The Amazon

The Amazon is definitely worth visiting, though challenging, it is off the beaten track meaning that there are hardly any tourists. Most tourists are from Brazil themselves and this is because it is often overlooked due to it being really difficult to get to. For me it took a two hour flight from Buenos Aires to Sao Paulo from 10PM to 2AM, then going to a hotel next to the airport to sleep for 4 hours to then get a flight at 8:30AM and got there at 1PM.

On the first day there was mismanagement with our hotel so we decided to go to a hotel nearby for one night where we just went to the pool during the sunset which was a great sight. The next morning we went over to a hotel more central to Manaus and we got tours in the Amazon organised. Make sure that you get a good price if you want a tour here, they could mug you off costing £1000 when I got it for about £120.

Manaus is like a has-been actor from the 30s, there are opulent buildings such as the sought after opera which has been well maintained over the years. But if you walk through the city you will see rundown buildings in a place that looks ruined and rife with crime.


The iconic opera house
What I'd say about visiting this part of Brazil is that it's not as dangerous as you might think, if you get lost in Manaus you might be in trouble but if you know where you should be then everything will be fine. The language barrier isn't too bad as the tour operators spoke English well and most of the Brazilian tourists, but at the same time people such as taxi drivers and waiters don't tend to speak English.

A big disadvantage about visiting the Amazon is taking malaria tablets, as someone who can't swallow tablets I had to chew them and they tasted rank. In the Amazon you have to be vigilant to look out for things that could make you ill such as dirty water, stray dogs and insects. 
If you're in Manaus I'd recommend trying out the Amazonian food, which is a once in a lifetime experience as the Amazonian fish are completely unique.
The first tour I went on was a boat tour which involved seeing the Weeting of the Waters, in the Amazon River there are different colours at one area, seeing it up close is quite underwhelming.
The Meeting of the Waters as I saw it
After that, we came deep inside of the Amazon Rainforest, which made for a certainly unique experience. I got a impression of the intense biodiversity, I saw howler monkeys and loads of bright birds and plants. 

The great views of the Amazon
After that I was able to visit an indigenous village, the people there weren't completely indigenous but still had their indigenous culture, it still fascinates me though that there are still indigenous people out there living hunter-gatherer lifestyles.

The second tour was much more interesting, it involved a long bus journey, but after that it was going into the Amazon jungle, exploring the caves and swimming in the pools of water. I think this completely unique an experience like nothing I had before.


In conclusion if this is what you're looking for you would not be disappointed, I would not recommend it if you are looking to unwind as it certainly was a challenge and involved lots of physical activity, but if that's what you're into, you'll be blown away.

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