7.05.2007
Day one: We are onboard a beat that is taking us from Belem to Manaus via the Amazon River. Our boat has three levels, all open. On the bottom level are more onions than I ever cared to see (packed all of the way to the ceiling.) And two motorcycles hanging between rows. Thankfully, the onions don't smell.
On the second layer of the boat are hammocks stretched four overlaping rows across the width of the boat and maybe thirty rows along the width of the boat. Griff estimates that there are over one hundred people on board.
Most of the people on board are using it for transportation and not tourism. The city we are headed towards, Manaus, is accesible from the south only by boat or plane, which is saying something because its on the very tippy top of Brazil.
We are the only Americans on board. My neighbor to the left is a short 35 year old woman with a bowl cut. Edinelza. She tries to teach me Portuguese cuss words. I pull out my phrase book and she and all the women fall into hysterics and my butchered attempt to speak their language. Today Griff taught me the phrase "Porque voce esta hindu?" (probally misspelled) Which means "What are you laughing about?" They think this is great, and through a series of smoke signals and hand gestures, I begin to understand the jokes. Mostly I am saying things that are totally incomprehisable or accidentally dirty. I prefer the latter. At least I'm saying something.
I sit in my hammock practicing the phrases they have helped me to learn. It must look hilarious to them, the equivalent of someone talking to themselves and saying "Nice to heat you. Niicee to mmmeet you. Nice to meet you? Nice to meet you."
Everyone is totally charmed when Griff speaks to them in Portuguese. He's gotten very good and chats with the pregnant woman to his left. She is travelling with her son to her sisters wedding.
Day two: I awoke this morning to a loud shrill whistle alerting everyone that breakfast is about to be served. I didn't have to speak Portuguese to know what most of the people were yelling in response. Something like: "Alright already. We're up. Enough with the whistle!"
Breakfast is one hot dog bun looking bread. Griff and I have discovered why passage is so cheap. I will probally lose some weight on this trip and all of my teeth, from scurvy. Actually, fruit is really cheap and sweeter than in the US. Everytime we stop somewhere, vendors come on selling anything from fake flowers in a wooden vase to fried cheese (a specialty here.) They also sell asiae a fruit that grows only in the Amazon and is crazy full of antioxidents. Sometimes they sell Mentos and fish dinners, both of which are very popular. The fresh maker and the not so fresh maker. Griff and I bought apples and oranges before we left and two cans of Pringles. Stupid Americans.
We shared our chips with our neighbors. The little boy grabbed a large stack. His mother chided him, but he ran to his cousin and gave her half. I think he's using them as barter. Yesterday she had some ice cream that she would not share with him.
Griff: Today we had one hot dog bun for breakfast. Tomorrow we will have to share. After that, it is on to the small children. Why the small children and not a big fat man? Tender meat.
This is all I have time to write right now. Missing you all. I apologize for spelling errors. Can't spell check here, unless you are writing in Portuguese.
On the second layer of the boat are hammocks stretched four overlaping rows across the width of the boat and maybe thirty rows along the width of the boat. Griff estimates that there are over one hundred people on board.
Most of the people on board are using it for transportation and not tourism. The city we are headed towards, Manaus, is accesible from the south only by boat or plane, which is saying something because its on the very tippy top of Brazil.
We are the only Americans on board. My neighbor to the left is a short 35 year old woman with a bowl cut. Edinelza. She tries to teach me Portuguese cuss words. I pull out my phrase book and she and all the women fall into hysterics and my butchered attempt to speak their language. Today Griff taught me the phrase "Porque voce esta hindu?" (probally misspelled) Which means "What are you laughing about?" They think this is great, and through a series of smoke signals and hand gestures, I begin to understand the jokes. Mostly I am saying things that are totally incomprehisable or accidentally dirty. I prefer the latter. At least I'm saying something.
I sit in my hammock practicing the phrases they have helped me to learn. It must look hilarious to them, the equivalent of someone talking to themselves and saying "Nice to heat you. Niicee to mmmeet you. Nice to meet you? Nice to meet you."
Everyone is totally charmed when Griff speaks to them in Portuguese. He's gotten very good and chats with the pregnant woman to his left. She is travelling with her son to her sisters wedding.
Day two: I awoke this morning to a loud shrill whistle alerting everyone that breakfast is about to be served. I didn't have to speak Portuguese to know what most of the people were yelling in response. Something like: "Alright already. We're up. Enough with the whistle!"
Breakfast is one hot dog bun looking bread. Griff and I have discovered why passage is so cheap. I will probally lose some weight on this trip and all of my teeth, from scurvy. Actually, fruit is really cheap and sweeter than in the US. Everytime we stop somewhere, vendors come on selling anything from fake flowers in a wooden vase to fried cheese (a specialty here.) They also sell asiae a fruit that grows only in the Amazon and is crazy full of antioxidents. Sometimes they sell Mentos and fish dinners, both of which are very popular. The fresh maker and the not so fresh maker. Griff and I bought apples and oranges before we left and two cans of Pringles. Stupid Americans.
We shared our chips with our neighbors. The little boy grabbed a large stack. His mother chided him, but he ran to his cousin and gave her half. I think he's using them as barter. Yesterday she had some ice cream that she would not share with him.
Griff: Today we had one hot dog bun for breakfast. Tomorrow we will have to share. After that, it is on to the small children. Why the small children and not a big fat man? Tender meat.
This is all I have time to write right now. Missing you all. I apologize for spelling errors. Can't spell check here, unless you are writing in Portuguese.
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