This is the final post is a series of 6 on my trip with Madventure. We started in Rio de Janiero where we met the truck after Carnival.
Here are the previous posts:

Exploring Brazil: Highlights from Rio to Salvador

Traveling Brazil: Highlights and Hidden Gems

Exploring Hidden Gems of Brazil: Chapada to French Guiana

Suriname. A touch of the Netherlands in South America

Experience the Wonders of Guyana: Kaieteur Falls & Giant Anteaters

Manaus

Two nights in Boa Vista was plenty of time to prepare for the onward journey. We wandered the city and found a bar to try potent local drinks. Well. Not me. I just watched and enjoyed other’s reactions

The public bus left at 9 am. It stopped a few times including one half hour break for lunch at a churrascaría. They’re great and much faster than “fast food”. It still means inhaling a meal ridiculously quickly.

By the time we got into our room it was 10 pm so after a quick snack I just went to bed.

Manaus is a surprisingly nice city. 5 of us spent most of the day at the Museu de Amazonia. It’s an open air museum where you wander trails in the actual rain forest. There are pictures, displays, spider, snake and lichen houses plus a pond with some caiman and a giant piracuru fish. Many of the displays are a little “tired”. The trail had more lichen than the lichen house and a couple of the spiders were dead. I really enjoyed the artwork as much of it told a story.
The lunch we had at the cafe was really good and the juices are fresh. It’s not in the safest area of the city so got Ubers back to the centre. It’s too far to walk anyway. There we toured the opera house and enjoyed an evening out. Tambaqui was our goal as the fish had been highly recommended by our Uber driver. It did NOT disappoint! Tambaqui da Banda serves big platters to share and it’s delicious.

In the evening we enjoyed a caipirinha from a vendor in the square. You can get assorted sizes. They were cheap and really good.

One day we took an uber to the port to find a boat that would take us to the meeting of the waters. The phenomenon is the confluence between the black water Rio Negro and the pale sandy-coloured Amazon River The Rio Negro flows slower and is 6 degrees warmer than the faster moving Amazon. They flow side by side for about 6 km before merging. It’s an amazing sight. You can dip your hand in the water and feel the difference in temperature.

Ferries to various destinations leave from this port. Some travel for days up river. You can take a ferry to Leticia or Iquitos, Peru that takes 5 days. There are many others to various destinations. We took the ferry from Belem to Macapa and drove through Guiana, Suriname and French Guyana. You can also take a ferry from Belem to Manaus and not have to cross borders. The Amazon is still a major thoroughfare. Routes change depending on season and rainfall.

Into the JUNGLE!

Another bus ride to boat launching point and an hour upriver and we arrived at Antonio’s Amazon Lodge. It was much nicer than I expected! We started with an amazing buffet lunch. I went for a swim in the Urubu River which was delightfully refreshing. The day was spent in boats looking for wildlife, another fantastic meal and a night trip through the canals looking for caiman.

A few of us got up early for a 5:30 am boat trip which was incredibly peaceful. We just lightly padded for a bit and sat there listening to the jungle wake up while floating on the placid water. The reflections of the submerged trees was surreal.

After breakfast we went for a hike, looking for wildlife and learning about jungle plants. After sweating through every pore in my body and from places I didn’t know I could sweat, a swim was definitely in order.

That afternoon 10 of us donned back packs with the bare essentials including hammocks and hiked about an hour into the jungle. There was a basic campsite beside a creek with a large tarp over a frame to which we tied the hammocks.

Our guides introduced us to Kevin, the resident caiman who enjoys food scraps like chicken skin. His mother, Cathy is far more elusive though she did come out later.

Leo and Joe foraged for wood, chopped it up and created kindling all with a machete. It was quite something to watch! These two are resourceful! They made us an amazing meal over the fire of chicken, sausage and fish as well as rice and vegetables. We were taught to make our own spoons and plates so no garbage was produced.

We retired to our hammocks early as we knew we’d be up with the sun. Some got more sleep than others but we all agreed it was an amazing experience. After breakfast we packed up and hiked back to the lodge.

Not only was I sweating but grubby from camping so jumped in the river. This time I was joined by grey river dolphins!! I swam within about 20’ of them and spent about 1/2 hour just enjoying the experience.

After lunch we said goodbye to our amazing hosts and headed back to Manaus. This was definitely one of the highlights of my trip. I do NOT want to leave!

The last few days in Manaus were bittersweet. We enjoyed a goodbye dinner at Tambaqui da Banda with the whole group. I said goodbye to some wonderful people. For the past 2 months we spent a LOT of time together. There were a few spats but nothing major and I was blessed with some wonderful new friends. We came from very different backgrounds, countries and cultures but our curiosity and love of travel bonded us.

I got an extra day with them as the truck they were to take was vandalized the night before they were to leave. All the wiring, brake and fuel lines were stripped. It was a mess. Seems our trip was doomed to have no truck much of the time!! Thanks to Martin and a couple of mechanic’s skill they managed to put it back together so the group could continue.

10 of the group travelled on to Venezuela. I would have extended but could not get a visa. Someday I’ll go spend some time there. Those who carried on said Venezuela was amazing, a trip highlight. That’s saying a lot after all we’d experienced!

I look forward to my next overland trip. Arabia is calling. I’m hooked!

***for those of you who remember Goatee, he made it into Australia! Goatee is living his best life with Debs, Peter and Ellie the dog.