Day 11 – Boca Da Valeria

 12/4/14 – The tiny village of Boca Da Valeria, “mouth of the Valeria River,” lies on a 400-foot hill overlooking the Amazon at the point where the Amazon and Valeria converge.  This fishing and trading village, population 75 – 100, is sustained by tourists’ purchases. 

The ship anchored near the village and immediately, a number of large canoes sprinted from the village to the side of the ship to offer souvenirs to those who were disembarking.  At this stop, the ship’s tenders were used to get passengers to the village and back.  The village children want to act as guides to the tourists, of course in exchange for payment.  The anthropologist lecturer on board the ship had told us that the village was really a mock-up, and that the residents lived behind the hill in relatively modern accommodations.  It was stiflingly hot and humid and we decided to see the village from the ship instead of touring it. 

Our stop was for about four hours before continuing upriver toward Manaus, our turn-around port.