Amazon - Part 1: Welcome to the Jungle

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It was probably when we were sitting at the contemporary river-side restaurant in the modern Amazon city of Santarem, and the waiter had to keep increasing the volume of the restaurant music to compete with the guys that had parked their car on the sidewalk and were showing off its massive sound-system, that we fully realised that the Amazon, or at least parts of it, was not going to be quite what we’d expected.

Santarem itself is otherwise quite a charming little city and actually looks more like it belongs somewhere on the French Riviera.
Another three days later upstream on the Amazon River and our original image of only jungle and Indians was quashed for good when we discovered the bustling metropolis of Manaus. Right in the centre of the Amazon jungle is this busy city of 2.5 million people. Being the Brazilian tax haven, it’s also packed with many international companies who’ve set up their factories inside this city.

More to our liking was the actual boat trip up the river (6 days in total), which gave us some time to appreciate the immensity of the Amazon and a chance to meet some very interesting locals.

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Photos

Cabocos
Every so often you can spot one of these river settlements where civilised Indians live.

Buy my Doll!
Keen sellers sprint onto the boat whenever it docks to offer their goodies.

Selma
Our hammock neighbour and dear friend, Adicelma. With her sad life story and her piercing green eyes, she will remain in our memory long after we leave. Suffering with a deteriorating case of scoliosis, she is already waiting over 3 years for a slow healthcare system to provide her with an operation to correct her S-shaped back, which has disfigured her and is now restricting her breathing. At 17, and her last chance to have children, she gave birth to her extremely cute child, Vitor, but the father left her at 3 months pregnant, and now her mother supports all 3 of them on a minimum salary.

The Man Responsible for the Creation of Santarem
Another buddy from the boat. This superman had 30 kids, and all with one woman!

Americaville
The interesting and bizarre town of Belterra 100km from Santarem. The last thing you’d expect in the middle of the Amazon is this typical small American town, completely different to any Brazilian town. In the 1930’s Henry Ford came to the Amazon for the Siringuela trees, which provided the rubber he needed for all his cars’ tyres. Pretty much single-handedly, his team built up this town, American style, but when an Englishman smuggled some Siringuela seeds to Asia, where somehow everything is always made at a fraction of the price, they packed up and abandoned the town.

Comments

[Brendon]

You're crazy...
haha, sticking your camera in another unwelcoming reptiles face timmy... Legend! The Pictures look awesome though guys, especially like that 3rd beach trip shot (Sorry I'm a bit behind). Keep well and keep 'em coming, Speak later...