Say hallelujah! I get to sleep in. Exhausted, I sleep for 9 hours. The temperatures range in the low 60s with intermittent sprinkles of rain. I am informed this is unusually cool – I am NOT complaining.
My amazing cruise ends at an ungodly hour for breakfast and departure. If there exists any criticism of my time on the M/Y Tucano, it would be no opportunity to sleep in. Breakfast – always loads of fresh fruit, scrambled eggs and an assortment of other stuff. Then it is goodbye, leave, be on your way. The ship and staff prepare for the next group of lucky souls.
My 6th day on the river begins with a dawn excursion hunting for sleepy wildlife, and a large breakfast followed by a hike to a private sandbar. I stay on the boat enjoying the views and a strong, cooling breeze.
These would be rather quotidian experiences if I were not in the Amazon. Nothing is mundane or ho-hum when surrounded by this ecosystem.
I am ecstatic to be departing Manaus, convinced being on the water, temperatures cannot possibly be worse.
The Amazon represents a wilderness about the size of continental USA. Its Amazon River flows massive, discharging more water into its ecosystem than any river in the world.
The Amazon, and its supporters, claim it to be the longest river system in the world, something the fanboys of the Nile River hotly dispute. Weaving and meandering from the Pacific to the Atlantic, over a distance of 2,330 miles, its drainage system is unsurpassed, providing water, flora and fauna to nine countries.
Manaus serves as the capital of Brasil’s Amazonas state. This busy city is not only rich in history but acts as the gateway to the Amazon Rainforest. I have seen it described as the gaudiest city in South America, if not the world. Representing a mix of urban life and natural beauty, I am here to experience both. I lodge in the historic district, making it easy to explore major sites.
