Gene and Jan's Long Trip Too

During our second day in Manaus we chose to enjoy the remoteness of the region rather than visit the hustle and bustle of this city of 2 million people.  Only accessible by boat or air, the region is so isolated, the unique culture of the native Brazilian tribes has been largely preserved. We boarded small boats and headed for the remote backwaters of the river.  This being the dry season, the lush green shoreline will soon be under 20 feet of water when the rainy season arrives in December. We passed a village consisting of about 2-dozen homes.  During the rainy season their floors are just inches above the water line.  Most are fishermen and take their daily catch to the fish market in Manaus.  Many also hunt to provide meat for their family.  Children attend school  using "school boats" for transportation to the city. Nearby, three men loaded their boat with watermelons to sell at the city's farmers market.  Their 2-hour trip ...

Located 1,000 miles upriver from the Atlantic, Manaus with a population of more than 2 million, is the most populous city in the Amazon basin.  The city's growth resulted from its natural rubber production between 1900 and 1940.  During that era all rubber was produced from the sap of "rubber" trees native to the region.  Today, rubber is synthetically made from petroleum.  As we approached Manaus, the Rio Negro bridge came into view.  More than 2-miles long, it is the only bridge between here and the Atlantic Ocean 1,000 miles to the east.  Manaus is located on the Rio Negro just upriver from the point where it joins the Amazon.  Completed in 2011, the bridge connects Manaus to the small town of Iranduba (pop. 42,000).  With no connecting roads to either of  the two cities, it is either a political boondoggle or will open up the Amazon basin to rapid growth further endangering the rainforest. During the afternoon, Gene joined a t...