Jungle Walk!

We began our second morning on the Premium Clipper with another glorious 5:30 AM wakeup call, and an opportunity to watch the sunrise over the Rio Negro from our canoes.  

After a quick breakfast we were back in the boats and off to venture through the jungle.  Here our guide got us acquainted with the forest, teaching us about its insects, medicinal plants, and a few key survival techniques.

We followed the sun through the forest, our only means of orientation, and after arriving at the top of a hill we had a quick fire starting lesson using sap, dried wood shavings, a rock, and our trusty machete.

After this sweltering hike we were greeted with a sudden thunderstorm, a very common occurrence in Amazonia.  While working our way back to our canoes, we stumbled upon a tarantula that had been coaxed from its nest by the rainfall.  It was about the size of a softball...




After our morning adventures had finished, we had an opportunity to jump from the Premium Clipper into the river, it was a blast!

After lunch it was time for another canoe tour where we saw many more birds than before, including several blue and yellow Macaws and some Toucans! The scenery was breathtaking that day, and as we rounded a bend, there was a massive double rainbow right in front of us! Double rainbow!!

As the sun set over the Rio Negro, some of us stood on the top deck to participate in a yoga lesson taught by Sue, while others prepared for another nighttime canoe tour.  Afterwards, exhausted and happy, we returned to our cabins to rest up for another exciting day! (Starting at 5:30 once again.)

The memories will last a lifetime!

Love,

Kiera and Dave

Journey Into the Amazon

On January 22, we all left the Tropical Manaus resort for the Premium Clipper cruise. The Tropical Manaus resort was pretty neat, which contained a zoological exhibit with capybaras, monkeys, macaws, and coatis, a small shopping center, basketball courts, pool, and many other neat features. This was our first day on the Premium Clipper boat. This boat was our home until Saturday, January 25. The staff greeted the new guests with a glass of orange juice on the house, fed us soup and dinner, and took us on a night canoe. The tour guide showed us the Rio Negro rainforest at night. He caught a frog with some toxins (not enough to harm a tour guide), captured a non-venomous snake on a tree branch, and brought a caiman (a type of crocodilian) back to the Premium Clipper to show guests. The visitors took pictures of the caiman, and also posed with it. At the end, the caiman was released back into the water, and swam in the river. The other animal species were also freed into the wild after the tour guide explained the name of the species, and other fun facts. Another amazing feature of this canoe tour was the brilliant night sky. It was a wonderful sight to be floating along the river with the bountiful stars filling the sky. Numerous shooting stars could be spotted, as well. It was a wonderful first day to start the trip of a lifetime.

Greetings from the Airport!

Darrell & Laurie

A Night in the Amazon

Monday was the day we ventured out into the Amazon forest with nothing but our backpacks, bug spray, and, of course, our sketchbooks. For many of us, staying in the forest with no contact to the outside world was out of our comfort zone. It began with a 50 minute truck ride down dirt roads until we reached a dead end with a worn path leading deep into the forest. After a short hike, we arrived at the research station, which consisted of a small kitchen area, sleeping area with hammocks, and two small bathrooms. All supplies for the camp are brought in using wheel barrows and meals are prepared family-style by the research staff.

After an authentic Brazilian lunch, we went on a long hike through the forest stopping along the way to listen to birds and appreciate the variety of flora and nature around us. It was extreme hot and humid and with no showers, it was an adjustment for all of us.

Back at the campsite, we discussed a reading about the history of the Amazon and how the native tribes have affected the ecosystems within. We all found this extremely interesting and thought it was a good introduction to our trip through the Amazon. We then worked on our sketches...being surrounded by all the diverse nature gave us many inspirations.

Soon the sun set and after dinner, we all sat around and played cards and shared some scary stories before the generator was shut off and we were left with just our flashlights. We then settled into our hammocks and attempted to get a good night's sleep. This was no easy task due to all the sounds of monkeys and bullfrogs around us. Overall, it was an amazing experience that gave us a chance to truly experience the Amazon.

Cheers! (Pictures to come!!)
Olivia and Kara

Friday, January 17 Fun filled day!

Today we had class in morning as usual and learned about the difference between space and place in landscape and architectural design.  Afterwards, we were given the opportunity to see what we had discussed in action at an incredibly designed architect’s office and talk to the team running the business.  The group of ambitious females showed us around, talked to us about how they got started, unique projects (and clients) they’ve worked with, and gave us an in-depth look into what daily life is like for a landscape and architectural designer.  The office wasn’t the only thing to be amazed by; the women themselves and their success inspired us all. 

For dinner we excitedly walked into town for our very first Brazilian steakhouse experience. To start, we all hit the salad bar, which we could have made a meal of alone. There was a large variety of dishes ranging from potato salad to fresh sushi, crab & corn pasta to fried fish and everything in between (including many dishes we had never seen before). Once we sat down, the servers began bringing around different hot meats to cut off if your individual coaster was on the green side. We had various steaks, chicken, sausages, beefs, ox, chicken hearts—every kind of meat you could imagine.  Once you need a break you simply flip the coaster to the red side and the servers know not to offer you more until you flip it back to the green side.  It was quite an experience and delicious to say the least!

After we all had time to digest, the crew headed for our first night out in Lapa.  It’s a busy downtown area with a lively nightlife full of samba clubs.  It was a great bonding experience trying to keep up with the samba dances together and tons of fun! Can’t wait to practice and go back!

-Lindsay & Paulina 

And We Are Off!

Yesterday, we all had a relaxing free day where some of us went hang gliding, and others got some sun at the beach.  We then ventured out that evening to Rio Scenarium, a famous local club in Lapa, where they played authentic, live Brazilian music.  Everyone had a great time, but we didn't stay out long because the next day we were up early to travel to Manaus! We hopped on a four hour flight, and before we knew it we had arrived in a new hotel, Manaus Hotel Saint Paul.

After quickly dropping off our bags in our rooms, we headed out with our guide to get a taste of the local cuisine. Almost everyone tried some of Manaus' famous Tacacá. Tacacá is a hot amazonian soup, containing shrimp, manioc porridge, and Jambú leaves.  The amazing thing about the Jambú leaves is that they actually cause your tongue to feel slightly numb!

We spent the afternoon exploring our new hotel and resting up for the adventurous days ahead of us! That evening we took a stroll to the local square downtown, where we all grabbed a quick bite to eat. The square was full of life, with many children running around blowing bubbles and throwing light up toys into the air. Now we are off to bed for a good night's rest before our trek into the Amazon tomorrow!

Wish us luck!
-Gabby and Jesse

Back to work!

Our four day weekend has finally come to an end. After a few free days of relaxing and/or traveling our whole group is back on schedule. This morning we set off to visit the architectural office of Roberto Burle Marx. We were given a tour by the architects daughter and were shown all the upcoming plans that they are working on designing in the country. They showed us past and present projects and how they've turned out throughout many different countries. It was a great way to learn about landscape architecture!

Then we headed to lunch at the Colombo Cafeiteria. Lunch was buffet style in a beautifully designed building with walls made of mirrors. Dessert was the best part! We then quickly headed over to one of Burle Marx's designed gardens in the city and spent time sketching. Our focus was on shadows and shade.


Then we walked through the modern Catholic church of Rio and it was amazing! The entire church is cone shaped with stained glass designs on the sides. We were tired after a long day and headed back on the Metro.

For dinner we all headed to our new favorite restaurant Banana Jacks for some live music and good food. It's nice getting back into the routine and we can't wait to continue exploring Brazil!

-Colleen and Sarah

Free Weekend Back in Rio

Six of us decided to not venture to Iguazu Falls and hold the fort down at the Atlantis Copacabana Hotel back in Rio for the weekend. On our first free day, we started our morning off at the Hippie Fair a couple of blocks down from us.  You could easily spend an entire day there with so many talented craftsmen selling their unique artwork and goods.

Spontaneously, we decided to go hang gliding with a company through the hotel. We got picked up in a van and taken to the hang gliding office where we met our instructors.We split up into groups and went up the mountain in jeeps where we suited up in our special gear.  A few quick instructions were given by the guides and next thing we knew we were running full force down a ramp towards nothing but open air, mountains and a tiny beach shoreline in the far distance.  The flight was surprisingly peaceful, relaxing and calm with incredible changing views of the mountains and beach as we glided in turns towards the ground.  Luckily, all 6 of us made it alive *phew* Afterwards, they offered us pictures and a video of the flight to buy, which made for an awesome souvenir!

                     

On our next free day, Monday, we hopped on a 3-hour bus ride to Angra dos Reis, islands off the coast of Brazil. The boat was packed with tourists from all over the world lounging on the beds throughout the ship ready for take off.  For the next few hours, we sailed around island hopping to three different islands to swim, listen to the samba band on board and were also provided a big lunch. We got back to the mainland around 5pm and home around 8:30pm. By then, it's safe to say we were all exhausted.

                             

 

Tuesday, we decided to take it easy and relax a little. The six of us went to the beach for the day. Paul and Lindsay went paddle boarding and then the rest of us went up back to the hotel pool. After a long day of soaking up the sun, we went to dinner at a family-style Italian restaurant where they served big portions. We shared delicious sangria, two pastas and one seafood pasta dish where we all tried octopus! (We even got Colleen to try some!!) Then we topped the night off with a cup of refreshing acai and granola on our walk home :)

-Colleen, Jesse, Olivia, Paul, Paulina, Lindsay