Aug 21st, 2012 at 8:00AM: This past Saturday, Texas native West Hansen set off on what is sure to be an epic adventure in South America. The avid paddler from Austin launched his attempt to set a new speed record for kayaking the length of the Amazon River, a waterway that runs more than 4400 miles (7081 kilometers) in length. The entire expedition is expected to last several months.
Hansen began his journey on Mount ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
AmazonJungle posts
Kayaker Attempting Amazon River Speed Record
Aug 21st, 2012 at 8:00AM: This past Saturday, Texas native West Hansen set off on what is sure to be an epic adventure in South America. The avid paddler from Austin launched his attempt to set a new speed record for kayaking the length of the Amazon River, a waterway that runs more than 4400 miles (7081 kilometers) in length. The entire expedition is expected to last several months.
Hansen began his journey on Mount ...Hotels Offering Adventure Packages For Summer Travelers
Jun 27th, 2012 at 3:00PM: Want to spend your summer looking for zebras, swimming with whale sharks and scuba diving ancient shipwrecks? Take advantage of these adventure hotel packages to make the season's travels a little more exciting.
Picosa Ranch Resort
San Antonio, Texas
The Picosa Ranch Resort, located 30 minutes from downtown San Antonio, is an authentic Texas ranch that was once home to former Texas ...How To Face Your Fears Through Travel
Jun 5th, 2012 at 2:00PM: For many people, traveling is about trying new things and making inner discoveries. It's a great primer for getting your mind ready for an adventure. While you're having these unique experiences, why not take the opportunity to conquer a fear, as well? Here are some ideas on how travel can help you face your anxieties head-on.
Flying
Being afraid to fly is very common, and the best way to ...Bolivian president vetoes Amazon road
Oct 29th, 2011 at 9:00AM: Bolivian President Evo Morales signed a law on Tuesday that forbids the construction of a new road through the Amazon Rainforest. The road was seen as a threat to the ecosystem of one of Bolivia's more popular national parks and a tribe of indigenous people that live there.
The new road was to be funded by Brazil and would have been approximately 177 km (109 miles) in length. But the ...Underground river discovered beneath the Amazon
Aug 28th, 2011 at 9:00AM: A massive underground river has been discovered beneath the Amazon Rainforest that is actually larger than the famous waterway that meanders through the jungle above. Researchers say that the new river –dubbed Rio Hamza after the leader of the team that found it– is located 2.5 miles beneath the surface and is many times wider than the Amazon River itself.
Both the Amazon and Hamza ...Uncontacted tribe discovered in the Amazon
Jun 23rd, 2011 at 8:00AM: Officials from Brazil's National Indian Foundation (Funai) have announced the discovery of another uncontacted tribe living deep inside the Amazon Jungle. The tribe is estimated to have a population of about 200 people who have continued to live in the same natural manner for centuries, untouched by the modern world.
Evidence of the tribe first surfaced when researchers spotted a small clearing ...New report says Amazon reveals one new species every three days
Oct 28th, 2010 at 12:00PM: 2010 has been declared the International Year of Biodiversity to help raise awareness of the vast numbers of species that exist on our planet and the challenges that now threaten many of them with extinction. There is no place on the planet that exemplifies the concept of biodiversity like the Amazon jungle, which is home to thousands of different animal species and tens of thousands of plants. ...Win a travel documentary scholarship to the Amazon
May 18th, 2010 at 8:00AM: Gap Adventures and National Geographic are teaming up to give one aspiring filmmaker the chance of a lifetime. The two organizations are giving away a film scholarship that will allow the recipient to work with veteran film producer Trent O'Donnell, who will mentor the budding documentarian in the art of making a film, while exploring the depths of the Amazon Rainforest. And once the project is ...Archaeologists find ancient geoglyphs carved in the Amazon Jungle
Jan 2nd, 2010 at 8:00AM: As deforestation clears away more and more of the Amazon Jungle, archaeologists are discovering some surprising things hidden beneath the thick green canopy. Researchers have found a number of ancient geometric shapes, known as geoglyphs, that are believed to have been carved into the earth more than 700 years ago by indigenous tribes living in the region. According to this story from ...British man is walking the length of the Amazon
Jun 12th, 2009 at 8:00AM: Ed Stafford is either really brave or really crazy. Likely it's a little of both. The 33-year old British man is now 436 days into his attempt to walk the entire length of the Amazon River, starting at its source, and eventually finishing up at its mouth along the coast of Brazil, where it enters into the Atlantic Ocean. Stafford, a former captain in the British Army, began his epic journey in ...Ten very dangerous animal encounters
Jun 10th, 2009 at 8:00AM: Writer Richard Conniff has made a career out of doing dumb things with animals. He's even gone so far as to write a book about it that is not only humorous but also quite informative. He has taken this extensive knowledge and created a list of his top 10 most dangerous animal encounters for the Times Online, in which he gives the harrowing details of own adventures with wildlife. The intrepid ...Adventures in the Amazon: The Future of Travel in the Amazon
May 29th, 2009 at 9:00AM: The Amazon River and the jungle that surrounds it, has always been one of those places that holds a certain sway over the imaginations of people the world over. It is a vast and unexplored wilderness that has yet to reveal all of its secrets and mysteries.We're fascinated with tales of lost jungle tribes that have yet to be contacted by the outside world. We're entranced by stories of giant ...Adventures in the Amazon: Ecotourism in the Rainforest
May 28th, 2009 at 9:00AM: One of the biggest buzzwords in travel in recent years has been "ecotourism". The term is generally used to describe a type of travel that is designed to minimize the impact on the environments we are visiting and is often used in reference to fragile or seldom visited destinations. It was my experience during my journey through the Amazon that ecotourism wasn't a buzzword at all, but actually an ...Adventures in the Amazon: A Night in the Jungle
May 27th, 2009 at 9:00AM: It was one of the darkest nights I had ever encountered. Well, at least it was when the lightning wasn't flashing across the sky, giving me an ever so brief glimpses of the forest that surrounded my tent. Despite the heavy rain, which had been falling for several hours, the night sounds of the jungle continued unabated. It was nearly as noisy as it was during the day, and when you added the ...Adventures in the Amazon: Trekking the Jungle
May 26th, 2009 at 9:00AM: Exploring the Amazon by boat is an incredible experience. The river is so vast and powerful that it can boggle the mind. For instance, during the high water season, it can reach 25 miles in width and more than 100 feet in depth. But there are certain aspects of the Amazon that you can only see if you leave the boat behind, and strike out into the jungle, which is as unique as the river it ...Adventures in the Amazon: Dolphins at the Confluence
May 25th, 2009 at 9:00AM: The Amazon is a river of epic proportions. It stretches 4345 miles in length, making it the second longest in the world behind the Nile, but it is by far the largest in terms of volume, pushing more water than the next ten rivers combined. During the high water season, the Amazon can reach 25 miles in width at certain points, and more than 100 feet in depth as well. The Amazon is formed by the ...Adventures in the Amazon: Fishing for Piranhas
May 22nd, 2009 at 9:00AM: As I've mentioned in earlier posts, the Amazon Rainforest has an incredible diversity of wildlife. There are literally hundreds of different species of birds, amphibians, and mammals, and that doesn't change when you go beneath the surface of the Amazon River, where more than 3000 species of fish dwell. Fish like the pirarucu, which can reach ten feet in length and weigh over 400 pounds, or the ...Adventures in the Amazon: A Birdwatcher's Paradise!
May 21st, 2009 at 9:00AM: Cruising the Amazon aboard a beautiful, 19th century styled, river boat is a fantastic experience. The passengers aboard La Turmalina, the ship that was my home while I explored the river, spent a lot of time up on deck, watching the world around us drift by. But there was a lot more to our journey than just sitting on deck drinking Pisco Sours and admiring the scenery. La Turmalina was outfitted ...Adventures in the Amazon: Life on the River
May 20th, 2009 at 9:00AM: After spending the morning in the Belen Market, I was more than ready to truly get my Amazon Adventure underway. I'd been in Iquitos for a full day, and while I found the jungle city a fascinating place, I was eager to get out on the river itself.
I planned to cruise the river, along with a small group of other travelers, aboard a boat called La Turmalina for a week. The ship operates out of ...Adventures in the Amazon: A Trip to the Market
May 19th, 2009 at 9:00AM: Iquitos, Peru is, without a doubt, a unique city. Its colonial heritage can be seen at every turn, and its jungle roots can still be felt, despite the fact that modern conveniences have become a part of everyday life. No where is this contrasting lifestyle more evident then in the Belen district, home to a sprawling market that is loud, colorful, and hot.
The Belen Market is by far the largest ...
