Palms On The Rock.

I've always had a deep fascination with our ancestry and evolution but never came close to any tangible records of it. And when I read that around Monte Alegre there have been discovered caves and artifacts, including wall paintings several thousand years old, I could not resist. The Andes were always thought to be the main hub of prehistoric settlement but apparently during the last few decades signs of human presence have been unearthed in the Amazon basin. And pretty much all of it is right here, a few kilometers away.

The ride to the mountains is dirty and rough but fun. The rocky mounts among deep green, the snaky red soil and the river in the distance are amazing. But the palm prints and obscure red symbols dedicated to sunrise were what put all in context. Don't get me wrong, I love nature and despite never being the first to jump on a chance for a good hike, I'll follow along. But in reality, the presence of marks of human fingers on the earth is the treasure. It's the inescapable link with our past and the rest of the planet. And most of the time it's not as obvious at it sounds .

Cheerful Mountain.

Word was in Santarém that a nearby town is not to be missed. Not usually visited and with some unique scenery it quickly squeezed in the itinerary. Monte Alegre lies on the north bank of the Amazon, sits atop a hill and furnishes some spectacular views over the river.

The secret lies in the marshland and freshwater lakes at the bottom of the hill. In fact the boat that took me there had to take a sharp turn left a little further down the river to return to the protected little port. This very system of lakes sports the most diverse collection of bird-life in the whole of the Amazon and it's gloriously visible from almost everywhere in the town. The town itself is dominated by the winding uphill roads and ultimately a steep pedestrian pass that leads to a stone ladder just in front of the main square and church.

Of course my favorite points were the port, with the merchandise being in constant move and some weird looking black birds (where they vultures?) roaming the half deserted alleys in the midday heat; and the upper town market with the old ladies gutting fish among smoky taxis, noisy old buses and rainbow coloured fruits. Oh, and hundreds of Moto-Taxis again. The truth is that throughout the town and especially at the above places, my presence was an eye-popping curiosity but I have to admit that most locals did a fairly good job in pretending to be cool about it. They're great people anyway and I can't complain.