The Amazon – more than a river

Looking back on the many trips my sister and I have taken through the years, the most unusual was exploring the Amazon River. This was not our usual walking trip. We spent three weeks on a small cruise ship moving from east to west across Brazil from Belem to Iquitos, Peru.

Our spirits of adventure were tweaked. What would it be like to travel on a river 4,000 miles long? We moved through the world's biggest and most endangered rainforests. During the rainy season, the river can be 12 miles wide in some sections. The waters of the smaller feeder rivers we passed join the strong currents of the Amazon. Lining its banks are endless walls of dense forest guarding the mysteries they harbor. Maybe one of the lost cities of legend or a village that remains as it has for thousands of years?

Our days passed on a comfortable small ship. A hundred fellow passengers enjoyed the amenities offered as we moved across Brazil. Our rooms were large, and we appreciated the windows that provided a constant view of the passing scenery. There were significant downtimes as we moved past mile after mile of dense rainforest. Breaking up the time were side trips off the boat in Zodiaks to explore the waterways that feed the Amazon. We saw exotic flowers and plants, colorful birds, and an occasional sloth, monkey, or iguana. Our guides were experts at finding the cleverly camouflaged treasures hidden in the dense forests. In the evenings, we enjoyed lectures by experts who shared their knowledge of the river, its people, plants, birds, and animals.

The Amazon rises and falls in a natural rhythm every year, but the scope of its flooding is unpredictable. Its people adapt by building their simple houses on stilts or, better yet, choosing to live on houses that float. Boats are the mode of transportation. They range from the tiny dugout canoes to the colorful riverboats that transport goods and people up and down the river. The river controls how you move about. It has been that way for thousands of years and won't change soon.

The river is the color of coffee with cream, and there is always movement. Close to halfway across the Amazon, we experienced the famed Wedding of the Waters. We all rushed to the front of the boat to see the dark, clear waters of the Rio Negro feed into the murky brown of the mother river. Literally creating a river within a river.

As we moved along, we found village after village of friendly people waving to us. They often jumped into their dugout canoes and paddled out to meet us or to hold up something they were offering for sale, from fruit to handcrafted souvenirs. Our trip included three major cities: Belem (the eastern terminus), Maneus, and Iquitos (the western terminus). Each offered a dramatic contrast to the mile after mile of simple indigenous settlements we passed, moving from east to west.

We spent several days in Manaus, the largest city in the Amazon rainforest, located approximately 900 miles from the Atlantic coast. Despite its location, it is accessible to oceangoing vessels — known as the Paris of the Tropics in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A global rubber boom created great wealth. During the boom years, in 1896, the famous Amazon Theatre, a magnificent 700-seat opera house, was built. The rubber barons wanted to show that they could build an opera house just as magnificent as any in Europe. After the rubber boom crashed, the theater closed for many years. It is now open and hosting a variety of local and international events.

Traveling on the Amazon across Brazil is to embrace a whole new respect for the river. Its constant motion and personality impact everything and everyone in its path. Plants, animals, and those living on the river depend on it to give them life. Some days it feels like an ocean, and other days a river meandering through a tunnel of deep green forest. Our river trip was certainly unique and one to remember.