If, like my shut-in/hermitised self, you have never ventured anywhere near the Amazon or Rio Negro Rivers of north-west Brazil, but have always wished to do so, fret not: the internet has provided the next best thing. Thanks to those wonderful people over at Google Street View, you can now trek your way through the tropical trees of the Amazon rainforest, wander down the paths of the village of Tumbira, visit the other local communities of the Rio Negro Reserve, and, even more amazingly, take a boat trip down the Rio Negro River, all from the spacious comfort of your very own living room – no having to deal with the scorching heat or those pesky piranhas! [Read more…]