The End of Our Brazil Adventure Is Near

We are nearing the end of our six months in Brazil and have enjoyed our stay. We will return in the fall for 1 month when the weather is warmer. Yesterday we packed the last of the flies that we are taking to Washington--everyone excited? It is winter and we are no longer able to collect. There is still has a lot of work to do to complete the project, but Wayne can do it at the Smithsonian. We have seen beaches, mountains, waterfalls, jungles, and several large cities with lots of traffic. Many people have been very helpful to us and we have enjoyed associating with them. All aspects of the project have been successful.

Our neighbors when we first arrived:

 

Our neighbors as we leave. They work long hours.

 

On June 2 we will be back home in Stafford.

 

Mother's Day in Manaus

On Mother's Day, which is an important holiday in Brazil, we were invited to one of the scientist's home to celebrate with his extended family. We ate a favorite fish, Tambaqui. Fish is a mainstay on the menus in Manaus but we also had sausages, cuts of beef, rice, farinha, and salsa. We enjoyed the day.

 

 

Our Jungle Hike

On Saturday we were taken on a collecting trip to the jungle north of Manaus. We visited two different forest sites. Both times the vegetation was very thick and so was the hot, humid air. We came out soaking wet, and not from rain! Collecting seemed a bit poor, but Wayne was surprised to find a lot of diversity in the flies we found.

 

 

 

 

This jungle camp was on the trail we were hiking. I'm assuming that it is for the use of scientists since we were on a preserve.

 

 

This stream was crystal clear, complete with white sand and...

 

a convenient community drinking glass. We passed.

 

Our collecting crew--a student, 2 professors, and us.

 

Manaus Opera House

While we were in Manaus, we visited the world famous opera house. "Any traveler seeking world-class performances and cultural tradition awash in vibrant, living history should add the Manaus Opera House to their list of destinations." Unfortunately we only took a tour and were unable to attend a performance. Remember, this is in the middle of the Amazon. There is one road out of town and it heads north into Venezuela. To get to Manaus there are two convenient options--plane or boat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diversity in Manaus

We work long hours in the office every day at INPA along with collecting on the campus, in the jungle, and on the nearby University campus. We have seen a few animals, mostly in reserves, and held the Biology Department's pet 3-toed sloth, who had to be woken up. She was born in the lab and has free run (?very slowly) of the office when she isn't taking her siesta of 20 hours per day. Today we visited the world famous Manaus Opera House, quite spectacular in the middle of the Amazon! We also visited the market near the river, but were disappointed to learn that the main fish market is being renovated so we were not able to see all the different fish on display.

 

 

 

 

Manaus, first arrival

We have landed in Manaus, a city of almost 2 million people, and there is lots and lots of water all around it. We were able to see the Amazon River from the plane and could clearly see where the two different colored rivers merge. We have arrived toward the end of the rainy season. Our pilot had to abort his first landing attempt due to a heavy rainstorm over the airport. Wayne's first assignment on this adventure is to recover from the motion sickness he suffered thereafter. He was not the only one on the plane with it. Hopefully he will feel better this morning and it will not be raining so we can start collecting some flies!

 

 

Last Days of Vacation

We have just put Avan on the plane after an enjoyable two weeks. We visited tourist sites that we may not have otherwise seen. We again visited the Atlantic coast of Brazil, passing through several cities. We walked in the ocean, took a ferry boat ride, and stayed overnight in a beach hotel. We, and another couple, were the only guests. Since it is fall, the beach season is off. However, it was warm enough that we were able to collect and Wayne was very pleased with the results.

We also toured the Oscar Niemeyer Museum and the cathedral, Basílica Menor de Nossa Senhora da Luz, in Curitiba. Unfortunately I did not have my camera when we visited the cathedral--we were trying to find some "Artesinato" shops, (native crafts) when we happened upon it. We found the outdoor market later. Last Sunday we attended a special stake meeting where Elder Holland, his wife, and visiting authorities were the speakers. It was an exceptionally nice meeting. Tomorrow we will go to our regular church meetings, pack, and get ready to leave for Manaus early Monday morning. From what we are hearing, another adventure awaits us!