Rio Negro - Amazon
This part of the tour took us from the native village on the Rio Negro, past Manaus finally to the confluence of the Rio Negro and the Amazon River. Leaving the natives, we went back in direction Manaus and under this bridge, which, btw, opens a large wilderness region in a big way, to be settled and industrialized. The population keeps growing, and as it once was with the American West, moves to open spaces. Natives get pushed aside or are integrated and wilderness gets changed into whatever you want to call it. |
For miles the side of the river where Manaus was located was lined with ships and river-related activities. It seems a large part of the local population lives on and off the river. |
Some of the vessels are large and expensive, and may be part of the tourist river travel business, others tiny, just enough to make deliveries in some of the smaller, shallower tributaries. |
Some, small but powerful, push barges with vehicles and trailers, someloaded with produce, from one side to the other. There are a few main roads cutting accross stretches of jungle, but most of the new and small settlements are on the river and have no way to get to Manaus or other towns without being transported this way. |
You get the picture. There are restaurants, clubs, and gas stations on the water. It's a lifestyle apart from that of the city dwellers. |
Not all vessels are small and conform to the traditional river boat design. The big boys come in with much needed goods from all over the world and keep this container terminal busy |
All of this waterborne activity, good and bad, is keeping the Brazilian river navy very busy and engaged. Here, a navy patrol boat in a dry dock. |