So on the Friday night I stayed at my host-aunt's house as my host family had gone to Campos Do Jordao... and that night I was just absolutley sick as a dog. It was awful. But my host-aunt was really brilliant, she cared for me and gave me medicines and I was in bed by 7:30pm ready for an exciting day of travel at 5am tomorrow.
So I left for Manaus on the 11th of May, meeting up at the airport with other exchange students. At the Sao Paulo airport (Congonhas), my host aunt and I checked in.... then proceeded to walk around lie headless chickens for another half hour or so becasue she didn't know where to go. Mind you, we had done a self-serve check in so I still had my suitcase with me and my host-aunt had no idea I had to check it in. I finally caught up with some other Australian exchange students so my host-aunt said goodbye and left me... leaving me with my bag and no idea where to check it in. Thank god some of the airport staff knew english. After all of us had checked in our bags and recieved our ticekts, we went through into the departure lounges and waited at our gate... only to realise that it wasn't our gate as we heard last call over the intercom. Flipping jesus. We basically had to run to the other side of the building to get to our actual gate. Only just making it. Finally on the plane. It was smooth sailing from there. Oh, mind you, I am still sick.
The first night in Manaus we stayed at a fancy-ass hotel. I mean like four star hotel with everything in it. Including a mini zoo with monkeys and a jaguar. Whaddup. This night was mostly just to get to know everyone and to go over rules and everything expected on the trip. We were the biggest group to go to the Amazon this year... I think there was about 75 of us. Not including staff.
The next day we had a tour of Manaus and were shown some historic buildings of the area. They even took us to the fish market. That was a laugh and a half. In the first ten minutes of walking into the market I had a random turn around, take a photo of my face on his phone then walk away. I even had a fish sales man basically flash me as I walked past. Oh Brasil, you never cease to impress me. Just before we left the fish market I had a man come up to me and ask if I could take a photo with his children. So I did.... for some reason. Chubbiest. Kid. Ever.
Me and the little boy I tool a photo with.
Antony the Aussie showing them how it's done Down Under.
After we left Manaus, we went to an eco-motel place about 2 hours out of the city and spent the night there. That night we went on a late afternoon-night hike to a waterfall. It was awesome. On the way to the waterfall we had to go through a cave. Creepy as hell, there were bats and weird-ass insects living in there. We also had to walk in a little creek and follow it for a while. it was an interesting walk. On the way back though, it was uncomfortable as hell. I had sand in my pants and in my shoes and it was just everywhere it wasn't meant to be. But, it was awesome. Nearing the end of the walk our guide told us to turn off all our lights and grab the hand of the people before and after us and walk in the dark. Yeah, I thought I was going to die. But it was an awesome experience. Some of the leaves were even GLOWING. Like legit. I thought I was in Avatar or something.
Our group,walking through the Amazon.
Big-ass, creepy, straight-out-of-alien-movie spider.
The caves. So many dead ends and walkways. I would have gotten lost.
Walking through the creek.
That night, Belo Brasil (tour organisers) had organised a dance troupe to come and perform for us. Yeah, it was awesome. I tried to take photos but they just turned out blurry. Dang. I wish I could move half as good as they did! The next day, we went for a small walk to another waterfall area and went swimming. The water was cold, and the current was intense. On the way back, it started to rain so everyone basically ran back whilst all us Aussies kind of just hung back and took our time walking back. It was nice in the rain. After returning from the waterfall, everyone packed, had lunch and then got back on to the buses then it was off to the boats! There were three boats in total and then a restaurant boat. We were split into three groups of about 25-ish each (we got to choose who was on our boats) and all boats were uni-sex. So two of the boats were basically jut couples whilst my boat was basically all the single people being awkwarded out by the other boats. But al good, it was awesome.
Our boats!
Our little fleet sailing down the Amazon.
Most days on the boats were pretty chilled out, with most activities being after lunch and before dinner round-bouts, which left us some of the day to just hang out and chillax with the people on our boats. The first day on the boat was just relaxing and getting to know the people on our boat better, I had a really cool boat. We also went and saw where the Rio Preto (Black River) meets the Amazon River. It was awesome. The people were awesome. That night we went and looked at giant lily pads.... they were really giant. Like, huge. First night sleeping in our hammocks!
About to cross the thresh-hold between Rio Preto and The Amazon
Jake the Kiwi.... crazy child.
The sunset over a floating village we went past.
The sunset, everyday, was absolutely amazing.
Giant lily pads. They were huge.
I could have sat cross-legged on one of these things.
Mini lily pads? Actually, I don't know.
First night in the hammocks!
The second day was really awesome. Before lunch we kind of just chilled out and hung around the boat while travelling down the river. After lunch, we actually got to go to a native village! It was so amazing. We went to their natural pharmacy and the witch-doctor man showed us some medicines. Afterward, they performed a dance for us and showed us around the village. It was awesome. Just amazing.
Our welcoming committee
Bit of tribal design on a tree into the village.
The local doctor.... wearing all his traditional clothes.
The main building of the village.
The traditional dance.
Tribal children wearing their little traditional outfits.
My favourite photos of the whole trip.
These two siblings playing with my hat.
My ultimate favourite photo of the whole trip.
This one makes me proud.
How freaking gorgeous are these children.
I wanted to take one home.
Left: The pet monkey, cutest thing ever. He looked so scared.
Right: Being a macho-man and sculling a bottle of water.
The village.
This boy in the water was doing tricks and everything to try and entertain his baby brother (photo below). Cutest thing ever.
Mother and child watching their son/brother swimming in the water.
The next day after breakfast we went on the smaller boats and went through a small off-river to look at some ancient trees.... and we saw a sloth! So the local guide stopped the boat and climbed the tree to get it. But by the time he got it back to the boat, it was a tad angry and he was warning us not to touch it, but one of the Australian girls got too close and it attacked her (don't worry, she didn't get hurt) and well... I know I shouldn't have, but I laughed. After lunch, we went to a tapioca farm and they showed us how they process the tapioca - the traditional style. It was cool beans.
The giant tree, our guide said it is about 250 years old with a diameter of about 5 meters.
Dat trunk.
The engines on the smaller boats were really old....
This isn't fog, it's smoke.
The angry sloth.
Explaining the tapioca.
Cutting the tapioca root.
Texas (Anna) cooking up some tapioca.
The local guide climbing the tree to get the seeds down for necklaces, etc.
A different seed you crack open and use for paint.
Holding their pet snake, 'twas a big one!
The next day, we went to a local community where we versed the locals in a game of soccer... It was so weird. I got off the boat, stood there and stared at this villages and was like "well, s**t, I've seen this place before!". Turns out it was in a documentary I saw on National Geographic. Lost my s**t. Thought it was the coolest thing ever. Well, long story short, we lost the game. Badly. But, I was a bit annoyed, as I wanted to play but the doctor said I couldn't because I was really sick the day before and nearly passed out. Completely understood her reasoning, but still, it would have been awesome.
Defiantly seen this community before.
Getting our butts whopped in soccer.
Tim (America) being a fashionable mo fo.
Soccer action shot.
Pearl, Janina, Marlee and Julia after the girls game of soccer.
The next morning we woke up early and went piranha fishing. Mo flipping PIRANAHAS. Only caught one but. After lunch we went to look for some more sloths and found one! This one wasn't angry so we got to take photos with it. Flipping awesome. Afterward, the local basically threw the sloth in the water and everyone freaked out cause they thought it would drown.. but no, sloths can swim apparently. After that, we went back to the boat and changed into our bathers. It was time to swim with the dolphins! All I can say is the feel of their skin is just, weirdly indescribable. Like even if I could, I couldn't. But it was awesome!
PIRANAH!
Sailing through the Amazon, oh what a life.
This guy. Jumped in the water, climbed a tree, grabbed a sloth, climbed down a tree, and let us take photos with it. Legend.
SLOTH!
Casually going for a swim.
The sloth swimming away back to the trees.
Swimming with the pink dolphins.
The next day, we went swimming on a beach. But the beach we landed at had a cemetery on it. Mind you, this isn't an old cemetery, it had a grave from 2011. But, thank god that wasn't the beach we swum at, we went around the corner and swum at a different beach. I didn't go swimming because I was sick, but, it was still nice. It was our last night on the boat tonight so everyone was talking and laughing, and we even managed to convince Jake (Kiwi) to put makeup on. Good times.
The beach cemetery.
Beaching it.
Dory, Julia and Marlee stealing my camera.
Jake being a pretty girl.
The gang relaxing and having a talk about best times on the trip.
Georgia and Signe.
Well, this is it. The last day of the trip. Today we went to another local village and planted some trees! I named mine Bob. I hope he survives. After planting the trees, we returned to the boats and had lunch, then all the boats came together and everyone was signing each others flags and swapping pins and saying their goodbyes. Then it was time to pack. As we were packing my friend picked up her jeans and found a giant spider freaked out and screamed like a b***h. Well, if I can say anything it's that: you know you're screwed when not even the local guide will touch a certain spider. Flip. We left the boats at about 8:30 and make our way to the airport for our flights. My flight was at 2:15am! Arrived back in Sao Paulo at about 10:30 - 11ish.
Alex and I with our trees.
Planting Bob.
The final sunset.
The two Aussies, Rose and I.
Germany and Australia, Frieda and I.
The spider. Was so fat and hairy!
Chilling at the airport one last time.
Well, that was it. It would have to be the best week of my exchange so far. I would like to say a massive thank you to my mother and father for letting me go. I will remember this forever.
Ashleigh out.
