Amazon

Fishes such as El Dorado and the Pintadillo are used to make the Partarasca, one of the most typical dishes in the region, which is prepared by seasoning the fish with plenty garlic, pepper and onions before cooking it on leaves of plantain. The result is an exquisite and juicy meat garnished with patacones (fried plantain) and fariña (a flour made from yucca roots).

Cultural Visits

The Ethnographic Museum of the Amazonian Man in Leticia is the perfect place to learn more about the local cultures in the Amazon Rainforest. It has a collection of artifacts proceeding from the Ticuna, Huitoto and Yacuna ethnicities. The objects exhibited such as ceramics, paddles, bow and arrows, were used in rituals, ceremonies, and other events.

The natives in the region make baskets to transport food from the fields or for decorative purposes, they also make hand fans, blowpipes etc. These objects are made from the Yarumo tree, a species of palm tree commonly found in the rainforest. The Guamo tree is also used as a raw material (a sticky juice is extracted from the tree and then used to dilute tints and fix it on fabrics). The most common dyes are black or red, and are created from the bark of the tree, from ashes, or extracted from the achiote fruit. These are clearly manual labors, hence the use of tools like saws, machetes, or coping saws.

The Golden Pirarucu Music Festival is a popular musical event. This festival has been taking place on the 28^th of November since 1987. It is named after the Pirarucu, a large sized fish commonly found in the Amazon river and its tributaries. It is a festival celebrating the traditions, cultures and most importantly, the popular music of the Amazon. It is a cultural meeting between the three nations sharing a border on the Amazon river: Brazil, Colombia, and Peru.