Down the Amazon River 5

While we had the door of our room open early this morning, a couple came by to ask if we wanted to join them on a trip to visit indigenous villages up the Tapajós River. I jumped out of my bed to say: SIM! (Portuguese for YES!).

Because we are entering a forest reserve, we had to get a permit, which meant going to Santarém and visiting a government office for forests in Brazil.

We had nothing planned for the day except going to the beach again so off we went, by bus, back to Santarém.

The sun was bright and it was a very hot day. So hot that once in a while we would have to walk into a store or whatever business we would find just to air-condition our heads. The office in Santarém was a bit out of the way and we had to ask several people for directions, but we found it and got the papers we needed. They also gave us visitor’s information with rules and places we could and could not visit.

We then took advantage of being in a big town to stop at an internet-cafe so my parents could check emails. My mom alone had to look at 758 emails. Luckily, most internet cafes in Brazil also have computers set up for playing games, so while my parents worked I got to play soccer games on the computer, and won all but one.

Near the port where we had to take the bus back to Alter do Chão, there was a market that sold some things from the region. My father and I got matching straw hats which we wished we had in our heads all day today. And by the time we got back to Alter do Chão, it was already dark and time for dinner.

Down the Amazon River 4

It was great to sleep in a real bed again after the rough mattress in the boat. And the breakfast in our pousada rules, even though it's simple. My favorites are the chocolate milk and their fruits. Local papaya is so tasty and sweet.









































Alter do Chão is known as the Caribbean of the Amazon for its white sand beaches and clear waters. So just as we spent yesterday taking it easy in town, today we do the same but on the beach. Our street ends on the Tapajós River, and from there canoes can take you to a small island or sand bar. You can see it from town since it is not very far, but the water gets deep enough that if you want to bring a bag with you without getting it wet, canoeing across is the way to go.

We spent all day in this great place and mostly in the water. We even had lunch in the water: food shacks place their tables and chairs in the water! While coming up with games to play, I started playing catch with my dad using my Havaiana sandals. They are waterproof and float, so when threw my sandal on the water, it bounced. So we made up a game called Skipping Sandals.

Then we met a family with a boy about 12 years old. I taught him how to play Skipping Sandals and he taught me how to play these other cool games like Buddha Submarino, where you float on your belly and pretend to meditate with your face in the water. You make a hum sound underwater and then you come up for more air. There was also a game called Tubarão, or Shark. You open your eyes underwater and you have to try catching the other person. You can only come up for air, and when you do you have to close your eyes. There were black rocks that looked like coal. We rubbed them on our skin but they made no marks. We would open our eyes in really shallow water and look for them. But the water was so crystal clear that you could spot them easily just standing up.

I thought I found a section of a seashell but I wasn’t sure. I showed it to my new friend and asked him if he knew what it was, and he told me it was part of a turtle shell.

After we took showers back in the pousada we went out into the center of the village for dinner. There were not many options and we chose pizza with a maracujá juice, another tasty local fruit in Brazil.

Down the Amazon River 3

We arrived in Santarem at around 4 or 5am but they let us sleep until sunrise.















We got our luggage together and it was then time to say goodbye, not only to the boat, but also to all the friends I had made there. My favorite friend was a boy who came here with his mother and brothers to meet his father. Supposedly, his father had been working and building a new home for them in Santarem and he had not seen him in 2 years. My mother tried to get an address so we could write to each other and stay in touch but unfortunately his mother didn’t know where they would be living. It was sad to say goodbye but I have a feeling I will see him again. Until then, I will remember him dearly and smiling:















From the boat, we got on a taxi to Alter do Chão, a town about 45 minutes away, on the banks of the Tapajós River. Alter do Chão - Alter of the Earth - it does feel we are close to heaven.

Down the Amazon River 2

Rivers in the Amazon region work like highways do in other places, and many towns are only reachable by boat. The Amazon River is the largest “highway” and the Manaus-Belém trip connects people to various cities along the river. Our boat passes by some and makes stops on others for passengers and cargoes.



While we are docked, people come aboard to sell all kinds of things, from local fruits to sunglasses. I love trying the different flavors of ice cream. They are made out of fruits that only grow locally, and some from things we would never think of in the US such as corn and avocado. Avocado ice cream is the greatest!

Music on the deck starts at about 8am and blares loudly until midnight. The songs don’t repeat themselves but the theme is the always the same: “amor, amor, amor” “love, love, love. Today everybody seemed more relaxed. Some danced, others chatted away with their new friends, and some used the outdoor showers as a hangout.















I myself met almost every kid on the boat, and our card games became a spectacle even for adult passengers. But other games were also introduced, soap bubbles being maybe the most favorite. While some kids made bubbles, others competed catching them. I ran around and yelled so much I almost lost my voice.



Together with my parents, we then met this man who had bought a box that showed a sample of every wood available in the Amazon. It was beautiful and I loved looking at each one of the little squares and trying to remember names.















When the sun was setting, all the passengers on the boat rushed and found a room near the rails to watch it. It was a perfect sunset. It felt as we were on an ocean trip though, because of all the water around us, and the horizon in the distance.

Down the Amazon River 1

Today we start the next part of our journey: an 800-mile boat trip down the big Amazon River, from Manaus to Belém.

It was late afternoon when we got back to Manaus. My parents wanted to find at a hotel near the port. It would make it easier to get there early in the morning and find a boat for our trip. Unfortunately, we had to settle for the worst place on earth, Hotel Ana Cassia. I really hated it. It was dark and old, the beds were stiff as a rock and the breakfast, my favorite at hotels, was really bad. Luckily, we went to sleep early, and the plan of getting to the port at dawn worked out well.

From the port of Manaus, boats leave everyday for Belem, capital of Pará, where the might giant meets the ocean. On the docks you can shop around for deals, but the boats are pretty much the same. Known as gaiolas (bird cages) they usually offer three open decks: a first floor for cargo shipping, a second for a byoh (bring your own hammock) ride, and the top deck has a few cabins and an open area for leisure, a bar and a few outdoor showers.

We got cabin tickets for a boat called Golfinho do Mar, which they said had a double bed, but when we checked the room, it didn’t. Plus, it didn’t have a private bathroom. We had to walk back to the ticket booth and exchange our tickets for another boat. All of this was done in a bit of a hurry since it is first come, first served. So it was all a bit stressful.

Going downstream takes less days of travel, still, we decide to break our trip by getting off in Santarem, almost half way, which meant spending two nights on the Cisne Branco.

We had sometime to kill until departure, so we walked around the now lively port neighborhood and shopped for our trip: snacks (fruits, cashew nuts, and local pastries) and a lot of drinking water.

The boat we got, the Cisne Branco, which means White Swan was built in Glasgow in 1920. Our cabin is tiny with a bunk bed and a small bathroom. This definitely as not a “cruise”, but I was very excited with how local we were traveling and how many kids were on the boat. Since we had no windows with a view, we left the door open pretty much all day, with chairs just outside, overlooking the river view. It was fantastic, and the size and power of the water something truly amazing.

I walked around the boat, exploring every corner of it. There was so much to see. When checking out the hammock floor, I also understood better why my parents wanted to get a cabin. The sight is beautiful and very colorful but people looked like sardines in a can, cramped one next to the other, some on top of the other.

By the time I came back to my cabin, I had a whole group of friends with me, all local kids. We became inseparable. I brought a pack of cards, and that was the most popular game. We set up a table next to a group of men playing dominoes, and while we played, we talked and laughed a lot.

Brazilian Amazon Day 10

Our fifth and last day traveling on the Awape is today. I woke up really early to watch the sunrise: my last sunrise on the Rio Negro. I had a feeling today was my lucky day.















We got on the canoe for one last time and rode it by using its motor. We rode it for a long time, about 30 minutes. And on the riverbanks, near Manaus, we were greeted by a man from the Tukano tribe.















The tribe was made up of about four families, who moved closer to the city a few years ago so that their children could go to school. Next to their homes, they set up an area to welcome visitors who want to meet them, and learn about their customs.

They took us on a tour around their village to show us some of their tools and skills, and we all got turns trying some of their instruments, such as blowguns which they use to kill birds. The bow and arrows are used to kill bigger animals such as deer, and I almost got a bulls eye with the help of an older man. They showed us a trap where there were leaves, with a string under it. The animal would go to eat the bait and the string would pop out of the bait and catch the animal by hanging it upside down.



We were told that they were to perform a ceremony, usually not seen by outsiders. It all felt very special. Everybody gathered under a big hut: man, women and children. One by one, they came to shake our hands and introduce themselves. They were half naked, the women wearing skirts, the men a piece of cloth. A guy came and spoke for a while in his own language and then people started bringing in instruments and dance. At one point, a little girl who didn’t speak any Portuguese except her name, Tatiana, came and took my hand into the dance circle. I also was given a flute to play, but it was hard as I had to both pull Tatiana and dance at the same time.















As I had hoped this day would come true, I brought a special gift from the US which I thought the kids would enjoy. Something I myself love: baseball cards. I started to give them away and was taken around to meet even those who were inside their homes. Also to my surprise, not only the kids my age enjoyed the cards but also adults and babies.
















At the end I was left with one rubber band to which I held dearly. And the memories of a trip I will never forget.

Brazilian Amazon Day 9

Early in the morning, Tito joined our crew. Tito has been living in the Amazon since he was 3 years old. Together with our guide, he came to lead us on a hike through the jungle in Madada, where he lives today.















I love going on hikes and came fully prepared. Before leaving the US, my parents consulted our doctors to find out what vaccines we needed to take. And we all got the shots we were told to get. When walking in the jungle, besides Insect repellent, I was also to dress long pants, long sleeve shirt, hat and safe shoes.















We followed our guides, who knew their way around. They walked in front of us with machetes to both open the road and protect us from anything dangerous. As we came across interesting things, they stopped to show us.



I saw a tree with a sap that is used for making chewing gum, a plant that has the venom used by Indians on darts of blowguns, and also - a snake.



When we came back from the hike, the captain turned our boat around to start our return trip.

The feel of water on the boat was quite different. Because we were now going downriver, the boat followed the river current and moved a lot faster.

I asked about the possibility of visiting an Amazon native tribe. Local laws have protected many of the areas where indians live, and to visit them, you need legal permission. Our guides had a contact and promised to look into it. I so much hope for it to happen…

Brazilian Amazon Day 8

Most villages in the Amazon are only reachable by boat. Rivers function like roads and highways throughout the region. Novo Airão is old and big enough to be connected to Manaus by a real road, but that road ends here.

We had our usual morning breakfast with great fruits and juice, cake and tapioca. After it, we left and walked to a restaurant nearby to meet owner Marilda and her daughter. Marilda has recently become a celebrity, appearing in papers and television news for making friends and protecting twenty pink dolphins that come to the back of her floating restaurant daily.















Many local legends have pictured the dolphins as devil creatures and there are a lot of negative superstitions surrounding these animals. For this reason, many people don’t like them and some kill dolphins just to it as bait. So Marilda’s work is very important. It teaches people that these are gentle creatures and that they should be respected.

We met the dolphins and fed them some frozen fish. In the beginning I was a bit afraid since they are pretty big. But once I fed them a few times and got to touch them, my fear was gone.



The sun was setting when we reached Madada, the furthest destination of our trip.















The water had a perfect temperature for a swim right off the boat. I had a life-vest on and just floated on the water for a long time.

On one more canoe ride, our guides pulled out flashlights to spot the tree edges. If they saw two shiny red lights, it meant that it was a Caiman. We didn’t ride away from them in fear but instead, we got closer. This is called nighttime Caiman spotting and is a big attraction offered by various excursions in the Amazon. We came very close to one but my mother got scared, yelled, and the Caiman swam away.

When we came back, we stayed out on the deck for a while, just listening to the sounds of the jungle animals. And this is how the jungle at night sounds like:

Brazilian Amazon Day 7

Once again, we left our boat to explore our surroundings by canoe.

Igapó or várzea is the Brazilian name for flooded forest, and we entered it by canoeing through openings between the trees. Sometimes the forest was thick and the guide in our boat had to cut branches for the boat to go through. He also used his machete to make marks on the trees so he could find his way back.



When the jungle starts to flood, the land animals that live here swim across the river to the mainland, to only return during the dry season. Birds and butterflies are found everywhere though. And we also got to see and smell a beautiful wild orchid.




























We then left the igapó and went to an area where we could walk on land. Our guide brought us there to show us the largest species of the Amazon trees: the Samaúma. Its trunk reminded me of bones.















I got to walk barefoot and as was doing it, I kept thinking how this soil is made up of layers and layers of leaves, like an ancient carpet of nature on top of nature…

Just as it started to rain, we arrived in the town of Novo Airão.

We docked, and something came aboard to welcome us. His name was Chitão, a Red Howler Monkey. We played with Chitão who sometimes scared me, like when he tried to grad my hair or my still camera. But he was a pretty friendly guy for the most part, and in the evening, together with his owner, he sat on the dinner table with us.

Brazilian Amazon Day 6

Today we left Manaus to go on a 5-day expedition up the Rio Negro and the Anavilhanas Archipelago.

We walked down a path in front of the hotel and parked on a small dock, a boat was waiting for us: the Awape. All wooden and very much like the local traditional boats, the Awape is awesome!















There are 11 of us altogether: 5 travelers (counting ourselves), and a 6-person crew. After being introduced to each other, we were shown to our room.

Our guide then called us to the deck and gave us information about the boat, our itinerary, and what we would see. Just as the boat was about to make a turn though, we all stood up to see one of the main attractions of the region: the meeting of the waters.
















The Rio Negro has its name because of its color and it is black because of the acidity in the water. I also learned that the acidity kills mosquito eggs, making this place a perfect paradise (I am terribly allergic to mosquito bites).

There are two seasons in the Amazon: the dry season and the rainy season.

We are in July, the end of the rainy season, and what we came to see is the flooded forest, when the top of the trees or canopy is right at eye level.















The boat went slowly up the river, traveling alongside the beautiful canopy and we spent a lot of time just watching the trees, and spotting flowers and birds.

As the water level starts to go down in the dry season, the beaches that are formed around the river islands begin to appear. Suddenly we came across one so we stopped the boat and jumped out for a swim.

When we got back on the boat, lunch was ready: Pirarucu, farofa, and salad.















Hearing about the Amazon fish made me want to get my fishing gear out of the suitcase. I spent most of the afternoon trying to catch a fish, but the only thing I caught was a baby piranha. By the way, piranhas here are a common fish that mostly gets eaten by people, and not the other way around as I used to think.

At the end of the afternoon we arrived at Anavilhanas. Our captain found a spot to anchor for the night but before it got completely dark, we got into a canoe with a motor that came with the big boat, and went for a ride. The canoe is great because you get to be a lot closer to the water and when the guide turns off its motor to paddle it gets really quiet.

A loud noise of birds screaming started. “Booker!” my mom called, pointing to two macaws directly above us. It was magical.

Brazilian Amazon Day 5

Today we also went to the zoo, but this one was just a few yards from our room in the hotel. We had learned that Hotel Tropical Manaus had a zoo even before arriving here but had no idea how cool it was. I think I even liked it better than the city zoo because you can get a lot closer to the animals and even play with them. There were different types of monkeys, including a group of Spider Monkeys that were great. When you offered them something, they would immediately take it and you felt you were communicating with them. Some had cool looking hairdos. I liked playing with the monkeys and stayed there for a long time.




























With about 100 native species of Amazonian fauna, the grounds were green all around. I even saw a cacau tree!



The Zoo is free and it has signs next to every animal explaining about it both in Portuguese and in English.

Tomorrow we leave on a big expedition with a boat from Katerre, organized by Mundus Travel in São Paulo. So in the afternoon we went back to our room to prepare for the trip.

In the evening, we walked to Ponta Negra, right next to the hotel. A stretch of bars and restaurants with a view of the Rio Negro makes Ponta Negra a nice place to see the sunset and dine. We had grilled fish that tasted delicious, listened to cars playing loud local music, and watched a street performer that dressed and danced exactly like Michael Jackson. I think his name was Michael Jackson of the Amazon.
















Cool Manaus:
During the Rubber Boom, Manaus was one of the richest cities on earth. The city had electricity before London, telephones before Rio de Janeiro, electric trams while New Yorkers were still pulled by horses.