“Why would you want to go THERE?”

This seems to be the most common question I have been asked since announcing my next adventure. I was slightly shocked – after all, what nature enthusiast wouldn’t want to experience the wonders of the Amazon Rainforest? Jungles teeming with tropical birds, screaming monkeys, and herds of butterflies. Okay, the technical term for a “herd” of butterflies is a “kaleidoskope.” Seriously! Anyways, the Amazon always sounded like a romantic destination, full of color and life.

To some degree, I still believe that. But after my research, I’m starting to understand the reactions of my peers. The Amazon might be one of the deadliest places in the world. Between the venomous frogs, 8-foot long jumping fish called arapaima, bird-eating spiders, and underwater spiders, the river alone is especially lethal. And that isn’t counting the crocodiles, hippos, piranhas, or the infamous Anacondas. On the banks, travelers can run into equally fatal ends: jaguars prowl the treetops, Amazonian ants swarm below, and even the plants can kill you!

But the animal enthusiast in me wins out against thoughts of self-preservation, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to travel with some of my favorite people to experience one of the most lethal and beautiful locations on Earth!

Arapaima