Piranhas fishing in the river of rivers on the SUP board
The adventure begins in Manaus, an old colonial city, slightly chaotic yet somehow beautiful. Beyond it, the rainforest begins. We're headed to where the Rio Negro and Rio Solimoes flow together to form the Amazon.
The River of Rivers is up to 200 kilometers wide and almost 6,500 kilometers long. And thanks to inflatable boards, stand-up paddling is now possible almost everywhere.
Our guides are Stefan, a dropout from Germany, and his assistant John. John is a true Brazilian who knows the Amazon inside out. He learned rainforest survival techniques while serving in the military. Since there's no cell phone reception or internet in the jungle, everything has to be well organized in advance.
How dangerous is stand up paddling on the Rio Negro?
Under no circumstances should you attempt this on your own. You could get lost in the maze of tributaries and canals – and spending the night in the jungle is not advisable due to the abundance of animals. Alligators, caimans, anacondas, and voracious fish like piranhas lurk in the water. The forest floor is full of poisonous creatures. Of course, these animals are naturally shy and usually flee. But...
In return, the hospitality of the Brazilians is simply overwhelming. We often chatted using our hands and feet, and the few words of Portuguese we spoke. The atmosphere was always lively. We introduced ourselves as citizens of the country by saying, "Sete para un, 7:1." This statement provokes either loud laughter or great embarrassment. It's the result of the semifinal match of the 2014 World Cup. If we were among the sore losers, we would have ended up as piranha food by now. The Brazilians, on the other hand, don't hold grudges and take it all in good spirits. They celebrate with us for winning the World Cup. "Yeah, yeah, just not Argentina," said the fishermen.
The jungle is loud. Monkeys and strange chickens in the trees make their noises known. Alligators and snakes are visible in the water. But no one admits to feeling afraid, which is logical.
Just three days earlier, I was talking to a couple from Swabia and casually remarked that the Amazon was to the people living there what the Spreewald was to the Sorbs. After a caiman at least 1.5 meters long ran into the water right next to me, I revised this rash statement.
Impressive canoe tour
But I'll never forget the canoe trip. We felt like explorers. We stopped at the first river hotel: a small terraced house on stilts at the edge of the rainforest with the charm of a small jungle lodge. Terrace, kitchen, five rooms and bathrooms, all very simple, but clean and comfortable. After a few drinks and a good meal of fish, vegetables, rice, and fruit, we chatted until late into the night. Shortly after 4 a.m., I was woken by a rooster. He must have had good friends in the neighborhood. Now, what felt like ten other roosters were crowing from all directions. Perhaps 160 people live in the village. They keep chickens behind their houses. After breakfast, there was thunder and rain. Both so loud that any conversation was impossible. Nevertheless, dinner still had to be caught. They fished with bamboo sticks, fishing line, and a wire in front of a hook.
We used fresh beef as bait. As a child, I had learned to be quiet while fishing. Here, the fish are attracted by noise on the surface. After less than five minutes, we caught our first piranha. But it could only end up in a soup. Incidentally, even small specimens have immense bite power. Over the next few days, we repeatedly encountered men missing fingertips, fingers, or even a hand. The most famous fish in the Amazon region is called a piracuro. It resembles a catfish and grows up to 2.5 meters long. It sucks its food into its mouth with lightning speed using negative pressure. White dolphins came right up to the jetty and took the fish they had just caught. The locals say that if an illegitimate child is born, a white dolphin is the father. Different countries, different customs
Fascinating nature & biodiversity
Our guides explained to us how to survive in the jungle. Almost all of the forest's fruits are at unreachable heights, and you have to rely on anything on the ground. To test it out, we grilled some fat maggots from old tree bark. They tasted like peanut butter. But you can also climb trees—to search for food and to sleep. This isn't easy for the inexperienced.
The giant butterflies flying through the dense jungle are a feast for the eyes. For the last day, we chartered a two-deck wooden boat, typical of the Amazon. It was to take us and our luggage back downstream to Manaus. We took the helm for a while and fished from the boat. The historical sites we visited along the banks of the Rio Negro were interesting, including a spooky former prison with a leprosy infirmary, abandoned to the wild.
Shortly before sunset, we drove under the 3.5-kilometer-long Ponte Rio Negro, Brazil's longest and most expensive bridge, an impressive structure. The river narrows to about 2.7 kilometers at this point. We didn't reach the port of Manaus until after dark.
Conclusion: Pure adventure in a dreamlike world.