 A curious squirrel monkey gazes down from the jungle canopy |
The jungle is almost silent. A mossy natural junkyard of tree corpses and opportunistic vines line either side of the narrow rivulet while tall, spindly kapok trees merge overhead to form a verdant archway. Invisible birds call sporadically to each other in shrill chirps shattering the silence like distant gunshots. Chuka is perched precariously on the very rear of the slender canoe and barely makes a sound as his paddle caresses the still black water while my eyes dart in all directions fruitlessly trying to locate the source of these occasional noises.
The archetypical Amazonian Indian, Chuka is long-haired and cherub-faced with bright, laser focussed eyes continually scouring the canopy for any sign that might indicate wildlife. Hunting (photographically) for prey in the dark anarchic igapo is both exciting and frustrating. Subjects don't come and neatly present themselves at a conveniently pre-focussed distance, rather duck and weave in and out of the foliage at the furthest reach of your telephoto lens - if you can even see them! A Cocoi Heron peers at us from behind a large palm frond while a colourful Macaw perches way up in the canopy.
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