Our family has begun a new adventure across the world, so it is time to revive Adventurific to keep track of our experiences and share them with loved ones.

Brazil & the Amazon

New Continent. New Adventures.

16 days

The Itinerary: 2 days traveling there, 6 days at a resort in Foz do Iguacu then travel to Manaus for 4 days/3 nights on a tour in the Amazon

The travelers: Jim, Becky, Olivia (20), Audrey (6), Gideon (3), Josiah (15 months)

First, the getting there...

July 29

2:00 AM We load up the car and head out from our house in Fayetteville, North Carolina to catch a plane in Raleigh.

8:50 AM The first plane departs for Fort Lauderdale, Florida where we have a nine hour layover. We get out of the airport and spend a few hours at nearby Snyder Park (thanks to a Lyft). There were some beautiful ponds, interesting ducks, an awesome jungle gym, and more iguanas than we could count. I would compare their presence to squirrels in the midwest. The breeze and shade made a sunny excursion just perfect. When we returned to the airport we washed up with wipes and got everyone dressed in pajamas.

8:10 PM Depart for overnight flight to Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Some of us rested better than others. Olivia fell asleep before dinner was served, and Gideon wouldn't wake for breakfast. Audrey and Jim had a row of four seats to themselves, which Audrey made the most of. Jim and I "rested."

July 30

5 AM Landed in a new country on a new continent. Baggage claim, customs, security, next plane. We are all worn out but the kids did very well considering how little sleep everyone has had since we started.

8:40 AM Our last flight departs to Foz do Iguacu, Brazil. Josiah has been a champion traveler so far, but even his patience is waning. He cried a few minutes before indulging all the snacks. After landing in Foz do Iguacu, a tiny airport, we see about the rental car and how to fit all the luggage in a minivan [emphasis on the "mini"]. I proved my claim that packing Tetris is my super power. All the suitcases, all the carseats, all the people. Oh my! However, in my state sleep deprivation I could not figure out how to pay the parking fee to leave the airport parking lot in the rental car. Jim went in and solved the problem. The GPS took us on a backroad voyage to the resort, and I wondered just what kind of place I got us into. The resort is in fact very nice, and built on the edge of town that appears to be up-and-coming with development. We get settled in. Jim procures food from the in-house restaurant, and we finally sleep. Audrey and Gideon fell asleep for the night around 5 or 6 pm.