We had booked Gil Serique from England and on our arrival at Santarem, Gil was waiting at the harbour gate. Unfortunately several other persons from the ship failed to turn up however this did not cause Gil a problem and we started our trip. He was so enthusiastic right from the start about what we would be seeing and experiencing throughout the day. Initially going to the local fish market we saw pink dolphins being fed but the water of the Amazon being cloudy it was only when they surfaced you had a view of them. After this we went to the quay and boarded our boat. The boat was large and spacious with more crew than passengers but again this did not affect the welcome, enthusiasm or friendliness of Gil and the crew. We were served fried fish and drinks soft and alcoholic whilst we travelled further into the river passing other boats from our cruise ship who were fishing for piranhas. As we travelled Gil gave a talk on the rubber plantations and the slavery which existed there showing paintings relating to this time. After mooring we went on smaller canoes and was able to land at other points on the river. After returning to the main boat we had barbecued fish and returned to Santarém. All in all a wonderful day with a man so into the environment it was great to see. On returning to our cruise ship and hearing what other passengers had experienced from the local trips it was apparent how much more we had experienced. I have since returning recommended this trip to our friends who will be going to the Amazon next year without any worry.
