Amazon Basin - Peru - page 976

( 40-1061; Fitzcarrald; r S25-40) This is probably Lagunas' best option. Rooms are
smallish but clean enough, with Spanish-language TV and OK bathrooms. The best fea-
ture is the secluded central courtyard that the rooms face onto, which includes a hammock
area. Situated near the market.
Getting There & Away
Boats downriver from Yurimaguas to Lagunas take about 10 to 12 hours and leave Yur-
imaguas between 7am and 8am most days. Times are posted on boards at the port in both
Yurimaguas and Lagunas for a day in advance. To continue to Iquitos or return to Yur-
imaguas, ask which radio station is in contact with the boat captains in case of problems.
Fast boats to Yurimaguas arrive in Lagunas between noon and 2pm for the four- to five-
hour trip against the current.
Reserva Nacional Pacaya-Samiria
At 20,800 sq km, this is the largest of Peru's parks and reserves. Pacaya-Samiria
( www.pacaya-samiria.com ) provides local people with food and a home, and protects eco-
logically important habitats. More than 40,000 people live on and around the reserve; jug-
gling the needs of human inhabitants while protecting wildlife is the responsibility of 20
to 30 rangers. Staff also teach inhabitants how to best harvest the natural renewable re-
sources to benefit the local people and to maintain thriving populations of plants and an-
imals. Three rangers were murdered by poachers in late 1998.
The reserve is the home of aquatic animals such as Amazon manatees, pink and gray
river dolphins, two species of caiman and giant South American river turtles alongside
around 450 bird species and numerous other animals. The area close to Lagunas has
suffered from depletion: allow several days to get deep into the least-disturbed areas. With
15 days, you can reach Lago Cocha Pasto , where there are reasonable chances of seeing
jaguars and larger mammals. Other noteworthy points in the reserve include Quebrada
Yanayacu , where the river water is black from dissolved plants; Lago Pantean , where
you can check out caimans and go medicinal-plant collecting; and Tipischa de Huana ,
where you can see the giant Victoria regia waterlilies, big enough for a small child to
sleep upon without sinking. Official information is available at the reserve office in Iqui-
tos.