Parintins, Brazil
Nearly 700 miles up the Amazon River, we arrived at Perintins, a town of 80,000 residents. Without industry or agriculture, it serves as a waypoint for people as they journey up and down the river. Located on Tupinambarana, once a single island but currently split into four by the natural forces of the Amazon, this sleepy town is best known for its Boi Bumbá festival. Perintins is not a deep water port, so the Viking Sun anchored in the center of the river and we tendered ashore. This is the end of their dry season and the river is 9 feet lower than it will be in a few months. The rainforest typically receives 10 feet of rain annually. I t was Saturday morning and the local people were out in force to greet the arriving gringos. The English spoken here was quite limited, probably due to fewer American tourists visiting here than along the coast. Even at 10 AM, it was a sweltering day outside. Luckily our tour was to view a s...