Furo Comprido, Amazon

Meaning Long Hole, Furo Comrido is an old cut-off arm of the river. It lets us explore the forest and the local people. The Amazon changes course as it meanders across the flat lowlands. Loops are sometimes cut off leaving side channels like this. Gallery vegetation at the entrance to the side arm is a good example of plants ‘fighting’ for the best place in the sun. Water does not limit rainforest growth here (perhaps you have noticed it rains frequently) but light does. Getting enough solar energy to photosynthesize is what makes or breaks the growing potential of each plant. Look for wildlife here. If it is sunny, spot butterflies and other flying insects. Search amongst the thousands of different green shades of the forest for monkeys and birds. Many are hard to find as they hide from predators, but bright coloured birds like tanagers and manakins show up as they flit amongst the foliage. Flocks of parrots, parrotlets, and parakeets are more obvious. The Blue and Yellow Macaws and the Scarlet Macaw are particularly spectacular—with or without a pirate. Many people living around the rivers call themselves Cabocles. Ethnically they combine European, Indian and Black African ancestry. When the Portuguese settled Brazil, the Indian population declined from introduced diseases for hundreds of years. Many survivors ‘mingled’ with the newer arrivals to produce today’s Cabocles. Elements of the culture of all the groups persist, such as the Indian use of traditional rainforest foods and medicines.