The Amazing Amazon Adventure - Day 4

This morning found Chad and I tiptoeing out of the cabin without waking the kids.  Our guide met us and we were off on a morning hike.  Miguel, a local guide, took us through the jungle pointing out different trees and plants and explaining the practical purpose of each.  From fibers for weaving, medicines to food sources the jungle is a treasure house of resources.  But with the invention and access to all of our  modern conveniences, the locals are loosing their knowledge of how to benefit from the resources around them.

After breakfast we got in the boat once again and rode with Miguel to his village of Palmai in Brazil.  This town was not as impressive as the one we visited yesterday.  There was trash laying around and people seemed to have a look about them lacking purpose in life.  I passed one very primitive house and glanced in the window to see a large screen t.v. with a Disney movie playing.  I was shocked to see how with limited electricity and little income this family had made t.v. a priority.  Things don't change if you are in Detroit or the middle of the Amazon.

Miguel is in the process of building a  hotel.  He would like to bring tourists to his town to enjoy the Amazon.  His hotel is coming along quiet nicely.  A two story on a bluff with a fantastic view overlooking the river.  I wish him success in his endeavor.  He has a dream that he is working very hard to see come true.

Miguel led us on a path through their town, through the jungle to a pristine stream to swim in.  The water was cool.  We rubbed the mud from the banks on our legs, let it dry then washed it off in the stream.
We headed back to camp, enjoyed a lazy afternoon in hammocks and an early evening.

 - Kris