Santarém, Brazil
During the past two days we have traveled nearly 500 miles up the Amazon River to the port city of Santarém which has a population of 300,000. Along the way we passed endless miles of tropical rainforest. Founded in 1661, Santarém lies at the confluence of the Tapajós and Amazon Rivers.
In the center of Old Town is its oldest building, Santarém Cathedral, Church of Our Lady of Conception. According to our guide, the church was built on the burial ground of the Tupulicus Indian settlement. This was a strategic decision by the Jesuits to "draw" the Indians to the church when they visited their deceased ancestors. It decision resulted in the conversion of the Indians to Catholicism.
Periodically we passed the home of fishermen (always) built on stilts. November is the end of the dry season and the river level is low. During the rainy season, the water level increases about nine feet and will reach the floor of the structure.
Wild life was abundant. Here a great egret surveys the river looking for a snack.
Nearby we spotted an iguana.
Finally we reached the lake. Our boat pulled up near the shore and the crew baited the fishing hooks with meat. The pressure was on to catch a "big" piranha.
About 1/4 of our boat caught a piranha, This is what they look like. The teeth can be dangerous.
Returning back to Santarém we passed a solo fisherman. He was after larger, tastier fish than piranha. If his catch is good, it is taken directly to the fish market in town. A not so good catch provides supper for his family.
Cattle is one of the region's big products. Along the shoreline we passed a herd of water buffalo.
Because of poor roads, its people rely heavily on the river waterways for transport. Small craft, fishing boats and ferries are everywhere. Produce, fuel, supplies and equipment not produced locally arrive by boat at the municipal docks.
In the center of Old Town is its oldest building, Santarém Cathedral, Church of Our Lady of Conception. According to our guide, the church was built on the burial ground of the Tupulicus Indian settlement. This was a strategic decision by the Jesuits to "draw" the Indians to the church when they visited their deceased ancestors. It decision resulted in the conversion of the Indians to Catholicism.
Our tour for the day was a river cruise to Maica Lake where we fished for piranha, On the way we crossed the "meeting of the waters" where the Tapajós and Amazon Rivers converge. In the photo above, (no, that isn't the boat we were in) note the Amazon water is brown while the Tapajós water is blue. This "divide" lasts several miles before the waters fully mixes. The divide is caused because of temperature and ph (acidic) differences between the two rivers.
Periodically we passed the home of fishermen (always) built on stilts. November is the end of the dry season and the river level is low. During the rainy season, the water level increases about nine feet and will reach the floor of the structure.
Wild life was abundant. Here a great egret surveys the river looking for a snack.
A three-toed sloth was hanging precariously near the top of a tree.
Nearby we spotted an iguana.
Finally we reached the lake. Our boat pulled up near the shore and the crew baited the fishing hooks with meat. The pressure was on to catch a "big" piranha.
Success! Eileen from Illinois makes the first catch. "Will someone help me get this thing off my hook?"
Not to be outdone, Jan intensified her effort, "Darned, they keep stealing my bait!"
About 1/4 of our boat caught a piranha, This is what they look like. The teeth can be dangerous.
Returning back to Santarém we passed a solo fisherman. He was after larger, tastier fish than piranha. If his catch is good, it is taken directly to the fish market in town. A not so good catch provides supper for his family.
Cattle is one of the region's big products. Along the shoreline we passed a herd of water buffalo.
At the city dock was a large Cargill soybean loading terminal. Soybeans are grown on large plantations and brought here for transport to China. Since the terminal was built in 2006, it has created a major controversy over whether it has accelerated the burning of the rainforest in order to provide more land for farming.
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