Presidente Figuerido

Brazil (Aquarela do Brasil) – Leslie Odom, Jr.

People from all over the planet come to Manaus to explore the Amazon.  But where do the people from Manaus go on vacation?  Presidente Figuerido, a resort town two hours north of Manaus and two degrees south of the equator.  That is where Ed and I would climb 50 meters up a rainforest tree.

But before we go climb a tree, let’s take a look and dip in one of the many rainforest waterfalls that the region around Presidente Figuerido is known for.  Unlike the falls of Iguaçu, these are accessible and relatively safe to utilize as a massive backscratcher.

The White Tree – Howard Shore (LOTR: Return of the King)

(Of course I can’t help myself from sprinkling this “tree” post with “tree” music.  It’s what I do…)

The dip in the waterfall was our “reward” or bonus after our tree-climbing excursion.  Three guides drove us from Manaus past Presidente Figuerido to a particular location in the rainforest where a designated tree – particularly high and sturdy – is used for a vertical journey up to the canopy.

To the right is “our” tree.

First one of the guides climbed up and attached the red cables – one for each of us – onto two sturdy branches about 50 meters above.

Dowland: The Lowest Trees Have Tops – Sting / Eden Karamazov

We were instructed in the proper technique using the cables and equipment to pull ourselves up – it’s quite the full body exercise, but easier if you are short and light – and then made our way to the canopy.

The Linden Tree – Osipov State Russian Folk Orchestra

Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree – The Andrews Sisters

And now we are up at rainforest penthouse level.

The Cottonwood Tree – Y’All

I would have loved to be able to reach my head just over the canopy and get a panoramic view of the rainforest from above – a la Bilbo Baggins in Mirkwood in the second Hobbit movie – but as it wasn’t possible to go higher than the branch from which our cables were hanging, the view was from the top, but not quite over the top.

One of the guides entertained us with some “free-hanging” stunts.

Treebeard – Howard Shore (LOTR: The Two Towers)

Ed tightens my shoelace before the swift rappel down.