0600: alarm set an hour early by mistake. Hope AJ doesn't dock me another demerit. I try to make amends by getting right up and starting our coffee ritual while he snoozes for another half hour. Meanwhile, I sit down to transpose the notes from my little black book and into the text file on my net book. I have only been able to transpose up thru Monday as we have been on such a hectic schedule - I hope we can find some downtime, but I fear we may have scheduled ourselves on a very tight timeline for the entirety of the trip (at least thru next Wednesday when we depart Rio de Janeiro).
0700: and the breakfast provided by the hostel is ready. Coffee, bread, cheese, pineapple, guava (or papaya) and banana.
0800: we're all packed up and ready to be picked up by Brazil Nuts tour. As we wait outside on the veranda the temperature and humidity is stifling with barely any breeze to cool our skin. Half and hour and still no sign of our transport.
0905: the transport (Peugot 15 passenger van with air conditioning) arrives. Maybe there was some misunderstanding between our itinerary and the tour provider here in Manaus. There is an Austrian couple already aboard, and we are off to pick up the next pilgrims. Ten minutes later we have arrived at the Inner City Premium Hotel to pick up a pair of Australian guys as the rain begins to fall. Our guide, Angelo (Marco) indicates that he doesn't believe the rain will last too long. The slight drizzle has become a downpour and there are dark clouds on the horizon. We pass by a covered field with several guys playing futebol. There are a couple more fields adjacent - Brasil really is crazy for their futebol. We pass some gas stations where the price is R$3.84/liter (US$6.85). I imagine the greater cost compared to Natal is due to it all having to be shipped up the river, and there are many tanker ships moored in the river.
0940: arrival at the ferry terminal. The guide, Angelo, asks if we're all prepared and lists some items of importance: flashlight, rain poncho, water. He indicates that we should all purchase a 2 liter bottle of water R$4 (US$1.90). There will be drinks available for purchase during meals, but nothing else will be provided (later he indicates during our canoe tour that the water in the tributary in crystal clear and is save to drink ... we do not take him up on this. I take a moment to walk down the market and covered terminal where the automobiles pay their fare, then maneuver into position to back up onto the ferry. The ramp slopes to the river and there is meat and fish market on the left side and dry goods on the right. There are piles of fresh fish with some ice covering. They look great, and there are many different types.
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1000: we depart on a small boat which can seat up to 16 passengers and is powered by a Suzuki 115 HP outboard motor. Our group consists of six tourists, our guide, a driver and assistant. The rain continues as we walk down a pair of parallel planks to the dock launch and climb aboard. The boat has plastic screens installed on the front and along both sides to protect us from the now driving rain. We have a very limited view of the riverside and the activity in the middle. The river is massive and even here in Manaus way up the Amazon it is wider than I recall the Mississippi to be near New Orleans. We are shortly speeding along not too far from the north bank and one of the Aussies is drenched by a rouge wave. Apparently they have forgotten to pull in a bollard and it caught a wave. We slow and the assistant hauls it in. We pass a large bridge structure that juts like a bridge into the river. I ask if that is a petrol terminal and he says that it is the water pumping station for the City of Manaus. The driving rain continues and we can see that the river banks are flooded with the tree tops jutting above the water. Due to the weather there will be no chance to see the meeting of the waters today as scheduled - Angelo indicates that we will see upon our return (weather permitting I say to myself). The 'meeting of the waters' is one of the main attractions here in Manaus. This is at the confluence of two rivers, one running clear (Rio Negro) and the other muddy (Rio ?). There are whitecaps on the river and we are in for a bumpy ride.
1030: we turn in to a tributary and stop to change a gas tank and then drop off the assistant, who as it turns out is another boat captain. He is dropped at a dock along the tributary where we can tell that the water is quite high and approaching the houses.
1045: we're now on a smooth tributary and the rain appears to be slowing down. We are now motoring among the tree tops. Angelo indicates that the water is 13 meters above the low season level when there is a small channel only 20 centimeters deep. We have been able to take this large boat all the way instead of having to transfer to one of the shallow draft skiffs with the long tail motor and propeller.
1100: arrival at the Amazon Village. We are given instructions about when we are required to wear shoes and trousers (just during our jungle tour). The keys are passed out, and we are in a 'duplex' cabin next to the Aussie guys. As we are settling in, we hear some excited tones coming from the other side of the wall. The guys, upon inspection, have found a tarantula spider high above in the roof thatch. <PHOTO>
1200: We get into our swim trunks and head back to the dock for a swim. AJ and I jump in and swim out to the submerged trees and I climb up into the branches to perch just above the water line. There is only a slight drizzle, and it is warmer in the water than outside of it.
1230: lunch buffet includes beef, fish, spaghetti, the cooks here are amazing. Always enjoyable conversations with our tour mates.
1500: swamp tour via the long tail skiff. The larger skiff have Yamaha 300cc, these can carry about 10-12 people. The locals travel via smaller skiffs which can carry two or three and are powered by Honda 160cc motors. The motors are connected to a four foot 'long tail' shaft with a propeller at the end. These are the only way to travel in the shallow channels in the dry season. We are now in the high water season with the water 12-13 meters above the low water line, when the there is a narrow channel only 20 cm deep. Many of the narrow channels that we are traveling now, are walking paths in the low season.
During our swamp tour we see many birds including buzzards, red hawk (w/ grey white head), fork tailed fly catcher, and egret among various other unidentified aviary. We enter a very narrow tributary where the boat driver shuts down the motor and begins to paddle. We are instructed to be quiet so that we may hear the many noises from the rainforest. The driver then indicates something high in the tree, and we can barely make out the shape of the extremely slow moving three toed slot. The sloth is climbing to the top of the canopy to eat the fresh leaves.
1600: we begin our return to the lodge there is no rain and the sun has begun to poke thru the clouds. We return via the main tributary an there are fish surfacing to feed upon the insects. There are even a few flying fish. We hear a loud racket from a small flock of birds and our guide instructs us that this is a group of Maracana (parrots) and is the namesake of the famous stadium in Rio.
1650: visit a traditional Amazon house where they are selling some handmade wares in addition to some items that have obviously been purchased in Manaus. I purchase two bracelets for R$5 each and AJ and I have an ice cold Kaiser beer R$5.
1715: depart the traditional riverside village for the 5' ride back to the Amazon Village Lodge. As we approach the compound, Angelo indicates that we are riding 10 meters above the soccer field and we can make out the rectangular shape of the treeline at the perimeter. Upon our return there is a great commotion as a tarantula spider hanging at the edge of the eave next to the dining room where it is catching the flying termites. It makes quick motion to snatch the insects from the air with it's hairy front legs and draws them into the mouth.
1800: dusk descends and the flying termites are crazy bad, so we must be sure to close the door to our cabana which has insect screens on the windows to keep the bugs at bay.
1900: dinner at the lodge is again a wonderful spread, and there are four other groups in addition to our own. One of the groups includes a couple of women from Seattle and one of their sons. Another group includes an elderly couple from England and three folks from Vancouver. Dinner includes: salads of shredded cabbage, carrots, cucumbers and some beet like vegetable. Main courses are: vegetable soup, spaghetti, rice, potatoes, carrots, lasagna, beef (flank steak and tongue) and fish.
2200: bedtime, and I have put in my earplugs and begun to sleep when I hear Andy freaking out and letting out a curse. He has been laying in bed not yet asleep when a tarantula spider drops and lands on his neck. He brushes it off, feeling the hairy legs\ and can hear the patter of the eight feet across his pillow. I am just barely able to get back to sleep with one eye open with little fear that the spider will return.
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