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Published: March 22nd 2012
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A week on the mightiest and longest river in the world is really a trip—to a very different world. Going from the dynamic city of Rio to the back water villages on the Amazon is like taking a step back in time. Many people asked if we would be able to take this ship halfway across Brazil to reach Manaus or if we would have to board a smaller vessel to navigate the river. Well the Amazon is huge so this large ship can easily take us hundreds of miles up the river. At some points the Amazon is two hundred miles across. There is an island in the river that is as large as Switzerland. From the mouth of the Amazon to Manaus is only 710 flight miles. But going by river is a bit longer. Since the Amazon is an unmarked waterway, it is necessary to have river pilots on board for the whole trip. With the strong currents and shifting channels, it takes a local expert to plot a course through this massive waterway. Another interesting facet of the Amazon is that during full moons or heavy rains, a tidal bore will run the length of the river.
Surfers come from all over the world to ride the 12’ waves which can run at speeds of 20mph.
We found out about several survival tips for being on the river. There is black water and white water in the upper reaches of the river. The high PH content of the black water does not support mosquitoes, so that is where you want to build your home or city. Also there is a water parasite that is attracted to uric acid so men never should relieve themselves in the river or you will end up with amputated body parts. More people eat piranhas than vice-versa. They are supposedly pretty tasty.
We stopped at several small villages on the way up to Manaus. At Boca da Valeria we tendered ashore passing the famous pink dolphins that reside in this area of the river and are noted for swimming on their backs. Boca is a tiny village with just a few huts, a small school and one church. The Mariner staff took boxes of gifts and donations to the school house to be distributed to the local residents. The village children met us at the pier and took us around
SUSAN AND THE KIDS
They loved her pens and notebooks. to see the monkeys, caiman, lizards, the world’s largest rodents, parakeets and parrots. We visited a few of the very simple homes and then we hired a runabout to cruise some of the small surrounding waterways. We saw many water birds and remote settlements and huge water lilies. It was a great boat ride.
Manaus is a city of 2 million residents which is located halfway across Brazil on the Amazon. Actually this is where three rivers merge to form the Amazon. It is called the “The Meeting of the Waters” where the very dark Rio Negro flows alongside the very light brown Rio Solimoes creating a very distinct demarcation between the two rivers.
Manaus, called the “Paris of the Jungle,” was carved from the surrounding jungle by the rubber barons (some would call them robber barons) in the 19
th Century. Its most famous building is the Teatro Amazonas which was basically imported from Europe piece by piece. We got to see a rehearsal at this beautiful neoclassical opera house just before we witnessed one of the biggest downpours ever. It rained so hard that within minutes the water was over the curbs and seeping into the
shops and restaurants. Manaus does not have storm drains, thus all of the rain water was rushing down the streets in torrents heading to the Amazon. We learned that Manaus does not have a sewage system either.
In the Amazon, the rivers are the roads. I found this aspect of river life to be fascinating. We docked at the Puerto Flutuante. This famous floating dock is probably the busiest place in Manaus. This is where all of the river boats dock to load and unload their passengers and cargo from the entire river system. It is a 24 hour a day operation, all done by hand to a cacophony of honking horns, hollered instructions, backup beepers and blaring music. These river boats are usually 3 stories high and most passengers string up their own hammocks and supply their own food for the 4-6 days trips up or down the river. Watching the dockworkers transfer a truck load of cement bags to the boat one or two bags at time was amazing. We saw hundreds of mattresses go on one boat, while another boat was filled with cases of beer and soda. I saw one man who could carry 12
six-packs of soda on his head and he did this for hours—running back and forth from the truck to the boat. Passengers will arrive half a day early to the boat in order to get the choice location for their hammocks. This was truly the best theater in town.
The next day we took one of the riverboats to a small outpost in the jungle where we boarded canoes which took us deeper into the jungle. Back here the “caboclos” (residents of the river towns) are pretty much self sufficient and rely on fishing and local produce for food and herbal treatments for medical care. We got to see and hear the beauty of the watery jungle. A family in a dugout canoe came alongside our boat and passed around a small anaconda which I felt no need to hold. Another family showed off their pet python. Our guide, Sandro Gama, is somewhat renowned in Amazonian circles as he has been guiding for years and was even in a television program documenting a 50 day trip on the Amazon. It was a great day in the jungle and it gave us a better appreciation for this largest of
all tropical forests in the world.
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Mike Kalm
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Amazon
You need to see "Fitzcarraldo."