Traveling to the Amazon Rainforest was a life changing experience. I did so much in just a week and for the past two weeks I’ve been mourning the experience. Why did it have to end? Seriously, I miss it all.
The first part of the trip was going to a cave and waterfall in Presidente Figueiredo, a place around two hours from the capital of Amazonas: Manaus. After a beautiful hike and holding a massive spider, our group treated ourselves to swimming before going back to our hotel. As the following day would be…
The start of our boat journey, where we further go to learn about the Amazon. We first saw the meeting of the two rivers: Rio Solimões and Rio Negro, and finished that day relaxing on the boat before setting up our hammocks to sleep.
The third day was learning about a local tribe, and seeing their cultural dances before trying a food as well as receiving indigenous paintings. There I tried a termite which wasn’t bad, until I learned it was a termite; if you like the taste of burnt popcorn it’s perfect for you then. Later in the day we went on a small boat ride through the flooded forest, and saw Sloths, Toucans, and Parrots.
On the fourth day we swam with Boto-Rosas, or pink dolphins, which were one of the most magical moments ever. They also have a legend in the Amazon, where at night the dolphins turn into beautiful men and lure women into the water. Sadly, I didn’t meet any of these dolphin-men. Later that night, we went Jacaré (alligator) hunting, where we went out and searched for one and everyone got a chance to hold him.
The following day we went out early for Piranha fishing, and with my bad luck at fishing I caught none. However, another girl on the small boat caught one, so I got to see a piranha within two feet of my face. Then we went to see how Tapioca and Cassava is produced which was super cool! In the afternoon we visited a local community where we tried our hand at making Açai bracelets and finished the day with an intense game of Futebol, my team won. Later at night we went out to learn a traditional Amazonian dance: Carímbo. It was such a beautiful dance and was so much fun to do.
Our sixth day was spent enjoying a beach before hiking through another part of the Amazon. Here we learned about medicinal plants and just got to experience the sounds of nature. It was a relaxing day after the busy day before.
The seventh day we tried to race in indigenous canoes which proved to be very difficult. Me and the Colombian guy I raced with had been doing so well, that is until we sank three times. Later on, we got to leave a mark in the Amazon rainforest by planting a native tree to help keep the forest thriving for future decades of exchange students to come.
All in all, whether it’s on an exchange or for fun, visiting the Amazon is something that happens once in a lifetime. Many Brazilians haven’t even experienced it and it makes me realize how lucky I am to learn and explore corners of the world my family and friends haven’t even seen.
