I was in Ecuador, actually. You can get to the Amazon from Quito with a 5 hour drive that is very pleasant. Then the road ends and you take a boat that can be

I was in Ecuador, actually. You can get to the Amazon from Quito with a 5 hour drive that is very pleasant. Then the road ends and you take a boat that can be anything from 30mins to several hours, depending how deep into the jungle you are going. Once there, there's tons to do. Floating in an amazon tributary river -with no sound other than the occasional bird- and closing my eyes was one of the most incredible zen moments in my life. Could have stayed hours. That week went by too fast. Regarding your brazil experience - doesn't seem uncommon. I've asked Peruvians, Ecuadoreans, Brazilians etc if they have gone to the Amazon. The answer is no. Its not dissimilar to the experience you would get in the US if you asked someone if they have been to Mt Rushmore, Florida Keys, Grand Canyon, or even Yellowstone. Its far, and mostly out of reach for most americans (and we are far wealthier than our southern neighbors). Also, I get a sense that touristic developments deep in South America wilderness tend to cater to foreign tourists. Such prices may be out of reach for most upper class locals. This is different from most US landmarks, which seem to cater primarily to middle class Americans (anecdata).