The Amazon Rainforest.

The Amazon represents 54% of the total rainforest left on earth, with and area of 5500 000 square Km. it covers 8 countries : Brazil, Perú, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guyana, it produces more than 20% of the oxigen of the planet.

The Amazon rainforest has a huge biodiversity with 40 000 species of plants, 2.5 million species of insects, 2200 species of fish, 427 of mammals, 378 od reptiles and 428 species of amphibians.  The most popular animals in this area are Tucans, Jaguars, Anacondas, Macaws, Piranhas, Pink Dolphins and Caimans.

On the 1500, when the Spaniards and Portuguese arrived, there were about 6 to 9 million native people living in this area, by 1900 this number went down to 1000 000 and today there are about 250 000 native people in this area. Some of this tribes have never had contact with the outside world, they live from agriculture and fishing and have a huge knowledge about local medicinal plants and use shamans as doctors, most of the rainforest plants used by the natives have not been studied by modern science.

The main threats for the rainforest come from human activities like gold mining, wood extraction, burning the forest for agriculture, extraction of oil and building highways and settlements.

 The Amazonas River.

Amazonas river born in the peruvian andes at the Mismi mountain at 5170 meters high and flows in the Atlantic Ocean, in Brazil. It has a length: 6437 KM. and a wide of 10 Km to 40 Km in  wet season. The  Amazonas has about 1100 tributaries, the main ones are Marañon, Outumayo and Ucayali in Perú, Negro and Madeira in Brasil. The Amazonas river goes through Brasil, Peru, Colombia but the Amazon basin belongs to 9 nations: Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. The river enters the Atlantic Ocean in a broad estuary about 240 kilometres (150 mi) wide.

 The Amazon is the major South American river and the second longest river in the World with approximately 6400 kilometres (4000 miles) – only the Nile, in Africa, is longer, it carries more water than any other river in the world.

Off the beaten track: Yurimaguas, Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, Iquitos.

If you want to go off the beaten track and see the Amazon jungle you can take the route that starts in Yurimaguas town (Amazonas Region, Perú) and take the 10 hr. local boat to Lagunas village, contact some guides and explore Pacaya Samiria National Reserve by canoes, paddle  on the streams, watching the wildlife, fishing piranhas and camping in the bush. This can take 6/7 days inside Pacaya Samiria to explore it well. Then you have to come back to Lagunas village and take the 2 day local boat through Marañon and Amazonas river. You can get where the Amazonas river start and see how  amazing is this river. Arrive to Iquitoso town, spend a few free days to relax and fly back to Lima.