Adventures in the Amazon: Trekking the Jungle

by Kraig Becker on

Exploring the Amazon by boat is an incredible experience. The river is so vast and powerful that it can boggle the mind. For instance, during the high water season, it can reach 25 miles in width and more than 100 feet in depth. But there are certain aspects of the Amazon that you can only see if you leave the boat behind, and strike out into the jungle, which is as unique as the river it surrounds.

On my third day in the Amazon, we set out in the skiff like we had any other day, but this time the plan was different. Rather than piloting the boat far into the backwaters in search of wildlife and other unusual sights, we were looking for high ground, a place where we could go ashore and explore the Amazon on foot. Our guides knew where a small, permanent village was located not far from where we had set out that morning, and before long we were pulling into the shore, and hopping off the front of the skiff.

Wandering up the muddy banks and into a large clearing, we entered the village where a number of wide eyed children and mangy dogs looked on in curiosity. Scrawny chickens scrambled about as we passed, ducking under the primitive huts that were suspended above the damp ground on stilts. A half-dozen soccer jerseys hung from a laundry line, a testament to the popularity of the “beautiful game” even in this remote place.

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We soon walked through the village and approached a green wall of jungle that had one small opening onto a muddy path that wound off into the forest. A man from the village approached, spoke a few words in Spanish to our guide, and then led us down the path.

Within moments we were surrounded by jungle. The slight breeze that blew while near the river was gone, blocked by the impassable foliage, and the temperature increased noticeably just a few yards in. It had rained that morning, as it did 270 days a year in the Amazon Basin, which meant that the humidity was off the scale, and ground was saturated, turning what little trail we did have into a sea of mud.

The one thing you notice upon entering the jungle is the amount of noise that surrounds you. It isn’t overwhelmingly loud by any means, but there is just so much of it coming at you from all directions. Birds, bugs, monkeys, tree frogs, and more, all compete to be heard, squawking, chirping, and croaking as you pass. Occasionally we’d catch a glimpse of those animals in the branches overhead, but often they remained out of sight thanks to the thick jungle canopy. One thing was clear, the forest was alive all around us, and it was watching us as we were it.

The further we progressed into the jungle the narrower the trail became, and at times we were forced to break out a machete to continue to continue along our way. The fact that our boots were caked in mud didn’t help matters much, and neither did the very thick gaiters that we wore around our ankles. For those who don’t know, gaiters are a piece of gear that you generally slip over your boots on longer treks that help to keep rocks, dirt, and various other things from getting inside your boots and irritating your fee. Most of the time they are fairly light so that you barely even know they are there, but these particular gaiters, provided by the guides, were extremely thick and cumbersome, and it was difficult to not notice them as we hiked. As usual, there was a reason for this however. Typical gaiters would suffice to keep all the usual junk out of our boots, no doubt, but they don’t prevent snake bites the way these thicker versions do. When cutting through the dense jungle, you never know when you might come across one of the many snakes that inhabit the Amazon, some of which are deadly poisonous, and are apt to strike you on your ankles or calves.

Over the course of the next few hours, we wandered about the jungle, coming across wild banana trees, pineapples, papaya and more. We also wandered through a somber graveyard, built on the highest, driest, land the villagers could find, in order to protect those that were buried there. Our path even came across an incredibly dark, deep pond, which I dubbed a “Malaria Pool”, which seemed to have no way of navigating around. Instead, we had to make a perilous crossing on a 30 foot tree that had fallen between the banks. The trunk was thick and solid, but wet from the continuous moisture, and our muddy boots didn’t make the walk any easier. I grasped some low hanging vines to help steady me as I shuffled from one end to the other, and looking down along the way, I peered into the darkest pool of water I had ever seen. I imagined a jungle croc waiting beneath the surface or worse yet a large anaconda. Fortunately, I wouldn’t become acquainted with either that day, as I soon was standing on firm ground and continuing my trek.

Not long after the crossing of the “malaria pool” we found ourselves back at the banks of the river, where our taxi back to La Turmalina awaited. This wouldn’t be the last time we hiked in the jungle, but it left a lasting impression none the less. I couldn’t wait to see what other secrets the jungle had in store for us.

Next: A Night in the Rainforest

Read more Adventures in the Amazon posts HERE.

Adventures in the Amazon: Dolphins at the Confluence

by Kraig Becker on

The Amazon is a river of epic proportions. It stretches 4345 miles in length, making it the second longest in the world behind the Nile, but it is by far the largest in terms of volume, pushing more water than the next ten rivers combined. During the high water season, the Amazon can reach 25 miles in width at certain points, and more than 100 feet in depth as well. The Amazon is formed by the confluence of the Ucayalli and Marañon Rivers, which come together in the heart of the Peruvian rainforest. I traveled to that point, to see the headwaters of the Amazon for myself, and in the process, I had one of the most amazing experiences of the entire trip.

Early one morning, just before dawn, we set out from La Turmalina in one of the skiffs once agian. Our destination was the conflunce and before long we were cutting the engines and drifting in the exact spot where the Ucayalli and Manañon met. All around us the Amazon was being formed, as the two smaller tributaries came together to form the mightiest river on the planet.

The stillness of the morning was broken by a large splash not far from the boat. Another soon followed, and before long we were all watching the surface of the river intently, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever it was that was causing the splashes. We were rewarded by some spectacular views of the freshwater river dolphins that are known to swim the entire length of the Amazon.

There are two species of dolphins that inhabit the river, a smaller gray variety, not unlike the traditional saltwater dolphins that we all know, and a larger pink dolphin which is unique to the Amazon. Both were on display that morning although the pink variety were a bit more shy, perferring to mostly stay beneath the surface. As is typical with the species, we generally only caught a glimpse of their torso as they would briefly break the surface.

In contrast, the grey, bottlenosed species was down right social. They regularly leapt from the water all around our boat, giving us ample opportunties to watch these beautiful and intelligent creatures. For twenty minutes we sat there, while the dolphins played, and while we had other places to go that morning, none of us was in a hurry to move along.

I can honestly say that watching those dolphins that morning is amongst my favorite travel memories of all time. It was a beautiful setting, with the sun coming up over the rainforest, and the most iconic river in the world flowing around me. It was a real highlight of the trip, and an experience that I can attempt to share with you in the video below. This is footage that I shot, and later edited together, to give everyone an idea of what it was like there that morning. Enjoy.

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Next: Jungle Trekking

Read more Adventures in the Amazon posts HERE.

Adventures in the Amazon: Fishing for Piranhas

by Kraig Becker on

As I’ve mentioned in earlier posts, the Amazon Rainforest has an incredible diversity of wildlife. There are literally hundreds of different species of birds, amphibians, and mammals, and that doesn’t change when you go beneath the surface of the Amazon River, where more than 3000 species of fish dwell. Fish like the pirarucu, which can reach ten feet in length and weigh over 400 pounds, or the payara, which can also grow quite large, and have two distinctive fangs on their lower lip. Of course, the best known fish in the Amazon is none other than the piranha, which has a mean and nasty reputation, despite its relatively small size.

While that reputation is well deserved, it has also been highly exaggerated by Hollywood as well. The fish is definitely aggressive, and their sharp teeth can inflict plenty of damage, but attacks on humans, or larger animals for that matter, are a seldom occurance, and rarely fatal. One thing Hollywood did get right, however, is that Piranhas do tend to travel in large schools, which has only enhanced the idea that they are organized and efficient killers.

On one warm, and especially humid, morning while I was in the Peru, I found myself aboard one of La Turmalina‘s skiffs, along wtih a dozen others, edging our way deep into the Amazon backwaters. At times, the jungle was so thick that we had to break out a machete in order to clear a path for the boat. We were in search of a calm, open patch of water that would make for a good fishing hole, and since it was the high-water season, the fish had retreated far from the main channel.

%Gallery-63881%Eventually our guide indicated to the driver to stop, and they were soon handing out our sophisticated fishing gear which consisted of long wooden branches, which served as poles, with fishing line running their length and a medium sized hook on the end of that line. Chunks of beef were added to the hook, and would serve as bait for the hungry fish.

Our guide quickly demonstrated the process of attracing a piranha by dipping the end of the pole in the water and thrashing it about just below the surface. Apparently, this attracts the fish’s attention just before we drop the bait into the water, and it seemed to work, as it wasn’t long before several of us were getting tugs on the end of our line, tell-tale signs that the fish were biting.

The legendary aggressiveness of the piranha was on fine display that morning, as they were making it a habit of stealing our bait without having the common courtesy of joining us in the boat. The little fish would hit fast and often, and sometimes they would clean off the hooks without any of us even knowning. In fact, at one point, I drew my hook from the water to find that it was completely clean once again. This incited a round of chuckles from three of my fellow fishermen, whose lines dangled in the water right next to mine. I told them that they shouldn’t laugh until they had checked their own lines and upon inspection, all three of their hooks were clean as well.

Eventually we did start to get the hang of it, and began to haul the piranhas on board. Most were no more than six inches in length, but their razor-like teeth were constantly on dispaly, reminding us how they got that nasty reputation. I personally managed to catch three of the silver and orange fish, plus a “talking catfish” so named for the hisses and squeels that he made after I pulled him from the water. Over the course of the morning, nearly everyone else managed to catch at least one fish as well, much to their delight.

Later, back aboard La Turmalina, the ship’s cook would fry up the fish we caught and serve them as part of the evening meal. Most of my fellow passengers passed on trying the Amazonian delicacies, but those of us who opted to sample them, found the piranha to be quite tasty.

Our morning of piranha fishing turned out to be one of the most enjoyable of the trip. It was incredibly fun, and a bit surreal, to be fishing for the predatory fish while surrounded by the waters of the most powerful river on Earth. Afterall, how many people can say they caught, and ate, a piranha?

Next: Dolphins at the Confluence

Read more Adventures in the Amazon posts HERE.

Adventures in the Amazon: A Birdwatcher’s Paradise!

by Kraig Becker on

Cruising the Amazon aboard a beautiful, 19th century styled, river boat is a fantastic experience. The passengers aboard La Turmalina, the ship that was my home while I explored the river, spent a lot of time up on deck, watching the world around us drift by. But there was a lot more to our journey than just sitting on deck drinking Pisco Sours and admiring the scenery.

La Turmalina was outfitted with two twenty-foot skiffs, each powered with twin outboard motors. These powerful little flat bottomed boats became our shuttles to the backwaters of the Amazon, and we would make two or three daily excursions out into those remote regions to look for wildlife, visit local villages, and take in the beautiful scenery. The skiffs were maneuverable, making it easy to negotiate the sometimes narrow channels, that were often choked with vegetation, and yet they were still large enough to carry a dozen passengers, along with their gear, quite comfortably.

Riding in the skiffs allowed us to glide through the water and get very close to the wildlife that is so abundant in the Amazon. At various times we drifted silently under trees while over head monkeys played and sloths dozed. But the creatures that were in greatest numbers were clearly the birds, which came in hundreds of species and numbered in the tens of thousands.

%Gallery-63881%I’m personally not much of a “birder”, as bird watching enthusiasts are sometimes called, but even I couldn’t help but be impressed with the bird life that was on display in the Amazon. There were flocks of bright green parakeets zipping across the sky and white egrets spread their broad wings and took flight when ever we ventured too close. Under the dense canopy of the jungle, humming birds flitted about, no bigger than insects, while colorful toucans gave off their distinctive croaks.

All told, there are more than 600 species of birds in the Peruvian Amazon, ranging from the mundane like ducks and swallows to the more colorful and exotic like macaws and cuckoos. There are birds of prey, such as hawks and ospreys, as well as scavengers, like the vulture, which seems to make its home in all corners of the globe.

The Amazon is indeed a paradise for bird watchers, and some of my fellow passengers were very passionate about the pursuit. They would get very excited when we would spot yellow-tufted woodpeckers or masked crimson tanagers, and they were quick to grab their binoculars at the slightest movement at the top of the trees. One of the couples that I traveled with had circled the globe, spotting unique and interesting birds where ever they went. Near the end of our time in the Amazon, they proudly proclaimed that they had spotted 61 new bird species since coming to the rainforest. We added several more to the list that morning, raising their total even further.

For experienced birders, there are few places on Earth that can rival the Amazon for the pure number of birds that can be seen. Fully one third of the world’s avian species can be found in the jungles that surround the river, and there seems to always be a new one to see. It is safe to say that the bird watchers who traveled with me were quite content with what they saw, and were glad the made the journey just for the birds alone.

Next: Piranha Fishing!

Read more Adventures in the Amazon posts HERE.

Adventures in the Amazon: Life on the River

by Kraig Becker on

After spending the morning in the Belen Market, I was more than ready to truly get my Amazon Adventure underway. I’d been in Iquitos for a full day, and while I found the jungle city a fascinating place, I was eager to get out on the river itself.

I planned to cruise the river, along with a small group of other travelers, aboard a boat called La Turmalina for a week. The ship operates out of Iquitos and is one of the few that gives tourists access to the Amazon. Built almost entirely out of wood, and painted in bright colors, La Turmalina is styled after the 19th century river boats that once roamed up and down the Amazon, providing access to the region in a time before air travel.

I’ve mentioned the incredible diversity of life in the Amazon in previous posts, but heading out onto the river really brought that home. We were minutes out of Iquitos when we spotted the first river dolphins, and the number of colorful bird species increased immediately as well. Even more impressive than the animal life, which would come to include a variety of lizards and monkeys in the days ahead, was the flora. With more than 40,000 species of plants growing in the Amazon, and more being discovered all the time, you can imagine how lush, colorful, and diverse the rainforest can be.

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Amidst all that incredible diversity and stunning amount of life, the one creature I was surprised to see in such abundance was man. Make no mistake, once we set out from Iquitos, there were very few settlements of any size, but there were plenty of small huts, suspended above the river on stilts, lining the banks and throughout the day there was a constant flow of boat traffic, with local inhabitants paddling up and down the waterways.

Life for these river dwellers is, as you can imagine, fairly simple. The Amazon, both river and jungle, provides them most of what they need, although they make occasional trips into the nearby towns to trade for goods they can’t find themselves. They gather items from the rainforest or craft handmade goods to trade, and make the journey in simple dugout boats.

Most of the river huts that they live in are little more than simple wooden shacks with thatched roofs. A few have small generators for power, although most do not, and when the sun sets, darkness brings an end to their day in more ways than one. Those constructed right on the river are built on stilts to deal with the changing levels of the water, while the homes on higher ground sit on dirt floors with primitive living areas. The river provides for their water needs and they cook over open flames, much the way it has been for hundreds of years.

The people that live along the Amazon have a great respect for the river and jungle. They know that it provides them with everything they need to live, and they have a great understanding of how the variety of plants can be used for medicinal and herbal purposes. They are careful to maintain the environment, as it is their home, and they want it protected for the future. Something we could all learn from.

Next: Birdwatching in the Amazon

Read more Adventures in the Amazon posts HERE