I recently returned from a Royal Princess Cruise Ship which made a stop at Boca Da Valeria.

Every passenger on the ship is told that in
Brazil we may not bring any thing on to the ship made of wood, shell, coral, or feathers. Which is very disheartening when their are beautiful wood carvings availabe that you know will not be allowed on board. Especially since k know the purchase would go along way to helping the villager's. As a result I left the island feeling depressed and even more so when I saw the same type of items available at the airport in Manaus. It seems to me that a situation has been created where they have put their children to begging in order to survive. Please be sure to take an umbrella or rain gear when going to the island. When it rains it quickly turns to a muddy mess.

When visiting Manaus be sure and give yourself extra time. It is a lovely city and the Lake January tour should not be missed, or the tour of the city. It felt like we barely tasted the city after spending so long to get there and then we were whisked away.