Meeting with a gentle giant
There is an overwhelming, almost intimidating quality in the energy of the Amazon rainforest: an overpowering vibration that toys with our fragility, ultimately dissolving the boundaries of our presence into a grandeur that can only be felt with the heart.
We reached the Refugio Amazonas lodge via a three-hour boat journey on the Tambopata tributary. Despite the shimmering calmness of the muddy waters and the amphibian species that accompanied us as we delved deeper into the jungle, I mostly remember a feeling of bliss emanating from the landscape itself, permeating my being and shuttering asunder any protective shell of fear or resistance. As always, I was curious and excited to explore something new. Above all, though, I was elated with a glee experienced before only in deep meditation, its memory, to this day, still comforting my dreams.
We spent the few days of our stay strolling through paths almost overtaken by nature, or boating on liquid routes, always in search of some exotic species that, whether flamboyant or modest, would invariably carry an augmented level of danger. As we crossed, though, the winding trails, arrogantly making more noise than the frailty of our nature should allow, we soon became aware of a presence larger than everything else: a gentle giant rising above the canopy, almost protecting the organised chaos of the jungle with otherworldly powers. We bent our heads backwards, directing our gaze to the sky, and there, we met for the first time with the magnificence of the Brazilian nut tree.
Several details of botanical interest were shared with us at the time. For example, this tree is perhaps the tallest in the Amazon rainforest, reaching heights of around 50 m. Its fruits look like large coconuts, weighing on average more than 2 kgs each, bearing inside a cluster of the famous nuts. The harvest takes places on the ground when the hard-shelled fruits have already matured and fallen, as otherwise, it would be difficult and expensive to reach them. One can only imagine the danger that these falling fruits pose, given their size, weight, and the velocity developed when plunging from such heights.
And yet, despite the appeal of the above curiosities or my fondness for the nuts themselves, I remember mostly the tenderness of the giant – an Ent veritable – and its uncanny resemblance to Tolkien’s Treebeard: arguably the oldest creature in Middle-earth. As I continued to look upwards, a current of love rushed through my veins, similar to the one felt when humbled under the immeasurable size of the universe, and I was certain I was being blessed by a presence too ancient, wise and noble to grasp with my mind. Like most things of importance, I could only feel it with my heart.
Photo credits: © Konstantina Sakellariou
