We've now officially left the Amazon River, but after a week traversing its attractions we found rather than being stunned by scenery, we were more affected by the whole of the environment: the wildlife, the people who continue to live on its banks and the unique way of life that it delivers. A total package rather than any one item. So I've decided to concentrate on photo images in three categories rather than trying to capture it all. It should be experienced by everyone and I frankly think it has changed our outlook on life. Big call for a bigger river.
The People
Regardless of river conditions the residents have found a solution. Schooling is maintained by running river school buses; when your home floods you move to the 'land that never floods' until the waters recede. And the people of Parintins have developed their own cultural festival called Boi B
umba - a rival to Carnival - the winner gets to perform to people like us all year. The story is too complicated to explain here, but the colour is self-evident.
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| River homes |
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| A river village |
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| Fishermen at work |
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| Boi Bumba at Parintins |
The logistics
Managing a community on a river creates some interesting challenges.
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| A floating petrol station |
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| Barge with 15 semi trailers |
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| River transport complete with hammocks for those overnighters |
The wildlife
The wildlife is so diverse and frankly this is just a small sample of what we've seen. I'm proud to say these are all creatures we've seen in the wild with no trickery, enticements or tethering. I am barely able to take a photo, so there's no chance of Photoshop
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| Sloth |
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| Jacana |
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| Iguana |
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| Wild Heron |
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| Buffalo grazing with heron friends |
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| The very elusive pink dolphin or boto |
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