We arrived in Manaus at lunchtime, and chose the "Jungle Nature Trek" excursion for our afternoon activity. We rode a riverboat for about 45 minutes up the Rio Negro to a park area where we did the hike. The trail was uneven but easy to follow, and no one in our group had any trouble keeping up. In addition, no one was attacked by a bushmaster snake or wild tarantula. In fact, due to the time of day, we saw no wildlife except for one tarantula that the guide teased from his hole. Our guides were well versed in jungle survival, and they passed along a few tips to all of us.
We returned to the ship just in time to take a quick shower, eat an early dinner, and re-apply our bugspray before our evening adventure--alligator spotting.
For the alligator (actually cayman) adventure, we boarded small canoes and went with a guide into marshy areas looking for the red eyes of the caymans. This was the Amazon I had dreamed of--dark waters, jungle noises, and creepy gators! Our guide didn't manage to bring a cayman to the boat for an "up close and personal" look, but we did see several along the riverbank. It was a great ending to a great cruise!
