I’m jolted from my sleep as we hit the tarmac. The voice of our flight attendant fills the cabin as he declares, “On behalf of your Delta flight crew we would like to welcome you to Brazil.” At 4:11 am, it’s too early for anyone to be so jolly, but I didn’t mind because we finally made it. Well...most of us. Unfortunately, my Mom didn’t arrive with us to Brazil. Due to inclement weather our flight from Miami to Atlanta was delayed. In order to get onto another flight we were placed on standby, but only 1 seat became available. Mom insisted that I take the seat and that she would meet me in Atlanta. However, her flight arrived 5 minutes too late for our flight to Brazil. No amount of begging, pleading or tears was going to keep that plane on the ground. Believe me I tried! Seeing my pain even the captain tried to help by calling in a favor to ground control asking them to hold our flight, but to no avail. They closed the cabin doors at exactly 9:40pm without Mom. Ugh! The good news is that Mom has rescheduled her flight and will be arriving to Manaus tomorrow.
And what a place to meet us! The Ariaú Amazon Towers our five star resort (Brazilian stars) are a group of a dozen or so circular buildings nestled into the rainforest canopy. Being circular allows of all the rooms to have views of the jungle, but makes for an interesting room layout that reminds me a slice of pizza. Also, since the towers are planted in the riverbeds, it seems as though the room is always moving with the flow of the current. Maybe I’ll have to ask Mom to bring some Dramamine in case I get motion sickness. ☺ Some interesting facts about the hotel (besides it being in the middle of nowhere…uh, I mean the jungle) are that it has played host to a plethora of celebrity guests and film sets, Most notably, the television show Survivor: Amazon and the movie Anaconda. Not too shabby!
Also, it can only be reached by boat. So after we cleared customs, gathered our belongings and groggily boarded the bus, we were whisked away to the awaiting boat. We arrived at the boat just as the sun began to peek through the clouds and the light danced across the river to reveal the Rainforest surrounding us. Seeing the Amazon for the first time is truly breathtaking.
One of the perks of being in a hotel in the middle of the rainforest is that we are constantly surrounded by wildlife. Walking through the hotel we have crossed paths with countless monkeys and parrots. The most memorable encounter of day took place after our walking tour of the hotel grounds. As we took our break, some of the monkeys mistook our water bottles for food and began an invasion. Within an instant a plethora of monkeys had descended upon us. Monkeys were on peoples’ heads, shoulders and laps – including mine. In case you didn’t know, monkeys can get quite aggressive. Trying to remain calm, I waited for my dear friend to realize I had no food to offer. As he departed I was relieved and completely energized by the meeting. 
After the drive-by monkey-ing, we again boarded a boat to visit a house of a native family. They were generous enough to show us how the Brazil Nut is harvested (tasting included), what the cashew looks like while growing on the tree and that if you scratch the bark of a particular plant, you will smell the distinct aroma of Vick’s Vapor Rub. With our noses clear, we entered the kitchen for the highlight of our visit. We then were treated to homemade Brazilian-style tapioca. It’s a bread-like consistency and tastes amazing. Paired with some sweet coffee and I was in foody heaven. Y-U-M-M-Y!
The boat ride home was a magical parallel to the boat ride of the morning, except that the sunlight was sinking into the treetops. As the light danced across the river and the sky melted into a muted orange, I felt sense of serine calm wash over me. The Amazon is a much simpler place then home and I like it. 
Arriving back at the hotel, we were informed of the evening activity – alligator spotting. As a South Florida girl, I was eager to find a piece of home in this exotic land. Laughter filled the starless night as we glided across the river in search of Cayman (Brazilian Alligators). When we came across a 3-foot baby gator, our guide snatched and brought him into the boat. Those brave enough, myself included, held and passed the gator around the boat as we learned about the Cayman and it’s place in the Amazon’s ecosystem. Pouring myself into bed, I can’t fall asleep. I’m too excited for the adventures that lie ahead tomorrow!
