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We left at dawn and climbed the steep Raudal Pauji up to a beach and small creek Äma kenä within the Raudal Cejiato. The río Caura above the Salto Pará has 16 sets of rapids making it very hard to navigate in the dry season.
"The first word in rain forest is rain," my tropical weather systems professor used to remind us. It rained on and off all day, once so hard that you could not see to the other side of the river.
Mysterious red bumps cover my hand after our lunch on the beach, and my shins start to bleed after scraping them on rocks hidden below the turbid waters. I'm beginning to question my choice of profession.
PEOPLE: Meet Juan Nuñez, a member of the local Ye'kwana community.
TOOLS: The grab: a simple name for a complex instrument.
SPECIES: New record for Venezuela!
ISSUES: Ye'kwana women and conservation.
Tonight I learned more indigenous words as the boat drivers and camp residents gathered around to see the day's digital photos. I showed them a picture of this bright red and yellow spider, "Moyoi" they tell me.
These round holes drilled into rocks by years of eddying current are, "Tödüjoichato." They wanted to make sure I know that none of the spellings are official until they consult their elders.
— Reported by Jensen Montambault
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