Down Rio Unini

Holly looks out over the plaza to the Teatro das Amazônas in Manaus.

I arrived in Manaus Wednesday at two in the morning. I woke up at eight o'clock and spent the morning exploring this city with some friends. It is a pretty tourist-friendly place and I got to a lot of take pictures because of that. There are fewer thieves then in Belém, and a lot more of us gringos.

Manaus is beautiful. This Amazonian city made bank at the end of the eighteenth century because of the rubber boom. Now it is an industrial free trade zone and a popular tourist destination. The buildings here are beautiful and I am lucky enough to be an a hotel right down the street from the Teatro das Amazônas.

During Wednesday afternoon we went to the Instituto da Permacultura das Amazônas (IPA). It is and absolutely gorgeous research institute working in sustainable farming techniques. We had a full-on organice lunch and afterwards had a tour of the center. We ate so much fruit that fell from the trees and saw several amazing projects ranging from bee-keeping to the collection of bio-gas from pig waste.

Today we went to the Fundadção Vitoria Amazônia. It is an NGO that connects rural Amazonian communities to public policy. That description is an over-simplification of their work, but I do not have time to go in to detail. The group is also helping us enter a national park in the amazon and stay with families there.

This afternoon we went tot the largest rain forest research institution in the world- Instituto Nacional da Pesquisa da Amazônia (INPA). Dr. Gonçalo Ferraz spoke to us about forest fragmentation and its affect on biodiversity. I hope to keep in touch with him as I am interested in doing a project with INPA.

Tomorrow we leave Manaus at 5:00AM to take a six hour bus trip to Novo Airão. Novo Airão is the western-most city you can reach by car along the Amazon River. We have a quick lecture there before we board the boat that will take us up the river. We will spend the night on the boat and then meet our rural families on March 20.

At this moment I would like to wish my mother a happy birthday. The same day I meet my rural family is the day my mom embarks on a new year of life. I could not have gone on this trip without her love and undying belief in my capabilities. I owe so much to this woman and I am sorry that I cannot be with her on her day. I love you so much, mom, you don't even know. I will put a flower in the river for you and ask for a wonderful new year for you. Eu te amo, mamãe. Obrigada por minha vida.

Today's mission: Think about travel in a new way. Why go to a city that is just like America when there are so many things to see in this world?