Pools of Infinity

Hey, the first episode of 5Takes is tonight! If anyone watches, let me know what you think. And in other news from the states, I hear The National played great shows in NYC. Everyone should make a point to pick up their new album 'Boxer.'

So I'm leaving Manaus in about 4 hours, headed for Rio De Janerio. Why we have a 3:30am flight is beyond me. I didn't even know people scheduled flights for 3:30am. But hey, why would I know anything about the airline industry? Oh wait...

Today was the most relaxing day. I ate a lot and about 75% of my day was spent at the Infinity Pool. Now I don't know if anyone else is privy to these new fangled "infinity pools" but they are pretty awesome.



Get it? Pretty sweet, right? Especially since it's on the Amazon. It's also hard to take a bad looking photo around it.



I was relax to the max.



Then I finally got a (semi)descent photo of a dolphin.



As the sun was setting I finished my second book of the trip, "The Old Man and the Sea." What an awesome book. I read it years and years ago back in homeschool and remembered it having a profound effect on me back then and now I feel like it'll be one of those books that pops up sporadically throughout my life. Since it was such a great setting to finish a book about being on the water, I took some more pictures.




Walking back to our hotel, we saw a sloth! I dubbed him "Chewy" in honor of his great wookie ancestor.




And as promised here is my collection of instruments so far.



I'd post pictures of the hotel, but they aren't really that interesting comparatively.

Jack Kodiak asked for a poem about the Amazon, but I like haikus better, so here we go:

Rivers of life and rain
Glad the gator didn't eat me
Thank you for the tan

Now it's time to pack up and say farewell to the Amazon. See you in Rio!

Amazonas

Perhaps it's the sun or perhaps it's the malaria pills, but for some reason this week I've been really tired. At night I've barely had enough energy to get my work done much less for blogging. And there have been a lot of nighttime activities. So I've just been beat.

I am staying in the most amazing hotel I've ever seen. It's like a huge expansive of long wide hallways with beautiful mahogany doors and gigantic, ornate, hanging street lamps. There are pools and restaurants everywhere. I will take pictures before I leave, but for the time being, let's check out some photos.

First off- The Amazon River is in my backyard. The first day we were here we took a boat tour down the river and saw the Pointe de Negro, which is where the Yellow River and Black River (Rio Solomoes and Rio Negro) meet. It's incredible. Two completely different colors butt up beside each other, but don't mix. There's science behind it which I don't remember how to explain.



Here's a freighter from the Yellow River, then from the Black River




On the Amazon there are lots of people who live right on the water either in floating houses or houses on stilts. It's pretty awesome and I love that they wave at you if you start taking their pictures.






So then we got off at this floating restaurant/market and walked down this dock through the flooded forest. Now there is tons of animal life all over the place and yes, I did get a few pictures, but what I didn't get were the monkeys which were too far away to get a good shot of (why oh why didn't I get that long lens?!) and the fresh water dolphins which were too quick for me. Well, I got a fin, but that's it and not worth posting.






Maybe you notice the alligator in that last one, hmm? And here's the crew in the boat.



Needless to say, it was an amazing experience. Now I hate that I didn't separate these into different posts, but since I was a slacker this week, you'll have to just pause for a second, maybe go pour another cup of coffee, then keep on for the second part...

Near our hotel is the Pointe De Negro and right now there is a big festival going on with a open market full of bead necklaces and silly shirts. We walked through it yesterday before it was open while they were still setting up the stage and found this little pier and started taking pictures. A handful of local boys came up and started diving into the water and petitioning us to take their pictures as they leap in. It was really surreal and also really hilarious. I got a couple shots that I am really proud of.






Pretty cool, eh?

And finally I made another song, which I'm not sure if I like as much, but it's longer and has the same vibe as the first. I have purchased two new instruments which I haven't taken pictures of, but I will and they'll be included with the hotel pictures. Scouts honor.

MP3 - Manaus (#6)

Whew, ok mammoth post I know. Next stop Rio de Janerio!