“The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it.” ~ Rudyard Kipling
While still in the Atlantic, we began seeing debris in the water of small branches, pieces of wood some of which were blackened and also a change of color of the water from blue to brown. There was a noticeable odor of smoke. We were told they practice a “slash and burn” procedure to convert forests to farmland, making a continual haze in the air.
Sunrise approaching the mouth of the river which is 100 miles wide in parts.
The river narrows in parts and the trees can be so tall they make a thick canopy (the top branches and leaves of the trees) leaving the Amazon floor in permanent darkness. In fact, so thick that when it rains it takes around ten minutes for the water to reach the ground!
Above, sunset on the river. Both taken of the same sunset.
Below, sunrise the next morning and river traffic later that day.
The next three cities posted will be, Santarem, Parintins and Manaus, Brazil which are on the Amazon River each showing more river pictures.
