Day 5 - Rio

Hotel: Windsor Plaza, Cococabana Rio

Today it is raining and gloomy, cool at 21C after Manaus. I'd had a sad night with TD and was happy for a sleep in and quiet day. We were to meet our guide at 2:30pm.

Having trouble connecting my PC to the hotel wifi; ended up tethering it via USB to my phone which is happily connected. So I finally managed to get some photos up for people to see.

Our guide, Marulo, gave us the updated plan for our tour. It has a lot of details including all the flight numbers and times we need to be out and about. Early starts again! It was good to see this detail after not knowing what we were doing re the Manaus to Rio flights.

He checked our paperwork like the fee for Argentina had been paid. This will make for a smoother transition to Argentina and Chile where the fee is paid at airport.

Dinner was at a place over the road where you pay by the kilo for your food. I had mostly vegetables and some dessert for about $8 AUD.

It has been raining most of the day but tomorrow is supposed to be fine. We need to get some washing done and there is a lavanderia over the road but being Sunday, not a lot was open.

Day 4 - Amazon - Rio

Hotel: Windsor Plaza, Cococabana, Rio

at 10:30, we were taken by the canoe to meet a rep from the Manaus office of Tropical Resort. He would take us by taxi to the airport and get us checked into our flight to Rio.

Actually it was two flights - one to Brasilia, then a connection to Rio. The rep stayed with us until we had to go into the departures area. Stupidly, I had packed a small bag of utilities in my bag which included a ceramic knife and a small pair of scissors. The woman on the security lined didn't look impressed. Of course, the knife was confiscated but she let me keep the scissors. They don't worry about liquids on the internal flights. There were even people getting on the plane with cups of soft drink.

Snacks on the LATAM internal flights are inevitably a drink of some kind and a small sort of roll with some ham or/and cheese in it. I haven't eaten any of them yet. My stomach has been complaining for the past day or so and I am hoping I haven't managed to get a case of Travellers' Diahorrea! I have been reasonably careful but it was hard to resist eating salad and I drank the water from the 100m well at the Eco Resort. Foolish.

It was about 8pm when we finally got to Rio and were met by a Cosmos rep who took us to our hotel, again by taxi. Our guide would meet us tomorrow. She said that there were 18 people on this tour, 14 in one group weren't arriving until tomorrow night! Which left us and another couple already there.

We walked the two blocks to Copacabana beach for a quick look. The beach volleyball stand seems to be in the process of being disasssembled. The same black and white river pattern that we saw in the square at Manaus is all along the beach promenade.

The Cosmos rep had given some warnings about not having flashy jewellery, not being obvious with cash or cameras or phones, not going into dark areas off the main streets. Daunting.

We wandered back and had hamburgers at a small cafe that seemed popular. The food is pretty cheap here.

Day 3 - Amazon

Hotel: Ecopark Jungle Lodge

This morning we met Moses for a walk in the jungle. There was a storm earlier and for a short time, the power had gone out. It cleared and left a cloudy day that was hot and very humid even at 8:30am.

We walked up to the natural pools where the creek had been caught in a man made surround and then left to continue its journey down the hillside. The water is the same dark brown as the river and not very appealing despite the heat. We were designated the slowest and had to walk behind Moses. It was strictly single file on the narrow track, so that snakes could get out of our way. He showed us a large ants' nest and demonstrated how the ants would come out and cover his hand in seconds when he place it on the nest. He squashed them and rubbed the juice into his arms and hands, to "smell like the jungle, for hunting". The trees on the Rio Negro aren't as big as on the other river because of the poorer soil here. There is only about 15cm of topsoil. Where the resort is used to be logged. It was bought by a man who turned a large part of the land into a reserve so that the forest could replenish itself, about 20 years ago. Moses showed us the strangler vines that attach to trees and climb high into the canopy. Eventually the tree will die and fall, and go back into the soil. A lot of the undergrowth plants were familiar - living in a sub tropical climate we have many of them (or varieties of them) as garden plants. As we walked along, my shoulder brushed a leaf and instantly half a dozen large black ants ran down my arm; brushed off very quickly! I was more careful about brushing past anything after that.

Moses showed us a tree that had half its trunk hollowed out. The natives used these as signal trees if they got lost - banging on the trunk with another piece of wood causes a hollow sound that carries through the jungle.As we descended the hill, the flora changed to more palms as it was wetter here with the water going down the hill. Soon we were back at the Eco Resort. Apparently we had walked only 1.5km! It seemed like 15.

Next was a trip to Monkey Island. This was a short distance up the river. All travel is via the canoes - small low boats with outboard motors. The island is a reserve where the woolly monkeys are bred and then released into the jungle. There was also another reddish coloured one. Sometimes the capuchin and another type come in for the feeding as well, but not today. The keepers put food onto a tray and the monkeys come down to grab it. There was a large male, who showed off hanging by his long tail, and eating. And a mother with a baby hanging on her back - both clutching pieces of fruit. It was a short trip but interesting.

Lunch was another buffet in the restaurant and a trip back to the room to cool down. It was very hot by now.

Moses took us to the Cobalco village - really only one family who still lives on the land. He showed us some of the local cures for ailments - various herbs and pieces of rock in jars that are added to water. Then to see how they processed the Yuca root. There are two kinds - bitter and sweet. The sweet must be cooked to be eaten. However, the bitter requires more processing to be rid of the toxins. The root is grated and then put into a long straw container to drain out the juice. The flesh is then cooked on a large pan over coals until it is hard and golden. The juice is left to settle - the bottle layer is pure starch (and used for that), the rest was used for other purposes. Nothing ends up being wasted. Again, we were the only two on this little tour.

After dinner, we went on a caiman hunt. Again, just the two of us in the canoe with Moses and the driver. It was very dark and still on the river. A bit eerie but also pleasant in the quietness. I hoped to see a sky full of stars but it was still misty and overcast. We travelled around the edges of the river, Moses shining the torch on the banks which would make the eyes of any animals shine. We weren't having much luck until we went into a small backwater. They spotted a small caiman on the bank and the driver pulled the canoe into the bank, then ran over to catch it. We got to hold it. It wasn't slimy as I expected but soft. We had to hold the neck area firmly so those little teeth didn't latch on.

Tomorrow we leave for Rio and as we trudged up to the Resort from the river, I was glad it was the last time I would be walking up that damn hill!






village
monkeys

walk through forest

night canoe

Day 2 - Manaus - Amazon Jungle

Hotel: Ecopark Jungle Lodge

This morning we were to be out for the guide at 9am; which means 8:40 in Manaus. The boat was due at 9. Last minute rush! Our bags were taken by road to the Eco resort while we were to go on the boat
Our guide for this resort is Moses - born here, lived in New York, came back here.

There were a number of Americans on board. No Australians and no one still from Cosmos. We appear to be the sole travellers on the Amazon extension. We cruised slowly up the river past the city of Manaus.

Moses pointed out all the sites of interest. There is a floating wharf, built by the British, designed to rise and fall with the river. In flood, it rises up to 10 metres. This wharf is no longer used but a new floating one has been built further up the river. There is also a beach - the Copacabana of Manaus - which was man made for the World Cup in 2004. Along the river were some high rises but not huge like in other cities.

There is a lot of natural gas here but nowhere to refine it. This makes it expensive despite its abundance. The boats go up and down the river delivering the gas, goods, people. I've never seen so many boats in one day. They aren't allowed to have the petrol stations for the boats on the land, so they are floating on the river.

They are building a new city on the opposite bank and a high and long bridge has been built to carry vehicles.You don't realise how high and how big it is until you see a person walking along it = looking tiny. The old houses on stilts are gradually being removed. The inhabitants are given apartments in the city. They pay nothing living by the river but the costs for things like medical can be 50,000Real per person whereas in the city it is 10,000.

We finally arrived at the meeting of the waters where the dark Rio Negro and the lighter Solimoes run side by side for up to 6km. The rivers don't mix because of differing acidity,speed and temperature.
It was quite something to see! The boat slowly turned so all could get pictures. These rivers are HUGE. Where they meet is like a large lake - in the distance on bank and on the other horizon, the opposite bank. I was just awed by the immense size.

We then went to a floating eatery for a buffet lunch of salads, fruits, local fish. There is also a shop there to buy souvenirs made by the locals. Moses told us to go with him onto the bridge and bring fruit. I didn't even get out the back door of the shop before a small monkey snatched the pawpaw from my hand. We walked up the "bridge" which was like a series of packing crates nailed together.
The little monkeys came down from the jungle to grab the fruit. One stole sweets from the open pocket of a woman's backpack. Once they realised all the food was gone, they disappeared back to the jungle.

There was an optional offered for 150 Real to go in a faster boat to the smaller creeks to see some birdlife and animals. Otherwise it was a slow and steady ride back on our original boat to the Eco Park. We opted for the fast boat. It sat very low in the water and we had to sit on certain sides so it was balanced. The so-called creeks would probably be called rivers in Australia. They were quiet and at times we were totally surrounded by jungle and water. On board was a man who knew all the birds - not sure if he was a guide or not. Apparently all those brown birds were different. Some had blue or yellow parts.

Then we were taken to see a sloth, an anaconda and a smaller monkey. They were kept by a local family who lived in one of the floating houses on the river banks. The ananconda was about 1.5m long, just a young one. NO way I was touching that. I wasn't too sure about holding the sloth - it seemed cruel to it. However, I did in the end and gave the family 4 Real - this is probably one of the ways they can make money. I'm still not sure that we should have encouraged it.

Then it was a faster ride back to the resort. The water had become choppier over the afternoon and we bounced along at times. We passed the other boat about 15 mins out.

Our room here is a small hut - just two beds, a dresser, small tables and the bathroom. There is a small porch. It has two large windows that have shutters (and screens!) but they were closed as there is an air on unit in the room. very welcome after the oppressive heat outside.

Dinner was buffet in the open air restaurant. Dessert of chocolate cake and home made mango ice cream was delicious!

Day 1 - Manaus

Hotel: Tropical Manaus Resort

Lovely to have a sleep in this morning after the long flights yesterday. Breakfast is a buffet style with most of the usual foods (no bacon) and a few added local extras. They serve glasses of guarana juice - very sweet and a brownish colour. There was also a large bowl of acai juice - now that would be expensive in Australia! I had some of that on granola with yoghurt. Yum. Also scrambled eggs, a sausage like chorizo mixed with onion and capsicum, mini croissants. Need to eat up as we probably wont eat lunch.

We had a call from a travel agency - Amazon Tours or Travel? - telling us that our guide Elvarado will be picking us up at 2pm tomorrow for a city tour. Wonder how any others there are in this part of the tour?

Just had a relaxing morning. Elvarado was right on time and, to our surprise, it was a private tour - just him, us and the taxi driver we had for the afternoon. He also informed us that someone from the Eco Resort would be picking us up at 9am tomorrow. Seems like Cosmos have subcontracted this part of our tour out to local companies.

Manaus was founded in 1693 but was not known by that name until 1832. It was originally Fort of São José da Barra do Rio Negro, built by Portugal, The name Manaus (m-noos)  is derived from the local indigenous people, the Manoas (pronounced manoo). Elvarado is from the tribe and lived in the jungle areas until he came to work in the city. For a time, it was a big centre for rubber production. The mayor had the opera house built to show the prosperity and importance of the city. When rubber began to be produced in Malaysia (from stolen Brazilian seeds), the industry died. Today, it produces machinery parts, bikes, motors and the like for many European and Asian (including China) companies. It is also the centre of ecotourism for the Amazon. It has 2 million people.

We went to the opera house which is on the highest point of the town. In front of it, is a large square surrounded by shops/businesses; with many trees and a large statue in the centre. The paving is a waving black and white pattern; I guess this is for the conjunction of the rivers which isn't far from Manaus. At night, there are bars (which must be drivein because they weren't there during the day) and many people eating and drinking. All the materials except the wood for the opera house were brought in from overseas and floated up the river, then into a creek (which is now a main street) right to the site. The building is lined with rubber so that the music doesn't disturb the neighbours. Inside it was cool, a nice change from the high humidity and heat outside. We walked up the stairs to the balconies and sat in a private box. Down below were the "çheap seats"; with three tiers of balconies. They had changed some bulbs in the central chandelier and it was being slowly winched back to its place in the centre of the muraled ceiling. The local TV crew was recording the whole thing for historical purposes.

After the opera house, we drove around the city and then to the Manaus market. This is where everyone comes to buy their vegetables, fish and other goods. Elvarado said there are supermarkets but I had the impression that they aren't as big or popular as the market. The entry building facade is based on a French market. We drove around through the back streets again. This is more interesting to see than normal city high rise. The buildings are old and you can see the Spanish/Portuguese influence in many of them. It seemed to be a mix of businesses and homes. It looked poor but I was struck by how little rubbish was lying around. Out on the main roads, you see more modern and fancier houses.

Our last stop was the Bosque da Ciencia - the Science Grove. Here they have 13 hectares of jungle where they study the plants and environment. It was so quiet, peaceful under the trees with just the insects chirping. They have a large tank with manatees in it - these are now endangered in the wild, mainly from natural predators like caiman (crocodiles), hunting for their meat and skin (leather), and the changes to their environment like mercury in the river and habitat destruction.There are also these small monkeys, not sure of the name, that were leaping around in the trees. So hard to catch - I think I took 4 photos before getting a picture of one. There were many other things there but we had arrived late and it was closing so didn't get to see more.

Elvarado left us there and the driver took us back to the resort. We had a look at the large pool area. Not many people there. Actually, there doesn't seem to be many people in the hotel considering the huge size of it. Maybe we aren't here in high season.

We had dinner at the hotel - it is around 40 mins from the city and no transport other than taxis.

Brisbane - Manaus

Off again on another adventure!

Flight to Sydney at 9:25am, uneventful. Airport was super busy because of school holidays.

Flight to Santiago 12:30pm. Arrival in Santiago 12:10pm the same day! ah the magic of time travel!

We are flying Premium Economy on this route, after scoring some cheap seats. Previous long hauls in cattle class is enough to make me want the luxury of that few extra inches of foot space. Enjoyed it so much and well worth the extra few hundred it cost. We had the back row so didn't have anyone behind to kick seats or be annoyed by reclining. Or don't they do that in PE?

We had just an hour and half to swap planes in Santiago and fly to San Paolo, capital of Brazil. No reciprosity tax this time round  but next time we come here we will need to pay around $115 US. No immigration as we were transferring to another international flight. Plane was 2 x 3 seats so back to being squished. 

Another change of planes and then it's off to Manaus in the Brazilian Amazon. Another LATAM 2 x 3. Also full like the last one. The flight before was held up by some missing passengers. We were glad to see they didn't make it in the end. They must have been calling them for at least 20 mins. We arrived finally around 11:30pm local time. Manaus is 14 hours behind Brisbane - so it will have been about 1:30pm Wednesday (if I have calculated correctly) back home.

We were regretting not organising transfer with Cosmos but in the end, getting a taxi was quite painless. There are counters inside the airport where you can book and pay by credit card; or you go outside for cash. The taxis aren't marked but the drivers all seemed to have shirts with the various companies' logos. There are fixed prices to the hotels. It was 75 Reais for us.

The Tropical Manaus is in a complex of hotels on the banks of the Rio Negro. It is huge! So glad that our room wasn't in one of the long wings. We still had a long walk down the corridor to it. Breakfast room/restaurant are on the same floor - handy. The rooms are paired - with one enormous timber entry portico for the pair (two separate doors). The room is big - two double beds and a big bathroom. An an air con that makes it nice and cool. The public areas are much warmer.

It was great to have a shower (plenty of hot water) and fall onto our beds.