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Cruise in the Amazon, see what the Iberostar Grand Amazon is like
I just got back from a Solimões river cruise aboard the Iberostar Grand Amazon and I'll tell you how it was.
In the year 2000, I was happy living there in Sydney, Australia. At that time I lived there and found the maximum. One day, during the Sydney Olympics, Brazil had won a volleyball game and left with some Brazilians to celebrate in a pub in front of the gym.
Olympic weather is special! Everyone talks to everyone. It's a big party. I was at a table with Dartgnan's gang - that crazy little bugger who plays trumpet at volleyball games. You know?
Well, with him, his class and his instruments and the samba soon began to roll.
I started talking to an Aussie and I told him I lived there and I loved Australia. After some chat, he threw a question that bothered me for years. "How cool are you to be here on the other side of the world, but have you been to the Pantanal and the Amazon? Because I know both of them and they're too beautiful. "
After almost a minute of awkward silence, the mané here replied stammering that he did not know these places yet.
I thought about it a lot later!
How can an Australian know the Pantanal and Amazon and I do not?
I never forgot that again.
A year and a half later I returned to Brazil and soon I spent an intense week in a farm of the Pantanal. Amazing experience, I loved it! Then I met Bonito, the Chapada dos Veadeiros and more attractions in Brazil.
But it lacked the most famous forest.
It took me a while, but finally I was there!
You have many ways to visit it, from the most luxurious to the most "roots". I went on a more comfortable scheme and did the cruise on the Iberostar Grand Amazon ship.
Sunrise from the deck of the Grand AmazonKill a Friday and a second work or enjoy a holiday and go surfing the Solimões. On this cruise, boarding takes place on Friday afternoon in the port of Manaus and combines well with a direct flight from TAM leaving Guarulhos.
Ah, good to warn! In different points of the river you are without signal of cellular and internet, which is a good one to rest even and to focus on the trip and in the environment.
The ship was built especially for sailing in this region, which has an unbelievable variation in water level. It is super comfortable with 5 floors. On the floor at the water level, is the restaurant. Just above it is the reception floor and a kind of auditorium with bar where lectures, tour instructions and shows take place. On the top three floors are the cabins, a SPA and the gym. On the top floor, there is the nicest area on the ship, a bar with lots of tables and the outdoor part with the deck, two swimming pools and a jacuzzi.
The ship's system is all inclusive, the food is tasty and the fish in the area are served in several ways. A delight.
After sailing all night, the ship docks on the Solimões River in the region of Lake Janauacá. After a reinforced coffee, we went to the boats. Everyone to collect and look forward to the first contact with the forest.
The ship's launches are large, with two very powerful engines. I felt like going for a drive.
Speedboat Iberostar Grand Amazon
The speedboats sailed high towards an entrance on the bank of the Solimões river. All the transportation of the region is done by the river and we passed by several boats that serve of transport for the personnel of there. We also saw the first floating houses and headed towards the narrower streams. At that time, the boat is in the middle of the narrow river and the forest is already well closed on the banks.
Floating House
Houses
There, I was one or two meters from the famous forest! Exciting! The guide begins to look at the treetops that were not so tall, since the rivers at this time are eight meters above the level and, according to the people there, are still going to climb about two meters. I also looked, but could only see a lot of vegetation and birds. A short time later, the guide signals the pilot of the boat that turned off the engine and threw the boat into the water. Nobody can keep the silence, it's very curious. "What's it? What's it? What did you see? "" Lazy buggy, "replies the guide. "At where? Where? "" There, up there beside the palm tree. " I've seen a hairball far away, but it's already worth it to warm up and be more attentive to animals.
A little further on, the same procedure: silence, engine off, speedboat on the shore and this time a huge iguana, sharper and closer. The feeling of seeing these wild animals in their habitat is delicious!
And the boat continued to sail, a hawk here, lots of birds, another iguana, a bunch of monkeys fleeing from the noise of the boat in the middle of the vegetation and, lastly, a huge alligator basking in the sun.
Alligator
After navigating a lot, we returned to a branch of a river a little wider and with more houses. The idea of this tour was to meet a family of locals to see what life is like for those who live there.Girl
TMinino
Boy PB Network
We arrived at the house of Alvaro and his family. They have a higher ground, which does not flood. The house is made of wood and recently electric power has arrived. Along with energy, the mobile signal arrived and with it the internet. Even with the weak signal, his teenage son Alvaro was entertained with his cell phone on the porch.
Family of Alvaro
The experience was very interesting, as well as seeing how it is the daily life of those who live on the edge of a river in the jungle. I could taste some fruits, peppers and juices that I had never seen.
Back on the ship, began a delicious marathon: experience the different fish of the region with every meal. The pirarucu, the tucunare, the surubim and the tambaqui, prepared in different ways.
In the afternoon we left the boat again, we saw more animals and the group I was in was fishing piranha. The fishing was very fun, the boatwoman stood out and fished a lot. Besides the joke, it gave to enjoy more the nature, this time close of the victories-regia.
After resting and dining on the ship, it's time for one of the highlights of the trip.
The boat this time departs at night. The adrenaline rises because the pilot accelerates in the dark and has trunks, bushes and vines, all descending rapidly with the current in the river. The guide follows in front of the boat with a light, which is the only light available on the boat. It is with this light that the pilot sees and diverts from what lies ahead.
When we arrived in the Manacari area, the boat slowed down and we soon realized that the activity in the forest is much, much more at night. And when the pilot turns off the engine, the most impressive part of the trip. I knew the sound of the forest. Unbelievable, intense, indescribable !!
And to crown the most exciting night of the trip, the guide uses the bluff to find and catch an alligator cub and bring it inside the boat. Soon after he does the same with a snake, which he unrolls from a trunk.
snake
alligator
Sunday was the day of waking up very early. Those who go there can not miss the sunrise. So before breakfast, at 5:45, the boat was ready to leave again. This time we went to see more nature at this time that the sun is coloring the Amazonian sky.
Sunrise
River Sunrise
That day is agitated, we come back from the sunrise, we drink coffee and soon we leave again by boat. This is the walk in which contact with the forest is felt on the skin, literally. We went to the Manacapuru region to make a trail through the jungle.
The adventure is already starting to leave the boat with the waterlogged shore. Then, to follow the guide, it is necessary to pay close attention not to bump into thorned palms, not to support the ants, not to step in the holes of the armadillo, etc ...
Minutes later, a bit more accustomed to the difficulties of walking on the "trail", the humidity and the strong heat made me sweat so much that the repellent was gone. I have discovered that the jungle insects have the incredible ability to sting on the pants, the shirt ... crazy. But you can not want to walk in the jungle without taking a few bites, right? It's part!
The good part was seeing the tarantulas coming out of the burrow, lots of different trees and plants. I learned to make a glass with a leaf to take water in the jungle, to make fire in the forest with the guide, I saw the monkeys, I knew the little dogs where a larva stays before turning into a firefly. A unique experience.
I went back to the ship and rested!
The day was beautiful, I stayed on the deck enjoying the sun with the wind.
As the pools and the deck are upstairs on the top floor, the view is always beautiful and you get to see far.
The last night of the cruise has arrived, which is the evening of dinner with the captain. This dinner is even nicer, with shrimp, lobster and lots of fish.
After that dinner, there was a show with the rhythms of Brazil in the auditorium. Guests enjoy the show to get together, but it's still not a farewell.Show
The next day, the suggestion is again to see the sunrise there from the deck, because it is at that time that the ship sails by meeting the waters of the Rio Negro with the river Solimões. Another spectacle of nature to end the trip.
And that was the time I met the Amazon.
I encourage all readers to do the same. The Amazon is Brazilian and we should all know and be proud of it.
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