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Published: April 13th 2016
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What a fantastic way to spend four days. For the better part of last week I was living on a large transport boat headed downstream on the Amazon river from Tabatinga to our destination port of Manaus some 1,200 KM away. I met some great people, had some great laughs, and had a very relaxing journey to the middle of the massive country of Brazil. Our boat was named Monteneiro and was one of the nicer ones that I saw in the port. A few sketchy looking boats were also making the journey and were a little cheaper, but once on my vessel I was glad I paid a little more and at a price of 180 Reals or $95 including all meals I felt it was of good value.
On Tuesday the day before the boat left I met Edouard a French guy traveling South America on his way to Rio de Janeiro where he will settle for a while and find work. Edward was also going on the same boat as I so we joined forces and set out to Tabatinga to purchase hammocks for our voyage. I had never purchased a hammock before but was able to
find a large enough size to accommodate my 6' frame and I feel I got a good deal at 45 Reals including rope to tie the ends with. The two of us really struck gold though when I suggested we go to the boat to see if we could pick our spot on the deck and tie our hammocks up a day early. Lucky for us the staff had no problem with this and we were one step ahead of the game as we would now not have to fight the crowds for a good spot in the morning the following day.
On Wednesday the boat was to depart around 2pm and the loading process took quite sometime as we started to line up around 9am and did not get onto the boat until 12:30 or so. The boarding process was slowed as the Policia Federal searches everyone's bags and luggage looking for drugs, weapons, etc. It looked like their were maybe 100 passengers or so and Edward and I made friends with the few foreigners also going on the boat. These included Skye and Cina a German/Canadian couple, Iko and Atilla two Turks, Joyce and Maria from Holland,
Edouard and I, and also Stephan who is from Chile but is actually moving to Denver next week. Go figure. We all had a really good time together as the days passed.
My days basically consisted of waking up at the crack of dawn as the locals do not sleep in here. Breakfast was served from 6am-7:30am and was always two pieces of bread with a slice of cheese. Not very good but I had brought some fruit onboard to offset the lack of breakfast food on the ship. I would then retire to my hammock to try and snooze a little, or I would just swing away and admire my view of the jungle passing by. I was quite surprised how well and how comfortable sleeping and spending a great deal of time in a hammock could be.
Lunch was served from 11:00-12:30 and was always rice, beans and chicken. Same menu for dinner as well ser ved from 5:00pm-6;30pm. The food was not the greatest, but it was good enough whilst on the boat. During the afternoons I would generally go to the top deck and take in the surrounding views. Being on the boat for
this long I really got a sense of how long and winding the Amazon River really is. The top deck always had a kind of party scene as the bar always had the reggaeton and samba music booming. It was fun to hang out with the group and locals alike listening to everyone's travel stories, where they'd been and where they are going. We were also able to take in some really nice sunsets and this time ws always a highlight for me during the trip.
When night fell the stars in the sky were incredible and for the first time in my life I was able to view the Southern Cross constellation. A real special moment for me. As the hours got later the drinks began to flow and we had great laughs amongst the group. I also learned several new card games and it was a fun way to pass the time with everyone. Once the amateurs retired for the night the gambling began. I'm not the best poker player but I dominated on the boat earning several Reals nightly with my mediocre skills which were good enough to buy a few beers and snacks throughout the
day. This trip was really fun and four days later when we arrived into Manaus I did not want to leave the boat. I could have stayed for another few days and been perfectly happy. This was an experience I had always wanted to do and I'm very fortunate to have been able to make this journey down the Amazon. I was happy from start to finish. Now in Manaus with the group from the boat we are all going to the opera tonight at the famed Amazonas Opera House here in town. Totally random, but it should prove to be a good time. Tomorrow everyone leaves their separate ways and I will have to figure out what to do/where to go/how to get there. I have a few ideas but I'm still unsure. Either way it looks like I will have to be here in town for a couple of days. We'll see.
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