In a couple of hours I will board my flight to JFK, which is where I will board another flight that will take me to India. As I write this post my heart is aflutter.
India has been #1 on my “dream destination list” for over a decade, so this trip truly is a dream-come-true for me.
Why have I waited this long to visit the country? Its simple, as I have always felt, and still feel, that India deserves at least a month to really experience it. And so as the years went by and I never found myself with a month of free time due to College, then Graduate School, and then owning my own business, my dream never materialized. Well, about 6 months ago a girlfriend of mine suggested, after seeing an incredible deal offered by Gate 1 Travel, that I finally complete my dream with her. I thought about it for a couple of days and came to the conclusion that it was now or never. My life seems to only get more busy by the day and I tend to repeat countries anyway, thus I agreed to the trip!
At first I was hesitant to go through a tour company, though I will say that I have used Gate 1 Travel before on my trip to Morocco 4 years ago and I was thoroughly impressed. However, now that I consider myself to be a more of an expert when it comes to traveling, I shy away from tours, because I like to be in complete control of my travel plans. Since we only had a short amount of time though and wanted to see as many cities as we could, we both thought it was best to go on a tour. Not to mention that the price was unbelievable.
Of course we are doing the tour Andi-style! We are not going on any of the optional paid tours, rather we will explore each city on our own. I have also contacted Couchsurfers in each city to meet along the way.
The itinerary is as follows: March 31-April 2 Delhi, April 2-4 Agra, April 4-6 Jaipur, April 6-8 Cochin, and April 8-10 Mumbai.
Our route in India.
I will not be blogging about India while I am away, as I am a firm believer in disconnecting to get the most out of my trip. However, I have some posts finishing my tale of Brasil that are scheduled to go live over the next 11 days, so until I return ~NAMASTE~!
Just as we were leaving the “magical creature port,” it suddenly began to rain. I was worried that our surprise last stop of the day would be canceled, however like most tropical rain showers it was over before it even really started.
And then the next thing I knew we were on our way, to where I was not sure, but when you are in the Amazon the destination is really of little importance.
This bird followed us for at least a mile or so.
As we got closer to our stop, I saw countless boats with children and their pet sloths. They were so excited to show them off to us. If they only knew that in my head I was thinking how I could manage to steal one of them away from them.
Once we arrived at our stop we were instructed to follow the footbridge until the very end. At the end is where our surprise would be.
What could possibly be at the end???
The first thing I saw when I got to the end was the river again. And in the river were copious amounts of lily pads. What a gorgeous sight! The only thing that would have made this even better would have been if the flowers had been in blossom, but still it was a sight to marvel at.
Our guide stood off to the side and I could tell he was watching us with a look of excitement in his eyes. But why was he watching us? While I was taking photos of the lily pads I noticed something in the water move and as I stared more intently a creature began to take shape.
A giant crocodile! This is what we had come to see.
Apparently, the part of the river we were visiting was home to hundreds of crocodiles. Not just any crocodiles though, ones that weighed hundreds and hundreds of pounds.
Not a bad place to call home, huh?
It began to rain again and for some reason this stirred a lot of the crocodiles to come on to dry land. They really were fascinating creatures to watch (do not worry, I did not put one around my neck)!
Check out how high the river rises during the rainy season (to the white of the trees).
And this concluded the grand tour! However, I still had a private night tour with Alberto to look forward to…
As previously hinted, the next stop of the day was quite unforgettable. So unforgettable, that if I had not taken pictures, I might have thought it was a dream!
When I recount this story to friends and family, I have jokingly been claiming that this stop was at a “magical creature port.” Since when our boat docked, we were greeted by the most adorable children at the port, who each held in their hands a unique Amazonian animal.
I did not know in that moment whether I should take pictures, talk to the children, or play with the animals? The first creature that was presented to me was a baby crocodile. Having experienced a wild one the night before, I decided to pass on holding it.
Although, I did not pass on holding the next creature that was presented to me, which was a sloth, or “lazy monkey” as the children affectionately called it.
Me and my new best friend! Look at our matching smiles.
I cannot imagine a more adorable creature (and I have encountered some cute ones in my life). It took every ounce of being to not run off with it, especially when it reached up to my head and started to rub me in a very loving way.
After some more tender moments with my sloth, the children ran off with their animals and searched for their fathers. They claimed that they had an even more special creature. A couple of minutes later a gigantic anaconda was in front of my eyes.
We all stood there in absolute amazement; part in awe of how beautiful this creature was and part in shock of how deadly this creature could be.
Of course, I had to be the person who volunteered to put the anaconda around my neck.
I will not lie, my heart was racing the entire time. I remember how surprisingly soft its skin was. I also remember how within 30 seconds of putting it around my neck, it began to try and suffocate me. At around the minute mark, it took 2 men to get it off of me. 2 men! I guarentee you if I had left it around my neck for another minute I would have been dead.
Due to there being no more new animals to play with and that I was a bit freaked out about the anacanda experience, we headed into the forest to visit one of the oldest trees in the Amazon. Was does an “old tree” look like you might wonder? And I would tell you, imagine its base being about the size of 4 cars side-by-side and a trunk that extended so high into the sky it was impossible to see where it ended.
Me and the old tree.
The discoloration is where the water from the river reaches to during the rainy season.
On our way back to the port I just had to see my sloth one last time. I found it being played with by 2 precious girls.
It was difficult to say goodbye to my friend, but I knew it was in good hands.
We had been told that this was our last stop of the day, however our guide said that we actually had time for one more stop to see another Amazonion creature before we were finished for the day. What other creature could it be???
Because I live in the city, I tend to forget how green the countryside can be. Let me tell you though, I cannot imagine a more vibrantly green place than the Amazon! It was such a sight to see that much uncultivated land (I am aware of how much of it has been destroyed over the years, but that is a topic for another time).
Our second stop was for lunch at another village. There was not anything special to note, other than 1) I had to cross the longest footbridge to get there and 2) the lunch was out-of-this world good. Why do the best meals have to be in places that are extremely difficult to get to?
I told you it was long!
Our third stop was to yet another village, however this one was completely different from the others, since it was a “floating village,” or a community that has been built along a waterway. As we slowly drifted by the homes, I fantasized about how fantastic it would be to wake up every morning floating on water.
How any time I needed to feel refreshed, I could just jump into the river from my front porch.
How whenever I felt stressed, I could just close my eyes and listen to the sounds of water.
And how instead of going to the gym to run on the treadmill, I could just swim some laps or how instead of driving around in my car, I could just row around in my boat.
Then my fantasy was briefly interrupted when I thought about how long it would take me to get to the nearest airport when I felt the urge to explore, which to be quiet honest is often, and I realized that maybe this lifestyle is not for me after all.
Our fourth stop was to see some of the world’s largest fish that the village had captured to eventually sell. These fish were absolutely massive. Our guide had the brilliant idea for me to go “fishing” (there was no hook, just bate). I swear I think I threw my back out trying to catch one. Everyone around me got a good laugh though!
Our next and final stop, was by far the best of the day. The memories created there will last me a lifetime, so until my next post, enjoy the scenery on the ride there…
I woke up with the biggest smile on face…did last night really happen??? I was not sure if today was going to be as exciting as yesterday, although I was more than ready to see what the day would entail.
What path would my life be taking today? This was the view from my breakfast table.
Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living. ~ Miriam Beard
One of the things I loved most about the Amazon, was that one did not necessarily need to take any excursions. Just by simply being there was an adventure in itself! I can honestly say that in 1-days time, the Amazon had changed me. It is a spiritual experience that seeps into your pours and infects your soul. Immersing oneself in nature gives you a direct experience of the incredible intelligence of the Universe. You witness the seamless flow of all the elements and forces of life. Plus, it is a chance to be silent and in that silence is an opportunity for inner-discovery, something a lot of travelers eschew for the more instant pleasures during their journeys (I would know, as I am definitely one of them).
Ahhh, the Amazonian light!
After breakfast I boarded a boat that was to take me to various ports along the river, each promising something uniquely different. In total, we would spend about 10 hours sailing. Thank goodness I do not have a problem with sea-sickness.
Our ride for the day.
The changing scenery along the way was remarkable; it was almost like being in a moving museum!
A Manaus favela.
Downtown Manaus.
The bridge behind me is the only bridge to ever be built on the Amazon River.
Our first stop was at a village near the “Meeting of Waters.” This amazing natural phenomenon is due to the convergence of the dark Negro River and the silty Amazon River.
I was told there was a 10 degree temperature difference between the waters and of course I had see if that was true (it is)!
The river dolphins can be found in abundance around this area.
The village that we were touring was known for its large production of rubber. Because during the rainy season the river swells and floods the nearby villages, all of the homes had to built on stilts.
The village Church.
These huts were where the rubber was produced.
Of course learning about rubber production was fascinating, but my carefree spirit needed to do some exploring on my own.
Would it not be wonderful to be able to walk out your front door and see this guy in a tree?
The village's tribal mask.
These items were used by the women for various beauty rituals.
As I was wandering around, a rain shower began out of nowhere, so I had to run to one of the huts for protection. Is not the sound of rain even more beautiful when it is occurring in a rain forest?
The morning might have been on the more tranquil side, however the afternoon, well, if I had any doubts that this day would not be exciting they were definitely erased then…
While I was wandering around the village, Alberto (my guide in case you have not been following my posts), approached me with a sneaky smile on my face. He said to me quietly, “So, do you want to experience the real Amazon tonight?” If you know me well then you would know that there was not a moment of hesitation before I said YES! He told me to meet him by the canoes at 6PM wearing my bikini. My bikini, I wondered? Did he expect me to swim in a river infested with piranhas and crocodiles??? I kept my concerned thoughts to myself and focused on how excited I was to see what kind of misadventure I would be getting myself into later.
Me with the Amazon as my background.
The boat ride back to the eco-lodge was a peaceful one as the fading sun lit up the water with a magical glow; appearing as though a special path had been illuminated for us to follow.
Oh, and the caption let me “steer” the boat for a while.
All that was missing was my captain's hat!
Once we docked, I quickly returned to my cabin to get ready for the mysterious evening that lay ahead. I threw on a bikini (nervously) and grabbed my underwater camera.
The scenery on my walk to the canoes.
Alberto was waiting for me by the time I arrived. He helped me into our canoe and presented me with some fresh tropical fruit and home-made cachaça. As we floated down the river and I indulged in my picnic of sorts, my soul became so alive! Was I really experiencing this? Even now as I recall this experience, I find it unbelievable. I know that millions of people have been to the Amazon River, but how many people can say that they had a (free) private tour with a native?
The beginning of my unknown journey.
As you watch the following video listen carefully to the sounds of the Amazon.
Our first stop was at a sandbank 30 minutes away. Alberto encouraged me to go swimming once we docked the canoe. I laughed at the suggestion. I have done some crazy things in my life, e.g., jumping out of plane over the Great Barrier Reef and diving with Great White Sharks in South Africa, however this seemed to be truly crazy. Everyone has heard the stories of people being eaten alive by the blood-thirsty piranhas! Alberto showed me his machete and promised that while there was wildlife around us none would attack and if for some reason they did he would protect us. I took a couple of deep breaths and reminded myself that if I passed up this opportunity I would forever regret it. I want to live my life with no regrets, thus I jumped straight into the river. The water was surprisingly warm and felt absolutely incredible.
Me bathing in the Amazon River.
I swam around for a bit and I am not sure if it was the shots of cachaça kicking in or if I felt invincible since I had yet to be attacked, but I decided that in order for this memory to be complete I needed to skinny dip. And off went my bikini!
Who gets to say that they have been skinny dipping in the Amazon???
This was, without a doubt, the most memorable experience of my life to date and wow, did I feel blessed in that moment. A beautiful bird flew over me and kept us company for a while. Alberto knew how to “speak” the language of all of the animals in the jungle and soon began a conversation with out new friend. It was awesome to witness this exchange.
As we continued to swim the light of day disappeared and was replaced with an abundance of stars. Alberto announced that it was time for our night safari. We got back into the canoe and continued to travel deeper into the Amazon. The mouth of the river became much more narrow and the jungle become more more dense. I cannot put into the words the emotions I was feeling at this point. They just would not do the experience justice. I remember saying over and over, “Is this really happening?” and Alberto laughing at my disbelief. For him this was an every day experience and for me this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
During the day Alberto was quite talkative and eager to share information about the Amazon. Now that he was actually on a mission to find animals it was different, it was serious. He listened very intently and occasionally he would use his flashlight to search for eyes.
About 10 minutes after we had gotten out of the water, Alberto spotted something and said to me, “Prepare your camera.”
The moment when Alberto spotted something.
Before I knew it, he had jumped into the water and grabbed a crocodile by its head. My first thought was “How unfreakingbelievable!” My second thought was “Ummm, was I not just in this same water?”
Our new friend being released.
He let me touch the crocodile, something I never imagined doing. I admired Alberto greatly. This man was so in touch with nature, a rare gift that most of us will never cultivate.
We were both pretty hungry and decided that it was time to return back to the eco-lodge for dinner. Adventures sure work up an appetite!
Me after the journey (I do not think I stopped smiling the entire time).
As I got out of the canoe, Alberto said these departing words, “I hope you are ready for Round 2 tomorrow!” Oh boy was I ever…
After my play-date with the monkeys it was time for lunch. One of the things that I most fondly remember about the eco-lodge were the huge gourmet meals they prepared three times a day. The food was incredibly fresh and delicious. I am certain I easily gained 5 pounds while I was there, though it was definitely worth it. The walk to the restaurant was lovely also, as I was greeted by both tropical flora and fauna.
The weather was so hot and I had a couple of hours before my next excursion, thus I felt a dip in some nearby natural pools was called for. Surprisingly, no one else was there when I arrived and it was quite a feeling to have “the whole” jungle to myself.
I love the reflection of the jungle in the water.
Me before playing in the waterfalls.
Waterfalls are such an amazing gift from nature, huh?
I lost track of time (how could I not with those surroundings?) and had to quickly rush back to my cabin to get changed for my next tour. We were scheduled to visit a local community that wanted to perform some tribal dances for us. I am skeptical of tours like this, because I feel that these indigenous people are paraded around in front of tourists for money. However, Alberto assured me that this community took great pride in sharing their customs. It was about a 20 minute boat ride to the village. Even though I have seen numerous indigenous villages throughout my travels, I have never seen one as uncultivated as this. Basically the only thing the village had was huts for shelter. I had more in my little suitcase back in my cabin than these people would have in their entire lives. And to be honest with you I was almost jealous. I tend to feel overwhelmed at times with all of my belongings and would love to simply my life.
The chief of the community had all of us sit around in a circle. He then introduced his village and then explained the meaning behind their dances.
The chief preparing for the ceremony.
And then the dancing began and I felt like I was being transported into the mystical world of the Amazon!
Of course mid-way through *I* was picked to join in the dancing. I really did not want to participate, as I was super embarrassed, however I did not want to be rude either.
Yep, that is me leading the way.
Once the dancing concluded, I took some time to walk around the village and photograph it and its people in a more natural state.
What surprisingly happened next turned out to be the best part of the already amazing day…
I love those first moments when you have stepped foot in a new place that has intrigued you for ages. Whether it has intrigued you because it is famous or because you have a particulate fascination with it or because it is incredibly remote and was a feat to get to. As you can imagine, the Amazon was such a place for me. It has always been a place, at least in my mind, that I felt in order to call myself a true adventurer I needed to visit.
My morning began early and at a port along the Amazon River in Manaus. I boarded my boat and my heart was aflutter with excitement! There were some loud Italians chain smoking in the front of the boat, so I excused myself and went to the back to have some alone time with my thoughts. What did this magical place have in store for me over these next few days?
Setting sail down the Amazon River!
The scenery during the first 20 minutes of the boat-ride was nothing special, however soon the river’s mouth began to narrow and the surrounding jungle became lusher. I knew then that I had arrived. I began to experience those “first moments” that I previously mentioned. Simply surreal!
The best way to see the Amazon is to fly into the city of Manaus, which is considered the gateway. In Manaus you will be able to find copious companies that will offer tours to suit all budgets. I wanted accommodations on the more luxurious side, however I also wanted to take daily excursions deeper into the jungle and further along the river. This is why I chose the eco-lodge that I would be staying at, as it seemed to be exactly what I desired.
My first view of the Amazon EcoPark Jungle Lodge.
The outside of my jungle cabin. Yep, that is the Amazon Rainforest around it!
At check-in I was told that my tour guide was in the midst of giving someone else a tour and that he would pick me up soon for my first tour to the Monkey Forest. I unpacked, sprayed myself with (organic) bug spray, and made sure my camera was ready to go. I also jumped up and down, silently screamed, and did a little dance, haha. I was in the Amazon!!!
An hour later I heard a knock at my door. It was my guide, Alberto. I did not know who to expect when I opened the door, but I did know from the moment he smiled at me that we would become close and fast friends. Alberto had grown up in the jungle for the first 25 years of his life. After encountering some tourists, his curiosity led him to want to learn more about the rest of the world. He left the jungle for Manaus, where he studied tourism and learned fluent English and Russian. He returned back to the jungle years later, however this time it was to give tours, not to live. He quickly became one of the most sought out guides in the entire Amazon. It is easy to understand why after being around him. He exudes this incredible energy and his knowledge of the land is impressive beyond words.
Me on my way to the Monkey Forest.
Our first stop of the day was to an island about 10 minutes away from the eco-lodge. It is named the Monkey Forest, because on the island there is a center for rehabilitation and re-introduction of the monkeys into the wild. It was created with the intention of receiving animals which have been confiscated from illegal commerce. I could hear the monkeys singing while we were still half a mile away!
In this center, the animals are initially put into quarentine to be evaluated and taken care of by a team of vetenarians and biologists. With a high success rate since the start, the animals manage to reproduce naturally, creating new families and ensuring survival of the spieces.
The following are some of my favorite photos I took of the monkeys:
And of course I had to pose with one of the cheeky ones!
Stay tuned to find out what Amazonian adventure I completed next…
If you have been following my posts regarding my trip to Brasil, then you have already stepped into the world of Casa 32. So, I am sure you can understand then why I chose to remain there for my last day in Rio. I could have gone to one of the numerous glorious beaches or shopped for some Havaianas or climbed Sugar Loaf Mountain, but instead I grabbed my book, sunnies, and found the perfect spot by the pool.
This was my view for the day.
Several hours into my sunbathing session, the owner, Lucio, brought me a delicious fresh coconut drink and turned on some Samba music. I seriously felt like I was in heaven! He even made sure to send his son-in-law over every hour or so to clean the pool. Beside the pool was a sauna and when I needed a break from the sun I would take turns visiting it and the al fresco shower.
Surrounding Casa 32 is the remnants of a rain forest that truly makes you feel like you are in the middle of the Amazon and not in a major metropolitan city. I loved the feeling of taking a vacation inside of a vacation! It was an incredible backdrop for me to reflect on my time in a city that I had fallen head-over-heels in love with in only a few days time. I had been warned of Rio’s powerful seduction, however I had no idea it would be this magical of an experience! It is of no wonder to me now why Brasilians call it Cidade Maravilhosa, or Marvelous City.
Sadly, my flight to Manaus was approaching and I needed to finish packing. Lucio told me to make sure that I saved some time in order to say a proper goodbye. When I went searching for him a little later, I found him and his closest relatives by the pool in the midst of a cookout. I did not want to interrupt their party, but as soon as Lucio saw me he got very excited. The cookout had been arranged for me as a farewell celebration and I was the guest-of-honor! I was really, really touched.
Me and my farewell meal. Do you see the flower that was so sweetly put on my plate by Lucio?
Before I got inside the taxi that was to take me to the airport, Lucio, his daughter, Joana, and I posed for a picture in front of the main door to Casa 32. I refused to say “goodbye” to them, since I knew with all certainty that I would be returning one day soon. What I did not know, was just how soon, but you will have to stay tuned for a couple of more posts to uncover that story.
Since it was our last night out in Rio (or so I thought, stay tuned for that misadventure), we simply had to paint the town red! I had heard from countless people that Lapa was the place to be, so we hopped on the subway (Rio really does have one of the best in the world) and made our way there.
My 1st view of Lapa. Told you we were painting the town red!
Lapa is a neighborhood that is home to a weekly massive street party. This is the place to go to experience pure Rio at night! It definitely is not the safest place in the city, but fun always has an element of danger to it, right? In all seriousness, if you stick to the main street you will be just fine.
As we walked around Lapa it was impossible to not be enchanted by the people dancing throughout the streets to the samba drums and the smell of the Brasilian food being cooked by the vendors. It was such a thrilling experience, only made better by the delicious caipifrutas (a caipirinha with fresh fruit) that I was consuming.
The drinks lady!
My favorite part of Lapa actually had nothing to do with the nightlife, rather it was art-related. One of the side streets, named Escadaria Selarón, is covered with colorful, hand-painted tiles from all over the world. This brilliant, constantly evolving, work-of-art is by the celebrated Chilean artist Jorge Selarón. I could have easily spent hours looking at all of the tiles.
A part of the Escadaria Selarón.
My favorite tile of course!
Keren and I enjoying our caipifrutas amongst the tiles.
At the end of the night, I was saddened to say goodbye to my new friends (this part of traveling NEVER gets easy), however they promised to visit me in the States and I promised to visit them in Israel. I am a woman of my word, so do not be surprised if in a couple of months you see some posts on a trip to the Middle East!
