{"id":12469,"date":"2017-08-10t12:56:47","date_gmt":"2017-08-10t12:56:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dpetrov.2create.studio\/planet\/wordpress\/from-the-wilds-of-the-rainforest-to-the-diversity-of-brazilian-city-life-this-one-thing-brought-us-together\/"},"modified":"2017-08-10t12:56:47","modified_gmt":"2017-08-10t12:56:47","slug":"the-unusually-good","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/the-unusually-good\/","title":{"rendered":"from the wilds of the rainforest to the diversity of brazilian city life, this one thing brought us together"},"content":{"rendered":"
on my first morning in manaus, brazil, excitement filled my body as i hopped down the stairs of my hotel \u2014 my inner-self itching to step foot in the brazilian sun and explore the city. our plans for the day included the exploration of the rio negro and visiting giant water lilies \u2014 and this was just a prelude to packing up our gear and heading off-grid the following morning to the never-dry land of spiders and scorpions at dr. tom lovejoy\u2019s camp 41.<\/p>\n
but first \u2014 as my stomach reminded me, grumbling in hunger \u2014 breakfast. after an employee directed me to the restaurant, filled with a buffet of local foods, i perused the offerings and, oddly, skipped over my go-to favorite (carbs), because something else caught my eye: fruit.<\/p>\n
neatly arranged on silver platters in the middle of the buffet were fruits ranging from bright red watermelon to blood orange papayas to yellow honeydew, and all met my gaze as i crept around the fruit table like a jaguar circling its prey.<\/p>\n
i paused. \u201csince when have i ever been this intrigued by fruit?\u201d<\/em> i thought.<\/p>\n keeping an open mind, i stacked my plate with as much fruit as it could hold and walked over to a table, careful not to drop anything from my overflowing plate on the floor.<\/p>\n \u201cthe pineapple,\u201d<\/em> i thought as i sat down. \u201ci\u2019ll try this first.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n my knife cut like butter through the slice of pineapple and i took a bite. <\/p>\n i stopped chewing for a second. my eyes widened as the perfect, almost candylike sweetness of the pineapple struck my taste buds. it was the best damn pineapple i\u2019d ever had. immediately i knew i could never go back to its american cousin; it doesn\u2019t hold a candle to brazilian pineapple.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n as i savored these fruits, i pondered: why is<\/em> the fruit in brazil so good, and where does it come from? i knew i would have to do some research to learn more.<\/p>\n conveniently, i learned, my trip to brazil took me right to the source: the amazon rainforest. the rainforest, which is as big as the continental united states, harbors more than 10% of the world\u2019s species<\/a> and is home to 350 ethnic groups.<\/p>\n the rainforest also serves as a feeding ground for both humans and animals through its fruit production. boasting vast agricultural diversity, the amazon rainforest is the source of least 3,000 fruits, while only about 200<\/a> of those are consumed in the western world. it is home to fruits ranging from figs and lemons to bananas and guavas, the amazon provides the state of amazonas \u2014 and much of the world \u2014 with fruits created by mother nature herself.<\/p>\n jos\u00e9 lu\u00eds camargo, a brazilian plant ecologist, researcher, and teacher who accompanied us on the trip to the amazon, said the fruits from the rainforest are among the most unique in the world. certain fruits like a\u00e7a\u00ed \u2014 a highly nutritious purple berry<\/a> \u2014 are special to the rainforest and are popular in not just brazil, but other parts of the world, including america.<\/p>\n