Brazil, The Rio Negro

If you think your mind is playing tricks on you, rest assured it is not.
These delightful creatures are the pink dolphins of the Rio Negro and I had the pleasure of watching them on my recent trip to Brazil.
I had booked a 7 day, 7 night cruise on the M/Y Tucano which took us way up the Rio Negro to watch the wildlife living in and out of the water.
And what an adventure it was.
We boarded the Tucano in Manaus and slowly made our way up river. The Tucano is the only commercial vessel allowed to go far up into the Rio Negro National Park and for a time we did not see another human being.

There was plenty of wildlife though.

Our days started early. Wake up call was at 5.20 for the 5.50 start of our first canoe ride to hear and watch the forest wake up.
We saw all kind of birds but our biggest excitement was the spotting of a sloth.

There was plenty of time to take pictures as this curious animal moves in slow motion.
We were back for  breakfast and set off again at 10, this time on terra firma. Our guides had to cut our path through the thick rain forest with a machete and I do not know to this day how they found the way back to the canoe.
It was back to the boat for lunch and a rest. We set off for another exploration at 4pm. And the treasures we found!

Capucine monkeys must be the most adorable little animals on the planet. These were feeding and oblivious to our presence.
On one of these excursions we travelled into water so calm that we could not distinguish the waterline.

Back on the boat, dinner was ready for us at 6.30pm and at 8pm we set off again to see the night creatures.
How our guides knew where to find them is still a mystery to me.
Another highlight for me was the day we went Piranha fishing. I was very lucky and caught the biggest one.

I had it for dinner the next day. It was delicious.

The Rio Negro has clear but brown water and we used it daily for our showers – cold! Towards the end of our tour we went for a swim, which was enjoyed by everybody.

On our last day, on the way home we went past Manaus to see the water line where the Rio Negro and the Amazon meet. This line is normally very straight, but because it was a very windy and choppy day, the edge was a bit crooked.

These two rivers continue to flow next to each other for a few kilometres before they finally mingle and become one river, the mighty Amazon.

When I left Australia I put plenty of insect repellent into my bag. I did not need it. Surprise, surprise there were no mosquitoes. We did not see one for the whole 7 days.
Not during the day, not at night. Fire ants, yes! Mosquitoes, no!
Can I recommend this trip? Whole heartedly!