Our trek started at 8:15am, as we were the first ones off
the ship. Our small group of eleven
boarded our tour bus and met our guide Edi; she is Caboclo and will accompany
our group until we return to the ship.
Our ride to the pier, where we boarded a boat, took us through the city of
Manaus.
Manaus is the capital of the Brazilian state of
Amazonas. Located 900 miles from the
mouth of the Amazon, it is considered the “Paris of the Jungle”. With more than 2.1 million inhabitants, it is
located at the confluence of the Rio Negro River and the Solimoes section of
the Amazon. Here you will find the famed
“Meeting of the Waters” or where the black colored Rio Negro River joins the
milky coffee colored Amazon. The two
rivers move at different speeds and have very different acidity. This causes them to flow side by side until
the Rio Negro commingles with the Amazon.
Unfortunately, we did get to see this as, when we passed it on our way
into Manaus the sun was not yet up. On
our way out, the ship held a mandatory Life Boat drill refresher during the
time it was visible.
We did have an excellent view of the Rio Negro Bridge.
A very modern structure, it is over two miles in length and can accommodate
larger cargo ships, allowing improved access to cities further up the river. We docked at a unique floating pier. Because the height of the Amazon varies
widely between the wet and dry sessions, Manaus has a pier that floats and can
adjust to the current river level. The
current river level is 29 meters, tying an all-time record and, due to the
recent rains and is expected to rise even further and set a new record. After seeing the river at its highest, we
would love to return and experience the dry season.
We arrived at the EcoPark after our high-speed boat
ride. We enjoyed a welcome beverage,
dropped our luggage at the reception desk, and immediately boarded a small
boat. The boats are narrow and very
shallow to enable navigation in the small tributaries of the many river
branches. Entering the boat itself was
activity we would repeat multiple times and it required both balance and
nimbleness. First, you stepped on the
bow of the boat and then down to the “deck”.
The journey continued as you stepped over each row of seats heading towards
the stern. Once you found your row, you
raised the seat back of the last row you climbed over, so the next person could
sit in that row. To exit the boat, the
entire process was reversed. Of note,
stepping over each row was not easy for those of us who are vertically challenged. Those that are blessed with long legs had
their own issue as the boat also had a top that did not allow one to stand.
Once we were loaded up, we traveled down several channels adjacent
to the park. This afforded us an
opportunity to see the jungle up close.
Since the water level is at its peak, much of what we were seeing was
usually high up in the tree canopy. The
diversity of the dense vegetation was overwhelming. In terms of wildlife, we mostly saw birds (Crested
Caracara and a Flycatcher among them) during this outing as most of the jungle
comes awake at night. We went a little
deeper into the jungle on the last channel we visited. Here our guide turned off the small outboard
motor and we experienced the quiet of our environment. This silence would be very different from the
sounds of the jungle at night.
Our “resort” is located close to a monkey island, so we
headed there next; this is a sanctuary that works with monkeys that need
rehabbing or have been orphaned. We
unloaded from the boat and made our way up to a viewing area. The monkeys are free to roam all of the large
sanctuary, but several times a day, fresh fruit is put out - allowing visitors
to view the monkeys in their natural environment. Here we saw a female Bald Uakari, a red-faced
monkey. Unfortunately, she is believed
to be the last of her kind. The
sanctuary had a mating couple, but the alpha male from a different species
killed the male Uakari. We also were
able to see Common Squirrel Monkeys and Woolly Monkeys, including one female
with her baby hanging on tightly riding piggyback.
Leaving the sanctuary, we returned to the lodge, checked in
and had lunch. We had been warned that
the accommodations would be minimal, so we were not surprised by our room (no
TV, a more than firm bed, and definitely no internet access). The room was air conditioned, but that was
the only oasis from the heat and humidity.
If you have ever been in a steam room fully clothed, you might have some
idea of the experience. Although our
bedroom was air conditioned, our bathroom was not! Have you ever tried to dry off in 100%
humidity? We ate all our meals at the
open-air dining room; the reception area and bar were also outside, including an
area with a pool table.
The EcoPark grounds themselves provide wildlife-viewing
opportunities. Before our next
excursion, we had an hour or so to walk the grounds. We observed a monkey in
the treetops and several species of birds, including a Scarlet Macaw who liked
to frequent both the reception and dining areas. The park usually has a large beach area, but
due to the high water, very little was visible.
We did see some other guests swimming at the “beach”, though this was a
bit frightening considering the fact that other guests were fishing for piranha
off the dock less than 200 feet away! This did not deter another Crested
Caracara from sunning himself on the beach.
A few in our group spotted a Sloth resting in a tree, but he had moved
on when we tried to find him.
Mid-afternoon, we climbed back into the boats to visit a
Caboclo home. As mentioned in a previous
post, these locals are the descendants of the union of Portuguese men and
native Amazonian Indian women. The home
had many display areas and we moved from one to the next as Edi provided
commentary. We learned about the
medicinal value of jungle plants, how vegetables are turned into a grain-like
product (Yucca is grated, the water is rung out, then it the cooked over an
open fire) and how vulcanized rubber was produced by the natives during the
rubber boom.
The rubber boom began in Manaus following the discovery of
the vulcanization process by Charles Goodyear.
The Amazon area provided the rubber trees and the local population
provided the labor for the highly labor intensive process. Under the direction of sometimes-brutal
rubber barons, the locals were exposed to hard work and working
conditions. However, the mostly Portuguese
barons thrived and used their vast resources to bring in the best that Europe
had to offer to Manaus. The center of
Manaus is home to the famed Opera House.
Completed in 1897, it is built almost entirely of stone imported from
Europe, took over 30 year to complete at a cost of $10 million. Many buildings in Manaus were built using
stone brought from Europe; once the rubber cargo exported from Brazil was
offloaded, the ships needed ballast for the return trip, so stone was used –
then used for the building boom that was underway in Manaus!
Rubber production declined rapidly in the early part of the
1900’s as seeds were taken to England, where they were germinated and then exported
to Sri Lanka and other suitable lands held by the United Kingdom. England then became the primary producer of
rubber in the world and by the 1940’s, Brazil contributed less than 1%,
contributing to the decline of the Manaus economy.
Next up on our excursion list was Piranha fishing. Danny (a local that drove our boat), baited our
bamboo poles with a little beef and we learned how to tap the water with the
tips of the pole and to pull swiftly up when we felt a tug on the line. We were not terribly successful, even though
we tried two different “fishing” spots.
Most of us just lost our bait.
One “fisherman” in a nearby boat was successful. We did have more success in the bird sights; over looking our fishing spot was a Channel-billed Toucan. Our afternoon outing concluded and we had a
few hours to walk the grounds or cool off in our room. I bought a beer at the alfresco bar and headed
to the air- conditioned room! One must
stay hydrated in the jungle.
As sunset approached, we gathered by the dock and once again
maneuvered our way onto the small boats.
It was time to go Caiman hunting!
This consisted of a guide standing at the bow of the boat and, as we
worked our way into one of the channels, he would shine a bright light along
the “riverbank” which, due to the extremely high water level, consisted mostly
of dense trees and vegetation. We were
looking for the eyes of the Caiman which will reflect the bright light. Now, I do not want to impugn the voracity of
the event, but I do believe this entire scenario was staged. Although several times we believe we saw
those shiny eyes, we passed right on by them.
Suddenly the boat turned into a little cove and the guide flashed his
light into the area, however no eyes did we ever see. Danny (our local boy driving the boat),
suddenly slipped into the water, put a small flashlight in his mouth and off
into the dense greenery he went. We were
told not to take any flash photos during this time. After a few words spoken in the local language
and little thrashing of water, Danny emerged with a Caiman complete with his
mouth tied shut. A very impressive feat
while treading water and holding a flashlight in your mouth! The little fellow was brought aboard for all
to touch and photograph. Just as we
finished, another boat pulled up alongside.
So far, their hunting experience was not successful, so they were happy
to take the “trophy” off our hands.
Then, back at the Park, we gathered for dinner and to discuss
the day’s events. Most headed to their
rooms, a cool shower and hopefully a good night’s rest. Some folks tried to turn off the AC in their
rooms, only to find the heat and humidity too unbearable for sleeping. Even with the AC running, we could still hear
the jungle come alive. We heard a
variety of birds and other unidentifiable noises all night long. Not the best night of sleep we have ever had,
but enough to prepare us for the morning excursion.
Ah, morning in the jungle….already hot and sticky. Not sure I want that cup of joe this morning,
decided to go with water (you can never drink enough here). Most of us were waiting when the buffet
opened at 7am. We enjoyed the great
selection of fresh fruit, cold cuts, cheeses, hard-boiled eggs and baked goods. Then back to the room to gather our
belongings and soak up a little more air conditioning as this morning we are
heading out on our “jungle trek".
At least we do not need to climb into those little wooden boats again.
About 8am, we headed off.
Just behind the last cabin in the back section of the EcoLodge was a
path that led into the jungle. For the
next two hours, we stepped over fallen trees, twisted tree roots, and slippery
layers of decaying leaves, walked single file and stopped to hear about various
plants, trees and insects. For the first
30 minutes or so, the density of jungle grew as the trees became closer
together and the greenery moved higher up as the vegetation reached upward
seeking sunlight.
The variety of plant life was amazing. So many different leaf shapes; different
types of trees, and unidentifiable but colorful fungi. We did not spot any wildlife, but we did not
expect to. The large mammals are
sleeping and most birds remain in the tree-tops which are not visible due to
the height and density of the jungle.
However, we did see and learn a lot about insects and, more specifically,
ants. These creatures do not seem to
mind the heat and humidity, and continued the work at hand. We saw leaf cutting ants, termites, and army
ants. We learned about Giant Hunting
Ants. They are used during a right-of-passage
in some native Indian cultures. The ants
are placed on teen age boys who must endure the painful bites the ants inflict.
Unfortunately, some of our group had their own to close
encounter with some ants. As we gathered
around a fallen tree to learn about a specific plant, some of the group suddenly
complained of being bitten. Apparently,
several trekkers had brushed up against some ants as we stepped over a fallen
tree a few yards back. It turns out they
were Burchell’s Army Ants. These little
guys come in two types, the minima worker and the soldier. It seems we had stumbled upon the Soldier
type “equipped” with very impressive mandibles.
They do not inject venom of any kind, but do attach themselves with a
painful pinch. Once they “let go” the
pain goes away, and there is no bite mark or discomfort. The trick is to get them to let go! Although we were all wearing long pants and
long sleeved shirts, none of us had tucked our pant legs into our socks (a
recommendation made by Edi a little too late).
For most in the group, the ants had climbed up the inside of their pant
legs making it difficult to make them “let go” and remove the offender. We had a mini striptease moment as a few in
the group had to “drop their drawers” to get the little buggers off!
Throughout the hike, our guide’s assistant, Danny, of Caiman
catching fame, showed off some of his jungle skills. He made a wreath out of long vine-like branches,
wrapped it around his ankles and climbed 50-60 feet straight up a tree. Natives would use this method to reach
various nuts and seeds or to hunt. Just
like most activities in the jungle, hunting takes place at night. Danny also showed us a large tree with a
unique root structure. It created hollow
openings that can hide a grown man. More
importantly, when struck sharply with a stick, it produces a loud sound that
can be heard for quite a distance. This
method was used to communicate with to ask for help if lost in the jungle.
After making our way back to civilization, we gathered our
belongings, checked out, ate one last open-air meal and boarded a riverboat for
the ride back to our bus and rejoining the ship. Following a shower, the day ended early as we
fell exhausted into bed.
Link to photos:
6/4-5/17 Ecolodge photos
Really enjoying this. Stay Cool!
ReplyDeleteEnjoying your charming descriptions of events as much as your wonderful photos.
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