Today we woke up to a very rainy morning, and to discover what the rainforest was truly all about! Our plans had to be altered, as it was impossible to even attempt a landing in such conditions. A decision was made and we waited patiently for the rain to calm down a bit, and when it did, we headed immediately to enjoy a nice walk in the forest. It turned out to be a fantastic feeling to be walking with the sound of the rain above hitting the forest canopy. We then understood how difficult life is for the under-canopy vegetation, as all the water is mostly retained by the large trees and the canopy above.
Our morning was spent exploring private land known as Amazon Natural Park. The area contained a large portion of primary forest, which even in the Amazon is hard to find nowadays. Large trees were found all the way along the trail, and we learned from our knowledgeable naturalists the importance of several species of plants and trees found along the way.
For our afternoon, we headed down into the Marañon River to a location known as Piraña Caño. We had the option to explore the creek either by kayak or by skiff, and they were both fantastic choices!
The kayakers were dropped up the creek, so minimal effort was required to explore the long and narrow tributary. It is a fantastic feeling to paddle down the river with only the noises of the forest as your companion.
As for the skiff riders, the encounters with wildlife were abundant. The landscape was adorned by not only the usual colors of the sunset, but this time a rainbow was added to the already beautiful scenery. It was truly a very enjoyable day in the rainy, mighty Amazon forest!
