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Background: Following three centuries under the rule of Portugal, Brazil became an independent nation in 1822. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil overcame more than half a century of military intervention in the governance of the country when in 1985 the military regime peacefully ceded power to civilian rulers. Brazil continues to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of its interior. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool, it is today South America's leading economic power and a regional leader. Highly unequal income distribution remains a pressing problem.

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By anne125
October 13th 2009

Retour a Santarem South America » Brazil » Pará » Santarém

Santarem

De retour a Santarem, nous avons pris nos billets pour le bateau pour Manaus partant le lendemain apres midi. Ca nous laissait une journee pour se balader dans le centre. Il faisait tellement chaud qu´on s´est pose a une terrace pour savourer quelques 'sucos', les fameux jus de fruits exotiques venus tout droit de l´Amazonie. On s´est balade parmi les marches, toujours tres animes. Beaucoup de poissons fraichement peches sur les etalages, tellement enormes qu´il ferait palir plus d´un pecheur! Par contre l´odeur avec la chaleur... L´equipage du bateau nous a gentiment laisse installer n [View Full Entry]

By Dave125
October 8th 2009

Alter do Chao - Paradise number 2 South America » Brazil » Pará » Santarém

Our bedroom on the boat

When I said before that we had found a good position on the boat to Santerem I was actually incorrect. We arrived to the ship around 2 hours before it was due to leave port. We were greeted by the sight of around 250 hammocks with ours smack bang in the middle. I had read in the book that they get very busy but I didn´t realise they would have a hammock in every concievable spot so that there is no room to walk around. Anne had a women who didn´t look well and was about 90 years old. Basically you [View Full Entry]

A different angle, from the same hammock

By anne125
October 8th 2009

Alter do Chao South America » Brazil » Pará » Santarém

Alter da Chao

Apres 3 longs jours de bateau, nous voici enfin arrives a Santarem, ville au milieu de l´Amazonie. On a saute dans le bus direction Alter do Chao, village sur les bords de l´Amazone, repute pour ses plages de sables blancs. Nous avons trouve un genre de camping - auberge ou nous avons installe nos hamacs. Et oui, on commence a prendre les habitudes locales! C´est un village tres calme, pas grand chose a faire, si ce n´est qu´admirer les plages qui se decouvrent au moment de la saison seche (de juin a janvier). Nous avons rencontre un Bresilier, Roberto, qui nous [View Full Entry]

By anne125
October 3rd 2009

On the boat to Santarem South America » Brazil » Pará » Santarém

Sur le bateau

Apres avoir achete nos tickets, nous avons ete au bateau pour attacher nos hamacs le plus tot possible. On a reussi a installer nos hamacs dans un endroit qui nous semblait plutot calme, juste quelques hamacs autour de nous. On est revenu quelques heures plus tard pour embarquer, c´etait un enchevetrement de hamacs, plus de 200 hamacs dans un espace plutot reduit!! On a quand meme reussi a dormir, mais fallait pas etre claustrophobe! L´ambiance sur le bateau etait plutot bonne, mais faut aimer la techno bresilienne car on a eu le meme CD non stop qui hurlait la meme musique [View Full Entry]

By Dave125
September 30th 2009

Belem South America » Brazil » Pará » Belém

Sunset in Belem

The last couple of days have been busy between buying hammocks and looking at boats for our trip as well as trying to fit in the cultural stuff in Belem. On the first night we went around the markets to find some dinner, we found a lovely little stand kind of thing where we had steak, rice noodles all four around 3euro, not bad eh?!! We tried to find a bar afterwards to have a few drinks but everything seemed to be closed after dark so we had to have a quite night in the hostel. The next morning Phillipe was´s [View Full Entry]

By Dave125
September 28th 2009

Belem - Finally I´m at the Amazon!! South America » Brazil » Pará » Belém

Wow...is that facial hair??

After spending another night in Sau Luis we made our way back to the bus station for an over night bus and moved further north. OUrlast day in Sau Luis was nice if rather a little boring, I think we were the only Gringo´s in the city but that wasn´t a problem. The weather was so hot and humid that we could barely walk for longer than an hour before having to head back for the room in our Pousada. The pousada itself wasn´t in the best nick!! The floors felt like they were about to cave in and in the [View Full Entry]

By hkwoody
September 6th 2009

Voyages On The BIG River II South America » Brazil » Pará » Belém

The Santarem

We had a choice of 2 boats from Santarem to Belem, one that looked like a converted car ferry, the other that looked like a real Amazon cruiser built in the 40s or 50s. We chose the real Amazon cruiser. Getting onboard was more of a challenge than we expected, the guide books say that ALL boats leave from the Docas do Para which are near the middle of town, but that's not right, the N/M Santarem (our boat) leaves from Porto Derre, an industrial dock about 5 - 10km out of town. It was starting to dawn on us that [View Full Entry]

By hkwoody
September 4th 2009

Life's A Beach South America » Brazil » Pará » Santarém

View From Town

But we're >700km from the sea !!! in Alter do Chao a beach resort in the Amazon, the sand is soft and white, the sky blue, but instead of the sea we have the Rio Tapajos, a tributary of the Amazon. It's a great place, very slow, relaxed and chilled out. And because the river is dark coloured water it's relatively acidic so there are no mosquitoes !!!! yeah !!! The place we're staying is great, a few hundred metres from the town centre set amongst trees and run by an ageing hippy who now wants to move deeper into the [View Full Entry]

By hkwoody
August 31st 2009

Voyages On The BIG River I South America

The san Marino

We're are on a ship on the Amazon. With the exception of the Death Train all of our journeys so far have been by bus so it's great to be taking something different, what's even better is that the journey on this ship is fantastic and unlike anything we've ever experienced before. The journey downstream from Manaus to Santarem takes about 30 hours. On the boat there are no seats or bunks so you have to turn up with your own hammock which you hang up as early as possible in the morning although the boat doesn't sail until 1pm. If [View Full Entry]

By Viajerong Pinoy
July 29th 2009

A STEAMY BELEM South America » Brazil » Pará » Belém

BELEM

First thing I did when I arrived at the bus station in Belem is to look for internet cafe to figure out how to get to my hostel, i called them on skype then tried to get a bus, according to instructions it's just outside the station so took one from the list i wrote down, I got on and showed the driver a piece of paper where I need to go. He looked at it and pointed me to the street perpendicular to the one I was on, so i walked across the intersection, only the bus stop was far [View Full Entry]

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