Jungle Cruise Part 2

"Watch out for Anacondas!" That's the general warning we received about Rio Napo at night, but I'll get back to the wildlife later. We've been making our way down the Rio Napo from close to it's origins in Misawalli, Ecuador and have just landed in Iquitos, Peru where it joins the bigger Rio Amazonas. The river is a lot calmer and wider down here.
Shortly after my last update we crossed the border into Peru, and have felt very welcome. The people are very friendly and helpful and more that willing to host us. Most nights we end up camping in one of the many small communities along the way. Some are very rural and without electricity or plumbing, but as we get closer to Iquitos the influence of the city is evermore present. Towns begin to have electricity and some paved walkways; there is still no need for roads. The type of livestock also changes from just chickens and cows, to chickens, ducks, goats, pigs, sheep, asiatic water buffalo and fancy cows.
Family life in these towns is pretty simple and amazing. The family is very close; they spend all of their lives together living in a house with one room and a kitchen. Their houses are modest, built a couple feet above the ground with bamboo and wood from the surrounding jungle with a palm-thatched roof, and sometimes four walls. Everyone sleeps, works and eats together from grandparents, children, in-laws and everyone in between. The children live simple, care-free lives. They play in the jungle, pick wild fruit, chase chickens and play with the dogs. They all seem so happy. The kids also really seem to enjoy watching people sleep. There have been many times that I've woken up to 6 or 7 of them blankly staring at me.... Creepy.
We began to trade with the locals a bit, being that we crossed the border in a small town and haven't been able to change money yet. Trading has been a good way to open up communication and we get fresh fruits and vegetables and sometimes a meal.
We've been experiencing some storms, almost daily, since crossing into Peru; panother great reason to stay with the locals. The storms themselves are beautiful with their enormous black clouds, and the clear starry nights that follow. Storms also raise the water level on the river, making it easier to navigate and avoid sand bars.
Sooooo.... Anacondas. We haven't seen any, and I don't really want to. That's seemingly the most dangerous animal to expect here, beside jaguars, pumas and piranhas. We haven't seen those either, and piranhas only attack if someone is bleeding profusely. The animals we have seen have been pretty cool. We've seen quite a bit of Bufeo or Delfin Rosado, and the smaller grey version simply called Delfin. We've also seen monkeys, macaws, caciques, conures, amazon parrots, vultures, and an infinite number of jungle birds. Several times we've seen tracks of what was possibly a pack of Capybara.
The end of the canoe journey is becoming near. A few crew members are jumping ship here in Iquitos, and the rest of us aren't sure what our destination will be.
Time to enjoy the simple luxuries of a shower and a meal not prepared by ourselves, and decide the next phase of the journey.