This article was a finalist in the competition on indigenous journalism run by Survival International, democraciaAbierta and El Espectador.
Navigating through the Amazon River, floating green plants known as buchones are scattered through the river, accompanied by luscious mangrove trees, while the typical tropical jungle bushes, Renacos, with aerial roots that descend into the ground, open the way and welcome you to the Amazon basin, in heavy rain.
The trip to San Pedro de los Lagos is vibrant. It is 2 hours away from Leticia, Colombia and it is in the centre of the Yahuarcaca lagoon system, where one of the oldest indigenous communities resides, the Ticunas. The Ticuna people moved towards the banks of the great river during the colonial era. Its settlements are distributed around the Amacayacu National Natural Park, in Puerto Nariño and near Leticia.
