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My number one request for when I started planning my Brazil trip was to go to the Amazon. I studied it in grade school, I’ve watch countless documentaries about it and put it high up on my bucket list. The Amazon is just one of those things that most people wish they could see and I was one of the luckiest people alive to be able to see it.

Since the Amazon is a very scary, dangerous place that inexperienced travellers shouldn’t venture into, I opted  for a 4 day Amazon Antonio Jungle Tour.

We started our journey in the capital of Amazonian at our hostel in Manaus via Hostelbookers.

Flow chart. Nuff said.

It took around 3 hours by coach and another hour up the Urubu River to get to our lodging in the rainforest. Here I got the first taste of the rainforest: a thunderstorm. Boy do I love thunderstorms. They are such a treat for me since I never get them in Canada.

Over the course of the first few days I spent a lot of time on the river. Gazing at the clouds and doing such fun river activities like piranha fishing. Although I sucked at it and didn’t manage to catch anything.

I also learned about the different types of trees and bugs during a 3 hour rainforest hike.

Tigerbalm

Rosewood

The largest tarantula in South America.

Ants which actually work as a natural insect repellent much like Citronella.

Non-poisonous frogs. These are safe to touch but no kissing!

Cayman hunting (not killing). Baby caymans. We did spot the larger ones as well but couldn’t get close enough to snap a photo.

Looking back I can also reminisce on how absolutely stunning the weather was.

Sunrise

Sunset

There was just so much to see. This was a dream come true yet somehow, something inside me was a bit disappointed. I truly believe the Amazon has a gift for allowing one to take amazing photos that make it seem so lush, beautiful  and full of life. Yet only in person do you get the full sense of how large the space truly is.

It’s actually quiet, lonely and vast. But more on that later.