Contrary to my expectations the most active resident on the Amazon seemed to be the human population. I would have been disappointed had it not been for the fact that they were fascinating animals to observe!

As soon as we left port it was possible to spot ramshackle wooden dwellings propped up on stilts, with makeshift jettings pushing out into the almost viscous murkiness of the Amazon. Incredibly several of them also managed to fit in a satelite dish that wouldnt look out of place at NASA! In some parts, their house was the only land at their disposal! Whilst others had made mini football pitches out of their small surrounding plot (trust the Brazilians!).

The lack of land available for most residents means that from the age of about 6 a child possesses his dugout canoes licence. As our boat trundled past these sparsely dispersed communities, kids would sprint down their jetties and leap onto their canoes using the momentum from the run to give them a jumpstart! It was incredible to witness their speed and confidence when they chased after our cargo ship. Some would just get close enough to chase and scramble after the clothes and food some passengers would throw down to them. The more adventurous types prefered to paddle so close that it looked like they were about to be turned into driftwood and then at the very last second turn ever so slightly and grab onto one of the tyres on the side of the ship. Some did it just for a laugh but others had more Blackbeardesque ambitions. They boarded the ship and like budding Del Boys attempted to sell us diverse wares - from sunglasses and watches to palm hearts and ice cream. A lot of the time I was just so impressed by their stuntman potential that i bought something just for the sake of it!

My other favourite occupant of the Amazon would have to be the PINK dolphin. Now I dont want to mislead you. They aren´t fluorescent fuschia! More a kind of pinkie grey but they are absolutely gorgeous nonetheless. An absolute highlight was when we spotted a little un burst out of the water and do an impersonation of Colin Jackson! And when the dolphins managed to time their performances to when the sun was just beginning to meander down towards the horizon I decided that life couldnt really get much better!