Manaus, Brazil ~ April 25, 2007
I posted a photo of boats at the Manaus Central Market docks last year, but that was the "travel brochure" shot. In reality, the docks were fascinating and picturesque, but also hot and littered with garbage. The water is the Amazon River. Here at Manaus, the Rio Negro and the Solimoes join together to form the beginning of what we commonly think of as "The Amazon." The trees we see across the water may indicate the opposite bank, or they may be on a very long island marking part of the channel at this point. The width of the river changes vastly depending on the season, and what were once river banks become islands or are completely submerged. According to Wikipedia, "The width of the Amazon varies between 1.6 and 10 kilometres (0.99 and 6.2 mi) at low stage, but expands during the wet season to 48 kilometres (30 mi) or more." I expect that 30 miles is nearer the mouth of the river, but in any season the Amazon has fewer distinct banks than most rivers. I'll include a few more Amazon photos this weekend.
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