Early morning. 5 a.m. The Triple Frontier of Brazil-Colombia-Peru on the Rio Amazonas.
It is still dark when the boat slips into the docks of the village of Santa Rosa, on the banks of the river in Peru. We clamber out groggily to the officia de la policia. After handing over my documents, I am soon handed back my passport and think, ''That was easy.'' I get back on board.
Ten minutes later. ''Raimundo!'' yells out the customs officer.
After noone says anything I respond, Si senor?
''Migracion.''
I get back out the boat and am guided to another office. A candle provides the only light.
The officer looks at my passport, looks at me, and asks (in Spanish), ''Where`s your Brazil stamp?''
No stamp Brazil, I respond in my broken Spanish.
''You need a Brazil exit stamp to exit Brazil and a Peru entrance stamp to enter Peru.''
Stamp here for Brazil for Peru? I babble unintelligibly.
''No, you should have gotten a stamp in Brazil. You need to go back there and then I can let you in Peru.``
No Iquitos boat go?
''No.''
No?
The officer sighs. The candle flickers. A mosquito buzzes.
He looks at me again and states, in English, ''Twenty dollars.''
Que? I respond in Spanish.
''Twenty dollars and you go to Iquitos today.''
Oh. OH! (I get it.)
I take out $20, hand it over and a big smile crosses the officer`s face. He puts the dollars in a drawer, stamps my passport, wishes me a good stay in Peru, asks where I`m going (commenting on the beauty of Machu Picchu) and wishes me, ''Good voyages!'' in English.
I step outside. A rooster crows. The sun is rising.
Friday, June 27, 2003
Amazonian and Andean Adventures
Leaving Brazilian beaches reluctantly behind, I headed to a place whose very name conjures up images of jungles and wildlife. The Amazon. Still a vastly undiscovered place with unidentified animal species, uncharted rivers, and unknown plants. Some 120 kilometers south from the Triple Frontier of Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, on a tributary to the Rio Amazonas, I would explore the jungle.
First I took a taxi-boat to a small town, where I waited until there were 5 other people who also wanted to go further to another even smaller town. After a long wait, there were 6 of us who were finally on our way. There, I needed to hire another boat. I had been given the name of Claudio Paixao. After 15 minutes of searching, I found Paixao on the docks. He promptly pulled out a bottle of cachaca and said we should do a couple shots together before setting off. Finally, seven hours after I had set out that morning, I arrived at a simple jungle lodge next to an Indian village.
Canoeing through flooded forests, trekking through the jungle on terra firma, watching grey and pink dolphins cavort in the river, seeing numerous tropical birds, fishing for piranha, and observing traditional Indian ceremonies I learned about the Amazon. What was truly interesting here was that I was the only tourist. The others there included a film crew from Bogota that was making a documentary to promote Colombia tourism (two words you don't often see together); two ornithologists, one from the US and one from Brazil, who were capturing beautifully colored birds that they believed to be new species; and another scientist who was gathering the many kinds of spiders and insects prevalent in this part of the jungle. All of them let me tag along and taught me an immense amount about the jungle.
Before exploring the jungle, I spent time in cities along the Amazon, including Manaus and Leticia (Colombia). Manaus is a port city, however it is 1500km up the Amazon. Leticia, 1500km further upriver is laidback, many travelers pass through, and the people are extremely friendly. Returning to Leticia from the jungle, I crossed into Peru by boat up the Amazon. Five hundred kilometers further upriver, I made it to Iquitos, another port city. It´s a great travelers´ hangout and there was able to sample some of the local nightlife with two Peruvians I had met, including lots of cervezas and pisco sours (pretty much the Peruvian national drink).
From there, I headed to Lima which allowed me to get oriented to Peru. The town is unfortunately very polluted, a perpetual smog covering the city. However, there are some good museums which give you a better understanding of the many pre-Incan civilizations, interesting historic churches, and it has a good nightlife. I went out with two Americans I had met until about 3 a.m. in a pena featuring traditional Peruvian music and dancing (cervezas and pisco sours figured in again). A candidate for national food would have to be ceviche, of which I was sure to have my share. If you have never had ceviche: raw fish marinated in a lime and chili combination served with sweet potatoes and toasted corn.
I next made it to Cuzco, in the Andes. It was winter there so crisp clear skies, sunny weather, but as the sun sets it gets extremely cold. For the first time in a long while, I was cold, wearing sweaters, alpaca wool hats, NorthFace jackets, and thick socks. The city is always celebrating something, there is a great sense of history, the surrounding scenery is beautiful, lots of friendly people, and there's an amazing amount to do - all of which makes it difficult to leave. I spent an amazing time in and around this city.
Cuzco was the center of the universe according to the Incas and numerous Inca ruins surround the city dating back to the 15th Century and before. While visiting Inca ruins in the Sacred Valley and around Cuzco such as Pisaq, Ollantaytambo, and Sachsaywama, and small towns perched high in the Andes such as Chinchero, I learned about the Quecha and Inca cultures. Hiking up steep ancient staircases can take a toll on your lungs in high altitude, but chewing on some coca leafs usually helps adjust to the altitude (and as many shirts proclaim, the coca leaf is not a drug!).
The most impressive part of staying here, though, was hiking the Inca Trail and seeing Machu Picchu. Unknown to the Spaniards who destroyed everything in their path, these ruins were lost to the jungles and were not rediscovered until the early 20th Century. The best way to appreciate them is to hike through the Andes over the Inca Trail (I went with SAS Travel who I would recommend if you're thinking of going). It tests your fitness, stamina, and lungs due to the high altitude. The Trail crosses beautiful mountain scenery, passing orchids and other unique Andean plants and animals along the way. Passing ruins along the way, you finally end up at a sungate, through which you can see snow-capped mountains in the distance with Machu Picchu laid out below you. These ruins, in a spectacular setting perfectly aligned with the summer and winter solstice sunrises, were perhaps the most sacred to the Incas. Terraced agricultural fields, crumbling ruins, grazing llamas and alpacas, and cloud-circled mountains rising up behind the complex create a truly mystical setting.
Returning to Cuzco, I ran into a friend from New York I had not seen in a couple years. The world´s small. I took a nine hour train trip through stunning countryside with Andean peaks covered with snow as weathered farmers tended fields and shepherded their flocks of sheep, llamas, and alpacas. Brightly clad women wearing incongruous bowler hats with babies tied behind their backs. Small stands selling fruits and woollen clothing at cities where the train stopped.
The train ended in Puno, perched on the edge of Lake Titicaca. This lake is the highest navigable lake in the world, with part of the lake Peru's and the eastern part Bolivia's. I crossed over to the laid-back village of Copacabana on the Bolivian side. First, 18 people (including me) piled into a minivan for 2 hours. Then, I hopped into a tuk-tuk and was biked to the border. Checking in at Peruvian and Bolivian immigration was straightforward and soon was on the final leg of the journey - another minivan.
In Copacabana, met quite a few people from all over the world. As it turned out, two travelers from London and I would spend the next several days together exploring parts of Bolivia. Near Copacabana is Isla del Sol, an island that has featured in both pre-Inca and Inca history. For the Incas, this was the island where their empire mythologically started. Hiking over undulating terrain from one end to the other allows you to get brilliant 360 degree views over the entire surrounding area. It's surrounded by azure waters and in the distance, the Cordillera Real mountain range seemingly floats above the water.
From Copacabana, we took a bus to La Paz. Approaching the city, you suddenly plunge over the edge of a crater down steep streets into a bustling city punctuated by many colorful markets. Overlooking the city is the majestic snow-capped Illimani. From here, I explored the pre-Inca ruins of Tiwanaku and spent time in the city haggling over the many things for sale from the ubiquitous alpaca wool products to concoctions in the Witches Market - I had to pass on the llama fetus a witch tried to sell me. Also spent time in the numerous museums (my favorite: the Museo de la Coca) and churches, but the best part of hanging out in La Paz is meeting people and exploring the various streets.
Throughout Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia, I met lots of local friendly people and the usual assortment of world travelers from Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, and Israel. I also found out where the Americans have been hiding - Peru. After seeing virtually none over the past six months, suddenly from Lima to Cuzco, I met American college students on summer break who had been studying or volunteering abroad, world travelers, Gringo Trail travelers, and tourists from Atlanta, New York, San Francisco, and everywhere in between.
First I took a taxi-boat to a small town, where I waited until there were 5 other people who also wanted to go further to another even smaller town. After a long wait, there were 6 of us who were finally on our way. There, I needed to hire another boat. I had been given the name of Claudio Paixao. After 15 minutes of searching, I found Paixao on the docks. He promptly pulled out a bottle of cachaca and said we should do a couple shots together before setting off. Finally, seven hours after I had set out that morning, I arrived at a simple jungle lodge next to an Indian village.
Canoeing through flooded forests, trekking through the jungle on terra firma, watching grey and pink dolphins cavort in the river, seeing numerous tropical birds, fishing for piranha, and observing traditional Indian ceremonies I learned about the Amazon. What was truly interesting here was that I was the only tourist. The others there included a film crew from Bogota that was making a documentary to promote Colombia tourism (two words you don't often see together); two ornithologists, one from the US and one from Brazil, who were capturing beautifully colored birds that they believed to be new species; and another scientist who was gathering the many kinds of spiders and insects prevalent in this part of the jungle. All of them let me tag along and taught me an immense amount about the jungle.
Before exploring the jungle, I spent time in cities along the Amazon, including Manaus and Leticia (Colombia). Manaus is a port city, however it is 1500km up the Amazon. Leticia, 1500km further upriver is laidback, many travelers pass through, and the people are extremely friendly. Returning to Leticia from the jungle, I crossed into Peru by boat up the Amazon. Five hundred kilometers further upriver, I made it to Iquitos, another port city. It´s a great travelers´ hangout and there was able to sample some of the local nightlife with two Peruvians I had met, including lots of cervezas and pisco sours (pretty much the Peruvian national drink).
From there, I headed to Lima which allowed me to get oriented to Peru. The town is unfortunately very polluted, a perpetual smog covering the city. However, there are some good museums which give you a better understanding of the many pre-Incan civilizations, interesting historic churches, and it has a good nightlife. I went out with two Americans I had met until about 3 a.m. in a pena featuring traditional Peruvian music and dancing (cervezas and pisco sours figured in again). A candidate for national food would have to be ceviche, of which I was sure to have my share. If you have never had ceviche: raw fish marinated in a lime and chili combination served with sweet potatoes and toasted corn.
I next made it to Cuzco, in the Andes. It was winter there so crisp clear skies, sunny weather, but as the sun sets it gets extremely cold. For the first time in a long while, I was cold, wearing sweaters, alpaca wool hats, NorthFace jackets, and thick socks. The city is always celebrating something, there is a great sense of history, the surrounding scenery is beautiful, lots of friendly people, and there's an amazing amount to do - all of which makes it difficult to leave. I spent an amazing time in and around this city.
Cuzco was the center of the universe according to the Incas and numerous Inca ruins surround the city dating back to the 15th Century and before. While visiting Inca ruins in the Sacred Valley and around Cuzco such as Pisaq, Ollantaytambo, and Sachsaywama, and small towns perched high in the Andes such as Chinchero, I learned about the Quecha and Inca cultures. Hiking up steep ancient staircases can take a toll on your lungs in high altitude, but chewing on some coca leafs usually helps adjust to the altitude (and as many shirts proclaim, the coca leaf is not a drug!).
The most impressive part of staying here, though, was hiking the Inca Trail and seeing Machu Picchu. Unknown to the Spaniards who destroyed everything in their path, these ruins were lost to the jungles and were not rediscovered until the early 20th Century. The best way to appreciate them is to hike through the Andes over the Inca Trail (I went with SAS Travel who I would recommend if you're thinking of going). It tests your fitness, stamina, and lungs due to the high altitude. The Trail crosses beautiful mountain scenery, passing orchids and other unique Andean plants and animals along the way. Passing ruins along the way, you finally end up at a sungate, through which you can see snow-capped mountains in the distance with Machu Picchu laid out below you. These ruins, in a spectacular setting perfectly aligned with the summer and winter solstice sunrises, were perhaps the most sacred to the Incas. Terraced agricultural fields, crumbling ruins, grazing llamas and alpacas, and cloud-circled mountains rising up behind the complex create a truly mystical setting.
Returning to Cuzco, I ran into a friend from New York I had not seen in a couple years. The world´s small. I took a nine hour train trip through stunning countryside with Andean peaks covered with snow as weathered farmers tended fields and shepherded their flocks of sheep, llamas, and alpacas. Brightly clad women wearing incongruous bowler hats with babies tied behind their backs. Small stands selling fruits and woollen clothing at cities where the train stopped.
The train ended in Puno, perched on the edge of Lake Titicaca. This lake is the highest navigable lake in the world, with part of the lake Peru's and the eastern part Bolivia's. I crossed over to the laid-back village of Copacabana on the Bolivian side. First, 18 people (including me) piled into a minivan for 2 hours. Then, I hopped into a tuk-tuk and was biked to the border. Checking in at Peruvian and Bolivian immigration was straightforward and soon was on the final leg of the journey - another minivan.
In Copacabana, met quite a few people from all over the world. As it turned out, two travelers from London and I would spend the next several days together exploring parts of Bolivia. Near Copacabana is Isla del Sol, an island that has featured in both pre-Inca and Inca history. For the Incas, this was the island where their empire mythologically started. Hiking over undulating terrain from one end to the other allows you to get brilliant 360 degree views over the entire surrounding area. It's surrounded by azure waters and in the distance, the Cordillera Real mountain range seemingly floats above the water.
From Copacabana, we took a bus to La Paz. Approaching the city, you suddenly plunge over the edge of a crater down steep streets into a bustling city punctuated by many colorful markets. Overlooking the city is the majestic snow-capped Illimani. From here, I explored the pre-Inca ruins of Tiwanaku and spent time in the city haggling over the many things for sale from the ubiquitous alpaca wool products to concoctions in the Witches Market - I had to pass on the llama fetus a witch tried to sell me. Also spent time in the numerous museums (my favorite: the Museo de la Coca) and churches, but the best part of hanging out in La Paz is meeting people and exploring the various streets.
Throughout Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia, I met lots of local friendly people and the usual assortment of world travelers from Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, and Israel. I also found out where the Americans have been hiding - Peru. After seeing virtually none over the past six months, suddenly from Lima to Cuzco, I met American college students on summer break who had been studying or volunteering abroad, world travelers, Gringo Trail travelers, and tourists from Atlanta, New York, San Francisco, and everywhere in between.
Wednesday, June 04, 2003
Praias bonitas
Swaying palm trees. White sandy beaches. Emerald and aqua waters. Coral reefs. Tropical fish. Dolphins. Turtles. Acaraje. Caiparinhas. Cervejas. Capoeira. Drums. Forro. From Caraivia in Bahia to Fortaleza in Ceara, I spent this past month on Brazil´s northeastern beaches. I made my way everywhere via bus, boat, buggy, truck, car, and sometimes just walking - I´ve now logged over 7000km on the buses (4400 miles). Picking which was the most beautiful or most memorable is extremely difficult as you´ll hopefully see below.
The beaches in Bahia south of Salvador are each more amazing than the next. Except for one, the roads are merely sand and one did not even have electricity. Caraiva's rustic simplicity, Trancoso's hippy vibes, Itacare's white-water rafting, Marau's deserted island feel, Morro de Sao Paulo's 4 very different beaches - some virtually deserted. While there, from an old fort, watched dolphins playing in the bay while the sun set. Went to a full moon party and saw the total eclipse of the moon from the beach. All of these beaches are travelers´ hangouts which allowed me to meet great locals, Brazilian tourists (mainly from Sao Paulo or Rio), and international travelers; bit by bit, my Portugese has improved. Plus, these towns all have good nightlife.
For some of the best nightlife, though, I headed to Salvador, the capital of Bahia. Here, the African influence can be felt everywhere, from most of the population being black to the typical Baihan women in their hoop skirts and white headdresses selling acaraje (deepfried heart-attack inducing with shrimps and hotsauce that makes your eyes water). The old part of the city is called Pelourinho, perched on a bluff that´s so steep that there's an elevator to get from the lower city to the upper city. In this part of town, the old baroque and rococco colonial churches sit alongside pastel-painted houses on meandering streets and squares. At night, bands come out to play, drummers parade through the streets, and people dance. Every night, there is something going on and I usually tried to find my way there. Throughout Bahia, groups perform capoeira, a form of martial arts to the accompaniment of drums and a fishing rod looking contraption that is plucked. Capoeira is a sublime martial art that is as beautiful as a dance. (I owe a huge thanks to Adriano Borges´ cousins and mom for making sure I was having fun and for putting up with me for a week.)
I continued north, making my way through Maceio, Recife, Natal, and Fortaleza. These cities all have around 1 million or more population, large beach-focused areas (where I stayed), and good nightlife. Most of these cities, too were fought over by the Dutch, French, English, and Portugese in the 17th century, so they all have small historical areas. In this part of Brazil, forro is the usual nighttime activity - live music and dancing accompanied by either caiparinhas, caiparoskas, or beers.
The small towns in these areas are excellent as well. An hour-and-a-half north of Salvador, Praia do Forte has natural piscinas (pools) where you can lounge during low tide and home to the TAMAR reserve which protects endangered turtles. Olinda, on a hill overlooking Recife, boasts numerous churches, cathedrals, monasteries, and museums lining hilly streets where artisans ply their crafts. Praia da Pipa is a laid-back beach town midway between Recife and Natal high on a cliff above sandy beaches and good surf below that´s a popular travelers stop. Ponta Negra and other beaches around Natal are dominated by huge windswept dunes. Around Fortaleza are numerous beaches and fishing villages.
I also made it to Fernando de Norronha, an archipelago of islands that is home to some of Brazil´s best beaches and also its best diving. Noronha is a beautiful paradise with most of it a national park. Dolphins swam with us while on a boatride to an excellent snorkeling spot. While diving, besides tropical fish and coral, saw barracudas, turtles, moray eels, and stingrays. I was also literally swimming with sharks, seeing at least ten and in most cases close enough to touch.
The beaches in Bahia south of Salvador are each more amazing than the next. Except for one, the roads are merely sand and one did not even have electricity. Caraiva's rustic simplicity, Trancoso's hippy vibes, Itacare's white-water rafting, Marau's deserted island feel, Morro de Sao Paulo's 4 very different beaches - some virtually deserted. While there, from an old fort, watched dolphins playing in the bay while the sun set. Went to a full moon party and saw the total eclipse of the moon from the beach. All of these beaches are travelers´ hangouts which allowed me to meet great locals, Brazilian tourists (mainly from Sao Paulo or Rio), and international travelers; bit by bit, my Portugese has improved. Plus, these towns all have good nightlife.
For some of the best nightlife, though, I headed to Salvador, the capital of Bahia. Here, the African influence can be felt everywhere, from most of the population being black to the typical Baihan women in their hoop skirts and white headdresses selling acaraje (deepfried heart-attack inducing with shrimps and hotsauce that makes your eyes water). The old part of the city is called Pelourinho, perched on a bluff that´s so steep that there's an elevator to get from the lower city to the upper city. In this part of town, the old baroque and rococco colonial churches sit alongside pastel-painted houses on meandering streets and squares. At night, bands come out to play, drummers parade through the streets, and people dance. Every night, there is something going on and I usually tried to find my way there. Throughout Bahia, groups perform capoeira, a form of martial arts to the accompaniment of drums and a fishing rod looking contraption that is plucked. Capoeira is a sublime martial art that is as beautiful as a dance. (I owe a huge thanks to Adriano Borges´ cousins and mom for making sure I was having fun and for putting up with me for a week.)
I continued north, making my way through Maceio, Recife, Natal, and Fortaleza. These cities all have around 1 million or more population, large beach-focused areas (where I stayed), and good nightlife. Most of these cities, too were fought over by the Dutch, French, English, and Portugese in the 17th century, so they all have small historical areas. In this part of Brazil, forro is the usual nighttime activity - live music and dancing accompanied by either caiparinhas, caiparoskas, or beers.
The small towns in these areas are excellent as well. An hour-and-a-half north of Salvador, Praia do Forte has natural piscinas (pools) where you can lounge during low tide and home to the TAMAR reserve which protects endangered turtles. Olinda, on a hill overlooking Recife, boasts numerous churches, cathedrals, monasteries, and museums lining hilly streets where artisans ply their crafts. Praia da Pipa is a laid-back beach town midway between Recife and Natal high on a cliff above sandy beaches and good surf below that´s a popular travelers stop. Ponta Negra and other beaches around Natal are dominated by huge windswept dunes. Around Fortaleza are numerous beaches and fishing villages.
I also made it to Fernando de Norronha, an archipelago of islands that is home to some of Brazil´s best beaches and also its best diving. Noronha is a beautiful paradise with most of it a national park. Dolphins swam with us while on a boatride to an excellent snorkeling spot. While diving, besides tropical fish and coral, saw barracudas, turtles, moray eels, and stingrays. I was also literally swimming with sharks, seeing at least ten and in most cases close enough to touch.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
