Chaparrí Ecological Reserve: Peru

West of Chiclayo, approximately an hour and a half away, you’ll find Chaparrí Ecological Reserve, the first private conservation area in Peru. The name Chaparrí comes from the impressive mountain that dominates the landscape there. The 34,412 hectare (~85,000 acre) reserve is owned and managed by the Muchik community of Santa Catalina de Changoyape. The reserve is home to 219 species of birds, 15 mammals, four amphibians, and 22 reptiles. New species are sure to be added to the list as research and habitat protection continue at Chaparrí.

The most notable residents at Chaparrí are the spectacled bear and the white-winged guan. The spectacled bear is the only bear in South America. The bear population at Chaparrí includes individuals from the last remaining viable population of the species inhabiting dry forest. Chaparrí currently has seven bears in enclosures, two of which are ready to be released in the wild soon. In addition, there are close to 20 individuals inhabiting the forests of the reserve.


The white-winged guan is a critically threatened bird that is only found in a small area of dry forest in the areas of Lambayeque, Piura, and Cajamarca in northern Peru. The guan was thought to be extinct for more than a century until it was rediscovered in 1977. Chaparrí has championed a successful reintroduction project and today, you can see more than 60 guans ambling around the reserve.


Chaparrí is well worth the trip from Chiclayo. You can spend a night in the rustic lodge and be lulled to sleep by the sounds of Peruvian pygmy-owls and screech-owls. In the morning, you can hit the trails in search of the reserve’s two famous species. In all likelihood, you’ll see curious foxes, buzzing hummingbirds, and raucous white-tailed jays along the way. The money spent at Chaparrí will help feed the animals, pay the local guides, maintain the facilities, and educate local children. This is sustainable tourism in action.

Peruvian Hairless Dog

If you travel to northern Peru to explore the archaeological sites, keep an eye out for a famous resident of the four-legged kind – the Peruvian hairless dog. As the name suggests, this breed is devoid of hair except for small amounts on its head, feet, and the tip of its tail.


The Peruvian hairless dog is often associated with the Incas, but ceramics from the Moche and Chimu cultures dating back to approximately 800 AD depict this breed. Its exact origin is unknown, but it seems to have always been used for companionship. The Incas are known to have used them has bed warmers. The body temperature of these canines is higher than other breeds so they’re supposed to be ideal for snuggling on a cool night.

The gene dictating hairlessness also affects their number of teeth. The hairless dog lacks molars and often premolars - the same teeth located at the back of your mouth and used for grinding. If you’ve ever watched a dog chewing on a bone, you may have noticed that they work the bone at the back of their mouth. The Peruvian hairless dog doesn’t have that ability so their diet is limited. Out in the wild, they hunt small lizards; prey any bigger would pose a mastication problem. It looks like Llaipi and Al-Aec, residents of Huaca de Luna (Temple of the Moon) near Trujillo, are well taken care of – the reverence for this ancient breed continues.



The hairless dog received national attention in November when the Peruvian government offered a 4-month old puppy named “Machu Picchu” (nicknamed “Ears”) to our new president elect and his family. Despite being naked, warm to the touch, and devoid of some teeth, they make ideal pets for people with allergies. Malia Obama is allergic to dogs. Throw some clothes on the little guy (he seems a little underdressed if you ask me), and maybe we’ll see him strutting his stuff on the White House lawn, conjuring thoughts of Peru in all that see him.

Arrival in Lima, Peru

I finally made it to my hotel in the Miraflores section of Lima just after 1 am local time (two hours ahead of Denver). Total flight time was 8.5 hours passing through Houston International Airport. Most flights from the US arrive in Lima near midnight. If you’re headed to another destination, e.g. Cusco the next morning on an internal flight, try booking a room at the Ramada Costa del Sol at the airport. You’ll give yourself an hour’s worth of additional sleep.

As I made my way through the immigration line at the Lima airport I was thinking how smooth the day had gone. I should’ve never let that thought make its way into conscious thought. As my passport was being scanned, I saw an Interpol warning flash on the screen and the man behind the desk asked me if I had any problems he needed to know about. I said no, and he let me go after a few moments of my heart racing and blood rushing to my face.

A few minutes later at the baggage carousel, an Interpol officer approached me and said he needed to verify my documentation. I thought my heart was racing before. Now, my chest felt like it was going to explode. I told him I wouldn’t go into an office without someone who spoke fluent English and Spanish with us. Luckily, I was able to find a volunteer eager to practice his English. I’m still not sure why my passport was flagged, but apparently I’m not the only Sheridan Samano out there, and the other one must pose a security risk. I always thought my name was unique enough to be a “one and only”.

I hope this isn’t a sign of things to come over the next 9 days. Let me take that back. I guess the adventure has officially begun.

Coca Leaf: Peru

If you Google coca on the internet, many of the websites you’ll pull up deal with the carbonated, caffeinated, and shall I say tasty, beverage Coca-Cola™. This makes sense seeing as the popular beverage, invented in 1886 by a pharmacist in Atlanta, Georgia, contained extracts from the coca plant (Erythroxylon spp.) until the early 1900’s. Upon my arrival in Cusco, the Inca capital of Peru, I was on the lookout for a coca beverage of a different name – mate de coca (coca tea).



The coca plant is native to the Andes mountain range in South America. This species is venerated by the Incas, both past and present. Coca leaves have either been chewed or seeped to make tea by South American indigenous cultures for thousands of years. In Cusco, a city more than 11,000 feet in elevation, coca tea is often times given to travelers to counteract altitude sickness. The tea is known to stimulate respiratory function and to act as an analgesic.

I’m prone to altitude sickness, so I was looking forward to indulging in a beverage sure to counteract the negative side effects associated with my arrival in this two-mile high city. Unfortunately, the coca tea didn’t help me, and I spent my first few hours in Cusco lying flat on my back having succumbed to altitude sickness. Later on in the trip, I discovered a possible explanation for the tea’s lack of effectiveness.

Enter our guide Wagner at Machu Picchu two days later. Wagner began our tour with the requisite information about Inca construction, their way of life, and agricultural methods. As our tour was winding down, he gathered us into an empty building. I felt like we were about to become the newest members of a secret society. Wagner lowered his voice as he began to extol the virtues of the infamous coca leaf in Inca history.

In Peru, coca leaves are a common sight at markets, but it’s illegal to leave the country with the leaves in tow (unless you live in Bolivia). The coca leaf, admittedly, has attained notoriety; but is the notoriety a byproduct of guilt by association? Cocaine is the villain in this story (as it should be). The coca leaf, however, is a different matter altogether. The percentage of cocaine in green, dry coca leaves is merely 0.01% (obviously not even enough to counteract my altitude sickness). Synthetic cocaine, the “recreational” variety, has a concentration of 50-100%. Now I’m no mathematician, but that’s a big difference.



During the course of Wagner’s presentation, he focused on the chewing of coca leaves (which in actuality is a sucking of the leaves). So what’s the benefit of chewing coca leaves if it has such a small amount of the active ingredient? That depends on whether or not you chew the leaves before a meal or whether it’s after a meal. The effects are opposite.

If you chew coca leaves prior to eating, it stimulates catabolism, or digestion, thereby promoting appetite suppression. Your body thinks it has just eaten and it’s in a restful mode.

If you chew coca leaves after a meal, it stimulates anabolism, the opposite of catabolism – think of anabolic steroids and major league baseball fame. Coca after a meal puts the body into a higher gear, increasing respiration, relieving pain, and ultimately promoting an increase in muscle mass and subsequent weight gain if you’re participating in strenuous activities. Aha! That just may answer the question: “How did the Incas move those huge stones?” This question was asked on more than one occasion during this trip.

It may also explain why I still felt the negative effects of altitude sickness in Cusco even though I partook in some coca tea – I hadn’t eaten a meal yet. My body was coaxed into a resting state instead of being amped up. Catabolism was stimulated instead of anabolism.

Next time I travel to Cusco, I will make sure to have a snack or meal before drinking coca tea. Better yet, maybe I’ll chew leaves since the effects are supposed to be greater than with the tea. I will also pick up one of those thought-provoking t-shirts stating “La hoja de coca no es droga”. Translation: the coca leaf is not a drug.

Peruvian Orchid and Krusty the Clown

Is there really an orchid that looks like a character on the Simpsons? Believe it or not there is: the Peruvian Wiñay Wayna orchid bears a striking resemblance to Krusty the Clown of Simpsons’ fame.

If you travel to Machu Picchu and keep an eye out for members of family Orchidaceae, always botanical crowd pleasers, you just might spot the common Wiñay Wayna orchid (Epidendrum secundum). Wiñay Wayna means “forever young” in the local Quechua language. It’s one of the most common orchids inhabiting the areas near Machu Picchu and along the Inca trail. This orchid species flowers all year long – it is forever young. Look at it closely, and you just might be able to make out Krusty’s crazy hair, big eyes, and an even bigger mouth.