This is the boat we rode in for our tour. It was raining when we arrived in Santarem and so the blue tarp was down on the boat. We could not see anything so we had the tarp rolled up and I put on my rain gear so I could stay dry. But then it was much cooler and we could all see the wild life and the area where we were sailing.
The local people who live along this lake live a very basic lifestyle. There is no electricity and they eat what they catch. They really live off the land.
The houses are nothing like any of us are used to.
Another example of a typical house in the area. And of course, no indoor plumbing. When we were here in 2012, the entire area was flooded.
Along the way we spotted this hawk. I think it is a Savannah Hawk but not sure.
Another close up of the hawk.
And this is a sloth up in the tree. The sloth is one of three mammals that cannot jump. We learned this in trivia.
Once we arrived in an area where the Captain of the boat thought was a good area for fishing, they handed out fishing lines with a hook and a bit of liver for the people who wanted to fish, could try and catch something.
Bob gave it a try but could not catch anything. I did not ever try.
But Bruce, one of the passengers, did catch a catfish and a Piranha. This is the catfish. A little different from the catfish we are used to.
And the Piranha. It came off his hook and flopped around on the deck.
The Captain of the boat held the fish for everyone to get a close up look at it. Notice that the Captain has a hook stuck in the finger on his right hand. They asked if there was a Doctor on board so Bob went up to see if he could help. They did not have wire cutters on board so there was no way they could remove the hook so they left it in and the Captain then called himself, "Captain Hook".
A close up of the mouth of the Piranha. The teeth are very sharp.
On our way back, we spotted a Kingfisher. A very pretty bird.
And this man is fishing with a spear. Along the bank of the river they local men set up fishing nets and then come to the river to collect what they catch.
In 2012 this area was just being built. Some better houses for the local people.
And this is a super market boat that comes to the area several times a week for the local people.
This is what is called "The Blue Church". The design is typical of the churches in this part of Brazil.
And this is "The Red Church". Same design as the Blue Church.
These are local boats that take the people to other cites and towns along the Amazon River. The people get on the boat and hang a hammock for them to sit and sleep in. There are no cabins just a wide open space with hooks for the hammocks. The trips can last as long as a week. Some of the newer boats do have air conditioning and some cabins. But these are more expensive and most of the people use the area with the hammocks.
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