in the clouds

Here’s how it goes. You get the Brazilian cellphone. You get the cellphone to work. You get the cellphone to work with Twitter back in the States. And then you go and visit somewhere where there’s absolutely no chance of anything approaching a signal. But I guess that’s what you should expect when you’re in the Amazon rainforest.

It was oddly frustrating, not being able to send something back as it was happening. Odd because a cursory glance at the history of exploration in this region tells you that this really isn’t the sort of thing one should get frustrated about. But still, so much to tell, so much to tell..

Today featured a bone fide DiCaprio-Titanic moment, planted as I was some 53 meters above the ground with the rainforest canopy laid out before me in all directions. I couldn’t claim the jungle king’s crown - we all know who that belongs to - but this was an utterly spectacular experience. The micro-meteorological tower I climbed belongs to INPA, Brazil’s National Institute for Research in the Amazon. You’ll find tower K34 in the Cuieiras Biological Reserve, some 80 km from Manaus. It’s just rainforest, doing its thing. Specifically, the tower operates as part of an international experiment to monitor and better understand the various atmospheric processes, functions and exchanges of the forest. We’re talking things like rainfall production, carbon sequestering and CO2 emissions (sorry, I don’t know how to do the sub-line ‘2′: a sub-line crisis.)

The forest operates in different ways at different heights. So towers like this one are decorated top to bottom with technological jewels, little devices to produce specific data sets at different layers. The structure itself is plain, a small square of scaffolding that extends up, up and out. Twelve metal ladders get you to the top, assisted by regiments of purposeful termites that threaten to take matters into their own hands if you don’t get a move on. By the way, it’s called K34 for the reassuringly simple reason that it’s 34 km from one of the base stations in the forest.

Up at the top, I spoke with Alessandro C. De Araujo, one of the LBA scientists. He helped build the tower almost ten years ago and has become a passionate, informed advocate for the rainforest. And, as it happens, we share a birthday. Anyway, listen out for his voice when my radio story about K34 materializes in the near future. In the meantime, buckle up for an abbreviated journey with De Araujo from the highway out of Manaus into the jungle.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) is a mixed bag. First up, a fishing trip to one of the many Chinese motorcycle companies based in Manaus. (A ‘fishing trip’ is journospeak for ‘I’m not sure if I’ll get anything good from this, but I have a hunch it’s worth the effort.) Incidentally, Harley-Davidson’s only non-US factory is in Manaus, but H-D head office in the States turned down my request for a tour/interview. Still, the Chinese manufacturers are doing well here and it’ll be interested to get a sense of the scale of their ambition.

Then, changing tack, I’m attending a concert by a group of musicians that only plays instruments made from sustainable forest resources. Speaking of which, my own resources are running low. More tomorrow, and please do comment, send questions, ask for clarifications, offer witticisms: all welcome.