A Memorable Experience in the Amazon

As I sit in front of a computer in Manaus, I feel sad. After spending an awesome 5 days in the Amazon Rainforest, I wish I was still there. It was great to be disconnected from the Internet and the city. Although I traveled alone to Brazil, I’ve been in great company since I left home. I had an interesting conversation with two women  at Miami airport and a backpacker on my flight Miami-Sao Paulo.

As soon as I arrived to Manaus, I instantly became friends with Nash (English), Eric (Swiss) and Hernan (Colombian). Stepping foot in a hostel was relieving and I truly believe I was born to do this! Sharing stories with backpackers must be the best part of it all. We all have a story to tell since most of us have travelled in various parts of the world. I’m actually looking forward to meeting up with Nash and Eric in Rio. I was invited  at a local’s house for dinner on my first night in Manaus and obviously, I couldn’t refuse such an offer. It was great to mingle with locals. The next day, off I was to the Amazon with Gero Tours. The next 5 days were filled with excitement and great company. We went piranha fishing, visited a village, watched the dolphins, trekked in the jungle, slept in the jungle and  ate great meals! I met a British couple (Ben and Claire), a British family (Jeff, Sally and Nick), an Aussie solo backpacker (Emma) and a couple living in Switzerland (Blair and Jackie). We spent a great week mingling and talking about the most random topics. The guides were very knowledgeable (thank you Matias and Hendrick) about the area and taught us so much about the Amazon. I will go into more detail about the tour, tour operators and guides when I have more time to write. But overall, this last week has been an unforgettable experience. I’m flying to Rio tonight! Let’s see how my next week will turn out to be!