Manaus to Amazon Eco Park Lodge

Rain rain go away, come again another day...no wait... after 10 days...

We woke up planning to stroll around Manaus after the in-house breakfast. The coffee was really really really AMAZING... wait, did I make that clear enough? It was the best coffee in the world...truly made my day! After greedily gulping down 3 (non-American sized) cups of this delicious coffee, for fear that this may be the only best coffee we'd find, we were about to step out while the rain started pouring...When I say pouring, I mean pouring! The cooks kindly led us to the covered terrace of the hotel and we spent about 30 mins just watching the rain wash over the city... The warm fragrance of the soil, and the gradually building humidity made me strangely nostalgic and so much at home!

Our van arrived to pick us up, and I enjoyed the ride by playing a renewed version of hide-and-seek with Kannu (where the hider must give up his location to the seeker).

We reached at the port and loaded ourselves and our bags (we had packed enough to ensure that if all communication between Brazil and the world were to end, we could comfortably settle down here :) ) onto the speed boat. 

We were welcomed at the lodge with our first tropical drink and led to our rooms. Our cabin was a cute one bedroom, tastefully decorated and a nice patio to enjoy our drinks later (or so we thought...).

Our days had been pre-planned in our package, so we tagged along with our friendly guide-Eduardo, who spoke great English and took us to meet with the locals and watch their dance.

It was quite interesting to see the amusement in their eyes. They grabbed Rahul and Kamala to dance with them. 

We bought some souvenirs and walked around the jungle (close to waters, as that was safest) for a bit before retiring back to our cabins. A shower was a must, as we were soaking wet from the humidity. Tip: wear loose clothes, shorts and trekking/tennis shoes, heaps of insect repellent and copious amounts of sunscreen before heading out.

We chilled (I say chilled figuratively speaking, it was still hot and sultry) in the hammocks (not adventurous enough for us) for a while before heading for dinner. Our day ended with a delicious buffet that had plenty of vegetarian food (okra soup was the drink of the day) and tropical fruits for me and various cakes and puddings for my sweet-toothed friends.