2006
Heart of Amazonia
Day
1 This morning all guests board the
vessel the Motor Yacht TUCANO and depart upstream on
the Rio Negro. Through the morning we will cruise through
the world's largest river island system, the Anavilhanas
Archipelago. From the observation deck we scan the magnificent
tangle of vegetation at the water's edge. By mid-afternoon
the vessel has gone beyond the frontier of settlement
and entered a wilderness area. Both shores are covered
by dense rainforest. Though we never know what we will
see, we have a good chance of observing pink river dolphins
and a large collection of exotic birds. Most certainly
we will be treated to magnificent forest vistas and
the spectacular trees themselves. In the late afternoon
we embark in the launches and hunt for wildlife. We
may also go for a swim in some of the world's most clean
and refreshing water. (LD)
Day 2 Early
this morning we explore the rainforest along the waters
edge in our launches. We should hear and perhaps see
howler monkeys along with a morning serenade of toucans.
After breakfast we go for a walk in the forest where
we will get a good start on understanding Amazon ecology.
Around midday we return for lunch and the vessel will
get underway, perhaps stopping at a place to swim. In
the late afternoon we will explore the forest in our
launches and listen to the sunset chorus of birds and
frogs. (BLD)
Day 3 This morning there will be an early exploration of the
waking forest. We will keep our eyes open for monkeys-
on most trips we see them often. We return for breakfast
followed by either a walk in the forest or an excursion
in the launches. TUCANO will travel during the middle
of the day and we stop in the afternoon for an excursion.
Tonight the vessel may travel a bit more as we marvel
at the night sky crowded with stars. (BLD)
Day 4 After our two morning excursions TUCANO will navigate
along the heavily forested shore, scouting for wildlife.
We may stop for a visit at a settler's home carved out
of the forest. In the early afternoon we will be near
an extraordinary river called the Rio Jauaperi. Here
we will see a kind of forest known as the varzea. We
will scout along the shoreline for some of the extraordinary
creatures found only in this unique environment. Weather
permitting we will do a night excursion to observe nocturnal
creatures. (BLD)
Days 5 Today
we depart the Rio Jauaperi and for the next two days
proceed downstream on the Rio Negro exploring a new
collection of rainforest habitats. In the daytime we
will continue to scout in our launches, walk in the
forest, and at night hunt for nocturnal wildlife. (BLD)
Day 6 After a walk in the forest we cross to the West bank
of the Rio Negro, exploring as we go. We will stop at
the substantial boat building village of Novo Airão.
As we walk through the streets we'll marvel at how the
19th Century thrives in this remote corner of the globe.
Tonight TUCANO goes downstream to arrive at daybreak
near the confluence with the Amazon River. As we glide
through the starry darkness this is a good night to
sip the national drink of Brazil, the "Caipirinha".
(BLD)
Day 7 This morning we explore the Lago Janauari Ecological
Park where seasonally the thick brown water of the Amazon
flows swiftly through the forest. This area is usually
a very good place to observe wildlife. Around midday
the vessel will travel to the "Encontra das Aguas"
a stark several mile long line where the world's two
largest rivers, the Amazon and the Negro, join in a
turbulent maelstrom. Here the dark water of the Negro
runs beside the opaque brown water of the Amazon. In
the afternoon we scout one of the hidden streams in
the area to try to see more of the Amazon's beautiful
and bizarre creatures. Tonight there will be one last
excursion looking for nocturnal life. (BLD)
Day 8 In the morning all guests disembark from TUCANO. Some
guests will participate in an optional tour of the city
of Manaus before transferring to the airport. (B)
Meal Codes:
B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner Please note that
the day to day schedule must be considered approximate.
The exact order of the days and specific features may
be altered due to navigational and other scheduling
considerations.
Degree of
Difficulty: Good health is necessary.
There are several daily excursions off the vessel and
many guests choose to participate in some but not all
of them. While guests can have a quite enjoyable trip
by simply staying on board TUCANO and participating
in launch excursions, participants in our walks in the
forest must be able to comfortably walk for two or more
hours at a time. The vessel is air-conditioned in the
middle of the day and throughout the night.
Please keep in mind that the itineraries
are approximate. Given variable weather, river levels,
and navigational considerations, it may not be possible
to follow the itinerary exactly as published. We endeavor
to include all of the features described in the program,
but because the world is a place of constant change
all travelers need to understand that in some cases
an element of the published itinerary may not be included.
Our aim is to offer a comfortable and well timed experience
to our passengers, but passengers should appreciate
that there may be glitches, delays, and inconveniences.
