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The story of Amaru Mayu
Amaru Mayu - "The mother serpent" (Anaconda) was the original name of Amazon River.
Francisco de Orellana, a cousin of Pizarro, in 1541 was trapped on the eastern foothills of Andes during an expedition to find La Canela (Cinnamon) and El Dorado Land. The only way out, for sick and hungry members of his expedition, was to drift on a balsa raft down the river they encountered.
On January 1, 1541, started this memorable voyage on what is now Rio Napo in Ecuador. It becomes a Rio Grande, which later was named Rio Amazonas to commemorate women warriors they encountered during the voyage.
Above his departure point, the town of Francisco de Orellana, or Coca, in Ecuador, a large river houseboat "Amaru Mayu" (Mother Serpent; Anaconda), powered by twin rating I Volvo turbocharged, inner cooled diesel engines, offers a comfortable platform to discover the fascinating world of Amazon Basin.
"Inti Amaru" (Solar Serpent), a 14 m. water jet powered canoe, trailing behind "Amaru Mayu", serves to explore smaller rivers and creeks.
Every day I see something new. In the mean while, I relaxe on the top deck enjoying the fresh breeze and sunshine with a fruit juice, or a cold drink spiced with rum, in the hand. When a tropical shower passes by, I can step down below the deck to an ample restaurant-bar offering 180 º views through wide tinted glass windows. Succulent meals are made with the fresh ingredients provided by native villagers.
As the evening sky changes from reds to violets, I light up grill, on the top deck, to serve the catch of the day accompanied by the classical jungle music provided free by Insects Outdoor Orchestra.
To create a warm home-like environment, the interior of the houseboat is lined with fragrant tropical hardwood.
This houseboat offers me with a solution to my life's question: "How to live in the places, which people visit during short vacations and make short visits to places where people live majority of time and be able to change views from the front windows from time to time."
Rafal Swiecki, p. eng.