Capybaras Near The Beni River, Madidi National Park
The capybara is a mammal that resembles a giant long-legged guinea pig.
It lives in groups near water, which is why we were able to see them
going down rivers in Madidi National Park. The capybara is the largest living rodent.
They are a favorite food of the jaguar, which may explain why some of our group
were able to see a jaguar that had just eaten a capybara near the river shore.
— kenne
Images by kenne
Balsa Wood Rafting On the Tuichi River, Madidi National Forest — Images and Video by kenne
Ty Instructing Matt How To Flyfish — Image by kenne
There’s a story we must tell . . .
Tom’s fly fishing rods travel with us
Everywhere we went in Bolivia.
The rods are not cheap, so we
made sure one of us always had
them with the carry-on luggage.
As fate would have it,
our river location was not
the best place for fly fishing.
Even so, why travel all this way
and not at least do some casting
over the Tuichi river waters?
Tom readied the rods and reels
for Matt to get some practice
with Ty being his instructor.
As the sun went down where
the Tuichi and Beni rivers merge
they cast over the joining waters.
The moral of the story is:
Never travel with fly fishing rods
without creating a memorial moment.
— kenne
(Click here to see more fly fishing images.)
Sunset Over the Tuichi and Beni Rivers (Madidi National Park) — Photo-Artistry by kenne
The sun sets as our tents are sat up and our last dinner on the river is being prepared.
This is also where we will leave the balsa wood rafts.
The remainder of our time on the river will be on the supply boat.
— kenne
Camp Site On The Tuichi River, Madidi National Park: Last Night — Images by kenne
End of The Journey
In life, some journeys are long
before the destination is reached.
Some may even take a lifetime
with breaks along the way
when we hit rocky ground,
but the end of the journey
is always profound.
— David Harris
Macaw Nesting Site — Images by kenne
Madidi National Park itself contains 11% of the world’s bird species and has been recognized as one of the most diverse places on earth. Most macaw pairs breed once a year, and the female lays her eggs in a nest inside a tree hollow or in a dirt hollow on a cliff face.
Pedro leading the way to the Macaw nesting site.
The macaw nesting site is near the junction of the Beni and Tuichi Rivers. From the riverbank, a short trail leads to a viewing platform. Here one can watch these impressive Red-and-green and Chestnut-fronted macaws fly, call and interact from the platform.
The Macaw Cliff Nesting Site — Chick Here To See More Macaw Images by kenne
Termite Nests (Nasutitermes corniger) Madidi National Park, Bolivia — Images by kenne
The nests of N. corniger are dark brown on the surface and have small bumps over their exterior. When small (less than 20 cm in diameter) they tend to be spherical but as they grow they become more elliptical. There may also be localized lobes on the surface of the nest. The queen lives in a chamber located in the centre of the nest, (often near the tree trunk or branch to which the nest is attached), that is up to 8 cm wide and 1 cm high and heavily reinforced. The thickness of the walls in the nest decreases away from the queen and towards the exterior although if the nest is attacked by predators then the walls will be reinforced. In one study of their nests the heaviest nest identified weighed 28 kilograms and measured 68 cm by 46 cm by 34 cm. — Wikipedia
Guess Who’s Getting Splashed??
Ty Markey and Pedro Macuapa Balsa Wood Rafting In Madidi National Park — Images by kenne
By day three on the Tuichi River the water was less red and lower causing more rapids to appear going down river.
Click here to see more images.
Matt, Tom and Ty climbing up from the Tuichi River
Berraco del Madidi EcoCamp is where we stayed our second night in Madidi National Park. This EcoCamp was founded by Pedro Macuapa, our Park advanture guide in 2007. Pedro’s vision is to use ecotourism as a mean to protect the fragile rainforest environment, employ community members, and preserve indigenous culture for future generations.
Tom and I stayed in this tent under a ramada made of mahogany.
Berraco EcoCamp is located deeper than any other operator in the National Park, making it possible for guests to feel the real jungle, and not just to appreciate it from the edges. Our tent had two single beds with clean linens — not bad for sleeping in the jungle.
Path leading from our ramada.
Path to the communal toilets and showers.
We were within a short walk to communal toilets and showers. The water was not heated, so Tom had to take his first cold shower
— he claims.
The camp water tower.
After showering and putting on fresh clothes, we had dinner at the camp dining room. By then it was dark, perfect for our planned night walk into the jungle. The walk was 45 minutes to a watering area for animals. As we walked along the path, we came upon a coral snake that was approximately four feet. Our walk ended at the base of a high platform. After climbing up and turning off our lights, we sat listening to the jungle night. Every few minutes Pedro would shine a spotlight across the area below as huge bats crisscrossed before our eyes before turning off the light. This light show went on for about 30 minutes before we started our walk back to the camp.
Breakfast before packing up for another day on the river.
View from the EcoCamp of the Tuichi River.
Loading up the supply boat. Images by kenne
Great Black Hawk (Madidi National Park) — Image by kenne
Rafting on the Tuichi River in the Madidi National Park is not the best way to
photograph birds high in the jungle trees, but sometimes I was able to capture one.
When I first saw this guy at a distance, I thought he was a vulture. However,
zooming in it was clear the bird was a hawk, a great black hawk.
— kenne
Eyespot Butterfly — Image by kenne
While on our Madidi National Park adventure, I took approximately 1000 photos, most of which will only be seen by blog followers and those who visit my Flickr account. Of those photos, I have uploaded 20 butterfly and moth images, which you can see by clicking here. I was not on a butterfly expedition, having very little knowledge of butterflies, especially in the Amazon. However, I love photographing and sharing butterfly images.
If you are interested in more information on Madidi National Park’s diverse ecosystems for plants and animals you might start with this posting from Mongabay: News & Inspiration from Nature’s Frontline — Expedition finds butterfly bonanza in Bolivian national park (PHOTOS).
— kenne
After a couple of hours on the river, we beached the rafts to do some fishing using the Tacana fishing method.
This looks like a nice place to go ashore.
The fishing line is on a board that is unwound, then tossed out into the water. The bait are small fish.
The Tacana do not bother with poles.
Tom and Matt have their lines in the water.
So far, no one is having any luck catching fish.
Pedro demonstrated the indigenous technique of fishing.
Matt did have some success on our Day 3.
Good job Matt! — Images by kenne
A Madidi Black Bird — Image by kenne
I tried unsuccessful to identify this bird I photographed in the trees near the Tuichi River in the Madidi National Park.
A very attractive bird about the size of a crow.
— kenne
River of Memories — Photo-Artistry by kenne
Rough and red — the River,
Sometimes bleak and alone,
Not even another lone raft.
Long pole in hand touching bottom
Following the current over rocks
Steering clear of big boulders
Followed by silent moments —
Spirits enlighten of itself.
— kenne
With the fog lifting, you can feel the jungle moving away.
Now it’s Matt’s turn to take over the lead as Ty enjoys the competition.
It’s all fun and games
as Pedro’s uncle steers clear through the rough areas.
I keep the camera above my shoulders to capture a picture through the rapids.
Here comes the sun!
What a fantastic morning for riding the river waters.
Matt paddles
as Pedro’s uncle steers.
A flock of parakeets are singing in the trees
as three macaws make their own loud, screeching and squawking noise flying by.
— Images by kenne
