Our stay in Manaus was cut by a stay in the Amazonian jungle (cf the precedent post). We are going to speak to you about our stay in Manaus in general, and not to detail every day.

Again, we used Couch Surfing to find accommodation. In Rio, we had met an American who had met a guy (Nicolas) from Couch Surfing during her stay in Manaus and who was very nice. We decided to contact him. But as he had no time to accommodate us, he said to us that one of his friends agreed to make it, even if he is not still on Couch Surfing. It is like that that one contacted Luiz (nicknamed Lilo), who came to look for us at the airport on Mondays evening.

The family of Lilo is rather rich: his father has some apartments, a private hospital, a boat and his mother has good jobs also. At the beginning it was rather pleasant to live: we spent our first afternoon in a swimming pool on the roof of a luxury hotel with a view of all the city, great ;-) On Saturdays, we made a stroll in the boat deprived of his father to see the meeting of waters (place where the Rio Negro, the wide river at the edge of Manaus, and the Amazon meets: the Rio Negro is black, the Amazon is yellow, and these 2 refuse to merge and continue to flow side by side during several kilometers). It was very beautiful, very impressive and we met kind Americans on board (who are teachers of English in Brazil and sometimes work with the mother of Lilo). Furthermore, Lilo always wanted to pay us to drink (or the entrance of one club because we did not want to go there because it was too expensive for us) He took us by car everywhere. You are jealous? It is true that in one sense this is a good life!

But at the same time, we have big differences of opinion and manners to live (he always lives at his parent's). For example, he always uses his car. Logic because he has one, and it’s not the problem; but he thinks that you should not take the bus because it is for the poor people … He doesn’t like going to dance the forro (but I’m glad we change a little bit his mind!) Besides, it is the first time which he accommodates somebody and we feel him good. He does’nt want to let us make alone things seen that he does not want to let us take the bus (he is afraid for us ^^) but at the same time it was hard to plan something with him. Other example: at the beginning it was septic on Couch Surfing because he was afraid that we kill him during the sleep ^^ Same there he is not convinced and will not never make that if he travels …

We would liked to leave Manaus by boat, but no … The first day, we asked him to pass to the port (we would have been able to go there alone by bus, but that it was no doubt ^^) but he said that there was not need: he has a friend in Tabatinga (city on the border of Brazil, Peru and Colombia, thus city where we wanted to go) and wants to ask him when leave boats. The boat leaves on Tuesdays. He says that that is of use to nothing to go to the port, that he will call the next day to reserve, we shall pay later, we have the time to buy the tickets for the boat (there is still one week) We believe it, it is him who knows! The next 3 days we are in the jungle, so we make nothing (but he promised us to reserve for us during these days) When we return, he says that it is too late for the boat. When he called up there were the last places which it was necessary to pay at once. Thus he did not know if he had to make it for us … Too much disgusted … In repair he tried to find us ananother solution because there is only a boat a week, and we were not going to stay one week more in Manaus, there is not much to make in this city!! He suggested taking by plane for Tabatinga but truth tickets are too dear ( almost 800 euro) so he suggested buying tickets cheaper to a lady who also sold it (that is saying she buys them very early when they are still cheap and resell them later, strange for plane tickets!) In brief, roughly it had died for the boat thus the only solution: the plane … Lilo also said to us that it had frightens of there what was going to take place for us to Tabatinga, seen whom we have to change boat there, and whom we speak not about Portuguese …

We spent good moments in Manaus, thanks to the other people of Couch Surfing which we met: we are for example to go to see of magnificent waterfall in one 100aine of km of Manaus. We also went to a big festival of music on the beach: 4 concerts of Brazilian music of various styles (finally we looked that 2 first ones, because Nadège felt not good) It is great concerts with feet in the sand, next to the water, even if it is not easy to jump ^^

Here we are, during 3 days, we decide to leave to the assault of the big Amazonian jungle. On Wednesday, November 25th, we have to meet in the hostel Manaus at 7 am. Over there, we meet the couple of Canadian who will accompany us during this trek. A taxi drives us to the bus station where there we meet our guide, James. We take a bus which drives us at 3 hours of Manaus, in a quite small village on the side of the road. From there, we go up on a dugout for a travel of 2 hours on the river Urubu. The crossing up to the lodge puts longer that foreseen because the river is very low and dry, it is sometimes necessary to pass very slowly in some place not to remain to stick. It is the first time for years that the river is also low. Whereas there are 6 months ago, the inhabitants of the Amazonia had never seen the river rising so much. It is because of the global warming.

Finally, at the end of 2 hours under the smothering heat of the sun, we arrive at the lodge. The guide makes us the tour of houses. It is a very nice, quite wooden place, without electricity because those who are for the initiative there wanted an ecological site. The guide shows us typical fruits of the Amazonia. He makes us sample some of this fruits, rather strange, but not bad! Before the meal, we are going to swim in the Urubu. The water has no very clean sight, but the guide says to us that it is without danger! Then come the mealtime: rice, pastas, raw vegetables and meats. Before leaving for the activities of the afternoon, we try our hammocks. What we are very good inside! And then let’s go for the fishing in piranhas! We go away from the lodge in dugout and we stop on a small beach. There the guide explains us how to proceed. It’s look simple like that, but when we try, it is not evident! We have to launch the fishing’s thread farthest possible then to hold the end of the thread until we smell if a fish bites the fishhook (where a piece of recent meat is hung on). When we smell that a fish bites, it is necessary to pull the thread dry. We tempt repeatedly, without results. And suddenly, Anaïs smells something and pulls. That's it, she caught a piranha! The guide tells her to kill it, but she does not very feel at ease ^^ Then he helps her, and at the same time, shows us the teeth of the fish. Impressive. During this time, Nadège tries repeatedly, but unsuccessfully. Too bad, the next time can be! The guide takes us to another place to try to fish since the dugout, but anybody arrive there. Return in the lodge, with the sunset on the road, but a little wasted by clouds. Before the meal, it is necessary to put long clothes to avoid the bites of mosquitoes. For the diner, to the menu: raw vegetables, rice, pastas and piranhas! Having satisfied hunger, the guide takes us again on the dugout, in the light of the moon, to look for alligators. He has expert's eye, because he flash of lighting far off the banks of 2 sides with its flashlight, and manages to see if there is or not. At the end of long minutes of search, he eventually finds one and approaches it quite slowly. The guide lights the water, and suddenly, plunges the hand inside and goes back up with a small alligator. We don’t saw it coming! James explains us all that he knows about this alligator (the way he swims, his food). Then, he suggests us holding it. Anaïs is the first one to try, she is not very reassured!! But finally, everybody hold it, and there are nobody casualty! On returning to the lodge, we are going to go to bed). It is even early, but the next day we have to get up at 5:30 am to see the sunrise.

The next day at 5:30 am thus, we get up and we leave for dugout on the river to have a more beautiful view of the sunrise. Once again it is not terrible, big clouds prevent us from seeing the beautiful colors of the sun. After this small interlude, we have breakfast: bread rolls, crushed eggs, fruits, coffee… And it’s time to go. With our big rucksacks which are very heavy because of the hammocks which we have to transport up to the camp. After a small route in dugout, we sink little by little into the jungle. The guide follows in fact a kind of small road drawn through the jungle. Fortunately because close, it is so the disorder! We walk quietly through the flora, by paying attention where we put feet because there is full of branches of everywhere and of pieces of wood which go out of ground…

But otherwise, there are probably no risks which animals disturb us because the guide walks with flip-flop! Sometimes James stops to try to perceive monkeys or birds everything in the top of trees. It is not evident, but we manage to perceive some. Throughout the road, we meet: a small snake, a big trap-door spider, enormous ants which can paralyze us if they prick us … We also saw small ants which serve as anti-mosquitoes when we crush them on the body! Moreover, James shows us some plants which can look after diseases, as the bark of a tree which looks after the malaria (in infusion), or the "milk" of another tree which looks after the asthma. At the end of 2 hours of walking, we arrive finally at the camp, exhausted by the heat and the weight of the bag. We install our hammocks, then we look for a little wood to make the fire. While James cooks, we rest a little. To the menu: rice mixed with potatoes, carrots and tomatoes, chicken and a few sausages. We are going not to starve here! Before restarting for another expedition, we go swim in the river which just flows close. The water is fresh, it is very pleasant. Amazed, we learn that this water will serve us as drink for today and tomorrow. A little bit reluctant to bathe in the same water as the one that we drink, we rely on him. He knows what he makes! Finally, we even had no diarrhea in our return! And it left for a tour of 2 hours in the jungle. Again, the guide shows us what is used by the Indians of the forest. We see among others a big tree, "the tree phones ", which is of use to Indians to communicate between them a great distance away by knocking above. On returning to the camp, James prepares the diner: rest of rice, sausages and hard-boiled eggs (yes, we had to carry around a pot filled with fresh eggs of the lodge to the camp. Not very practical!). Then the night quickly falls, it is 6 pm. The guide leaves going to bed in his hammock. It is too early to sleep! So we stay a little towards the fire to be discussed. Then we go to bed all the same at about 7:30 pm, anyway we have to get up early the following morning.

The night is pleasant, we sleep well in hammocks! Hardly raised at 6 am, we have breakfast, we tidy up our affairs and we leave. In this case, we return directly in feet in the lodge. It is still warm, we sweat in big beads. The guide stops less often, it is more walking than the discovery now. We have all the same the right for a small interlude: on the road, we find a liana. We try to make Tarzan, but we still have progress to be made! At the end of one hour and a half, we arrive finally at the lodge. We take a good shower, we rest a last time in hammocks and we are going to eat: rice, pastas, raw vegetables and meat! Then it is already the time to leave. In this case, the crossing puts less time than in the path (just one hour). We take then the bus in the town on the side of the road, and at 5 pm, we arrive at the hostel of Manaus. But we are still not arrived because we have to wait for Luiz who goes out of the job at 7 pm. As a result, we settle down in a bar to eat a piece and drink a good juice. Finally, Luiz arrives at 7:30 pm. As we are exhausted after these 3 days, we do not go to bed too late

Little explanation about Manaus, who has a very interesting geography. Manaus is the capital of the state Amazonas and it is the only big city of this state. There are naturally some other towns and villages, but not many. Manaus is only accessible by air or by boat. And yes, a single main road go out (or return): and this road leads in Venezuela (so we can arrive by car if we come from there!)

At Manaus flows the Rio Negro and not the Amazon. This last one joins the Amazon at 8 km downstream to the port of the city. In this place, the Rio Negro, in black waters, and the Amazon (finally called Solimoes to this place), in yellow-brown waters, refuse to merge and continue to flow side by side on approximately 15 km, by ignoring magnificently! A unique spectacle!

This year during the rainy season, the Rio Negro reached a record height (for almost 100 years) and overflowed: the port was filled with water, certain roads also … But this summer, we are again not far from the record of dryness (it remains that 25 cm before reaching this record) We noticed it well when we joined our lodge during our trek in the jungle: the boat to go there put 2 hours instead of 30min-1 hour normally … The situation is rather disturbing! The Amazonia is thus one of first victims of the climatic disorder, while they make nothing!!!

Ca y est, nous voilà en Amazonie. Cette semaine, on va partir 3-4 jours en trek dans la jungle, donc notre site avancera pas trop pendant ce temps… Ne vous faites pas de soucis, c’est normal, et on vous racontera tout cela à notre retour !

En espérant qu’on ne se fasse pas manger par des alligators ou mordre par des serpents ^^