Thursday April 24 Day 8

After breakfast we jumped into the boats and headed deep into the forests in search of wildlife.

Like Indiana Jones middle of nowhere in the Amazon jungle type stuff.

If our boat died, I have no idea how on earth we would ever find our way back to the River kind of stuff.

We saw a few different species of birds but were looking hard for monkeys.

We saw a troop of howler monkeys but by the time you see them they scurry deep into the trees where you cannot get photos/video of them.

Our first official stop was near some smallish Squirrel monkeys who came out of the forest to eat the bananas we brought with us. They climbed right onto the boat onto people’s shoulders and heads and were rewarded with the sweet fruit. 5 bananas and 15 monkeys later we headed to the next stop.

There used to be a huge Amazon lodge built 10

years ago by a very rich man from Manaus. After 5 years, some major fines from the government over improper pollution and a failure to pay his staff, it had now been abandoned for 5 years. Anything of value was confiscated by past employees and local area people and now the forest has taken over. Intricate Footbridges are either covered with leaves and rotting or have collapsed from downed trees in storms. Decomposition begins and moves quickly with much of the property barely recognizable.

More very large dark brown Howler monkeys. They literally howl like wolves and move so incredibly fast. The scout approaches us from the trees and we had to reverse quickly in case it was too brave.

We drove past many of the little homes on land - built on stilts but for many years people used to have all floating pontoon houses. Water levels rise and fall. Also good if you don’t like your neighbours. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G45uIolCIc8jvk6DO9MviDkcA6Gu7e52/view?usp=drive_link

We drove to a floating shack 100m off the shore and got off the boat. A gentleman and his bucket of fish took one at a time and fed them to the

Pink River Dolphins - we had about 5 of them that were 5-15 years old. Wild but they know where the free fish are on cruise ship mornings. They are ‘fishermen’s enemy’ as they rip nets to shreds trying to get fish.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wwmpCN9SIuc0dVpTzx6QYdlPHW5KPMz6/view?usp=drive_link

Back to the Ship for lunch and then a tour of the Captains Bridge.

Boat was built in 2005. Only for fresh water. 83m long. 16m wide. 2.5 m submerged. 12000lbs. Holds 250000 litres of water. 360 degree propeller. 2 engines. 2 propellers each. 2400HP total. 2 generators. 1800w each. 6 knots touring speed. 16 knots top speed.

Got introduced to the drivers/maintenance crew.

Then the Monsoon arrived.

Sheets of rain going sideways in the wind cleared the pool and sitting decks. Time to read/relax. Nope.

Back into the boats and off to the Rubber Plantation Museum. Thank goodness we had ponchos.

The clouds broke and we had a couple hours before the next deluge arrived.

The Museum was yet another rude awakening of the rich exploiting the poor of the world bringing people in the early 1900s to collect liquid rubber from the trees, make them into large beehive shapes and shipping them to America for the tire industry. Caught in a cycle of needing food and having everything written in ‘the book’ of what was owed, they never got ahead and most often died from Tuberculosis or injury from the work or attacks from some creature. Some interesting parts to the history though.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SpmTvEa5VcecYMZlo_qyQEQHU9t_BWN8/view?usp=drive_link 

A super huge highlight was the small female sloth who attached herself to our boat railing when we returned. We all got a chance to pet her and take photos/videos before we placed her back in a tree and headed back to the boat.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/12PoiHEBub2z2RShWVlZI0U-VZG4dRMJ4/view?usp=drive_link

Pool time/Drinks/board games and prepping for the formal Captains Dinner at 8pm. 12 oz Filet Mignon with all the fixings and amazing dessert followed by a live Amazonian Dance Show and a Karaoke AC/DC Dance Party led by an inebriated Canadian.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/19-U2uCLZne20Ri2bt024R05hJN2Wwj2X/view?usp=drive_link 

 Great finale to a wonderful Amazon adventure.