Nuquí, Chocó Biogeographical Region. Part 1
First I must say that this region in Colombia, is considered one the most diverse areas on the planet (in area /diversity), also the rainiest one, with almost 16.000 mm of rain per year, the geographical extension is about 187.400 km² (72.355,5 Mi²), and it's isolated from the rest of the continental country by the Andean Cordillera, making it a treasure chest full of endemism and native organisms.
Now, in personal experience, I consider this territory one of the most magical and complex in all aspects, it's also my happy place and where I have been made as a person and professional during the last ten years of my life).
the last visit was to Nuquí- Chocó, its a well known touristic destination in Colombia, also difficult to visit because it doesn't have terrestrial connections or roads, so you have to take a charter flight from the biggest cities like Medellín or Cali, the flight per se is an interesting experience (non so pleasant is you suffer from motion sickness), the planes that flight there, have a capacity of about 20 passengers, everyone can choose window, making it more intimate, when landing, the first thing I noticed was the humidity sticking to the window, follow by the intense green into your eyes and the vast area of the rainforest, everywhere you look is green or grayish tones, then the landing that can be a bit turbulent, our girl pilot did wonderful, then the doors are opened and a wave of heat and humidity hit your body, almost the sensation of entering in a steam room just more colorful, and you start feeling how your 60% of water content became an 80ish%, your wrinkles start vanishing and while you adjust, you cal feel a bit heavier.
The next thing you'll notice is the scarcity of governmental institutions in the airport, is more like a backyard garage with a 3-bedroom office installation where all the agencies are converging (police, airport personnel, tourist office), you can register your visit, and pay the visitor tax, but don't let this to demotivate you if you keep your mind and hearth open, you'll be rewarded. After doing the registration process, we contact the people from the place we were gonna stay first and due to previous communications we expect that the logistics on the maritime transportation were arranged, but something you must be open to if you visit these isolated territories is that the time goes by so different, you must low expectations otherwise you'll make yourself miserable and you'll activate the Murphy chain of unfortunate events.
for us was difficult to fit into someone else’s routine because forest research is expensive, sponsors have high expectations, and the forest does whatever it wants, so if it doesn't want you to go that day, you better don't go (don't put yourself in an unnecessary risk), so you need to have in mind the possibility of some days of what we call field data process (mostly dedicated to begging to the forest, next day it can show you what you need or the time allow you to move forward in your research).
the arrival to the first place was magic, you have to take a rapid boat throughout the open ocean, which is like the public transportation in the area so usually stops in different villages, and at every stop, the boat is defying the rage of the pacific ocean, it takes a good sailor to take you safe (not dry) to your destination, and all you can see on the horizon is the dark ocean and the forest in the background, steep mountains of forests from mangroves to higher land forests.
Once we arrive at the first destination place, we get mentally ready for the next day, the Challenge? of finding some exceptional individual from a threatened specie to evaluate if genetically is there a possibility of saving it or if it's just a matter of time until is gone.
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