Amazon is not really a particularly difficult game; what makes it hard in some spots is the tricky syntax needed to solve a problem or get past an obstacle. With this solution you should have no trouble at all in finishing the game. One note before we get started: this solution is for the intermediate (seasoned explorer) version. The explorer version has a few problems/situations that are not in the novice version. I will point these out in the solution and those playing the novice version can ignore them!
Ok, you start at NSRT headquarters, waiting for the satellite transmission. Just wait (one move is all that's needed), and the picture will come in. Adjust your keys to "tune in". Keep adjusting until the picture is clear.
After viewing the scene of the massacre, "Go Office" to get your assignment. Give your name to Murphy when he asks, and say "yes" to next question. You can answer either "yes" or "no" to the "are you scared" question, and "ok" to the question after that one.
When he asks what level you are, you can answer "Seasoned Explorer" if you like (or Novice, if you prefer). He'll hand you an envelope and tell you to go to the airport. So, do just that, "go airport". Once there, open the envelope, which tells you which city to go to, as well as containing an airplane ticket. "Go Miami".
When you get there, tell the taxi driver to take you to the Institute. Don't allow him to take you to a hotel, because you'll never get there. When you reach the Institute, and try to enter the building, a policeman will stop you. Show him your letter, and he'll let you in.
Enter the building, where you'll find a secretary. Tell her your name, and answer yes to the map question. Then head east down the hall to the office, and enter it. You won't be able to do anything here until you talk to Paco the obnoxious parrot, so "get drape". Tell Paco your name, then open the cage. Answer yes to all his questions.
Open the refrigerator when he tells you, and get the fruit. You won't need the medicine, so leave it. Give the fruit to Paco, then call him: "Paco". Now you can open the cupboard. Examining the shelves will show you a dart gun and some food for the parrot. Get those, then leave the office.
The director will show up, telling you that you can't take Paco with you. Offer the director a bribe: "Bribe director". Keep saying no to his demands until he's down to ten thousand dollars, then agree. You can now leave with Paco, so "go airport". Once there, buy tickets for Paco and yourself.
You will be paged to the courtesy booth. Answer yes to the name question, then take your pack. The only way to find out what's in there is to take inventory; just looking at or examining the pack won't work (inventory can be abbreviated to inv). Open the envelope and write down the emergency transmission code, then read the note that has your regular code (you might want to write that one down, as well).
Now it's time to be on your way, so "go amazon". You will make an unscheduled refueling stop in Guatemala City. The immigration officer will demand cigarettes; give them to him. You really don't need them for the Kemani later on. If you are playing the Explorer version, you will make a further stop in La Paz. Here, whatever you do, you will be robbed, and left with only your computer and belt. Turn your computer on ("computer on") and input your emergency code.
After the transmission, the police will arrive with Paco, and demand money to return him to you. Give them the belt (which is a money belt with gold inside), and you will have Paco with you once more. The rest of this portion is automatic, and you will eventually be in the Amazon.
Ok, so here you are, flat on your back in the jungle. Sit up, and after the sound effects are over, turn your computer on and input your regular code. When the transmission is finished, go East. You're on a jungle trail. Try to go north, and a wild boar appears. Luckily, he will go back into the bushes again. Now you can really go north, where you will hear the sound of guns firing. Corrupt government troops are very close!
Go east, and sure enough, there they are. And they capture you, too. There is no way around this, but it doesn't matter, since you'll be escaping later on, anyway. You're taken to a tent, and securely tied. Wait, and the captain will come in. He isn't too nice, and accuses you of being a spy. Then he'll ask if you have any money to pay for your freedom. You can say yes and tell him to look in the pack.
Of course, there's no money there; the troops have already taken it. The captain will toss the pack aside and leave, promising to have you executed in the morning, if not sooner, a cheery prospect. Wait until night falls, and Paco will come around looking for you. Call him: "Paco", and he'll enter the tent and free you. Take your pack and go west to leave the tent.
It's pretty dark out there, and hard to see. Wear your goggles, and you'll be able to go north out of the camp. You must wear the goggles, or you won't be able to do this safely. Once away from the camp, remove the goggles. However, now the soldiers know you're missing, and they're coming after you.
This is definitely an emergency, so turn on your computer and input the emergency code. NSRT will guide you (provided you have your map and map coordinate tables) to a safe location. Once there, get some sleep.
In the morning, take the path north. Woosh! An arrow just barely missed you! Out from the bushes steps a Kemani tribesman, bow ready. You want to make sure he knows that you're friendly, so smile. He will take you to his village, where the men will crowd around, making odd motions with their hands. They obviously want cigarettes, but you gave those away a long time ago. Just keep entering commands like "go hut" etc., until the Kemani kick you out into the jungle.
This is a small maze of no great difficulty. Just go North, North, North, East, and you'll be in a clearing. North again brings you to Macuma. North once more, and you're on the slopes, pretty high up. It's a trifle chilly, so wear your parka. Now keep going up until you reach the snowstorm.
Here, you can't go further without help, so turn on the computer. Enter the emergency code. As before, NSRT will guide you safely out of the storm (provided you have the map, etc). Then go north and enter the lava tube. Have another night's sleep. In the morning, continue north until you're back in the jungle.
North again, and you come to a clearing, where you see a crate floating down from the sky. Go east until you come to the drop site. Open the crate, and get the rifle. Also take the parachute. Leave the raft and oar, because they are both useless (the raft has a hole, and the oar is broken. So is the rifle, but you won't need to fire it). Then head north to the river.
Ok, so now you're at the river. It's dark again, so wear your goggles. Aha, there's a hippo feeding at the river. Just wait until he leaves, then go west until you come to the native boat. Examine the boat, and you notice that there's a small hole in it. "Use parachute", and that will plug the hole. Now go south, and you'll find a handy paddle.
Go back north to the boat. You're almost ready to cross, but first you have to do something about the water-phobic parrot. "Shoot Paco", and he will collapse into your arms. Get into the boat, and "cross river".
Part of the way over, alligators will appear. Your rifle is useless for shooting, but you can use it as a club. This is a tricky one, because "hit alligators" won't work. Instead, you must say "use rifle" (silly, but that's what will work). If you are playing the Explorer version, the alligators leave, but come back. When this happens, "use paddle", and you will row fast enough to make the shore before they get to you.
This is a good time to save the game. A totally purposeless and extremely frustrating arcade sequence is coming up. There is no way to avoid it, alas, and you may lose your patience with it the first time around. Ok, you're across the river, and you'll be too tired to turn on your computer. So you might as well just sleep.
In the morning, you'll find that monkeys have stolen everything except the computer. NSRT will try to guide you to the monkeys, but they move too fast. Here is where the arcade sequence begins. You will have to move your little dot (using either the N-S-E-W or the I-J-K-M keys) after the dot that represents the monkeys with the pack. This is not easy, but, it can be done, even if it seems to take forever!!
Once you have the pack (and saved the game so you won't have to go through this idiocy again), go east to the bridge. Paco will not want to cross, but you can persuade him by saying: "use gun". Do NOT "shoot Paco", because he'll have convulsions. Just the threat is sufficient to get him to cross over.
About half-way across, the bridge starts to collapse. Just continue east, and you'll make it safely over. From there, go south until you come to the Tree of Skulls, and go west from there. Aha! The entrance to the Lost City! However, don't get carried away just yet!
First, turn on your computer, and enter the regular code. Don't worry about the tape of the massacre that is transmitted; it is not of the least importance to you. Once transmission is completed, go south to the campsite. This is another good place to save the game, because yet another tedious arcade sequence is about to happen.
The Huni will be attacking soon, so wear your goggles. Then turn your laser on. The Huni will now attack. This night, there are, fortunately, only three of them to kill. Use the left and right arrows to manuever the laser, and use the space bar to fire (you stop automatically when you shoot). Once you've gotten rid of the Huni, you can get a good night's sleep.
In the morning, go back north to the Lost City. Continue going north until you come to the storeroom. Ignore the fruit and go east. This is a temple with a large statue. The statue is not important. Go north to the wall and push it. A lever appears! Pull the lever, and a set of stairs is revealed.
Go down the stairs. The entrance closes behind you, but don't worry about it. Go west to the end of the passage, then up to the vast hall. West again will bring you to a tiny room, and north to the wall with the key. Take the key and go south and east back to the hall, then north to the door.
Unlock the door. You'll find a piece of paper on the floor. When you try to read it, you'll see that it's in code. Your computer will beep, so turn it on. NSRT will tell you what the paper says. Now is another good time to save the game, in case you make a mistake later. You will have to enter the Antechamber and open the doors in the proper sequence. One wrong move, and you're dead.
Ok, go west. Here are the three doors that must be opened. The sequence is: Open 132. If you're playing the Explorer version, you will have to open a second set of doors, but the code is the same. How about that! You found the emeralds at last!
However, Macuma is about to blow its top. In fact, the whole place seems to be coming down! Fortunately, the rest of this is almost automatic. Go south, and continue south until you come to the soft volcanic earth. Here, you go up into the pit room, and then west out of the city.
The lost city crumbles before your eyes, but don't despair! A helicopter appears at the last moment, taking you and Paco to safety. Congratulations! You've just finished your first mission for NSRT!