The Amazon
Scared to go, sad to leave!
I can’t believe it’s only been five days since we said "tchau-tchau" to Rio. What an absolute little whirlwind..
Our next adventure kicked off with an unexpected plot twist - a delay in Rio! This would mean missing our connecting flight in Sao Paulo to Manaus and throwing a spanner in our plans to be picked up for the Amazon tour at 7 am.
Luckily, everything magically fell into place. It's almost laughable how unimportant the details seem now. Our tour got rescheduled and we ended up having an unexpected sleepover in a fancy hotel. After indulging in a spontaneous night of luxury and morning of fun by the pool, we finally embarked on our epic journey to THE AMAZON!
Trying to put into words how mind-blowingly incredible our adventure has been is going to be impossible! The Amazon? Oh my goodness. It was beyond anything we had ever pictured or imagined!
But first, to start the story off with authenticity and highlight the family travel experience, at the beginning of our journey, Poppy had unexpected side effects from the malaria tablets we were all taking. It was a night to remember in our snug - and very warm at 35 degrees - hostel room, as the poor kid battled through around twelve rounds of vomiting, with all six of us sharing close quarters and without a private bathroom. What a night!
With no time to hang around the next morning, our driver arrived right on time at 7am to whisk us away to The Amazonas. With Pops feeling more than under the weather, we managed to convey our concerns in our very basic Portuguese, leading the driver to a thoughtful pitstop at a pharmacy for a remedy. We then embarked on our three-hour, never-ending journey, everyone drifting in and out of sleep on the way, with thankfully only a couple of sick bags filled after the remedy got to work, arriving at the Amazon village of Lindoia where the trusty canoe and Amazon guide eagerly awaited us!
As we sailed deeper into the heart of the Amazon, our one hour canoe journey led us to Amazon Antonio’s lodge. Our guide explained we now had free time to explore and unwind at our leisure. With the temperature rising to a scorching 35 degrees and beyond, we embraced our inner Tarzan and Jane by plunging into the river straight from the jetty! Who needs a lavish hotel stay when you can cool off like a jungle adventurer, right?
Once we'd dried off and stuffed ourselves with the delicious lunch (Pops perking up after her dip but still only managing to pick at a bit of rice), we embarked on a canoe trip down the river. After finding the perfect spot, we were each given a fishing line - made out of a block of wood, line, hook and nail for the weight - and told to show off our angling skills for the evening BBQ. Forget about sipping sundowner cocktails, let's talk about piranha fishing sundowners. It was the epitome of peace and tranquility, bobbing on our canoe, lines out and the sun slowly coming down behind us. A moment so serene and happy, it's etched in our memories forever.
Sadly we were all absolutely terrible but luckily our amazing guide Leao and his trusty amigo Edios really came through, catching a total of three piranhas for us. As we were taken off to a new location down the river, we found ourselves arriving on what seemed like a desert island. Leao and Edios set about hunting for firewood, while the rest of us continued to eagerly persist in our fishing attempts (and still failed!). As the sun began to set, they skillfully built a blazing campfire and expertly prepped the day's catch - along with a cauldron of rice and root vegetables plus chicken and sausages - skewering them onto sticks for a mouthwatering feast over the crackling flames!
While we were eating our dinner on the beach and witnessing the most incredible sunset ever, just to finish off the magic of the evening, pink dolphins started popping in and out of the water in the distance. It was the cherry on top of an already amazing evening - talk about a dinner and a show all thanks to Mother Nature!
With everything washed up in the river and packed back up on the canoe, we set on our journey back through The Amazon by moonlight. Absolutely unforgettable! Guided by Leao and Edios using their torches along the mangroves, we spotted the little red eyes of the cayman and they steered us in for a closer look. Surprisingly, it was actually less scary than we had anticipated and the cayman were quite cute! As everyone drifted off to sleep in the canoe under the twinkling stars on our way back to the lodges, we finally arrived back, collapsing into our beds, ready to well and truly crash.
With no rest for the wicked on this trip, we were eagerly reunited with Leao and Adios bright and early at 5.30am the next morning by the jetty, all set to head out on another canoe ride, this time to catch the sunrise. Even though we couldn't wake up the older two, the four of us set off. The symphony of the morning, with a raccoon and an otter bustling about, kingfishers swooping past and herons stretching their legs, combined with the sounds of nature, created yet another unforgettable moment for all of us as we watched the sunrise over The Amazon together.
Back for breakfast with Phoebe and Floss, and with Poppy bouncing back like a champ, we reunited with our two jungle faves for a little stroll through their backyard. Leao shared his wild past - raised in a tribe of generational cannibals, he bolted at aged 12, braved the jungle solo, and wow, does he have some jaw-dropping tales!
Sharing his stories with us was truly an experience that enriched our understanding and education of life in The Amazonas. When he mentioned cannibalism, we were shocked - I had always thought it was just about killing each other in fits of rage or dealing with intruders. But no, he revealed that they actually breed newborn babies for consumption, believing that the energy and goodness from the infants make them healthier, stronger, and live longer. And get this - his grandmother lived to a whopping 117 years old!
We definitely feel like we hit the jackpot with our jungle pros. They are both real-life jungle magicians, crafting treasures for the little ones out of jungle materials and with their trusty machete by their sides, there's no task too big or too small for them to tackle - grasshoppers out of jungles leaves, hunting hats, blow-pipes, crowns, handbags, parasols and cross-bows. They called them 'jungle toys'. They showed us the ropes in the Amazon, giving us the lowdown on all the plants and creatures. Leao had a cure for everything - when Florence started hacking away, he whipped out his machete on a tree to brew her some bark tea later. And when Pops got zapped by a wasp, he busted out some secret sauce to soothe the sting. We made animal traps (badly) and he showed us how to do it. Incredibly resourceful and interesting all round. This little morning’s wander definitely helped us feel at ease and in safe hands ready for the planned night ahead in the jungle!
Back for lunch once again - we were encouraging them all to fuel up ready for our exciting 2.5-hour trek into the jungle plus sleepover! I must admit, part of me was a bit skeptical, thinking we were in for a sneaky little tour that would circle back with the camp being close to the lodges without us even noticing. But nope, I was definitely wrong! This trek was intense, challenging, and took us deep into the heart of the jungle. Despite the scorching heat reaching in excess of 35 degrees, we pushed through, everyone giving it their all (in fact, much better than they are on a usual dog walk!!).
We stopped along our way as we spotted some monkeys swinging through the trees. Unlike the monkeys at Parque Lage looking for biscuits, these guys were happy keeping their distance in their natural habitat. Leao coaxed some bullet ants out of their nest, which we all kept well away from as he explained the excrutiating pain experienced from them. Oh, and he even spots a tarantula hole and wakes up the snoozing spider tickling him with a vine - again we kept our distance!! Reaching the end of our trek, he explains that we need to start harvesting the leaves we're passing to use as our dinner plates later at camp. Absolutely love it!
So, there we were, all looking like we just finished a marathon in a sauna with the heat, arriving at the camp. Luckily, again thanking Mother Nature, there was a river pool waiting for us to dive in and cool off. Leao and Edios transformed the area, getting the campfire started and setting up our hammocks. Leao, armed with his trusty machete, decided we needed wooden spoons for our feast and started casually sculpting them from the trees. With our candlelit dinner underway – a repeat of last night's banquet, minus the freshly caught piranha – we gathered around the fire, swapping stories and learning more about the legendary tales of Leao and his family life in the Amazon jungle, showing us his scars from blow-pipe shots and telling us how he managed to teach himself English, French, German and Dutch. Honestly, it puts us all to shame. He is the absolute reason our trip turned into an unforgettable experience and we will always be so thankful we got paired with him.
After washing-up the leaves and our fancy new spoons in the river pool, we all nervously prepare to tuck ourselves into our hammocks for the night. Of course, not without the classic sibling arguments of "I want this spot!" "No, I want it!" After some annoyed whispers from us of "Seriously, can we just enjoy this beautiful place?!" we finally surrender to our hammocks and call it a night. It was so special to experience the magic of whispering goodnight to each other in the darkness, looking up at the moonlight peeping through the canopy of the trees and drifting off to sleep one by one, listening to the sounds of the jungle surrounding us.
Fin spent the whole night terrified, holding onto Dan's hand for dear life - meanwhile, Dan had one hand on Fin's hand and the other hand on a knife! What he was planning to do with that knife, we may never know, but at least he was prepared for the unexpected! I'm snoozing (and snoring) away when I wake up to some commotion behind me. Wondering if I should investigate with the torch, I'm terrified I may shine the light into the face of a jaguar!! So I do what all protective mums do, close my eyes and hope for the best! Leao tells me he heard it but it was just a harmless armadillo (now I wish I did shine my torch!) Floss says she faced the same moment too, burying herself under her blanket, prepared for whatever destiny had in store for her! Meanwhile, Phoebe and Poppy had the most delightful snooze ever - Pheebs even claimed that the swinging of the hammock worked wonders for her sleep, making her feel more rested than in her own bed!
As we all emerge from our slumbers, the victorious feeling hits us all one by one. We survived the night in The Amazon! The thrill, the pride and the joy of experiencing this with our own little tribe - priceless! We feel like we have just conquered the world (although we may not look it!!!).
After an amazing jungle breakfast and well needed black coffee straight out of the cauldron, we slowly pack up camp and get ourselves ready to leave, but not before Leao and Edios roast us some fresh cashew nuts picked straight from the tree over the campfire. Delicious!
We begin the trek back to reality, ready to catch our canoe ride back to Lindoia and then onto Manaus, not wanting to leave this perfect little off-grid, once in a lifetime experience - even with all the vomiting to start!! We leave with our hearts so full.
The Amazon! Beautiful just doesn't even begin to cover it. This was so much more than just visiting the jungle. This trip is going to stay with us forever.
Now, three flights and onto Peru....