Amazon Updates
21 September 2001
Tweety
leaving the Arctic Sunrise in Manaus. |
After two weeks waiting in the hot and humid city of Manaus,
the largest city in the middle of the Amazon, the Greenpeace
helicopter, Tweety, was cleared for take off yesterday. Tweety
and its crew will head down to the Deni land to help resupply
the demarcation teams and stand by in case of medical emergency. |
But what was more exciting than seeing Tweety take off the helicopter
pad of the Arctic Sunrise for the first time, was the fact that
we would now be able to leave port and sail up the river. We were
off within the hour.
We departed just after sunset and it was only a short journey
to the mouth of the Rio Negro where the black waters of the Negro
meet up with the muddy brown waters of the Rio Solimoes and become
the Amazon river. Here we turned up river on the Solimoes, the
local name for the Amazon river past Manaus. The river only becomes
the Amazon river once again when it crosses the border into Peru.
At night we were treated to a spectacular lightning show that
lit up the sky every few seconds and outlined the silhouette of
the forest, which was only moments earlier, entirely black except
for the occasional lights on a passing river boat.
|
Perhaps the only thing that could top that was waking up
at six this morning to see a vibrant green strip of forest
above a deep ochre river bank of mud. As I approached my
porthole to peer out at this new world surrounding us, that
world was peering back.
|
 |
We passed three children padding up river in a small canoe, and
as they saw me press my nose to the glass, they all began to wave.
I waved back happy to have this morning greeting my first day
traveling up the river.
After quickly dressing and grabbing a cup of tea, I rushed
to the deck. I was not the only one up early to admire the
view and the end of the sunrise. As we sat on deck drinking
our tea and coffee, many children came out to the riverbank
to see what was this big ship making so much noise on their
river. |
 |
We all sat in awe, hard to believe we are in the Amazon rainforest,
waving back and forth with the children and lone fishermen out
in their small boats for an early catch.
Eddy lowers
one of the Greenpeace Zodiacs into the river. |
This afternoon we got a closer look at the river catching
a few hours of boat training for the crew on route. The forest
and river passed quickly as we learnt to maneuver the different
boats and attempt to come up alongside the Arctic Sunrise.
We were pushed out of the water early by an approaching storm,
but everyone returned with huge grins on their faces. |
It will take us three days to reach our destination, a small
town called Jutai, where we will meet with the community about
an extractive reserve they are asking the government to create.
If everyday passes as this one, the time will go by to quick.
Tracy
On board geek
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