August 7, 2009.
Traveling to Parinari.
Today is the day we’re going pretty far up river to the rather remote village of Parinari. The residents up here are
primarily Chayahuita Indians, and they’ve been told that a medical/dental team is trying to get to them on this day.
The trip can be a bit tricky this time of year, and the water level in the Rio Yanayaku can be treacherously low during
the dry season, with lots of semi-submerged logs.
We were up very early this morning, and were boarding the boat by 0630. This boat had a plastic roof cover for us;
sitting for several hours in the blazing sun might have rendered us non-functional by the time we got there. We
headed up the Rio Huallaga again, this time up river rather than traveling down it (as we had done to get to Puerto
Arturo yesterday). We all packed extremely light, as every extra pound could give us trouble when we turned off the
Huallaga onto the more narrow and shallow Yanayaku.
The stronger motor pushed us up through the current rather briskly, and the team settled in for the ride. The hard-
boiled eggs and some boiled potatoes were brought out and passed around for breakfast.
For 3 hours, we pushed on up the Huallaga, around countless twists and turns. The scenery went from high dirt cliff
banks to rice fields that were seemingly out in the middle of nowhere. Fishermen or boys with stacks of bananas
paddled along in their dugouts. Birds fished along the edges of the river.
Then the captain steered the vessel toward the left side and began turning. The Rio Yanayaku came into view, a
much smaller river with vegetation hanging over the water’s edges. Now it was slow going, and the captain really
showed his skills as he drove the shallow twists and turns, dodging fallen trees, logs, and the sand bars.
The sounds of the jungle closed in around us: monkeys in the trees, many types of birds squawking and cawing and
cooing, and a slight breeze rustling the leaves. It was like being in the middle of a movie set, almost unbelievable.
Occasionally, we would see a man or some young Indian boys fishing along the bank or in their dugout, but
otherwise there were no visible humans. In what seemed to be the middle of nowhere, a large hardwood tree had
been felled, and a stack of several pieces of the wood were awaiting boat transportation out of the jungle. The
hardwoods are still under assault out in the rainforest.
After 1 ½ hours on the Yanayaku, a young man fishing along the edge was asked how far it was to Parinari, and he
motioned up ahead and said it was just a few more turns. We continued on. Coming around one final turn, a
landing area came into view, and a few people were waiting there for us. It was Parinari, just 5 hours and 10 minutes
from Yurimaguas by boat.
Our legs were tired and cramping, so we got out and stretched a bit. The village was “up this trail”, so we hauled our
supply bags and trunks off the boat and began the hike toward the settlement. Several young men met us along the
way and, fortunately, they took most of the heavy stuff from us and carried it. It was a 25-minute hike.
We were there! The chief came out to meet us and expressed the gratitude of his villagers.
It is impossible for us to imagine how different these people live and work compared to what most Americans
experience. In a very short time, one can fly from Florida, bus to Yurimaguas, boat up the Huallaga and the
Yanayaku, and hike the last mile to the village of Parinari. It’s really not that far, but it is so far away….
Traveling to Parinari.
Today is the day we’re going pretty far up river to the rather remote village of Parinari. The residents up here are
primarily Chayahuita Indians, and they’ve been told that a medical/dental team is trying to get to them on this day.
The trip can be a bit tricky this time of year, and the water level in the Rio Yanayaku can be treacherously low during
the dry season, with lots of semi-submerged logs.
We were up very early this morning, and were boarding the boat by 0630. This boat had a plastic roof cover for us;
sitting for several hours in the blazing sun might have rendered us non-functional by the time we got there. We
headed up the Rio Huallaga again, this time up river rather than traveling down it (as we had done to get to Puerto
Arturo yesterday). We all packed extremely light, as every extra pound could give us trouble when we turned off the
Huallaga onto the more narrow and shallow Yanayaku.
The stronger motor pushed us up through the current rather briskly, and the team settled in for the ride. The hard-
boiled eggs and some boiled potatoes were brought out and passed around for breakfast.
For 3 hours, we pushed on up the Huallaga, around countless twists and turns. The scenery went from high dirt cliff
banks to rice fields that were seemingly out in the middle of nowhere. Fishermen or boys with stacks of bananas
paddled along in their dugouts. Birds fished along the edges of the river.
Then the captain steered the vessel toward the left side and began turning. The Rio Yanayaku came into view, a
much smaller river with vegetation hanging over the water’s edges. Now it was slow going, and the captain really
showed his skills as he drove the shallow twists and turns, dodging fallen trees, logs, and the sand bars.
The sounds of the jungle closed in around us: monkeys in the trees, many types of birds squawking and cawing and
cooing, and a slight breeze rustling the leaves. It was like being in the middle of a movie set, almost unbelievable.
Occasionally, we would see a man or some young Indian boys fishing along the bank or in their dugout, but
otherwise there were no visible humans. In what seemed to be the middle of nowhere, a large hardwood tree had
been felled, and a stack of several pieces of the wood were awaiting boat transportation out of the jungle. The
hardwoods are still under assault out in the rainforest.
After 1 ½ hours on the Yanayaku, a young man fishing along the edge was asked how far it was to Parinari, and he
motioned up ahead and said it was just a few more turns. We continued on. Coming around one final turn, a
landing area came into view, and a few people were waiting there for us. It was Parinari, just 5 hours and 10 minutes
from Yurimaguas by boat.
Our legs were tired and cramping, so we got out and stretched a bit. The village was “up this trail”, so we hauled our
supply bags and trunks off the boat and began the hike toward the settlement. Several young men met us along the
way and, fortunately, they took most of the heavy stuff from us and carried it. It was a 25-minute hike.
We were there! The chief came out to meet us and expressed the gratitude of his villagers.
It is impossible for us to imagine how different these people live and work compared to what most Americans
experience. In a very short time, one can fly from Florida, bus to Yurimaguas, boat up the Huallaga and the
Yanayaku, and hike the last mile to the village of Parinari. It’s really not that far, but it is so far away….
| The mission team, our missionary Susan Holowecky (middle, front), the mission staff and translators, our skilled captain (way in the back of the 40-foot vessel), and all of our supplies, tents, and food all fit into the boat. We packed as light as possible for the shallow trip up the Yanayaku. |
TODAY'S VIDEO..........