Amazon Private Reserve, Nauta Caño & Pahuachiro Trail
Last night we travelled further up the Marañon River for our last walk on this land whose nutrients on the forest floor never get replenished by floodwaters. The land is high enough such that the “white-water” from the Andes never over-flows its banks. As a consequence, the ecosystems on “terra firme” are very different from the flood forest ecosystems on the opposite bank, where the annual flooding leaves mineral-rich deposits for the local inhabitants (both flora and fauna) accustomed to this gift of plenty once a year.
We explored a private, well-maintained rain forest reserve that has a very good primary rain forest, wonderful trails, and a rain forest canopy bridge! Well, several segments, actually. After a mile in the forest, we stepped onto the slatted-wood bridge with strong steel cable and netting on the sides, and walked into a wonderland. Forest canopies across the globe were until recently a little-known world unto themselves. Today we can walk among the tall tree trunks and look down on the tops of palms and epiphytes. I walked with a passionate birding group this morning, and spent the time happily craning my neck to look through my binoculars into the upper branches of very tall trees. Our best finding, thanks to Jackie, were a pair of very quiet black-headed parrots, some of the prettiest parrots in the Amazon. On our way back across the little lagoon, a fortuitous sighting of movement turned into a couple of pygmy marmosets bounding away and up. It pays off to move slowly and quietly through the rain forest with a good pair of binoculars!
By the afternoon, the captain had repositioned the ship downstream. We tied up to a good-looking tree (meaning strong and not likely to get pulled into the river anytime soon) and prepared for our skiff ride up the small river known as “Nauta Caño.” As I’ve said many times, nothing beats sitting comfortably in a skiff while watching incredible scenery pass by, looking for exotic wildlife!
However, Mother Nature had something else in mind for us…the ying to the yang; the stars to the moon; the sun to the…rain! Finally, we experienced a true Amazonian downpour while out in the skiffs. We arrived in the river in sunshine, but soon came the blustering wind and then the rain. Of course we were prepared, watertight bags and ponchos ready. I thought it was marvelous to be out in the thick of it. Soon enough (20 minutes?) it passed over, and we were left with a damp and refreshed world. A sloth, squirrel monkeys, and horned screamers were part of our sightings, plus a piranha a fisherman had was a little bonus.
Tonight after dinner we did something special: a new trail for us, and a night-hike exploration at the same time. Pahuachiro trail, close to Nauta Cano, turned out to be the ideal location for adventures in the dark by flashlight. Flat terrain, because it is on flood-forest land (therefore we will not be able to use it all year), and interesting rain forest plants which attract interesting wildlife. What we found were frogs—three separate species, of which the biggest is known as the smokey jungle frog, size of small cantaloupe, with beautiful mottled coloration. My first ever! The other was found on a log over the river, also large (though not as), with noticeably long toes for grasping.
We got back in good time for a full night’s rest; tomorrow we have plans for another big day…buenas noches!
