Americas

[Visited: July 1994, April 2023]

Oh, I had been to Leticia before, on a short visit from Peru, and on my way to Brazil, down the Amazon. But that was several decades ago. Now that I land in Leticia again, it seems like I'm in a different life. We head straight to town, get used to the humidity and heat, and have one of the best lunches of our Colombia trip in a simple restaurant. We see a street sign with Peru and Brazil - both very close. Then, we're off in a small boat, upstream for a few hours to near Mocagua. Apart from some settlements, we mostly see jungle on both sides of the mighty river. Enormous clouds hang over the green landscape. We install ourselves in a comfortable lodge, and are out for a first excursion: kayaking that huge river. The sun is burning on our heads while we make it upstream until we reach the Matamata creek on our right. We kayak upstream, while I wonder how many tributaries the Amazon must have in all the countries it flows through. Probably no one knows for sure. We come to a group of huge trees, and see a crowd of monkeys play in its branches. To our surprise, the guide tells us to steer straight into the forest. The water levels are rising, and the forest is half submerged. It is a great sensation to kayak past the thick trunks. Afternoon sunlight filters through the foliage, and gives the jungle and the water a warm glow. We hear so many birds, and the further we go, the more we realise how immense the Amazon basin really is. When we head back to the river giant, we are just in time to see the sun set behind us over the wide water.
After dinner, we don our headlights and go on a walking night safari. A very knowledgeable and professional guide takes us into the jungle, and at first, we wonder what to expect. Other guests have told us this was one of their best experiences in the Amazon, so we a curious. Within minutes, our guide points his powerful torch towards a leaf. On top, we see giant ants sleeping on a leaf. Then, he points out a tarantula - the giant spider is halfway into his hole. Then, we see grasshoppers, a half-scorpion half-spider, we see a praying mantis (god, they're ugly!), and several kinds of frogs (among which the most poisonous one). Unfortunately, snakes are hiding from us. What a wonderful experience to explore some of the secrets of the jungle in the dark! The next morning, we go on a short walk to Mocagua, a nearby village. Some of the villagers act as guides, so we are led by someone who has her roots here. She tells us about the trees and plants we see, and then proudly shows her village to us. We see a communal hall where villagers discuss general topics. We see a lot of paintings on wooden houses. We notice how villagers keep their settlement tidy. They are all connected to a solar power plant right next to the village. Then, we see the Etnographic Museum. The caretaker is well informed, and gives us a fascinating insight into the unique traditions and culture of the local people. There are several tribes in the region, and they all live peacefully together - even though they all have their own language. Spanish is a lingua franca here. We see items used for cooking, for fishing, we see ornaments, masks, and clothes (made from tree bark) used for ceremonies.
In the afternoon, we hike into the jungle again, with our same knowledgeable guide of the day before. We now see a completely different side of the jungle, with light. The creatures we saw the night before, seem to have disappeared. It has rained heavily just before we set off, and we are happy with our boots. We see huge trees, hear monkeys and birds, while our guide tells us more about the creatures here, the seasons of the Amazon, the rise and fall of the river. It is starting to dawn on us that this region truly has an amazing, enormous ecosystem in which every part has its share. That evening, we go for a kayak ride, hoping to see snakes and caymans - but we're not lucky. The next morning, a boat takes us further upstream to Puerto Nariño, the biggest city in the region after Leticia. We see several pink and grey dolphins, birds, iguanas, and locals in their tiny canoes. Puerto Nariño turns out to be an attractive town - without traffic. There is a relaxed atmosphere, there is space - we feel welcome. We visit a small centre where we learn more about the complex and rich collection of animals here. Our guide shows us a statue of Boto encantado - the handsome pink dolphin to, according to legend, seduces young women in the night, sleeps with them, and disappears. After lunch and an interesting ice cream, we head a little further upstream and pass through the tropical forest. But even after criss-crossing up and down the small lake-like section of a tributary, we see not one dolphin. Fortunately, on the way back to camp, we see one more. We stay out and watch mighty towers of clouds through which we can spot lightning. It is already our last night here - the next morning, we travel back to Leticia, where we stroll around town for a while, and visit the museum which is very well done. It is time to leave the Amazon behind before we go off on other adventures.

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Colombian Amazonas (Colombia)

Colombian Amazonas > Colombia > Americas

[Visited: July 1994, April 2023]

Around the World in 80 Clicks