Day 5 – Jungle Othon Palace and surrounding areas

The morning was early and unwelcome from luke-warm water in a trailer like bedroom. I woke up and realized I had bug bites all over me, I think because our room had the insulation of a paper towel, and my bed was butted up against an area that looked like bugs could easily access it. Oh well. We had a small breakfast and then got on the boat for our 45 minute trip to a small village of about 700 people. It is located in the South side of the Rio Negro (Manaus and our hotel, Jungle Palace are located on the North side). This small village was complete with 2 protestant churches, a catholic church, a sort of nightclub, a bar, and other things you would find in Brazil. The centerpiece of the village was a soccer field, unsurprising in these parts.

Also, this village was home to the first jail of Manaus. The city itself isn’t accessibly by car (something that may be cured in the next 10-20 years), so essentially is an island. The convicts of Manaus would be shipped over by boat to this establishment and punished there, either by execution or whatever. Executions included being weighed down by rocks and thrown off the boat, thrown into pits of spikes, or having their limbs amputated while trying to be kept alive, for maximum torture.

It was built in the late 1890’s and probably relocated to Manaus as the city grew larger, benefiting from rubber extraction. After the jail had left, the building became a hospital for the village and in extreme cases, Manaus. After this venture didn’t take hold, the building was used to house the lepers of Manaus, so they would not contaminate the city. The men were separated from the women and children (even though they were all infected) and treated like prisoners. The building was big enough to house both sides in relative autonomy, as the building was a huge square with a courtyard in the middle.

After the leper quarantine, the building became a school until the 1970s, and sits in the state that it’s in now – ruined and deteriorating. When I think of a ruin, I tend to think vines all over walls, very little roofing left with trees taking over. This building was no different, as our tour of it proved that it was definitely in ruin. The vines of the trees (the tree’s root system, since the soil is so poor in the Amazon region) have strangled the walls so much that if the wall were removed, the tree would die. And if the tree were removed to try and preserve the building, the wall would collapse. It’s amazing to see this mix of man and nature, and how each side is required to let things stay the way they are.

Throughout our tour of it, we also saw the living conditions for the previous uses of the building and realized it’s not a place I would want to be held prisoner. They still use a cell on occasion for the misbehaved people in the village. The dining rooms still have the original tile from Portugal and look really good, even to this day, despite the fact that a roof hasn’t existed for decades. Anyway, the pictures I have posted give you a good sense of what it looks like today.

Along the tour we saw a cashew tree (although cashews go through a long process before they can be eaten) and saw other interesting plants. One plant closes its leaves when it is touched or can feel the proximity of danger. 1 of the videos I have posted a link to illustrates this.

After this tour we went back to the Jungle Palace and had lunch and relaxed in the early afternoon. Then it was time to take a boat to a similar location as the first village, only this time to an Indian village. The Indians that we saw are similar to the ones that exist in North America. It makes sense, but it’s odd to see a people that you could see somewhere in the U.S. Anyway, we saw a ceremony of song and dance and music that they performed, giving their interpretation of the Earth’s creation.

My father was chosen to dance with an Indian woman and her child, as were several others in our tour group. Afterwards we had the chance to buy things that they made, and I bought a mask made out of animal parts that looks pretty freaky. Not something you’d want to hang above your bed.

After this we went back down to the boat and I was amazed at how much sand there was and how white it looked. I sat on the beach and watched while children swam in parts of the Rio Negro, as Morena, Max and my father decided to jump into the water. It was here that we learned of a certain fish in areas further up the river that will literally sometimes lodge themselves in certain anatomical areas of a man or woman, causing major discomfort and death if not treated immediately. And by treatment, I mean either surgery within an hour or the removal of such anatomical devices. Haha, I’m trying not to be graphic.

The beaches were nice and we were informed that the water would rise and cover most of it come March or April. One of the greatest phenomenons is how the trees can grow and stay alive underwater. But it was very apparent in areas that there are many trees fully submerged underwater and can cause damage to motors if one isn’t careful.

It was after this that we set sail back to the Jungle Palace and caught the sunset over the Rio Negro. It was absolutely stunning, and it was also at this point that Francisco let me drive the boat and have my picture taken. It was quite serene and unreal to be in such an area of the world that few people hear of, much less visit.

That night we had the usual dinner and activities of pool and lounging by the pool. I decided to stay in a hammock for a while, despite the bats in order to enjoy myself. It was peaceful and good. We decided to call it an early night, as I would go on my jungle walk in the morning (of which my father would skip out on because he felt that he did the same thing last year when he went to Brazil) and we would fish for piranha in the afternoon.

I went down later in the evening to find our guide, Moreno, dripping wet. I asked him if he had spotted any Caymans (Crocodiles) and snakes with Max and Nancy, and he informed me that the oddest thing happened: their boat sank. He took them out in a wooden canoe and said that by the time he felt the water, he took one swing of the paddle towards the shore and their boat just went under. As they made their way to shore, it was pitch black save a low powered headlamp that Moreno carried with him. Normally they carry high powered lights on the boats at night, connected to car batteries, to spot animals, but not this night.

2 hours later, after swimming through water and trudging through jungle, Max, Nancy and Moreno were back at the hotel. Visibly shook up (as I only caught Max), it’s understandable that a thing like this doesn’t happen often, and the Amazon is a dangerous place to be at night, as most of the animals and creatures come out at night. Moreno mentioned that Nancy almost stepped on a few Caymans, and they were all cut severely by razor grass (I’ll explain later) and thorns. Moreno wasn’t wearing any shoes or sandals, and I swear is related to recently deceased Steve Irwin. In the other video I’ve posted online, our boat passes through a canal during the day, which was crossed by the trio at night. It’s not hard to understand that the Amazon is a scary place at night, as land is not so clear from water, since the water fluctuates by some 45 feet in height between seasons. Needless to say, I’m glad it wasn’t me.

But they were safe, and I was scared to take our boat tour the next night. Moreno was convinced it was a freak accident, as in his 7 years doing such tours, he’s never even HEARD of such a thing happening to anybody. I tried to sleep, taking all this into account and realizing that Nancy and Max got a closer look at the Amazon than most tourists would ever get. I was glad to not be there, but in a way jealous that it didn’t happen to me, as that will make a great story for them, if it hasn’t already.

Day 6 – Jungle Othon Palace

Another early rise today marked the last day we stayed at the Jungle Othon Palace. Another play-it-safe breakfast was eaten by me, in preparation of going on my jungle walk. I went with a group of French and Italians, none of which tried in the slightest to communicate with me or my father while we were there (save Max and Nancy, and a German woman who said hi to me). I felt a contempt from them aimed at me, but paid little attention to it, as it made me realize that I love the United States.

Anyway, on the jungle walk there weren’t many animals to spot, as I had stated before most of them stay out until the night. The trees and shrubs are amazingly dense, as the bark is covered in what looks like painted camouflage and the trees reach high into the sky. Not a heavily worn path, the walk through the jungle was anywhere from a ½ mile to a mile, and I got to see some great things up close.

One thing Moreno found (it was just him and I, since no others in the group had the best guide for the jungle) was a sort of bamboo looking tree. We walked through some dense forest to try and find it, and he used his machete to cut through vines and overgrown things that were blocking our “path” (which didn’t exist). Along the way he told me to watch for “razor grass” and showed me what it does. As I was walking along, I happened to brush my arm past a couple blades of this grass, which could be called blades in a literal sense.

The blades stick to your skin, so I did what anyone does: drag your arm away from it, trying to free your arm from it. Not only does your arm get free, but the grass slices your arm as you do so, leaving you with nice reminders of what it’s capable of. It’s wild stuff and I’ve never seen anything like it. Throughout the walk I had a couple blades stick to my clothes but nothing that I couldn’t handle. I still have healing scabs, and as of this writing I took the tour 6 days ago.

Back to the bamboo looking tree. Moreno looks at it and asks me if I know what it is. Yeah, I say. Okay I lied, because obviously I had no clue what it was. He began to shake it back and forth, which revealed long, thin leaves that had been compressed into it. He explained that such leaves can be woven for baskets or hats or things of the sort. Amazing.

Along the walk we encountered a huge tree, which had flying buttresses for support instead of the typical root systems underground. In one of my videos you can see me “look up” with the camera, as it’s absolutely huge. These trees, if a person is lost, can be used for communication by whacking one of the buttresses with a large stick, which can resonate for longer distances than anyone could hear someone yelling for help. Also we encountered trees which had different types of sap, used for different things. A white sap could be used for ointment or as aspirin. A black sap can be used for firewood, even when wet, and is used for incense as well. A tree with a red type of sap and bark can be scraped and has sticky properties, which can be used as a type of resin or sealant. The place is amazing if you know where to look for what you need.

We encountered a bug (98% dead according to Moreno) that was huge. Imagine a beetle that is about 4 inches long and about 3 inches tall. It doesn’t sound like much, but I wouldn’t want one of those 98% alive and near me. Also I saw an ant colony which was 2 ½ to 3 feet long, hanging on vine or root of some sort.

The light differences between areas of heavy forest and light forest were like night and day. As we approached an area that was logged many years before, there was a curtain of darkness for our area of woods, and looked as if you were looking through a TV to a different world. The logged area exposed the white sand underneath, and I asked Moreno how many years it would take for that part to grow back. He looked at me and said “It will never grow back. What’s done is done, no other plants can survive here the way they used to.” Pretty sobering, in a sense.

The walk concluded with a boat ride back to the hotel, and we entered through a canal (as seen in another video clip) and where Max and Nancy had swum through the previous night. Again, not a place I’d want to explore at all.

Right before lunch a tropical rainstorm came through. With lightning bolts close to our hotel, and pounding rain for about 20 minutes, it was a sight to see. The water running off the roof and into the river, and the droplets formed from the downward rainfall was intense and high powered. It was great to see a tropical rainstorm, and it was the only one we encountered.

In the afternoon we went Piranha fishing. Max had a couple good bites but no snags, I had a few bites but no snags, and my father had the same as I. Nancy sat this trip out, as she was still a bit shaken from the previous night. In total, 4 Piranha’s were caught by Moreno, and 2 Sardines by Francisco, our boat driver. It’s like the 15th time I’ve been fishing, and I still have never caught a fish. It makes me never want to fish.

This evening marked our last at the Jungle Palace, and it was the night my father and I went on our jungle night tour. Well, by boat. Fortunately our boat was made from metal and had a motor, so rest assured we wouldn’t have the same situation that Max and Nancy had to face. Moreno moved the high powered light with great precision, and told us how to spot the animals: by their eyes. For reptiles, they had red eye reflections. Blue meant things like deer and jaguars, and I forget what green was. Anyway, he spotted something in a tree, and I could see it, halfway to the sky, with its reflective eyes. Francisco rammed the boat into the bank, causing it to hold its position, while Moreno jumped out (in sandals) and went through the jungle to find this snake. He finally got it on the ground and was bringing it back (while my dad almost jumped in the water, his fear was so high of that snake). Halfway to the boat he stepped on some thorns and fell backwards onto the ground, all the while making sure he didn’t lose his grip on the snake.

It was an Amazon Tree Boa, and he told us it was not poisonous. I touched it and Moreno proceeded to lock it up in a compartment on the boat, to take back to the hotel and show Max and Nancy. We then continued on our way, and spotted some Caymans by their eyes, but most were gone before we could get close. We spotted a tree frog or two, and a poisonous toad. There was a point where we spotted a couple of animals, and were unsure what they were, until it was determined that they were deer. We saw 2 of those, but not too clearly. Along the way we stopped the motor and listened to the night sounds and took it all in. It was pitch black and amazingly removed from everything, even though our hotel was only ½ a mile away or so.

After this we went Cayman hunting. Sans hunting. We finally found a baby one, 2 years old and about 18 inches long. Moreno grabbed it (again, Steve Irwin’s relative?) and told us a little bit about it. I had my picture taken with it and he brought it back so that Nancy and Max could have a good look as well.

After our return, we called it a night and realized that the night tour was by far one of the coolest things ever, as Moreno knew what he was doing and I am convinced he’s one of the few people I’ve met who genuinely has a deep passion for what he does. The world needs more people like him.

Day 7 – Jungle Othon Palace to Manaus

This morning marked our last at the Jungle Palace and we took the boat back to Manaus. It was good to see a familiar sight as we got off the boat and took our stuff into the hotel. Then we went as a group of about to downtown Manaus, so that we could catch a boat out to the meeting of the waters. This is where the Rio Negro and the Rio Salimoes (?) meet but do not mix. It technically does not form the Amazon River, as then it would only be about 1,000 miles long, when in actuality it is over 4,000 miles long. The waters don’t mix for 3 reasons: temperature differences, speed differences, and ionic compositions. It was cool to see, as one is brown and one is black and they run side by side. We even caught a few dolphins in the brown river (Salimoes) that were dark, so the contrast was great.

As the clouds gathered though and the sun went away, you couldn’t tell so easily which river was which, as they both had different surface textures but no color difference. Amazing what a difference the sun makes.

After this excursion my father, Moreno and I went to a very nice restaurant near downtown and had a very nice lunch. After this, we were dropped off at our hotel, and said goodbye to Moreno. For the afternoon we hit the beach once more, but the bees annoyed me and drove me away. We hung around and did some last minute shopping and packing, anticipating the flight home the next day. We made it an early night and I had spaghetti from the restaurant once more.

Day 8 – Manaus to Miami

The day was spent mostly at the airport and we left Manaus around 1 p.m. and got to Miami at about 6. On the plane ride, we flew over the northern part of South America, which I snapped a picture of. Eventually we flew over Cuba and I got a chance to look down to there too. We checked into the airport hotel once more, and Burger King never sounded so good. It was great to hear English from the customs agent, as Moreno and Prakash spoke it, but apart from that we didn’t run into one native English speaking person (as a first language) on the whole trip. It was far removed from everywhere else I’ve been, where at least you can converse with others, but it was only my father and I, and our guides at times. Even the heat in Miami was tolerable compared to our previous location. Thankfully we had rooms to ourselves (more for his sake than mine), and it had a nice king sized bed and I watched “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” and ate my greasy American food. It rocked.

Day 9 – Miami to Denver

The next morning was early as we checked into United at 5 a.m., and we were in Chicago’s airport several hours later. We arrived in Denver around 11:30 a.m. and it felt great to be home, knowing that the day before I had the opportunity to be in a place that few people get the chance to visit. I’m grateful that I had the opportunity, and it’s surreal to think that I was down there so recently.