hi mgervaci,
I've been to Rio in the fall (November) which is a great time to get out of Seattle. Rio is amazing the weather that time of year is perfect.
Brazil Beaches are fantastic and if your a surfer the water and wave couldn't be finer. Of course you've heard of the women of Rio like nowhere else. Rio is Hot!!
Amazon River Tours can be had over the internet and through our tour friends at Peruforless who we would recommend. Shop around and find something thats suites your tastes. Tour prices vary depending on what your looking for and the services your expecting from Luxury to Budget. My last trip my impression was prices were about 20-30% less than in the states.
One thing I'd keep in mind is the country of Brazil (
Brazil Map ) is the size of the United States so keep in mind that it will take a day of travel to get from Rio to
Manaus which is the most popular starting point for Amazon River Boat and Jungle Tours.
Flights to Brazil can be a bit expensive though so do your shopping and recently Varig was sold to avert bankruptcy so that may further complicate flights to Brazil but check with North American carries American, Northwest, and United.