We're alive

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Monday July 2nd
Up 5am for 7am flight. Everything went smoothly except having to let the air out of our football before we could get past security- that was an ordeal in itself.We started with a 1hr flight to Cuiaratiba, stayed on plane, then 1hr 40 to Brasilia where we got off. Only an hour to wait for final leg (our bags thankfully go straight through(. Airport in Brasil are very modern and comfortable. 3hrs later we land in Manaus (gateway to the amazon) bang on schedule. So far, all internal flights have been a breeze with no queues and everything on time. We are met at the airport by Joaquim who drives like a Maniac (as does everyone in Brazil). We dump bags in his office then head to jungle with his son Paulo, 26, who will be our personal guide for next 4 days. First its 45 mins by speedboat crossing the meeting of the Rio Negra and Amazon rivers. The waters are different colours and don't mix creating a surreal line between. We reach a bustling port at the edge of the jungle with lame dogs wandering and cars reversing everywhere. We are immediately met by a VW van for a 1hr drive along a road/dirt track. En route the road has collapsed due to the river on either side flooding between, creating rapids. Ok so presumably we get out and go around somehow? No... They decide just to drive straight through 3ft deep rapids. I took my seatbelt off to ensure a quick get away when the van inevitably gets washed upside down into the river. We survive. Next its motorised canoe for 1hr through the narrow croc infested rivers. Just as the sun is going down (5.45) Paulo announces "sheet!, I am taken wrong turn) it turns pitch black very quickly but thankfully the full moon provides some light. Arrive at our Jungle lodge. Room more basic than basic but en-suite nonetheless. After clever negotiation Tricia manages to get the mosquito nets for round the beds!After dinner at 8.30 (meat stew-delicious, rice, noodles, onion-tomato -cucumber mix, fresh pineapple), we head out into the river to find the Cayman crocodile, which in this area "only" grows to 2.4m. Within 15 mins, drifting through the reed beds, Paulo grabs one out the water and on to the canoe. It's only 1m long but that doesn't stop an initial panic by Kevin, who was right next to it when it came on board. We bring it back to the lodge to examine before putting it back. An eerie experience. How the hell we gonna get to sleep? It's warm, we've no fan, and there are insect things kicking around. The sound of the jungle was just like in the films. I'm convinced they were playing a tape!

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