Amazon

The etymology of the name Amazon is from the 16th. Century, when the European explorers reached the Americas, they were looking for the Spanish El Dorado "the golden one," name given to a country or city believed to lie in the heart of the Amazon jungle - made with gold, silver and gems.

Portuguese explorers that colonized Brazil were in a race to find the wealth of goods before the Spanish and French.

One version of the history is that the Portuguese in this seek for precious goods have battled against the Tapuyas, a local Indian tribe. The women of the Tapuyas fought alongside the men, as was the custom among the entire tribe - much different from the European culture, where women would take care of the housekeeping only. When these women fought against the European domination, they resembled the Amazon women from the Greek mythology – giving the name Rio de las Amazonas (River of the Amazon women) and to this day, Amazonas.

Next time you are in South America, don’t miss the opportunity to visit this incredible ecosystem.

Be good and be healthy.

Vanessa