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How could we leave Brazil without experiencing the true essence of the Amazon rainforest? With that in mind we traveled to Tefe where a recommendation of a protected reserve was situated nearby.
The four days prior to our stay at the Mamiraua reserve we stayed with another couch surfer, who turned out to be our guide at the reserve! Tefe was a friendly small fishing town, with not much to do, so we turned our attentions to cooking, listening to music, watching Brazilian movies, star gazing from the rooftop and playing the playstation with our host Carlos.
We travelled along the Rio Solimoes from Tefe in a speedboat to the floating paradise, Pousada Uacari within the Mamiraua reserve. This was to be our haven for the next 7 days. How do we explain our experience of a place so magical. We were enchanted firstly by the floating lodges, anchored down by weights. During the rainy season the whole forest is flooded, lodges are kept afloat by the large attached logs, taken from a durable trees with innate waterproof properties. As speedboats rushed past, our lodge would sway, a very unusual sensation!
This area of Amazonian forest contains the largest protected area of sustainable development in the world. Communities living within the reserve live off the land as well as travel to the local town via boat which is 1 hour away. We were fortunate to visit two communities during our stay. These communities rooted themselves within this area a mere 40 years previously (Very young). Life is hard for these communities as the forest floods yearly. Although houses are raised off the ground, the level of flooding is always unpredictable, sometimes causing communities to abandon their homes.The only means of navigation through the forest is by canoe. How people know where they are going is still a mystery to us as the landscape is consistently changing.
As the water levels rise, grass from the banks uproot, congregate and float along the rivers making certain routes impenetrable but providing the perfect environment for certain wildlife. Some days our lodge would be surrounded by floating grass, the next we would awake to a clear view! Very unpredictable, like the british weather!
Caimans galore, surprising how many situate themselves under the logs of the floating house. Left overs from breakfast, lunch and dinner were the attraction (or maybe us?!!). In the dead of night using torches, searching the banks of the river revealed these creatures, given away by their haunting red eyes. An even scarier experience when one surfaced at a meters distance from our shallow canoe! The guides explained that an explosion of these creatures has occurred, due to the reserves protected status making it illegal to hunt them. Although they are large in length and have a fierce reputation, these caiman were docile enough, their prey being mainly aquatic animals.
Also found in these waters were the beautiful pink dolphins (boto) and grey dolphins (tucuxi). Adapted very differently biologically but were both wonderful to watch. A research centre studying these animals explained their unique biological adaptations and general behaviour, ending in a afternoon of a dolphin search along the channels of the river. Patience was needed, very rewarding with sightings of several dolphins, especially mother and baby.
Christmas eve was a surprise celebration with all guests and staff! Speeches, laughter, music and alcohol made it a very memorable evening. Brazilians celebrate Christmas eve with more passion than they do Christmas day, so with the Christmas spirit in our sails we sped through the moonlit channels (this is where we experienced our close encounter with the caimans, not forgetting the jumping fish that gave Dal a wet slap) to a local community to spend the evening celebrating. A very cultural experience, theatrical performance of Jesus birth by the children of the community followed by cakes and refreshments. Dancing pursued soon after, but our tired feet were whisked home to the comfort of our beds.
Breakfast was promptly served at 6.30am each morning. Fresh coffee, fruit juices, exotic meals/dishes tantalized our taste buds. Maz´s particular soft spot was cupuacu, Amazonian fruit which tastes like alcohol!! (what a surprise!). Activities were booked early allowing prevention of sunstroke or other potentially harmful effects.
Hot water, soft towels, aromatic smells of soap, candles set the scene for a comfortable sleep, despite the incessant noise of the nocturnal animals including our house mates the long nosed Bats that nested in the loft of our lodge! Caimans under the lodge, making their presence known by pounding the floors intermittently! Strangely a night in the forest afforded us the best sleep throughout our stay, with the alarm bell being the endemic Howler Monkey, a very strange sound indeed!
Fishing was a highlight, with the capture of many a piranha fish. Maz being the champion of these captures but true to her form released these razor toothed cannibals, though slightly battered and bruised or maybe an eye missing…..sorry!!!!
Midnight trails unleashing the torment of past nightmarish stories and films had our imagination blazing……with the falling of a coconut leaf leading us wrongly to believe the presence of a jaguar, that are commonly spotted in this area. Guides with no protection leading the way did not induce feelings of safety, so grabbing them was our only option during moments of terror, leaving them in fits of laughter at our vulnerability.
Poisonous snakes, spiders the size of a hand and other lurking creatures gave us the heebie jeebies. If that wasn´t enough they made us sit in complete darkness, explained as an activity to ´hear the forest´…we think it was more to scare the s$%¨t out of us! The worst predator of the forest for us was the mosquito……bloody hell is all we can say! Anemia comes to mind! Persistently targeting the new blood, meaning us, fortunately the group had bought 100% DEET so protecting themselves, leaving us ambushed and waving our white flags to no avail. Bathing our wounds at night, with unexpected allies in the form of dragonflies and bats whose food chain includes mosquito’s ! Yippee!
We learnt so much about ecosystems and wildlife on the reserve. Expecting this to be a more commercial reserve we found that it was a deep rooted, research based project. Focusing on the main goal of sustainable development incorporating human, animal , flora and fauna.
Our lodge consciously used rain water for household purposes, recycling toilet water, used solar panels to provide electricity and hot water, bought foods and hired guides from the local communities.
Our view………a fantastically liberating, thought provoking, educational experience. Moments of reflection highlight our good fortune in being present and contributing to a unique project, empowering communities and protecting the forest and all its inhabitants.
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