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Environment
Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil and Venezuela all have Amazonian regions
The Amazon is one of the world's great rainforests. The Amazon river runs 3,000 miles from the Andes to the sea, and is longer than any river but the Nile. The vast Amazon basin covers more than two and a half million square miles, more than any other rainforest
Technical information
Superficie: 2.5 millions sq. miles
Population: 7 millions
People: Majority of Indians
Languages: Spanish and Indian dialect
Religion: Catholic in majority.
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History in short
Years ago, many Indians, or indigenous peoples, lived in the Amazon. Most lived along rivers, where canoes made transportation easy. Many of these indigenous people died from diseases brought to South America by European explorers and colonists. Others died after being enslaved. Today, there are fewer indigenous people in the Amazon than there were 500 years ago.
In the centuries since Columbus discovered the the New World, many Europeans have migrated to South America. Most of the people living in South America today have both European and indigenous ancestors. Until recently, however, few of them lived in the Amazon. They preferred to live in established cities along the coasts and in the Andes mountains.
Although Europeans may have sighted the Amazon delta region in 1500, exploration of the river did not begin until decades later. In 1541 and 1542 Spanish explorer Francisco de Orellana and a crew of some 50 men navigated the entire length of the river over a period of eight months, encountering the Omagua and other peoples. Lured by rumors of cinnamon and gold, the Spaniards moved eastward from the Andes and founded small forest settlements. Meanwhile, the Portuguese, beginning in the early 17th century, slowly settled the Amazon Basin moving westward from the eastern coast of Brazil. Both the Spanish and Portuguese enslaved or coerced indigenous groups to search for gold or perform other labor.
However, the Europeans found the Amazon peoples harder to subdue than Andean highland groups. In contrast to the top-heavy state apparatus of the Inca Empire, the Amazon Basin was divided into hundreds of small societies, which could not be collectively conquered in a single stroke. In addition, the Europeans also usually met with fierce resistance; the Shuar, for example, destroyed a number of European settlements in eastern Ecuador in 1599. Many Amazon Basin peoples were protected by nearly impenetrable jungle and if attacked, could move their villages further into the jungle.
As the European presence increased, however, serious epidemics of disease wiped out large numbers of indigenous peoples. The Omagua and Tapajós, who lived along the main channel of the Amazon River, nearly became extinct. By the 20th century the indigenous population of the Amazon Basin had been reduced to a mere 10 to 15 percent of its size prior to European contact. In the past century, as urban Latin American countries have experienced massive population growth, more and more nonindigenous people have moved into the Amazon Basin in search of better places to live. Corporations and individuals have also sought to exploit the precious resources of the rain forest, including gold, oil, and iron. These encroachments continue to imperil Amazonian peoples by reducing forest habitat and spreading disease.
Climate
Rain
Rain, the Amazon can't live without it. Belém is one of the cities in the world where it's raining the most. During the year there falls an average of 2300mm rain out of the sky. The air density can increase up to hundred percent in the Amazon, this is very high! The high lever has two reasons. One of them is the vaporing water because of the high temperature and the second reason is the Atlantic Ocean.
Months when it's rainigng the most are the summermonths from June - September, especially at the end of noon.
Temperature
The Amazon is very close to the equator, which means that it's warm in the area. Over the year there is a warm and wet climate. And in despite of the large size of the forest, the temperatures doesn't have many differences. In the whole Amazon is during the day about 26C degreas. At night it cools down a bit, but not very much.
The temperature is also different during the seasons, but again not very much. in Septembre the average temperature is 31C degreas, and in April 24C.
The Friagem is the main cause of the difference in temperature. The friagem is a cold air stream, which begins at the Southpole.
Friagem litteraly means: cold air stream.
Fauna and flora
The total area of the Amazon rainforest (over six million km2 or 2.3 million square miles) is bigger than Western Europe and covers an area equivalent to two thirds of the US.
The forest stretches over nine countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guyana, Guyana, Peru, Surinam and Venezuela. The largest part is contained within Brazil.
The Amazon basin is the largest reservoir of fresh water on the planet and about one fifth of all running water on the planet flows through the Amazon.
The Amazon river is 6,868 km or 4000 miles long. The same distance that separates New York from Berlin. It is almost two times the length of the Mississippi river (3744 km/2340 miles) and five times longer than the river Rhine (1312km/820 miles).
During the rainy season from November to June, the main rivers in the Amazon flood vast areas of the forest. The flooded area can spread out up to 200 km from the riverbanks engulfing an area the size of England. In some rivers, the difference in the water level between wet and dry seasons is equal to the height of an eight-story building.
Over 200 species of trees can be found in one hectare of Amazon rainforest. One tree has been shown to have 72 different species of ants living in it.
There are about 30 times more fish species in the Amazon than in all European rivers.
The Amazon river contains over 3000 rare aquatic species including two types of river dolphins, the giant otter, turtles and alligators.
During the rainy season, the pink river dolphins move out of the main river and into the flooded forest where they can be seen swimming and hunting among the trees.
Jaguars are the biggest cat in the western hemisphere and are known to be far-ranging. Movements of 500 miles have been recorded. Jaguars rarely attack humans, in fact, humans have a longer history hunting jaguars and the demand for their fur has led to a dramatic reduction in population.
The sloth's vegetarian diet makes them very successful species in the forest and in many areas they are the most abundant larger mammal.
The Harpy Eagle lives in Central America & Northern South America. Its habitat is staying around the equator and tropical air. The back of the harpy is black with feathers, the underside is white. There's a black stripe across the chest. The harpy is one of the largest of the 50 types of species.
Paca was a common game animal until it became scarce due to overhunting. Pacas and their larger cousin, agoutis, are rodents which live in the forest. They make a delicious meal.
Monkeys, wild pigs, rabbits, deer, and birds and fish of all kinds were also widely hunted. Today, most people must buy meat at the market with money earned from commercial agriculture.
The Amazon is one of the richest areas of the world in animal and plant diversity. There can be more plant species in one hectare of Amazon rainforest than there are in all of Europe.
The diversity and contrast of life in the Amazon is startling. The Amazon water lily is the biggest flower in the world with a diameter of two metres. The Caranguejeira spider is bigger than a baseball and one species of monkey weighing 130 grams is about the size of a toothbrush.
The Amazon is also home to 57 endangered species including the jaguar. The jaguar population was all but wiped out by hunting for the fur trade before it was designated a protected species. Even now, virtually nothing is known about the jaguars' lifestyle, but some indigenous cultures of the Amazon revere the jaguar above all forest creatures.
Yet the range of plant and animal species in the Amazon remains largely unknown. Scientists estimate that only 40 percent of all insect species have so far been identified. Over 300,000 species of plants have been identified, but an estimated 20,000 remain undiscovered. In the 1990s alone, seven species of monkeys, two species of birds and dozens of species of frogs and fish have been discovered.
Booking conditions
Please take the time to consult the regular booking conditions prior to book/reserve on one of our tours. Please note that special booking conditions may apply to some circuits and/or departures. In such case, information will be given to you on booking/reservation.
Meal and gastronomy
More information to come.....
Luggages and personal belongings
Please bring only the necessary. Small bags make it a lot easier for everyone to manage luggage. Hard and rigid suitcases are not recommended. The ideal is to have two bags one of which, an approximately 25 litre backpack, is used as a day bag for small excursions and the other, approximately 45 litres, contains the majority of clothing and personal belongings. We recommend that each participant brings with him/her:
- All necessary documents ( Traveller's File), passport, visa, address book, credit cards, cheques, copies of important documents etc)
- A compact sleeping bag
- A pair of comfortable shoes to hike in
- A pair of sandals or light shoes
- A light rain coat or plastic poncho
- 2 fleece style jackets or 2 thin woollen jackets
- 7 pairs of socks (3 woolen and 4 cotton)
- 2 pairs of long trousers
- 2 airs of shorts
- Cotton underwear
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- T-shirts / tops ,Long sleeves shirts
- Water bottle
- Flash light, frontal lamp
- A light cap or hat
- Swim suite
- Plastic bags (for dirty & wet clothes)
- Personal toilet articles and medication
- Insect repellent
- Sun glasses
- Sun block (avoid using oils)
- *Binoculars
- *Pocket knife
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Do not bring too much! You have the chance to wash your cloth during the tour.
* Optional but very handy !
Tips on what to wear
Fancy clothes are unnecessary . Basic tourist outfit remains shorts and T-shirts. You may prefer, like I do, long trousers to avoid sunburns. Evenings and early mornings are cooler and a woollen jacket is recommended. Also recommended are sun block protection, a cap or explorer hat. Do not wear a new pair of shoes as they will be damaged with the dust and salted water. Also very handy a comfortable pair of waterproof sandals.
Children and the journey
More information to come....
What to read:
- Andes to the Amazon - Bruce B. Junek-Publisher Johson Books.
- International Amazon Basin - Rand Mc.Nally.
- Bulletin of American Geographical Society - Vol XXXVII N0 3.
Electricity: 110V - 60 hz.
Time zone: GMT -5 h.
Glossary:
N/A
Steps preceding any departure:
- You select the tour and dates you wish to book (or reach an agreement with us on your Tailor Made Tour's program.
- Using our Booking Form you make your reservation / booking.
- As soon as your booking request is received we get in touch with you to confirm the booking and we send you an invoice including payment instructions and booking conditions.
- Upon reception of this invoice you must send your initial deposit (25%) to secure your booking. NB: If your package includes the international flight and/or an insurance plan, it will be integrally payable with your initial deposit. You will receive your flight tickets and/or insurance enrollment confirmation on the next business day following the reception of your payment.
- After reception of your initial deposit we will send you a detailed and complete TRAVELER'S FILE.
NB: Unless your booking request is received within 30 days from the departure date, in which case you will receive your Traveler's File upon payment of your initial deposit, please allow between 15 and 30 working days for the preparation of these documents and 2 or 3 more days before receiving any printed material.
This complete file will contain the following detailed information:
- Voucher / proof of your booking.
- Detailed program with a map of the tour's route.
- Information on your tour guide(s) and other human resource(s) connected to the project.
- Information on the meeting point and a list of the inns and hotels with their description, address & contact information.
- Info on the cities, sites & regions visited on the tour.
- Technical & practical information.
- General recommendations for the traveler.
- Emergency plan and detailed maps of the country and /or region(s).
- Travel insurance complete documents and/or flight tickets (if included in your tour package).
- Your balance must be received 30 days before your departure or in the week following the reception of your Traveler's File if you are booking within 30 days preceding your departure.
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Comparing our tours and prices with others, consider...
- The number of participants in the tour. The SIZE of the group has a major incidence on the quality of the services provided by the tour leader and the driver. Small groups remain personal unlike large groups.
- What IS and what is NOT included in the tours & services you compare.
- Our tours respect the principals of ecotourism. Our guides, staff members and providers are meticulously selected to meet our exacting requirements and standards and they are remunerated equitably and considered with great esteem as we much value their participation to our mission.
- The quality standards of the services and accommodations we provide in our tours are high and our customer service is exceptional. We are committed to offering the very best to our travellers before, during and after their trip.
- We provide our travellers with the contact information of their tour manager who is available 7 days a week before and during the tour to promptly assist them with any situation or simply answer questions or doubts before the tour starts.
Procedures and deadlines summary:
- Upon reception of your booking request we will send you a booking confirmation & invoice (or another offer if the requested services cannot be confirmed).
- Upon reception of your invoice, you must send us your initial deposit (30% of the tour price + 100% of flights and/or travel insurance, if these services are booked through us). We accept all major credit cards, checks, wire transfers and cash.
- Your final payment must be received 45 days prior to your tour departure.
- We send you your travel documents by FedEx courier 30 days prior to your tour departure (or before). We also send you (at the same time) an electronic version (PDF document sent by email) of your documents to keep as a backup copy in your files.
All payments received are confirmed by our accounting dpt. the next day with an updated account statement sent by email.
General conditions
Feedback from our travellers
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