Amazon in review

There are a few times when I get to experience the pleasures of a full head of thick hair. The humidity of the Amazon rain forest provided me with just such a time. While my daughter lamented the heat, I loved it! My gray mane was thick and full in a way it never is in Seattle. So what else I I say about the Amazon?
Well, a lot. Manaus, the capital of Amazonia, is a large tropical city. It was the Paris of the America's during the rubber boom; a period of 20 years or so from approx. 1890-1910. The rubber baron's built beautiful french style chateau's and an Opera house as well. Now, all of these show the wear of time in a tropical climate. Worn and crumbling with faded paint that hints at the glitter of a by-gone time. I spent one day touring with the Architecture Prof. Then the three of us took off with 20 others to a jungle lodge. We traveled into the interior of the Amazon river estuary. This took an hour on one boat, then a two hour van ride across by land to another boat for another hour on a smaller boat to get to the lodge. So, we were remote; but not. The waterway where the lodge was located reminded me of waterways in the San Juan's, or Alaska. It appears to be remote, but then you realize there are fishing lodges and homes everywhere. The shorelines was jungly, but not as I had expected. It fact there were fallen leaves carpeting the ground as one would find walking through Lincoln Park in October. It is the end of the "dry" season in the Amazon. Of course it still rains, but the water level is at its lowest. As we motored around, one could see the high water marks on the trees, about 30 feet higher then where we were! It is hard to fathom the volume of water necessary to fill up the Amazon to those marks. Truly amazing. We spent our days touring villages, hiking into the jungle to learn how the locals survive and going fishing. There was so much information shared, however I still am not ready to try my luck on Survivor. The other thing that was interesting was the lack of bugs. Partly because of the season, but mostly we learned because we were on a portion of the river that is black water (more alkaline) verses the red waters which is not. We were able to enjoy the jungle without copious amounts of bug juice. In fact we went out star gazing on the water at night without any problems at all. Reminded me of star gazing up the B.C. coast. Who would of guessed.

The group consisted of two Professor's; one with his wife and two young daughters, another LLL with her two young daughters, us and then 15 college students. I enjoyed getting to know the college kids. They in turn pronounced Peter and I to be "cool parents", which was nice to have Beatrix hear. She enjoyed making friends. Now back on the ship, I see these kids and feel more connected to the community aboard. I can see how by the end of our voyage, we are one big family.

The Amazon is so not my terrain. I am glad I saw it and experienced it, but I am really happy to be leaving it now. Tropical places on the planet are unforgiving and tough on the human species. I personally am better equipped for life in the Pacific Northwest! For now however, I am intrigued to explore. Our route takes us to many "tropical" places. A survey of equatorial places. I have said to Peter that I am taking "it all in" assuming never to return. He might think I am being negative, I think I am being realistic. I am old enough now to know that life is unpredictable and to go for it without assumptions for the future. Some of the places we will visit, I last saw more then 30 years ago when traveling with my parents in the 70's. So, who's to say I will ever return again. But then again our stop to Cape Town will be my third visit in one decade. So, we shall see and time will tell.

We now have two days to retrace our path out the Amazon back into the Ocean. We are all wondering what awaits us. will the ocean crossing be a hard one?
What awaits us in Ghana?

-Melissa

Location:on the Amazon river after leaving Manuas