Getting there was to take the better part of four days and five flights. Our final flight took us from Belém to Manaus, 900 miles up the Amazon River. From there our mode of transportation switched from jet planes to a small wooden outboard motor boat. The trip to Ariau Amazon Towers, 35 miles up the Rio Negro, took an hour and a half.

The Rio Negro is truly black. The jungle, through which it flows, is flooded six  months of the year, leaching color and acids from the dead leaves on the jungle floor.  Fortunately, the acidic water prevents mosquito eggs from hatching. We brought mosquito protection with us but never used it. 

River Transportation

 Ariau Towers consists of a complex of seven wooden buildings on stilts, containing 288 guest rooms and other facilities. All buildings are interconnected by a network of rickety looking, multi-level, elevated wooden walkways. Signs were posted everywhere saying, "Danger. Crocodiles. Do not enter the water." At the time of our visit there was one guest room called Tarzan's House, built 110 feet up in the tree canopy. Today there are seven “Tarzan” Houses, one of which has four levels. They are only for the hardy, as they are all walk-ups.  The complex included a wooden helipad on stilts for visitors who didn't want to travel by boat. The resort now has numerous amenities, including three swimming pools, two restaurants, an American style Bar, a coffee shop, a gift shop, a fax machine, and internet connections.    

We spoke to the owner, who was very proud of the fact that he had built the resort himself from local materials and the labor of local natives. He boasted that no architect or engineer had been employed in the construction. We believed him, as nothing was level or plumb. Furthermore no self respecting engineer would air condition a room with no glass in the windows.

Tom and I took a daytime motorized canoe tour, which took us into the tangle of trees and vines around the resort. Many times the canoe cut through large mats of floating grass where it looked like there was no water. In other places the guests in the canoe had to pull the canoe through the narrowly spaced trees by hand. We also motored up river to visit a native home built on stilts along the river bank. It was a small, one room building, elevated two feet above the water level to prevent snakes from entering the house. Later we took a guided walking tour in the jungle and after our walk, took a swim in the river to cool off. We were told that there were tiny fish in the river that can swim up one's urinary tract. I waited until the guide entered the river before I ventured into the water.