Nauta Caño, San Francisco, and Yucuruchi
Our day began with a sunrise exploration amongst the black waters of the small stream of Nauta Caño. Egrets lined the shore while parrots flew overhead. Some of us took to the kayaks while others boarded the skiffs. The jungle symphony was the soundtrack, the lush forest the backdrop, and the monkeys and birds the main players. The stars were certainly the Saddleback Tamarins and the Squirrel Monkeys. As we sat quietly in the shade, they put on quite a show. An acrobatic performance was followed by a breakfast show, as we watched them feeding on various fruits and insects. One even seemed to enjoy the human show, as a Saddleback Tamarin sat on a horizontal branch watching us for quite a while.
In the afternoon we again entered the forest to learn more about the Amazon rain forest. Here the stars were our guides, who explained the many aspects of the terra firme forest near the community of San Francisco. As they have all grown up in the Amazon, they shared with us many aspects of the forest. What to eat, how to build a house, which animals use what, and what to look out for were all some of the knowledge we gained. A fiery sunset finished the afternoon as we sailed downriver towards the mighty Amazon.
For an encore, many of us set off for a night walk. Here the players switched to the nocturnal creatures, with many katydids, spiders, grasshoppers, and other insects leading the way. A few frogs joined in, and a snake was seen slithering up a branch. The eyes of a nocturnal bird in the distance reflected back our lights. The soundtrack was amazing, and the distant lightning provided the final fireworks to an exciting day.
