Manauas is where I am now and is the last stop in Brazil and this entry should be a short one as there have only been two real events since last I wrote. We have yet to discuss the rest of the amazon river tour and then our jungle trip.
The remainder of the boat trip was mostly uneventful. The end of the third day (after the stop in Santarem) was spent reading, eating studying and the like. We stopped at another small town for half an hour on the fourth day and in the afternoon we saw a lot of dolphins and a lot closer than before. On the evening of the fourth day myself and Shelia had a few words with the captain of the boat, who was actual an America guy who was glad to practise his dormant mother tongue and told us aboiut his life and his family and also, lastly informed us that the boat would in fact arrive at middnight the following day and not early afternoon as we origionally thought. Apparently the way we had originally planned to go was too shallow and we had to take a longer route to get to Manauas. So we went to bed knowing we had a fith full day of boat, everyone else in our group however woke up happy, knowing we were getting off soon. They were soon made miserable agaain though, with the new information that arrival would likely in fact be at 2am (if not later) meaning we would be spending another night on the boat. People were not happy that our last night in civilization before the jungle trip was going to be another night of boat! As far as I am conserned it is a bed! I am only going to sleep in it after all!!
The next morning we dropped our bags at the hotel, and then set out into the jungle. The three day jungle trip was amazing, as was our jungle guide Ruban and our floating lodge accomodation. The best thing about the jungle trip however was the complete absence of mosquitoes, thats right - we were in the middle of the amazone jungle and there were no mossi´s. On top of that, we saw so much and did so much whilst we were there. We went Pirhan fishing and I caught my first fish (it does still count if I catch it but am then to scared to pull it out of the water right..), we went aligator spoting and not only saw the red eyes of the alligators from a distance but also saw a baby alligator up close when Ruban caught one!!
After a night floting in our lodge beds we spend a morning on a jungle trekk. Here Ruban taught us how to climb tall skinny tress with no branches with a special foot clamp type thing (the boys then had a go), he showed us how to make the local woven handy crafts, he caught a huge tarantual for us, he showed us a fluffy, feathered bug that looked more like a bird, he showed us a rubber making tree (and make us some rubber) and he showed us a tree you could cut a branch from and drink water out of. We found ants you can rub into your skin for mossi repellant, a plant you chew for malaria prevention and little white bug lave that are meant to be good to eat (I didn`t try one). The experience was amazing, I never expected to see so much on a two hour trek!! In the afternoon we then went canoeing (which we got bored of speedily) but Ruban, forever the entertainer, had more planned. He found a sloth, high up in one of the trees and we had a walk bare foot through the jungle and then wait at the bottem whilst he climbed an impossibly high tree and brought the sloth back down to us (wrapped in his t-shirt, clutched in his teeth!!). The sloth was AMAZING!! It was so slow and so interested in us it was just so cool. We then had to rush back becasue a storm was coming, but becasue we are lazy we didn´t manage it and we got caught out it in, but it was pretty cool being out in the canoe in the pouring amazonian rain.
On the final day we we went to see a local village before going home and on the way through the village we saw a church (which only opens once a year), a school, a few homes, a bar (in which we drank our first Capirinhas in quite a while) and another sloth!! On the way back it was in the heat of the day and after the rain the day before it was baking hot and we all jumped in the river fully clothed, it was so cool, we got too hot again five minutes later, but it was fun for the time we were in the water. On our return to the lodge we spent more time swimming and eating lunch before returning to Manauas and to reality!!
Thursday, 25 October 2007
Friday, 19 October 2007
The Amazon River, Brazil
Again I have quite a little adventure to relate, first was the veiwing of the Paraniba delta which was as the lonely planet promised; ´good but not fantastic´, following that was our stop in Barranihas which was awesome, even if it was another desert. Sao Luis, another city stop, did provide something a little different: mini carnival, from there we moved into the polluted Belem (where I was scammed becasue I am too nice) and then onto the boat on which we traversed the Amazon.
In Paraniba we stayed in a very plush hotel with a nice pool and a T.V., which was good becasue the town was pretty dead. The one day we spent there we took a boat to see the delta, the place where the river and the ocean meet. The ride was pretty and we saw the huge mangrooves (trees apparently) and the boat driver also went for a swim to catch a crab and a prawn for us to see (prawns can really jump). The delta was not much to look at though the beach was fun, it was deserted and it had little pockets of really warm water and vibrating sand (which convinced me it was quick sand by hungrily eating my feet). Lunch on the river on the way back was also amazing, the prawns were delish.
Again we had a 4x4 adventure to get to Barranihas and it was bloddy bumping. Barranihas was another town with streets of sand, and although it lacked the charater (and the touristy air) of Jeri, I loved it. With our one day there we managed to do everything there was to do - a beautiful floating experience down the lazy river and a trip to the sand dunes and lagoons of the local national park (in fact much prettier than the lagoons in Jeri).
Sao Luis was just another city really but there were shops and there was C&A (I thought it died, I never realised they just pulled out of England!!), I bought a new dress and also a cute little top, v. cheap and I feel kinda left out when other people get dressed up to go out. I got to wear my new dress that evening when we went to Sao Luis mini carnival. It was a really cool evening, thought not quick what I expected. The parade was more like a move disco / bar and the dancers were dancing what ever the pleased and were not really in costume just in a sort of uniform. But in was really cool, we met a lovely brazillian lady called Lilly and she and her husband were trying to teach me and Helen how to Samba but she kept looking at me and shaking her head at my efforts!!! It was a really cool evening.
Belem was a little different. Much hotter, much bigger and much more polluted it was more your tipical big city, where Sao Luis was a pretty little town, Belem was a mad, rushed and people packed place. I bought lots of pretty earings, we had sushi and we generally just waited arround to get on the boat. We also found a huge, modern shopping mall which we wandered, but we didn´t really buy anyhting appart from boat supplies. Whilst out walking a German guy approached us in a panic saying he had been held at gun point in a taxi and all his belongings and money had been stolen, could we lend him some money for the airport tax (obviously the storey was longer and more heart felt). I gave him about twenty pounds, I just thought - what would I do if I was in the same position? I would very much hope someone would help me and it is not realistically that much money... Unfortunatly this guy is in the loney planet, under the section titled ´danger and avoidance´ (which I will be reading in detail about every city I enter from now on). So I feel stupid, but like ´boy who cried wolf´ or what? How unfair is that on those people who that does happen to? I definitly wont be as trusting next time.
So as for now, I am in Santarem, a stop over on our amazon river boat trip. The first tow days have actually been pretty cool. That being after the teathing problems. The guy our tour guide booked through messed up our booking for the boat and we got on the boat with the knowledge that we would be spending 2 nights in hammocks in a room with about 40 people. So, a little adventure, a little discomfort but we were still going (I was happy but there was a lot of complaining in the group). Went we arrived and moved to the hammock room we found the room brimming with around 150 people, this being in a room about 18 paces by 10 paces (I paced it so I could inform). As expected there was a lot more complaining, but we got our stuff together, set up our hammocks and went up top to sit in white plastic chairs, drink wine and eat cold pizza (our second suprise on the ´all meals included´ river boat trip being the lack of dinner). So we were mostly a misserable sorry lot, Helen was ill and convinced she was going to also be sea sick sleeping in a hammock, Sheila was parranoid about her stuff, and everyone was on an all time low. Then in comes Jose (the tour leader) and announces he has some news: it turns out our rooms have been ready all along and the guy we booked though just booked under the wrong name. There are gazes of wonderment, there are hugs and excited smiles and then everyone rushes below to grab all our stuff and move our bags. The rest of the evening was so nice, everyone was on a high from the change in atmoshphere. The first day on the boat was really cool, we saw cute little houses on the river side, we saw little post boxes sitting randomly seeming on the river edge with no house in sight, we saw tiny praw selling boats attach to the side of our boat and start selling or just hop on for a ride, and we saw pink and grey river dophins. All the time relaxing, reading, learning about fish (well that was just me), chatting and in the evening playing cards and drinking wine. The second day was not quite as fun as the breeze died and the boat was unbarably hot, we spent more time in the airconditioned rooms, but the houses and the scenery were not as good and we didn´t miss much.
More news soon,
Love you all,
Aims
xxxx
In Paraniba we stayed in a very plush hotel with a nice pool and a T.V., which was good becasue the town was pretty dead. The one day we spent there we took a boat to see the delta, the place where the river and the ocean meet. The ride was pretty and we saw the huge mangrooves (trees apparently) and the boat driver also went for a swim to catch a crab and a prawn for us to see (prawns can really jump). The delta was not much to look at though the beach was fun, it was deserted and it had little pockets of really warm water and vibrating sand (which convinced me it was quick sand by hungrily eating my feet). Lunch on the river on the way back was also amazing, the prawns were delish.
Again we had a 4x4 adventure to get to Barranihas and it was bloddy bumping. Barranihas was another town with streets of sand, and although it lacked the charater (and the touristy air) of Jeri, I loved it. With our one day there we managed to do everything there was to do - a beautiful floating experience down the lazy river and a trip to the sand dunes and lagoons of the local national park (in fact much prettier than the lagoons in Jeri).
Sao Luis was just another city really but there were shops and there was C&A (I thought it died, I never realised they just pulled out of England!!), I bought a new dress and also a cute little top, v. cheap and I feel kinda left out when other people get dressed up to go out. I got to wear my new dress that evening when we went to Sao Luis mini carnival. It was a really cool evening, thought not quick what I expected. The parade was more like a move disco / bar and the dancers were dancing what ever the pleased and were not really in costume just in a sort of uniform. But in was really cool, we met a lovely brazillian lady called Lilly and she and her husband were trying to teach me and Helen how to Samba but she kept looking at me and shaking her head at my efforts!!! It was a really cool evening.
Belem was a little different. Much hotter, much bigger and much more polluted it was more your tipical big city, where Sao Luis was a pretty little town, Belem was a mad, rushed and people packed place. I bought lots of pretty earings, we had sushi and we generally just waited arround to get on the boat. We also found a huge, modern shopping mall which we wandered, but we didn´t really buy anyhting appart from boat supplies. Whilst out walking a German guy approached us in a panic saying he had been held at gun point in a taxi and all his belongings and money had been stolen, could we lend him some money for the airport tax (obviously the storey was longer and more heart felt). I gave him about twenty pounds, I just thought - what would I do if I was in the same position? I would very much hope someone would help me and it is not realistically that much money... Unfortunatly this guy is in the loney planet, under the section titled ´danger and avoidance´ (which I will be reading in detail about every city I enter from now on). So I feel stupid, but like ´boy who cried wolf´ or what? How unfair is that on those people who that does happen to? I definitly wont be as trusting next time.
So as for now, I am in Santarem, a stop over on our amazon river boat trip. The first tow days have actually been pretty cool. That being after the teathing problems. The guy our tour guide booked through messed up our booking for the boat and we got on the boat with the knowledge that we would be spending 2 nights in hammocks in a room with about 40 people. So, a little adventure, a little discomfort but we were still going (I was happy but there was a lot of complaining in the group). Went we arrived and moved to the hammock room we found the room brimming with around 150 people, this being in a room about 18 paces by 10 paces (I paced it so I could inform). As expected there was a lot more complaining, but we got our stuff together, set up our hammocks and went up top to sit in white plastic chairs, drink wine and eat cold pizza (our second suprise on the ´all meals included´ river boat trip being the lack of dinner). So we were mostly a misserable sorry lot, Helen was ill and convinced she was going to also be sea sick sleeping in a hammock, Sheila was parranoid about her stuff, and everyone was on an all time low. Then in comes Jose (the tour leader) and announces he has some news: it turns out our rooms have been ready all along and the guy we booked though just booked under the wrong name. There are gazes of wonderment, there are hugs and excited smiles and then everyone rushes below to grab all our stuff and move our bags. The rest of the evening was so nice, everyone was on a high from the change in atmoshphere. The first day on the boat was really cool, we saw cute little houses on the river side, we saw little post boxes sitting randomly seeming on the river edge with no house in sight, we saw tiny praw selling boats attach to the side of our boat and start selling or just hop on for a ride, and we saw pink and grey river dophins. All the time relaxing, reading, learning about fish (well that was just me), chatting and in the evening playing cards and drinking wine. The second day was not quite as fun as the breeze died and the boat was unbarably hot, we spent more time in the airconditioned rooms, but the houses and the scenery were not as good and we didn´t miss much.
More news soon,
Love you all,
Aims
xxxx
Monday, 8 October 2007
Jeri, Brazil
I have come quite far since I last wrote so in this entry we will be descussing the cultural town of Olinda (I wouldn´t reccommend going there), the beach town of Paria de Pipa (it was amazing) and the sandy, out-or-the-way town of Jeri (where we are now).
Our discussions of Olinda will be breif, as previously stated it wasn´t that great. Our first day was spent sleeping off the night bus and wandering the town, the second day was improved by the purchase of sangria ingrediends and a bottle of vodka and partaking in some interesting drinking games.
Paria de Pipa was awesome. A really cute little beach town, lovely cobbled streets, lovely restaurants and pretty little shops. I bought two bikinis there, and had the best meal so far (chicken and sultanas and pinapple - it was devine), we also spent some quality time on the beach (where I descovered a new found love of sunbathing whilst in the sea) and some more quailty time in (and by) the hotel pool. In the afternoon of the second day we saw dolphines on the beach - that really was amasing, I have never seen dolphines before and they were so cool. We were realy close, but it wasn´t like in the movies, you never saw any heads, just a lot of fins!! Was still pretty awesome though.
Jericocora, or Jeri as the locals call it, is our current destination. What makes Jeri cute is the sand corvered streets and the little shops and restaurants set in the sand. Yesterday was one of my favourite days of our trip so far. Eight of us spent the morning in sandbuggies seeing the dunes and the lagoons which was so much fun and me and Helen spent the afternoon going to the "big rock". We got terrably lost to start with and it was horrid as it was really windy and we got to an open bit and the sand was really stinging as it hit us, so we decided to turn back. When we got back to the beach we saw some locals and descided to ask them for directions and they were very encouraging pointing us up this hill, half way up however they started shouting at us again and we had no idea what was going on, untill one of the guys ran up the hill after us and proceeded to show us there!! He spent the rest of the afternoon with us, showing us the way to the rock, taking photos of us and have photos with us whilst we were there, walking us back again and then walking us a sand dune with us to watch the sun set before belting it down the steep side of the sand dune with me. It was a really awesome afternoon, and to top it off he was VERY cute. Unfortunatly he was only 17, which Helen says is too young for her, but he was so lovely. Then to top off this perfect day we went to a lovely restaurant for dinner and had a truely gorgeous meal. Perfect end to a perfect day!
Chao,
xxxx
Our discussions of Olinda will be breif, as previously stated it wasn´t that great. Our first day was spent sleeping off the night bus and wandering the town, the second day was improved by the purchase of sangria ingrediends and a bottle of vodka and partaking in some interesting drinking games.
Paria de Pipa was awesome. A really cute little beach town, lovely cobbled streets, lovely restaurants and pretty little shops. I bought two bikinis there, and had the best meal so far (chicken and sultanas and pinapple - it was devine), we also spent some quality time on the beach (where I descovered a new found love of sunbathing whilst in the sea) and some more quailty time in (and by) the hotel pool. In the afternoon of the second day we saw dolphines on the beach - that really was amasing, I have never seen dolphines before and they were so cool. We were realy close, but it wasn´t like in the movies, you never saw any heads, just a lot of fins!! Was still pretty awesome though.
Jericocora, or Jeri as the locals call it, is our current destination. What makes Jeri cute is the sand corvered streets and the little shops and restaurants set in the sand. Yesterday was one of my favourite days of our trip so far. Eight of us spent the morning in sandbuggies seeing the dunes and the lagoons which was so much fun and me and Helen spent the afternoon going to the "big rock". We got terrably lost to start with and it was horrid as it was really windy and we got to an open bit and the sand was really stinging as it hit us, so we decided to turn back. When we got back to the beach we saw some locals and descided to ask them for directions and they were very encouraging pointing us up this hill, half way up however they started shouting at us again and we had no idea what was going on, untill one of the guys ran up the hill after us and proceeded to show us there!! He spent the rest of the afternoon with us, showing us the way to the rock, taking photos of us and have photos with us whilst we were there, walking us back again and then walking us a sand dune with us to watch the sun set before belting it down the steep side of the sand dune with me. It was a really awesome afternoon, and to top it off he was VERY cute. Unfortunatly he was only 17, which Helen says is too young for her, but he was so lovely. Then to top off this perfect day we went to a lovely restaurant for dinner and had a truely gorgeous meal. Perfect end to a perfect day!
Chao,
xxxx
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