Three years ago this past August, Matt, Ty, Tom, and I were getting ready to get on the Tuichi River in the Bolivian Amazon. It was an adventure of a lifetime that was being recalled as we gathered at the Quaker Meeting House in Tucson for a memorial service for Tom Markey — sharing happy times in a moment of sadness. (August 20, 2019)– Image by kenne
“Time present and time past Are both perhaps present in time future, And time future contained in time past. If all time is eternally present All time is unredeemable. What might have been is an abstraction Remaining a perpetual possibility Only in a world of speculation. What might have been and what has been Point to one end, which is always present. Footfalls echo in the memory Down the passage which we did not take Towards the door we never opened Into the rose-garden. My words echo Thus, in your mind. But to what purpose Disturbing the dust on a bowl of rose-leaves I do not know. Other echoes Inhabit the garden. Shall we follow?”
Great Blue Herons In Madidi National Park, Bolivia (08/23/19) — Images by kenne
Madidi is a national park in the upper Amazon river basin in Bolivia. Established in 1995, it has an area of 18,958 square kilometers, and, along with the nearby protected (though not necessarily contiguous) areas Manuripi-Heath, Apolobamba, and (across the border in Peru) the Manu Biosphere Reserve, Madidi is part of one of the largest protected areas in the world.
Ranging from the glacier-covered peaks of the high Andes Mountains to the tropical rainforests of the Tuichi River, Madidi and its neighbors are recognized as one of the planet’s most biologically diverse regions. In particular, Madidi protects parts of the Bolivian Yungas and Bolivian montane dry forests ecoregions.
Access to the Madidi National Park by flying from La Pez over the Andes to Rurrenabaque. We drove muddy jungle roads to our guide’s Tacana Community, where we boarded balsa wood rafts on the Tuichi River.
Capybaras Near The Tuichi River In The Amazon (08/23/19) — Image by kenne
The capybara has a heavy, barrel-shaped body and short head, with reddish-brown fur on the upper part of its body that turns yellowish-brown underneath. Its sweat glands can be found in the surface of the hairy portions of its skin, an unusual trait among rodents. The animal lacks down hair, and its guard hair differs little from over hair.
Capybaras have slightly webbed feet and vestigial tails. Their hind legs are slightly longer than their forelegs; they have three toes on their rear feet and four toes on their front feet. Their muzzles are blunt, with nostrils, and the eyes and ears are near the top of their heads. Capybaras are herbivores, grazing mainly on grasses and aquatic plants, as well as fruit and tree bark. —Source: Wikipedia
Peccaries Near The Tuichi River In The Amazon (08/21/19) — Image by kenne
Like a pig, it has a snout ending in a cartilaginous disc and eyes that are small relative to its head. Also, like a pig, it uses only the middle two digits for walking, although, unlike pigs, the other toes may be altogether absent. Finally, its stomach is not ruminating, although it has three chambers and is more complex than pigs. Peccaries are omnivores and eat insects, grubs, and occasionally small animals, although their preferred foods consist of roots, grasses, seeds, fruit, and cacti—particularly prickly pear. They are found throughout Central and South America and the southwestern United States. — Source: Wikipedia
Tuichi River In The Amazon (August 2019) — Photo-Artistry by kenne
Downriver, the jungle fog slowly lifts
Water still murky from heavy rains
Two days earlier in the upriver hills
Making jungle roads almost impassible
To our reaching an indigenous community.
After a meal prepared by Padro’s family
Under a thatch-covered shelter, we
Walked through a field of cattle
Watching suspiciously at a distance
A quick turn of the head, glancing back.
Arriving at the river shoreline before
Completion of the balsa wood rafts
We watched our indigenous crew
Finish preparing our transportation
On what would be my Amazon mistress.
Amazon Rainforest Sunset (August 2019) — Image by kenne
Spending time on the river walking its banks, seeing the variety of wildlife, that lingers there, makes for beautiful paintings and photographs, for people to admire.
Tuichi River In The Amazon (August 2019) — Photo-Artistry by kenne
Becoming is Superior to Being 