Today, after returning to the ship, we had a guest speaker on board providing information to his Road Scholar group and so invited all the guests on board Regatta.  With a full house, we listened intently and then we enjoyed a National Geographic film on the creatures of the Amazon.  I took notes!

Before the film and talk, we ventured off our comfy floating home.

Today’s tour and tender to the lands and village of Boca da Valeria.  Level with the murky milky tea water of this river, we floated in our dry tender boat, as one with the rainforest.  We were engulfed in the rainy season, no umbrella, no raincoat and we were soon coated and soaked with the Amazon rainy season.

Not miserable, not cold, ankle deep in the red mud clay.  The Dolphins entertained us as we enjoyed them at the waters surface, back yomyhemship.  Today I felt  fully engaged in a vibrant, small, active, welcoming community of children and families of Boca da Valeria.  All of them were engaged in welcoming us, the foreign tourists.  

We saw up close the lazy sloths, kept as pets, perhaps?, slow moving and relaxed in the arms of the children who hold them up for our picture taking.  

White egrets, herons, and pink Dolphins abound.  Wow.

The TALK:

All seats taken in Regatta Lounge, we settle in for the talk about our voyage to this country and to this unique region of the world.  Over one half of the planets rainforest is found in the Amazon Basin.  Did you know that fertilizer for this mighty land blows from the desert dust of neighbouring countries?  Brazil is one of the worlds largest producers of food from the ground, 56%.  Herein are 2.5 million species of insects.  Ants are the most significant insects and consume the most leaves of any of the species of life in this area!  Some 450,000 species of plants and trees; one third of all the insects and one half of all the birds in the world are found here.  The area around the river is flat and gets flooded every rainy season for up to seven months.  The surf is world class and surfers from around the world come to catch the single wave.  Up to 150 by 400 miles out into the ocean from the mouth of this river is coloured by,the spilling of the fresh water into the salt water ocean.  The milky color can be seen from far before reaching the river mouth.  

It is up to Brazil to lead the research for the world with regard to plants and healing powers.  Nature based tourism and smaller farming are great ideas.  What about those slow moving sloths that eat only from one tree?  What could we learn of the toxins and why they move so slow?  What is the medical potential of this place?  The peoples eat a diet mostly of manioc and fish.  How do they use the flooded forests?  What are the potential benefits of studying this swollen river?

Fish swim where birds once flew.  The beauty and bounty of the river leave us in awe.  A living laboratory.

Wow

Pamellllla of the jungle!  

Wish you were here.

Ps.  Time to eat AGAIN,  lol

Xoxo

Tomorrow: Manaus, Brazil