Amazon Life

[amazondk]

Since many of you expressed your interest in life in my part of the world and my scenes of everday life I decided to do another thread.  I am driving back and forth from Manaus to Boa Vista now and spending more time on the road than at home lately.  The 775 km trip takes me from the end of the equatorial winter season in Manaus to the start of the Equatorial winter season in Roraima.  It is interesting what a simple trip across the Equator does to the seasons.  I have been out on the road for a week now.  My little lady Raquel came north with me last Monday and went back to Manaus on Saturday.  I will probably be home by Thursday some time.  We first came up to Boa Vista and then on Thursday went 300 kms south to Rorainopolis and then I came back up to Boa Vista today.

There are few palms in the pictures, but as I move forward there will be more.

Here are a few of the scenes from the trip.

Road side stop - Iracema 100 kms south of Boa Vista. The highway BR 174 is the pipeline for goods moving from Manaus and southern Brazil.  Since there is no road to Manaus goods come by barge or plane to Manaus then trucked to Boa Vista.

Road side pit stop bar and restaurant.  They had good home made snacks.  Normally if you stop where truckers eat you are ok.

The Iracema Inn - one thing for certain you can't miss the place with the paint job.  There is a nice Attalea behind the hotel.

[amazondk]

Last Friday we were at Colina which is near Rorainopolis, 300 kms from Boa vista south on BR 174.  We stopped at the local truck stop to get some cold mineral water and took advantage of a photo session with the local kids hanging out watching TV in the open restaurant.  The loved to have their pictures taken.  Now we have to get some copies printed to give them next trip.  We have a few suppliers there and it is become a frequent stop.  Colina is a little backwater town in Northern Amazonia - not much happens there.  But, life goes on.

The do have ice cream though.

Public works

The travel team

DK and Raquelzinha

I think this little fellow thinks he will be a model someday.

[amazondk]

More of the photo op.

This girl takes care of the snack bar.  I think the little one is her brother.

Raquel and the local kids.

[amazondk]

On a more natural note.

The ever present Buriti, Mauritia flexuosa in the backgound.  My main ranch hand in the foreground.

The Jauaperi River taken under the bridge of BR 174

I couldn't resist these pictures.  Raquel was raised in the forest as a young girl and fits in naturally.  She knows more about the forest it's trees, animals and other things than I do.  One of her favorite pastimes as a kid was to hunt for turtle eggs on the beaches.  This is not legal today, but in the interior everyone eats turtle eggs and there are still a lot of turtles around.

[osideterry]

I love it! The colors, the people, the river... Please say you have more coming.

[amazondk]

Thanks Terry I have a few more on the way.

dk

[amazondk]

On Sunday I went over to a supplier of ours ranch for a BBQ.  Roque is former executive from big city Brazil that bought a 10,000 hectare ranch some 5 years ago.  He has a small sawmill that he uses for producing wood from a forest management project on his land and raises around 600 head of cattle on the 600 hectares of pasture he has.  His wife has been collecting orchids brought in with the logs and they have a good collection around the house.  Since I was alone and his wife is in Manaus at the moment it was a bachelor BBQ.  I should have taken a picture of him, but after a few beers I sort of forgot to.  He has had a problem with a pesky jaguar lately that has been eating his calves, 19 of them at last count.

The ranch house.

[amazondk]

I did get a picture of his dog though.

Orhids

[amazondk]

More orchids.

[Zac in NC]

Wow, the orchids. Amazing as always Don.

Zac

[ruskinPalms]

Don, thanks for the tour as always. Really interesting tour interior Brazil. Please keep the tours coming.

[paulgila]

this is super-interesting,like a book i can't put down!

the people,the houses,the river & of course the palms!

don't forget the food--i'm very hungry,er,i mean interested in the foods of other cultures

[amazondk]

Thanks everyone.  I put the people shots in as I think that they give the best picture of what life is like in a place.  Then there is what the people do with the plants and the landscape.  I will work on some food pictures as well.

Here is a night shot, it came out a bit grainy, of a spot by the Branco River in Boa Vista.  This is an area made on a raised pier type structure with multiple small restaurants serving everthing from pasta, pizza, beef to sushi.  There is live music played nightly.  Since it is normally nice in the evening around here it is a good place to spend time while on the road.

There is an area in town called Praça das Aguas which has a few restaurants which get a lot of movement in the evening.  This is part of a park complex that the city of Boa Vista  created.  This is a Brazilian fast food chain Bobs, they do have cold draft beer as well.  

[SubTropicRay]

Hi Don,

These photos capture the local color, both literally and figuratively, in a wonderfully way.  Thanks for posting and keep them coming.

Ray

[amazondk]

Thans Ray, we have to plan the fishing trip.

Roque the rancher with the orchids asked me an interesting question while we were talking.  I met him for the first time on Friday at his sawmill.  He has never been to the USA but his impression of life there is that it would not be too likely to meet someone on Friday and invite them to your home on Sunday for a BBQ.  I believe that this is much more likely to happen here than in the States, but not that it doesn't there.  I do think that people around here make more time for people than in many areas of the States.  I come from a part of the USA, Montana that is quite hospitable and open to people and I could see that happening there.  I guess it depends on the circumstances.  One of the great traits of people around here is how open they are to people from elswhere.  When I was looking for forest land on another project we would take off in a small boat not knowing where we would sleep.  We would always end up somewhere with a roof over our head by the river in the middle of nowhere.  The people would always find a place for us to sleep and be very happy to do so.  Of course we brought along food and cold beer, the later always went over well as those folks had no refrigeration.

When you come fishing I will show this personally.

dk

[amazondk]

Paul,  

As per your request here was my lunch today at the Trevo Churrascaria in Boa Vista.  If  any one has been to a Brazilian steak house the food will be familiar.

I always like to eat a bit of salad lettuce, tomatoes, palm hearts, cucumbers, some potato salad and along  with Feijão Tropeiro (a mixture of red beans, manioc meal (farinha de mandioca), collard greens, and bit of bacon).

Nothing too exotic, but real good to eat, that is if you like beef.

Then comes the meat sliced off the spit at the table.   Brazilian beef is roasted with rock salt as the only seasoning.

File mignon

Beef ribs

And, last but not least Picanha a cut from the rump which is one of the top cuts in Brazil.

[Zac in NC]

Cool. Thanks again for sharing, Don.

Zac

[amazondk]

Here are some shots of Amazon Life from today in Boa Vista.  I got done with business early today and went on a little photo adventure.  Since I don't have many palms on this thread yet I put a few in here.  As well as some shot of the Branco River.  The city's name, Boa Vista (Good View) is very fitting as it is in a beautiful location with open savanna land surrounded by mountains.

One of the main boulevards in town with a nice planting of royal palms.

An old church.  Small but nice.

A restoration of a church in the Historical District

An arts center in the Historical district on the Rio Branco river front.

[amazondk]

The first night picture above is from the Rio Branco Riverfront Area.  The following pictures are shots during the day of the same place.  The movement is at night, but the daytime view is great.

Heleconias at the entry looking out at the Rio Branco.

Looking across the Rio Branco from the upper food court.  The winter sky and clouds are beautiful.

Looking down the Rio Branco at the bridge to Guyana from the upper food court.  A few people are out fishing for cat fish in the river.  Not a bad way to spend the afternoon.

[Zac in NC]

(amazondk @ Apr. 17 2007,20:21)

QUOTE

Looking down the Rio Branco at the bridge to Guyana from the upper food court.  A few people are out fishing for cat fish in the river.  Not a bad way to spend the afternoon.

Okay, what's that hill? I wasn't expecting to see that body of land above the horizon.

Zac

[amazondk]

I feel fortunate to spend my time in a place of such beauty.  After looking at the pictures on the last post I felt that strongly.  The sky here just overwhelms one.  Add the river and the mountains and what can I say.  And, there is nothing like the crisp equatorial light.  

Looking down the ramp from the upper food court to the lower food court.  The water at the highest point gets up to the level of the lower food court.

Looking back at the upper food court.

[amazondk]

(Zac in NC @ Apr. 17 2007,20:32)

QUOTE

(amazondk @ Apr. 17 2007,20:21)

QUOTE

Looking down the Rio Branco at the bridge to Guyana from the upper food court.  A few people are out fishing for cat fish in the river.  Not a bad way to spend the afternoon.

Okay, what's that hill? I wasn't expecting to see that body of land above the horizon.

Zac

Zac,

It is really a bit more than a hill.  It is a mountain range called Serra Grande.  There are a lot of mountains in Roraima.  In fact some of the highest points in Brazil are in Roraima and northern Amazonas.  The Serra Grande is a main landscape feature of Boa Vista.

dk

[Zac in NC]

Ok Don. Thanks. I didn't know if you would consider that a mountain or not, especially since the Appalachians aren't really considered mountains to some Western US people.

Zac

[amazondk]

Zac,

I always figured that the Appalachians were moutains.  Even though I was raised in the Rockies.  I always figured what they have in Wisconsin are hills.

dk

[amazondk]

Looking down at the lower food court - Orla do Rio Branco.

Looking up the Rio Branco.

The fish restaurant at the river front district with a few Bactris gasipes planted in front.

[amazondk]

The last shot of the Orla.  Some nice heleconias at the lower food court entrance.

Some other shots around town.

Glass and palms

I liked this vegetation covered house.

Some nice P. pacifica in the commerce district of town.

[osideterry]

You have a natural feel for composition. Your subject matter is compelling because you give it to us so eloquently. Thanks again.

[amazondk]

Terry,

I used to take a lot of pictures and then pretty much stopped for a while.  It is great to capture moments of life and frame it in the best way you can.  I am glad you enjoy the pictures.  I have a few more.  And, I still have the trip home to Manaus.  I feel very fortunate to be able to do what I want where I like to be.  What else can you really ask for.  But, that does not mean that it not work to make that happen.  To get a business moving here in Brazil is quite an adventure in itself.

dk

[amazondk]

I went to Mucajai today, 80 kms on the road back to Manaus to meet with our business partner.  On the way back the first thing I ran into was a road kill of a local mammal I I not sure of the identity.  Maybe someone can identify it.  At first I thought it was an ant eater, but it does not fit the profile.

Then I went by a swampy area with cows, horses, and the Tuiuiu (Mycteria americana), the birds were singing and it was quite a nice sight.

Here is a shot of Serra Grande the moutains that overlook Boa Vista.  The rains have started so the birds are back and the lowlands are filling up with water.

[Mike4284m]

(amazondk @ Apr. 17 2007,22:38)

QUOTE

I went to Mucajai today, 80 kms on the road back to Manaus to meet with our business partner.  On the way back the first thing I ran into was a road kill of a local mammal I I not sure of the identity.  Maybe someone can identify it.  At first I thought it was an ant eater, but it does not fit the profile.

I think you're right.  It looks like a Southern tamandua, Tamandua tetradactyla.  One of only a couple species of anteater with a prehensile tail.

[Zac in NC]

Yeah its a Tamandua. Don- Yeah, I consider them mountains. I really love the flora there. Its my first real love, as far as plants go. Its very rich for its location. I haven't been to too many tropical forests yet, so its all I have.

Zac

[Kris]

Dear Don  

you are terrefic ! and the location,people and landscape are all

simply fentastic.i must say it eyefull.

and iam not hungry for the day ! so full iam after the tour.

but feel very sorry to see the ant-eater run over.

don thanks man,

love,

Kris  

[NCpalmqueen]

Don

This is a wonderful picture show.  Please post more!  Also, can you pinpoint on a map exactly where these photos are from...I have no idea!!   You are right about the sky...it is mesmorizing.  

Thanks!

[JakeK]

DK,

Thanks for posting this photo essay. I like these virtual tours a lot. Yours really shows that regardless of where you live, people enjoy the same things and life in Amazonia really is quite similar to life here on many levels.

[amazondk]

Jake,

I think on an individual level life is pretty similar most anywhere.  Of course there are big cutural differences around the world and the environment you live in could much different.  Brazil being a continental country with a far strung population has it's own characteristics.  Although there are some pretty big differences between people from one region of the country to another they all are held together by a common culture which has many things in common with the USA and Europe.  Pretty much anywhere, no matter how remote people watch the same TV shows and root for the same football teams.  Even in out of the way places like Rorainopolis the people are quite aware of what is going on in the world, maybe sometimes more so than small town Americans.  The kids hang out in the Cyber cafe and play on line games, do MSN messenger and Orkult relationahips, etc.  One thing that we have a lot of around here is wilderness (the tropical variiety).  Even though we are surronded by it it is surprising how few people actually get out in it.  Personally I have as good a lifestyle as I had in the States, and aside from a few things like sunflower seeds, tostito chips and salsa, I don't really lack much.

dk

[amazondk]

(NCpalmqueen @ Apr. 18 2007,21:16)

QUOTE

Don

This is a wonderful picture show.  Please post more!  Also, can you pinpoint on a map exactly where these photos are from...I have no idea!!   You are right about the sky...it is mesmorizing.  

Thanks!

I mapped out the trip on the google image below.  I got home yesterday after a 5 hour drive from Rorainopolis to Manaus.  The sky was great for much of the trip.  The dark blue equatorial sky and the billowing clouds helped pass the time on the road.  I think you can get a pretty good idea of where I was from the image.  I still have a few more interesting shots to post from the end of the trip.

dk

[aussiearoids]

Don , fantastic pics mate , really enjoying them .

thanks a lot ..WOW your smack bang in the middle of the Amazon .. I did not realize how big Brazil really is !!

[amazondk]

Michael,

I am glad you enjoy them, I have another set to post soon on this thread.  Brazil is a very big place, and Amazonia is 60 percent of the country.  And, I am as you say right in the middle of it.  And, I enjoy being here, it is a great place.

Thanks for your input.

dk

[amazondk]

Here is what I had for lunch on Wednesday on the way back from Boa Vista to Rorainopolis.  The restaurant is in Iracema, the same place as the truck stop in the begining of the thread.  I had roasted pork, rice and beans, a pretty typical meal.

The restaurant is also a butcher shop.  So, the meat is quite fresh.

The dish after being served.

[amazondk]

Here I stopped at the Equator and had foot in each hemisphere.

The Equator monument, unfortunately not too well maintained.