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Kennedy Family Jungle Rio trip 18APR05

Pueblo Mananti Abajo, where we shift to a native cayuco for the crocodile ponds.

Native cayucos are quite sea-worthy, yet still require attention to centering your body.

Boarding a native cayuco is an experience!  1500 lbs and it still acts like it will tip over at the slightest bit off-center!

All safely aboard, ready to head into the crocodile ponds.  The rain keeps the birds closer to home, but also makes it a bit more difficult to see them, as well as any other wildlife.

Silently the crew rows the craft up-river to the ponds.

The rains being heavy past few days had also caused the level to increase.  This also made the currents swifter, and thus 3 oarsmen were required to go against the currents.

While our clients were enjoying the crocodiles, Yari kept a watchful eye on the rain, as lunch was next on the agenda upon their return, and we all wanted a clear period to eat.

The regular cayuco supply boats stop first at Mananti Abajo, then head up rio to their additional destinations.

Pax and cargo gets off at Mananti Abajo, the initial stop for this native supply train.

Amazingly efficient, that small 25 hp outboard can push this 45 ft 1,500 lb craft, with the cargo and pax over the same route we took 30 mins in about 2 hours or so.  We use a 390 hp engine to run the jet drive to push our 3,500 lb craft   across the water.

Safely back from the wilds of the crocodile pond, a slight change in disembarking is in order.

Well, let's see now.  Going up stream doesn't work; so we better try down stream a bit.

Oh, hooray!  A dry cabin to get out of this rain!

Our lunch spot was next to a community nesting place of the Oropendulas.  Their haunting calls were quite something to dine by.  Occasionally, a Toucan's rough squawk was heard from this same area.  The background included other birds, frogs and cicadas making the jungle rio anything but silent!

A close up shot of the Oropendula nests.   The bird enters above the bottom globe, just at the junction of the top hanger portion.  The birds apparently create a new nest each year (unverified), as the nests are often collected by the natives and sold as souvenirs in some locales.

This was also the time the Turkey Vultures migrate North.  Literally, by the 1,000's these birds are seen in this area, and often 100's would create a close spiral in the shape of a tornado.

These two short video and sound clips are of the Oropendula on the Rio Guariviara.  Click on the images.