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!