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Oi amigos!
Leaving Salvador, Rosita continued its journey along the coast to the north. Travel days are getting longer from time to time, due to Brazil's huge size. We rarely spend less than 13 hours on the truck. So we were very relieved to end up in Canoa Quebrada, in a Posada that seemed more like an oasis to all of us: pool, caipiriñas, hammocks, palms, rooms with air conditioning and sky tv. I spent two days "learning" portuguese, by watching 6h a day of english movies, subtitled in portuguese. It helped a lot, as well as the fact, that northern brazilians speek slower. Practicing at every gas station I ended up translating our guides explanations at Sete Ciudades. A national park in which rock formations ressembling animals were used as housings by the local tribes until the end of the 19 century.
In Belem all culture and truck days were suddenly over: after we all bought our hammocks at the market we borded our amazon ferry taking us 1600km upriver to Manaus. Who expects a ferry sailing the 2nd biggest river in the world (brazilians claim to have found a new source overtaking the Nile by a couple of kilometers) to be as proud as the river would soon find himself disappointed. On three levels (only two for passengers - the lowest for cargo) over 70 people and their hammocks were spread in two different "sleeping zones". Each one of them measured more or less 35m2. The square meter every one could call his/her private, was in fact a hammock (50cm by 2m). The fact that the hammocks were touching at least other 4 hammocks at the same time, transformed the sleeping zone into a living Newton's Cradle. So much for the funny part. Since we spent 6 days on that ferry, all provided meals were cooked on board in the small kitchen using the natural ressources. What caused several of us waking up at night and hurrying to the toilets, was the fact, that everything was cooked by using the water from the river. Which obviously doesn't improve things at all... the more people go to the toilet, the more the water will be challenging for the next boat.
The amazon and the wildlife itself is amazing, pink dolphins and birds were following us every day we passed a narrow part. Sunsets every evening, usually it poured at sunrise, so we've often been lying down for hours in our hammocks, 'till lunch or dinner was served.
We eventually made it to Manaus, a surprinsingly big town with its own Opera House, the first one in Brazil, built by using local materials, for the fact that Manaus is connected to the rest of Brazil only by ferry or by plane. The Marmo di Carrara was the only foreign material.
In Manaus started our jungle excursion, 4 days in the rainforest discovering healing plants (anti malaria bark, milk tree and anti diarrhea bark) as well as insect repellent ants, and avoiding snakes and spiders. Our transport were wooden fisherboats, 2 persons per bench, 6 benchs long. We paddled our way through the flooded forests setting traps for fishes for dinner. After a long walk through the rainforest, scouting macaws and red howler monkeys, we camped in small groups in the middle of nowhere. We carried our hammocks and the food in order to cook our meals at the camp. Which wasn't a camp. A big plastic sheet hung above our heads tied up to 4 different trees. We carved ourselves wooden spoons and ate from our self-made leaf dishes. The dinner was presented on a table made of interlaced leafs. Beeing it the rain forest, the rain couldn't be missing. While walking through the trees we got wet, but not as wet as on our boat journey back.. 1.5h under a raging waterfall, destroying every attempt of keeping at least one's underwear dry. E per fortuna che indossavo mutande quel giorno..
From Manaus we'll head to the Venezuelan boarder, a town called Sta. Elena. I'm looking forward leaving Brazil, though I'm scaredbe used to this strange language and therefor to greet and thank the venezuelan population with useless "bom dia" and "muito obrigado". I already feel sorry for them, thinking: stupid gringo, you're in a different country now...
Adeus
Moco
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