Don’t Forget to Look After Yourself

For me there are three kinds of travel. There is business travel, which I never had to do, travel for pleasure and adventure travel. Adventure travel can be the most strenuous. When you start to consider you first have to go to the airport three hours prior to departure, a 10 plus hour overnight flight is not uncommon, an hour to get your luggage, clear customs and immigration and then another hour to your hotel. The chances are you will have to meet in the lobby an hour after arrival to go on an excursion. Maybe you’ll get to bed by 22:00 and in our case it was up again at 05:30 to meet in the lobby once again at 06:30 and another long day. You’re dealing with time zone changes, sleep pattern disruptions, changes in diet and with this trip the crew on the Amazon River expedition had us up at 05:30 for four days running. We’re exhausted and with the added stress and hot and humid weather (today it was +33C with a humidity factor of +39C) you need to regroup and recharge. Our South American agent Adam had booked us into a four night jungle lodge location which was a three hour transfer from Manaus and supposed to be another jungle experience. To be honest with you I was not looking forward to the trip. However what a find! We were so pleasantly pleased with our accommodation in a jungle bungalow and the retreat’s amenities were beyond reproach. The property can accommodate up to 60 but there are only about 20 guests now registered. Even though many excursions were included, such as a night time jungle walk, jungle hikes during the day, searching for pink dolphins (been there done that) we just said no. We wanted just to enjoy the property and hang out on the floating dock and swim in the infinity pool overlooking the Amazon. For the first time I indulged in a massage and I can safely say it won’t be the last. The one excursion we did decide to do was a full day river cruise with four other guests, complete with a BBQ fish lunch which was delicious, a speed boat ride, (watch the video)

a trip to a ranger station where the resident caiman alligator was encouraging visitors to stop by for a bite. And to top it all off, a leisurely swing on the upper deck hammocks. In just one hour, our guide provided us with more insight than the combined time we have been in Amazonia. It was one of those occasions we will remember for years to come. If you would like more of an insight, you can visit Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge at https://en.anavilhanaslodge.com/ I have to say the heat and humidity is really getting to me. Seeking refuge in our air conditioned bungalow is not what I came here to do but as a matter of survival it is something we have to do. Our guide said that in the summer it is not uncommon to get to +40C and on one occasion last year it hit +50C. I don’t know how they survive. Many indigenous people including our guides return regularly to their families who still live in their jungle villages. I know I could never survive here but I guess if you grow up under these harsh conditions and don’t know any differently you will adapt. Viagens Seguras! BTW I changed the setting on the blog so if you want to make comments, you should be able to now.

Amazonia Unplugged

There are a few things that the Mekong, Volga, Nile and Yangtze Rivers have in common. You can sail them all and there will be one or two hour stretches when you will not see any civilian habitation, human activity on the river banks or marine craft plying or sailing the waters. We are on day three of our Rio Negro excursion and we have yet to see any of the aforementioned traits. Currently we are 250 klms northwest of Manaus but we might as well be 1000 klms away. Total isolation is the experience of the occasion. Completely off the grid, we have no internet, television or communication with the outside world. For those who are constantly “wired”, this experience can be described with my newly created acronym WISPS or otherwise known as Withdrawal of Internet Service Provider Syndrome. It’s good to experience a cleansing and flushing of the mind but it’s not easy. The Amazon is second only to the Nile in terms of distance but just short. However, it is the largest in terms of fresh water being emptied into the ocean with 300 million litres being per second flushed into the Atlantic at its height. 100 miles out to sea, east of the Amazon River Basin, it is still considered fresh water. Even though the Rio Negro is a tributary of the Amazon it is still considered one of the 10 largest rivers in the world. Our boat The Tuango 1 is carrying it’s maximum capacity of 14 passengers. We are four from Poland, four Canucks, three Yanks two Aussies and one Kiwi plus our crew of eight Brazilians. It is considered rainy season but so far we have only had one afternoon downpour. Apparently, six weeks ago, we would not have been able to navigate many of these waterways but fortunately for us, the water level is up. The level will continue to climb as evidenced by the heightened river banks and previous water level marks on the trees. It is HOT and humid and the breezes are minimal. Thank goodness for our air conditioned cabins. They are run by generators which are turned off periodically during the day. The shower source is from the river and surprisingly, they are very refreshing and warm. Many of the excursions are done by skiff or launch. They carry a maximum of ten passengers and two guides. Depending upon where we are going, they are powered by an outboard motor or a quiet electric version when we are in search of birds and wildlife in small tributaries and inlets. My favorite excursions are in the early morning. We are awoken at 5:30 for a 6:00 departure. It is considerably cooler and the light is much softer than at the height of the day. Again to my surprise, the number of bird species is astounding. I do my best with my limited photography skills to capture the many species of hawks, kingfishers, cormorants, macaws, river otters and toucans but alas my equipment is not up to the level needed to record the essence of the occasion. We have seen the pink dolphins on a number of occasions but I wasn’t quick enough to push the shutter button. With a little bit of editing I hope I can recreate the moment. On one occasion we took a jungle walk. Fortunately we were accompanied by two of the guides. Our group of 6 had one leading in front and the other doing sweep in the back. Our leader was born in the jungle over 800 klms west near Columbia and grew up in the jungle and we were reliant on him for his survival skills. The order of the day is to try and keep up or get lost, never to be seen again. Not easy. I was ahead of Jennifer and if she was to stop for a minute to take in a plant or mushroom, she would be out of sight within ten metres. The foliage was so dense that on many occasions a machete was required to forge a trail forward. Fortunately the sweep guide was with her and we did make it back safely but I have to say I was concerned at times, as this was certainly beyond my comfort zone. On another occasion we went fishing for piranha. Neither of us was successful but our fellow travellers who were, shared their catch with us which was prepared by the kitchen. Despite the teeth and bones, the catch of the day was very good! Yesterday afternoon, we did see a barge being shuttled upstream with a cargo of two small cars. What in heaven’s name would anyone do with a car here is beyond me and the only explanation I have is that they would be able to use them for their air conditioning capabilities. We still have a couple of days left on the Tuango 1 but by the time you read this we will have been out of communication for the better part of four days. My phone just went ding!!! We are back to civilization and the internet!! Viagens Seguras!