Manaus – Page 4

Alexander the Salamander Now in Print

Alexander the Salamander from authors M.G. and Alex Edwards is available for the first time in print! This wonderful story both children and adults will enjoy can be purchased in full color print from Amazon and other booksellers for just $6.99.

In addition, Apple iTunes and Google Play and have been added to the growing list of booksellers carrying the e-book version for only $0.99.

Featuring more than 20 color photos and illustrations, Alexander the Salamander is the tale of Alexander, a young salamander living in the Amazon who joins his friends Airey the Butterfly and Terry the Tarantula on an unforgettable jungle adventure. Come along with Alexander and friends as they meet birds, monkeys, and other creatures, explore the beautiful rainforest, and face danger along the way.

Alexander the Salamander can be purchased in print for just US $6.99 from these booksellers:

Amazon.com (United States, $6.99 in print)

Amazon.co.uk (United Kingdom, £4.92 in print)

Amazon.de (Germany, EUR 6.15 in print)

Amazon.fr (France, EUR 6.15 in print)

Createspace (United States, $6.99 in print)

Alexander the Salamander is available as an e-book for just US $0.99 from the following booksellers:

Amazon.com (United States, $0.99 for Kindle)

Amazon.co.uk (United Kingdom, £0.77 for Kindle)

Amazon.de (Germany, EUR 0.89 for Kindle)

Amazon.fr (France, EUR 0.89 for Kindle)

Amazon.it (Italy, EUR 0.89 for Kindle)

Amazon.es (Spain, EUR 0.89 for Kindle)

Apple iTunes ($0.99 for iPad and iPhone)

Barnes & Noble ($0.99 for Nook)

Google Play ($0.99 for Android)

Kobo Books ($0.99 for Kobo)

Scribd ($1.00 for PDF)

Smashwords ($0.99 for iPad/iPhone/Kobo/Sony)

Click here for other booksellers

Come visit Alexander’s home in Rio Cove on the banks of the Amazon River. You’ll spend time with Alexander, an amiable salamander who’s curious about the world beyond Rio Cove; his friend Airey, a butterfly who loves to soar and explore; and Terry the Tarantula, the new kid in the cove who’s ready to make new friends and is fearless.

Join them as they set off to explore what lies beyond Rio Cove in the Amazon rainforest. On the way, you’ll meet new friends like Molly the Macaw, Percy the Piranha, and an army of ants!

The first book in the World Adventurers for Kids Series, Alexander the Salamander was inspired by the authors’ visit to the Amazon in 2008. Fun for kids and adults alike, the story teaches children the importance of listening to authority figures.

The World Adventurers for Kids Series features more of the kinds of travel stories you’ve come to enjoy from World Adventurers told in a way that children ages three to nine will find entertaining and educational. The stories will take young readers all over the world.

Get your copy of Alexander the Salamander at Amazon or other booksellers today, and stay tuned for more books in the World Adventurers for Kids Series!

M.G. Edwards is a writer of books and stories in the mystery, thriller and science fiction-fantasy genres. He also writes travel adventures. He is author of Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill, a non-fiction account of his attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, a collection of short stories called Real Dreams: Thirty Years of Short Stories and Alexander the Salamander, a children’s story set in the Amazon. His books are available to purchase as an e-book and in print from Amazon.com and other booksellers. He lives in Bangkok, Thailand with his wife Jing and son Alex.

For more books or stories by M.G. Edwards, visit his web site at www.mgedwards.com or his blog, World Adventurers. Contact him at me@mgedwards.com, on Facebook, on Google+, or @m_g_edwards on Twitter.

Alexander the Salamander

Welcome to the debut of the World Adventurers for Kids Series! The first book in this series for children is Alexander the Salamander from authors M.G. and Alex Edwards. The series features more of the kinds of travel stories you’ve come to enjoy from World Adventurers told in a way that children ages three to nine will find entertaining and educational. Filled with illustrated photos and moral tales, these books will take children all over the world.

In Alexander the Salamander, a salamander named Alexander living in the Amazon joins his friends Airey the Butterfly and Terry the Tarantula on an unforgettable jungle adventure. Set in the Amazon region of Brazil, the story teaches children the importance of listening to teachers and other authority figures. Co-authored by M.G. Edwards and his son Alex, the story was inspired by their 2008 visit to the Amazon.

Alexander the Salamander is now available to purchase as an e-book for just US $0.99 from these booksellers:

Amazon.com (United States, $0.99 for Kindle)

Amazon.co.uk (United Kingdom, £0.77 for Kindle)

Amazon.de (Germany, EUR 0.89 for Kindle)

Amazon.fr (France, EUR 0.89 for Kindle)

Barnes & Noble ($0.99 for Nook)

Scribd ($1.00 for PDF)

Smashwords ($0.99 for iPad/iPhone/Kobo/Sony)

Click here for other booksellers

Come visit Alexander’s home in Rio Cove on the banks of the Amazon River. You’ll meet Alexander, an amiable salamander who likes school and playing with friends but is curious about the world beyond Rio Cove.

You’ll meet Alexander’s good friend Airey, a butterfly who loves to soar and explore as she zooms around the cove and can’t wait to get back to flying whenever she’s in class.

Then there’s Terry the Tarantula, the new kid in town who’s ready to make new friends and is fearless when it comes to seeing the world.

Join Alexander, Airey, and Terry on an adventure as they set off to explore what lies beyond Rio Cove in the Amazon rainforest.

During their 2008 trip to the Amazon, the authors stayed at a remote resort accessible only by boat, far removed from the hustle and bustle of the urban jungle. There they were struck by the immense greenness of the Amazon region. The serpentine network of rivers cut through the rainforest, delivering life-sustaining water to thirsty foliage. Exploring the rainforest on foot and by boat, they visited a monkey sanctuary, met indigenous villagers, fished for piranha, took a walking tour through the dense forest, and went on a daytime river cruise and a nighttime boat cruise to watch nocturnal wildlife.

Young Alex, who marveled at a world he had never seen before, inspired his dad to share the experience in a story that brings the rainforest to life for children of all ages. Alexander the Salamander captures the spirit of the Amazon in a fun and educational way.

Join Alexander, Airey, and Terry for an amazing Amazon adventure! Get your copy of Alexander the Salamander at Amazon or other booksellers today for just $0.99, and stay tuned for more books in the World Adventurers for Kids Series.

M.G. Edwards is a writer of books and stories in the fantasy, thriller and travel genres. He is author of Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill, a non-fiction account of his attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain; a collection of short stories called Real Dreams: Thirty Years of Short Stories; and Alexander the Salamander, a children’s story set in the Amazon. His books are available to purchase as an e-book and in print from Amazon.com and other booksellers. He lives in Bangkok, Thailand with his wife Jing and son Alex, who co-authored Alexander the Salamander. Alex is an elementary school student and avid reader.

Exploring the Amazon Rainforest

My wife and I collaborated on this travel article about our July trip to the Brazilian Amazon. I also posted photos of our trip in a photo album. I was finally able to post them at last because I can finally access Spaces. Enjoy!

We spent five days in July visiting the Amazon Rainforest at the confluence of the Rio Negro and Rio Solimões, the two tributaries that form the Amazon River. Our experience was nothing short of amazing. We were astounded by the vastness and diversity of the Amazon Basin. At the same time, we developed a healthy respect for the Amazon’s treasures – and perils.

We launched our Amazon excursion from Manaus, a gritty, industrial city carved out of the jungle on the banks of the Rio Negro. Manaus is a four-hour flight from São Paulo with a stop in Brasilia. If you plan to stay the night in Manaus and tour the city, be sure to stay at the Tropical Hotel, the best hotel in town. Manaus itself is an easy day tour; one can walk around the center and tour the historic Theater of the Amazons and São Sebastião Church, the Indigenous Museum, and the wharf. The Manaus has a couple free-for-all markets that sell a wide assortment of kitschy and knock-off goods. Nevertheless, we ended our Amazon tour wishing we had spent more time in the jungle and less time visiting the city.

We stayed four days and three nights at the all-inclusive EcoPark Resort located 20 minutes upriver from Manaus. The resort is only accessible by boat and is completely unplugged. Television? No. Internet? No. Telephone? Nope. Bring any electronics you might miss with you. The resort has plenty of amenities, including clean but spartan rooms, a cocktail bar, and plenty of ecotourist activities led by native and English-speaking guides to keep you occupied. Our activities included a two-hour hike in the Amazon rainforest, where our guides showed us wildlife and foliage with medicinal and other useful properties; a cruise to the “meeting of the waters,” where the black waters of the Rio Negro converge with the brown waters of the Rio Solimões; a visit to an indigenous village; a trip to a “Monkey Sanctuary” where monkeys roam freely and even crawl on your shoulders; piranha fishing (piranhas are tasty); and the best of all, caiman “hunting” on the Rio Negro at night. Our guide somehow caught a baby caiman – a relative of the alligator – after jumping from our boat in a murky alcove spookier than any Disneyland ride and catching it in the dark. Sitting at night on the dock at the resort, gazing up at the full moon illuminating the still black waters of the river, listening to the music of the wildlife wafting from every part of the jungle, will leave you in awe.

We left the Amazon with some amazing memories, and the nagging feeling that we had barely scratched the surface of this immense wilderness. We also realized that we experienced the ecotourist version of the Amazon. After spending a few days in the midst of wildlife and foliage armed with defense mechanisms that epitomize the phrase “survival of the fittest,” we were thankful our guides kept them at bay. Although our trip was expensive, it was worth it. Few people ever have the chance to experience the Amazon up close and personal. If you’re looking for an unforgettable travel destination, try spending a few days in the heart of the jungle.