The most untourist trip I ever made
Trip Start
Unknown
1
2
Trip End
Ongoing
Macapá, Amapá, Brazil
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
This thing, with funny name, is a natural phenomenon caused by the
meeting of a big river and the sea. When it happens, a big wave forms
and travel up against the direction of the river. This wave comes so
strong, that the local people of Amazon have to take care of their
boats, otherwise, the power of Pororoca can damage them! The Pororoca
does not happens only on Araguari river, but also on Gironde estuary
and Seine on France, Qiantang river on China, Shubenacadie on Canadá
and others.
For this reason, we arrived on Macapá, the main city of Amapá, in the
middle of the night. We decided to stay a day there, before go to
Cutias do Araguari, the village that you must go if you want to see
the Pororoca.
I think we passed good moments on Macapá, which has some pleasant
parts, such as the Beira Rio Street, along the Amazonas River, with
some restaurants and bars. The other nice and touristic place to
visit is the Marco Zero, where pass the Equator line or the Fortaleza
de São José do Macapá. But I liked Macapá not only for these
places. The best thing, for me, was seeing the sunset on the river,
eating some shrimp and drinking beer. And after, walk along the river
watching the simple routine of the people drinking and listening
music of theirs cars. Or the extractivist men arriving from the river
with a lot of baskets full of açaí, a typical amazonian fruit. Or
just seeing the river flooding, which happens twice a day.
On the next day, we went to Cutias do Araguari. This little city is
about 120 miles of Macapá. I thought it was close, but the road was
so bad, made of land. And for our bad luck, it was full of mud,
because of the rains. Well, we took about 5 hours to arrive.
Once there, you have to take a boat to go on the part of the Araguari
river that happens the Pororoca. This boat leaves at 5 am. So, we
decided to sleep a little before. I do not like to think that this
city represents the real Brazil, but I know that it is not an
exception. I mean, for my point of view, it is poor, really poor, but
not miserable. The people just live their lives, with simplicity,
doing their things. The realities of my city, São Paulo, is
completely different. But, maybe the people from there is happier
than my place.
After our quick sleep, we went to that boat. And, for our sadness, we had
noticed that our Pororoca only happens in the flood season of the
river, january to june. We were on april, so, we were expecting to
see it. But, beside of this detail, we did not know that the Tidal
Bore forms on full moon. The moon was in your waxing gibbous phase.
Shit! We came so far, just to see it! Ok, and what could we do?
Nothing, and enjoy the beauty of Amazon environment. So, we decided
to take that boat and go to the last spot, a community call Princesa
(Princess).
Once inside of the boat, we stood up our hammocks and tried to take a nap.
Those boats on Amazon have the same function of a bus. The local
people use them to go to others communities. It doesn`t has any
chair, or a place to sit. Every passenger has to bring your own
hammock, to make a comfortable trip.
Our way took 10 hours long, and during this trip we made some friends.
All from there. Only us were tourists. And we felt like gringos,
because, despite of we were from the same country, Brazil is really
different from north to south. For this reason, everybody come to
talk with us, and show the things of Amazon. They showed us a big
alligator, head of Pirarucus (a giant Amazon fish), rare birds, etc.
And during these talks of the forest and Pororoca, we met Nazareno.
This man was traveling with his wife and son to a family house in a
farm. And they invited us to stay in that farm. Why not? And than, we
went there!
We arrived in that buffalo farm, in the middle of Amazon, surrounded by
rivers, with a small wooden house raised, for the river pass under
it. The family received us with a lot of hospitality. And I think
that it was the most gentle and weird attitude. Receiving some
strangers, like us. Amazing at the same time!
We stayed there 2 days. Eating the same food, doing the same things. The
time was not the same that I am used to. The talks were in other
rhythm, the themes could be the same for hours. The women used to
cook and take care of the children. The men, fish and take care of
the farm and animals. All that I have learned on books about the
Brazil of subsistence I was living for the first time.
In São Paulo, we use to eat açai as a dessert, with sugar. There, the
people eat with chicken, rice, on the main dish. And I proved the
açai with salty things. I liked it.
One night, Nazareno went to fish with the others men in the house. After
10 hours, they arrived with a Pirarucu, one of the most big river
fish. That fish had about 50 kilos, and like 1 meter long.
Furthermore, it had strong colors on their skin. It must was a
beautiful alive fish.
After the fishing, Nazareno didn`t go to sleep. He started to clean the
monster fish with so facility as the most easy thing ever. He cut
some pieces, and after a while, Marcia, his wife, fried them for
lunch. Poor, delicious big fish.
At the afternoon, on that day, we went by boat to see around with a
Nazareno`s friend. That part of Amazon, on Araguari river, is full of
buffalo farms. It means that the farms are not with the natural
Amazon vegetation, because the buffalos have to be treat with grass.
I don`t know how are the laws for the devastation of Amazon. But I
think that is not the most legal situation. I fell a kind of sad
seeing this happen in my country.
That was the last night there, with ours new friends. Nazareno decided
that we should pass the night on the “bus boat”, that would leave
at 4am, to take good places for ours hammocks. And we, and Nazareno`s
family all went to the boat at midnight. The night was a bad dream
for us. There was so many mosquitos. A cloud of them attacked us
during the night, and for our unhappiness, we didn`t have the
mosquito net, essential thing to survive on Amazon. Of course that
the locals have this net, but, we gringos, didn`t. You can think that
a good repellent can resolve, but no! This kind of Amazon mosquito is
so strong, that it can bite you even above your clothes and your
hammock! We can`t sleep until the boat started its journey.
After this, we just returned from our journey. A delay in our flight, as
usual. And, after 6 hours, we arrived in an other kind of jungle, São
Paulo, our home. And I can affirm that I learned a lot with those
simple people. Began with solidarity, as I said, offering theirs food
for persons that they don`t know, with nothing in return. Give their
little house for others to sleep. Talking with us, and treat us like
any other childhood friend.
We, people from the city, have too much to learn with them. They start
from the beginning that any other, as your similarity, has a good
behavior. Good thoughts, liking kids, animals and nature. Maybe they
are too much naive, or we are too much hard, for everything?
At last, what I say about Amapá is; Macapá, the capital, is a nice
city, good typical food and nice places. The Pororoca Tidal Bore
phenomenon happens only on full moon, january to may, and also in
september. And, if you want to see it, be prepared to make a real
backpacker trip, with no infrastructure on Cutias do Araguari. But,
if you like nature and exotic things, is a good choice. Ah, and don`t
forget to buy your mosquito net (very important!!!), a hammock, and a
lot of sun blocker.
