March 2 - Day 17

We were up at 6:00 a.m. and had breakfast. Some of us looked very sleepy. Amoedo drove Luana, Patti, and me to the hotel from where the tour was starting. I found it interesting that the average room price for this hotel was $360 a night. Kind of steep for those of us not on expense accounts or who are "quite well-off"! When we got there we found that the tour had been cancelled because of low numbers. But the booking people hurriedly put us into a cab and we quickly were driven to the main terminal for cross river ferries and river excursion boats. They were holding a river excursion boat tour for us. As soon as we got on, the boat started to leave before we could even be seated. The three of us made our way to the top deck which had a sun roof but was open on all sides. In this way we could escape the sun's rays and heat and enjoy the breeze created by the moving boat. Our guide was fluent in English and French as well as his native Portuguese and gave us a lot of historical and local information as we traveled down the Rio Negro to where it joined the Solimoes to form the mighty Amazon, which has the largest drainage basin in the world (about 7,050,000 square kilometres) and which accounts for approximately one-fifth of the world's total river flow. The Solimoes flows at a much faster speed from its origins in the Andes and when the slower moving Rio Negro meets it, the Rio Negro's water is turned aside and the two rivers flow side by side for some 20 km with a clear delineation between the dark coca cola like waters of the Negro and the lighter creamy chocolate color waters of the Solimeos. It is hard to tell that there are two rivers meeting here because of the great width of both of them. It is like being on a large lake with flowing waters. Eventually the two rivers combine their waters and flow in a north-easterly direction to where the river enters the Atlantic Ocean in a broad estuary about 240 kilometres wide. The mouth of the main stem is 80 kilometres wide. We then started on our return trip by going upstream on the Rio Negro and then entering one of its many channels on the west side. We made our way between islands of various sizes until we reached a small village which was bordered on tree sides by the jungle and on one side by the Rio Negro. The buildings were on stilts because of the fact that changes in water depth between maximum high and minimum low water levels can be as great as 15 meters from dry season ending in October to the height of the wet season, usually in July. The buildings are open on at least three sides. During the torrential downpours which occur daily for an hour or so during the wet season, the villagers close canvas walls , depending on the direction of the wind. We went on a tour through the jungle which was only possible because of the raised and railed wooden walkways. We were able to see trees and vines of an amazing number of varieties. Some rivaled the sequoias of California in size. We were also able to access a swampy area where crocodiles basked in the waters among lily pads whose leaves were as large as dining room tables and on which small animals and birds of many sizes were able to traverse the swamp. Our time was limited because we were due for a downpour any minute. The first huge drops of rain came down just as we made it back to the shelter of the village. One of the largest buildings was a gift shop, of course. Here were displayed all kinds of crafts and souvenirs produced by the indigenous people of the area. We bought a lot of gifts and souvenirs. The money that our tour group spent here stayed in the village and provided valuable income for the villagers. Next on the tour was a buffet meal which was included in the cost of the tour. There were available many kinds of foods typical to this village. River fish was a main dish as were beans and rice and innumerable fruits and vegetables. After the meal our group was split in two with each group getting a canopied water taxi, each piloted by a young villager lad. The boats rode with their gunwhales about 4 inches above the surface of the river. We were taken at a rapid clip deeper into the jungle where we saw all kinds of exotic birds and plant life. We could also see how much higher the river had to rise by the water marks on the trees. At the time we were there, the river was to rise another 4 metres in the next 3 months. Patti took a large number of photos. I was restricted to only a few because my memory card was full! Talk about poor planning on my part for not having brought another card. On our return to the port, a taxi was there to pick us up. Instead of returning to the hotel where our tour originated from, Luana talked very nicely to the driver, and he took us to Amoedo's house, a saving of over an hour's worth of time. I tipped him 20 reals for this as I was quite tired and I simply was glad we would not have to spend all that extra time in the rush hour traffic of Manaus which can be quite hellish! We had a quick supper and changed into some dressier clothes as were going to attend a performance at the Teatro Amazonas or Amazonas Opera House. Salete in her line of work had done publicity for the 21st Amazonas Music Festival and had received complimentary tickets to attend. This was the concert where all the winners from the concerts held in previous weeks throughout Manaus were brought together for a final performance to declare the overall winner. We had good seats and thoroughly enjoyed the spectrum of artists showcasing their selections. After the concert, a local TV station covering the event interviewed Salete with her family and us as a backdrop. It turns out that the woman who was selected as the overall winner not only was gorgeous and very talented, she was also a friend of Salete's. She graciously invited all of us in Salete's group to the party celebrating the victor. The party was hosted on the terrace of the Opera House and there was music to go along with hors d'oeuvres,punches, and wines. All in all, it was a terrific finish to an already very stimulating and full day.