A bucket list thing...

I really don't like bucket lists. I guess I can't shake the feeling that if I accomplish everything on the list, it's time to die. Not a prospect that's very appealing.

One of those things I've always wanted to do, though, is see the Amazon River. It's big, it's wild, it's remote, it's exotic, all at once. Just thinking about it conjures up images of primitive living, strange wildlife, and a lifestyle I can hardly comprehend. So going there was that "trip of a lifetime" for me.

Like most travel, arrival in a wild place usually starts in a place that's anything but wild.

Manaus shorelineManaus, Brazil  is a bustling city with an almost overactive port, hosting both local and ocean-going traffic. It sits in stark contrast to the images I've always held of the Amazon and surrounding area.

Manaus shorelineAs we head upriver on a river that's up to 25 kilometers wide at times, I can't help but think about the changes that have occurred on that mighty river, and the changes that we will make, each of us in our small way, as we visit.

Heading upriverMore to come.