A place called Boca da Veleria is where we anchored a by 8.00 AM this morning. It is called a village. It has a church, a school and about 20 houses. The ship stops here for us to get an idea as to what a typical village along the river is like.
I have no doubt that the village has changed as a result of the ship stopping here over the years. For good and for bad. For good, as the money that we spent here in the form of donations to school and church as well as the income for river rides. The children, unfortunately come to town when the ship comes in with little animals bugs and reptiles, for a dollar you can take as many pictures as you want. It is cute but turns the kids into props for dollars. [My opinion only.]
Some parents dress up their kids an all sorts of get ups to get some income. It is quite a sight to see, and is a peek into their lives. My concern is that after this the next step is to put out your hand to any tourist and expect some money. There was a bit of this today.
Our adventure started with a boat driver who cast off and then could not get his motor started. We rowed around a bit and we had to become quite insistent for him to bring us back to shore. He kept trying to start the motor because it meant the loss of his income from tourism until the next big ship comes up, maybe in six months!
Our second driver did an excellent job, without speaking, of giving us a great 3/4 hour tour of upstream of the Valeria river. It is in flood now, but has been higher, as we can still see the stilts of the houses and debris on the branches some 10 feet over our head.
It was bit eerie when he took us down a little channel and it kept getting narrower and narrower, and when we went into another channel and it was full of giant lily pads somewhere around four feet in diameter, it was so quiet there and some very interesting birds were doing their thing there.
The village played a loud music, which seems to be everywhere in South America it seems. It appears the louder they play the music, the more you enjoy it ]???] Just about everyone on the ship took a trip to the village except those severely mobility challenged. There was no food ashore but we did have a Fanta and a beer.
It was an absolutely wonderful day for us and short enough so the heat did not drain us and there was not one square foot of concrete or asphalt to be seen today.
We are now snug in our floating palace and on our way to the comfort of our modern houses with all the latest conveniences, but those poor souls are stuck in that village forever. I suppose that many there are content and happy, but what about the children, teenagers and young adults? Where does their future lie, but that is true all over the world, and not just in undeveloped countries.
Perhaps it is a blessing not to have TV and cell phones. Some would say yes, but would they like to live there?
Us four were on the ship by 11.15, showered, had a light lunch and rested the rest of the afternoon. Actually Jim skipped lunch today, except for ice cream!] We sailed around 2.00 upriver to our furthest port on the Amazon, Manaus, where we spend two days there before sailing back down to the Atlantic with one more Amazon stop, Parintis.
My biggest problem today is picking the limited pictures that I can put on the blog. I took over 150 today!
The view from the anchored ship. That is the Valeria river blending into the Amazon. The village extends from the green house on the left to the orange tender boat on the right.
Church on the left, school on the right. The steps to get up to the church is a pilgrimage in itself, steep, high steps and narrow treads. The height is so the high flood water does not get inside.
Cool sight, a deep sea ship in the shallows.
Our party carefully boarding the first boat, that we shortly abandoned.
It was rather intimate in the boat, periodic bailing helped stop our feet from getting wet.
More locals rushing to town. Originally I thought for church until I saw all the families in town: today was Pay Day with a ship in.
I was fine with the flooding until my friend Ted asked, "Is that where they have snakes hanging from trees?"
The river channel we were in got smaller, and smaller. That chap on the right formed the third couple on the boat. [His hobby is making Traditional Norwegian Fiddles.] Go figure.
Those are on flooded fields.
That is also water. Spooky, spooky.
Here we have a little girl, dressed by her parents, cannot speak a word of English. A dollar, all the photos you want. Note the bird, not purchased at a pet store!
Two kids, dressed for tourist appeal no doubt. The eldest has a cayman, like a small crock.
There were many three-toed sloth about today. I don't think they like ship days the way the kids man handle them. Jim's camera battery died today, that is why have so may pictures of him.
Pretty young girl, over the top costume. What is her future in this little village I wonder.
That is the most magnificent bird, it almost looks plastic. I could cut your finger off with that beak, so it seemed to me.
There, I am here after all. Taken by Fellette
The ship, taken from the home we visited, for one dollar each. There was a table and chairs in the kitchen. No furniture in the bedroom, every one sleeps in hammocks and their extra clothing is kept in big bags on the floor?
The local bar, pop shop. Fellette is trying to navigate the sloping, angled, irregular steps with the handrail about a foot to high and still look dignified. Good luck hon. On stilts for flooding of course.
There were three small boats with kids and sloths that thrust themselves into the tender when we came back aboard, before we had even stopped. Mom and dad in the boat collecting the dollars.
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