Amazon River Cruise
When I received a brochure describing an upper Amazon expedition on the M/V Andrea, a medium-sized ship that is able to navigate the river between Iquitos, Peru, and Manaus, Brazil, I jumped at this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Most mega cruise ships enter the Amazon from the Atlantic Ocean and proceed up the wide muddy river to Manaus, Brazil. They return to the Atlantic with little or no contact with environment around it. However, this river expedition offered daily zodiac expeditions and lectures of the people, flora and fauna by Abercrombie & Kent, a world-class tour company. I even convinced Jeannette to accompany me on this unique experience. Incidentally, most upper Amazon expeditions are offered by camps that have daily excursions from their base. I really wanted to see the entire upper Amazon rather than essentially spending all my time in one place.
The Amazon basin is so large, and although we had many zodiac excursions looking for wildlife, the number of animals seen by us was very few to my disappointment. At best, we saw a glimpse of animals through our binoculars. These creatures were so elusive that even with telephoto lens, impromptu photos were almost non-existent. Nevertheless, the overall experience of interfacing with the native peoples (who call themselves Indians), the ship guest camaraderie, the ship crew including captain, the A&K enthusiastic naturalists and the environment made this excursion very rewarding.
Much has been written about the Amazon basin or Amazonia. At this time, I will not attempt to review all the facts that I had learned before the cruise, on the upper Amazon cruise and after the cruise. Hopefully, the visual experience of the photos will portray our excursion on my website. Furthermore, I must acknowledge and thank Abercrombie & Kent (A&K) naturalists Dr. Don Klein, Sally Millns, Akos Hivekovics and Ze Artur Fernandes for most of these photos. Some of my photos are combined with their excellent photography. The A&K team consisted of Suzana Machado D'Oliveira (tour director), Juan Jose Apestegui Fabrega, Mr. Fernandes, Mr. Hivekovics, Dr. Klein, Ms. Millns, Pepe Moscoso and Ignacio Rojas. There is one member who I forgot to mention because I forgot his name.
Our Upper Amazon River cruise was April 5 ~ 17, 2005.
Lima, Peru
Our aircraft landed in Lima, Peru, to begin our Amazon adventure. We were met at the airport and transported to our hotel. This was the second time that we visited Lima. Our first time was just in January of this year after a cruise through the Panama Canal. We took the offered city tour. Afterwards, we flew from Lima, Peru, to Iquitos, Peru, to rendezvous with the M/V Andrea. From the airport, were taken by bus to the dock. Since the dock waters were shallow, we were transported from the dock to the Andrea via the “Amazon Queen” ferry.
Pixana, Peru
We toured well-known artist Francisco Grippa’s studio and gallery at top of the hill in Pevas, Peru.
Leticia, Colombia
Nice snake...nice snake. Actually, I didn’t pick up an Anaconda snake in the jungle. Zoo handlers at the Leticia, Colombia, lifted a female snake onto our shoulders for a photo opportunity. This is the only snake that I saw during the entire expedition. Those who know me know that I love cats. At the zoo, I spotted a couple of Jaguars in a very small cage. As I was talking to one of these beautiful cats, he responded with a non-threatening hiss. Although I was pleased to get face-to-face with these felines, I was sad to see them caged up. The Jaguar is related to the African leopard.
Manuas, Brazil
The silt-laden water of the Amazon River meets the black water of the aptly named Rio Negro, and these rivers flow as one river (known as the Amazon) eastward toward the Atlantic. The Amazon, which originates in the Andes Mountains in Peru, carries vast quantities of light-colored eroded sediment. The Negro by contrast originates in the lowland rainforest so that it causes almost no erosion, and thus carries no visible sediment. Its load is mainly chemical, in the form of rotting vegetation that gives it a dark color. The waters do not mix completely until many miles downstream from Manuas. The Amazon and Negro are volumetrically the two largest rivers in the world before they join, so that from their confluence they make a truly gargantuan river.
The first European settlement at Manuas was a small fort (São Jose do Rio Negrinho) built in 1669. A small settlement developed and in 1850 became the capital of the province of Amazonas. From 1890 to 1920 the rubber boom brought prosperity to the city, actually to a few rubber barons who brutally used Indians to collect the latex from the rubber trees. During this period the great Opera House was constructed. The best entertainers from Europe and North America were brought in for the pleasure of the 100 or so families that then controlled the economy of the area. In the 1920’s, the importance of natural rubber exported by Brazil diminished because of the invention of synthetic rubber and natural rubber production in Southeast Asia. Consequently, Manaus declined considerably. In the late 1970s the Brazilian government and private companies began extensive development of the mineral and agricultural wealth of the surrounding rain-forested region.
This 1.5 million population city lies along the north bank of the Negro River, 11 miles (18 km) above its confluence with the Amazon (Solimões). It is located 900 miles (1,450 km) inland from the Atlantic coast in the heart of the Amazon rain forest. As a major inland port (reached by oceangoing vessels from the Atlantic) it is a collecting and distribution center for the river areas of the upper Amazon. Principal exports include rubber, Brazil nuts, rosewood oil, jute, and a host of minor forest products; cordage and coffee sacks are made from jute. Manaus' industries include brewing, shipbuilding, soap manufacturing, the production of chemicals, the manufacture of electronics equipment, and petroleum refining (the oil being brought by barge down the Amazon from Peru.
The Amazon Theater is one of the most important monuments left by the exhilarating rubber boom period. It was preserved as a national patrimony in 1965, and celebrated its centenary in 1996, in perfect condition after a thorough renovation that left it in its original colors and details. The architecture is eclectic and neo-classic with material and artists brought in from Europe. On the outside of the building, the dome is covered with 36,000 decorated ceramic tiles painted in the colors of the national flag. In the shape of a harp, the central nave can seat 640 in the auditorium and the three floors with box seats.
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