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Published: September 7th 2011
Find your space!
Our squished hammocksWow. The past 2 weeks, we have experienced every emotion possible. We are enjoying our first 'comfortable' day - with not a single item of clean clothing left!
Our boat trip from Belem - Manaus was the first test in animal behaviour. All the tourists pitch up 3 hours early (as told to us in the guide books) and then stand around waiting to board. You then grab you little piece of territory where you hang a hammock which is to be your home for the next 6 days. As new people board, you lie on the hammock and splay yourself as wide as possible, giving the evil-eye to newcombers who want to pitch their hammock up right next to yours. One becomes lost in a sea of hammocks as everyone lies on top of each other. As in Africa, there is always space for more. Add 99% humidity and scorching temperatures and you have a floating sweat bath. At one point, tensions rose so high that an enormous lady cut her hammock in half with a pair of scissors when a guy hung his hammock right on top of hers! She spent the next 6 days sleeping in the
Local house
House along the Amazon River bow next to the anchor chain.
We quickly made friends with the other 4 tourists on the boat. Time is spent lying in the hammock, playing cards and watching dolphins (pink and grey). In an attempt to curb our overspending, we took our own food and cooked on board - a 2 plate stove right next to the engine - hot and noisy!
We arrived in Manaus 6 days later and bored stiff (not having followed Derek´s advice of more books, less clothing). Within one hour, we had planned our next adventure - an Amazon excursion for 6 days. With very few clean clothes, us and our new friends headed into the Amazon on what would be a unique, never to be forgotten trip.
Our guide was an Indian from one of the Amazonian tribes. His communication skills were practically zero, so he would randomly walk off and not let us know what was happening. We felt a bit cheated - like seeing an amazing brochure and then realising, once there, that it is not quite as the brochure portrayed it to be. With that said, we still enjoyed ourselves a lot. We went 200kms from Manaus followed by an
The group
Our new friends hours boat ride up the Urubu River to our hut where we stayed with an indigenous family. Marco managed to break his long time drought by catching 2 piranas! Fishing on the calm waters at sunset, watching dolphins swim by was really special. The next day we headed into the jungle for a 3 day hike. A machete and hammock are the only essentials needed when going into the forest. We made shelters from trees and palm leaves and slept under the forest canopy. Night times were always magical, with camp fires, millions of frog croaks and candle bees floating past, attracted by the fire. Although we did not see many mammals, we saw a tarantula, plenty of insects, and the odd bird. We lived the jungle life by eating very sporadically. We would eat three meals one day, and then almost nothing the next (we were kept guessing as to whether we would be getting food as our guide never really informed us of anything in advance) - we quickly learnt to eat like the Bushmen - when there is food, eat as much as you can! : )
Our group had very interesting dynamics - German, Spanish and
Our group
Going to the campsite Canadian made for an eclectic mix.
There seems to be little control over the rainforest - our guide was ´chop - happy', cutting down every branch in his way, and nonchalantly clearing land for shelters. We were quite surprised at this. But as our Spaniard friend said ''There are many trees in the forest'' - which echoes the mindset of the natives it seems, much to Phillipa´s disdain.
Our final hiking day was super - we swam in a beautiful waterfall, and walked into more lush, dense vegetation. We also took a wrong route which led us right into a wasps nest. We came off with 8 stings between us, but the pain lessened after a short while.
Our last day was spent making blow guns (a local weapon used to shoot monkeys and birds) - surprisingly effective when Marco tried it out on our German friend´s calf (at his request of course). We also got to see an anaconda - a young one (3m long), unfortunately caught in a fisherman´s net. This was the same water we had taken short swims in earlier (along with the piranas).
Today is our last day in Brazil - we have spent
it relaxing and getting some admin done (last night was our first shower in 6 days!). Our hygiene standards have certainly readjusted: we now class things as ´not so dirty' and 'unwearable'.
We fly to Colombia tmrw. To not deviate from our characteristically long trips by bus, air or water, our flight will go via Panama! We decided splurging on a ticket would be a better move than a dodgy border crossing preceeded by another 6 day boat trip.
What we miss most:
Sitting down with Tea and cake!!!
Highlight:
Marco - night times with glow worms on the river´s edge
Phil - sunsets on the river
Lowlight:
Marco - excitedly getting into the car on the way to the Amazon trip, only to be dropped off at the bus station 20 mins later and having to catch a bus - not quite what was expected!
Phil - lack of food
Goodbye Brazil, Hello Colombia!!
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African Amy
non-member comment
seriously?
Guys, seriously? Is this for real? Tarantulas, anacondas, piranas, shelters in the Rainforest...!! It's too much of coolness! on our side, the excitment is the Rugby world cup... choices choices! =) Glad you chose the flight to Colombia! Happy new leg of the journey!! love A