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The Brazilian Amazon
April, 2008
On our last full day in Manaus the group headed to the Hotel Tropical to hang out by the pool for a day. The place was nice, but it was probably awesome 20 years ago. We did some browsing in the overpriced shops, checked out their zoo, enjoyed some disgusting cheeseburgers and really just had a great time hanging out in the pool. This is one of the days I really regret not taking more pictures.
Bunch of pale kids playing some water volley ball with some dudes in speedos - awesome! (Photo Marquia Grier)
The area around the pool had some ponds that held a couple species of native turtles. Naturally, I took great interest.
Yellow-spotted River Turtle Podocnemis unifilis
Adult
Giant River Turtle Podocnemis expansa
Walking around the zoo, one of the girls on our group found a dead monkey in a tree. Naturally, it was a sloth... I was assured by locals that these are wild sloths that wandered their way into the little forested area. I don't buy it one bit.
There was a handsome Iguana hanging out nearby as well.
That evening, I tried to take some more pictures of the opera house. I regret not waking early and taken advantage of morning light, but it never happened.
That night we enjoyed one last hurrah at the Skol Bar. Skol Bar - Photo Mai Vu
Photos Marquia Grier
This guy tried to sell us some trinkets.
The next morning everyone got up early and boarded the bus for the airport. Nick was catching a flight to the Pantanal later that night, and I was going to head to my next destination that afternoon. We helped load the bus, and waved goodbye to our friends as the bus pulled away. Our life in Brazil as we knew it was over...
A buddy had gotten me in touch with a researcher from the states who was kind enough to let me help out with some of their projects near Manaus. I anxiously took a cab to his office like we had discussed. Unfortunately, he had left recently to go out in the field, and no one at the office knew about me. I tried to talk to a bunch of people with my non-existent Portuguese and their slightly better English. Their was a little bit of confusion and panic in a few peoples voice and "gringo" was getting tossed around. Eventually, I was introduced to Ladislau, a grad student who spoke excellent English. He was kind enough to take care of me for the day and invite me to stay with him for the next few days until we would head to the field for the weekend. I was a little disappointed not to be heading out that day, but I had an awesome time and enjoyed phenomenal hospitality. At first I felt bad, like he was stuck baby sitting me a bit (he was), but we ended up doing some drinking, dancing, singing and talking about herps. The cultural barriers soon disappeared. I still can't believe how kind he was. This random dude shows up from the US with some bags, and he takes me in for 3 days, cooks, takes me around town and just treats me like a long lost friend. I will always be in his debt, and my stay with him was just another excellent part of the trip. I was a little bummed to not be in the field at first, but I had a wonderful time and am very glad things worked out how they did. I realized how much of a tourist my previous activities had been, and I finally got a feel for some true Brazilian culture and life in Manaus. I definitely was a little out of my element and comfort zone, but when in Rome... Man it was blast though!
Fri came though and things were arranged for me to get a ride to the research site later that afternoon with the weekend crew. I will start by mentioning that my idea of the next few days and what really happened were not really consistent. I didn't have much information to go on, just that I could go to the Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke. I had googled this place and learned a little about it. This information I found talked about bunks, a little reasearch station, trails, etc. I had all my bags with me and was planning on taking everything out there. People tried to explain that I needed to cut my luggage down, but I had this vision of a nice bunk and road to the research station that I had seen on the internet. Man was I mistaken... I did leave a bag and ended up bringing a duffle and my backpack. I definitely should have cut things down to just my backpack like people were trying to nicely suggest...
If you look back at my maps of Brazil and Manaus, the Reserva Ducke is extremely visible. It was created in the honor of Adolpho Ducke in 1963, a prominent entomologist and botonist who lobbied for the creation of a nature presearve to help ensure the future of the Amazon. The park is 100 square Km and it was originally created on terre firme outside of Manaus. Unfortunately, as Manaus continues to grow, the researve has become something of a "city park". It is the well demarcated green square in the middle of city and urban sprawl...
We arrived at the forest, and people insisted I get some new boots. My usual leather hiking boots have served me well in Ohio, Az, Texas and Florida, but I was convinced to borrow some rubber boots. I paid for this in horrible blisters, but ended up appreciating the protection they offered my lower legs. They never stayed dry, and if I did it again, I would probably just go with boots I knew fit properly. I still appreciate the protection though...
We hiked two miles in to the research site. There was a couple wooden benches, a tin roof and some rafters to hang our hammocks. No bathrooms, or "clean water" to speak of. Not what I had pictured, but exactly what I wanted. I had grown tired of being treated like a tourist and I am unaccustomed to having my hand held when I hike. Maybe I am just being a spoiled brat and some stupid American asking to run off in the jungle and die, but it was nice to be treated like an equal and given some freedom to explore the jungle. It was nice to actually be in the jungle, living in the jungle and enjoying some hardships. If I could do it again, I would not change a single thing...
On the hike in I was struggling with my bag but enjoying the sights and sounds of the forest. About half way I noticed movement between my feet midstep and noticed a decent sized Bothrops atrox crawling out from between my legs. I was the third in line, so two people had stepped right over it... It calmly crawled off the trail and curled right back up to continue its wait for food. Awesome...
As I excitedly took many pictures, the other people hiking in with me were less comfortable with the snake. They said they see them frequently, but I wouldn't say any of them were excited about it. As I took pictures, it began to rain and then there was a scream from behind me. Turns out the last girl in line, out of 5 people, had been standing about an inch from a second Bothrops that was coiled right on the trail. We had definitely all walked right by this second snake. I became much more excited, but the others got a bit more flustered. I shot a few pics and we moved on.
Within 5 minutes the local guard/guide spotted a coral snake crawling across the trail. One of the girls tried to make a grab with some tongs but it was lost into a deep root system. We all got a great look at a beautiful Black-headed Coral Snake, Micrurus averyi. I tried to find some pictures of the species on the internet without much luck. I know of someone who has seen a few so hopefully he will share a pic with me when I can get ahold of him again. We crossed a few golden creeks that were brimming from the recent rains, and then we finally arrived at camp.
I was dying of thirst, and all we had carried in with us was food and liquor... starting to worry I asked about the water situation.
My worst fears were comfirmed. The drinking water was straight from the creeks. I was assured no one had gotten sick yet, and of course, I started to drink my fill. No sign of parasites as of this writing - good times! I just spent 10 days telling people not to drink water like this and then what do I go and do... I tried looking around camp that night without much luck but was a little unfamiliar with the trails and the surroundings so I stayed close. Around midnight the snake crew returned after a hard day without seeing any reptilians. I got to meet Rato, the grad student conducting snake surveys, and we stayed up for a few hours sharing pictures and talking herps. His English was patchy, but good enough for me. If you happen to meet him in Manaus for the World Congress of Herpetology, send my thanks and regards for an awesome weekend. He is leading a hike or two and worried about his English, but I assured him he would do great.
That morning I woke up early and set out to check some turtle traps with the turtle crew. They had numerous hoop traps and fyke nets throughout the small creeks, we would jump in up to our waist/shoulders and start looking for any turtles that had wandered in overnight. I was excited to hear they often find Smooth-fronted Caimen and electric eels in the traps, but I was not to be so lucky on my two mornings. That being said, I was lucky enough to find some awesome turtles!
Phrynops rufipes
We also stumbled across another atrox. We went and woke Rato up, and he came down to collect data. This snake was found 30 meters or so from the camp.
Rato working his magic. The snake was 111 cm and held 9 babies on palpation.
Walking back to camp I found a couple little Dentrobatid frogs, Colostethus stepheni.
Here is a shot of the creeks were checking, and drinking from.
A Gonotodes humeralis found in camp. We also found Arthrosaura reticulate, Kentropyx calcarata and Tretioscincus agilis in camp, although I wasn't able to secure the first two for pictures, and I let the third one get away...
A Cane Toad actually found back in Manaus.
That evening, Rato and I were to go surveying for snakes. we would hike a few transects during the afternoon, and then hike them again during the evening. we put in 6 or 7 Km walking for the day, and my feet were toast when we returned because of water in my boots and bad blisters. I would do it again and again if I could... We got in around 3 or 4 in the AM, and we really kinda struck out on snakes.
A Bufo proboscideus (margaritifer?)
Rato stopped me to listen to some Howler monkeys, when he looked back at the trail, he noticed the tail end of a Drymoluber dichrous crawling into a root system. We tried to find the snake again, but instead were rewarded with a rarity - eggs!
Chelonoidis denticulate
Night fell and we started to see some amphibians.
But I really enjoyed the Eleuthrodactylus fenestratus
This Osteocephalus taurinus was completely badass, but unfortunately, it didn't sit for pictures. I was shocked how quickly it made its escape.
Soon after, we found another favorite. Phyllomedusa bicolor
And the last herp of the night was a sleeping Plica umbra that let us sneak up real close. It never moved a muscle.
Things slowed down after that and we made our way back to camp. Rato set a pretty quick pace and I did my best to keep up. I will say I was watching where I stepped very closely after a few close run ins the last couple of days. There was some mashed chicken, rice and beans waiting for us when we returned after being gone over 12 hours or so. It was the best meal I ever had.
The next morning, I was up early again for some more turtling. We caught the best looking turtle of the trip, a young rufipes.
Irenes checking the traps.
rufipes
The rest of the morning was spent hanging out and relaxing with some new good friends. We hiked back out that afternoon and headed back into town to enjoy a local soup delicacy thing with shrimp in it. I spent the evening talking with Rafael, one of Ladislau's roommates, and shooting the shit about herps, and his research projects over a few Skols. Again, I must reiterate how wonderful everyone was. They welcomed me with open arms and made the whole experience tremendous. If any of you guys happen to read this, or end up in the states, my offer is still on the table. Look me up, lets have some beers and do some herping. The rest of the story isn't too exciting. Rafael arranged a cab ride to the airport for me Mon morning.
I got in to Miami Monday evening after an uneventful Tam airlines flight in which I had a bench to myself. During my stay in Brazil, Molly had moved back to Ohio in preparation of our wedding and eventual move to Detroit so Mike Rochford picked me up from the airport and let me crash at his place. It was good to see him again after a few months, and great to see he had a permanent residence again. I wish we could have hung out longer. My first meal back was an excellent rack of ribs, good beer, and more excellent company. Mike, we need to get out in the field again soon.
Thanks to everyone, from all walks of life who helped make this trip special. From the Cincinnati folk who arranged the whole thing, the other medical students, residents and our little highschooler, the great docs from Seattle and Brazil, Juliet and Ray of Hope hailing from UK, Gloria and all our Brazilian translators, guides, cooks and crew and then finally Dick, Ladislau, Rafael, Rato, Irenis and Andreu.
All images and text are property of Jason Folt unless otherwise noted. If you would like to use an image, please contact me and ask first.
© 2006 Last Updated: 2/11/07