It’s fitting that we are ending the Brazilian leg of our tour on the banks of the Amazon. Fitting for two reasons.
Our journey started in the south, on the River Iguassu and the falls. Nearly 7 weeks later we find ourselves in the north of Brazil on the Amazon. Two mighty rivers that span several countries and between them a country the size of Europe.
It’s been quite the up and down, which I suspect is to be expected for two novice nomads. There have been times when both of us have been close to calling it quits, unsure of the point of our travels. And there gave been times where we can barely wipe the smiles of our faces with the sheer joy of our experiences. There have been places where we haven’t been able to get out of quick enough and places that we have departed from with a heavy heart.
This is what traveling is about.
It’s fitting to leave Brazil from the Amazon for another reason too. In a little over 3 days we will be in the Peruvian Andes north of Lima. Every water source we see there on the Eastern faces if the mountains, from a tiny trickle down a rock front to streams and rivers, will ultimately end up in the Amazon river, pouring out more than 100 miles into the Atlantic Ocean, just east of Belem. We may not have used boats, but we ultimately will have seen the full stretch of the world’s greatest river system.
But for now we say goodbye to Brazil. It’s been a steep learning curve, and at times a real challenge. But when all’s said and done, it has rewarded in spades.
Alistair Cameron 