The Amazon Rainforest

Since 1970, scientists estimate, as much as 20% of the amazon basin's rainforest may have disappeared, at the mercies of clear-cut logging and subsequent cattle ranching. It is said that .6 hectares (11/2 acres) are lost every second. And a recent series of droughts has pushed the basin closer and closer to irretrievable desiccation and death.

"Save the rainforest!" became a conservation rallying cry in the early 1980s, a cliché for environmental awareness. You'd think by now we would have saved it.

But the crisis is by no means past for this amazing tropical wilderness. The Amazon—the world's largest river—courses through the world's biggest forest, a dense green jungle that shelters myriad endangered and endemic species, on its way to the Atlantic Ocean. This lush environment is, as one catchphrase calls it, the "lungs of the earth," producing more than 20% of the world's fresh oxygen. It also shelters an enormous number of species, including 20% of the world's plants, many of which are thought to be unique sources for lifesaving medicines. In all, the total number of species can only be estimated because so many remain unrecorded.

For the traveler, though, this fertile wilderness is one of the most beautiful and exotic paradises on earth, a spellbinding scene of draping vines, waxy blossoms, and leafy canopies, with a soundtrack of chattering monkeys and twittering parakeets. Gaze upwards and you'll find comical toucans and iridescent parrots in the trees; peer into the river's mysterious depths and you'll spot furtive anacondas and flitting tetra fish. In the past few decades, an entire eco-tourism industry has sprung up in the Amazon, offering new economic hope for natives who formerly depended on destructive logging. While the tourism infrastructure is still limited, Amazon basin travel improves every year.

The usual starting point is Manaus, the largest city in the region, located on the shores of the Rio Negro. Just downstream from Manaus lies the momentous Meeting of the Waters (Encontra das Aguas), which every visitor should see, either by boat or sightseeing plane. As the dark slow waters of the Rio Negro meet the fast muddy brown waters of the Rio Solimões—officially becoming the capital-A Amazon—differences in velocity, temperature, and salinity actually keep the two rivers from blending. You can see the distinct colors of their currents running side by side for miles past the junction, a stunning natural phenomenon.

Plenty of operators run boat trips of varying lengths out of Manaus, either offering overnight accommodations on board or traveling to Amazon lodges set in their own jungle preserves. Whether you're sleeping on the water or on land, these package tours generally include common features: canoe excursions up smaller tributaries, sunset and sunrise tours, wildlife-watching walks under the leafy canopy of the rainforest, piranha fishing, and nighttime caiman spotting. See also the separate entry on the Anavilhanas Ecological Station (p. 98).

For a more adventurous option, try Amazon Mystery Tours (☎ 55/92/633-7844; www.amazon-outdoor.com) , whose tours explore the deeper reaches of the rainforest via kayak, jungle hiking, and camping out. Some of their itineraries even include climbing up into the rainforest canopy, and guides can tailor excursions to focus on special interests: Bird-watching, orchid hunting, medicinal plants—the Amazon's fascinations are endless.

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