Day 39: A Valentines Day Trip on the Rio Negro out of Manaus

by Margaret · Published February 14, 2019 · Updated February 21, 2019

Manaus is a gritty place. A port city 1,500 kilometers from the ocean. Our hotel was more of a hostel — fluorescent lights, a bunk bed, not enough standing room for all of us together. Serviceable but not much more.

The day trip was good — memorable — but very touristy. 50 tourists in a boat with guide James (yup!) making a number of tried-and-true tourist stops:

1.The meeting of the waters. This is where the Rio Negro (inky black water) and the Amazon River (caramel colored) collide but don’t mix — they run side by side for about three miles. Their density, speed and temperature differ, preventing them from blending. Pretty spectacular to see.

2. After that we stopped at a floating souvenir shop. We went with it. Onsite they had in-river corrals with Piriracu fish — the beast carnivorous 8-foot Amazonian fish — and if you paid a few coins you got a stick with a string and dead fish attached. Tourists were paying to lower the fish into the corrals to watch the Piriracu chomp viciously at the snack. Like an actually snapping sound. Terrifying. Also kind of icky from a tourism standpoint.

3. We got to wander some elevated wood pathways to see jungle trees, real monkeys and some gigantic lily pads. Very tightly controlled “jungle experience!”

4. Lunch was after that at a floating restaurant. They served Piriracu.

4. Next was a 1.5 hour ride (both kids slept) on the boat to yet another floating tourist shack, this time with pink dolphins. The dolphins are wild but know they get snacks from this shack and stay close. Also a smidge icky, but Willa was beside herself excited about this part of the excursion, so we paid a little extra to go in with the dolphins. By we, I mean Teddy and Willa. James and I stayed on the dock.

They put life preservers around their waists and waded into the water waist deep with about 8 other people. The guy held fish high in the air and the dolphins would stretch up out of the water to grab them. Their skin was a light pink and gray, but when viewed beneath the reddish waters, looked electric pink. Willa was mesmerized and squealing. I can’t believe she did it.