Amazon (not dot com)

The Amazon Rainforest

When I was originally thinking of going to the Amazon, I was preparing to rough it: hammock, mosquito net, washing in the river etc. But fortunately, I ended up going with my Dad, which meant staying at the lovely Analvihanas lodge on the Rio Negro in Brazil. Comfortable beds, air conditioning and most importantly, very few mosquitoes.

Rio Negro, with Anavilhanas Archipelago on the horizon

We did the three day/two night trip and we both agree that it was the perfect amount of time. We got to walk through the jungle, and paddle on canoes, and attempt to fish for piranha, and go wildlife spotting along the Anavilhanas archipelago at night. We even took a quick dip in the Rio Negro. The river originates in Columbia, and thanks to decaying vegetation, it is the color of dark coffee, and (as I found out accidentally) very sweet tasting.

Dad & I in the Rio Negro

The Rio Negro also doesn't support mosquito larvae very well, hence the blessedly bite-free trip. Well, bite-free on the mosquito front. During our walk in the jungle, a couple of ants crawled up my pants (American pants, not British pants, thank god) and took a nibble.

Bird-eating tarantula, bigger than my hand

It was the rainy season but luckily we only got drenched one day. We didn't see any of the big animals like anacondas or jaguars or tapirs, but we did see plenty of birds, a bunch of snakes and the odd spider.

Rainbow Boa in the trees

We also went to a place in the nearby town of Nova Airao where a local family feeds a pod of about 17 pink dolphins. (The town is apparently called "New"Airao because they had to evacuate the "old" Airao - about a hundred kilometers upstream - when the town was overrun with fire ants!).

While I would personally much rather see dolphins in the wild than begging for food, at least it gives tourists exposure to these beautiful animals. They make a poignant argument for the preservation of the Amazon rainforest.


Pink Dolphins in the Amazon from Tina Cone on Vimeo.

Nobody is quite sure how these guys ended up in the Amazon. One theory is that they originally migrated between the river and the Pacific Ocean (when the Amazon ran east to west), but got trapped when the Andes rose (and the river started flowing from west to east as it does now).

In Amazon legend, they can assume the form of a man, and like to show up at nearby parties, wearing hats to hide their blowholes, to seduce the local girls before returning to the river. It seems like a great excuse for an unexpected pregnancy - "the dolphin did it".

Amazonian Pink Dolphin