the amazonas

There's something really incredible about being in the Amazon, a vast tropical rainforest I've probably known about my entire life yet never actually seen. There's something kind of wonderful about traveling almost completely by boat over countless river fish including piranhas, and perhaps, an anaconda or two. There's something bewildering about having breakfast in Colombia, lunch in Brazil, coffee in Peru and still being able to make it back to Leticia for dinner. Hopefully these photos are able to capture even just a little bit of that.

[morning meal at Amazon Bed & Breakfast: fruit, juice, fried egg, cheese, bread, café con leche]

[a snack exchange with "Shakira"]

[meets & greets with wild squirrel monkeys]

[almojábana (a type of Colombian corn bread) snack]

[Colombian "barbecue" lunch: fish soup, fried fish, cabbage slaw salad, steak and peppers, red beans, white rice, patacones]

[more animal interaction at a Peruvian reserve]

[light dinner with live music at a corner pizzeria]

[another early and delicious B&B breakfast after bed ]

 

[a visit to a Peruvian nature reserve]

[one of the three fish I caught fishing]

[an awkward moment with a wild iguana]

[a fabulous lunch of lemonade, chicken soup, fried fish, steak with peppers, cabbage slaw, white rice, and a baked banana]

[a relaxing afternoon at the lodge with wild & hungry capybaras]

 [a much-needed vanilla ice cream treat from Mimo's]

 [late night dinner: Club Colombia, mahi mahi, patacones, salad, white rice]

[a very sweet and thoughtful morning birthday cake from the B&B  staff]

 [a visit to Brazil to tour a chocolatier, shop at the market, stop by a shipyard...]

[...and take a look at a modern Catholic church]

[a bandeja paisa birthday lunch at Restaurante Tres Fronteras del Amazonas]

And then, of course, there's something unbelievably special about sharing all of it with my grandmother. We'll discuss in more detail at a later date :).