The Muddy-Pants Diaries

29 July 2005 (Friday) – To Manaus, Brazil

I was beginning to recognise certain characters sharing my hammock class by now – a couple of old geezers, some women recognisable by their children, guys who wear the same pair of pants everyday, even a few girls by the ear-rings, slippers or hair-clips. I would give them a small nod or a smile when I meet anyone’s eyes. Usually, most smiled back. Some children found me fascinating and would burst into shy giggles. One boy just pointed and laughed. Right.

There were perhaps a dozen tourists around. A little snooty, I felt. I sat next to a couple at breakfast today. I tried to be friendly by asking them where they were from. “Holland”, and the girl quickly returned to her conversation with her boyfriend and poof!, I ceased to exist. Oooo, sorry for the interruption. Except for 2 guys, the others, I could not even catch their eyes to even try and smile at them. They just looked through, above, behind, whatever me. Doesn’t matter. I hope they treat the Brazilians better.

This morning, I was greeted with a surprise as I gazed out of the front to the river. The front of the Lower Deck was covered with stacks of wooden poles. Wow, it must have happened overnight at some port because yesterday evening, people were still hanging around there, watching the sun-set. I had no idea some people were working really hard through the night last night.

We docked at Almeirim and there was some serious unloading of goods. I decided to sneak down to the Lower Deck for a look as I had not been down there yesterday at all.

I was shocked beyond belief!!! 3/4 of the hall below was filled with cargoes!!! At 4pm 2 days ago when I embarked, only the base of the hall had goods. Now, more than half of the area was stacked with bags and bags and bags of onions, potatoes, oranges and the same stacks of wooden poles up front. I had never seen so many onions in my life! I wondered if the people in the Lower Deck get shooed away to make more room for the goods. I had a strange feeling they were and I had a strange feeling they were kept awake all night with the loading of the goods. Thank goodness I ‘upgraded’, heh heh…

The riverboat sounded its horn a few times and perhaps, 20 minutes later, it departed. As all of us watched the little town of Almerim become smaller, we spotted a lady who came running to the edge of the dock, waving her two hands in the beckoning way… like what I saw the little Indian children did yesterday.

Whooopsss…. We had inadvertently left her behind! Someone yelled at someone who yelled at someone who yelled at the boat driver who immediately stopped the engine. Then, we watched the drama at the dock as the lady was driven to some boat much nearer to us and some kind boat-guy brought her back to our bosoms.

Yep, that was probably the most exciting thing that would happen to us today… or even for the rest of the trip!

28 July 2005 (Thursday) – To Manaus, Brazil

Today is the second month anniversary of my travel! And I am ‘celebrating’ it, I supposed, by gazing at the Amazon River. As it was the first day, many people still seemed rather enthusiastic about it. So, after breakfast, everyone came right out to gaze as well. I found myself right in front of the boat-driver in the restricted area. But since no one came to shoo me away, I stayed right up there alone.

Wow… finally, the famous BROWN Amazon River. So, this is it!!! Of course, as I stared at all that was around me, I wondered why am I doing this? To take this riverboat ride that most other Brazilians whom I had talked to had turned green at; had baulked at; had blinked twice, three times at… The brochure had read – Share a tiny toilet, dining and sleeping area with perhaps, more than 300 passengers, including screaming babies and temperamental toddlers… Eat shitty food cooked by unimaginative chefs with limited resources… Have such close contact as to get contaminated by one another’s flu viruses… Smell one another’s smelly feet, etc… Sounds fascinating. That’s why I signed up for the trip!

Seriously, I don’t know why. Perhaps, I just like to confirm all of the above experiences, haha… But from last night to now, my thoughts kept going to Maqroll el Gaviero (Maqroll the Lookout), a character created by Colombian writer Alvaro Mutis – the ubiquitous wanderer and adventurer, a latter-day ‘Don Quixote’ who seemingly always finds himself in various unfortunate encounters as he meanders from the Amazon jungles to the Andean peaks and to other parts of the wide wide world. Even when he finds himself in some horrible situations with absolutely no way to escape, he gets a lucky turn SOMEHOW and comes out alive. I know he is JUST a character in several novels but I had really enjoyed reading them and I think I feel the spirit of Maqroll in me now, as I face the Amazon River. Somehow. May his spirit keep me in good humour throughout the ride.

When the riverboat travelled down a narrower stretch of river, we saw many small wooden boats up ahead. Some were rowed by Indian women, others by children. Some were even rowed by very small children, like 5 or 6 years-old. A few just had 1 little child. They probably learnt how to row before they knew how to walk. Others, had up to 8 children, including infants who had just learnt how to sit up straight. Many of them were letting out high-pitched Indian cries and were waving at us with one or two hands. Their waves were also rather curious. It looks more like a beckon to me, when you put your palm out and move your wrist in a up-and-down direction.

So, curiously, as the riverboat progressed, these wooden boats kept coming up to meet us. A few people tossed plastic bags at them into the river. Gifts?? How odd? Who had prepared them? Some of the little boats even used hooks to latch onto our riverboat. Thereafter, the children or teenagers would secure their boats and climb onboard. Some came to sell things, others to beg.

I spent my day reading, watching the river and lying in the hammock… I think this would pretty much be my routine over the next 5 days.

Later after dinner, I returned to the front to watch the sunset. Yes, the sun was setting later and later as we were heading west. Now, the river in front of me was really WIDE. I had a huge huge smile on my face. How can one try and capture the beauty of this, the expanse of the brown water rippling quietly all around you, the horizons of greenery on either side, beyond which are unimaginable ageless jungles and the MEANING of this trip? It seemed almost a joke to try and take a picture with a camera, to try and use that to articulate your feelings here and now! You really can’t take the Amazon away to your friends and family home. You just can’t. Either they come to witness it, experience it, feel it, be intoxicated by it. Or they will never feel how you are feeling now.

27 July 2005 (Wednesday) - Belem to Manaus, Brazil Although Amazon Star was leaving at 6pm this evening, the senhora from the hostel had told me yesterday to get to the docks by 7am to put up my hammock first in ... [Continue reading this entry]

26 July 2005 (Tuesday) - Belém, Brazil My first impression of Belém em was not quite good. It is very hot, very humid, the streets are full of trash, the roads had many pot-holes that collected stagnant water and more rubbish, ... [Continue reading this entry]

24 July 2005 (Sunday) - 25 July 2005 (Monday) - Fortaleza to Belém, Brazil Yesterday, Isabelle had told me she had seen advertisements for air-tickets from Fortaleza to Belém for around R180 - R190. That was just merely R40 - R50 ... [Continue reading this entry]