Brazil / Amazon Rain Forest Adventure Kendjam Fishing Lodge Reference Post & Index

I've done a lot traveling. But before this trip I'd never been to the Amazon, never been to Brazil, not even to South America (outside of a one day cruise ship stop in Caracas as a child).  This adventure trip to the Kendjam Fishing Lodge, located on the banks of the Iriri River flowing through the Amazonian wilderness, rectified that glaring oversight. I hesitate to call this a "once in a lifetime" adventure, as I've been proven wrong when making that statement in the past. But I won't hesitate to call it a trip of a lifetime. An extraordinary adventure, with fantastic fishing, unique travel experiences, made more meaningful and enjoyable because it was in the company of my brother Harlan and cousins Danny, Larry and Jared.

Eight anglers are hosted at the lodge each week of the fishing / dry season. Five of the eight was our family group. We met Dave, Brian and Dr. Fred at the lodge. Our trip was week seven of the Kendjam fishing season. Our seven days on the river (as well as our explorations in and around Manaus) are journaled in this blog and indexed below. The image at the top of this post is from the Kendjam Lodge summarizing our week at the lodge. The text of the report:

"Kendjam 2025 Season Fishing Report"

A Line Between Generations

Week 07 | July 26 – August 2

"Week 07 offered more than just technical fishing. We welcomed a family of five who came with a shared purpose, bringing both lightness and reflection to their days on the Kendjam. Their presence reminded us how the river connects stories across generations and how fly fishing can be both healing and joyful.

The river was in prime shape, and guests responded to its rhythm with both curiosity and control. Dry fly sessions lit up in several stretches, while streamer work yielded consistent results with larger species. As always, the Iriri River, with its more than 800 miles, rewarded focus and finesse, encouraging each fisherman to adapt and evolve.

Peacock bass were the main attraction, showing in size and numbers, but the range of species (matrinxã to payara) kept everyone adjusting, experimenting, and discovering new layers of what this jungle river has to offer. Each day felt unique, shaped by the rhythm of the river and the group's growing bond with it."

ANGLERS: 8 Guests

WATER CONDITIONS

• Water Color: Glistening and pure, with that glass-like clarity
• Water Level: Low and steadily dropping

WEATHER CONDITIONS

• Temperature: Averaging 33°C (91.4°F) during the day and 20°C (68°F) at night
• Skies: Consistently sunny and bright throughout the week with a scattered shower by last day.

WEEKLY STATS

Total Fish Landed: 327

Standout Catches:

• Wolf Fish 88 cm (34.6 in)
• Peacock Bass 65 cm (25.6 in)
• Matrinxã 52 cm (20.5 in)
• Bicuda 87 cm (34.3 in)
• Pacu Rubber 48 cm (18.9 in)
• Pacu Silver 38 cm (15 in)
• Payara 85 cm (33.5 in)

UNFORGETTABLE MOMENT

"Fred, Fred, and Fred. At 84 years old, this fly angler brought more than skill — he brought a spirit. With 55 years of casting behind him, Dr. Fred turned every session into a masterclass, not just in technique but in how to embrace each moment on the water. A true legend with a smile to match every cast."

This reference post may periodically be updated with info and links about the journey. We'll start with this chronological index linking the journal entries for each day of our Amazon Adventure:

Posting Date	Post Title
07/21/25	Dancing Again... ORD => IAH => BOG => MAO
07/22/25	Manaus
07/23/25	Teatras Amazonas and Acclimatizing
07/24/25	The Meeting of Waters & Meeting of Clans
0725/25	Preparing for Kendjam (+ Piranha)
07/26/25	Flying and Floating to the Kendjam Fishing Lodge
07/27/25	Fishing at Last
07/28/25	It's called "fishing" not "catching"
07/29/25	The Kendjam 'Gram
07/30/25	“A Flyrod Day! A Red Day! A Pacu Day!"
07/31/25	The Wallach Double
08/01/25	Last Dance, Last Chance, Last Cast
08/02/25	Back to Manaus
08/03/25	Manaus & Teddy Roosevelt Redux
08/04/25	MAO => GRU => ORD
08/05/25	Amazon Adventure Index (This Post)

To be continued...

Amazon Adventure Day 6 - Fishing at Last

My Catch of the Day - A Big Piranha

"The piranha is a short, deep-bodied fish, with a blunt face and a heavily undershot or projecting lower jaw which gapes widely. The razor-edged teeth are wedge-shaped like a shark’s, and the jaw muscles possess great power. The rabid, furious snaps drive the teeth through flesh and bone. The head with its short muzzle, staring malignant eyes, and gaping, cruelly armed jaws, is the embodiment of evil ferocity; and the actions of the fish exactly match its looks. I never witnessed an exhibition of such impotent, savage fury as was shown by the piranhas as they flapped on deck... The only redeeming feature about them is that they are themselves fairly good to eat, although with too many bones." - Teddy Roosevelt, "Through the Brazilian Wilderness"

The official itinerary for 27-July to 01-August:

"Each day individual team (2 anglers) will head out for the day, fishing downstream the Iriri River, its channels and tributaries. Each two anglers will share a fluent English speaking fly fishing guide along with a local native guide in an aluminum boat. Both anglers are able to constantly fish all day long. That allows anglers to access an amazing new area neve fished before by guests and also optimize fishing days with less navigation and more fishing hours. The outcomes are planned for two anglers. 

Typical Day 

5:30 AM - Coffee is hot

7:00 AM - Breakfast

8:00 AM - Head to fishing grounds

12:00 to 1:00 PM - Anglers will have a picnic style lunch on the river.

1:00 PM - After lunch, fishing will resume until late afternoon when the

guides will deliver anglers back to the camp around 5:30 PM

6:30 PM - Cocktails and appetizers will be served

7:30 PM - Dinner will be served"

The challenge is to try to summarize some of our wild fishing and extraordinary experiences on the Irini River over the next six days. We'll start with the daily drill: 

Two anglers are paired with an Untamed Angling Fishing Guide and two Native Guides who drive, paddle, and wrestle the aluminum skiff around one of four designated fishing "beats" or sections on the river. The sections are large with many different options to fish in each "beat". Eight anglers means four boats, one per "beat" each day. We'll each see all four guides, two days each with the first two guides, then one day each for the remaining guides on the last two days.  

DISCLOSURE: Harlan and I are paired for the entire trip so obviously our direct experience is most of what we can describe in this journal. Anything we include about the other anglers should be treated as second hand uncorroborated fish stories. 

I should also note that, while I consider myself a good fisherman, I was clearly outclassed by everyone else on this trip. The other seven anglers have all had much more experience than me, as evidenced by the fish stories they told and the gear they brought. Everyone had a large selection of lures and/or flies and at least two or three rod /reel combinations.  I purchased a new spinning rod and reel just for the trip (based on cousin Danny's recommendation) and borrowed a fly rod from my brother-in-law, Jeff. I brought seven lures that were purchased for me by my brother Harlan based on cousin Larry's recommendation. I carried my lures in a ziplock plastic bag - a source of some amusement and sympathy from my fellow anglers who all carried backpacks full of flies and lures. 

Fishing Day 1

Guide: Ezekiel
Native Guides: Menhmro, Bepayre
Fishing Beat: 4
QOD (Quote of the Day): "Talk to me when you still have seven lures." - Jared

Before heading for the boats, we have another opportunity for a fun aspect of the trip - a local artist applying decorative body designs. You tell her the general area you want painted and she applies the design as she sees fit. The patterns are supposed to help protect you from the Amazon dangers or help you catch fish, or both, or neither. Don't know. In any case, Jared was the first to volunteer, setting the bar pretty high for the rest of us. 

Back to the fishing, When fishing at home in Big Shag Lake with visiting friends and family, we will often track First Fish, Most Fish, and Biggest Fish honors. Other additional categories than could be applied at Kendjam might include Most Species, Toughest Catch and Weirdest Catch. 

As the saying goes - "It's called fishing, not catching." You never know what to expect when you hit the water. But for us this first day - the action started early.  I caught the first fish in our boat. A piranha...

First Fish - A Piranha

I doubt anyone else in the other boats were even thinking about tracking the first fish of the trip, BUT... we had a short ride on our beat, this one came quickly, and the photo has a time stamp of 8:59 AM Sunday, July 27. Which was pretty early after we put the boats in the water. So, unless someone else documents an earlier time stamp, I'm claiming First Fish honors for the group.

The fish soon started coming fast and furious. We both lost a few hooked fish as we needed to unlearn the way we fish in the Midwest. There, you strike a fish too hard and you might yank the hook out it's mouth. Here the mouth of the fish is so tough that if you don't strike hard and frequently, the hook won't set and you'll lose it. 

We each managed to land a few small Peacock Bass and I got a Bicuda. My big catch before lunch was the big Piranha at the top of the page and here: 

The native guides were sufficiently impressed that they kept the piranha to bring back to the family for a meal. As I already determined in a previous post, piranha are good eating. 

We pulled ashore for lunch at a peaceful shaded spot and enjoyed the sandwiches and other foodstuffs we each selected this morning.

 Then back on the river. Significant catches after lunch include:

Harlan caught a nice Matrinxa...

... and I caught another nice bicuda.

My count for the day: 5 - Piranhas, 2 - Peacock Bass, 2 - Bicuda.  Harlan had a similar total with different mix. We were both pretty happy with our first day on the River. 

Back at the Lodge, the Angling Eight gravitated to the Lodge for a drink and to exchange stories. Everyone had a good day. Brian caught seven different species, Dave hooked six Wolf fish. The Hellers took too many fish to count (by their count), apparently aided by Danny's innovative new chumming technique. 

Everyone was exhausted after dinner, but Larry wanted to play cards. This invoked a discussion of whether we should play Euchre (which Harlan and I never played) or Hearts (which the Hellers never played). The discussion precipitated the OQOD (Other Quote of the Day) by your humble Blogger:

"I've never lost a game of Hearts." - Mike 

So Mike, Harlan, Larry and Jared played Hearts. 

And I won. 

On to day two. 

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. 

Amazon Adventure Day 3 - The Meeting of Waters & Meeting of Clans

The "Meeting of the Waters" - Rio Amazon (L), Rio Negro (R)

"In the afternoon we finally entered the wonderful Amazon itself, the mighty river which contains one tenth of all the running water of the globe. It was miles across, where we entered it; and indeed we could not tell whether the farther bank, which we saw, was that of the mainland or an island. We went up it until about midnight, then steamed up the Rio Negro for a short distance, and at one in the morning of April 30 reached Manaos."  - Teddy Roosevelt, "Through the Brazilian Wilderness"

Cousins Larry, Danny, and Jared arrived in Manaus early this morning. As noted earlier in this journal, they were the impetus (instigators?) for this journey. After a year of discussions, e-mails, travel plans, texts, bureaucratic documentation, on-line research, procuring fishing equipment, and long flights, we meet again at Juma Opera Hotel, a couple days before our plane flight to the Kendjam Fishing Lodge on the Iriri River in the Amazon rain forest.  

Meeting of the Clans - MW, LH, DH, HW
JH, the youngest among us, was still recovering from the journey.

Outside of the Meeting of the Clans, the main event of the day was a tour of the waterfront and boat excursion on the Amazon River. The Heller boys were in rest and recovery mode, so Harlan and I took the tour. First stop, the fish market:

The fish market is huge, with an amazing array of species on display. The market is indicative of both the productivity of the Amazon basin, and the appetite for seafood in Manaus. I asked our guide Felix if this market is where the restaurants in Manaus get their fish and he answered in the affirmative. The fried tambaqui fish ribs (costelas de tambaqui) I enjoyed so much on our first night in Manaus likely started at this market. 

Costelas de Tambaqui

From the fish market it was a short walk to the riverside wharf and into a small overpowered boat to continue our tour of the rivers. 

Heading for the Mother River

First stop, an opportunity to swim with the freshwater pink dolphins. I didn't realize swimming with dolphins in Rio Negro was an option and did not bring swim trunks, but they had inexpensive trunks for sale and I could not resist...

Very cool. These are wild dolphins that live free in the river and are not penned in or constrained in any way. Apparently there are about 20 of them that can be called in with few slaps of the oar and will tolerate our presence for a free and easy snack of fresh sardines. 

Next, a speedy run through mangrove forests...

... to arrive at a fish farm for giant arapaima. These critters are penned up and tourists can experience a ~5 second fight with these monsters by dropping a hookless bait fish tied to a line at the end of sturdy pole. Not a fishing pole. A big thick pole. 

The highlight was pulling up at the intersection of the "The Meeting of Waters". The very spot where the massive Rio Negro merges into the even more massive Rio Amazonas. The image at the top of this post was taken at that precise location. 

We covered a lot water for a fun four hour tour, thanks to tour guide Felix.

"Meeting of Waters" sculpture in the Juma Opera Hotel

 Back at the ranch, the clans gather again for a drink and dinner. Even Jared. 

Amazon Adventure Day 2 - Teatras Amazonas and Acclimatizing

 

Acclimating to the temperatures facing me in the days ahead.

Day 2 in Manaus and the process of acclimating to temperature, food, and culture continues apace. I think of Manaus much like climbers think of  Base Camp before ascending Everest. It is a place to adjust to the atmosphere and prepare yourself mentally and physically for the adventure ahead. Like "base camp", our few days in Manaus at the Juna Opera Hotel gives us time to adjust before our flight to the wilderness fishing lodge a few days hence. 

Disciplined training will ensure adequate preparation. 

As a 40 year San Francisco resident I am accustomed to a temperate climate year round. The first order of business is to spend as much time in the heat as possible to get used to what I will experience at the jungle lodge. To that end I found the Juma Opera hotel rooftop pool to be the perfect training ground. My thinking was that spending as much time as possible outside at the pool would quickly accustom me to heat I will experience at the lodge, and so I acted accordingly.

Next food. In general, when traveling to new environs, it is prudent to carefully watch what you eat to avoid the kind of trip ruining maladies that typically afflict travelers. That said, I still had  a couple days to recover before our flight to the lodge on Saturday. And the breakfast spread at the hotel was too tempting to avoid interesting local Brazilian fare. 

Among the breakfast firsts for me were the Brazil nut bread, Tucupi bread, Rice and Brazil nut porridge, and a beautiful selection of fresh fruits including some that I have never seen or tasted and could not name. The fruit was obviously the highest risk to consume, but I could not resist. So far so good.

Finally, the historical Teatras Amazonas is the cultural center of Manaus, the state of Amazonas, and arguably the country of Brazil. I couldn't find a Teddy Roosevelt reference for the theater, but the opening scene of Werner Herzog's 1982 epic Fitzcarraldo was filmed at the theater and captures the ambiance of the Belle Epoque era when the rubber trade was king:

Part of the attraction of staying at the Juma Opera Hotel is the Teatras Amazonas is directly across the street. No opera was scheduled while we were in town, but there were different performances every night. We didn't care who or what was on the stage. We just wanted to experience a performance in that venue. We were told the night's performance was sold out but Harlan finagled tickets at the box office and we were in. 

Teatras Amazonas amid the square opposite the hotel.

We told we should get in line an hour early, as each section had open seating and we might get an obstructed view. So we dutifully got in line early. Soon a young women scouting the line found us and  escorted us with other gray hairs to a shorter VIP line. I guess getting older does have some advantages. 

We were in, in our box seats off to the side. The theater was spectacular. Our seats were great. The show was fun - an assortment of 4 men and 2 women alternating pop songs with indigenous native dancers interspersed throughout. We didn't understand the words but appreciated the music and energy. 

It was great fun and we appreciated the opportunity to experience a performance at the theater. If we can get tickets we'll go back again. 

Dancing Again... ORD => IAH => BOG => MAO

Enroute

 This blog lie moribund for several years. Yet I keep referencing and linking to the life adventures journaled here while reveling in those memories. I'm embarking on another travel adventure. Time to dust it off and write a new chapter. 

It started a little over a year ago at the shiva for my 102 year old father. Much of the extended clan founded by our immigrant grandparents were there. My dad loved to fish as do many in the family. Fish stories abounded in the memories shared that night. 

My brother Harlan and I were conversing with cousins Danny and Larry. They were recounting their experiences at the Kendjam Lodge, a remote fishing lodge on the Iriri River deep in the Amazon rain forest. They enjoyed it so much they decided to do it again in another year. Danny had a suggestion - "You guys should come with us. It will be great."

"I'll have to think about it." I said.

As Danny extended the invitation, this  Kurt Vonnegut quote  - "Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God." - immediately popped into my mind. 

 I thought about it. "Yeah. I'm in." 

Harlan chimed in. "If you're in, I'm in."

As I write this, we are enroute on a 15 hour transit from Chicago to Manaus, Brazil via connections in Houston and Bogota, Columbia. In prior adventures on this blog I referred to the "5 Airport Day" as often resulting in a very bad day. This day we will only hit four airports. So, no problem. 

The adventure begins.

1 - ORD

2 - IAH

3 -BOG

4 - MAO

Stay tuned...

A Day In Barcelona

Thanks to generous and trusting friends of friends, my one full day in Barcelona was not limited to eating trail mix and husbanding my last seven euros for the metro ride back to the airport (as I thought it might upon my arrival).  Nuff said about yesterday's series of unfortunate events. I had one day to explore Barcelona for the first time and was not going miss the opportunity.

I am staying in the Gothic Quarter, and started the day by by downloading and following Rick Steves Audio Tour of Barcelona, as recommended by my seatmate on the flight over. My intent was to see and do everything there was to see and do in Barcelona. I assumed one day would be enough. Herein a selection of photos on how I did.  You be the judge.

Placa de Calalunya and The Rambles - Wherein I learn that one can sit on a bench on a busy pedestrian boulevard and not bury your nose in your phone.

Catedral de Barcelona - Where I learn the significance of 13

Jewish Quarter - Where I learn that in 1492 Ferdinand & Isabella not only sent Columbus to sail the ocean blue, but also purged all Jews from Barcelona.

Placa de Sant Jaume - Wherein I learn the administrative center of Barcelona and Catalonia is frequently the site of large protests attended primarily by young attractive women and girls.

Sagrada Familia - Wherein I learn you can get almost anything built in 150 years or less, and there are 400 scary steps down from the Passion Tower.

Picasso Museum, Friezes and Watering Hole - Wherein I learn I can make my wife jealous by exploring the art and locations to be found in the location of Picasso's formative years.

Tapas - Wherein I learn that tapas are like... um... uh... Martinis! Three are too many, one is not enough.

I intended to take a siesta after my tapas snack, then head back out for a late seaside Catalonian dinner. But I never quite recovered from the siesta after the frenetic activity of the day. That leaves something left to do when I return, and I certainly will someday.