Georgiana and Nick's Next Great Adventure Continues...

2009 Grand

South America & Antarctica Voyage

Holland America - ms Prinsendam

January 2 – March 11, 2009

Report #2 – from January 10 – 19, 2009

Itinerary –  Sailing west in the Amazon River from the Atlantic Ocean to Manaus, with stops at Macapá, Santarém and Boca da Valeria and back east to the Atlantic with stops at Parintins, Alter do Chao and Belem (a total of 1,800+ miles round trip in the Amazon region, with stops in seven cities over 10-days)

A visit into the Amazon River by ship begins several hundred miles out in the Atlantic Ocean, when the dark blue water of the ocean slowly but surely takes on a more cloudy and brownish shade.  At first the change is hardly noticeable, but as you get closer and closer to the mouth of the Amazon, the water turns to a definite brownish color, like coffee with cream.  At the same time the depth of the water decreases from the thousands of feet in the Atlantic, to less than one hundred feet above the enormous sand bars at the mouth.  The sand bars and brownish color are caused by the silt carried down the 4,195 total miles of the Amazon, from its source in the Andes, and its 15,000 known tributaries and sub-tributaries.

The Amazon River is the heart of the Amazon tropical rainforest that dominates the northern third of the country of Brazil.  The rainforest is habitat for the world’s most diverse array of birds and freshwater fish and more than 1/3 of the world’s species live in the basin.  Among the many unique animals people seem most fascinated with are two marine species – the endangered pink freshwater dolphin (known as “boto”) and the piranha.  The rainforest’s geological age is estimated to be 100,000,000 years old; making it the world’s oldest.

The Prinsendam is just the right size to carry us “explorers” the 900 miles to Manaus, a city of 2.2 million and our farthest destination upriver.  Manaus is the point where the “inky” water of the Negro River meets the “yellowish-brown” water of the Solimoes and then flow side by side without mixing, until many miles downstream.  This “meeting of the waters” is very distinct and is a big attraction, seen only by boat.

Our sail to Manaus was dotted with stops along the river at the cities of Macapá and Santarém and the very small village of Boca da Valeria (about 200 people).  Macapá’s claim to fame is its location directly on the equator at 0° North.  At all three stops we toured historic sites, sampled local foods and mixed with the locals as much as possible and safe.  Needless to say, the weather was excruciatingly hot and humid and the bugs, plentiful.  While our experiences ashore were unique and interesting, it was an ecstatic moment when we returned each day to the comforts and air conditioning of the ship.

Manaus was a 2-day/1-night stopover and we opted for the ship’s sponsored “A Night in the Jungle” tour.  The write-up promised an authentic jungle experience, complete with an overnight at the Amazon Village (no electricity, A/C or hot water), alligator spotting, piranha fishing and a 2-hour trek in the “real” jungle.  Only 12 “explorers” signed-up and off-we-went with 10 pounds of luggage each – the limit due to the small boats used for our river transportation.  Once we reached the Amazon Village, we were joined by two local Amazon guides, both male and rather tough looking.  One spoke good English and knew everything about everything - insects, trees, plants, animals, snakes, animal trapping, poison blow-guns (we got a chance to try it), jungle survival, etc.  The other was the mandatory “tracker”, spoke no English, but carried a big machete – we guessed just in case something undesirable appeared along the way.

The two kept us real busy during the 2-days, and we did everything as advertised.  Surprisingly, however, except for some birds, a few large hand size tarantulas and thousands of ants, spotting animals and catching fish were not easy.  While we’re sure there were thousands of creatures out there, the “there” is so immense that they are not easy to spot.  As for catching piranha, it was equally difficult and Nick was the only person, beside the guides, who managed to hook one.  Although mosquitoes generally come out in the evening, they too were pretty much absent.  We were told that in these dense jungle areas at this time of year, the water is too acidic from rotting leaves for the mosquitoes to reproduce.  We wondered why malaria pills and a full body coating of super powerful bug repellant were necessary but – better to be safe than sorry.

The Amazon Village was also just as advertised – rustic, hut-like cabins, with cots, candles and one towel per person, to use if you decided to take a cold shower.  The “windows” were screens with large inside wooden shutters that could be closed to keep the persistent rain and jungle sounds out – they didn’t work.  Even so, the Village staff was very friendly and the complex served good food and had a nice bar that offered local beers and caipirinhas (cachaca, crushed lime, sugar & lots of ice) – a great treat after our night of (tiny) alligator spotting.  On the second morning, the 2-hour jungle walk was really a lecture on basic existence in the jungle, with a focus on the many medicinal uses of the native plants and trees.  It was an experience none of us will ever forget, all while walking in a torrential downpour and 80-90° heat.  After lunch, we motored back down the waterways to the waiting ship and a hot shower.

Our sail on the Prinsendam away from Manaus allowed us to have one last look at the city and a higher view of “the meeting of the waters.  The next day we arrived downriver at Parintins, a city known for hosting the largest annual festival in Amazonas, known as the Boi-Bumba.  It’s a traditional folkloric festival that combines African and European traditions and dance.  Following Parintins, we stopped at Alter do Chao, a small town with a large sandbar that forms a rather picturesque white-sand island just off the main street.  Next, we actually sailed out of the mouth of the Amazon, around a river island and back in the southern channel to the major city of Belem, our last Amazon stop.  Belem has a very active waterfront with many ships and an enormous open-air market that offers all kinds of fish, vegetables, fruits, crafts and household items.  Prior to all our stops in the Amazon, we were repeatedly cautioned about pick-pocketers and petty crime, but Belem stood-out as having more armed police on the street than any other city we visited.  Throughout our travels in the Amazon, however, we never felt threatened as we took no chances.  We never wore any jewelry or carried bags or large amounts of cash and always traveled in groups of four or more.  We found the people very friendly and happy to have us in their country.

Of additional interest – all wood carvings and wooden artifacts purchased on shore were collected at the gangway and kept in freezer storage for at least 48 hours to prevent unwanted bugs from entering the ship.  We thought that was a good thing.  Also, water conservation on the ship was a must, as the ship can’t “make” water while in the Amazon River.  Intake of Amazon water would clog the ship’s system, due to the high levels of silts and debris (trees, branch, plastics, etc.).  We were asked to not excessively run the faucets or showers, to use towels more than once and, jokingly, to shower with a friend and flush only when necessary.  We all must have done our part, as we didn’t run out of water – another very good thing.

Check-out Nick’s photos at – www.nide.smugmug.com

(very limited number of photos, due to slow satellite internet connection)