Week 3 Begins in Belem

Our flight from Santarem to Belem was spectacular and allowed us to experience the vast beauty of the Amazon basin. The river is still in it's rising phase, which will culminate at the end of June. There are areas where it appears to be a flood zone with no defined river, while other times the river is more defined with banks, as it meanders gently toward the Atlantic Ocean. As we approached Belem the river was joined by a number of tributaries and widened to an expanse, where one cannot discern the sea from the river. Fluvial islands and forest are laced with channels of water.

Our team was greeted at the airport in Belem by the District 4720 Governor, Lourenco, Governor-elect Geraldo and representatives from the six Rotary clubs in the city. After a group picture each team member was assigned to a host, who took the GSE Team members to their respective homes. We convened at 7:00 p.m. at the downtown Rotary meeting place, which is shared by all clubs, to meet with the East Belem Rotary Club. Our team made its presentation and then dispersed back to their respective host locations.

The schedule for the week is still being finalized and some confusion remains about the next day's gathering. I'm certain we will work everything out in the end. This experience will be the team's first challenge for individual survival within the Brazilian culture, without ready access to their personal translator.