The Amazon revisited

From Manaus to Belém and Macapá, with an interlude in south-west Pará

Abstract

From April to May 2008, the Spanish journalist, Bernardo Gutierrez, sailed from Manaus to Belem in Brazil with stops in several cities along the lower section of the Amazon River. The story of the trip is told in Calle Amazonas: de Manaos a Belem por el Brasil Olvidado published in Spain in 2010. This paper shows how Gutierrez manages to intertwine three travel stories in his book. The first one reports the voyage through a network of waterways with descriptions of the places he visited. Linked to this first journey, the second one brings stories previously narrated by other travelers; a record composed of the regional cultural memory. The third trip delves into the adventure of writing itself. From his personal experiences on the expeditions and further readings about the subject, the journalist created – on the threshold between history and fiction, reality and fantasy – common elements, concerning the Amazon Forest since the time of its discovery and the accounts which make up this book.