An old dairy entry from Puerto Nariño ...

In my usual fashion, I woke up early. It must had been before 6 am, but I was too lazy to check my phone. I could have stayed in bed a bit longer; for during the night the air had finally cooled down to reach more pleasant temperatures, and I felt comfortably and safely tucked in under the mosquito nets.

But since it was my last full day in Colombia’s Amazonas region, I decided to get out of my bed and head to the mirador (a wooden look-out tower) near the lodge to observe the birds in their morning routine.

Oropendolas are typical rainforest birds, known for their golden yellow tails, which is a great contrast to their otherwise black or dark brown feathers. They are also famous for their hanging nests, built as woven sacks hanging from one or more tree branches, that can be as long as half a meter.

It’s the shape for these birds’ homes why the local people refer to them as chacareros (chacaras are handbags, woven from natural fibres, that the indigenous communities use in their everyday life).

Oropendolas make the most interesting sound, too. A "conversational bubbling followed by loud gurgles, tic-tic-glik-glak-GLUUuuuuu” (according to Wikipedia; check it out here), or like you’d just won a few extra points while playing Super Mario.

"Tic-tic-glik-glak-GLUUuuuuu."

I closed my eyes and immersed myself in the noise of the jungle. A true sound meditation!

After some time, I headed for a slow walk through the lush garden and down the little path leading to the river banks. It was early, too early for the long, pointed boats to pass by, carrying the locals and rare tourists to tiny villages further down the Amazon river.

I sat down on the bench overlooking the muddy-brown water, hoping to catch a glimpse of pink dolphins making their way towards Lago Tarapoto, a swimming lake (full of piranhas!) located just 10 minutes away by boat. I was not in luck that morning to witness their pinky skin. Oh, well.    

Still, I couldn’t remember the last time I felt so very calm and happy. After watching endless documentaries about the Amazon rainforest ever since I was a kid, visiting “the lungs of the Earth" was something I had always wished to experience, and I found it hard to comprehend that that day had finally come.

“And now I’m here. I’m really here,” I whispered to myself with teary eyes and smiled in gratitude.