Working Crew on Amazon Survivor pt 2 – First Week in the Amazon

Ariau Amazon Tower Hotel on the banks of the Rio Negro, in the heart of the Brazil Amazon

Working Crew on Amazon Survivor pt 2 –

 First Week in the Amazon 

Safely installed in Ariaus Amazon Tower Hotel, perched on the banks of the mighty Rio Negro, deep in the heart of the Brazil Amazon, I promptly settled into my first week crewing Amazon Survivor.

That entailed getting up at 5:30 am, a painfully early wake up, but at least sunlight was already streaming through the jungle, so I didn’t have to get up in darkness. Shaking off slumber, I would stroll down the hotel’s long meandering elevated walkways to the restaurant, where a big buffet breakfast was awaiting.

Fresh Fruit Buffet

Every day we crew were treated to a variety of tropical fruits, a selection of fresh breads, eggs made-to-order and other delicacies. The fresh juice bar was my favorite treat. Every day I selected my fruits of choice then watched the Brazilian girls blend up a nice nutritious smoothie.

Myself and the few members of my team on location so far kicked off the week by assisting the art department. We boarded a 7:00 am double-decker Amazon river boat down stream to the art department’s temporary studio, based in an old warehouse in Manaus city. That entailed a 2-hour river commute each morning and evening. I made great use of the travel time by exercising and writing in my journal.

our Amazon River Boat cruising on the Rio Negro

Our long commute meant very short work hours for film crew: only 9:00 to 4:00. My team were ‘forced’ to finish at 4 pm so we could catch the 5 pm boat back up river. With the regularly scheduled morning and afternoon breaks plus lunch we were cruising. During our brief stint in the art workshop I helped make several props and age-d things (make them look older with a paint´wash´).

Just when I was getting into the river trip / art workshop routine, we were switched up and sent off to work in the jungle. My team along with two leaders and a local guide set out to clear jungle for Survivor Amazon’s first challenge game.

our safety crew and forest guides on Amazon Survivor

Now before I go on, and for anyone who’s not too thrilled with the idea of clearing Amazon jungle for a TV show, let me say a few words to clarify. First off, the area we cleared was very very small. It was just a little patch of land beside a river tributary which would grow back quickly after we left.

Secondly, that particular patch of land was completely submerged under water for several months each year during monsoon season. It was perpetually starting itself over every year, with or without us. We were by no means clearing virgin rain forest!

Personally, I absolutely loved the work. We wielding machetes and whacked down small trees and bushes. Arghhhhh!! Jungle LASH!! We got all sweaty and scratched and sore. It was great fun! And eventful, too…

One day we ran full steam ahead into a patch of fire-stinging ants…OUCH! Another day we watched a large 3-4 ft. snake (identified tentatively as a viper. highly poisonous) fall out of a tree nearby. Our guide caught a big black scorpion. One scout spied a 3 M python on the river’s edge. Our safety man watched a crocodile swimming in the river. In short, we had a real adventure in the Amazon!

python on the banks of the Rio Negro tributary

My biggest adventure was a solo walk along a jungle trail. Very unlike me, I went off-trail to check out a massive tree. After circling the gorgeous rain forest tree, admiring it’s beauty, I had great difficulty locating the trail again. I was nearly lost in the Amazon! Yikes!

I’m sure I would’ve found my way back to the river due to our boat engines… but I decided I’d better stick with the group from then on. My decision was reinforced when the scout told me that leopards regularly prowled the area. Gulp.

Our team cleared the challenge area for three days… and suddenly that was the end of our first week! We’d spend two days making props in the art department and three days in the jungle.

clearing for a challenge set in the Amazon

The following day was our regularly scheduled next day off. Since we hadn’t been terribly busy the last day, I was able to catch the 5:00 pm boat down river to the luxury hotel in Manaus where some crew were staying. I had big plans to join up with the art department boys to go out clubbing.

Sure enough, several art guys were going out that night. I joined them…Wow! Brazilian nights! That’s all I’m going to say… lots of hot dancing going on!

My art department pals and I returned to the hotel, still in one piece and mostly unmolested. Since I hadn’t booked my own room ($100) one of the guys kindly let me stay in his room. (I was counting on someone taking me in, truth be told…)

selection of breads at the Breakfast Buffet

That worked out beautifully. The following day the art department had to relocate their workshop from the old warehouse onto a big river barge. My pal had to get up early to go work his A** off…while I luxuriated in his room all day. It was pouring down rain and quite chilly, so I felt exceedingly lucky, indeed, to lounge in such a luxurious hotel room.

Only the buffet breakfast enticed me out of the room that day. After feasting, I enjoyed a leisurely hot bath, a cat nap and an old Gene Kelly flick. In the evening I caught the 5 pm boat back upriver to our jungle hotel.

That was a fantastic ending to a surprisingly easy, adventurous first week topped off by an exciting weekend submerged in Brazil’s wild nightlife.

Catch more of my adventures crewing Survivor Amazon. Coming up next:

Crewing Amazon Survivor pt 3 – Week Two in the Amazon

Meanwhile, read about my flight from halfway around the world and arrival in the Brazil Amazon.

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You might also enjoy:

Working Crew on Amazon Survivor pt 1- Flying to the Amazon Working Crew on Survivor TV Show: pt 1- How I Got Picked Up to Crew Working Crew on Survivor TV Show: pt 3 – Mishaps and Misadventures Behind Scenes Working Crew on Amazon Survivor pt 4 – My Job on the Dream Team