Showing posts with label piranhas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label piranhas. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Amazon forest jungle..swimming with the Piranhas....Elsie Gabriel


 
Amazon forest jungle..swimming with the Piranhas....Elsie Gabriel
 
 
 
Oh to be alive!!! In the Amazon forest jungle…these boys know more about rainforests than scientists who have studied rainforests for many years! Various tribes still live much as did their ancestors hundreds of years before them. Everyday they organize their daily lives very meticulously; their food, medicines and clothing come primarily from the forest. They hunt…for food….and  I went hunting with them….fishing for Piranhas and swimming with Piranhas….outrageously adventurous..I was so over whelmed with elation,…I kept grinning like a Cheshire cat at one time and  sometimes just stood with awe and silence at the wonder of nature…….like I keep telling you after every forest trip…...I simply wanted to curl up and die……same feeling occurred in the Nepal forests, Indonesian jungles, African wild spaces, and the North eastern forests of India…….the forest is what keeps us alive, keeps us breathing…..

I wasn’t exactly the Jane in the Tarzan series in the forest, you know….but researching, documenting and simply letting the forest take over…was what  I did…..

You can reach Manaus in about 6 hours from Rio, while touring Brazil, you should not miss out on this Amazon jungle experience. In South America, Manaus is in the north, which is located on the left banks of the black water Rio Negro river and about 18 km from meeting with the waters of the claylike white water Rio Solimões, at which point both rivers join into the great Amazon river. Thicketed jungles and green forests are the gateway to the inner Amazon region and has been of significant importance for the conquest of the whole region, a fact for which, the jungle theater and the harbor among others, deliver rich testimony. Founded by the Portuguese military during the 17th century, the significant economic development of Manaus took place at the end of the 19th century, with the worldwide demand for rubber or caoutchouc, at an all time high. At that time Brazil had the monopoly for the commodity which was extracted from the Hevea brasiliensis rubber tree.

Gosh there are Rubber trees every where in plenty, thats where all the trade must have started and broken the forest peace.I guess.

If I must share, Manaus is a Brazilain city of about 2.5 million, but the actual Amazoan jungle is through the river boat rides way inside the jungles.  Actually Manaus is located on the Rio Negro a few miles before it meets the Rio Solimões to form the Amazon River proper. The two rivers flow side by side for many miles, different in color, mixing in eddies: the "Meeting of the Waters." Legend has it that they never mix. You get to see all of this during your cruise.

Our expeditions to the inside and deeper Amazonian environment started with various river trails. The miracles of the Amazonian forest and river systems came alive. I was in awe, nirvana and a state of quietness all in one, one of the last great natural environments of the planet and cradle of the species is here. So if you ever ask me ..have I been to heaven , Id say YES to heaven and back.

Trekking through deep virgin rain forest, canoeing through lonesome Igarapes, fishing Piranha or Peacock Bass, watching dolphins, birds, monkeys, alligators, snakes and spiders.Be ready to walk and be ready to rough it out.Not a place for delicate darlings mind you... 

The schedule of the excursions is depending on the weather condition, changes can be made according to your wishes. Learn how to identify trees that produce fruits and nuts you can eat -- like açai palm berries, passion fruit and Brazilian nuts -- as well as vegetation to avoid. Spot medicinal leaves and roots; learn how to find sources of clean water; and practice building traps for small animals. Afterward, enjoy lunch and take a scenic canoe ride before discovering local village life with a visit to a real Amazonian home.

Boat transportation is available in yacht with air-conditioned cabin, regional boat or motorized canoe.Included in the packages are all transfers, lunch, mineral water, bilingual guide and insurance. So choose wisely, cover as much as you can, enrich yourself, you may never come back here, so don’t cringe at the price, remember you are helping promote an ecological site.

All my cow boy and red Indian stories came alive right here!! I got to live inside the geography book pages.Biss!