu Combination program

Guaranteed Jaguar sightings on Pantanal Wildlife tours

GreenTracks now offers trips to the wildlife-rich Pantanal of Brazil featuring the Southwild Pantanal Eco-Lodge and the Southwild Jaguar Camp, with guaranteed Jaguar sightings.


GreenTracks has now added another exciting wildlife destination in South America - the Pantanal. The Pantanal is a tropical wetland and the world's largest wetland of any kind. It lies mostly within Brazil as well as portions of Bolivia and Paraguay, sprawling over an area estimated to be as much as 195,000 square kilometers (75,000 sq mi). Its seasonally-flooded savannahs and tropical forests offer some of the finest wildlife viewing in Latin America. 80% of the Pantanal flood plains are submerged during the rainy seasons, nurturing an astonishing biologically diverse ecosystem.

GreenTracks offers two spectacular locations (or a combination of both): the Southwild Jaguar Camp and the Southwild Pantanal Eco Lodge.

Southwild Jaguar Camp is the world's leading location to see and photograph wild Jaguars. Southwild Jaguar Camp is the only lodge in history that guarantees viewing of Jaguars. As the Jaguars are at world-record density and spend most of their time on the river edge hunting their favorite prey, namely Paraguayan Caimans and Capybaras, you can see the cats regularly without resorting to any Africa-style baiting or feeding. The term “guaranteed Jaguars” means that if you stay three nights and four days at SWJC and do not see a Jaguar, or if you do not see a Giant Otter, we will give you two nights and three days for free, either right away, or within 24 months.



Southwild Jaguar Camp is open all year for Jaguar viewing. Although most of the Pantanal is hard to access from January through April, Southwild Jaguar Camp is accessible all year thanks to the “Transpantaneira”, the only long, raised road that penetrates the wild heart of the Pantanal.

The Southwild Pantanal Eco Lodge offers the Pantanal’s best value for serious birders, naturalists, and photographers. We offer boat outings that feature the world’s tamest Giant Otters. Other exclusives are the Pantanal’s only mobile canopy towers strategically located at fruiting and flowering trees and silent, electric river catamarans for photographers using long lenses on tripods. We also offer horse rides, cattle drives, walks on scientifically-designed forest trails, research lectures, mammal spotlighting, and Brazilian barbecues.

Click here for more info - Pantanal of Brazil

 

GreenTracks offers discounts on Amazon Cruises

GreenTrack is now offering one of our most popular cruises at a $200 discount. Selected dates are available on both 4 and 5 day cruises, aboard elegantly appointed riverboats. On these cruises you will travel to the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve of Peru, home to some of the largest populations of wildlife in all the Amazon. Hordes of pink and gray river dolphins, packs of howler and squirrel monkeys, massive flocks of brilliant macaws, huge lagoons covered in giant lily pads teeming with fish of all sizes and colors....all of these and more mark the region as Another World. Activities include wildlife viewing, hiking in the rainforest and visits to a riverside villages. Two luxurious riverboats to choose from - The Delfin I and Delfin II.














Delfin I - The newly refurbished Delfin I takes you one step beyond luxury, where comfort and grace combine effortlessly with the wilderness in the most unique vessel ever to cruise the Amazon River. In a setting of understated elegance and world-class hospitality this classic river vessel features 4 spacious Deluxe Suites, all with private terraces and two of them with a private Jacuzzi.














Delfin II - The new Delfin II has fourteen large guest suites, including four Master Suites with 180° panoramic windows and ten Suites – four of which can be interconnected to accommodate families - providing all the comforts of world-class suites, yet preserving the spirit of casual and refined elegance. The dining room on the second deck, the observation deck, bar, entertainment center, library, and our special hammock sun deck will be the perfect gathering places for all our guests.


Visit the GreenTracks website for $200 off of standard rates on selected dates.

Visit GreenTracks Amazon Cruises

Or Call 800-892-1035 or 970-884-6107 for information.

 

Showmanship vs. Reality on reality TV wild animal shows

by Bill Lamar, GreenTracks, Inc.

The abundance of nature oriented television shows is a blessing and a curse. After an auspicious beginning with properly researched and well-filmed documentaries, ratings—largely a function of the preferences of the sofa-set—began to change their direction. One can see the transition from inspired work such as the films by Sir David Attenborough to features that showcase sweating pseudo-Tarzans spewing words like “jungle,” “aggressive,” “survival,” etc. They have devolved into tired depictions of Man vs. Nature that inevitably cast the natural world as something dangerous and in need of conquering….and, of course, they showcase anything with blood. What was a lofty and necessary pursuit has degenerated into cheap thrills.

Television programs are stories and making them is tedious, unromantic, difficult, and expensive. The teams who actually do the filming are marvelously talented and dedicated to their craft. Not surprisingly, the home office is replete with “suits” who live in fear of irate advertisers, the internet, and who cast a dry and often timid eye on the programming choices. Placing a team in the field is, in fact, so costly that time is at a premium, so naturally most animals are procured in advance and wrangled for the scenes. This is perfectly reasonable as long as it is performed by experts who understand the ecology and natural history of their subjects and as long as the research, writing, and editing is rigorously pursued. While all of this is integral to wonderful films produced by and for BBC, Nature, and Nova, it is increasingly rare among the other networks, big names notwithstanding.

The problem arises owing to the innocence of the viewing public. Networks, ever wary of the bottom line, have realized that many, perhaps most, viewers are ill-equipped to distinguish between films featuring solid science and those that stress hyperbole and exaggeration. Risk analysis, a fine science that we use in nearly all aspects of our daily lives, is woefully lacking when it comes to our concepts of wildlife. In brief, the ceiling above you could fall down. That is a hazard. But what is the risk factor, the likelihood that it will happen? While we have a fairly accurate idea as to how high this is, lay-people inappropriately assign high risk factors to all animal hazards. This silliness remains essentially unchanged since the dawn of civilization. And it permits huge liberties to be taken by showmen who know the risks are usually low.

Thus we are now pained to view competent fishermen gasping for breath and trying to portray powerful but essentially harmless fishes as something to be feared; folks molesting terrified snakes while calling them “aggressive,” and “jungles” depicted as places to be subdued. Ditto that for the hokey survivalists, pest controllers, etc. There have been a few legitimate authorities who have presented programs for television, but the majority is anything but that. Additionally, one has the constant problems of animal management. A short scene will often require considerable preparation time for lighting and equipment, yet wild animals are not built to go five rounds. Their reactions—be they defensive or feeding responses—are sudden and of short duration. So by the time the hero hurls himself on top of the anaconda, the snake has long since grown accustomed to being held in readiness off-camera. For those familiar with wild animals, the machinations (not to mention bad acting!) that accompany such staged scenes are ludicrous. Yet the public does not realize this at all.

The film industry has a strict and frequently unrealistic code of ethics when it comes to handling animals and to their credit they try mightily to adhere to it. Yet paradoxically the new genre of so-called survival shows is routinely allowed to violate these rules. I have seen one situation in which the couple who starred in the show, while “lost” deep in the Amazon forest, “found and captured” a large nonvenomous snake which they then dispatched, cooked and ate. The scene was filmed behind the comfy lodge where everyone was staying and the hapless snake was purchased at a local market. And all of this in contrast to standard wildlife films where one cannot even set up a natural feeding sequence with, say, a mouse and a snake. A strange business, to be sure!

Films about the natural world are crucially important education tools and the public needs them now more than ever. Habitats are imperiled and shrinking. Unless attitudes toward our fellow creatures and the places they inhabit become attuned to modern realities, the future will not be a bright one. We need excellent documentaries; if only we could convince the networks of that.

 

Cuzco/Machu Picchu/Sacred Valley

This GreenTracks six-day program visiting Cuzco, Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley is an unforgettable experience of the history, culture and archeology of the Andes and the Incas. GreenTracks provides Private Service, you will have your own guide throughout, the best way to get the most out of the experience and expert knowledge of your guide.



The program begins with your arrival to Cuzco, the historic capital of the Inca Empire. Your full aftern

oon private guided tour of Cuzco includes the Plaza de Armas; the Cathedral that was begun in 1580 and took nearly a century to complete; the Twelve Angled Stone, an example of Inca architectural achievement that continues to amaze the world; the Koricancha Temple, known as the "temple of the supreme Sun God "; the nearby ruins Sacsayhuaman, a massive fortress made of large stones, including one weighing 125 tons, arranged in a zig-zag shape in three platforms that presently serves as the location for the Inti Raymi Festival (Festival of the Sun) held every year on June 24; and Kenko, another great example of skilled Inca masonry work consisting of a large limestone slab covered with carvings, thought to have been used for ritual sacrifices. The multilingual, experienced guides will bring these places to life as they detail the rich history.

The next day is a free day to enjoy Cuzco, exploring the many shops with colorful, diverse creative handicrafts. These include hand-made textiles from alpaca wool, ceramics, religious imagery, dolls, gold and silver jewelry and more. There are colorful fruit and vegetable markets that are a photographer’s dream. There are many fine restaurants in Cuzco where one can enjoy the delicious regional foods or just sit and have coffee or a drink and soak in the ambiance of this historic city.



Day three is a full-day tour of the Sacred Valley with your private guide. The first stop is Awanakancha, a beautiful Exhibition Center of Textiles and South American camelids such as llamas, vicuñas, and alpacas. Then on to the Urubamba Valley of the Incas, considered the historic heart of the Inca Empire. Here you will see the stone fortresses of Ollantaytambo and visit the colorful native market at Pisac. Ollantaytambo was the site of a major battle during Manco Capac's Inca rebellion against the conquistadors. Overnight at the Pakaritampu, a beautiful hotel surrounded by gardens of local plants and flowers.



The following day, again with your private guide, you ride the early morning Vistadome train, with its panoramic windows offering unsurpassed scenic views and photographic opportunities, to Aguas Calientes. Upon arrival, transfer by bus to Machu Picchu for a full-day guided tour of the Inca citadel including lunch at the Sanctuary Lodge. Machu Picchu is one of the world's most impressive archaeological sites. Built by the Incas on the summit of the mountain of Machu Picchu (Old Peak), it overlooks the deep canyon of the Urubamba River in a semi-tropical area at 8,000 feet above sea level. Overnight at one of several great hotel options.

The next morning you can return to Machu Picchu for some time on your own to take in the splendor of this magnificent site. Those that wish can hike to Huayna Picchu, (Young Peak) via a well preserved Inca path and enjoy an astounding view of the citadel and the valley below. In the afternoon you will return on the Vistadome train to Cuzco and transfer to your hotel for the overnight. The following morning you will be transferred to the Cuzco airport for the flight back to Lima and home.



GreenTracks’ many years of experience in this region means only the best in guides and hotels. This is an unforgettable experience that will last a life time.

This trip can also be combined with one of GreenTracks’ renowned  Amazon Cruises. Visit the GreenTracks website for other options and additions.


For more info click here

GreenTracks now on Facebook

GreenTracks now has a Facebook page where you can find stunning photo slideshows of Amazon Flora and Amazon Wildlife. Coming soon will be a slideshow of Cuzco, Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Our Facebook page will also feature news, trip reports and more.

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GreenTracks Christmas Riverboat Expedition

On the 22nd of December the historic riverboat Clavero set sail from the town of Nauta on a 7day/6 night GreenTracks Riverboat Expedition to the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. The Clavero was built in 1876 in Paris for the Peruvian Navy where it served as a gunboat, expedition boat and mail carrier. Restored and improved several times, currently the ship has 6 air conditioned cabins, an air conditioned dining room/bar and a top-deck observation area.

Besides enjoying the ambiance of the ship, and a sumptuous Christmas Eve dinner, the intrepid travelers participated in three or four excursions each day. By small boat they spotted a colorful array of birds, explored small creeks and fished for piranha. At night they went out by small boat to look for caiman, where they caught and released a 2 foot-long Black Caiman, and marveled at a star-filled sky and the night sounds of the rainforest. They hiked jungle trails in search of monkeys and saw ten Howler Monkeys, a troop of Squirrel Monkeys and heard Capuchin Monkeys. Oscar, the guide on this trip, pointed out and explained the use of many trees and plants by the people of the rainforest for medicines and construction materials. They also visited to two small villages to see how the local people lived in a rainforest environment and saw crops of bananas, yuca (manioc), papayas and corn.

Here are some photos from the trip. Click on photos to enlarge.

The Clavero on the Samiria River.

The Clavero navigating upriver to explore the rivers and inland lakes and view the diverse wildlife.

Cabins on the Clavero have been painstakingly restored in the style of the 19th century.

The Clavero Dining Room boasts a native hardwood floor and a panoramic view.

Christmas dinner included a turkey, jungle sweet potatoes and Piranha that had been caught that same day.

The giant oriole known as the Crested Oropendola uses hanging nests to protect them from predators.

Massive buttresses support this Ceiba tree, which actually has a very shallow root system.

Blue and Yellow Macaws display their colors in flight.

Famed for its reflective rivers the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve is known as the "Espejo de la Selva" or Jungle of Mirrors.

And for good reason. This is the same photo as above, but upside down.

One never knows what will be found when hiking through the rainforest.

The Giant Water Lilies (Victoria Amazonica) can get up to 5 feet in diameter.

Spectacular sunsets are common like this one of a rainy sunset on the Marañón River.


For more information see  GreenTracks Amazon Cruises page.

 

Christmas in Peru

Christmas is the one of the most important celebrations of the year among Peruvians and is very family oriented. Christmas in Peru is called as La Noche Buena, which means "The Good Night" in Spanish.

Christmas is celebrated on 24th with much fanfare. In the evening, there is a family get-together to celebrate Christmas which is also called the Christmas for Children as this is the time children open gifts. There is preparation of pavo (turkey) in most of the houses as well as apple sauce and tamales. Panatones (sweet breads) are also very popular. The Christmas meals is served at midnight along with homemade hot chocolate made with rich chocolate, cinnamon and cloves.

After the dinner and the children are put to bed the party starts with furniture moved aside to allow for dancing. These parties often go on until daylight. Christmas Day itself becomes a day of well-needed rest.

Nativity scenes are placed in churches, homes and the main plaza. They often have a regional flare as can be seen in the photos of the Nativity scene from the Plaza de Armas in Iquitos below.



Click on photos to enlarge

 

GreenTracks Amazon Cruises

A cruise aboard a comfortable riverboat is your best opportunity to see the magic of the rainforest and the Amazon River, one of the most exciting places on earth, with GreenTracks, a company that is known world-wide for it's intimate knowledge of this exotic land. You will have the Amazon Riverboat experience of a lifetime.

Our cruises on the Ayapua & Clavero riverboats travel to the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, the largest protected natural area in Peru, with 5,139,680 acres - 10,800 square miles, it stands today as one of the largest and most important wildernesses in all the tropics. The Pacaya-Samiria is home to some of the largest populations of wildlife in all the Amazon. Hordes of pink and gray river dolphins, packs of howler and squirrel monkeys, massive flocks of brilliant macaws, huge lagoons covered in giant lily pads teeming with fish of all sizes and colors....all of these and more mark the region as Another World. Simply put, it is one of the least visited and most beautiful parts of the Amazon Basin.



The Ayapua is the only boat still operating that was used to transport rubber on the remote rivers of the Brazilian and Peruvian Amazon during the early part of the 20th century. She was built in Hamburg, Germany in 1906 and from 2004 to 2006 she was restored to her original splendor with many original features incorporated.



The Clavero is the oldest historic riverboat on the entire Amazon. She was originally built in Paris, France in 1876 and brought over to the Amazon for use as a Peruvian naval boat. The Clavero was used for government expeditions exploring the Peruvian Amazon and as a mail boat. She was completely restored between 2007-2009 with many of her original features incorporated.

On the 7 Day cruise, you will observe wildlife along the Samiria River with activities to include: Small boat excursions for river dolphin, macaw, monkey and other wildlife observation, rainforest hikes in search of wildlife, piranha fishing, nighttime caiman observation and night hikes in the forest. There is a lot of wildlife to observe and a lot of excellent photo opportunities. Visit to a local Cocama indigenous village and meet the people and see how they live and interact with the rainforest.

GreenTracks Amazon Cruises

 

Ornamental fish of the Peruvian Amazon

The Amazon is, not surprisingly, home to the greatest richness of fish species in the world. They range from tiny parasitic fishes to gigantic catfish built like sharks. Many are dark or dull in coloration, but just as many are brilliantly patterned. Here, we celebrate Amazon fish diversity by offering just a few of the ornamental fishes we encounter during our ecotours.
All photographs by D. Fenolio for GreenTracks, Inc.


Suckermouth Catfish (Pseudancistrus sp.). There are many new species of odd, armored catfish in the Amazon, but few are as imposing as this one.


Angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare). Another famous ornamental fish, the angelfish exists in a number of colors and patterns. The one pictured here is a typical one from the Amazon.


Ringed Catfish (Merodontotus tigrinus). This uncommon and strikingly patterned fish is known locally as “María zúngaro.” It can reach about three feet in length and so is both consumed as well as collected for the ornamental fish trade. The habitat is in rivers.


Severim Cichlid (Heros efasciatus). This imposing cichlid is known locally by the name of “Corbata rojo” (red tie) in reference to the male’s spectacular breeding colors. They reach around ten inches in length and inhabit oxbow lakes.


Pencilfish (Nannostomus mortenthaleri). The “lapicero” is a classic aquarium fish which gets its name because of its habit of orienting itself at a downward tilt.


Red pencilfish (Nannostomus marginatus). Stripes and red color, while arresting in an aquarium, actually serve to protect the fish in the wild as they become difficult to see.


Leaf Fish (Monocirrhus polyacanthus). The “pez hoja” has a clever feeding strategy: it relies on its amazing resemblance to a leaf and drifts with the current until it is close enough to capture unwary fish! That same appearance makes this a very difficult species to observe in the wild.


Amazon Cichlid (Apistogramma sp.). This is a small cichlid of immense popularity among aquarists owing to the brilliant colors displayed by males during breeding season. Although they are only about 3 inches long, these little fish are pugnacious. They inhabit small streams and quiet backwaters.


Flame blue tetra (Boehlkea fredcochui). Tetras generally are tiny and brilliantly colored. They occupy quiet waters in oxbow lakes and lagoons.


Neon tetra (Paracheirodon innesi). Neon tetras are a mainstay of the aquarium industry and countless numbers are bred in artificial ponds in Florida. But it wasn’t always that way; the first tetra brought into the USA fetched a hefty price back in the 1950s.



Discus (Symphysodon aequifasciatus). Long a favorite in aquariums, the elegant dish-shaped discus has a number of distinct populations that vary according to color. They are among the most sought after aquarium fishes. They occupy deep, quiet water around fallen trees.