Amazon Rainforest
Today's adventure takes us into the heart of the vast Amazon Rainforest - the world's largest tropical rainforest.
Covering 1.4 billion acres of dense forest, the Amazon Rainforest is famed for having some of the greatest biodiversity on the face of the planet - and we'll be checking out some of the region's most diverse and beautiful sights in the update. The first stop in our journey is the capital and largest city of Paramaribo, Suriname. It's truly a one of a kind city, with its mixture of beautiful colonial Dutch architecture on the edge of the rain forest. The Dutch architecture serves as a reminder to the past - the country was under Dutch rule for nearly 150 years as Dutch Guiana until it gained its independence back in 1975.
After our visit in Paramaribo, we catch a plane and head south towards Manaus - taking in the rainforest from above. While much of the forest in Suriname and near the Brazilian border is still in tact, once pristine sections in the Roraima State and towards the Rio Negro have dealt with deforestation - large sections of the rainforest have been replaced by the signature "fishbone" pattern for as far as the eye can see. The need for cattle ranching and crops means that many will do just about anything for more land, including slashing and burning whole sections in one go. Although the rate of deforestation has dropped in recent years, it can't change the fact that nearly 20 percent of the forest has been destroyed over the last 40 years alone.
We've finally reached Manaus - located on the Rio Negro in the heart of the rainforest. It's one of the largest cities in the Amazon - despite it's remote location, it's well worth
the visit. We take a stroll down many of it's historic roads, enjoying some of the architecture - the best example being it's beautiful ornate opera house. The Amazon Theatre was constructed back in 1896, back when the surrounding region was flourishing from the rubber trade.
Manaus is truly impressive from above with its busy seaport, endless apartment blocks, and bustling streets.
Our journey continues northwards, and we move from the Rio Negro to one of it's smaller tributaries, the Rio Demini. As the river undulates and curves it's way gently through the rain forest, we finally get our first true taste of the Amazon. Once we reach the small fishing village of Lisbão, we get a chance to meet the locals and stock up on supplies as we continue on deeper into the rain forest.
At nighttime, we get a chance to observe some of the surrounding wildlife (without getting too close). Although they usually prefer to be on the prowl alone - our shabono has attracted quite a few curious Jaguars throughout the night.
The river gets narrower and narrower the further we go along - and it leaves us less room for error as we continue our travels. Once we finally reach some rapids, the only way to continue onward is by foot. We were told that the local Yanomami people inhabit these lands - but after many days hiking through the deep forest, we thought we would never see them. Finally, right at the Venezuela/Brazil border, we catch a smoke cloud far off in the corner of our eyes. As we move closer, sure enough we see the roof of a shabono peeking over the canopy of the forest - we've finally found found them. As we move closer to greet them, the situation quickly turns murky as they take out their bow and arrow. They've never seen outsiders before, and not knowing if we're friend or foe - they threaten to shoot. To dispel the situation, we offer a pair of matches and they cautiously accept the gift. After learning how they work, they put down their weapons - we've finally gained their respect.
After hiking for weeks from small village to small village, we finally reach one with a small airport - and we'll be taking a flight over the impressive Guiana Highlands to finish up our journey. Our trip takes us over some of the Amazon's densest forests - here we see the top of the rainforest canopy from above. In some places, it can be up to 130 feet high - holding some of the world's most biologically diverse flora and fauna beneath.
Cloaked in heavy rain clouds, Mount Roraima on the Brazil/Venezuela/Guyana border is truly breathtaking with its imposing sheer cliffs. Countless waterfalls plunge off of
its tiered slopes - a sign that we're in the middle of rainy season.
The ride finally takes us to the awe-inspiring Angel Falls a couple of hours later - getting about as close as you can possibly get by plane. At over 3,200 feet tall, the world's
tallest waterfall doesn't disappoint - it's truly an extraordinary view.
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-korver
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