Amazonia's Clouds - a swiftly changing landscape which blows one's mind

The Amazon has an incredibly fast changing skyline. The rainy season ends between April – May and as we were there in June – July, it was the beginning of the dry season.  The weather was hot and humid. Whilst the morning might be clear, one could expect heavy clouds by afternoon or evening. Some days it just drizzled and twice it ruined our skiff expeditions due to heavy rain.

  

The photograph above is one of my favourites. It shows the beauty of the skyline with the clouds coming through the sun. The trees in silhouette reflect the majesty of their silent nature.

 

I love clouds, trees and jungles as I do mountains and rivers. I take a lot of photos of these subjects and one day I hope to have an exhibition of my photographs.

Every day, we got an opportunity to be out on the river in the late afternoon and hence I could take photos of the setting sun. It is an incredible sight as the river is wide – at one time it was over four miles wide where you can’t see the river bank and often it was half a mile. Due to the cusp season, which was ideal visiting time for the Amazon, we had the clouds swiftly moving every day.

The sun sets but it went through a wonderful metamorphosis of changing patterns.... it did not move whilst it set; but the world around it changed so that you saw a continuously evolving panorama in front of you until darkness came.

The red streaks on the horizon which suddenly come and then occasionally are covered by cloud cover are amazing. One needs to pay constant attention else you miss the most beautiful moments. 

I just love the cloud formation seen below.

 

 

On some days, we were awake just before sunrise and that gave a golden opportunity to see the sun coming up over the river and its environs. Don’t forget we were moving daily so each night brought us to a different setting. 

Here, we had woken up by 5.00 am to see the parakeets coming out of the huge 20 - 30 ft high bushes. We were told that thousands would come out, but maybe due to our presence only a few hundred exploded in bursts out of the bush at 6.00 am. I was fascinated by the rising sun which gradually came out of the horizon – gently in a soft yellow with a slight orangish glow. Alongside me and behind were these high bushes. In front, in the distance, more bushes. So you see the sun coming just above and to the side on the horizon. Then it exploded in a huge yellow ball of light. What a sight. The clouds, I don’t know what type, were like small white puddles dotting the blue sky. 

The clouds come in fast and furious. If it has rained, one is lucky to see a rainbow and once we saw a full rainbow across the skyline. We saw quite a few due to the rains and then the sun coming through.

Here we are returning from an evening’s expedition after rowing in local dug outs – one person with the local rower. Balancing into one without falling into the river was important and we went through a variety of tree cover (you will read more of that in one of my other blogs!). Returning the sky was again spectacular.

This is a sunset by a village. We are moored on the left side and in front of us is this very long aluminium or tin canopy running from one end to another – with multiple entrances en route – seems like a walkway for the locals. I don’t know what the buildings are. Right in front of me was a small garbage dump which was not pleasant but the herons, vultures and other scavengers did a fast job cleaning up the food. I loved the sun setting and this is an artist’s dream of a wonderful reflection of the sun and its majesty whilst going to sleep.

This last sequence was one of my most memorable. We were out fishing for piranhas...yes, those little monsters with rows of interlocking teeth. It was around 5.30 pm. I had been lucky in catching three of them – see the blog to follow soon – and was watching the surrounding as the sun was setting. The skiff was vertically at 90 deg to the horizon which was to my left. From my right, which was the river and various banks as we were in an area with multiple islands,  in the distance, rain clouds were coming in. In front, it was just getting dark and on the left, on the horizon, it was still light.

We were watching the second skiff which was wrapping up their fishing expedition. Suddenly rain drops started gently and then with a sharper pattern. Huber issued out the rain capes which covered us from the hood downward and as the skiff moved fast to turn first so that we could return, and then at speed, the capes actually cut the wind as it was getting chilly by now. Imagine driving a skiff in developing darkness, with very little light and going back to the mother ship Amatista.

It never failed to amaze me as to how our driver managed to do this without any GPS system other than his natural instinct and knowledge – the GPS between his ears!! A truly incredible Cucama Indian navigator. Hence see the fast changing clouds and the sunset here – absolutely AWESOME.

My final parting photograph is where the sun links both the sky and the river and the land. Nature at its most magnificent.

Text and photographs copyright of the author. No part of this article or photographs maybe transmitted or reproduced by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without written permission. Do contact the author on email -- helpthesun@gmail.com