Arriving in Manaus was everything I expected it to be. As soon as I stepped off the boat, I was thrust into the swirling madness of a port in the largest city in the Amazon--people rushing around, carrying cargo from boat to shore, families dashing to their boat, all under the blazing Amazonian sun. (As for the ride itself from Santarém to Manaus, it was a lot more pleasant this time, far less crowded, a brand new ship, and much better food.) Manaus is an interesting city, due to its location and atmosphere, but the real reason to come here is to make a jungle excursion, which I arranged within a few hours of arriving. Leaving bright and early, we took a combination of several vans and boats to arrive at a lodge of Lago Mamorí,
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