Years ago, I
took a trip up the Amazon River out of Belem (a
beautifully awful city) up to Manaus. I took one of those rickety river boats that seems to putt up river at about 1/2
mile an hour.
The Amazon is epic. Like no other body of water I’ve ever seen. There are places on this river where the water is so
wide, you CANNOT see the riverbanks in either direction. A river, folks. It’s amazing.
This piece in the Philly Inquirer
(subscription) takes a look at the Amazon, but with a focus on the whole ecotourism thing. The writer sees an
eco-lodge, hangs out with the monkeys, eats the local fruits and grubs (literally). It’s not bad. Gives a nice flavor
of the place. It’s a bit shallow as far as stories go, but if you’ve ever wanted to go, it gives a nice glimpse of what
touristy travel on the river is like.