Nahuapa River & Nauta Caño
Everyone was up for the early morning outing today. It had been learned yesterday that most wildlife is active in the fresh early hours of the day, and the late afternoon hours before sunset. So today we all departed by skiff to explore the Nahuapa River. This is a small, black-water river off the Rio Tigre, off the Marañon River. It runs through what is known as “terra firme,” land that never floods. For this reason, the ecosystem is different, vegetation different, and inhabitants, therefore, different. To the layman or woman who travels for the first time in these parts, the differences are probably too subtle to be picked up, but there are species we do not easily (I don't say ever), see elsewhere. Toucanets were spotted, Cuvier's toucans (the largest), blue dacnis and turquoise tanagers among others. A white-faced rat was sitting in his hole in a tree-trunk, a squirrel cuckoo stood still (for once). We ended the morning before breakfast with a visit to an older couple who own thatched, bamboo and cane house on the banks of the river. Kindly, they don't mind all these outsiders coming to see their way of life.
I believe it is important for our guests to understand and see where one particular food item comes from, that we eat in various forms daily. Manioc, cassava, Manihot esculenta, or locally called “yucca.” NOT “yucca” from the southwest, is the second-most important food crop in the world. Originating in the Amazon, possibly even in this part of the Amazon, it has now been introduced around the world, and grows well in the tropics. A toxic covering keeps it safe from invasive fungi or more, and so can be left underground (its a tuber) for months without rotting, until harvested when needed. The owner of the homestead allowed our naturalist to heave on a ready sapling of manioc, and so with effort, Reni brought one out of the ground for us to see and for the family to cook (later). All homes also keep native palm trees of “aguaje” nearby as well, for their nutritious fruits high in Vitamin A (and phytoestrogens). When cut down, these tree trunks are left to rot slowly, knowing a species of beetle will lay its eggs in the fibrous interior, will later mature into grubs, and be an additional source of protein (fried or raw, which you prefer!). Unfortunately, we couldn't find any these last, ready for a handy snack.
The afternoon was spent exploring up the channel, creek, stream, canal, however you would like to translate, “Nauta Caño.” It is a narrow river of water that took us into the reserve through an almost unbroken carpet of green: water lettuce and water hyacinth being the majority, but a variety of grasses and a legume. At the entrance, we found a dugout canoe with three men fishing. From a distance we saw much splashing, then realized one was chasing fish into their net, which was being drawn around (what they hoped) was a school of fish. It was classic “purse seining,” and we stayed to see the result, which ended up to be pretty poor, considering the time and effort invested. As everywhere else around the world, you win some and you lose some. Most of their fish were under eight inches long, and probably a variety of species, undoubtedly including many catfish.
All kinds of birds were hanging around the edges of Nauta Caño this afternoon, testing their luck against Mother Nature as well: hawks, egrets, kingfishers, jacanas, jacamars, flycatchers. Two large troops of squirrel monkeys were foraging along the river, and parrots, parrotlets and parakeets were out and about as well. The only species showing a high degree of laid-back laissez-faire were us humans in skiffs and some sloths in trees.
By sunset we were back, ready for a relaxed evening and to hear about Amazonian customs...strange things can happen in the Amazon, if you spend enough time here.
Cindy Manning, Expedition Leader; Hawk photo by Len Bergstrom, Guest
