A Southwest Airlines passenger said she enlisted the help of her Instagram followers to retrieve her lost bags after airline staff said they couldn't help.
25.07.2023 - 10:38 / matadornetwork.com
Exploring the Amazon, the planet’s largest tropical rainforest and freshwater system, is a dream for many, but the costs of joining an organized tour expedition can be prohibitively expensive. Luckily, shelling out thousands of dollars for a spoon-fed expedition is not the only option. In fact, a week of the most thrilling and authentic mode of Amazonian travel — cargo-passenger boats — will probably cost you less than a fancy weekend in Rio de Janeiro.
Traveling on Amazonian cargo-passenger ships is gritty going. These boats are not designed for tourists; they are meant to haul local residents and products up and down the complex network of rivers and tributaries that comprise the Amazon Basin. They are the Amazon equivalent of Greyhound buses and 18-wheeler trucks combined. Since the Amazon Basin encompasses nine South American countries and has about the same geographic breadth of the continental US, these ships are also the workhorses of international trade in the region.
Apart from saving some serious cash on your South American travels, seeing the Amazon on cargo-passenger boats allows for a no-frills dive into the culture, nature, and people of the region. In a way that cannot be duplicated on an organized tour, plying the river on the humble cargo-passenger ship will reveal the true face of the Amazon.
Photo: Google Maps
If you choose to start your Amazonian journey in Brazil, the most accessible cities are Belém, located at the mouth of the Amazon where it meets the Atlantic Ocean, and Manaus, constructed on the point where the two major trunks of the Amazon, the Rio Solimões and the Rio Negro, converge. Both of these cities have major airports, and both are worth exploring for a few days.
Photo: Sandra Moraes/Shutterstock
Belém is a colonial city where the indigenous cultures of the Amazon fuse marvelously with the African-diaspora culture of northeast Brazil, and where some of the most interesting cuisine and architecture in all of Brazil can be found. One of the most innovative and internationally acclaimed restaurants in South America, Remanso do Bosque, is in Belém.
Photo: Karol Moraes/Shutterstock
Manaus is a rainforest metropolis that has unexpected cultural nuggets (there are vibrant Japanese and Haitian diasporas here), fascinating foodways, and a raucous nightlife. The Municipal Market in Manaus has a huge variety of fruits, herbs, and fish that will captivate your attention for many hours. The iconic Teatro Amazonas and its surrounding plaza are the de facto hub for backpacker bars, hostels, tourist-friendly restaurants, and street music. Enjoy a bit of street samba, ice-cold Antarctica beer, and fellowship with other travelers at the funky Bar do Armando.
In Manaus, tickets for
A Southwest Airlines passenger said she enlisted the help of her Instagram followers to retrieve her lost bags after airline staff said they couldn't help.
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