We landed in Manaus, Brazil, in 2012. Our accommodation was at the Tropical resort. In the Amazon jungle, we stayed at Ariau Towers, listed by tourist agencies as one of the 100 places to visit before you die.
It was bordering the Rio negro and flooded forest (a surface as big as France).
At Ariuau Towers, the water was 10-20 meters deep. In the dry season, there is much less.
At Ariuau Towers, the water was 10-20 meters deep. In the dry season, there is much less.
Celebrities like Bill Gates and Sylvester Stallone visited the resort. Above is the house in the trees where Stallone stayed. The resort closed its doors in 2016.
One evening, we went out to see the alligators in a small boat.
With us were our guide and a young local man. Sometime during the night, the young man—probably in his early twenties—suddenly jumped into the dark water to catch a baby alligator for us.
The struggle lasted no more than thirty seconds, but to those of us watching from the boat, it felt like an eternity.
The struggle lasted no more than thirty seconds, but to those of us watching from the boat, it felt like an eternity.
We chased nightlife wildlife until morning came.
The resort had a wooden trail that, at the time, was about 2 meters above the water level.
On that trail we saw monkeys and birds.
On that trail we saw monkeys and birds.
We also had a cruise trip om Rio Negro. From that boat, we made some trips inside the Amazon jungle.
During one of our jungle walks, my wife came within less than a foot of stepping on a highly venomous fer-de-lance.
Fortunately, just as the women behind her started shouting, she instinctively stepped in the opposite direction, away from the snake.
Our guide calmly caught it and showed it to us. Using the flat side of his machete so he wouldn't injure the snake, he carefully controlled it for a few moments before releasing it back into the forest.
Fortunately, just as the women behind her started shouting, she instinctively stepped in the opposite direction, away from the snake.
Our guide calmly caught it and showed it to us. Using the flat side of his machete so he wouldn't injure the snake, he carefully controlled it for a few moments before releasing it back into the forest.
On another excursion, our guide promised we would see one of the giant snakes of the Amazon.
We searched for one in the wild but had no luck. Determined not to disappoint us, the guide took us to the home of a local resident who kept both an anaconda and a python.
The man brought the python down to our boat, giving us the chance to see one of these magnificent reptiles up close.
We searched for one in the wild but had no luck. Determined not to disappoint us, the guide took us to the home of a local resident who kept both an anaconda and a python.
The man brought the python down to our boat, giving us the chance to see one of these magnificent reptiles up close.
We also had some other trips planned on the cruise, like fishing Piranha and playing with Amazon dolphins.
