Yesterday was Stuart’s birthday and the cooks were determined that it not go unnoticed. While almost everyone else was in the Deni village, I stayed behind to monitor the satellite phone in case there were any problems, The boat crew and our cook Iracema also stayed behind, none of them speak any English.

Iracema and the boat cook Vanilde set about making a birthday cake and decorating the upper deck. My Portuguese is improving but when Iracema and Vanilde asked me if I had any “little shirt” they could have to blow up for the party I was a bit miffed.

When I went upstairs and saw the decorations, I understood what they meant. The imaginative decorations consisted of empty beer cans, cups and bottles of cachaca hanging from the deck cover, toilet paper streamers and condom balloons. Caminisinha, which literally translates as little shirt, is the slang for condoms.

The doctor gave us all condoms when we got on board so I donated mine for the party.

The boat returned late from the Deni village and the party started shortly after that. It did take us a while to get going, but after a few caipirinhas the dancing came easily.

We were of course dancing to Brazilian forrÛ music. It is fast paced, uses a lot of accordions and the lyrics are quite tasteless. The dancing is also fast paced, you have to use your feet and hips a lot, and good forrÛ dancers are an amazing sight to watch.

I have had I few opportunities to learn forrÛ dancing, including a few lessons from the Deni who are also goof forrÛ dancers, but last night I got a lot more practice and may actually be picking up this strange sexual dancing style.

It turns out the crew of the Suraua are very good forrÛ dancers and they were determined that I learn to dance like a Brazilian.

We danced until the wee hours of the morning, stopped only when a torrent of rain rolled in chasing us off the deck. It is incredible how fast the storms roll in here, and the clouds seem to drop buckets. The water filled up the awning over the deck until the aluminum collapsed under the weight.

Although I was feeling the caipirinhas this morning, I am feeling a bit more confident about my forrÛ dancing for the Deni celebration on Tuesday.

If you would like to know more about the serious side of an expedition in the Amazon and the Deni, an indigenous group who are helping to protect the Amazon and their homeland, visit http://forests.greenpeace.org/deni/