Ein langes Abenteuer geht zu Ende

A long adventure comes to an end

Last month, we were able to use a few more holiday days to get to know the north of the country. We spent five days in Manaus and three days in the Amazon rainforest with two guides and a colourful group of people. It was very exciting to see and get to know the unique nature and the animals and plants that live there. As we were there in the dry season, the water level of the Amazon and the Rio Negro was very low and it almost looked like a desert landscape in places. But when you walk 50 metres into the jungle, you realise that it is anything but dry. At 35° Celsius and 80% humidity, we discovered huge spiders, colourful birds and unique plants. On a boat tour in the evening, we fished for piranhas in the sunset and then searched for alligators in the dark. All we could see of the adult caimans were their reflective eyes peering out of the water. Our brave guide spotted a baby caiman on the shore and caught it. This was of course the photo highlight for us tourists.

26 October 2023, 5:45 pm, one day before our departure, we sit together in front of the laptop and write our last blog. We write this very last blog with special feelings. On the one hand, we are a little sad to be leaving all our beloved Brazilian friends and ending the whole adventure, but on the other hand, we are overjoyed and almost a little nervous to see our families and friends back in Switzerland. At our final meeting with Juliano today, we reflected on the whole assignment abroad together once again. We realised once again that this unique event, with all the highs and lows that we experienced, was an extremely exciting and instructive time. Educational not only in a professional sense, but almost more so in a personal sense. We learnt how to live alone, do our laundry and cook a variety of meals.

With this in mind, we would like to thank Bühler once again for this unique opportunity and also all the people who supported us during this time. Many thanks to Antonia Gmünder and Stefanie Bärlocher for the organisation and support from Switzerland. Thanks to Juliano Faenello and Alexandre Oliveira for the great reception and help in Brazil.