While my mission in life is all about national, state and local parks in the US, recently I got to go to Brazil! Pretty exciting, if scary at times (it *is* a jungle out there, after all)! Here are some of my trip photos.

We flew out to Manaus from Tucson via Dallas and Miami. On the flight out of Tucson, I got to meet the captain and go into the cockpit of the 737! How cool is that?!

In Manaus, the birding adventure started with a dawn visit to the botanic garden, where we went up a 30-meter tower to scan the treetops.

Leaving Manaus, we went to the Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge, near the Anavilhanas National Park, a national park that encompasses a huge river archipelago in the Rio Negro. This place was luxurious! Got to relax in a hammock, sit by the pool, and go on fun river rides to look for birds.

When we left Anavilhanas, we went back to Manaus, flew to Tefé, and then took a long boat trip to get to the Uakari Floating Lodge at the Mamiraua Reserve. This place had pink dolphins! But mom was afraid I’d fall into the water, so I didn’t get to go. 🙁 Otherwise it was awesome.

Our last lodge of the trip was Pousada Aldeia Mari Mari, north of Manaus. Nice spot by the river to swim or just hang out.

Last day before flying home, we had a fun day on a boat on the Amazon, got to see the “meeting of the waters” (where the Rio Negro flows into the Amazon), and had lunch at a floating restaurant.

Too soon the trip was over. But we got to fly home (part of it, at least) in first class on a 777! No cockpit visits this time, though.

I’m back home safely and planning my next adventure. For more of my adventures, follow me on facebook! Or on Instagram! Happy travels!