We arrived in the bustling metropolis of Manaus a couple of days ahead of our group to begin our first exploration of the vast equatorial area known as Amazonia. It was hot and humid. Daily rain downpours were heralding the last of the rainy season. Even casual walks outside of our air conditioned hotel resulted in fully soaked sweaty clothing. But we were eager to get on the river leaving the city of 2 million people behind and explore this rainforest mystery for our first t