Carnaval has nothing on Boi Bumba!

Another rainy day in the rainforest. Today we are in Parantis, which is on an island in the Amazon river. Although it feels like a very small town, there are actually 50,000 people here. Services seemed fairly primitive....no wi-fi....few restaurants that looked appealing. But...the beer was cheap, the streets easy to navigate, and we met a new friend.

Our new friend could easily be a pygmy descendant. She spoke no English, and it didn't even sound like Portugese, but she had a beautiful smile and was very excited to greet us and wave to us as we sat at a red plastic table that was right beside one she was sitting at. At first I thought she was about 8 years old, as she was roughly that size. However, she was already on her second big beer and she had a pack of cigarettes beside her, so we reckoned she had to be older than 8! Every time we glanced her way, she would wave, smile and say something to us. When we left, she came over and hugged me and shook my hand. Amazing how big beers can promote bonding.

The town is 200 years old and was once a thriving Indian centre. It celebrates its culture in a vibrant way with an annual “Boi-Bumba” festival, which has been taking place here for 80 years. Similar to the intensity and fanatic fervour of Rio's Carnaval, the Boi-Bumba (meaning “Bull Dance”) is a three day event held in June and doubles this sleepy town's population.

We had the opportunity to see a special show Boi Bumba show at the local convention centre and it was truly spectacular. The costumes, the dancing, the music....it was all fantastic and a great way to spend a rainy afternoon while in the Amazon.

Tomorrow we are in Manaus, a large city that features opulent houses and buildings built by the rubber barons.

 Parantis' Boi Bumba festival is said to be the largest cultural manifestation in Brazil, with thousands of Brailians and foreigners making the trek to the Amazon Basin to experience it for themselves. We were lucky enough to get a special show that was spectacular in terms of music, dancing and costumes.

 Another of the many dancers in the show.

During the festival, every resident of Parantis chooses a side....either the red or blue. Once you've made your decision, you stick with it for life, and your family sticks with it as well. People get so involved they will paint their houses red or blue, depending on their allegiance. I am sure this is the only place in the world where Coca-Cola also has signs in blue, to placate the blue-loving Boi Bumbas!

Guess who just had to get his picture taken with one of the dancers!