Into The Amazon
Our trip continues on today with a journey deep through world's largest rainforest - the Amazon rainforest. Covering nearly 3 million square miles, its massive scale is truly hard to comprehend - and the rich diversity in plants and animals here is unlike anything else on earth. To truly appreciate it though, you'll need to get up close and personal, traveling deep into the depths of the jungle - and today we'll be experiencing this region like never before.
We'll be starting our journey in the Guyanese capital of Georgetown - this port city is located right on the edge of the forest and is known for its unique architecture. Often said to resemble a fairy tale castle, the 19th century Gothic Revival Georgetown City Hall dominates the city's skyline and is hard to miss.
After our brief stay in Georgetown, we start venturing into the Amazon, traveling on a number of rural dirt roads through densely wooded areas. We finally reach one of the Amazon River's many small tributaries and board a motorized canoe to get an even closer look at the heart of the forest. The rich diversity of the forest is on full display - countless types of trees, plants, birds, and other animals can be seen wherever you look.
The Amazon River and its many tributaries are truly extraordinary at sunset.
Although there's been great changes to the Amazon in this region due to human intervention - Yanomami tribes can still be seen dotting the deep rainforest, still practicing their long held traditions and beliefs. Many of these tribes have never even seen the outside world - which sadly makes them extremely susceptible to all sorts of diseases when mining and logging companies unlawfully invade their lands.
While the Amazon rainforest is still mostly intact and deforestation numbers have dropped in recent years - there's still large areas where massive, irreversible damage has already been done.
After a plane ride and a couple nights of trekking through the forest - we finally reach our destination, Guyana's stunning Kaieteur Falls. The world's highest single drop waterfall doesn't disappoint, and is one of the Amazon's premier destinations. For those wanting an even closer view, a massive stone juts out in front of the falls - offering an incredible experience with these majestic falls.
For the last leg of our journey through the Amazon, we catch a plane to the world's largest city that can't be reached by road, Iquitos, Peru. The city's Belen District is one of the area's most distinctive sights, with the entire district being built on wooden stilts to withstand the rising waters.
Unfortunately, deforestation has taken a toll on the surrounding region - and here's no better example than in the areas surrounding BR-163. While this Brazilian highway finally made long distance transport accessible for many in the region, it also opened the door to large scale logging projects on a scale never before seen.
We make a brief stop in the Surinamese capital of Paramaribo to stock up - for decades, this important port city has served as a gateway into the Amazon and is well known for its distinctive wooden Dutch colonial architecture.
Autana Tepui is one of area's most notable natural wonders and is spectacular up close. It's a sacred mountain with lots of history as well - the local Piaroa Indians believed that it's actually the trunk of a great tree which once loomed over the Amazon and dropped the fruits of life into the forest. However, one day another God and his nephew cut down the mighty tree, greedily trying to get all of the fruits at once - and all that we see today is the trunk, Autana.
Last but not least is the incredible Angel Falls. Falling nearly 3,200 feet off the side of the massive Auyan-tepui, the world's tallest waterfall doesn't disappoint and any trip here is sure to amaze you.
One last overview of stunning Auyan-tepui from above with its many majestic waterfalls.
Don't forget to comment, like, and follow True Earth if you haven't already!
-korver
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Previous Update: "Scenes From Patagonia - Part II"
Thanks to @bobolee, @The British Sausage, @CorinaMarie, @CorinaMarie, @jakis, @Handyman, @Bastet69008, @Wallibuk, @PaulSawyer, @bladeberkman, @Ling Ziming, @Manuel-ito, @Dead_End, @matias93, @Fantozzi, @JP Schriefer, @Scribosilyn, @Goldman Sachs, @Dom Pedro, @RobertLM78, @RobertLM78, @Duco, @mrsmartman, @Androgeos, @Simmer2, @dabadon5& @mike_oxlong for all the likes & comments!
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