Laguna Yarinacocha, Peru

[Martin Hash]

The Yarinacocha lagoon, near Pucallpa, Peru is really a U-shaped loop on the Ucayali river that is isolated during the dry season but flows freely most of the year. , from which it was isolated due to the diversion of the river bed. Both banks and the surrounding area are tropical jungle. Indigenous people have lived there for thousands of years but now it's mostly supported by touristy. It was one of those excursions that the posted hinted there was something up but you couldn't quite tell what so we took the chance. Of course, since all the landfalls were accessed by water, we loaded up in one of the shallow-bottomed long, narrow boats steered by an engine in the middle with a long drive shaft and propeller that the operator swiveled left and right. Our balance was so precarious that I couldn't imagine how an obese person could feel safe riding in the thing; just the four of us threatened to capsize at any moment. Plus, the motor is so loud it made me ill. Luckily, from previous experience, I had brought ear plugs but I worried about our just 2-year old grandson, Felix's, hearing.

Our first stop was the local Shipibo Konivo Community, which was home to the indigenous people with houses and a school. It was set up for tourists with shops and “museums,” but we were the only customers there. Interestingly, everywhere on the sides of buildings and signs was painted a stylistic motif that my son, Haven, told me was associated with these people, who adorned all of their handmade pottery and tapestries with it. One of the shop-owners gifted us a pottery vase adorned with it.

Shipibo Konivo Vase.jpg

The most fun we had wasn't even on the itinerary; it was a root-covered mangrove tree near the riverbank that could be climbed 5 meters up. Since I had a broken foot, I couldn't participate but everyone else did, including my wife, Gwynne, and my Incan daughter-in-law, Miran.



Our final destination was the Costa Del Ucayali Resort with restaurant, giant river-fish in tanks, play area for Felix, and a swimming pool with rope swings for adults. We were the only ones there besides the staff. It was one of those kind of day-trips that you can recommend but not really explain.