I’m going to write about rain. Specifically, rain in the rain forest. During our trip to the Amazon Rain Forest in eastern Ecuador, we expected rain. After all, it is a “Rain Forest”. And we experienced rain. Not very much, but it was there. And it was different.
The time of year was late February. This is the end of the dry season. Upon our arrival aboard the Manatee Amazon Explorer, we were told the river was very low. They were expecting the rains to come any day now. Once they came, it would rain until June. Glad I’m leaving in a week.
The dry season comes with many benefits. For instance the river is low, so that means the forest is very open to hiking, as it is dry. During the wet season, the forest floods, and you must take canoes into the forest. The dry season also means fewer mosquitoes. I can’t think of any time during the whole trip we were pestered by insects of any type. Don’t get me wrong, there were plenty of bugs, but they were for observing, not for swatting!
The dry season also comes with issues. Since it is dry, many trees and plants are not flowering or producing fruit. Because of this, there is a lot less animal activity. Less activity means less encounters and fewer animals seen. Although we saw a fair share of wildlife, our guide said there are many more during the rainy season.