After some extensive research and asking and talking to people we decided to view the Amazon tour via boat. There are many options for viewing the Amazon. Some people stay in Manaus and travel around via day trips. Others have found eco lodges in the "jungle" and do excursions that we and then we picked the final option. Traveling via boat to smaller destinations and taking small motor boats around for excursions.
Our families worked with a great company that geared our excursions and travel towards family
Our guide rented a boat that accommodated all 14 of us with little room to spare :)
This is a picture of the top deck of our boat
By evening time the deck was lined with hammocks
They ended up staying up for the duration of the trip
Lots of time of the boat meant lots of time for cat naps, playing games and visiting while swaying in those things
A view of Manaus as we departed post
Jo waiting at the gas station for the boat to be filled
My little trooper...Gwen was my biggest worry during this trip
She did a great job and loved playing and being on the boat
A view of the lower portion of the boat; a good sized open area, 2 bathrooms, a shower, kitchen and captains quarters at the front
Our cook was a saint! We ate so well the entire trip
One of the first things we were able to see after leaving Manaus
This was about an hour into our trip...the meeting of the waters
"The Meeting of Waters (Portuguese: Encontro das Águas) is the confluence between the dark (blackwater) Rio Negro and the pale sandy-colored (whitewater) Amazon River or Rio Solimões, as the upper section of the Amazon is known in Brazil upriver of this confluence. For 6 km (3.7 mi) the two rivers' waters run side by side without mixing. It is one of the main tourist attractions of Manaus, Brazil. The same also happens near Santarém, Pará with the Amazon and Tapajós rivers. This phenomenon occurs in other regions of the world with differing characters of rivers, the phenomenon is also seen in other locations in the Amazon region, as Iquitos, Peru.
This phenomenon is due to the differences in temperature, speed and water density of the two rivers. The Rio Negro flows at near 2 km/h (1.2 mph) at a temperature of 28 °C (82 °F), while the Rio Solimões flows between 4 and 6 km/h (2.5–3.7 mph) at a temperature of 22 °C (72 °F). " Wikipedia
A city on the river
Next stop was admiring some of the Amazon lily pads
Truth be told I think we were all a little disappointed
We were in the Amazon at near high water time so they were not in peak season nor were they blooming
The kids did have fun walking out on the bridge to reach them
"Keens" crew on the trip
Gwen's position whenever we boarded the smaller motorboats
She LOVED putting her hand in the water
A gorgeous sunset on the Amazon
Day 2 included a visit to a Native Village
Complete with dancing with the tribe members, topless women included
Thankfully all of the kids held it together for that dance number
Hiking through the Amazon
Our guide taught us how to "survive" with all the plant life surrounding us
Needless to say we were all glad to not have to test this out
The kids inspecting a medicinal tree
Drinking water from a water root
The cute clan of kiddos including Jake that had just been bit by an ant of some sort
The kids joked about this school "bus" that provided transport for children in the area
Tasting sap from the tree, the native people would tap this tree for medicinal use
Testing out the termite trick
This would often be used for a natural bug repellent
Our guide had the lucky participant (Jen) hold her hand on the tree for a minute and then quickly brush all the termites off and rub the smell on her hands
Supposedly it's good for keeping bugs away
Given the fact that on this hike our entire crew was being attacked by giant horse flies we were a bit suspicious about the effectiveness
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