Nata and I were working on the trail just before lunch and got a good stint in. But as we were working I noticed the big strangler fig that was just off the path.
Tree climbing has become an enjoyable pass time for me. I have spent some of my free time climbing the pines near our cabin which provides you with some great views over Buenos Aires and the valley it is situated in. However, I have also gone up the other strangler fig which sticks out above the canopy in front of the community.
The difference between climbing the fig trees and the other trees is that you climb up the centre of the fig where the original tree had once been.
Anyway, just before we went back I asked Nata if I could stay and climb it. He wanted to go back and fix the shovel he had broken, but he said I could stay a little longer and climb it if I wanted.
Climbing them isn’t particularly difficult it just takes time, but I made my way up steadily. The wonderful thing about the fig is that not only do you have loads of great hand holds, but you also have lots of ‘windows’ situated all the way up. These are simply large gaps in the wall of the tree so they give you some fantastic views. Also, the animals don’t seem to notice you spying on them from inside the tree so you can what them for much longer than usual.
¾ of the way up I was able to sit and watch what I think was a female ‘fiery tangit’, (which is actually yellow just to confuse you). It was wonderful because either she didn’t mind me being there or she hadn’t seen me because she went on minding her own business checking for bugs.
After she had gone I made my way all the way to the top. It was bizarre to find soil 20 meters above the forest floor in little crevices with plants growing in them. (oh, and just to clarify, the tree is much taller even than that, but you just can’t climb any higher up the inside).
At the top there was a great big gap, big enough for me to stand and lean out so that I was hanging outside the tree. I was deeply regretting not having a camera at that moment as the views were quite spectacular. It was at this point that I heard/ felt a heavy thud. At first I didn’t quite know what I thought it was. But when it was followed by slightly smaller thuds and I felt the tree sway a little I realized that I mustn’t be the only one enjoying the views from up here. I must have had company.
I couldn’t see anything from my side of the huge tree and it felt as though my neighbour was some where on the other side of the tree so I turned round to look out the opposite ‘window’. Looking through it, all I could see was a long brown bushy tail hanging in front of me. Leaning forward saw me staring straight into the eyes of a pizoté hanging upside down a meter and a half away.
There I was stuck, 20 meters above safety and literally face to face with a wild animal. Some of the community calling them racoons didn’t help my imagination much either. It was going wild as they always do in a nerve wracking situation. I had visions of this vicious racoon launching itself from its branch and savagely attacking the helpless me until I was scratched to death or fell down to a messy end.
The creature must have been stunned with surprise to find such a good looking guy (sorry I just had to slip that in, he he) so high in the canopy. So we just stood there looking at each other for a good 5 or 6 seconds before his wits caught up with him and he ran off down the vine he was on. I must say I’m glad my imagination had been a big exaggeration and in fact they are quite timid creatures, but try telling my imagination that.
During my time here I have seen a couple of them, one only a couple of meters away, but never this close and it was interesting to see it up close.
Well anyway, I’m quite relieved to find that the phrase ‘they are more scared of you than you are of them’ applied in this situation, he he, but my panic was quite unjustified.
Interesting huh?
