The Amazon River (Near Manaus, Brazil)

The Amazon River. I think it was around age 11 or 12 that I decided that I would go there one day. When I was a kid the big plan was to catch the largest anaconda ever. They are much more difficult to find than I thought back then. We didn't even see one. I did see other types of snakes though. That's ok, I plan on going back to the Amazon River but on the Peru side. I'll get another chance at the giant snake then.




I'm not a big bird lover but I have always loved parrots.




















Here is the boat that we went up the main part of the river on. I did a flip off the top of this and didn't quite make it all the way around. My back was sore for a few hours.





My first alligator that I caught. Alligators are much harder to catch than I had once thought. I tried running them down, crawling on my belly up to them, etc. Everytime I would reach out to grab them they would haul ass into the water. I even stepped it up a notch and would run and jump in the water after them but I ended up catching this one by spotlight. I waded in water about thigh high while another person shined a light at him to distract him. Next time I will get a much bigger one. Give me a break, you got to crawl before you can walk.
























A church along the river. There was only about eight families in this village.

A sloth that we got out of a tree along the river banks

























I want a monkey as a pet. One day!





















Pirahna that I caught.













I was reeling in a parahna past this alligator and it grabbed it off my hook and got the hook caught in the side of his mouth. That was the first time I had a alligator on the line.