Boca means "mouth of" and this tiny town is at the entrance to the Valeria River. Despite centuries of effort to overcome the dominance of nature, people have made little impact on the Amazon. No bridge spans the river and except near its mouth, the Amazon watershed constitutes one of the most thinly populated regions in the world.
The economy continues to be dominated by primitive agriculture, hunting and fishing, and the gathering of various forest products. We saw much flora and fauna, including the capybara (the largest rodent in the world that can grow to 4 feet in length and weigh 100 pounds); toucans; tiny little frogs camouflaged under leaves; and of course the pink dolphins. These dolphins are born white, but with the iron-rich sediment in the water, they slowly turn pink. The older they are, the pinker they get. 
Villagers in dugout canoes came to greet our tenders. This village is a typical "Caboclo" village 
(river dwellers) and still maintains a very primitive lifestyle. Notice the poor school and the houses. We strayed away from the village accompanied by 2 young local girls and they pointed out incredibly beautiful butterflies, parakeets, various trees, 2 types of banana trees - and all accompanied by a cacophony of sounds, the sounds of the Amazon.
Much of the territory has never been thoroughly explored and you may fly for hours over the 
tropical forests and see no sign of human settlement. Because of its vastness, the Amazon is often called the Ocean River.
tropical forests and see no sign of human settlement. Because of its vastness, the Amazon is often called the Ocean River. 
The economy continues to be dominated by primitive agriculture, hunting and fishing, and the gathering of various forest products. We saw much flora and fauna, including the capybara (the largest rodent in the world that can grow to 4 feet in length and weigh 100 pounds); toucans; tiny little frogs camouflaged under leaves; and of course the pink dolphins. These dolphins are born white, but with the iron-rich sediment in the water, they slowly turn pink. The older they are, the pinker they get. 
Villagers in dugout canoes came to greet our tenders. This village is a typical "Caboclo" village 
(river dwellers) and still maintains a very primitive lifestyle. Notice the poor school and the houses. We strayed away from the village accompanied by 2 young local girls and they pointed out incredibly beautiful butterflies, parakeets, various trees, 2 types of banana trees - and all accompanied by a cacophony of sounds, the sounds of the Amazon.
As we left this town, we soon passed the deepest part of the Amazon River at 300 feet deep, then the narrowest part. There are many tributaries to get to Manaus, but we took the northernmost route.
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