A Better Way to Get Around in the Amazon: Solar-Powered Canoes
They were athletes, headed to an intervillage sports competition, a cherished tradition that strengthens community bonds.
But it is one that had not happened in years, and for many participants, it was a reunion of sorts.
'I hadn't visited Kusutkao since I was a kid,' said Luciano Peas, 28, a member of the Achuar Indigenous group, referring to the village they were headed to.
The journey between the isolated villages was made possible thanks to their boat, a traditional river canoe aside from one distinctive feature on top: 24 solar panels that harness sunlight to power an engine.
The canoe is part of a growing fleet of electric-powered vessels providing a cheaper and greener alternative to diesel-powered boats that typically travel the Indigenous region's waterways.
colOmbia
ECUADOR
Detail
area
Iquitos
peru
Quito
Coca
ecuador
PASTAZA
Kapawari River
Peru
Kapawi
Kusutkao
50 miles
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