SPOTTED: Capybara

Weighing between 75 and 145 pounds, it is hard to think capybaras – the largest rodents on earth – are related to house-pet chinchillas and guinea pigs. Large as they may be, it is always very difficult to see them in the wild, as they live in areas of dense vegetation throughout South America.

Last week, guests from the M/V Aqua had the opportunity to see these shy rodents up close during an excursion along the Pacaya River. Howler monkeys, squirrel monkeys, macaws and many other animal species could be seen during the excursion, but nothing captivated guests more than the capybara sighting. Guest Jeff Nicola had the opportunity to take the photograph below–incredible!!

(Photograph by Jeff Nicola)

Tamanduas in the City

Last week, guests aboard the M/V Aqua got a special treat when they spotted a Tamandua during one of their water-based excursions. An ant-eating mammal with a tapered head and poor eyesight, a Tamandua’s tubular mouth opening is only as wide as the diameter of a pencil, from which the tongue is protruded to catch insects.

Also last week, our New York-based PR person, Nestor, had the same encounter while visiting the Central Park Zoo (pictured below). As part of the Rain Forest display, the New York institution known for being the inspiration for the movie “Madagascar” has a resident Tamandua that manages to sleep through the hoardes of curious guests tapping on its glass home.

Central Park Zoo’s Tamandua: http://www.centralparkzoo.com/animals-and-exhibits/animals/mammals/tamandua.aspx

Food Trip With Todd English Wins 2010 James Beard House Foundation Award For its All-Peru Episode

Celebrity chef Todd English won the award for “Best Television Special” at Sunday night’s 2010 James Beard House Foundation Awards, for the Peru episode of PBS’s Food Trip with Todd English, which featured chef English aboard Aqua Expeditions‘ luxury Amazon cruise and cooking at Inkaterra’s Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel.

The winning hour-long episode of Food Trip, filmed on-location in the Peruvian Amazon, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, highlights the best of Peruvian cuisine.  In the Amazon, chef English was guided by Peruvian star chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino and visited local markets, where he sampled various exotic ingredients.  Amazonian snails and catfish from a local market served as inspiration for a ceviche-cooking segment aboard the luxury vessel MV Aqua, which was topped off with Chef Schiaffino’s special Camu Camu Pisco Sour.

Aqua Expeditions’ public relations representative in the U.S., Nestor Lara-Baeza of WEILL PR, was fortunate enough to have been asked to accept the award for chef English as he had a previous engagement that evening.

Every Day is Earth Day in the Amazon

Aqua Expeditions operates in some of the most remote parts of the Peruvian Amazon, taking travelers into regions rarely seen by outsiders. Since its launch, Aqua Expeditions and its vessel, the M/V Aqua, have been conscious of the impact tourism can have on the environment and it has done everything in its power to minimize the impact of its operations. To read more about Aqua Expeditions’ eco-friendly initiatives, visit: http://aquaexpeditions.com/eco-friendly/

One of the programs Aqua Expeditions participates in is the Manatee and Dolphin Rescue Center near Iquitos. Guests can visit the center and make donations to protect these protected species. (Photo by Paul Rubio)

Guest Photo Safari: Where the Wild Things Are

Recent guest Paul Rubio shares some of his breathtaking photography while traveling on the M/V Aqua. Paul’s lens work captures some of the gorgeous vistas and wildlife found in some of the most remote parts of the Peruvian Amazon.

Aqua Expeditions Hosts an Evening at Olives With Todd English

Last week, Aqua Expeditions hosted an intimate trade event for top agents in New York City in conjunction with PromPeru and Orient-Express Hotels at Todd English’s Olives restaurant. A recent guest and fan of the M/V Aqua, Todd himself created a special menu for the event and even made a special appearance; sharing anecdotes from his trip, posing for pictures and greeting guests.

Pictured: Jack Bloch (JB World of Travel), Chef Todd English, Jeffrey Kane (Jeffrey’s World of Travel), and Francesco Galli Zugaro (Aqua Expeditions).

Food Trip With Todd English’s Peru trip nominated for James Beard House Foundation Award.

Congratulations to Todd English for being nominated for a prestigious James Beard House Foundation Award!

Todd English and his crew from PBS’ Food Trip with Todd English recently spent several days with Aqua Expeditions’ Executive Chef, Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, exploring the Peruvian Amazon and its unique cuisine. The 30-minute piece they filmed in Iquitos and onboard the M/V Aqua — along with the 30-minute piece they filmed in Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley — secured the nomination for a 2010 James Beard Foundation Broadcast Media Award for Best Television Special.

The James Beard House Foundation will hold its annual gala event on May 2, 2010, in New York City to announce the 2010 award winners.

Good luck to Todd and his staff; or as we say in Spanish, “buena suerte!”