| Frequently Asked Questions
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How is the heat?
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The temperature is very tolerable. I haven't seen a thermometer since I've been here, but I can say that it is much hotter in Texas than here. The humidity is higher here and that makes it feel warmer, but it is not bad because the wind blows regularly. The first day we got here, it felt very sticky in Manaus. It doesn't feel as bad here. I guess the temperatures range from the low 80's to low 90's.
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The bugs have got to be miserable, right?
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Well, first of all I have only seen about 10 mosquitoes for the duration of my trip, thus far. People told us that the "black waters" of the Rio Negro and it's tributaries are too acidic for mosquitoes to breed. That appears to be true. There are not many mosquitoes, a few as a result of standing water pools, but "virtually" none. Like I said, I have seen about 10 or so, during the month that I have been here.
Our first week here, we took a trip up the Rio Araca to see a newly discovered waterfall. On that trip, we were eaten alive by these little black bugs about the size of fireants, but with wings. They were painless, but left a small red dot, approximately the size of the head of a pin, where they bit you...and they didn't itch at all. I even thought to myself, "If this is as bad as it gets, this is nothing." I have since regretted thinking that. The bites take about 3 days to kick in good, and they itch something fierce. That alone wouldn't be too bad, except that they last forever! Almost a month later, I still have most of those bites from that first week. They turn to sores because you can't help but to scratch and your legs look like they've been chewed on by alligators. Other than that first week, I have been reletivaly unscathed. Erica, on the other hand, has been bitten by bugs unknown without hinderance. She seems to attract every biting bug in a mile radius. Your mileage may vary.
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Sooo...Erica's a teacher. What the hell does Scott do?
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For the most part, Scott doesn't do a whole lot. He's doing some work converting some of the payroll information to Excel. He's kind of working on a program to assist with inventory. Web site work on occasion. He also finds time in his busy schedule to hike occasionally, play pool and go swimming. It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it.
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