For the full complement of photos
corresponding to this blog entry, use the following address for the set of
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After the many dry and rocky places
I visited in the preceding six weeks or so, the Calilegua National Park was
very different. The Yungas (a name in this part of South America for hot
tropical valleys) are humid and sub-tropical. The altitude of the national park
varies from 350 to 3,600 metres (1,148 to 11,811 feet) and as a result it has a
number of different zones. Using the local town of Libertador as a base, I
explored two; the jungle around 400 metres altitude and the cloud forest at 1,500 metres height.
The jungle zone is, as one would
expect, hot and humid. The most enjoyable way to explore it was to walk and
traverse the small rivers around the bottom of the national park – Arroyo
(stream) Aguas Negras, Arroyo Negrito and Rio San Lorenzo. In the mud around
the river beds I sometimes encountered animal tracks.
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| Aguas Negras Stream in the Jungle Zone |
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| Jungle in Valley of Negrito Stream in the Jungle Zone |
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| Animal Footprints Next to Negrito Stream in the Jungle Zone |
The cloud forest zone around the
village of San Francisco is more bearable as it is a little cooler and less
humid at an altitude of 1,500 metres (4,921 feet). The dirt road climbs up
through the jungle and into the cloud forest along the steep sides of beautiful
valleys, making for a memorable journey in a rickety old bus. Many of the trees
are more than 30 metres (98 feet) tall, but are still able to establish strong
enough root systems to cling to the sides of the valleys which are at times
very steep.
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| View from San Francisco |
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| Cloud Forest Near San Francisco |
San Francisco is located in a spectacular
setting on a prominent piece of land, with panoramas in many directions. I took
a walk beneath the trees along the side of one of the local hills, with great vistas
along other forested valleys. The views during the return bus journey were just
as impressive during the early evening light.
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| The Lush Cloud Forested Valleys Near to San Francisco |
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Journeying Through the Beautiful Landscape
in a Rickety Old Bus |
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