Alter Do Chao is a holiday resort on the Amazon. It floods to form a large lagoon with sandy shores. Families come to enjoy a ‘beach’ holiday. The water is fresh water and very warm. Extremely pleasant to swim in.I was more taken with the incredible wildlife of the flooded lagoon.
Today’s Music to keep me IIiiNnnnnSSssAaaaNNnnnEee – Roy Harper – The Tallest Tree – Chico Mendes!
Chico Mendes – one of the real heroes. Roy wrote this song in his honour.
Francisco Alves Mendes Filho,[1] better known as Chico Mendes (December 15, 1944 – December 22, 1988), was a Brazilian rubber tapper, trade union leader and environmentalist. He fought to preserve the Amazon rainforest, and advocated for the human rights of Brazilian peasants and indigenous peoples. He was assassinated by a rancher on December 22, 1988.
The Tallest Tree
The earth is possessed
By the curse of the west
Who devour
Newpaper furniture
Paparazzia by the hour
But a man with a vision
Believed
That tomorrow’s begun
And has to be won
And nobody here is reprieved
O Chico, Chico Mendes
The man in a million
Stood in the way
Stood his ground
For the earth
For the coming of day
The chorus of dawn
On the perch of each morning
Receives
A forest of tears
As the joy reappears
On their leaves
And believes
Sings his name
And the tallest tree
Forever stands
Beyond the flame(s)
North south east and west
We can all reach the rest
Every day
Now is the change
To set out together
For a beautiful day
Whoever saw it
A different way
Was a man in a nightmare
Too numb to the future
Of brilliant possibles
Ever to share
The same air
As the men in the clay
O Chico, Chico Mendes
There are men who are more that just men
Santarem – into the tributaries
We set off down a small tributary of the Amazon, a circular waterway. Every now and then we’d stop to look at something special. There were lots of special things – sloths in the trees, pink river dolphins, iguanas and people!
Brazil – Santarem – With Vultures circling.
It was dawn when we slid into the port of Santarem – a city in the jungle! It seemed to sprawl out along the bank of the Amazon with lots of bustle on the wayter.
Above us great vultures circled ominously.
Back to Boca De Valeria – farewell
We walked back into the village. The villagers were trying to extract money out of the tourists by posing for photos with exotic animals and costumes. Even back on the boat they were coming out ion canoes bringing sloths.
The Amazon – Boca De Valeria – into the hinterland.
We walked out of the village heading for the river and further into the interior. I was here to see the rainforest more than anything else. The tourist stuff was fascinating in its own way but a bit tacky.
Brazil, Santarem – rainforest and sunset.
It was fabulous for me, a person who loves nature, to be among such an incredible fertile place. Nature teemed all around me – just like it should!
At the end of the day we had another sunset over the Amazon. Amazing.
Brazil – Walking through a fishing village on the Amazon.
We walked up the trail to a smaller village on the tributary. There were murals on the walls of some of the stilted huts. Some huts were gaily painted. We found a sloth up a tree.
The Amazon – Boca De Valeria – Another dose – the locals, pantomime, reality and animals.
We walked back through the village, getting a second dose of the tourist pantomime. I talked to a few of the people. They were friendly and very open. Language was a problem but they explained that they could make more in a day doing this than a week selling crops in the market, logging or fishing. Who could blame them?
Despite everything it was incredibly interesting. We were an attraction for the kids. We were as much a pantomime to them as they were to us.
Boca De Valeria – the church, stilted houses and village.
We walked around the village. Everything was on stilts. In the rainy season the water rises. It’s very fertile and uncontrolled. – Until Bolsonaro sells it off!
We were a cash cow. Our arrival was like a carnival. There were stalls set up selling rubbish (no local crafts – all mass produced tat). There were boat trips to see the lilies and people wanting money for posing. They dressed their kids up in psuedo plastic costumes. They had animals for you to photograph.
They were giving the tourists a show.
Sad really – but behind the scenes you got a glimpse.
