Rio Marañon: Nauto Caño & San Francisco
Nauto Caño is a lovely stream that flows into the Rio Marañon, and this morning, we headed out before breakfast to explore by skiff and kayak, then again after breakfast to explore by skiff. We’ve learned even by now that the first hours of the day are some of the best for spotting wildlife, and it proved to be true the morning. Three-toed sloths seemed to be everywhere! Well, perhaps we should rephrase that: wonderful views of a few of these long-limbed and slow-paced creatures were spotted, male and female, young and old, high and low.
At one point, there were even two sloths in view, one balled in the crook of a cecropia tree, one hanging it what appeared to be a death-defying move by its hind feet. Not surprisingly, the sloth seemed quite calm. And why not enjoy breakfast upside down?
Up the caño we went, trying this stream and that. Some found squirrel monkeys moving through the trees, others saw saddleback tamarins, but all of us admired the vegetation, particularly the impressive ficus trees and their busy fretwork of roots. In the cool, dim shade beneath these trees, it felt like a different world. Softer. Sheltered. Strange.
Back aboard Delfin II, we showered and then headed up on deck to learn more about local fruits from Rudy. It was an interactive discussion, complete with a bit of tasting. Now we are more prepared to connect the things on our plates with the ecology and culture of the Amazon… and we are glad to do so with such fantastic flavor.
Our afternoon took us downriver to San Francisco, a terra firme community just beyond Nauta. Here, we pulled on boots, sprayed on insect repellent, and again ventured into the trails of the jungle. It was quiet and still; muggy and green. The differences between varzea and terra firme are perhaps subtle to a new visitor to the Amazon, but we might be getting it. Different palms, different vines, but similar butteres roots and a similar sense of busy insects scurrying all about. We stopped to greet and thank the people of San Francisco after our walk. They had laid out carved gourds, woven bags, and other handicrafts, and we mixed photography with treasure-hunting.
After dinner, a night walk was planned, but a downpour made us reevaluate. We knew that we’d be fine in the rain, but our cameras might not, and who would want to miss out on opportunities to document the wild creatures of the Amazonian night? Later, we decided. Later.
