The Amazon is a gigantic system of rivers and forests, covering almost half of Brazil and extending into neighboring countries. The wide stretch of river known as Rio Amazonas runs between the cities of Manaus and Belém, though the various rivers that join to form it provide a navigable route for ocean-going vessels to the other side of the South American continent.

The forest still keeps many of its secrets: to this day, major tributaries of the Amazon are unexplored. Of the estimated 15,000 species of Amazon creatures, thousands of birds and fish and hundreds of mammals have not been classified. A cursory sampling of known animal species found in the forest - some common, some rare, some virtually extinct - includes jaguar, tapir, peccary, spider monkey, sloth, armadillo, caiman, alligator, river dolphin, boa constrictor and anaconda. Forest birds include toucans, parrots, macaws, hummingbirds and gaviào (birds of prey), and insect life is well represented with over 1800 species of butterflies and more than 200 species of mosquitoes. Fish such as piranha, tucunaré, piraracu, anuanã, piraíba and poraquê (electric eel) abound in such an amazing diversity of species that biologists are unable to identify much of the catch found in Belém's markets.

The most common, although perhaps not the best, jumping-off point for excursions into the Amazon is Manaus, which lies beside the Rio Negro, 10km (6mi) upstream from the confluence of the Solimões and Negro rivers, which join to form the Rio Amazonas. Although Manaus continues to be vaunted in countless glossy travel brochures as an Amazon wonderland, the city itself has some attractions, e.g. the city's most potent symbol is the Teatro Amazonas, the famous opera house designed by Domenico de Angelis in Italian Renaissance style at the height of the rubber boom, in 1896.

Jungle trips and boat tours offer a chance to experience interesting wild life with jungle flora and fauna. The best way to visit the jungle and rivers around Manaus is to contact my friend, Carlos. Carlos is an well-known travel agent and an expert concerning any trip in the Amazon, and his friend, Josef, is a perfect tour guide whose home is the system of rivers and forests around Manaus.

Carlos Marques (Rotha Turismo) Travessa I, nº 27 Residencial Lago Azul. Rodovia AM 010. Cep: 69059-000 Phones: +55 (92) 3088-3927 and 8136-9679 Fax: +55 (92) 3228 4926  Manaus - AM - Brasil Office in Manaus downtown: Carlos Marques (Rotha Turismo) Floriano Peixoto street, 182 Cep: 69059-000 Manaus - AM - Brasil Phone +55 (92) 3088-3927

Frankie, Herbert, me and Carlos

use this link !!!

The best address for trips and tours:

The best place to enjoy the jungle:  (maybe still under construction !!!)

Manaus

MANAUS is the capital of Amazonas, a tropical forest state covering around one and a half million square kilometres. It is also the commercial and physical hub of the entire Amazon region. Most visitors are surprised to learn that Manaus isn’t actually on the Amazon at all. Rather it lies on the Rio Negro, six miles from the point where that river meets the Solimões to form the Rio Amazonas (Meeting of the waters). Just a few hundred metres away from the tranquil life on the rivers, the centre of Manaus perpetually buzzes with energy: always noisy, crowded and confused. Escaping from the frenzy is not easy, but there is the occasional quiet corner, and the sights of the port, markets, Opera House and some of the museums make up for the hectic pace in the downtown area. In the port and market areas, where the infamous Porto do Manaus smell is inescapable, pigs and chickens line the streets and there’s an atmosphere which seems unchanged in centuries.

Amazonas Theater The single most important symbol of the affluent rubber cycle, the Amazonas Theater was built in neoclassic style and took 17 years to be finished, in 1896. All materials used in its construction were imported from Europe, and most of the paintings, furniture and the floor parquet composed of 12,000 noble wood pieces are still original. The theater is considered one of the finest examples of neoclassical architecture in South America. It has a capacity for 700 spectators, and still houses many concerts, both classical and popular, as well as a yearly international opera festival, in May.

 

Some photos from our Amazonas trip at January 2003:

Ana, Deuza and Diene

Carlos and Deuza on our houseboat

Meeting of the waters	Water of the Solimões
Josef in the jungle	Me, Frankie and Herbert in the Jungle
Josef caught a piranha	I was swimming with piranhas
Playing with a big spider	...another spider

For more photos visit my 1st gallery (click here) and my 2nd gallery (click here)!
To see some photos from my Amazonas trip at January 2004 visit my 3rd gallery (click here)!