bigmjh Posted August 11, 2012 #1 Share Posted August 11, 2012 Hi - We have read on other boards that this little village REALLY appreciates receiving donations of school supplies. We enjoy bringing things to ports where the residents are really in need. Anyone that has been to this port - we need some suggestions as to (1) what the school really needs and (2) what kind of "treats" to bring for the children. Thanks (in advance) for whatever suggestions you might make. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacheco18 Posted August 11, 2012 #2 Share Posted August 11, 2012 I cannot comment on that particular port but we recently went on safari in Africa where it was suggested that we bring items for the schools and for the children. Obviously size (and weight) matter (even more so for us since we were on small aircraft with strict luggage limits). Pens were highly prized. Crayons and markers were very much appreciated. We brought balloons as gifts for the small children (suggested) and I wish I could post the photo of their absolute delight as they blew them up. If luggage limitations are not a huge problem, I would also suggest coloring books and cheap calculators (it's school supply season and Walmart has great deals on these kinds of items). Whatever you bring, it will be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Knitter Posted August 11, 2012 #3 Share Posted August 11, 2012 Hi - We have read on other boards that this little village REALLY appreciates receiving donations of school supplies. We enjoy bringing things to ports where the residents are really in need. Anyone that has been to this port - we need some suggestions as to (1) what the school really needs and (2) what kind of "treats" to bring for the children. Thanks (in advance) for whatever suggestions you might make. I visited Boca de la Valeria on my Amazon trip in 2009. I opted to bring personal items such as hair clips and elastic bands for the little girls that I bought in bulk at the dollar store. I also brought lipstick, eye shadow and other make up items for the teenage girls in the village since they entertain the tourists. The big and little girls were very much appreciative for these items especially the lipsticks. Keep in mind that cash tips the village children get from us go directly to their parents so I wanted to bring something just for them. Families sell handicrafts and the teenage girls and boys are in their native costumes. Have fun!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted August 11, 2012 #4 Share Posted August 11, 2012 I cannot comment on that particular port but we recently went on safari in Africa where it was suggested that we bring items for the schools and for the children. Obviously size (and weight) matter (even more so for us since we were on small aircraft with strict luggage limits). We were on a safari in Kenya and Tanzania in August 1987 and even back then they requested things like pens, pencils and small notebooks. They were thrilled to receive them. But I would have hoped that after all these years the situation had changed! Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacheco18 Posted August 11, 2012 #5 Share Posted August 11, 2012 We were on a safari in Kenya and Tanzania in August 1987 and even back then they requested things like pens, pencils and small notebooks. They were thrilled to receive them. But I would have hoped that after all these years the situation had changed! Mura In the major cities -- yes. Most of what we brought was for the Masai tribal village schools and for the rural schools in Tanzania. They are still very much in need and will be for the foreseeable future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Knitter Posted August 11, 2012 #6 Share Posted August 11, 2012 We were on a safari in Kenya and Tanzania in August 1987 and even back then they requested things like pens, pencils and small notebooks. They were thrilled to receive them. But I would have hoped that after all these years the situation had changed! Mura It has changed. The Masai people send their chidren to school and rely on tourists purchasing handmade items from the Village The women pool their money for the good of the village chidren. I spent a fortune on beautiful beaded items that I have framed. A wonderful reminder of my experience to Kenya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Knitter Posted August 11, 2012 #7 Share Posted August 11, 2012 Hi - We have read on other boards that this little village REALLY appreciates receiving donations of school supplies. We enjoy bringing things to ports where the residents are really in need. Anyone that has been to this port - we need some suggestions as to (1) what the school really needs and (2) what kind of "treats" to bring for the children. Thanks (in advance) for whatever suggestions you might make. I have attached a few photos from the Village. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hondorner Posted August 12, 2012 #8 Share Posted August 12, 2012 We were there in 2006 and had learned about gifts for the children. Many passengers brought schoold supplies -- tablets, pencils, colored pencils, etc., and reading supplies -- small books for various ages. Coloring books are also appreciated. But, Betsy wanted to do something a little different, and as an avid quilter, she came up with small sewing kits. She put togther small ziplock bags with needles, pins, thread and more, most from the dollar store or Walmart. She made up more than a dozen kits. They were extremely popular, and a few villagers actually offered to trade small craft pieces for them. David Peterson was the Cruise Director on that cruise. He is a dedicated philanthropist and came up with the idea of playing Santa for the kids. First, he "passed the hat" among the crew on previous voyages and came up with enough money to buy sports equipment and similar gifts (no passengers were solicited). Then, wearing a Santa suit in the heat of the Equator, he walked through the village, then climbed a hill to another village, passing out hios gifts. The crew accompanying him made a video that was shown on subsequent voyages for some time! One unusual situation -- the village does not (or did not at the time) have a permanent dock. The river varies in height too much. So, each time a ship calls (other cruise lines also stop there), they construct a new temporary dock. In our case, they used one tender as part of the dock, and passengers had to walk from one to the other, then down the wooden ramp. The kids in the village will "adopt" you and serve as your "guiides"; they expect a dollar. Same with the photos with the kids in native costume. In fact, the Cruise Director suggested taking a good supply of one dollar bills. It's the first time I didn't resent the kids -- there was no pestering and they are so darned cute. Please forgive Betsy's floppy "Bug-Off" hat :rolleyes:. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruisedreamer1 Posted August 12, 2012 #9 Share Posted August 12, 2012 I brought sample lipsticks, cosmetic bags that Estee Lauder and other companies give as samples. All the Amazon cruises stop there so the kids and adults are waiting for you with their hands ready for a prize! Almost anything is welcome since there are no shops. Be sure to take one of their launch rides and you will be rewarded by seeing the largest water lillies ever! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Knitter Posted August 12, 2012 #10 Share Posted August 12, 2012 I brought sample lipsticks, cosmetic bags that Estee Lauder and other companies give as samples. All the Amazon cruises stop there so the kids and adults are waiting for you with their hands ready for a prize! Almost anything is welcome since there are no shops. Be sure to take one of their launch rides and you will be rewarded by seeing the largest water lillies ever! I think they appreciate the makeup and any personal gift item that is just for themselves. I so enjoyed seeing their smiles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oceansandseas Posted August 12, 2012 #11 Share Posted August 12, 2012 When we stopped at Boca da Valeria on our Regatta cruise in March of 2011, after we left the tenders and walked down the "boardwalk or wharf" as shown in the pictures, the children were lined up on both sides when we reached the end. It was the young girls, 6 to 10 years old I would say, that were waiting there to take your hand. The little girl would hold your hand all the time that you were walking through the village and then back again. For this they wanted $1.00. Many children were gathered around that area. As soon as my little girl left me, she went and got in the line to wait for others who were arriving. I can not tell what it would be like if you only had 10 or 20 articles to hand out. They would all be crowding to get one. It would be disappointing for the ones that did not get anything. If you did want to hand out presents, you should do it when you are walking in the village. The people are all around, but not bunched up as at the entrance to the village. On our trip the crew came with many boxes as a donation for the village. They took them all to the school house which is down about half way on the right side. They brought boxes of things. Not sure what was in them. They had a number of fans still in original boxes. Also there were lots of the mattresses from the deck chairs. Probably ones that were a little tired but still in good condition. Not sure what else was in all of the boxes but there were quite a few. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hondorner Posted August 12, 2012 #12 Share Posted August 12, 2012 OceansAndSeas has good advice -- we also handed out our sewing kits discreetly when someone seemed to be a little special -- maybe a special smile. This was a memorable stop, one of the two best for us on this cruise (the other was Devils Island). For someone considering the cruise, here are some more photos: Because of the water level change in different seasons, most of the buildings are on stilts or on the side of the hill. This is the school... The cultural center... And one of the nicer dwellings... Electricity is supplied by generator that runs just a little each day. Power is transmitted by a couple of central wires through the village. Typically, each building has one or two lights and maybe a radio. I don't know what, if anything, they do for refrigeration. They do have some booths set up for some of the arts and crafts sales... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jancruz Posted August 12, 2012 #13 Share Posted August 12, 2012 Stu and I were there and I went to the 99 cent store the week before we left and spent about $60..some of the things (hair clips, pencils ) I bought and I broke up and just gave one or two items out of a package..I had the kids line up..my husband had the boys, I had the girls and they were adorable in their lines..what I saw them doing was once they got their gift, they went to the end of the line and came through again..we were really laughing about that..also the adult women really like makeup..lipstick was a big deal for them.. We thought that was our best port on the cruise!! Jancruz1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balloon Man Posted August 13, 2012 #14 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Don't miss this stop, but you have to ask yourself where 80 kids are from when the village has less than 50 inhabitants? And if power is so scarce why are there several satellite dishes just beyond the edge of the village? We really enjoyed our time in Boca; my wife had a string of eight children holding her hands and gave-out more coloured pens and pencils than any school could use in a year. And my ears are still ringing with "Dollar. Dollar". We were one of a dozen cruise ships due to visit. It seems real but something doesn't quite add-up. Has Disney got to Brazil? But ignore the cynic in me and enjoy. And don't miss the collecting boxes in the school and church with no windows! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrHemlock Posted August 13, 2012 #15 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Thank you, Balloon Man, for being the first to point out that the emperor's clothes don't quite fit. We visited there last December while cruising the Amazon aboard RSSC Navigator. We, too, found the whole experience a bit odd. Once back aboard, we asked the ship's knowledgeable staff member (who shall remain nameless lest he/she be punished for candor) straightaway about the apparent lack of reality in the town. He/she confirmed what we suspected, to wit: Boca de Valeria is a stage set just like you find on the back lot of a movie studio. You are not visiting an actual, living & breathing quaint little riverside village. Artisans and ordinary folk come in from the surrounding area when a cruise ship arrives in order to "populate" this purpose-built town just as movie extras do, but that's it. Once the ship leaves, everyone packs up their gear and goes home to wherever they live. There is a cafe with a generic "Cafe" sign but no kitchen, a bar with a generic "Bar" sign but no power for refrigeration (canned drinks are sold out of an ice-chest), a single wooden pole-house with a sign inviting you in to "view how the locals live," and an incongruous church with no windows in a stifling tropical climate. Plus a whole bunch of vendors' stalls, of course. The school is the one truly believable building there, as kids may come via river or smaller tributaries from surrounding communities for their schooling so it's most convenient to place the school by the riverbank. Don't believe me? Walk half a mile up the trail at the far end of the village to find plaster-sided houses with power lines, satellite dishes and stereos blasting just as you find on any Caribbean island. Walk farther and you might find an actual town, but that's speculation. Try this: Sit outdoors on your suite balcony with binoculars as you cruise up- or down-river. It's beautiful. Watch the shoreline and the life thereupon. Pay particular attention to the many riverside settlements as you sail past them. Look at the small boat traffic arriving and departing with passengers and cargo, the advertising signs especially for Coke and local beers, the variety of tiny fix-it businesses, the cluster of dwellings surrounding the villages. Tell me if you see even one town that looks like Boca de Valeria. The people of BdV are friendly and wonderful; some of the artistry is definitely worth buying...and at prices far lower than you will find for the exact same items in Parintins, Santarem or Manaus. We bought a couple of lovely carvings that now decorate our house, gave away plenty of dollar bills to the kids and put a bunch more into the schoolhouse collection box. This is not to imply that your school donations won't go to a local school somewhere -- maybe even the one in BdV -- or that the recipients of your gifts won't make good use of whatever you bring, even if it is simply to sell or trade them in their real villages for much-needed cash or necessities. I don't believe that BdV is a scam for your money or your goods, both of which will aid the barely-above-subsistence-level local economy in one way or another. But it's also not a real "native village" such as one might find much farther upriver beyond Manaus or in a NatGeo documentary. It's fun, but it's a show and a merchandising opportunity. Enjoy it for what it is, but don't expect to be dropped into "The Emerald Forest." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hondorner Posted August 14, 2012 #16 Share Posted August 14, 2012 ....It's fun, but it's a show and a merchandising opportunity. Enjoy it for what it is, but don't expect to be dropped into "The Emerald Forest." That's exactly what we did. We enjoyed it as much as the obvious show in Parintins. We didn't care if either one was real. We don't like to look behind the curtain in the theater, either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrHemlock Posted August 14, 2012 #17 Share Posted August 14, 2012 An excellent attitude to have. We, on the other hand, seem almost supernaturally compelled to look behind the curtain. Probably too many viewings of "The Wizard of Oz" as children.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crowpro Posted August 14, 2012 #18 Share Posted August 14, 2012 We loved Boca de Valeria. The kids are great. Be sure and take one of the local canoe rides and see the giant water Lillie's. We thought it was the best stop on the river. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floridiana Posted August 19, 2012 #19 Share Posted August 19, 2012 We really did not like Boca da Valeria. Don't start flaming me for believing that this visit teaches children to expect treats for doing nothing. I watched one mother push her ~5 year old into the receiving line. She looked desperate when he did not want to and started to cry. The village is genuine as far as I could see, otherwise they wouldn't have satellite dishes. But the families come from all over the area to partake in the bounty of candy and dollars that is bestowed upon the children. In my opinion, here is a huge difference between the dance show in Parintins and the begging in Boca da Valeria. Parnintins has a huge festival for which people come from all over Brasil. The dancers practice all year. Part of the dance troupes show part of this annual show to cruise ship passengers. Dancing IS work and they are being paid with the admission fee, no individudal haggling! The vendors in front of the dance hall do not run out to you to hold your hand like the children do in Boca da Valeria. They do not call out to you, they just sell crafts they've made themselves the way they do in countries without hard sell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jancruz Posted August 19, 2012 #20 Share Posted August 19, 2012 We really did not like Boca da Valeria. Don't start flaming me for believing that this visit teaches children to expect treats for doing nothing. I watched one mother push her ~5 year old into the receiving line. She looked desperate when he did not want to and started to cry. The village is genuine as far as I could see, otherwise they wouldn't have satellite dishes. But the families come from all over the area to partake in the bounty of candy and dollars that is bestowed upon the children. In my opinion, here is a huge difference between the dance show in Parintins and the begging in Boca da Valeria. Parnintins has a huge festival for which people come from all over Brasil. The dancers practice all year. Part of the dance troupes show part of this annual show to cruise ship passengers. Dancing IS work and they are being paid with the admission fee, no individudal haggling! The vendors in front of the dance hall do not run out to you to hold your hand like the children do in Boca da Valeria. They do not call out to you, they just sell crafts they've made themselves the way they do in countries without hard sell. This is what makes CC great..everyone has their own opinion.. I respect how you feel and even understand it....I look at it that it is around Christmas that we were there and all kids like presents..so how lucky are we to be able to discuss our opinions.. Jancruz1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIWP Posted August 19, 2012 #21 Share Posted August 19, 2012 We've been there several times and it is a most special experience. This is the perfect time to go shopping for school supplies, since it is Back to School time in the US. Pencils with sharpeners, rulers, pens, crayons, stickers. We brought many such items there and also when we did a river cruise in Myanmar. Many years ago we were advisd not to bring candy as it promotes tooth decay. Oceania donates a great deal and one of the crew members dresses as Santa Claus and distributes goodies. Enjoy!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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