Blogs from Pará, Brazil, South America - page 6

The Santarem, as the boat is called, leaves Port at Belem and proceeds up waterways that are not always called the Amazon. A myriad of channels and tributaries are encountered as the Captain and his crew steer the ship ‘up the Amazon’. The two story metal ferry boat can carry up to 400 passengers. The majority of these people would be sleeping in hammocks in the two decks below the two stories that house the bunk bed cabins and on top of those the ‘suites’ which have one big matrimonial bed. On this trip there are an estimated 250 passengers. It has been raining everyday. The non existence of oppressive heat has eliminated the possibility of overpowering stench from communal toilets and collected garbage. There is enough odour to be experienced while waiting for one’s ... read more

Sunday 16th December: It´s been a whistle stop flight journey over the last few days in my efforts to get back to Belem. As I couldn´t get a flight from Cuzco into Brazil, I went first to Lima (Peru´s international Airport). However the only flights into Brazil from there went to the south of the country. This Meant I had to fly down to Sao Paulo first before I could get a domestic flight north to Belem. I stayed in Lima overnight and had an evening tour of the city- very pretty. Plaza Mayor, the main square, was only a couple of blocks from the hostel. Lots of police and army around the square. The armoured tanks on either side of the Government building did not fit in with the larger than life Nativity Scene in ... read more

Hello, We leave Belem today for a five day trip on the Amazone river, to reach Manaus. We will be in contact there. Hallo, We varen van Belem naar Manaus op de Amazone rivier, en zijn weg voor vijf dagen. Als we kunnen, zenden we nieuw bericht. Marijke en Luc... read more

Thurs 20th Sept Excessive noise from main road and faulty AC meant little sleep; turned off AC and with the help of ear plugs (essentail items here) got a few hours sleep. 'Asked for a room at the back of the hotel for the rest of my stay but hotel full and would have to put up with it for another night. After typical Brazilian breakfast (slice of melon, roll with ham and cheese and an expresso coffee) did some sightseeing and some inconspicuous photography - displaying a camera in the streets is tempting the local opportunists! 'Met with Georgette at 1:00 (Lucio and Diego working) who acted as my guide for the afternoon. ´Visited the Basilica Nazarene, one of the most famous of all the churches in N Brazil; annual holy festival held in October ... read more

Sitting here now in the city of Belem all the way up at the mouth of the Amazon, and thinking back on all that’s happened in the last month and everything we’ve done, it seems all too much to fit on one entry. Cruising the beautiful coastline of northeast Brazil, we have experienced several new things, seen countless picturesque beaches, and met many wonderful people; all the while taking our Portuguese to new levels as less and less people speak any English at all. The people of the north-east of Brazil are reputed to be wonderful hosts. We have found this to be more than true. Many times the people we met really went out of their way for us - inviting us to stay at their homes and cooking their interesting foods for us, assisting ... read more