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Published: October 25th 2006
Fernando and I recently went for a three day trip with our neighbors Mary and Ricardo to Santarem, Para state, Brasil. It is an hour flight from Manaus by airplane. We spent most of our days relaxing in the sun, nibbling on garlic olive oil shrimp and other seafood treats. We sipped bottled coke and beer and lounged in the Amazon river. We rented a room in a little pousada right on the beach, with a deck looking over white sand and palm trees. Alter do Chão beach is beautiful and I had many moments where I stepped back from myself and thought, Oh my God, I'm swimming in the Amazon river!
While soaking in the river one day this guy with a boat came up to us and offered a tour around the out lying mangroves and swamps. He introduced himself as John Lennon and right away I knew he was a good guy. His real name is definitely not John Lennon but apparently that's what he likes to be called. So we agreed to a tour and a few hours later we were loading up into his little green boat to explore the Amazon. Mr. Lennon knew a
smidgen of English and so he made quite an effort to describe the surroundings for me. He also made quite an effort to get me to drink beer from a cooler he brought along. LILLIAN! CERVEJA!! LILLIAN! He took us to a swampy area full of mangroves where as he said in Portuguese, the birds are mating now. We saw a lot of white herons which were so beautiful and elegant reflecting off the water. Johnny pointed out a large white and brown Amazon hawk in the trees. The trees were large and gnarly, growing directly out of the water. We all got out and walked around barefoot through the crystal clear creek beds. John Lennon and I walked and chatted in both Portuguese and English. I could see he was excited to speak to a foreigner. He asked about my family and told me he is one of sixteen children. WOAHHHH, I hestitated and said "Que?!?".....thinking that I heard him wrong and yet Fernando confirmed my ears did not decieve me. Holy moly. He said this is common for most Amazonian families. There's plenty of fish and fruit to go around.
We went to an amazing beach
afterwards, with the sun going down and golden light beaming off the horizon. The sky was a soft pastel pink and blue as we splashed and swam in the river. It was amazing and super beautiful to witness. We watched river dolphins jump in and out of the water off the shores of the river. Each time one would jump, everyone would squeal and point. Sometimes I can't even fathom how big the Amazon river is. It carries one-fifth of the worlds water! It looks like an ocean and swimming in it is a little daunting. You feel like a small ant surrounded by a giant forest.
As we watched the sun go down, we talked to John Lennon and he said that next time we should bring a hammock and can camp for free under the stars. The beach is very secluded and looks out onto a vast amount of water, really truly amazing.
Our time in Santarem was really relaxing, refreshing and rejuvinating. The days felt long and drawn out, giving the sense that we were there longer then we really were. Locals fished in the rivers and sold coconut juice on the side of the
road. Bananas, pineapples and bikinis hung in doorways. Roosters with vivid colors squawked each morning as the days began. Trees hung heavy with mango, cashew fruit and coconut. Children kicked soccer balls back and forth in the sand. We spent the nights sitting in the main square talking and people watching. Music from the church echoed throughout the area. Groups of children stayed out late, playing in the streets. The air was warm and the town was peaceful. I had a wonderful time in this Amazonian paradise. I am definitely looking forward to going back to Santarem sometime soon.
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N King
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Fabulosooo
Lil, Thanks agian for a peak into another world. I feel like such a voyere! Fernando looks like such a love, I'm thrilled for both of you. I've never seen shots of the Amazon that look so much like the ocean, what a trip. You need to get your mother and Chris over there for a vacation this winter, so they can get the heck out of Humboldt. We love it up in Eugene, and when you two come back to the states( if you ever come back) please come visit us. Love to you, Nancy