the bird with the long beek on the branch is the most brazilian of all animals, the tucano. it is a gorgeous bird, and exceptionally loud - i woke up every morning to its morning singing and it was the best way to rise to a new day :) 

that is us poking a tarantula in its burrow on the ground. i didnt think it was a great idea, but indio francisco explained that the impressive hairy minimonsters are actually quite safe to poke :), relying more on their impressive looks than real venom to strike fear into feeble humans :). 

he is a very charecterful fellow :-), marching determenidly across the ground to the dinner table. 

this is when i learned to lose my fear of snakes, giant furry spiders and other princes of the jungle. 

a dinner party in the jungle. this is a couple, and the one closest to the camera is the male, very bossy one at that. they lived with us in the camp we made in the middle of the jungle. the way it works is the i travelled for a couple of days with the guide from manaus to this location, and we made camp our home for daily and one overnight trips around the region. we slept in hamocks strung between trees, covered by a manmade canope, and hunted whatever we ate, mostly fish, but also other local creatures... 

a very elegant dinner guest :). 

this, as the song goes, was the time of my life. 7 days spent inside the amazon forest. words and pictures cannot capture the essence of this magnificent living organism, for the forest is alive. it breathes, it sings, it plays, it accompanies, it seduces. i have always loved nature, but this was different. this was a kind of communion with an environment of overwhelming beauty and complexity, a true feeling of being close to something which is 'mother' earth.

i begin this story by introducing you to my guide, indio francisco. francisco was born in the forest, but moved to manaus early in life. his family started a small tour operation which takes tourists into the heart of the amazon. they run their little business from a small room above a warehouse in a delapidated section of manaus. i found him via the local newspaper and instantly recognized his honesty and passion for the forest. we agreed on a price for the excursion, and i went back to my hotel room skipping and jumping with giddy excitement. 2 days later we boarded a bus in the early morning, and spent the next day making our way into the amazon, first by bus, then by boats, then by canoes, and finally unto the staging area for our exploration. this trip was the greatest gift i have ever given myself. whatever else i do in my life, i find quiet happiness knowing that i met this wonderful environment which so redefined my love for earth.