Skyline of Fortaleza

Fortaleza is in Brazil's northeast directly at the Atlantic Ocean More than 2,3 million people live in Fortaleza that is also the capital of the Ceara region.

Caranguejo

The inhabitants of Fortaleza enjoy spending their time at the beach. You can buy various foods there. One of the regional specialties is Caranguejo

above Belém

Belém is located in the delta of the Amazon. It has more than a million inhabitants and it is the capital of the Pará region. Pará is the home of the Para or Brazil nut.

Owl

The Institut Emilio Goeldi does research about the Amazon. Goeldi founded the institute more than hundred years ago. Part of the institute is a zoo with animals from the Amazon.

sloth

Many of the animals can move freely in the zoo. But the sloths still prefer to stay on their trees.

Ara in the zoo

The Aras can be found everywhere in the zoo.

Skyline of Belém

Even though Belém is more than hundred kilometers away from the sea, the river is already more than 20 kilometers broad, there.

near Belem

ship near Belem

A ship going to Belem. But that's not he end, ships this big can go up the Amazon until they reach Iquitos.

the habor

The Ihla do Marajo is a huge island in the Amazon delta. It's bigger than Switzerland.

rhythm

The people living on the island still have their traditions. Even the kids already know how to dance.

folk band

folk dance

The local dance is called "Caribo".

frog

Watch out for nighttime visitors.

cleaning the beach

In the mornings the beaches are cleaned with the help of water buffalos that pull the wagons.

Amazon beach

Afterwards everything is clean.

vulture

At the beach the vultures wait for returning fishermen.

flooding

The Ilha do Marajo is partly flooded more than half of the year. The water buffalos love this environment.

at the Amazon beach

The sand on the beach just feels like at the sea but it's still the Amazon river here.

playing kids

The kids like playing in the water holes.

Sandbank in Alter do Chao

The little village of Alter do Chao is at the Rio Tapajos. In Santarem the Rio Tapajos flows into the Amazon river.

beach at Rio Tapajos

People call Alter do Chao the Caribbean of the Amazon.

at the beach

White sand and blue water.

Amazon passenger ship

Just before we could get on board the MS Santarem ran on a sandbank and needed to be pulled off.

on the ship

There is little space on the ship. On the way from Santarem to Manaus you have to sleep to days in hammocks.

riverside

stopping in Juruti

From time to time the ship stops to load or unload goods.

sunset on the Amazon

transporting wood

sunset

Encontro das aguas near Manaus

The dark water of the Rio Negro and the muddy water of the Rio Solimoes meet near Manaus. They don't mix immediately due to the difference in speed and temperature.

canal to the Solimoes

the fastest way to get from Manaus to the Solimoes is using one of the canals as a shortcut.

on the way to the Solimoes

our supply boat on the Solimoes

To go on a jungle trip you need food. In the big boxes the ice for Caipirinhas stays cool for several days.

flooding

Shortly after the raining season began, many trees are already flooded.

Manioc press in Jerusalem

The lever is used to remove the toxic juice of the Manioc. Since the poison can be removed by cooking the juice is used as a spice called Tucupi.

Amazon parrot

washing day

The river is part of everyday life, it's used for transport, fishing and also to do the washing.

at the roadside

There are interesting looking plants everywhere.

Caboclo boy

The mixture of Indians and white people living at the river is called Caboclos.

on the Rio Manacapuru

spider

Helicon

natural rubber

Rubber once meant wealth to the Amazon. With the invention of vulcanization there was a high demand on natural rubber. But when the English managed to smuggle seeds out of Brazil and cultivate them in Asia, the demand declined.

Rio Manacapuru

riverside

Tarantula

In the woods it is important to look on what you step.

glassy water

The dark water is running very slow and without wind it is smooth as glass.

flower

in the jungle

riverside

black water

The black water rivers have their origin in the north of the Amazon. The ground there lost all minerals long time ago, so the water is just running thru the mold and gets its dark color, just like tea.

playing kids in Mancapuru

Manacapuru is the second largest city in the Brazilian Amazon region. Still there are living only 80.000 people.

flower

Capoeira

Capoeira is a mixture between fighting and dancing. It was invented by the slaves to practice self-defense.

caiman in the Janauari park

Normally the caiman are hiding during daylight but in the park you can see them lying in the sun.

rain

We had so much luck that it rained little, even though it was the raining season. But if it rains, it pours.