Blogs from Amazonas, Brazil, South America - page 17

Hello readers!! are there any of you still out there? have you all died of boredom waiting for the next entry to come? The computers are powered by coconut drinking pigmy tribes riding bikes - therefore the internet connections are a bit slow and sometimes take a few weeks to catch up! here are some photos...... read more

Sept 22 - 26, 2008 This has been a very enjoyable adventure. Getting to my computer to note the days activities was impossible. We were up every morning at 05:30 for a canoe trip into the wilderness before breakfast. After breakfast we followed that with various long walks ( 1 ½ - 2 hours ) through the woods with our expert guides ( at 35 + C ) to learn more about the flora and fauna of the region. Back to the ship for cruising the beautiful river, some very interesting local village visits and very good night canoe trips into the unknown every night after dark to look for wildlife. We particularly enjoyed the night trips as they give you a whole different perspective on the wilderness. Spotting the Caiman, spiders, snakes, etc is amazing ... read more

Sept 20, 2008 AMAZONIA, Brazil We are not too sure what to expect with this part of our adventure, but maybe that’s the best part !!! This morning we flew 3 hours to Manaus, a city in the heart of the rain forest on the Rio Negro River about 35 KM from the junction of the Solimoes River that then becomes the Amazon River and dumps into the Atlantic ocean. Or flight took us to Belem for a short stop and we got some great views of the mouth and delta of the Amazon where it dumps into the ocean. WOW !!! This is a serious river ! We spent the afternoon and evening exploring the beach on the Rio Negro and part of Manaus close to the hotel. ( Hotel Tropical - largest 5 star ... read more

My boyhood dream of traveling down the Rio Amazonas or Amazon River to you and me, has come to and end as it has now been fullfilled (although the Peruvians would have something to say about that which I'll explain later!). We are now in Manaus which lies just 10 km west of where the Rio Negro and Rio Solimoes meet to form the Amazon. The Rio Negro is black; hence the name and the Rio Solimoes is brown and the waters don't mix for several miles downstream. It was a bizzare sight! The trip was everything I didn't expect and more; from marriage proposals to Louise AND myself, to full mobile reception in probably the remotest place I have ever been! We set off early in the morning to pitch our hammocks in a good ... read more

Amazon 3.0 - The Bicycles of Barcelos, a Four-Minute Photo Essay July 24, 2008, Barcelos, Amazonas, Brasil Note: This blog posting is out of order. When I get to a better internet connection I will get back to the story and photos from the Rio Orinoco. Perhaps bicycles are an odd thing to notice on an Amazon trip. But anyone who has been to Brazilian cities or towns would notice the difference here - very few cars, a few trucks, plenty of motorcycles and scooters, but hundreds of bicycles in this small town. Lucho had noticed them - back on Iguana when I told him I planned to stop in Barcelos on my way to Manaus he said “Everybody there rides bicycles.” They are parked everywhere, leaned against walls of stores and homes and schools and ... read more