At 05:00 h our boat (100 passengers maximum capacity) will depart from the Beira Rio Hotel, conveniently situated, as its Portuguese name indicates, on the large Guamá River. The first stop will be at the "Ilha dos Papagaios" (Parrot Island), a famous roost for native parrots, where we will arrive at dawn, just in time to see the birds wake up and take flight in large mixed flocks. This excursion is an unforgettable experience and August is the best time of the year to see the parrots' spectacular show.
Our boat will then return to the Beira Rio Hotel, where a reinforced breakfast will be served. Those who were too tired to visit the parrots in the early morning will be welcome to join the boat that departs again 09:00 h for the second part of the programme: cruising through river channels, mangroves and inundated forest, and an easy walk along ecological trails into the forest along marked trails with the identification of several typical Amazonian trees. Duration: four hours.
At 13:00 h a buffet lunch will be waiting for us at the Saudosa Maloca restaurant on Combu Island. This will be the official XIX IBAC banquet, but with a minimum of speeches and a lot of typical foods: various local fishes, water buffalo meat, native vegetables and fruits.
After lunch, our boat will take us back to Belém and cruise the city's riverfront to show us the historic monuments. At the end of the day, we will anchor at the old waterfront docks, now transformed into a fashionable cultural and gastronomical center. After a visit to this pleasant spot, now called the "Estação das Docas", bus or car transportation will be provided to the hotels.
Price: R$100,00 per person (around 30 Euros or US$ 35.00), including breakfast, lunch with one soft drink or mineral water, and transportation from and to the hotels. Extra beverages, including beer, will be available at cost. An English-speaking guide will accompany the whole excursion. Reservations can be made during registration at the beginning of the congress.
Other city and boat tours are available every day. See Venue Information on the XIX IBAC web site: www.cultura.ufpa.br/ibac. Congress delegates are entitled to an individual discount of 10%, and 30% discount for groups of at least 10 persons. For any additional information, please contact us by e-mail: ibacbrazil@uol.com.br
Post-Congress Excursion
Programme
The excursion will sail by
boat from Belém on the 15th at night. Luggages can be left at the
hotel, where we will be back on the 19th in late afternoon.
Price is expected to be around R$ 500,00 (about 180.00 US$), all included, per person.
Maximum: 16 persons. Registration can be made in advance at our e-mail address, ibacbrazil@uol.com.br
A Caxiuanã Fact Sheet for Visitors
The Ferreira Penna Research Station in the Caxiuanã National Forest is an area of about 33,000 hectares of undisturbed Amazonian forest that is administered by the Emílio Goeldi Museum as a reference center for the biological diversity of the lower Amazon valley. This reserve is about 200 km from Belém and is reached by riverboat from the city of Breves on Marajó Island.
This area exhibits some of the most diverse forests in the Brazilian Amazon. The reserve is mostly dense, closed forest (80%) but also has enclaves of savanna and open forest, as well as swamp and floodplain forests. Brazil nut trees (Bertholletia excelsa), yellowwood trees (Bowdichia nitida), Amazon ironwood trees (Mezilaurus itauba), rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis) and Amazon copa trees (Jacaranda copaia) can be seen in the upland forest. There are giant kapok trees (Ceiba pentandra), virola trees (Virola spp), "anani" trees (Symphonia globulifera), and "pachira" trees (Pachira aquatica). Palm trees are represented by the very useful assai palm (Euterpe oleraceae), the stately buriti palm (Mauritia flexuosa) and some 35 other species.
Yearly rainfall at the station is about 2.8 m, and the rainy season runs from November through April. August is the month with least rainfall (average of 56.8 mm), and average daily temperatures for this month are about 27ºC, with maximum temperatures of 33.5ºC and nighttime minimum temperatures of 23ºC. Because of the high relative humidity of the air (rarely less than 85%), visitors may feel that the temperatures are higher than they actually are. Comfortable, light clothes that dry quickly are recommended.
Happily, mosquitoes are not a problem at the station. Ticks may be encountered in the forest, but common insect repellents keep them from hitching a ride on people.
To protect against sunburn, especially when on the riverboat or in a motorboat, visitors should use sun block (factor 15 or higher) and wear a hat.
For walks in the forest, boots or tennis shoes are recommended, as are long pants (as opposed to Bermuda shorts).
Be sure to bring your swimming suit for a dip in the refreshing black waters of the Curuá River in front of the station (the piranhas won't bit).
The station has comfortable apartments with bathrooms, a TV lounge, a library, a small clinic and a fine restaurant. The trail system permits easy access into the forest, but first-time visitors are urged to go with one of the experienced local guides. Early morning breakfast is available for bird-watchers. Communication with the rest of the world is via a radio link to Belém (no telephones).
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Last modification: Jul, 16, 2003
