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Sunrise
Heading down the river early in the morning on our third day in the jungle. We were still deep in the Amazon jungle when we awoke on April 26th, at our lodge on the Juma Reserve. We got up especially early to see the sun rise over the river, leaving at 5:40 and sailing a short way. It was spectacular; dolphins played in front of us while monkeys jumped in the trees to our right. We even got to see a sloth at last, sunbathing lazily high in a tree.
We headed back to the lodge for breakfast at 7:30. We were still the only visitors there, so all the more food for us! We then left for our next trip: a jungle hike, complete with long trousers and sleeves to combat the mosquitoes. We took a tiny boat - so small in fact that it started sinking so Chris had to move to the front to balance it! After travelling a while we stopped at the riverbank in the mifddle of nowhere, tied the boat to a stick and began to explore.
Due to the intense heat and humidity it immediately felt like hard work. We have walked a lot in South America, but trekking in the jungle is a very different experience.
However, it did not take long for the jungle wildlife to occupy our senses. We spotted monkeys before they spotted us, but when they did they stared at us curiously before scarpering off in to the forest.
We hiked for two-and-a-half hours, constantly on the lookout for animals while our guide explained about the different plants and trees. The rosewood, brazil nut, rubber and 'vicks vapour' trees were impressive, the latter smelling so strongly of Vicks it was quite bizarre. It was strange to think of all the perfumes and medicines we have at home that have ingredients originating in the amazon jungle. We also saw a water vine, which has to be chopped in exactly the right place so water can be extracted from it. A useful way of surviving in the jungle! After seeing another sloth and learning a lot about the rain forest we headed back to the lodge for lunch.
We had a rest until 3pm and then went out again, this time to visit the family we had met two days previously and spend the night at their house. They were preparing dinner as we arrived, so we walked around their grounds, cutting
rubber fresh from one tree and picking guava from another. We then relaxed in the house and learned a bit about the family. The mother had 11 children (though only three still lived there) and 19 grandchildren! We shared a nice dinner with them: rice, beef stew and carrots, but not cooked in river water unlike what they're used to.
We then put our hammocks up in the porch of their house - so almost outside! We had shelter over our heads at least! Thankfully our guide had brought mosquito nets along for us. After getting our beds sorted we went out for a spot of spear fishing; it was certainly an experience paddling in amongst the trees in the dark, our guide searching for prey. We were unlucky not to catch a fish - we almost got one THIS BIG, but it got away! However, we did see something very big instead: a tarantula. Carina, who seemed to develop quite a knack for spotting huge spiders, caught sight of it a mile off; when we got closer we could see that it was bigger than a man's hand, and pretty scary. The guide tried to get closer but
we were both happy to see it from a distance - it looked big enough to actually eat us!
We got back to the house just as the rain started. We were in bed by 8:30, by which time a huge thunderstorm was crashing around us. We lay in our hammocks, unable to sleep because of the storm, both lost in our own thoughts about what an amazing day it had been. Here we were, deep in the amazon jungle, staying with some of the cablocos, seeing incredible wildlife and watching one of the most awesome storms we had ever seen. We eventually fell asleep, though the rain didn't stop.
It rained so much in fact that when we awoke the following morning we discovered our boat was underwater - including the engine! We certainly weren't going anywhere fast, so while our guide and two of the mother's children dried and repaired our engine, we both had breakfast in the house. We took the hammocks down and managed to re-surface our boat, so after about two hours the engine was fixed and we were on our way. We said our final farewell to the family and thanked them
Sloth
At last! We found one! for letting us stay in their humble home. As we left the mother was washing clothes in the river with a bar of soap while the girls went out fishing - they really do work hard. They do not have much by the way of material things, but the whole family were so relaxed and good-natured; it was a pleasure to be invited to their house.
We headed back to the lodge to change the engine and went straight back out to visit a local rubber factory. Carina found this utterly fascinating as she had learned about Manaus's rubber industry at school and was now seeing it for real. The factory consisted of a small wooden shack, a stool and a fire. The owner showed us how rubber goods were made. It was quite sad: up until 15 years ago he was busy making and exporting products, but because of new processes the demand no longer existed so he has to make a living as a farmer. The factory exists only for tourism now.
The shack was surrounded by rubber trees, which the man would cut many times with a machete and stick a used tin of spam
in to the bark to catch the rubber milk. He let us have a go at heating the rubber to make the shape - smokey work! After spending some time there we headed back to the lodge for our last lunch.
A boat came to collect us at 1:40, the start of our journey back to Manaus. Two cars and another boat later and we arrived in Manaus, three hours later. We went straight to our hostel and relaxed the rest of the evening; it had been three tough - but very rewarding - nights in the jungle. We slept well.
The following day was our last day to explore Manaus itself, so we tried to see as much as possible despite the outrageous heat. We took a tour around the Opera House, a breathtaking site in the centre of the city, it's roof decorated in a giant Brazil flag. The theatre wasn't huge, but had a real atmosphere. From here we looked around some handicraft shops, both in the centre and along the river front. The quality was very good, so we treated ourselves to a few things!
We visited a museum about the indigineous amazon
tribes, which featured interesting artifacts and great photos of tribes still living deep in the rain forest. Manaus has some picturesque parks that look great in the sun, so we walked and walked until we had seen everything we wanted to. Manaus has not got a great reputation (certainly from what we had heard anyway), but we enjoyed it. It is not stunning, but it has real character, the kind of spirit that only a city that is so remarkably isolated has. The people were very kind and patient, trying their best to help us understand them as our Portuguese wasn't good!
We left for the airport that evening, a plane to Belem awaiting us. Time was now going to be of the essence, so we had to fly the remainder of the way along the amazon river - the two hour flight saved us four more nights on a boat!
We were both sad to be leaving the amazon behind. We had spent nearly three weeks in the rain forest and found it had exceeded our expectations completely. We developed a strong bond with the region; the people we had met made us feel so welcome and
the landscape was so utterly beautiful, it was impossible not to be seduced by it all. The amazon is not something you just go and see: it is something you feel and experience. We immersed ourselves fully, and felt ultimately rewarded because of it. It was completely unforgettable.
However, we had more things to see, more adventures to enjoy and a lot of Brazil to travel yet...
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