After a six-week hiatus from writing, I’m ready to conclude the story of our journey in the Amazon.
Ever since we started talking about this vacation, the one thing that Alex and Ian most anticipated was a chance to go fishing for piranha. Day 3 of our memorable trip began with an excursion to do just that, and the boys could not contain their excitement. It was a beautiful and sunny morning, and after another delicious breakfast, we boarded our boat and headed back into the flooded forests of the Rio Negro. Our guides picked a spot in the shade, passed out pieces of raw meat, and handed everyone a bamboo rod with a string and hook attached – no fancy fishing poles here! One of the guides made the first catch and showed off his fish with its razor-sharp teeth – and the kids became impatient, wanting to be the next ones to bring in a piranha. Pilar’s son, Alberto, kept us entertained with his exclamations and cries in Portuguese as he proudly brought in the second fish of the morning. By this point, Ian and Alex were starting to pout because they had yet to get a bite – rather, the fish were fast and clever, taking the meat on the end of their lines without being hooked. Our guides decided to try for a different spot; after moving to another area, the boys’ luck turned for the better. They each caught their very own piranha – Alex bringing his in first, then Ian following soon after (Matt and I breathed a sigh of relief – they were even!). They proudly posed for pictures, showing off their catch before the guides carefully removed the fish from the boys’ lines, as they didn’t want any of their guests to lose a finger on their watch.
After lunch, the skies darkened and threatened to storm. Our scheduled afternoon activity was a visit to a nearby Caboclo community; we wondered if the weather would interfere with our outing. The Caboclos are people of mixed Brazilian Indian and European ancestry and we hoped to have a chance to see how they live. The rain held off long enough for us to get into our boats and start upriver – and then the heavens opened up and unleashed a vicious downpour. Our attempts to stay dry were unsuccessful, but we managed to not let the rain dampen our spirits – it was the rainforest, after all! After a cold and wet one-hour trip on the river, we arrived at a clearing, with about 12 small shacks lined up on the riverbank. As we pulled up to the shore, the rain stopped falling and we were greeted by a beautiful blue and gold macaw perched on a limb of a bare tree, who seemed completely unfazed by our presence.
The Caboclo homes were simple – very small wooden structures with outhouses and no running water. We were told that there is one generator shared by all of the families in the community; apparently, each family gets to use the generator for a few hours a week, allowing them to occasionally watch a soccer game on TV. The people of this community share the tasks of milling “mandioca” (yuca) for food, as well as growing other fruits and vegetables on their land. They rely heavily on the river for fish to supplement their diets. They also make their livings through woodcraft, primarily building boats that are special-ordered by customers around the river. The community’s children are taken to a local school by boat, but this usually ends by age 14, at which time schooling is no longer offered and the teens are expected to begin working and contributing to the family’s needs. Many of them also get married, girls as young as 12, leaving their families and marrying boys of 14. After browsing the crafts sold in their little gift shop, and buying blow-darts for the kids (and a bracelet made of acai seeds for me) it was time to return to the resort. Before boarding the boat, however, we were able to take some pictures of the friendly macaw (nicknamed “Fofo”, which means ‘cute’ in Portuguese) and learned his story – he was rescued as a baby by local men – after growing and learning to fly, he refused to leave, making the community his home. Fofo put on a little show for us, dancing around on his tree limb and posing for the camera, and squawked a goodbye as we pulled away from the shore.
Our final day in the Anavilhanas began with a knock on our door at 5AM, for a “sunrise contemplation” outing. We had made sure to let the guides know not to wake the kids, and allowed them to sleep in, while we made our way through the dark to the boat. It had stormed during the night, but the weather had cleared just in time for us to be able to enjoy the peace and quiet of the river before the sun rose over the horizon. We made our way across the Rio Negro to the nearest submerged island and had time to listen to the silence, and the occasional bird’s cry, while watching the colors of the sky change and lighten. As with the night tour, it is difficult to express with words or pictures the complete beauty and peace that we were fortunate enough to experience – that moment was one I’ll find hard to forget. When you live in a city as congested as Sao Paulo, it’s nice to remember that there are places in this country that are virtually untouched by the hands of man, and I go back to that place in my mind and remember the feelings that were stirred within my soul. After the sun had risen, and was shining and reflected in the still water of the river, we returned to the resort, feeling lighter in spirit (and more awake) than when we had departed.
By this time, the boys were awake and waiting for us to let them out of their room (yes, they were locked in!). We ate a quick breakfast and went on our last excursion in the Amazon – a ride in regional canoes (made by the Caboclos) through the creeks and flooded forest of the Rio Negro. Once again, I was paired with Ian, while Matt and Alex navigated their way in another canoe. Though the scenery was beautiful, maneuvering a 12-foot canoe between submerged trees and branches was not easy, and Ian kept giving me a hard time, laughing and exclaiming how terrible I was at it. I welcomed the breaks that we took to learn more about the plants and trees that grow in the forest, taking the opportunity to rest my tired arms and catch my breath. I didn’t give up, though, and we made it through without tipping over or causing anyone else to end up in the water. It was a beautiful way to end our time in this amazing place – and, I have to say, I was quite relieved to finally reach the larger boat that would return us to the resort. We packed our bags, enjoyed one more delicious meal (the food at the resort was fantastic), said our goodbyes, and loaded the vans for the trip out of the jungle and into civilization.
Once back in Manaus, it was as though the magic spell that had been cast over us wore off. The kids were tired and cranky; Matt tried to catch up on work (which made him cranky), and I was grumpy because they were cranky! We spent the evening in the hotel (definitely a far cry from the resort we had left behind), ate a very unimpressive dinner, and went to bed early (Ian and Matt in one room and Alex and I in another – on opposite ends of the hotel). We had a few hours the next morning to explore the city before catching our flight back to Sao Paulo. Our hotel was well-situated in the heart of town, so we walked around to see some of the highlights, including the Amazonas Theater in the well-preserved and pretty historic district of Manaus. Despite the heat and humidity, we continued walking for several blocks into the not-so-pretty parts of the city until we reached the large fish market on the river. Matt was impressed by the number of fish being brought in on small boats by local fishermen – he and Ian walked around taking pictures; Alex and I couldn’t take the crowds, heat, or stench and waited outside and people-watched. We walked the busy streets back to the hotel, aware of the difference between the people in this part of Brazil, compared to those we see in Sao Paulo – it was like being in a different country. The poverty made an impression on the kids, and I was glad that they were getting a glimpse of how others live and hoped that it would give them an appreciation of how blessed we are.
We ate lunch and called the taxi that would take us to the airport for our flight home – sadly, our trip had come to an end. Matt commented that this vacation had cost us enough to pay for one year’s college tuition (not to any college that I know!), but we really believe that we couldn’t put a price tag on the memories we made that week, or on the experience of being in and learning about the Amazon Rainforest. If given the chance, I would recommend a trip to the Amazon for anyone who is physically able to visit that spectacular place. I can promise you, it would be a vacation you would never forget – it truly is the experience of a lifetime!
