When we went to the Amazon in July, I took this photo of a banyan, also known as an arbol caminante, or walking tree, because of how it spreads. The water was low at this point--you can see the ground beneath the tree.



Now here are some banyans in March, when the water was much higher. You can no longer see the ground! But you can also see the high-water mark--that's how much higher the water will rise.





so pleased with myself...


okay but now I have to get down...


We went in a canoe with no motor, just paddles, for this trip into the flooded forest. R and L, my husband-and-wife guide team, took up the paddles, and I felt too colonialist "explorer" for words and said, "I can do some paddling," and R said, "Oh you have a job. It's to scoop out the water as it seeps in."

This was my scoop:


(This job was not very demanding.)

There were beautiful flowers...





From time to time R made a loud "oump! oump!" call.

"What are you calling?" I asked.

"Cayman," he said.

But who answered was not a cayman but an unseen fisherman. L giggled.

We saw a sloth! And then both R and L whistled for it. Apparently female sloths whistle (or scream) to attract a mate.

More flooded forest...





And the flooded coast