Stu Black custom Longboards

Hello to all! Sorry for not updating this blog much anymore. I am back working at basecamp for the summer and am running another blog specifically for that, check it out at http://thebasecampblog.blogspot.com/

Amazon Tree Climbing

On wednesday, our last full day in Manaus, we met up with the Amazon Tree Climbing Company. They took us on a wild drive up the outskirts of the city to a citrus farm. We hiked about a kilometer through the feilds and into the forest, to a huge 40m agalean tree. Edwardo (our tree climbing guide) said that the tree was around 200 years old, and that many had been cut down to use the hard wood. They pulled the ropes up and set up the gear, gave us the lowdown on how everything worked, and we started climbing. On the way up we could see and feel the changes as we moved up throught the different levels of the forest. Once at the top we swung over to a large branch above the canopy of the rest of the forest. Here we sat, ate lunch, learned more about these beautiful trees and forest from Edwardo, and took lots of pictures! The scenery was amazing! We could see for miles, and hear all kinds of birds and other animals. Way up in the Angelean, you could feel the tree swaying in the wind. After a couple hours of just hanging out (no pun intended) we had to start our way back down, but only after having some fun swinging around on the ropes before touching ground. Another amazing adventure!

Hello again,
sorry for the delay once again, it has been about a week since I last spoke to you all (if you can call blogging a conversation). We are safely back in the northern hemisphere. Arriving in Miami last thursday the three of us (Warren, Rob, and myself) split up, Warren headed down to Naples, Rob back to La, and I headed to West Palm to visit family. Our last week in Manaus we packed full of exploring the near by area. After getting back from the river boat on monday, we went up river to a place call the Ecopark. It is a Eco resort a couple hours west of Manaus, an island where they bring in monkeys that were being sold in the pet trade and reintroduced into the wild. They put food out for the animals once a day (a bit of a tourist trap), but avoid human interaction in order to stop the monkeys from relating people with food. With help from our new friends Gero, Milton, and Aldamar, we were able to go there for just an afternoon and see the monkeys. Ecopark is a truly beautifle place, with rainforest surrounding the grass huts that make up the resort, and prestine white beaches along the water. The monkeys tend to stay away from the acutal resort, but a short walk down a smaller river leads you to the feeding ground, where you can see them jumping from tree to tree all over the place. Supper photogenic!
From there we went another 2 hours west on the river to a floating house on the river. Here is where a woman lives who feeds and swims with the river dollphins. Looking like a hillbilly cousin of the dolphins we all know, they would come up out of the merkey water and eat right out of your hand! Standing in the water, the boys that were there feeding them would feel around under the water, to know when one was there, while slapping a fish on the surface. By doing this they could get the dolphin to come right out of the water to get the fish. On the way back was another amazing amazon sunset, with storm rolling in behind us. We got to watch the lighening storm while we took the long boat ride back to Manaus.

Home from the Boat

We have made it back from our boat tour down the river safe and sound! Last time I left you we were in a bit of a rush to meet up with our jungle guide, to take us down the river for three days. The boat was nothing special, but amazing! To get to the boat we had to take a smaller boat across the Rio Negro, then a van across flood plains to another river. Here we met up with Manwell, the capitan of our boat. We then continued three days down the river. It was much narrower than the Rio Negro, making it much easier to see the wild life. Arowana jumping out of the water left and right, Hoatzin in flocks in the trees everywhere! (For those of you who have never heard of a Hoatzin, it is a prehistoric looking bird that sounds more like a large lizard, with claw like fingers on the end of its wings. Deffinatly check them out.) Went on a jungle treck, led by a local guide, where we saw all kinds of plants and kritters. Learned about some of the medicinal plants that can be found, most of which are cut down and used by companies such as Vics, and Chanel #5. At night we went searching for Kamen, which Rob couldn't help but grab and play with. The Trip was amazing and more photos will come soon!

Fim Festival comes to an end

Ok, the fim festival has come to an end. The final night was on thursday, outside the opera house. Following the awards presentation the festival put on an elaborate display of native tradition, including dancing, music, and costumes. Starting off with a fireworks show, directly over the opera house, the dancers came right up on stage to preform infront of everyone.