The thing about an Immersive Learning Journey is that you learn things on the go without even realising it. We walked through a square where the Opera House stood, beautiful and pink, and we discussed the colonial history of Brazil. We strolled through the market and learned about the different textiles, colours and skills used in the local crafts and how the economy works here. We saw, smelled, and tasted traditional medicine used here. We got caught in a torrential downpour and we saw how the Manauaras (locals) responded to inconveniences - they calmly packed their wares under umbrellas and plastic and waited for the rain to pass to continue their jobs.

 

We continued walking to the fishery where the City of Manaus borders on the Rio Negro river and met a harsher reality than the happy one we had been exposed to in our neighbourhood. It was a different and difficult reality to see as we stepped over dirty roads and sidewalks. We watched fishermen on the banks of the river hauling up nets of fish with no abandon to send to the fishery, garbage and sewerage falling into the river from the people who turn their backs to the nature.

 

After that busy morning we had our first small introduction to the rainforest when we went to MUSA and looked out over the canopy of the forest from above. The city skyline with its angular buildings contrasted so deeply with the soft curves of the treetops. We got acquainted with the fish, spiders and snakes of the Amazon; we saw the orchids and epiphytes in greenhouses; and we read the stories and myths of the jungle displayed on billboards at intervals on the trail. Our last stop of the day was to meet with FAS (The Sustainable Amazon Foundation) who lead the Amazon.edu trips that allow for immersive journeys such as ours.