The trip

We planned our trip to the Amazon back in January, and yet, when the departure date rolls around on June 7th, it feels rushed and like we haven’t traveled in a long time - which of course we haven’t, due to the pandemic. We’re spending two days in Manaus, followed by five nights in a jungle lodge, where the suggested dress mode is basically dry-fit clothes in neutral colors, covering arms, necks and legs, along with water resistant footwear. This leads to flustered late night packing followed by a 4am wake up to get the last things done. Finally checked in and rolling our smart carry-ons, weighing just under the approved 10 kg, we decide to have a last coffee and pão de queijo, and this is when I realize I have no wallet. Inexplicably, I’ve left it behind. Fortunately, my documents are with me, and we reassure ourselves we can share Oswaldo’s cash and credit cards. What a good sport!

But this is not all. I wonder why there’s no plane at the gate and learn, when I ask, the plane will arrive too late for us to make our connection in São Paulo. Suddenly things get frenzied and soon we’re running to catch a plane to Fortaleza, with a connection to Manaus. After flying for hours over the vast bluish-ness of the rainforest broken by glistening rivers and drifting clouds, we land in Manaus at the end of the afternoon and are driven to our charming Juma Opera hotel, right in front of the famous opera house, which we can see from our room. We relax over a delicious dinner of local cuisine, and look forward to tomorrow’s city tour.