One morning, after a breakfast of papaya and camu camu, fried plantains and made-to-order eggs, our boat stops at a tiny village called Loretto. We pick up Luis, who grew up on the river, to guide us on a walking tour through the rainforest. As we follow him, he points out tree-cutter ants, termite hills and towering cyanide trees. He silently points to capuchin monkeys jumping across the vines and ten minutes in, puts his finger to his lips and points to a huge black tarantula seemingly stuck to a tree.
