NORTHERN BRAZIL - Brazil - page 281

Parintins 2
Amazonas. * 105,000. g from
Manaus. n [phone].
_ Festa do Boi Bumbá (Jun); Festa
das Pastorinhas (Dec-Jan).

A large jungle town, Parintins
was originally the refuge of
a community of indigenous
riverine people, known as
caboclos, who were escaping
Portuguese slave traders.
Today, Parintins is best
known for its popular Festa
do Boi Bumbá. The festival is
celebrated in June, when the
town gets so packed that
visitors often stay on boats.
Though there is little else
to see, besides the well-
preserved colonial architec-
ture, Parintins is known for its
rich indigenous culture. The
local handicrafts make unique
souvenirs. The flea markets
sell everything from masks,
trinkets, lace, bead-work, and
mahogany carvings. During
the dry season, boat trips can
be taken to nearby lakes and
river beaches.

Cormorants and great egrets in the Mamirauá Reserve

including guided nature
expeditions in the lakes
and trails in the forest.
The preserve also offers
comfortable and ecologically
sound accommodation at the
Uakari Floating Lodge (see
p383) close to forest trails,
pretty jungle lakes, and
caboclo communities. Book
through a Manaus tour com-
pany, or directly with the
Programa de Ecoturismo in
Tefé, 16 miles (25 km) south.

O Instituto de
Desenvolvimento
Sustentável Mamirauá
280 miles (450 km) W of Manaus.
www .mamiraua.org.br Programa
de Ecoturismo Tel [phone].
Located at the confluence of
two rivers, the Rio Solimões
and Rio Japurá, the Mamirauá
Sustainable Development
Reserve covers an area of
3.65 million acres (1.25 million
ha). Since 1990, when it was
declared an ecological station,
the Mamirauá Reserve has
been one of Brazil's most
prized ecotourism spots.
Splendid and luxuriant, its
várzea (seasonally flooded)
vegetation offers plenty of
opportunity for spotting
abundant wildlife, including
endemic species such as the
white uakari monkey and
black-headed squirrel
monkey. The annual flood
transforms the life of the
whole region. During the
high water season, fish invade
the flooded forest and dis-
perse seeds as they move
about. More than 300 species
of fish have already been
catalogued in the reserve.
Mamirauá is also home to
pink river dolphin, great
egret, and the rare scarlet
macaw. The Neotropic cor-
morant, whose diet consists
mainly of fish, can be spotted
swimming and feeding in
large, noisy flocks.
In the dry season, which
lasts from September to
December, one can walk
on trails, or paddle almost
silently through them on
canoes. The preserve's eco-
tourism program features a
range of activities, which also

FESTA DO BOI BUMBÁ
The vibrant festival, Festa do Boi Bumbá, is centered
around a ritualistic dance recounting the death and rebirth
of a legendary boi (ox). Originating on the 18th-century
Northeast plantations, the festival arrived in Parintins
almost 100 years ago with the Cid brothers from Maranhão.
They brought with them the Bumba-meu-boi (see p43)
musical influence, steeped in the vibrant rhythms of the
Northeast. The last few decades saw the festival gaining in
prominence. Every June, at least 35,000 people crowd into
Bumbódromo, a purpose-built stadium in the town center,
to join in the revelries. The fantastic procession incorpo-
rates dazzlingly dressed participants, including mytho-
logical beasts. The rivalry between the two competing
camps, the red Garantido and the blue Caprichoso groups,
is expressed in traditional songs. Over the years, this
competitive spirit, which goes right down to who wears
the most outlandish costume, has brought forth some
radical and electrifying spectacles.

Garantido in bright red headgear, gearing up for the contest