...and its highlights:

• Manaus - the gateway to the Amazonian no-mans-land
• In dug-out canoes on the Rio Negro and its tributaries
  Hikes and Camps along the Curicuriari river
• Wildlife photography: macaws in the deep jungle
• Biodiversity of the Amazonian rainforest
• Overnight at an Indian villages of the tukano tribe
• Hiking to the top of the Bella Adormecida mountain
  1.125 m

The itinerary

1st day

Half day city Tour in Manaus. On the left banks of the Rio Negro river and about 18km from meeting with the waters of the claylike Rio Solimões, at which point both rivers join into the Amazon, is Manaus - the 'Jungle Metropolis'. The main attractions here are the Opera House with its delicate fountain; a splendid neoclassical building of the size of the Scala (the opera house in Milan, Italy). After 15years of construction it was inaugurated in 1896 as the symbol of the rubber boom. Also fascinating is the swimming port of Manaus, called Porto Flutuante. A colourful mix of people running busily around to embark or disembark, load or unload the ships that reach practically every corner of the Amazonian universe, except where waterfalls or rapids block the way. The 3 story ships are significantly called gaiolas, which literally means cages! Right next to the port is the Mercado Municipal, the city's marketplace, where regional food, fruits, fish, and handicrafts are displayed. Meanwhile, in the Museum of Natural Science, butterflies, insects and fish from the Amazonian region can be viewed.

2nd day

Early transfer to the airport for flight to São Gabriel da Cachoeira (SGL). In SGL we need to get the permit to visit Indian territory, before we board our motorized dog-out canoe. Steered masterfully by our guides, we pass the strong currents and treacherous rapids near SGL and reach our Jungle Base Camp after approximately 2 hours. The rustic camp, made from typical materials, is located right at the river banks on top of a rock that forms a delightful sloping beach. Around the camp area are a great many trees with fruits that never anybody heard of, and they are absolutely delicious - Birds, macaws, and obviously our folks can confirm this! There are separated facilities for eating, meditation, relaxation and sleep. The sleeping and meditation facilities feature screens against mosquitoes. The food is cooked on an original clay stove or grilled. The sleeping facilities feature hammocks. In the afternoon you discover the campsite and will get first glimpses of the flora and fauna all along the Rio Negro. Since you will be tired from a long trip you will be hitting the hammocks soon tonight.

3rd day

Expedition gear is packed on yamanchis, the basket-like 'rucksacks' of our local Indian guides. Unnecessary baggage is left behind at Jungle Base Camp. The boat takes you downstream Rio Negro into the mouth of the Rio Curicuriari. We moor the boat at a tukano Indian village, to greet the locals and change information with them - the children, especially, are intrigued and pleased by our visit that provides excellent photographic opportunities.

Continuing our voyage on the Rio Curicuriari we arrive at another small village of the tukano Indian tribe called São Félix, where we receive a warm welcome from the chief (here called capitão) and villagers alike. An association called Acibrn organizes this community, together with three others of the lower Rio Negro basin. The association has the purpose of maintaining traditions, values and customs combined with promoting awareness of the civil rights to which all Indians are entitled. As in the old days, before they were "civilised" by catholic missionaries in the late 18th century, they still use hand made tools in their everyday lives, e.g. Manioc grinders and shakers. Manioc and fish in a great variety of forms provides the vast majority of the diet of the tukano people, although they also plant bananas to trade for beans and medical supplies. The traditional buildings here are made from sticks and clay with wild açaí palm leaf thatched roofs, held together with cipó vines. They look very strong and in all, the place looks neat, very organised and well structured.

We string our hammocks in the community hut. If the chief, Capitão Antônio, is in a good mood (that is if our gifts are according to his expectations!) he may surprise the visitors with a presentation of traditional tribal dances and an invitation for dinner. Leaving nothing up to chance, our guides prepare supper on a fire, including steak skewers, rice, and pasta dishes, all tastes. All dietary requirements are catered on Southern Cross tours. Not long after dinner we all retire to our hammocks for our first night in the bush.

4th day

At 6am the medicine man bags on an iron to call the tribe for morning prayers. This is the time we get up for breakfast and get packed. After goodbyes to our tukano friends with the promise to come back soon (with more gifts), we are off on the Curicuriari river. A little waterfall at its left banks is soon reached. Here we take our morning bath before we continue upstream Curicuriari. En route we deposit equipment (tents, roll mats and the 70 litre ice box) and supplies that we will not need, at an abandoned manioc plantation ready to collect after our trail in the jungle.

After another hour of river navigation we reach the starting point of the on foot expedition. Here the guides hide the engine and fuel drums in thick bush to collect on our return. On the completion of these essential tasks we begin on our trail through the bush.

Animals that are typical in the region are:

• Mammals
  jaguar, sloth, capybara (also called water pig), tapir, giant otter, paka, peccari, black howler monkey, brown capuchin monkey, spider monkey
• Fish
  Manatee, river dolphin, fresh water sting rays, electric eels, giant pirarucu, tucunaré, piranha
• Reptiles
  bushmaster, eyelash viper, calico snake
• Amphibian
  caiman, green iguana, poison dart frogs, Dendrobatids
• Chelonions
  Arraus
• Spiders
  Goliath tarantula, black widow, brown recluse spider
• Macaws
  scarlet macaw, green winged macaw, blue and yellow chested macaw

You will be hiking through the forest for about 4 hours at an easy pace, giving you time to study and photograph the wilderness and wildlife all around you. The camp will be pitched usually next to a river or rapid for fresh water and a bath. Today's camp is right at the feet of the Bella Adormecida Mountain. Hammocks are strung while the guides fix a fire and cook dinner with our help always appreciated. After that, story telling at the open fire. The guides always come up with interesting and sometimes frightening stories of wild animals and men..... Goodnight......!

5th day

Reveille at 0600hrs. After a quick breakfast you will begin the ascent to the Sleeping Beauty. The uphill trail is unrelenting with very few flat areas. The guides all the while mark the route to ensure a safe descent with minimal forest disturbance. There are regular breaks to fill up your water bottle and relax. While you continue the ascent, you will be scrambling over moss covered boulders (some of which are bigger than the average group member, standing at 175cm!). As you gain altitude the wind begins to pick up and the clouds descend around you. (There is no need to be concerned as you will be well looked after by an experienced expedition leader) After 4 hours of uphill hiking the forest opens and the group arrives at a spellbound waterfall, an absolutely gorgeous place to pitch our camp 3. We are now on the easternmost slope right underneath the summit of Bella Adormecida.

6th day

This morning we are heading for the top of the Sleeping beauty where the group arrives after approximately 2 hours of steep hike. The views from the top are breathtaking, with the Amazonian rainforest stretched out like blanket below us. At 1125m above sea level, we can see many of the places we have visited so far including São Gabriel da Cachoeira, the port of Camanaus, the Rio Negro and the Curicuriari as well as the São Félix community. You may strive to find the waterfall where we moored the canoe, but from this vast distance it is wishful thinking! We stay on the summit for one hour, enjoying the beautiful vistas that provide spectacular photo opportunities and a delightful lunch spot among the delicate crystal white orchids and the singing birds, not to mention our first sight of the sun since entering the jungle!

The descent is much tougher on the knees than ascending. We safely negotiate the obstacles in our way (e.g. the vertical sections, hornets nests and snakes - Cobra Cipó), to the camp at the waterfall and caves. Now we have earned the opportunity to relax in the bathing pools before enjoy a delicious meal that has been cooked to perfection while we have been away. Everybody hit their hammocks now to rest up after a full day of exertion.

The 'Sleeping Beauty' of the Amazon is (in our opinion) one of the best daylong ascents/descents to be found anywhere in the world and is a must see for non-technical and more advanced mountaineers alike.

7th day

We will be spending the morning at the waterfall and exploring the area around it. Our guides will show us more of the secrets of the Amazonian mountain forest. You will be shown how to prepare Saracura roots from which a health drink can be concocted that cleanses all the organs in the body. This is a quite a lengthy process which begins with scraping the shavings of roots into a pan, adding water and whisking vigorously with a split root that replaces the whirl, until it foams. After this the foam is scraped off before repeating the method another four times and then drinking the mixture which has a bitter taste, but improves the more you drink! You will also be shown how to build an emergency shelter in a fraction of time. More photo shooting at the macaws clay licks with possibility to climb into the caves for better shooting. After lunch we break camp and hike back to camp 3, approximately 2 hours.

8th day

Returning to our mooring site where the on foot expedition began, we collect the canoe and head back to Sitio Jeremias, stopping to collect equipment/supplies left at the plantation. Arriving late afternoon and, after setting up hammocks, there is time for fishing off the granite beach - you never know, you could catch everyone's dinner! Or, if you prefer, relax in your hammocks and reflect on your experiences and wait for the guides and expedition leader to return with a haul of Tucunaré, almost guaranteed to be the freshest fish you've ever eaten!

9th day

A well earned day of rest at Sitio Jeremias. If you like you can undertake a short tour of the plantation and local area with one of the guides. However you might just prefer relaxing with a book and fresh coconut milk. Depending on the remaining fuel, the expedition leader might take the canoe to a nearby port and pick up a few well-earned cold beers to enjoy on our last night in the jungle. After stories around the hearty fire, the party settle down to their last nights in hammocks - that king size back home seems a long way away and you wonder if you'll ever get used to it again?...the traffic…closing times at the pubs…perhaps I'll just stay a while longer…

10th day

Sitio Jeremias - São Gabriel da Cachoeira where you check into a hotel. City Tour including the church and a visit to the handicraft shop - where you can purchase some of the items you have seen as a souvenir of an unforgettable voyage. Farewell drinks and dinner with the guides and tour leader in the best restaurant in town, sleeping in Hotel.

11th day

Transfer to Airport and flight via Manaus to Rio de Janeiro for add-on program or to São Paulo for connecting flight back home.