It's day 5 and we're still pretty far up the river, and we have lots of ground to cover to return to port in time for our scheduled disembarkation. This is where knowledge of the river and current speeds comes in handy. To us gringos we were never going to make it in time based on where we were, but gratefully the locals are in charge here. And with an extra speedy run heading downriver we still have loads of time for a very full last couple of days.
One of the most surprising things about the Amazon was all the river dolphins. I had never heard of such a thing. And even more surprising is that most of them here are pink. They are everywhere and we had them swimming alongside us the entire week. Of course they're nearly impossible to capture in the wild as their jumps last a nanosecond and you never know where they'll pop up. We were offered a dolphin encounter to "swim with the dolphins," which admittedly sounded cool if not slightly out of my normal preferred tourist ethos of steering clear of kitschy photo ops at any expense to the subject. We were reassured to know that these experiences are in line with conservation efforts to preserve the dolphin population.
This is what "swimming with the dolphins" really looks like here. A close encounter feeding session. They're friendly suckers, and perhaps a bit too friendly. Dallin and Trevon quickly learned just how friendly which necessitated playing a little defence to protect certain appendages.
The experience was worthwhile, but certainly not something we wanted to spend hours doing.
We had an opportunity to visit an indigenous jungle tribe, the Tatuyo. They live a lifestyle that is so foreign to us, devoid of most modern amenities and living free off the land and river. They represent a culture of the Amazonas indigenous people that is mostly inaccessible to any visitor. Offering visits to foreigners they generously share their culture giving us a glimpse into life deep into the Amazon we only read about in National Geographic. They speak a tribal language vastly different from Portuguese but the chief knows enough Portuguese to speak to us via our translator guide sharing the story of their tribal traditions with music and dance. Most never leave the tribe or see anything of the world beyond the banks of the river. A view into their small, insular world ironically expands mine. This tribe is open to visitors. Many tribal lands are not and setting foot in some other tribal territories is extremely dangerous. But here at Tatuyo we are welcomed guests, and photos were encouraged in this beautiful cultural offering.
One final round of fishing
More birds
On our final night we took one last special excursion out to an old hotel ruin in a secluded area off the Rio Negro. The evening light cast a magical warm light on this exceptionally beautiful waterway. We saw a few birds and generally took in the gorgeous vistas.
Our guide spotted monkeys in the lower trees, so we pushed ashore for an unexpected interactive monkey encounter.
That moment when boat fever was high and Dallin discovered random cereal he forgot he packed from our airbnb in Rio and sugary comfort cereal euphoria ensued.
Our local crew created a most authentic expedition. They know every nook and cranny of this rainforest and its waterways. They, all native to Amazonas and spoked almost no English, guided our vessel through incredibly complicated waterways all without technology, such an analog method that comes only from deep knowledge of the jungle. Three meals a day full of local offerings, prepared safely for our foreign constitutions. Activities led by our guide and crew were plentiful and immersive. The flow was ever changing according to the weather, and mostly because we were on jungle time.
After nearly a week totally off the grid in the jungle my 5G flickered on again approaching Manaus. So many thoughts as we exited the Amazon, one of the most immersive adventures we’ve taken. This was no luxury adventure holiday. Aboard a typical wooden river boat, it was a dirty, sweaty and often uncomfortable experience. But the payoff was an adventure of a lifetime deep into the Amazon.
Next . . . onto Iguazu
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