AMBASSADORS FOR PROSPERITY Excursions

12 Amazon weeks Week 1

Full day Puerto Nari単o:

Foto: Luis Carlos Panqueba

We take a journey out of Leticia heading upstream on the main Amazon River. To the nearest town: Puerto Nari単o, it is a small, friendly and attractive town, with its tree lined footpaths and very tranquil since there are no vehicles in it.

From Puerto Nari単o we can enjoy the Tarapoto Lake, the food, Dolphins, Fish eagles, and other wildlife of the lakes and forest. You will see that there is so much to see and do in this part of the Amazon, with so few tourists and a real ambience and warmth from local people.

Text by Puerto Narino trips

12 Amazon weeks Week 2

Marasha Natural Reserve:

Foto: Marasha

Marasha natural reserve (Peru) Includes: transportation, lunch, activities, dinner, accommodation 1 night, breakfast.

Marasha is a refuge made out of natural conditions whose typical architecture of malocas designed and built under the rules of environmental preservation of biodiversity. It will take us around 45 minutes on a boat journey to the facilities; the walk through a broad path into the jungle with its huge trees and varied vegetation can be recorded best, by photographic images or video, also contemplating the landscape with its fauna species such as monkeys, butterflies and multicolored birds.

Activities of sport fishing, alligators sighting, guided by natives, canoeing exploration of fauna and flora, specialized care facilities comfortable and on top of everything, peace and rest that make MARASHA in the Amazon the ideal place to renew their vitality and energy.

Text by Marasha

12 Amazon weeks Week 3

Monkey Island:

Foto: Jill Robinson

Isla de los Micos (Monkey Island) is a 30-minute boat ride upriver from Leticia, at the very edge of the Colombian Amazon. It’s a sanctuary for monkeys, however many of the squirrel monkeys have become habituated to visitors feeding them bananas.

As we walked through the trees, excited squeaks came from every direction and tiny squirrel monkeys flooded down the tree trunks and ran behind me. When I got to the spot where I could dig into the plastic bag for a banana, about 15 squirrel monkeys mobbed me. Their little feet felt cool on my hands, and they perched all over me: my head, shoulders, arms, hands, backpack, camera bag and camera. Even with the absence of their meal, some squirrel monkeys remained perched on me. I tried talking with one sitting on my shoulder. It tilted its head and stared at my mouth, possibly wondering what my sounds meant. Then, the monkey reached over and placed its hand on my lips.

Text by Jill Robinson

12 Amazon weeks Week 4

Recycling Tour:

Foto: Rafael Clavijo

We will visit some initiatives in town and out of town working to keep the environment as clean as it should be. The Amazon should be a place free of plastic and other contaminators; but the reality is other. In this tour we will visit the private companies and the people working with recycling elements.

At the museum of the Ping Dolphin we will see wild animals from the Amazon made out of recycling paper. It is an exciting zoo to visit.

After this visit, we will go to a swimming pool built with recycling bottles and eco-bricks.

12 Amazon weeks Week 5

Kayak Tour:

Foto: Luis Carlos Panqueba

At the Yahuarkaka lakes you will be able to connect with the great wealth of the Amazon River's flora and fauna, listening to the sounds of nature while rowing in kayaks.

In the dry season, the place is surrounded by lakes, in the rainy season they become a single lagoon, allowing a change in the landscape and the flora and fauna that you can enjoy.

12 Amazon weeks Week 6

Kurupira floating boat Tour:

Foto: Kurupira caba単a flotante

We will go from the local harbour to board the Kurupira, a floating cabin at the Amazon River. Once we arrived we can have lunch, visit the Victoria Regia Natural Reserve, canoeing over inundated forest, and practice some traditional and modern-day fishing or exploring the fauna and flora of the area.

Text by Kurupira caba単a flotante

12 Amazon weeks Week 7

Modern-day native artisans:

We will visit the workshops from the native artisans and get to know their techniques, practice on traditional wood and fibres. Visit the local crops, and have a native lunch.

Then, visit a neighbour community to know their elders, and their traditional believes while listening to the Cacique Hitoma, talking about the Mambe, better known as coca (not cocaine), produced under the all seeing eye of the village's oldest one. Mambe is a powder that's kept in the mouth, and when mixed with the saliva dissolves and combats fatigue.

Hitoma Safiama illustrates the visitor about the customs of his group and how they protect nature; explain their religious ideas with concepts like the creation of the world, and the origin of La Maloka (Native house).

12 Amazon weeks Week 8

On the road tour:

We will visit the Omagua Natural reserve.

In Omagua, you will be at the highest tour canopy with suspension bridge in the region.

We’ll arrive after a walk under the shade trees of this tropical rainforest. From there, you’ll have the opportunity to be safely inside the jungle, to admire and feel what the indigenous of the region called, the magic of the jungle.

After that experience we will have lunch at a nearby restaurant, and then visit the snake house for an observation of the most symbolic animal from the region: the boa snake.

12 Amazon weeks Week 9

Colombia, Peru and Brazil:

We will go into a gourmet journey to the three countries.

First, we will go to a place to try the Mojojoy food (quiet exotic) from Colombia.

Second, we will jump into a boat and go across the Amazon River to the Peruvian town of Santa Rosa to eat a traditional ceviche for lunch.

Third, we will go to the Brazilian town of Tabatinga to enjoy some of the nicest chocolate sweets at the “Chocolate house�.

12 Amazon weeks Week 10

Takana lakes:

On the schedule is a nice dive in the Takana River, an affluent of the Amazon. It contained fish, definitely a great fishing spot. The water is at a perfect 26째c.

During the walk to get there, we will pass a Huitoto community, a thick jungle, and a natural concert of wild birds, crickets, and frogs.

After a two hour trip through the jungle, we will see the Takana River and the lake: It is time to have lunch, to have swim, to relax a bit, and get back to Leticia.

12 Amazon weeks Week 11

A day at La Aljaba orphanage:

Foto: La Aljaba

La Aljaba children’s home is an institution to assist abandoned and poor children to improve their quality of life by giving them the opportunity to benefit from integral development and to contribute in the construction of new generations with Christian principles and values.

They provide for children from 3 to 15 years of age in situations of extreme poverty or need. They offer assistance in four development areas: physical, cognitive, spiritual and emotional well being.

During 2004 they assisted a total of 17 children in the home with good nutrition, health care, teaching them hygiene, good manners and self-esteem. The children older than 5 years began to go to school and their performance improved tremendously.

Currently La Aljaba provides a full day care, tutoring, daily nutritional meals for 75 children and provides 24 hour care for about 26 children.

Text by La Aljaba

12 Amazon weeks Week 12

Farewell at Mundo Amazonico

ACTIVITIES

Cost Colombian Peso $160.000

US Dollar Aprox.

USD $84

$250.000

USD $140

$110.000 $ $80.000 $80.000 $45+10+20=$75

USD $62 USD $ USD $45 USD $45 USD $

$80.000

USD $45

$80.000

USD $45

$

USD $

11.One day at La Aljaba Orphanage

$80.000 + Drinks

12.

$

USD $45 + Drinks USD $

1. Full day Puerto Nari単o: Includes: Tarapoto + Amacayacu Park 2. Marasha natural reserve (Peru) Includes: transportation, lunch, activities, dinner, accommodation 1 night, breakfast 3. Full day Monkey Island + Lunch 4. Recycling tour=Botadero+Areciclar+piscina tio/km8 5. Kayak at Yahuarcaca lake 6. Floating boat Kurupira + Lunch 7. Handicrafts and artisans communities + lunch + talk to CACIQUE HITOMA (Uitoto Community) 8. Dosel Omagua + Snake house + swimming Tio Miguel + Lunch 9. Lunch at Santa Rosa (Peru) + Brazilian night at BOA night club + Mohohoi 10.Takana Lake + Lunch