This blog will take you to places you’ve always wanted to see and to some you may only have heard of. Its purpose – to immerse you in extraordinary tastes and colors, smells, sights and experiences, infecting you, or perhaps aggravating, an already serious case of wanderlust.
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Peru – Amazon – Pink Dolphins, Jungle Cafe and Fond Farewells
Our expedition leader, Lucio, explains that every Lindblad/National Geographic excursion features a special breakfast away from the boat, and ours will be at the Jungle Cafe. We clamber aboard the skiffs, wondering at the possibility of such an establishment in the middle of the wilderness. All becomes clear when we tie up next to a skiff staffed by our white-gloved servers, filled with everything we will need for a multi 
course breakfast. Fresh juices, fruit skewers, egg salad sandwiches, pastries, coffee. It’s all served beautifully, of course, on Delphin II tableware, as the river laps against our skiffs and we watch morning come to the Amazon.
It is our last day on the river. We’ve been promised that we will swim with the pink river dolphins, a freshwater species unique to the Amazon. All week we’ve watched them from the Delphin II, as they suddenly appear to swim along beside us, and disappear just as fast. Yes, they are pink, and river legends have it that they are enchanted creatures. Amazonian women are warned to beware of their charms, for there are multiple accounts of their ability to seduce when they come out of the river and take human form, enticing new lovers back to Encante, their golden underwater kingdom. I, for one, am ready to take my chances.
The skiffs head for a black water lake, a favorite pink dolphin hang out. We spot them, a distance from our boats, 
leaping out of the water. We leap too, into the warm water, made black by acids of inundated plants. Delightful. There are multi-colored noodles for those of us who prefer to float around, and bottles of beer and soda to drink as we paddle. Although the dolphins keep their distance, we are privileged to share their element, their world. Needless to say, Emma is ecstatic.
We all agree that our time on the Delphin II has gone by way too fast. Emma lets us know she would stay forever. She knows everyone on the boat far better than we do – staff and guests – and there are many fond farewells and hugs. She and Nat Geo photographer, Jeff, promise to stay in touch (and they do). It has been an adventure magical beyond expectations.
Encante could not be better.
Peru – Eating on the Amazon
We can’t say goodbye to the Dolphin II without a mention of the culinary wonders that emerge from its kitchen as we sail through the vast wilderness of the Pacaya-Sameria Nature Reserve. Our mornings begin with waiters bringing us our beverage of choice – Emma’s is always hot chocolate – before we circle the platters of fresh fruits – both familiar and brand new. Alongside are pitchers of juice – all fresh. My favorite? Passion fruit. Yogurts – flavored and not – cereals for the less adventurous, cheeses, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers and olives for those inclined toward the savory.
Spread along the counter that looks into the kitchen is an array of pancakes, bacon, ham, sausage, blood sausage, frittatas, toasts, rolls and pastries.
Not enough choice? You can always order from the kitchen.
If you manage to restrain yourself at breakfast, or expend extra energy hiking through the forest, you may be ready for a three course lunch. But ready or not, how to resist the artful presentations, the new tastes?
Thank goodness for nap time, needed much more to digest than to recover from strenuous activity. Of course, Aldo is ever present at the bar to concoct your favorite or dispense complimentary pisco sours (see Learning on the River for recipe).
There is always a line when the dining room doors open at 7, though 
no one can possibly be overly hungry. Again, we face three courses. Day by day my amazement grows. The kitchen continues turning out gourmet dishes as we sail eight days through the wilderness. I can’t imagine their grocery list – and there’s no possibility of running out to buy a missing ingredient.
Just as impressive as the meals are the table settings. Unbelievably, they change at every single meal – no repeats. What colors will we find? What tropical flowers? What handicrafts? What Neverland 
interpretations of Amazon fauna?
Some hardy souls are ready for the nightly film, the younger among us. Mostly, we stagger to our room. Chocolates are waiting on our pillows.
From the Miss Mouse Chronicles – A Cathedral Christmas
Miss Mouse could just make out a scurrying shape in front of her as she struggled through the deepening snow toward the National Cathedral. The big lump of gorgonzola in her backpack made it hard to scamper. The tower bells played “Silent Night” as people streamed out the huge doors into the dark night. The doors would close when the music ended and if she didn’t hurry she might miss the Christmas Eve celebration that brought mice from all over Washington D.C. Miss Mouse made her paws go faster.
The scurrying shape stopped. “Merry Christmas,” she called to the stranger as she came closer. He was bending over a small brown mouse, almost covered with snow.
“She must be very sick,” he said. He lifted her head and the small mouse moaned, her eyes closed. “We must get her inside. By the way, my name is Theodore.”
“Miss Mouse, here. Nice to meet you.” The bells were on the last verse of “Silent Night” and only a few stragglers were coming down the cathedral steps. “We have to hurry!” They tried lifting her arms. She groaned. “It would be easier if we had something to hold on to,” Miss Mouse said. She took off her backpack, dumped the cheese in the snow, and buckled it around the brown mouse. They each took a strap and pulled, struggling through the snow to the bottom of the steps.
“I’m going for help,” Miss Mouse said and she scampered up the steps and into the Cathedral. It was warm inside and smelled of incense and pine boughs. She ran along the shadowy walls to the chapel where the nativity scene was displayed. The mouse choir was warming up behind the figures of Mary and Joseph.
“Come quick and bring the ribbon!” she called to the mice wrapping gifts. They followed her out into the snow as the bells in the tower played the final notes of “Silent Night.”
“Quick,” Theodore said, “tie the ribbon to the backpack!” Miss Mouse knotted the ribbon around the strap, hoping it would hold. “Now, pull!” cried Theodore. Mice spread out along the ribbon, dug their paws into the snow, and slowly moved the sick mouse up the steps. Just as they reached the top, they saw the verger in his long black robe, coming down the center aisle.
“Do something!” squeaked Miss Mouse. “Don’t let him close the door!”
They let go of the ribbon and charged. The verger jumped back and dropped the key as twenty mice scampered and squeaked around him. It took three mice to push the key under a nearby pew. Miss Mouse and Theodore pulled the sick mouse through the door and into the shadows. The others fled in all directions as the verger bent to pick up the key.
“Well, I never,” he muttered to himself, shaking his head. He closed the giant doors and headed out into the snowy night.
Theodore and Miss Mouse lay panting next to the small brown mouse. “Who is she? What’s wrong with her?” everyone wanted to know. Miss Mouse and Theodore had no answers. They helped move her to the nativity chapel. Gently, the mice lifted the small body into the manger and made a nest for her in the straw next to the figure of the infant Jesus.
Cathedral mice, hosts for the evening, lit candle ends placed all around the chapel. It glowed. Over some of the candles hung pots of herb tea made from plants in the Cathedral gardens. As the tea warmed, its soothing summery scent filled the chapel. Other candles warmed pots of bean soup brought by the Senate mice. White House mice arranged platters of the President’s favorite fruit cake. Theodore sat by the brown mouse, stroking her forehead. He rubbed behind her velvety ears.
The choir gathered and the celebration began. They sang “Oh, Come All Ye Faithful.” Miss Mouse had a second verse solo. The brown mouse opened her eyes. “Away in a Manger” was a favorite. “. . . the little Lord Jesus lay down his sweet head.”
There was a squeak from the manger.
“Oh! Oh! Oh!” stammered Theodore. Mice ran to the manger and saw not one brown mouse – but THREE brown mice – two of them tinier than a thimble.
The new mother smiled up at them. They ran to get her an acorn shell full of tea and a particularly blue piece of cheese. “Thank you,” she murmured.
“Oh, what a Christmas!” exclaimed Miss Mouse.
The choir sang “Joy to the World!” as they never had before.
May your Christmas be full of small miracles – 2016 too!
Peru – The Amazon – Meet Los Ribereros
Of course, the Amazon is more than exotic plants and animals. The ribereros, in villages large and small, make their lives along its banks. For a close up look, we visit San Francisco, a village National Geographic/Linblad Expeditions has been involved with for some time.
At one end of its only street stands the church.
At the other end is the general store.
We stop to meet a mother, busy with her toddler, her baby and her weaving project.
She invites us into her spotless three room house – kitchen, bedroom (in photo),
sitting room.
The women here use local materials to make fanciful versions of Amazon wildlife. Of course, we can’t resist.
Passengers on the Delphin II donate bags full of school supplies and fun
things to delighted small people. We get songs of thanks in return,
and the opportunity for Emma to cuddle a baby sloth. Neither wants to let go.
Our naturalists tell us that while villagers do without much of the stuff we consider essential, a couple of hours of spear fishing in the morning and a little farming provide their daily 
bread and a surplus to sell. The rest of the time is theirs to hang out with family and community.
Of course, not all is bliss. National Geographic and Lindblad work with Minga Peru to train
local leaders in resource management (agro-forestry, crop cultivation, construction and management of fish ponds), conservation, and women’s empowerment. Some of the leaders give us a briefing. One of the focuses of Minga Peru’s twice-weekly radio program, “Bienvenida Salud!” (Welcome Health) is prevention of domestic violence.
Peru – The Amazon – Learning on the River
Granddaughter and contributing Amazon expedition photographer, Emma, is helping her school raise money to drill wells to provide clean water to needy communities in Africa. So far they have raised $12,705. Each well costs $5,000 and they are hoping to raise enough to fund 4 wells before the drive closes at Thanksgiving. If you are interested in giving a hand, check out mycharitywater.org/m1/2015
As the Delphin II motors on to our next destination, the crew furthers our education.
We’re introduced to the exotic fruits we’ve been eating.
We have a lesson in how to shoot a blow gun.
Our National Geographic 
photographer, Jeff, gives us lessons in an attempt to improve our photos. Many of us are using smart phones, nothing to compare with his equipment.
Here’s a daily schedule. Bar tender Aldo teaches us how to make Pisco 
Sours – very important! Pisco is a grape brandy made from muscat grapes. His recipe:
Shake with ice – 1 oz lemon juice, 1 egg white, 1 1/2 ounce pisco, 3/4 oz simple syrup. Pour into glass and add three drops of angostura bitters to the foam. YUM!
Our multi-talented steward, Elvis, is a wiz at towel origami. Every morning, when we return from breakfast, we find another one of his masterpieces on our bed. Unfortunately, the video of Elvis demonstrating how to make an elephant is too big to include.
After dinner the Chunky MonkeysIMG_0861 – the crew band – introduce us to local music. Elvis is the star, playing his native flute. Lucio, our expedition leader from Equador, has the best moves.IMG_0859
