Word of caution, do not go into the jungle if you do not like oppressive heat and have any type of aversion to bugs and critters. Within two hours of arriving I was stung by a wasp, bitten by a blood sucking fly and had a frog jump out of the toilet paper roll. Yes, while I was sitting on the royal throne. And the mosquitoes here are famished, maybe because of lack of human food source but they are so aggressive they bite right through clothing. You are constantly slapping yourself leaving smears of blood you hope is your own. It is also very hot here and it leaves you, as Jon so perfectly put it, with a feeling of constantly being moist.
Me cooling off in the river before I learned that this is the perfect habitat for caimain and snakes.
So why go into the Jungle? The scenery and wildlife are pristine and we were able to check off a bunch of bucket list items and even some that we did not even know we had. Our guide, Cobra, and the native guide, as Cobra referred to him were outstanding. We hiked through the jungle learning about native plants and their uses many of which are the base for medicines we use (malaria, Vicks vapor rub, measles) and discovering the source of all of the fruits we have been eating throughout our trip. We also went on canoe rides through the flooded forest in search of animals. Tip: don’t sit in the middle row as you’re the one stuck bailing out the water when the canoe starts taking in too much.
Our guide Cobra, famous Victoria water lilis and bailing out the canoe.
Highlights were a close up with a tarantula, seeing both pink and gray dolphins playing in the river, piranha fishing, searching for caimains at night, visiting a native house, and holding a sloth! The sloth was so lax letting us all take a turn holding him. The nature guide said the sloth probably thought we were monsters who were going to eat him.
From top left: Native guide holding a tarantula, gray dolphins swimming, Jon and I with our catch of the day, the razor sharp teeth of the piranha, Jon holding a caimain, local house and me holding a sloth.
Tour company we used, Amazon Gero Tours, which was located in the Mamori River Basin (aka 2 boat and 2 bus rides away from Manaus). We opted for a dorm room with no a/c to try and stay close to budget but they did offer private bungalows. There were about 15 beds crammed into a round screened in room above the dining hall with 2 shared bathrooms. The dorms were a great way to meet people and there was a good mix of single men and women and couples. You cannot be modest and it could potentially fulfill some men and women’s fantasies or nightmares. The price was a little over $100 a day for both of us including yummy food, transportation and all activities. Best of all Gero works with and gives back to the local community (tribe) by guaranteeing each person at least 10 days of paid employment at the lodge a month (cooking, cleaning, nature guide, repairs, etc).
The bar with gorgeous views of the lake that makes one mean caipirinha, Brazil’s national drink made with cachaca. Jon trying to get some sleep in the dorm, you get to know your neighbors well.
Journey with Christina 