To get to the Juma Amazon Lodge, deep in the heart of the Brazilian
jungle, one must take a flight to Manaus, then drive an hour in an
airport transfer van, board a boat for another hour-long ride, transfer
to a vintage VW bus trip through the mouth of the jungle, then hop on
another boat for one last hour-long journey. It’s a daunting expedition,
but it’s worth every minute, every mile.
Juma is a totally
sustainable eco lodge built into the river banks of the rain forest,
and staying there is an experience totally removed from the everyday
realities of modern life. There’s no air conditioning, no phone service,
no internet connection ~ just a lot of glorious hiking and hammock
lounging
Boating there allows the opportunity to see the Meeting of the Waters,
where the muddy-mauve Solimões River and the jet-black Negro River run
side by side without mixing, to form the great Amazonas River. It’s an
incredible natural anomaly, another epic reminder of the greatness of nature.
|ABOVE| stilted pathways leading from room to room at Juma
|ABOVE + BELOW| Ever since we visited Beijing’s Imperial Palace,
Zach’s been teasingly requesting concubines. His wishes came true with a
harem of hairy monkey mistresses in the jungle! With his long hair and
beard, they must have thought he was their king; they hardly left his
side for a minute of our trip.
|ABOVE + BELOW| we adjusted well to #thathammocklyfe
|ABOVE| nap time with Blackie
Beside hammocking with monkeys, we spent our days in the Amazon
swimming, piranha fishing, alligator spotting, and boating deeper and
deeper into the jungle for eye-opening hikes, learning about the
forest’s miraculous plant life. Should I ever fall terribly ill, skip
the hospital and take me right back here! The locals have undoubtedly
unlocked the secret sorceries of our earth, a power which they wield
responsibly but spectacularly.
|ABOVE + BELOW| you know how I feel about crown-making, so I was thrilled to pick up some fresh techniques from the Amazonians.
|ABOVE| Kelly wears Westward\\Leaning sunnies, Balinese scarf, Lisa Marie Fernandez neoprene swimsuit, vintage belt, shorts from Vietnam, Amazon-issued calf guards and Nike shoes |BELOW| Zach wears draped Vietnamese shorts and Nike shoes
|ABOVE| fishing for our dinner in a hat from the markets of Salvador da Bahia and a Miguelina caftan
