Story and image by Evelyn Kelly, PhD
Twas the day before Christmas, and all through the town
All the helpers were ready, with never a frown.
The boat was loaded with presents with care
Papai Noel and workers would soon be there.
That’s us! We get to be Santa (or Papai Noel) to the children who live on the houseboats on the Amazon River! Papai, the director, was already in the sleigh (actually, a boat), dressed in red with a flowing beard.
In Brazil, Santa Claus, known as Papai Noel, comes from the North Pole and distributes gifts to children. His sleigh is a nice boat; our driver Jao is navigating instead of Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph. Santa’s helpers – that’s us – slide down the chimney (actually, a ladder) and take their place in the sleigh.
We are on Rio Negro, and we plan to visit families who live in houseboats docked along the shore. These indigenous communities have lived here for generations, and the families pass down their cultural traditions to younger generations, including language, folklore, and fishing skills.
We are on our way to deliver joy. Our first stop is at a grey two-room houseboat with a corrugated metal gabled roof. The little girl is about seven with long black hair; she gets a Barbie doll, and her mom gets a wrapped gift. What smiles!
We move on and wave to a family fishing in a long, narrow boat. Papai hails the group over and hands the children stuffed animals.
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The waves are calm. What a great day to be Papai’s helper! Next, a nine-year-old boy runs out of the boat house, waving at us and calling for his mother. They were so excited when we handed wrapped gifts to their family.
The next house is not a boat but stationary, built upon a cliff with stilts. The river is unpredictable, so houses built on the river’s edge must be lifted high. This time, a very young mother with six children greets us beside the river. They smile when he hands the oldest girl a doll and the others wrapped gifts. We wave goodbye to all.
One mother in a greenhouse invites us to come in, but Papai graciously declines; we still have much to do. Three boys, ages three, five, and seven, are here. Their eyes lit up when they saw we were giving them soccer balls. More gifts, more visits: then head back to the North Pole (actually, our ship.)
In all our travels, we have never seen such an act of concern and kindness for those living in an area. We were genuinely impressed with the gesture of the staff on this tourist boat to share Christmas with others and joy to the cruise passengers. That night,
Santa’s helpers were all snuggled in their beds
With visions of happy children dancing in their heads.
With her daughter Natalie, Evelyn Kelly is the co-author of the book “Have a Love Affair with Travel: Your Ticket to an Exhilarating Life.” She has been to 88 countries, 50 states, and seven continents.
