MW Mobile Blog

For friends, family and the random search engine visitor. This blog started as an experiment in mobile blogging from my Palm TREO 600, 700, Prē, HTC Evo, Samsung 5, Pixel 3, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL. Now it serves as a simple repository of favorite activities. Expect bad golf, good fishing, great sailing, eating, drinking, adventure travel, occasional politics and anything else I find interesting along the way including, but not limited to, any of the labels listed here...

Friday, July 25, 2025

Amazon Adventure Day 4 - Preparing for Kendjam (plus piranha)

Packing before departing on this trip.

This is the official itinerary of the first day as we received from Untamed Angling at the Kendjam Lodge:  

"Overnight accommodation (sharing room) at the Juma Ópera Hotel in Manaus, the night before departure to the Kendjam, is included in the package. You will receive all the information regarding the next day’s plan for time of departure, typically around 5:30 AM weather depending. Arrive in Manaus. Our representatives will be waiting for you at the Manaus International Airport (MAO)." - Kendjam Itinerary for 25-July

From this point forward, things start to get a little sketchy for time and internet access as far as maintaining a daily journal. I am pre-posting the itinerary for each day, with the intent of back-filling with pictures and the events of the day. That's my good intention, "Road to Hell" notwithstanding. 

This day was primarily about getting our kits ready for departure. As there was a strict 40 lb weight limit for the single checked bag on the small plane charter flight to the lodge, strategic management was in order. We needed to decide what we really needed for our fishing adventure, how much we could pack into our carry-on, and what to leave at the hotel where we would return at the conclusion of the trip. 

Repacking in Manaus Hotel before departure to Kendjam

Time to again consult the Teddy Roosevelts memoir about his 1914 journey of exploration down the River of Doubt:

"The Outfit for Travelling in the South American Wilderness South America includes so many different kinds of country that it is impossible to devise a scheme of equipment which shall suit all. A hunting-trip in the pantanals, in the swamp country of the upper Paraguay, offers a simple problem. An exploring trip through an unknown tropical forest region, even if the work is chiefly done by river, offers a very difficult problem. All that I can pretend to do is to give a few hints as the results of our own experience." - TR, "Through the Brazilian Wilderness"

"A good medicine-chest is indispensable. Nowadays doctors know so much of tropical diseases that there is no difficulty in fitting one out. It is better not to make the trip at all than to fail to take an ample supply of quinine pills. Cholera pills and cathartic pills come next in importance. In liquid shape there should be serum to inject for the stoppage of amoebic dysentery, and anti-snake-venom serum. Fly-dope should be taken in quantities." - TR

"For clothing Kermit and I used what was left over from our African trip. Sun helmets are best in the open; slouch-hats are infinitely preferable in the woods. There should be hobnailed shoes—the nails many and small, not few and large; and also moccasins or rubber-soled shoes; and light, flexible leggings. Tastes differ in socks; I like mine of thick wool." - TR

"A khaki-colored shirt should be worn, or, as a better substitute, a khaki jacket with many pockets. Very light underclothes are good. If one’s knees and legs are unfortunately tender, knickerbockers with long stockings and leggings should be worn; ordinary trousers tend to bind the knee. Better still, if one’s legs will stand the exposure, are shorts, not coming down to the knee. A kilt would probably be best of all." - Teddy Roosevelt, Through the Brazilian Wilderness 

I didn't bring the kilt. But otherwise, we think we've got the bases covered. 

It wasn't all about preparation for the trip to the lodge this day. Once we had our shite together, we convened with the cousins for dinner at the Caxiri restaurant down the street. I ordered the piranha. 

 

It was delicious.  Jared and I also ordered the Amazon Caipirinha -described on the menu as: "Jambu Cachaga, Brazil's national Amazon Spirit combined with a Amazonian herb called Jambu, sugar syrups, lemon, and puxuri seeds."


We agreed that the first sip was pretty bad, but by the end of the drink we ordered another. 

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