Amazon Cruise : Heart of Amazonia 2005
The Motor Yacht Tucano
The Most Authentic Nature Program in the Amazon

Heart of Amazonia explores some of the most untouched rainforest in all of the Amazon. We begin in Manaus, Brazil and venture far up the Rio Negro [pronounced NAY-GRO] to an area very rarely visited. With our naturalist guides we actively seek out the mysterious life that stirs in this primeval forest. The rainforest in this area has very unique plants and animals and our aim is to both observe and describe their astonishing habits. We get out into the forest and explore----not simply watch from the deck of the vessel. There are daily walks in the forest and we frequently scout in our launches the small streams that radiate off the main river. Some days we swim off deserted beaches in water as pure and clean as rainwater and we are always treated to vistas of wild rainforest stretching as far as the eye can see.

On our excursions into the rainforest we observe magnificent plants of every imaginable shape and size. We listen to the exotic calls of birds and mammals and watch them from a forest trail or our launches. In the evenings we have a brief discussion about the creatures that we observed and the extraordinary ways in which the plants and animals have evolved to live in this ancient rainforest. Some nights we explore the river's edge in our launches and with spotlights we see caiman, close relatives of crocodiles.

Our basic navigation plan is to voyage upstream on the Rio Negro as far as a major river called the Rio Branco, about 200 miles from Manaus. We mostly navigate the smaller tributaries because that is where wildlife is still found in abundance. Over several days we gradually explore the many different rainforest habitats. By examining many different environments, we increase our opportunity of seeing a greater diversity of wildlife.

On the last day of the voyage we travel to the "Encontra das Aguas", the meeting of the waters of the world's two largest rivers: The Amazon River and the Rio Negro. The light colored water of the Amazon and the dark water of the Negro do not readily mix and the two rivers flow side by side for many miles. We explore the beautiful and fabulously rich environment where these two rivers meet and visit the Lago Janauari Ecological Park which lies in a wedge-shaped delta that divides the Amazon from the Negro.

Local Villages
Another important feature of the program is our visits to the homes of deep forest settlers. We visit with them and learn what their lives are like, living on the edge of this vast trackless forest. A walk through their gardens is always interesting and we marvel at their pioneer skills and self sufficiency. All deep forest settlers gather plants for medicines and we talk with them about which plants they collect and their uses.

The Rio Negro Region
The Amazon covers an area near in size to the continental United States. Though there are a few cities, the continental size floodplain is still almost entirely covered with primitive tropical forest. Within this vast watershed, the Rio Negro drains over 300,000 square miles, fully ten percent of the entire Amazon basin. Despite the great length of the Negro, there are only a few small settlements large enough to be considered towns. It remains a true wilderness. Beyond the tangle of vines and limbs along the river banks are hundreds of thousands of square miles of primitive forest where the forces that shape plant and animal evolution continue on as they have for millions of years.

The Daily Schedule
Since we are exploring, the daily schedule varies, but our days have a basic outline of activities. We get up with the sun every morning and either search in our launches for birds and wakening howler monkeys or we walk in the forest. Mid-morning we return for a full Brazilian breakfast. After some relaxation and time to digest, we go again for an excursion in the forest.

At around noon the vessel gets underway and we travel until the late afternoon which is when most animals come out again to feed. During the middle of the day many guests choose to observe the forest and the spectacular vistas from the observation deck, while others take a nap before our afternoon activities. About two hours before sunset we embark on an excursion to some other place of interest. In the evenings we have an informal talk about what we may expect to see the following day. Some evenings, from the comfort of our launches, we spot wildlife with powerful searchlights.

Time Also to Relax and Have Fun
We see and do a great deal in the forest, but there is also plenty of time to relax and have fun during the trip. We swim in some of the cleanest water in the world, (chemically the Rio Negro is almost identical to rainwater). We also spend a little time fishing an afternoon or so to see what glides in the depths. Every afternoon we have hors-d'oeuvres on the observation deck and are treated to a magnificent sunset. At night guests often go to the top deck to marvel at the constellations of the Southern Hemisphere and the millions of stars visible in the dark sky of the Amazon. Because we are in such an interesting place with exceptional guides, the days are full and exciting.

Itinerary

Day 1 Early this morning all guests board the vessel the Motor Yacht TUCANO and depart upstream on the Rio Negro. Through the morning we will cruise through the world's largest river island system, the Anavilhanas Archipelago. From the observation deck we scan the magnificent tangle of vegetation at the water's edge.

By mid-afternoon the vessel has gone beyond the frontier of settlement and entered a wilderness area. Both shores are covered by dense rainforest. Though we never know what we will see, we have a good chance of observing pink river dolphins and a large collection of exotic birds. Most certainly we will be treated to magnificent forest vistas and the spectacular trees themselves. In the late afternoon we embark in the launches and hunt for wildlife. We may also go for a swim in some of the world's most clean and refreshing water. (LD)

Day 2 Early this morning we explore the rainforest along the waters edge in our launches. We should hear and perhaps see howler monkeys along with a morning serenade of toucans. After breakfast we go for a walk in the forest where we will get a good start on understanding Amazon ecology. Around midday we return for lunch and the vessel will get underway, perhaps stopping at a place to swim. In the late afternoon we will explore the forest in our launches and listen to the sunset chorus of birds and frogs. (BLD)

Day 3 This morning there will be an early exploration of the waking forest. We will keep our eyes open for monkeys--on most trips we see them often. We return for breakfast followed by either a walk in the forest or an excursion in the launches. TUCANO will travel during the middle of the day and we stop in the afternoon for an excursion. Tonight the vessel may travel a bit more as we marvel at the night sky crowded with stars. (BLD)

Day 4 After our two morning excursions TUCANO will navigate along the heavily forested shore, scouting for wildlife. We may stop for a visit at a settler's home carved out of the forest. In the early afternoon we will be near an extraordinary river called the Rio Branco. Here we will see a kind of forest known as the varzea. We will scout along the shoreline for some of the extraordinary creatures found only in this unique environment. Weather permitting we will do a night excursion to observe nocturnal creatures. (BLD)

Days 5 & 6 Today we depart the Rio Branco and for the next two days proceed downstream on the Rio Negro exploring a new collection of rainforest habitats. In the daytime we will continue to scout in our launches, walk in the forest, and at night hunt for nocturnal wildlife. (BLD)

Day 7 After a walk in the forest we cross to the West bank of the Rio Negro, exploring as we go. We will stop at the substantial boat building village of Novo Airão. As we walk through the streets we'll marvel at how the 19th Century thrives in this remote corner of the globe. Tonight TUCANO goes downstream to arrive at daybreak near the confluence with the Amazon River. As we glide through the starry darkness this is a good night to sip the national drink of Brazil, the "Caipirinha". (BLD)

Day 8 This morning we explore the Lago Janauari Ecological Park where seasonally the thick brown water of the Amazon flows swiftly through the forest. This area is usually a very good place to observe wildlife. Around midday the vessel will travel to the "Encontra das Aguas" a stark several mile long line where the world's two largest rivers, the Amazon and the Negro, join in a turbulent maelstrom. Here the dark water of the Negro runs beside the opaque brown water of the Amazon. In the afternoon we scout one of the hidden streams in the area to try to see more of the Amazon's beautiful and bizarre creatures. Tonight there will be one last excursion looking for nocturnal life. (BLD)

Day 9 In the morning all guests disembark from TUCANO. Some guests will participate in an optional tour of the city of Manaus before transferring to the airport. (B)

Meal Codes: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner
*Please note that the day to day schedule must be considered approximate. The order of the days and specific features may be altered due to navigational considerations.

Degree of Difficulty: Good health is necessary. There are several daily excursions off the vessel and many guests choose to participate in some but not all of them. While guests can have a quite enjoyable trip by simply staying on board TUCANO and participating in launch excursions, participants in our walks in the forest must be able to comfortably walk for two or more hours at a time. The vessel is air-conditioned in the middle of the day and throughout the night.