| "> | | | | boats and travel for a long river cruise. There are, in |
| Travelling in the Amazon, the world's most famous | | | | Belem and Manaus, local tourist riverboats and regular |
| river, is a typical dream. But... the Amazon world may | | | | river vessels (for local passengers and goods) making |
| be rather different to that which you expect. You may | | | | the trip between the two towns. |
| end up disappointed. You should plan your Amazon trip | | | | And these two kinds of riverboats - the tourist and the |
| correctly, and shape it to your style and to the time | | | | regular ones - constitute the best way of experiencing |
| you have to enjoy the Amazon. | | | | the full mood and the immensity of the Amazon (and, |
| There are different ways of visiting the Amazon | | | | in the case of travelling in a regular vessel, the best |
| rainforest. If you are pressed for time, or if you think | | | | way to have contact with the real people, and feel |
| you would not like to live for four, five, six or more | | | | their friendly mood, their way of facing the life). |
| days in a beautiful and calm, but repetitive world of | | | | But you should also ponder the possible downsides of |
| water and trees, then avoid a long river trip. | | | | these options. One of them is the uncertain duration of |
| In that case, a quick flight to Manaus (a city in the very | | | | the trip: it can be four days, if the weather conditions |
| heart of the Amazon, 1,000 miles upstream from the | | | | and the currents and other factors are favourable, but |
| river mouth) is preferable. Once there, you can model | | | | it can also be extended for one, two or more days, |
| the tour to your tastes. You can enjoy several short | | | | which may clash with your travel plans, flights, etc. |
| local cruises, you can explore some rainforest treks, | | | | Another possible inconvenience involves the regular |
| you can swim and fish, you can visit local people living | | | | vessels (not tourist river boats): the toilet facilities in the |
| in the forest (the «caboclos»), you can get | | | | boats are rather improvised, which can be |
| a good grasp of what the rainforest and the river are... | | | | disagreeable; also, you can be forced to sleep in a |
| And you can even play golf. | | | | hammock, surrounded by local people. So, think well... |
| This option demands a stay of, say, 3 or 4 days | | | | In any case, do not also expect to see profuse fauna |
| minimum. It all depends on what you want. | | | | on your cruise. Birds and monkeys tend to hide |
| Another alternative when visiting the Amazon involves | | | | themselves in the treetops... You will sense them, but |
| a longer tour on the river - typically a trip from Belem | | | | most of the time you will not see them. |
| (at the mouth of the Amazon) to Manaus, or the | | | | What you will see all the time - and feel deeply in your |
| inverse. | | | | heart - is a different world... a calm green water world. |
| This cruise can be made on a transatlantic cruiser, and | | | | A world with moments of exceptional beauty, but also |
| includes a great range of cities and ports outside the | | | | a repetitive one, with its endless elements succeeding |
| Amazon. Tours of two weeks are very common. You | | | | minute after minute, for days on end... |
| just need to cost it, and to book the cruise early | | | | A world in the antipodes of ours, involving another |
| enough (there isn't a regular transatlantic cruiser route | | | | pace, other elements: one that makes us feel small, |
| to the Amazon, and so you should plan the cruise well | | | | and awakes thoughts about our place in the universe, |
| in advance). | | | | and the meaning of our life and our values. |
| More adventurous travellers may prefer other kind of | | | | |