Fortaleza and Manaus.. before we boarded our boat!

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Just a few photos from Forteleza where we spent a few days and the day trip out of Manaus to the meeting of the rivers before we boarded our boat.. ... the boat journey is in the next blog..

We only had a couple days in Fortaleza and thanked our lucky stars that there was sunshine to soak up on our one last day by the coast before heading inland to Manaus.. Fortaleza is in the state of Ceara in Brazil and is the furthest point north along the coastline that we set foot on. It is a pretty sleep town this time of year and there were not very many tourists out that we saw at all!.. when it is low season in brazil, it definetly is low season with most hostels appearing empty upon the first inspections.

Manaus is an awesome and bussling port city.. markets are packed with people, food, alsorts of gadgets, and all the many many interesting smells that go along with it! in the main square there is a completly different scene and atmosphere with an opera house that currently has month long festivities this time of year.. so we wandered about and checked that out at night..

While here to make the most of it, we booked into a day trip out to the meeting of the rivers.. the Rio Negro and the Amazonas.. headed out in long tail canoes to look more closely at the vegetation in little tributaries off the main river...

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Photos

just off the amazonas
floating by canoe we came across this HUGENORMOUS tree trunk.

manaus meeting of the rivers
Rio Negro and Amazonas River

a maccaw!
on the day tour near floating markets..

massive lilypads
apparently they can hold up to 25 kilos.. the wieght of a small child we were told. MASSIVE spikes on the underside too...

opera house
in manaus' main square

the ´food court´ .
at the manaus markets

food on a stick
at the manaus markets

the brazillian sub woofa!
beats the aussie boys hands down!

cool architecture
markets in fortaleza..