We have driven a across the main highway through Acre, the state of Brazil closest to Peru. I expected to see a lot of tropical forest (rainforest), but I saw only some small groves. The southern part of Acre has become a "tropical Missouri", or a "tropical Iowa". Its just farmland, with horses and white cows. Some farms have isolated tropical trees, some have preserved the trees in small groves. But most of the land is agricultural.

In southern Acre, I saw no tropical tree with a diameter greater than 2-3 feet. All the really big trees have been felled or burned. That is a tragedy.

In eastern Peru, we did see very big trees ... remnants of the old rainforest. Some farmers have kept these trees alive.

But as I mentioned, Peru has very active logging. They are felling the big trees. We saw 3 different logging trucks, all carrying logs with big diameters.

The question is ... why do they need this wood? One possible answer ... the transcontinental railroad. Peru and Brazil have approved the project, a railway line across S. America. Train tracks need a lot of steel and a lot of wood. I have no positive proof, but the connection is possible.