Alter do Chao, Tapajos National Forest, Beltera
After reading numerous
reviews of famous Amazon guide Gil Serique on Trip Advisor, we booked a Meeting
of the Waters (Santarem) and Tapajos National Forest (Alter do Chao) excursions
with him during our cruise to Brazil in February and March 2014. Our Amazon
guide, Gil Serique, is one of those people that truly live up to their
reputation and actually deliver more than what they promise. He is the real
deal, and a trip with him is a destination in itself. Although this excursion
is shown at Santarem on Trip Advisor, we did this tour during our stop at Alter
do Chao, where our guide Gil Serique lives. Gil met us at the tender dock with
a clean, well maintained, air conditioned multi-passenger van, driven by a very
safe and conscientious driver. As soon as we had our group together, we were on
our way to the Tapajos National Forest. From the first introduction you know
that you are in for a real treat. Gil has an immensely charming, open,
enthusiastic and friendly personality that is captivating from the first
handshake. He has a very good command of English, is easy to understand, and
very approachable for questions. Gil also has a never ending supply of
interesting and humorous stories about the Amazon, his family's exploits in the
region, and everything you want to know about the history, culture, and nature
in the Amazon. Gil told us by email that because of the short time available to
us, and the many things he wanted to show us, we would not have time to stop
for lunch, but instead he would provide some nuts, fruit, and beverages. What
an understatement! When we arrived at the Tapajos National Forest, large
platters of pineapple, Brazil nuts, watermelon and many other unfamiliar, but
delicious tropical fruits were waiting for us to snack on before heading into
the rainforest and a trip to his family's ancestral property, which is now part
of the national forest. Gil showed us how rubber is extracted from the trees,
and gave us an excellent history of the Brazilian rubber industry, including
Henry Ford's failed Fordlandia and Belle Terra rubber plantations. Gil took us
to Belle Terra on the way back to Alter do Chao after our rainforest adventure
. Gil suggested reading the book "Thief at the End of the World", a
novel by Joe Jackson which is a historical account of the theft of Brazilian
rubber seeds which had a devastating impact on Brazil's rubber economy. It was
good advice. Gil timed our trip so we had time to visit his house on the shore
in Alter do Chao, where he treated us to a magnificent platter of fried fish,
rice, and vegetables accompanied by wonderful Caipirinhas. If you have the
opportunity to do this excursion with Gil Serique, do whatever it takes to make
it happen. I also posted a review of our other excursion with Gil Serique,
Meeting of the Waters, at Santarem..
Visited March 2014
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