Amazon Expedition – Day 7

Blog written by Shruthi Vijayakumar

It was 5 am, the skies were still dark as we jumped out of bed this morning. The air was crisp, and we were all on deck, ready to set sail! We hoisted the sails as the sun rose slowly from the Rio Negro, blanketed by a layer of clouds and we were all very excited for our 7th day in the Amazon!

We anchored up at Velho Airon in the morning and got out to explore the place. The story goes that when wealthy Spanish and Portuguese people had moved into the place, ants had driven the people away and left the place in ruins. Today however, the area is a feast to the eyes. Nature has completely taken over! Trees have wound themselves through and through the buildings. Roots are emerging from the ground, plants are hugging the walls, and a huge range of colourful insects and bugs have made themselves at home. Mother Nature just flaunted all her beauty and glory, and it didn’t stop there.

While cruising down the river, Mike spotted a huge spider web. We all got in the dinghies and approached the jungle for a closer look. Yet again, the power, beauty and wonder of nature was just incredible. The web consisted of hundreds and thousands of silk strands, which was shaped into capsules- big enough to trap birds and filled with hundreds of spiders! I had never seen or imagined anything like it!

We had an incredibly fun afternoon, visiting a small community on the banks of the Rio Negro. It was great to learn about their lifestyle and we had an opportunity to gift them soccer balls, stationary and first aid kits. It was amazing to see how something as small as a pencil can bring so much happiness to a child, but the highlight had to be playing soccer with the children! Running around in their oversized shirts, coated in mud and completely fearless, the children just gave it their all! One look at their glowing smiles, and you can’t help but grin too.

Once more, Mother Nature spoilt us, this time with a gorgeous sunset to finish up a beautiful day.