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Thread: The Amazon

  1. #1
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    The Amazon

    Went to the Amazon for a few days recently and managed to tick another one off the bucket list. I'll try and put a few pictures up over the next few days but bear with me cos I've got shitloads.

    The Amazon-flight-2-jpg


    The first thing that strikes you as you're coming into land is the sheer size of the place and, well, nothingness. Between the small town, Leticia, on the Colombian side there's no main road for something like 800kms and the jungle is impenetrable.

    The town itself reminded me of your average small Thai town.

    The Amazon-let-sign-jpg


    Tuk tuk being the main mode of transportation in the town.

    The Amazon-small-town-3-jpg


    There's always a church and a square in Colombia and this was no exception.

    The Amazon-square-jpg


    The Amazon-birds-jpg


    5pm and all the birds come in for the night and it's no exaggeration to say you can't hear the person next to you. What a racket.

    The Amazon-art-2-jpg


    Lots of murals around the town reminding us of the mess we're making of the forest.

    I retired to contemplate this in the local bar.

    The Amazon-bar-jpg
    Last edited by hallelujah; 09-02-2020 at 02:08 AM.

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    Up early the next day to get a boat down the river to the indigenous town of Puerto Narino, which is an eco town where no private cars are allowed. Plenty to see along the water including the famous grey and pink dolphins which inhabit the Amazon.

    Not everyone had come prepared for the Amazon though...

    The Amazon-flip-flops-jpg


    On the other side is Peru and about 2 kms down is Brazil; you can cross the borders very easuily in the space of a morning (more of that later).

    The Amazon-peru-jpg



    The Amazon-river-house-jpg


    The Amazon-locals-jpg


    If you like monkeys, this island is the place for you.

    The Amazon-isla-jpg


    The Amazon-ling-ling-jpg


    The Amazon-ling-jpg

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    As we got closer to Puerto Narino, more and more grey and pink dolphins began breaching the surface. Fortunately, I managed to catch a couple with my shitty old Samsung.

    The Amazon-dolphin-jpg


    The Amazon-dolphin-2-jpg


    There was a welcoming committee as we got to PN:

    The Amazon-dress-jpg


    and an opportunity to get some ridiculously delicious grilled fish.

    The Amazon-fish-jpg


    Puerto Narino was a very pretty little town.

    The Amazon-new-jpg


    Lots of new houses being built to replace the older ones.

    The Amazon-old-jpg


    The Amazon-pn-town-2-jpg


    The Amazon-view-jpg


    Fancy a game?

    The Amazon-football-pitch-jpg


    As long as I don't have to go in the river when the ball goes in...

    The Amazon-croco-jpg


    Decent shot here of the sun going down. The size of the river takes your breath away, it really does, and as we were heading back, there were parrots flying over the boat but far too fast and small for my camera skills.

    The Amazon-sun-down-jpg


    The next day was trekking through the jungle and piranha fishing. Time for a beer now though.

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    I'm not in jail...3-2-1. Jack meoff's Avatar
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    Very interesting Hal

    Keep em coming.

    Can't believe you have only had fish & chips twice in your life

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    As I took this picture I was only thinking how nice it would be to jump in and have a dip...

    The Amazon-view-jpg


    A quick wiggle of the rod in the water (to mimic the sound of prey thrashing about)

    The Amazon-rod-jpg


    And any thoughts of me diving in there were very quickly kyboshed!

    The Amazon-fish-jpg


    Fish and chips, Jack?

    The Amazon-piranha-jpg

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    I'm not in jail...3-2-1. Jack meoff's Avatar
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    I notice you have lobster claws for hands.

    Are you related to Dill?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jack meoff View Post
    I notice you have lobster claws for hands.

    Are you related to Dill?
    Not my hands. There was no way I was putting my little sausage fingers near those teeth!

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    I'm not in jail...3-2-1. Jack meoff's Avatar
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    Fair enough, Is it a piranha and do the Amazonians eat them?

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    Yeah, it's a piranha. There isn't much meat on them, so they put them in a stew. Didn't get chance to try it, unfortunately.

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    Excellent thread, thank you for the effort and sharing your trip

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    I'm not in jail...3-2-1. Jack meoff's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by panama hat View Post
    Excellent thread,
    Indeed, a different bit of the world i've not experienced yet.

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    Quote Originally Posted by panama hat View Post
    Excellent thread, thank you for the effort and sharing your trip
    Thanks, PH. I'll try and stick a few more up over the next couple of days when I have the patience and time.

    About time I contributed another photo thread anyway. It's been a while and has always been what makes this forum particularly good.

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    Whats a decent gram of coke cost these days?
    Still $5?

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    Yeah, about that. You're offered it pretty much non stop from the moment you arrive at ever decreasing prices.

    It gets a bit annoying after a while to be honest.

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    Quote Originally Posted by hallelujah View Post
    t's been a while and has always been what makes this forum particularly good.

    I agree. Seen through the eyes of individuals .

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    Great thread - thanks.

    I nearly got to go there when i was in Brasil but the cost of those internal flights - jeez, like twice the cost of the one from London to Rio!

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thai Dhupp View Post
    I nearly got to go there when i was in Brasil butthe cost of those internal flights - jeez, like twice the cost of the one from London to Rio!

    Flights in this part of the world are ridiculously priced and a large part of the reason why my sojourn in South America will soon be coming to an end. I never thought I'd say this, but I miss Air Asia.

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    Top thread Hal. Lets see your hotel then... or is it that shack

    I watched a docu about piranhas. They are only dangerous in breeding season and 100 of them can devour a human body in 5 minutes. So maybe check what season it is

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    Very envious Hal... the Amazon has been on my list forever... not sure if I'll ever make it there to be honest.

  20. #20
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    Awesome stuff. Feeling slightly green with jealousy also!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dillinger View Post
    Top thread Hal. Lets see your hotel then... or is it that shack
    About 35 quid a night got me this:

    The Amazon-hotel-jpg


    The Amazon-hotel-1-jpg


    The Amazon-hotel-2-jpg


    The Amazon-eggs-jpg


    Eggs every day, of course.

    The Amazon-sa-nake-jpg


    I wasn't staying here, but I wish I had been.

    Quote Originally Posted by Dillinger View Post
    100 of them can devour a human body in 5 minutes. So maybe check what season it is
    Not unlike being at a buffet when a Chinese tour group pulls in, to be fair.

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    John Grisham - The Testament: A glimpse what the life around such river can be, a good reading...

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    Quote Originally Posted by hallelujah View Post
    Yeah, about that. You're offered it pretty much non stop from the moment you arrive at ever decreasing prices. It gets a bit annoying after a while to be honest.
    The perils of Preston you didn't warn me about.

    SA is a great place and part of the world, forest and woods hold a special place in my heart.

    Was lucky to go up the umbongobongo twice but by christ the mozzies love me and basically anything bitey, i had so many i looked like one of doctor pimple poppers most challenging cases. Watch out for the Chagas.

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    Cool pics Hal, I bet that dodgy bar is like a home from home for you

    Is the trip business or pleasure only can you mule me a kg of nose sherbert back.

    Piranha soup would have been different, pretty similar to Carp I reckon. What with all those bones, could just grind it up and leave it to ferment in a jar for 6 months.
    Then again what the fvck do I know about good, carry on..

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    I made it to the Amazon in 1989, but not that far up to my regret. Manaus is over 1000km inland, but even moderate sized ocean liners can get up there, and you can only just see the other side of the river. It even has a fine old opera house- from the colonial rubber plantation days. But cocaine processing was probably the biggest industry when I was there. This is the 'big Amazon'- just after the Rio Negro and Amazon merge, and the two colored river effect is quite famous.

    Of course where you are/were Hal (about another 800km inland at a guess) there are three countries bordering the Amazon- Bra, Col & Peru. It seems Peru gets most of the tourist numbers.

    Piranha meat is quite delicious btw, I just had it plain grilled. No probs at all with the bigger ones, guess the smaller ones they stew. Great thread- keep it going.
    Last edited by sabang; 12-02-2020 at 05:32 AM.

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