The city tour gave a good over view of Manaus, but the real adventure didn't begin until I boarded the Motor Yacht Tucano and headed up river on the Rio Negro.

It was exciting to get on board and get settled in. I was on the front bow in what seemed like only minutes. As we headed up river, I could feel the excitment build. Within half an hour I spotted the first of many grey dolphins. They were smaller than ocean dolphins and had longer noses. They crested the waters in search of food. The meals were …

Up at 5:00 a.m. to get ready for a canoe trip. The sunrise was spectacular. The amount of plant life was amazing. After the canoe trip, I headed back to the MY Tucano for breakfast. At 10:00 a.m. I went for my first jungle or forest walk. We spent about 2 hours in the thick dense forest. I felt like a young boy of 12 on a great adventure...not bad …

An early morning canoe trip presented many birds and pink dolphins. We went to a small village and experienced how the "settlers" lived. I was amazed to see they had a satellite dish and generator so they could watch 2 hours of TV per day. Football (soccer) and soap operas seem to be the favorite. I guess that's progress. The daily …

I spotted grey dolphins on the morning canoe trip. A roar similar to that of a tornado or jaguar echoed from the forest. I asked the guide what it was. It turns out that it is the sound of a howler monkey(Male). Like humans, they use a great deal of noise to display who's in charge. I spotted two Blue Morphis butterflies on the forest walk. How …

Went fishing for pirranha....I caught the first one and caught 10 all together. This has to be the most exciting day of all for me. I love to fish and this was like the greatest of all. I even removed my own fish fron the hook. Their sharp teeth and constant biting added to the excitment. I didn't want this part of the trip to end! We saw two …

Today we went to a village and then for a swim in the Amazon. We are heading back toward Manaus and I realized the trip is almost over. The time went by so quickly. The journey was truely an experience that must be felt. Words can never do it justice, especially from one who usually doesn't keep journals. The Amazon river basin is truely a wonder …

Experienced the convergence of the two rivers into the Amazon. It was a sight to see but couldn't compare to wilderness experience on prior days. I do know that I would go back in a heart beat. The MY Tucano is a wonderful boat. Sure there are some inconvient things that you must do, like putting toilet paper in the trash can and not the bowl. …

To our guides Edivan and Jean Paul - A sincere thank you for your patience, knowldege and friendly manner in which you guided us for the week. I feel truely blessed that I got to know you both. To Jamara and Cintia, our cooks, your meals were great and you kept us well feed. Your smiles were always present and most welcomed. To all the crew who …