Amazon Adventure Cruise PDF

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explore the Amazon in
1541. He is said to
have given the river its
TheAmazon Basin, South America,s
laryest lowland, occupies an area of
name after reporting
battles with tribes of
square miles). This is almost twice
as large as the basin of the Congo
femalewaniors.
Brazil, the world's fifth largest
country, is nearly as large as the
continental United States. Brazil
shares borders with all other South
American countries except Ecuador
and Chile. lt is 4,350 km (2,700
miles) from Brazil's northern border
to its southem bordq and the
distance from east to west is nearly
the same. More than half of Brazil's
'"'
population
is under 30
and,
collectively, Brazilians represent one
of the world's broadest ethnic blends.
The Spanish soldier Francisco de
Orellana was the first European to
The Amazon River is
the largest drainage
system in the world in terms of both
water volume and basin area. The
total length of the Amazon ftom its
headwaters in Peru to its mouth at
the Atlantic Ocean is about 6,400 km
(4,000 miles). Although this is
sligh$y shorter than the Nile, it is still
equivalent to the distance from
Rome
to
New
Yo* City.
The
westemmost source of the Amazon
lies only 160 km (100 miles)from the
Pacific Ocean. The system consists
of several main watenrays and about
1,000 tributaries.
Manaus, Erazil,
the largest city in
the Amazon
region, boasts a
modem
downtown area
as well as
suburban
shopping malls.
Dded and
mounbd
p{nanha skins
arc sold as
souvenirs to
txttists all
along fte
Amazon
6
million square km (2.3 miilion
River, the earth's other great
equatorial drainage system.
Stretching some 2,782 km (1,725)
miles from north to south at its widest
point, the Amazon basin includes
most of Brazil and Peru, major parts
of Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia,
and a small portion of Venezuela.
About two-thirds of the Amazon's
main sfuream lieswithin Brazil.
Some 20% of all the fresh water on
earth flows through the Amazon.
The maximum flood discharge atthe
mouth of the Amazon is 175,000
cubic meters (6,180,000 cubic bet)
per second. This is four times that of
the Congo and more than ten times
(actually "Amazonas" in
Portuguese) for the river
only fiom the Rio Negrc
east to the Atlantic
Ocean.
Manaus
(pronounced nManawsh''), the largest
Amazon river city with a
population of 1,300,000,
At the Ariau Towers, the largest of the Amazon
tree lodges, guests can view flora and fauna
from a unique perspective in the jungle canopy.
the amount of water canied by the
Mississippi. A single day's discharge
into the Atlantic is sufiicient to supply
NewYork City with a nine-yearsupply
of fresh water. The Amazon's
immense volume of fresh water
dilutes tfie ocean's saltiness 161 km
(100 miles)from shore.
More than two.thirds of the Amazon
basin is covered by an immense rain
forest. ln fact, the Amazon rain
forest, which represents over onethird of the earth's remaining rain
forest, also constitutes earth's largest
reserve
of
biological resources.
During recent decades deforestation
has accelerated due to
the
development of new highways and
airports and the disccivery of
minerals. The cunent population of
Brazil's Amazon region is some 17
million, or 3.4 inhabitiants per square
km. 620/o of this population lives in
urban areas while only 38o/o lives in
rural areas-
is
situated near the
junction of the brownish-
yellow (muddy) Rio
Solimoes and the'black"
Rio Negro. lnterestingly,
to their different
densities, velocities and
temperatures, these two
due
great dvers flonr together
for 6 km (4 miles) before
mixing. A distinct stdpe
flows down the center
until the two rivers
eventually blend into a
single uniform color.
Manaus' most famous
monument is its opera
house, the Teatro
Amazonas, which was inaugurated in
1896. Built over a 1$year period
during Brazil's late nineteenth
century rubber boom fiom materials
imported frum Europe, the 681-seat
neoclassical opem house was last
restored in 1990 and is still in use
today. Only the wood for the floors
and the chairs came from Br:azil, and
even that wood was sent to Europe
for molding before being retumed to
the jungle for installation.
Manaus'
ingenious
floating docks,
constructed by a
Scottish
at the
beginning of the
engineer
twentieth
entury rise and
fall by up to 10
meterc (32 feet)
with the
Rio
Negrcs varying
level. At
the Museu do
water
Cmwds gawk at a float carrying a gigantb rffiical bird during Camivd
celebrations in Manaus
ln Brazilthe name "Solimoes" is used
for the Amazon from lquitos, Peru to
the mouth of the Rio
Negro.
Brazilians use the term "Ainazon"
lndio
in
downtown
Manaus lviewed
artifacts,
costumes and weapons fiom the
region's principal tribes. Due to a
favorable exchange rate, the
museum gift shop ofiered expertly-
woven baskets from as little as USD
3; and I was able b purchase.one
large basketwhich stands a full meter
high foronly USD
9.
One of theo*rer
highlights of my visit to Manaus was
aftending the very colorful Camival
paradethere.
On the second day of the cruise the
Seaboum Pride anchored near the
145-km (90-mile)-long Anavilhanas
Archipelago which consists of 400
islands and is situated northwest of
Manaus on the Rio Negro. Unlike the
muddy Solimoes (Amazon), the Rio
Negro flows over a bed offine sand
thatisfree of sediment. Even though
the Rio Negro's water appears blac*,
it is said that itswateris purerthan tap
water found in most urban areas.
Also, incredibly, the Rio Negro is free
of mosquitoes and many other types
of insects. lt is thought that the river
absorbs plant materials which
dissolve and add natural toxins.
Though not harmful to fish or jungle
animals which ddnkftom the river, the
poisons apparently inhibit the
reproductive cycles of most insects.
The Anavilhanas Archipelago is a
developed jungle resort area. I took
the opportunity to tour Ariau Amazon
Towers, the largest tree top lodge.
Established in 1986with a mere eight
rooms, today the resort boasts a
helipad and can accommodate
cruise passengers in the localopen
aircultural center.
The final port of call on the Amazon
was the city of Santiarem. There a
piranha fishing tour was offered.
Piranha were caught and grilled on
the spot with manioc flour. ln fact, I
saw fierce-looking mounted piranha
being sold as scuvenirs all along the
Amazon. However, while piranha do
certainly possess sharp teeth, it
lums out that they are not nearly as
fierce as their Hollyarood-inspired
reputation suggests. Locals bathe
throughout the Amazon Basin
alongside piranha without this fsh
causing them any harm.
hundreds of guests. Ariau Amazon
Towers has been frequented by the
likes of Jimmy Cartq Helmut Kohl,
King Guftav of Sweden and Susan
Sarandon. I was shovvn the suite
The finaltwo days on the Amazon
were among the most interesting,
even though there were no ports of
call. During the first portion of my
cruise down the Amazon, the river
largest mammal in the rain forest,
grows to be up to 2 meters (6 feet)
long. Tapirs feed on fruit and leaves
and its tributraries were all very wide.
However, northeast of Santarem as
and weigh about 182 kg
pounds).
(400
Nsrthern Brazil's fish
the ship began to weave through
once occupied by Bill Gates
which, incidentally, was even
nanow channels to reach the
Atlantic Ocean, vignettes of
local life along the shores of
fumishedwith a PCand printerl
these channels were
presented to cruise ship
Because the resort is built at the
canopy level, the exotic flora and
fauna of the Amazon rain forest
passengers. While
are close at hand. Further
exposure is also provided- to
see and photograph local
people in their canoes,
individual houses, small
guests through canoe rides in the
creeks nearby. The Amazon
region is host to 311 species of
villages and even sawmills.
mammals, 2,S00 species of birds
Finally
and more than 400,000 kinds of
insects. At Ariau Amazon Towers
as I walked along
the
resort's high wooden walkways,
and both piranha and
pink
in
river
live
the
dolphins are said to
there.
Most people picture exotic animals
and giant reptiles when they think of
the Amazon. While there are many
snakes and lizards, the Amazon
Basin supports no large herding
mammals like those found on the
Africa. Monkeys are the
most diverse Amazon mammal
group. The Brazilian rain forest
plains of
supports six feline species, including
jaguars, of which now only some
15,000 remain. Their biggest threat
nowadays is deforestation rather
than hunting. Rodents are the most
abundant mammals in the Amazon.
The Amazon's capybara is- the
world's largest rodeirt. The tiapir, the
at
Macapa our
Amazon River pilot
disembarked, and the
I saw and heard monkeys in the
canopy
the
backdrop was always dense
rain forest, now I could easily
Small ferries jockey for space on a sheel in the town of Parintins
stocks are also abundant, More than
1,500 species have been classified.
Some marine biologists estimate that
up to 500 additional species may
have yet to be discovered.
The Seabourn Pride next called at
Parintins, 564 km (350 miles)
downstream from Manaus. With a
population of 30,000, each June the
200-year-old town hosts a festival
similar to Rio's Carnival" Amazonian
legends, forest creafures and local
and Andean rhythms
are
incorporated into this bizarre but
fascinating spectiacle. At the time of
the annual festival the population
swells more than tenfold as visitors
anive from ail over Brazil. A special
evening performance by exotic
costumed dancers was staged for
42
Seabourn Pride sailed north
to the Caribbean.
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