Normally Gil Serique’s tour in his hometown of Alter do Chão, about a 40 minute drive from Santarėm, is a little over 5 hours and includes a drive through Henry Ford’s town of Belterra and a walk in the Tapajós National Forest where Gil guides visitors along a trail pointing out plants and wildlife. But we were concerned that we were only in town for five and a half hours and with tendering we would not have enough time for the tour, especially if there were a car breakdown or accident, or if my walking pace slowed us all down. If we missed the ship, we would not be able to catch up until it was on the other side of the ocean, more than a week later, in Cabo Verde. That was an expense none of us wanted to risk.
So, Gil reimagined the tour. He met us at the tender, and we took a small boat through the back channels to a larger boat where we toured Green Lake. The water is not green, it’s clear, draining off the Brazilian Shield, but it reflects the green rainforest surrounding it. There is not as much wildlife here as out of Santarėm, but the scenery is beautiful.
Gil treated us to a spread of local foods and music. The food included cheese made from local water buffalo milk, fresh fruits, Brazil and Cashew nuts and other local foods. His Brother-in-law produced a Bosa Nova album. Gil took the cover photo, so we had local recorded music. Gil also shared a music video “Earth Song” that Michael Jackson produced with clips from Tanzania, Croatia, and in Brazil. Gil guided the party on the Amazon and makes several fleeting appearances in the video. I think he knows everyone.
The boat took us to Gil’s home along the river, which is mostly open on the sides. He shared more stories, showed us pictures and we watched a thunderstorm sweep across the river from his open “living room.” We did some bird watching and Gil apologized because no monkeys paid us a visit.
When it came time to go back to the tender, Pam and John walked while Gil grabbed Suzi and me a cab to an area where we could enjoy markets and live music before getting back to the tender.
