Uakari - Floating on the Amazon

Midday Tuesday (7/29/14)

I'm sitting on the porch of our lodge at Uakari, named after a rare monkey found only in this area. Uakari is the only spot that tourists can stay in all of Mamiraua (mom-EER-a-WAH), which was established in 1996 as the first sustainable development reserve in Brazil. Uakari sits on the curve of a U-bend on the Mamiraua Channel just before the junction of the Solimões and the Japura Rivers, tributaries to the Amazon.

We are in the middle of the world's largest floodplain, an area the size of England. Between the dry season and flood season the water level varies by 12 meters, and we are currently at high water. In fact, the lodge, five huts, and walkways between them are all floating. We are floating at the canopy level, and the only way to get around is by boat.

There are a dozen of us staying here, and we have breakfast at 6:30, then a morning activity (this morning we visited a local community), lunch and rest to avoid the heat until 3 or 3:30, and then we head out again, today by canoe into the canopy. Most nights there is a boat ride or talk with researchers after dinner.

Right now I can hear the disconcerting howl of the red howler monkey. I don't know how to describe it except that it sounds like an enormous, ominous monster (the croak of a giant frog?) straight out of Lord of the Rings. It seems far in the distance, there's an echo quality to it. One person thought it was the howling of a ferocious wind, but he realized the air was still when he walked outside his hut. When the howler monkeys quiet down, there are so many layers of bird and insect noises.

To get to Mamiraua you fly to Manaus, the big city of 2 million on the Amazon, then take a one-hour flight to Tefe, which has two flights in and out most days, and then take a speed boat another hour-and-a-half upriver. The lodge is designed for minimum impact, using solar power for lighting and water heating, rainwater collection, and a sewage filtration system. We're in the depths of the Amazon, and yet inside the lodge midday are half a dozen cell phones and cameras charging off the solar electricity, and here I am with wifi--I skyped with my dad today to show him around. :)

We're at the red star. 

There is no light pollution, and there has been no moonlight, so inside the hut it is pitch black, and outside stars produce the only light. In addition to the various creature sounds at night, the sound of the strong current weaves underneath the hut. Last night I was in a deep sleep in the dark night when a "tempest" came down upon us. I woke with a terrible panic with the storm. I gasped and clawed around under my mosquito net trying to bring myself back to reality, but between the current below and the deluge everywhere else, it was hard to find a center to escape to. The flashes of lightning just made me feel like a small ship in a giant storm. But my hut was still secure come sunrise, and apparently I was not alone in my dead-of-night reaction to the storm. We all now feel a bit seasoned and maybe ready for the next dead-of-night tempest.

A gray dolphin is now surfacing out in front of us on the porch. One of my companions has been teasing that I should easily be able to swim to the canopy across from the lodge. We're not allowed to swim mostly because of piranhas and caimans, but Dieter claims that fleeing a crocodile will improve my swim times. I think I might not only swim faster but possibly even manage human flight should I face a caiman at eye level.

A few neighbors to the back

Last night was the smallest sliver of a new moon. I didn't know this, but I'm told a new moon is good for a wish.

Salvador: Poodles, gods, and wishes

Salvador is a coastal city in the state of Bahia (ba-EE-a), Brazil's Afro-centered area.  The area was settled by Portugal, prospering more quickly than the colonies in North America, and it reaped its early wealth through sugar cane. As their plantations grew, the Portuguese planters jumped into the slave trade; almost five million African slaves were taken to Brazil by the mid-19th century. Today, 80% of Salvador's two million residents are of Afro-Brazilian descent, and this is reflected in the food, music, religion, and faces of Salvador. More than a million people head to the streets of Salvador for Carnaval each year.In Salvador I felt quite privileged. Mariana's father-in-law, Fabricio Sr., picked me up from the airport (we drove through a beautiful, dense tunnel of bamboo that arched from both sides and connected at a soft point like the walls of a small cathedral), and I had my own room and bathroom in his two-story penthouse that had a spiral staircase, a rooftop pool, and a view of the ocean. Among the best parts: there are no screens on the windows, and no bugs. Fabricio headed out after dropping me at his home, and my interest in walking to the beach drew an interesting response from Iris (EE-deesh), his housekeeper and cook, and Carol, Iris's 18-year-old daughter. They were concerned that it was threatening rain, and they didn't seem to be persuaded by my rain jacket or my lack of concern about getting wet. What was more perplexing to me was their worry that I really couldn't find my way to the beach, and if I did, that I would be lucky if I found my way back. (Below is a photo of the view from the penthouse, to give you a sense of what I was taking on.) I finally convinced them that I could do it. (Which I did, but became hyper-focused on my location, thinking maybe it was somehow harder than it looked!) Night was setting in, the clouds were low and ominous, and the waves were rough--starting to break probably 500 meters off-shore. The beach was empty save for a few stalwart fishermen, the tropical water was warm, and it was beautiful.
My first full day in Salvador Fabricio put his driver, Luis, at my disposal, and we mostly walked through the more historic part of Salvador, including Pelourinho, a plaza where I got to see capoeira - the Brazilian mix of martial art and dance - and Mercato Modelo, a giant market of Brazilian souvenirs. I was sad to miss hearing the famous drumming group, Olodum, whose public practices are on Sunday afternoons.Pelourinho - named for the whipping post that used to reside here during times of slaveryCapoeiraAll sorts of things are available at the Mercato ModeloThe next day I took a day without my camera and embarked on a three-mile roundtrip visit to a swimming beach. I didn't end up going in very far at all, the waves were still quite rough and the beach steep.In Fabricio's home I was able to try much of the local cuisine, made by Iris. One night we sat in the glassed-in rooftop room as we poked away at a variety of dishes typical of Salvador, foods that the people of Afro-Brazilian descent created from what they could harvest - mashed-up beans, coconuts, and yellow oil (a thick, strongly flavored palm oil) - and leftovers from the higher socioeconomic classes. Fabricio also made me a delicious capirinha, Brazil's national cocktail made from lime, sugar or honey, and cachaça (sugar cane hard liquor, Brazil's most commonly distilled alcohol). 
In Fabricio's home I also was treated to frequent attention from his delightful poodles: Doly, 16, in red; Doly's daughter July (pronounced "Julie" with a soft j), 12, in blue; and the sprite Toby, 4. 
A quick browse of Trip Advisor's top 20 cultural attractions in Salvador yields 11 churches and four forts. Luis, Carol, and Iris took me to Salvador's most famous church, the Church of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim, which is reputed to grant miracles. The gates are covered in colorful fitas, ribbons that people tie onto the bars for good luck. (A fita also grants luck if you tie it to your wrist with three knots.) The church includes a Room of Miracles that houses valuable objects that people have given in thanks for their granted miracles, and an odd assortment of hands, arms, and legs (made of wood, plastic, and even gold) hang with a bit of macabre from the ceiling. Bonfim is important to the Candomblé religion, the roots of which are in Salvador, but it is practiced throughout Brazil. Slaves brought from West Africa believed in a number of gods and goddesses (Orixás) who hold natural forces such as fire, storm, ocean, and wind and who have their own rituals, colors, habits, and days of the week that they are worshipped. Candomblé was prohibited in Catholic Brazil, and slaves were forced to convert to Catholicism (though of course they weren't allowed inside churches). Slaves began to recognize characteristics of their Orixás in some of the Catholic saints. They began to translate each of their gods into a similar saint, and in this way they were able to continue their native worship under the guise of Catholicism. In the process, however, the religion morphed and became uniquely Brazilian. Oxalá, the Orixá creator and supreme ruler, became the Senhor do Bonfim, which is honored by the church mentioned above.Me tying my own wishMy last night in Salvador I watched the last 15 minutes of a boys' handball game - interesting sport, not quite what I expected. Sort of a cross between basketball (you carry and bounce and throw the ball) and soccer (there's a soccer-like net and guard) - it includes interesting leaps and winding arms. We then headed out for Chinese food, and as one might expect, it was different from American Chinese. I was served a large eggroll-looking item filled with cheese! I've also been treated to bits of dubbed and subtitled television. Ironically I couldn't understand the ending of a Keanu Reeves movie featuring American football because it was dubbed, but this morning we were all able to laugh at Two-and-a-Half Men and Big Bang Theory together because they had Portuguese subtitles. Save tomorrow morning in Manaus, I can say I have survived the muggers, police, and traffic of Brazil, and now I'm off to what might be the country's safer bet: the Amazon. Watch me emerge unscathed and get bit by a rabid squirrel in Manaus. 

The capitol city that was built in three years

I didn't intend to be writing about Brasilia because I didn't expect to see the city, but here I am! I decided to take advantage of a long layover in the city, which was built in an amazing three short years, succeeding Rio as Brazil's capitol in 1960.

Fabricio Sr. connected me with Wesley, a driver who could show me around. Wesley was fantastic and took me to the center of the city, a stunning area that included the library, the (Catholic) metropolitan Cathedral, the buildings representing all of Brazil's states, and the buildings of all the branches of government. I also saw the house of the president, and we drove over a beautiful bridge. Rather than try to describe the somewhat unique structures, I'm including photos. What I may not have captured is the spaciousness of the area. 

The Congress

The house of the president

A guard, the symbol of freedom and democracy (yes, he's real)

The cathedral was deceptive--it looked small from the outside, but the majority of the space was underground. 

Wesley showed me how the sound travels perfectly along a curved wall from a distance. I could hear him perfectly, even though you can barely see him in the photo.

There were a number of memorials, a flame to represent liberty, and a 100-meter high flagpole and enormous flag - apparently the combination of size and height wins a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

The JK Bridge

Wesley didn't speak English, and alas, I still don't speak Portuguese, but his decent (and patient) Spanish helped significantly. Of course I've gotten to the point where my word retrieval in English is even more abysmal than usual, since my brain's working so hard to understand Portuguese. But we even managed to talk about how fondue would be appropriate in the abnormally cold weather! 

My view of the sunset while waiting for Wesley - the car ran out of gas on the highway. 

And now on to Manaus!

Serendipity... how I ended up in Brazil

A lot of people have been asking how I ended up in Brazil since the trip fell into place so fast. If you're interested, I wrote up the story. 

It all started one late, sunny, Thursday afternoon in mid-June as I had a happy hour glass of wine and an arugula salad while working on the patio of The Empire in Louisville. Just inside sat a woman, also on her own, close enough for me to touch since there was no window. I ordered a second glass of wine and beignets, and if you've had the beignets at The Empire, you know you're feeling guilty about eating them as soon as your eyes glance at the word on the menu. I offered one to the woman, Tiina, who was finishing up a week-long aerial yoga workshop in Louisville. Tiina is Finnish and lives in Louisiana. We began to talk and chatted for well over an hour. She was on-foot and toward the end of her stay, and she hadn't been able to get to the mountains or into Boulder as she'd hoped. So we made plans to head out for a hike on Sunday.

When I picked Tiina up, she asked if she could bring a woman she'd met at the workshop. We picked up Mariana, who lives in São Paulo, took a hike up to the Flatirons at Chautauqua, and spent an hour on Pearl Street. Tiina was trying on a shirt in Athleta, and Mariana suggested I visit Brazil and offered me a place to stay. I looked her in the eye, realized she was serious, and said, "How about next month?" She said that would be swell. :)

Aside from being invited, more reasons why I booked a ticket to Brazil:

1. I had really wanted to travel this summer, but didn't feel like doing a trip completely on my own.

2. I happened to have 6 years left on a visa to Brazil that I'd only used for two days.

3. I believe that when serendipity offers itself up, you take a quick look both ways and then jump right in.

Mariana not only offered me a bed, but she arranged my transportation to and from the airport, set me up with a friend to stay with in Rio, and set me up with a bed at her father-in-law's in Salvador, where I am now. Her friends on Facebook helped me find a good place to visit on the Amazon. And she and her family took me hiking for two days in stunning, waterfall-filled forests in an area a couple of hours from São Paulo, outside a sweet town called San Francisco Xavier. As we hiked we realized how really lucky it was that we crossed paths, because Tiina, while very fun, was an unlikely match for either me or Mariana.

Mariana is now a dear friend, and I'm now in (and in love with) Brazil.

Some photos...

Santiago (7), me, Mariana, and Caetano (10) at the Santa Barbara falls near San Francisco Xavier.

You should see the yoga poses this woman can do! Worthy of a magazine cover.

Mariana, Fabricio, Caetano, and tired siblings Tatyana and Santiago

Scenes of all sorts from Rio...

I walked and bused and metroed and cabbed my way around Rio, and I've added the city to my list of favorites in the world. 

The geography in Rio is stunning, and I was so lucky to have a birds-eye view from the plane flying in. The lovely coastline includes bays and curves, and small mountains are sprinkled throughout the area, with more of a mountain range in the distance. The city - a beautiful city - fills in the rest of the land. The sidewalks are very wide, accommodating vendors, lots of people, and large old trees. Batteries, piggy banks, cactuses, coconuts with straws ready, bohemian clothing and jewelry--you'll find it all on the street. The storefronts are narrow, the dentist waiting area has just a few seats behind the glass facade, the small supermarket checkouts bump up to the sidewalk. 

The Cristo (Christ) in Rio is visible from just about anywhere, and at night it is brightly lit. 

Pao Acucar, the Sugar Loaf, is a spire on the coast, and a pair of cable cars will get you to the top. To me, the view rivaled the 360-degree view I once got in the snowy Swiss Alps. 

I visited the Parque Lage and the Jardim Botanico, which is among the largest botanic gardens I've seen. I can't get over the immensity of the trees. 

Parque Lage

Jardim Botanico

Me with a kapok tree

Plazas have old, immense, happy trees. Sometimes their trunks and roots reach far beyond their original brick boundaries. People sit everywhere, particularly around fountains. Half a dozen large flower and plant stalls can be found in one plaza, and news stands are on every corner. There are a number of square concrete tables and seats under the trees where men play poker, chess, etc. while others look on. 

At the plazas there is typically a small area with exercise equipment, and these stations are prevalent in Brazil. The equipment is new and colorful--green, yellow, and blue--installed with the elderly in mind but used by all ages. I saw one small, older woman with a purse slung over her shoulder pause at one piece of equipment, sort of like a large steering wheel. She grabbed the wheel and turned it; I think it must have been a bit for strength and a bit for flexibility. These little exercise spots are also near the beach.

The beaches! I honestly was disappointed that almost-non-existent bikinis were not in the abundance that I'd expected, but they could be found on anyone, no matter the size or age or level of cellulite or sagginess. Tan lines don't really exist on the beach, unless you're a tourist.

I did spend a few hours people-watching, wave-watching, and sipping coconut water straight from the source on the famous Copacabana beach. (I'm so sorry if Barry Manilow now settles in your head. Imagine my pain at hearing the word "Copacabana" countless times and seeing it on the map for three straight days.) Don't forget that this is "winter" in Rio!

If people on the beach aren't sunning, they're exercising. Many people, mostly men, are running, always barefoot and usually in a speedo. Calisthenics, volleyball, a trainer barking out exercises. Brazilian men work hard to earn their (much deserved) reputation!

Most prevalent on the beach is soccer, and tricks with soccer balls. I watched three men bump a soccer ball around for more than an hour with their feet, their heads, their knees, and their chests. One round must have kept the ball airborn with at least 50 hits before it touched the ground. Amazing. When it fell the ball would roll down into the water, but the water pushed it back as the final bits of wave and foam crawled up the sand. But the guys did finally lose it. They searched for a while before they gave it up to the sea. I wondered how many soccer balls (often green, yellow, and blue) are bobbing around off the coast of Brazil. More on soccer later...

Random bits... I got to see at least three types of monkeys hanging around the flora of Rio. Papayas grow more than a foot long, and avocados easily measure a foot as well. Lots of police, guards, and soldiers with guns and semi-automatic weapons (even guns at places like the botanic gardens). A new friend suggested that you're safer with muggers than you are with the police. One woman approached me and asked in Portuguese where I get my hair colored. Strangers speak frequently to each other walking down the street or even rolling down a window, commenting or asking questions. I am told that the city is pouring lots of money into the seedier parts of town in anticipation of the upcoming Olympics.

Samba bars are alive at night, and I got to hear a live samba band while getting a crash samba course from a waitress. In the plaza late at night you can find people smoking and drinking beer, friends kissing cheeks, and police on the fringes (drinking alcohol is allowed, but because of complaints from nearby residents, the selling of it is no longer legal; whispers of Heineken can lead to an illicit seller). 

And such friendly people. My new friends Marcia and Ju were so gracious and helpful. They were so patient, though I speak almost no Portuguese and they speak limited English. Marcia settled me into her bedroom and then dashed to her cell phone to translate "My home is your home." And we once got a good laugh when instead of asking if I wanted to take a shower, as she intended, she asked if I wanted to wash the dishes. Their sweet dog, Hoff, is both anxious and jealous. In my three days in his home I could never predict whether I would hear him racing into my room with a growl and a (gentle) bite or sauntering in with a wag for a scratch behind the ears.

Ju, Hoff, and Marcia

A few photos from Brazil...

Some photos from my trip with Mariana and her family near San Francisco Xavier...

I have no idea how many waterfalls we saw, but they were stunning.

Me with Mariana

In an Atlantic forest

Is it Shannon... or is it Jane?

And the beginning of the Rio chapter...

Flying into Rio

On the Escadaria do Selaron in Rio