Most of the people of the river live like this - in small family units, near to their business if any.
The children become very self sufficient quickly. It is very evident that they paddle almost as soon as they can walk.
The joining of the rivers was interesting. The rivers are very different - different fish, different pH levels, different speeds, and different temperatures. When the 2 come together you get the black of the Rio Negro running along side of the brown of the Amazon. At this conjunction we also saw dolphins - I saw several of the grey, but some people saw the back of a pink.
After a short ride to a store/restaurant, we were divided into groups of 10 for the canoe ride.
These houses are built on logs and tied to the shore. Frequently you see a boat tied alongside.
Most of these have small gardens and some farmyard animals - chickens and goats.
There is lots of low growing grasses and what were quite recognizable to us as pond plants. The sort of lettuce with bulb base that we have in our pond at home was everywhere as was the water hyacinth.
The bird life was incredible. Lots of different birds. Some types were recognizable to us and some not. Saw a hummingbird, heron, hawk, and vulture.
A few of the houses also have domestic pets but it seems the local kids like to have sloths and other local animals for "pets".
One of the red birds on land.
Lots of different types of vegetation. Palm trees, rubber trees, trees with stringers dropping down, shrubs of all sorts, and grasses. You begin to see just how integrated the environment between all the various plant and animal life. The termites breakdown the trees. The woodpecker boors holes that are used by various birds for nests.
Some of the trees bear fruit which falls into the water and becomes fish food. The various species of fish feed on each other. They also use the vegetation of the flooded forest to hide during the flooded times.
In the heart of the flooded forest.
Giant lily pads and ducks.
Our guides were good about pointing out animals and we did spot a sloth. Of course the local kids brought out animals in their canoes to show off and have their pictures taken. They then "begged" for money.
Our canoe driver picks a water hyacinth flower.
Wonderful tree shapes.
You see pictures and movies of the Amazon and it really is just like you see in the pictures. What the pictures can never convey is the perspective of size and depth. Will commented that it was just like the jungle ride at Disney land, but real; and far more layers to tease the senses.
Lily pads. Yes really, but they are about a yard in diameter. They have thorns on the bottom to protect them from predators. They start white, become pink and then green and then take about 45 days to decompose.
Bromiliade growing in the vee of a tree.
We could have taken a 1000 pictures, but we really wanted to just experience our short time there. We have more pictures to share on our return, but for now here are some to share with you. I could have easily spent hours just sitting in the canoe absorbing the atmosphere and looking around.
We spent about half an hour cruising through the flooded forest. The shapes of the trees and plants is really wonderful. There are no words to explain the shapes. You truly feel that you are in the middle of a primevil forest. And yet you see fishermen in among the trees. Obviously each has his favorite place to fish.
Inside the flooded forest.
A cayman, sunning itself and posing for the cameras.
Yes there are piranha and anacondas and other dangerous denisens of the area. We saw only one anaconda - one of the children had one draped about him. Apparently they are more pests than feared. There are also cayman, that is their alligator. There was one posing for us at Lake January.
The first tributary we went down was quite open with a few plants and logs that had drifted into the path of the canoe. The path through the flooded forest to an area of the Rio Negro was congested by larger plants, but the smaller plants had been washed away. In fact we brushed against one fern (it was a fern frond just about 12' high) and one frond came crashing down alongside our canoe. Will got wet, but no one was hurt.
More of the flooded forest near Lake January.
Here you can really see the black of the Rio Negro.
At the end of the canoe tour we returned to the dock, store and restaurant. Just out the back was a wooden foot bridge which took you out to the edge of Lake January. The bridge was several feet above the water and is flooded during the height of the wet season.
Will (left) on the foot bridge and Robin on the observation platform.
The walk was about 5-10 minutes, but with the humidity it was a bit uncomfortable. While we did see mosquitoes on the water in several places, this was the only area that they were seriously active. I am happy to report that the combination of deet and the buzzoff clothes worked well.
Our river boat.
A motorized canoe in much better shape that the one we were on.