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Are you ready? Today’s post is #HeartMelting!

Danni Suzuki is a Brazilian actress and TV presenter who chose our Jungle Lodge to spend the holidays and New Year’s Eve in the company of her son Kauai. She has already posted many stories and videos on her Instagram account from each day at Juma lodge and shared all the activities they did and the experiences they lived in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest.

Now, we’ll take the liberty to translate her own words about this trip so you’ll see the Amazon Junge Experience from a woman/artist/mother/guest point of view ?

1º DAY in the Amazon Rainforest

The most beautiful trip I’ve ever taken with Kauai starts here!

In the AMAZON RAINFOREST, sleeping in a tree house at Juma Amazon Lodge!

The most beautiful nature was all there! Arriving at the hotel we were already welcomed with a lot of affection from the monkeys. Ralf, our passionate guide took us to see the biggest tree in the Amazon Jungle, the Sumaúma! There we saw a hairy spider (caranguejeira). We tried “araça”, a sweet red fruit that the monkeys and piranhas (carnivorous fish of South America) love.

We saw a festival of river dolphins swimming next to us. Also, we did our first boat trip at night, to learn how to spot alligators in the dark. This was our first day in the forest, which took place on December 31st!

2º DAY in the Amazon Rainforest

The dawning in the rainforest is something unique. I woke up with a loud scream, there was a huge hawk on my porch! We walked through the jungle. I met the repellent ants, for the first time I stuck my hand into an ant’s nest on purpose, eating the babassu larva (it looks like a disgusting worm but it was delicious, tastes like coconut), we’ve learned to differentiate common holes from bug holes. We made a hand fan of babassu leaf, which can also be used to make a roof for a house, bonfire or food.

I saw a tree that is used to make perfumes, a leaf of Amapá that is a remedy for bronchitis, a timbó leaf that is a paralyzing poison and we saw a huge and frightening Tarantula spider.

Ralf, our spectacular guide brought me a sloth. It lives for about 60 years and eats only leaves. It throws himself from the tree from a surreal height when the royal hawk appears.

At the end of the day we climbed a chestnut tree, M2 helped us a lot and we almost got to the top! Wonderful view! Thank you so much, God!

Amazing, right?

3º DAY in the Amazon Rainforest

Our third day in the jungle was spectacular! Early in the morning, we went to Adriano’s house, a caboclo from the region. What a lovely person! He showed us how they grate the tapioca, we squeezed sugar cane, peeled chestnut, Kauai learned to use the blowpipe and won a beautiful bow and arrow. Kauai climbed on the açaí tree.

Ralf, our guide, as always gave us a lesson in jungle culture! He has a bionic eye to find the bugs at long-range. He showed us macaws, toucans, snakes, varied birds, showed us the jambú anesthetic plant and many other secrets of the forest. Kauai fished for the first time, we fished for our own dinner and only piranhas. We had a tense night walk, in total darkness… it was a little scary! We saw a larva that shines in the dark, thousands of venomous spiders and a festival of fireflies. I felt like I was in Avatar’s forest! We saw a 3-meter long alligator from our balcony! The night was even more exciting than I expected… loving Juma Lodge!

4º DAY in the Amazon Rainforest

We saw the most beautiful sunrise of our lives! Our lunch was in the middle of the jungle, the piranhas we had fished. Kauai met other types of piranhas, there are more than 20 species. We saw two species of alligators. We saw a very rare green snake called emerald jiboia.

We saw japiim nests, which are birds that make symbiosis with wasps. They imitate other birds to confuse the predators. And the most beautiful spectacle of the Amazon Rainforest is the mirror of water, which is the landscape reflected in the water day and night! God’s magic!

5º DAY in the Amazon Rainforest

LAST DAY in the AMAZON RAINFOREST at Juma Amazon Lodge. My feeling is already of giant gratitude! Thank you very much Cida and Renato for everything and for your affection! I’m grateful for our wonderful guide Ralf and Robert our fantastic canoeing guide! Love you guys! Daniel, Mr. Chico, Adriano, Amanda, Jonathan, Rafael, Ivan and all staff, Thank you! You are all very careful, polite and extremely affectionate!

Our last day, we woke up early for a canoe paddle through the Igapós. We planted cacao trees in the forest. Kauai had the joy of playing soccer with the kids of the region and taking a nice river bath. He swam in the same river where there are alligators, piranhas, sucuris and manta rays with the certainty that nature was looking over him. Kauai wept very much on the boat coming home, already missing his best friend Nico, the monkey. A piece of our hearts stayed there … but soon we will return! Thank God this time spent in such a blessed way and with so much peace! Amen.

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