I board the GM Oliveira in the bustling market city of Manaus, the capital of Brazil’s Amazonas state. On the banks of the Rio Negro, this port-city is right in the heart of the world’s most famous rainforest.

People have lived in Manaus since 1669 and over the course of the last 350 years it’s built a reputation as a cultural, research and industrial hub. It’s home to the Amazon Arena, which hosted matches in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

The city’s zoo and botanical gardens are also popular with tourists, but I want to get closer to the rainforest and the river is the best way.

I sort my ticket for the seven-day trip West to Leticia through a local vendor. If you’re interested in how to get tickets

So you have caught the adventure travel bug and you are gearing for your next international trip. At the same time, overseas excursions are hard to pull off and the logistics can seem overwhelming. You're making plans, booking rooms, finalising work arrangement, preparing to board the plane-- have you stopped and ask why you're doing it all in the first place.

Travel writers from all over the world have inspired me to venture further and deeper into the unknown. Two writers in particular have stuck with me…
Let’s take it back in history. In 1771, the Scottish explorer Mungo Park was born. In 1796, Park set off on an adventure down the Niger River in West Africa. The river runs from the Guinea Highlands near the Sierra Leone Border, across Mali and Niger to meet the border of Benin where it then travels through Nigeria and eventually empties into the Atlantic Ocean. His travels in this region led him to publish his experiences in his influential book Travels in the Interior Districts of Africa. I found it a compelling read and it is a must for anyone looking to pursue a future in travel and exploration.

Making new friends and acquaintances on the road is one of my favourite things about being a solo traveller. I have not only explored all corners of the globe and travelled in the most unconventional ways, to the most amazing places, I’ve also met some of the nicest, kindest people out there. Travelling is not just about how many countries you visit, or how long you spend on a trip, it’s about the people you meet on the way.

I landed in Bahia Solano with the intention of staying no more than a week and a point at where I could head further north into Jurado to begin my crossing into Panama. By any means, I could.

So I went to Miami before I travelled down into Colombia for an actual vacation before I travelled to the Darién gap I chose Miami as the flights to continue the onward journey were cheaper than I had expected so that was the main reason. But it was a blessing having a friend I worked with, had family in Miami much closer to Fort Lauderdale, the question was asked to see if I could stay with them, for a few days within a day it was agreed.