The Amazon Rainforest
March 31st - April 4th, 2022
Company: Casa Gregorio Lodge
As the plane flew over the largest rainforest in the world, everyone on the aircraft was leaning across seats to look out on the absolute paradise below. Once upon a time, this lush landscape was filled with cities populated with millions of people who called it home. Now, it is the most biodiverse ecosystem on the planet. It is a place I honestly never thought I’d ever have the opportunity to visit, and to this day, it doesn’t even feel real that I was there. I met a Dutch traveler in Medellin, Colombia who, per usual, I started following on social media. One day, I saw her posting videos and pictures from a place in the Amazon rainforest and I was determined to go there as soon as possible.
That led me to a place called Casa Gregorio in the small community of San Martin de Amacayacu. Other than camping in the jungle, I cannot imagine a more immersive way to visit the rainforest. Every day was a new adventure. I saw animals and plants that I’d never seen before. I swam in the coolest jungle waters and got to experience the lifestyle of the local indigenous population called the Ticuna. I cannot wait to return to this beautiful rainforest and share the beauty of this place with everyone I can.
The view from above
From above, this massive green landscape almost looks a carpet. It’s hard to believe, that it once was full of cities, roads and irrigation, before disease and displacement left it to be overtaken by the jungle.
So much green
Even while on the trail, the jungle was incredibly dense and full of greenery. The ground, however, was mostly brown and muddy. Due to the fact that I was there during the dry season, most of where I walked were areas that are normally underwater.
Swamplands
The main mode of transportation in many of the villages in the Amazon for obvious reasons, is boat. A day didn’t go by without me riding in one. Sometimes, we built up speed as we blazed down the rivers, and other times, we had smooth and relaxing rides through swamplands.
A boat ride to Lago Tarapoto near Puerto Nariño in the Amazon.
