PicaJet Blog

Amazonian home near Santarem, Brazil

Despite a history of gold deposits and despite being one of the largest cities located along the Amazon, Santarem and the surrounding area is rich with the flavour of days gone by.  If you are seeking a more historical Amazon, slower-paced, and a more pastoral bit of civilization, then Santarem is the place to go.

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Do your knees quake at the thought of swinging across the jungle canopy suspended from a steel thread?  If so, zip-lining may not be for you.  But if you are into a fun exhilarating adventure, then be sure to book a zip-lining adventure in a place like Belize or St. Lucia.  But take some precautions first.

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Tentative Touch – EXPLORED

Dominica in the Caribbean, is a small island that plays big. Especially if you brave the tiny winding roadways filled with rubble, and make your way up to the rain forest aerial tram. Bring your rain poncho.

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Handyman Special: A Fixer-Upper in Scarborough, Tobago

Here is an instance where smaller just might be better. Tobago is much smaller than its sister island of Trinidad (Tobago is only about 26 miles long and 6 miles wide), but you might discover it has way more charm.

What’s more is that the cost to travel around the island is affordable compared to other places in the Caribbean.

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“Hey, lady! Want to meet my pet?”
Boca da Valeria. Ever heard of this place? It’s a tiny village in Brazil. If someone offers you the chance to visit here, grab it. It’s not the greatest experience you’ll ever have, but I guarantee it will be an experience you have never had before.

Boca da Valeria is located on the great Amazon River in Brazil. For some people, this tiny village is just not there thing. But for others, it is the perfect out-of-the-ordinary adventure.

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Deserted Old-timers on Devil’s Island, French Guyana

Devil’s Island was made famous in the movie starring Dustin Hoffman and Steve McQueen: “Papillon.” But the Devil’s Island that tourists are welcomed on today is not the island associated with the unfortunate French prisoner, Papillon (Henri Charriere).

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“Two if by Sea!” or Stealth Ship

If I NEVER return to St. Barth’s in the Caribbean, it will be too soon.

Some places, and some of the the inhabitants of certain places, take themselves all too seriously. St. Barth’s is like that. From the moment my foot hit the dock, I suspected that this was not the place for me.

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Port of Manaus, Brazil: A Photographer’s Dream Shoot

Manaus, Brazil? Who has ever even heard of Manaus, Brazil except, of course, a few corporate giants like Honda and Sanyo? And those folks who have set the Amazon River as a destination.

Yet, Manus is one of those cities that simply must be visited at least once in a traveler’s lifetime.

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“Go ahead, make my day!”

We can’t bear heading straight home to our climate of snow and ice after spending weeks in the tropics. Having just finished off a 14-day adventure through the Caribbean islands and up the Amazon, we felt a short stay in the Florida Keys would help to ease the pain of transition. And so it did, in spite of the unusually cool temperatures.

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