First Day At Tiputini

July 15, 2014

By Jeff H

Today marks our first full day at Tiputini. As a host of alarms go off at 6am, we begin the day with a French toast breakfast and a listening meditation.  It is easier to remark at the peacefulness and stillness of the rainforest when in complete silence- no cars, traffic, city noises- only the gentle hum of insects, birds, and notably, the buzz of a hummingbird's wings.  Our first hike of the trip commenced on "chorongo" with Romero as our guide.  This first time on the trail really put the remoteness, and uniqueness of this place into perspective.

We saw incredible plants, many of which can serve as a remedy to a whole host of ailments, others that can paralyze you, and perhaps our favorite, one that turns your mouth blue when chewed.  Romero also made a point to show us a plant that contained many ants in its stem.  

The ants secrete an acid that protects the tree, and the tree gives the ants a home. This acid gives the ants a distinct lemony taste,  everyone tried them and went back for seconds.  

Perhaps the most incredible part of today was our experience above the canopy.  Forty-two meters above ground,  we climbed a staircase that resembled scaffolding ,  eventually arriving at a platform on an old growth tree.  The scene was spectacular -- nothing blue skies and rainforest for miles around.  In addition to spider monkeys, woolly monkeys,  and howler monkeys,  we saw a whole host of birds such as toucans and parrots.  The top of the canopy was full of life and activity and this only became more apparent as the sun began to set over the horizon.  Not too far from the canopy overlook was an impressive work of nature,  in that a system of vines had completely suffocated a large tree.  Over time,  the tree decayed and disappeared, leaving only a spiral of vines.  By stepping into the hole where the tree once was,  you could look straight up into a beautiful entanglement of something that resembled the outside of a tree.  

To wrap up the day,  we viewed a presentation on tiputini's camera trap program.  This presentation highlighted many of the rare -- and often unseen-- animals that live throughout the rainforest.  With a bit of luck ,  one can only hope that we are fortunate enough to see these animals in the field,

-Jeff h.