Friday, January 13, 2012, was the beginning of the Amazon Cruise part of our trip. We spent the entire day heading south to Pucusana to bird the coastal marshes, be exposed to a cross-section of the stark Atacama Desert of western Peru, and see many of the seabirds typical of the cold, rich waters of the Pacific Ocean's Humboldt Current. Pucusana is a traditional fishing village located 60 km south of Lima in southern Lima Province. It is bordered on the west and south by the Pacific Ocean. This site is a great spot for birding....lots of bird species. Shown here is part of our group getting ready to depart the wharf area for a boating/birding expedition around several islands in the area. Note the village and the arid region in the upper part of the photo.