Amazon Natural Park & Nauta Caño
In our first activity of the day, we disembarked at a private protected park and after a short walk, we boarded small wooden catamarans without engines and using just wooden paddles we crossed a small lagoon. Our mission was to take a two-and-a-half mile walk along a very interesting area. Our expert local naturalist guides explained the complex ecology of the rain forest. They also taught us about the five layers a typical rain forest has. The first is the ground layer and mostly composed of grasses and seedlings; the second is composed of shrubs and small tress; the third is found halfway up the bigger trees and is called emerging layer; the fourth is located at the very top of the vegetation and is known as canopy; and the last is seen just above the vegetation and is called the soaring layer. Some species are exclusive to their own layer and never go any farther, while others go from layer to layer looking for food. It was very impressive to learn that just five percent of the sun’s light reaches the lower layer.
This morning we also had a lot of rain, which is normal for this part of the world. With the rain the water levels of all rivers rise, making it possible for us to explore deeper with our skiffs. On our way back we also learned about the rubber tree, which bought thousand of people to this region back in the early nineteen hundreds and after the second World War as well. All these people came looking for new opportunities and now they are here to tell us about their land’s secrets.
For the afternoon we decided to explore a small river branch aboard our skiffs and also with our kayaks. We saw dozens or maybe hundreds of species that not even the most expert person could know the name of all the jungle inhabitants, because it is just impossible for its rich biodiversity.
It was a memorable day spent among squirrel monkeys, hawks, turtles, herons, white-winged swallows, green iguanas, pink dolphins, frogs, sloths, parakeets, and many other creatures.
Our finally activity, after dinner, consisted in a forty-five minute night walk along a trail close to San Francisco village. This night visit was a unique experience with wonderful sounds coming from everywhere and at all times.
