During the World Cup trip we took an Amazon cruise.
This was our boat, the Iracema, named for an aunt of the family who owns/runs the cruises. I booked through Rainforest Cruises, who I had used before and were excellent once again (quick response time, good understanding of what I was looking for and just overall helpful). The cruise was run by Amazonia Expeditions, and was simply delightful.
These were the passengers and crew. So nice to be in a small group-it feels more relaxed somehow. Mo Jr. is relaxing on the ground. He was our main everything-waking us up before the sunrise, going out on the canoe trips to point out the wildlife and arranging everything we did. He has a very good sense of humor and when we met Mo Sr. it became clear what that come from! We could not have had a nicer group leading us around.
We got on in the late afternoon and had a lovely sunset...you can see I forgot to grab the camera earlier...
Our first day trip was an overall intro the Amazon during the wet season. It was strangely foggy so we didn't get a sunrise.
I don't think I've ever been on the water in such fog. You think it is my bad photography skills...but it was really like this!
It is thinner than what we get in the San Francisco area, but extra spooky. The water is so calm the reflection is spooky too.
It lightened a little after breakfast
and we got into canoes to go up river.
It is hard to grasp, but because this is the wet season, we are paddling around at the TOP of the forest.
Imagine the 30-40 ft of tree that is underneath.
And not just in this one place, but all around. And upstream and downstream. For thousands of miles. It's crazy how much water there is!
as you travel up stream
more of the forest reveals itself
until it feels more like a stream
where you are finally near 'the ground'. Of course that is nuts since there is 'ground' at the bottom of the ocean. But the Amazon river just goes up and down and there is no single ground level, it all depends and where and WHEN you are.
We parked the boats at a little waterfall and got out into the jungle!
The inches of leaf litter make the ground all spongy
Now this feels like the jungle-no trails mean you have to meander through the thinner spots.
you wouldn't have to go far to get lost.
As long as you find your way back to the stream
Loved just standing at the top of the waterfall and looking around.
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