One of the first things that comes to mind when the word "Brazil" is mentioned is "Carnival", since this festival is a major event in the country. But Carnival only lasts a few days, so the Brazilians have other festivals to celebrate special events in the country. One of these festivals is the Boi Bumba, which is held each June in
Parintins on the Amazon River. We were in Parintins in January, but the townspeople put on a special Boi Bumba show for the Seven Seas Mariner passengers. The
Boi Bumba story is based on an old legend featuring a beautiful girl and a bull, but the festival is a Brazilian operetta, with much singing,
dancing, and drumming. It was great fun.
Downtown Parintins did not have much to offer, but it was interesting to see how important this festival is to the town. The Boi Bumba team symbols and bull statues remain in place year round, and the donkey carts mixing with motor bikes are an interesting site. Parintins had a small flea market, and most of us bought souvenirs there, including a stuffed piranha for Ronnie's "room of squalor" (den) back home.
We sailed from Parintins in the late afternoon, with the Boi Bumba drums still beating in our heads. The Seven Seas Mariner continued its westward voyage up the Amazon towards Manaus.
