Volume II: The South American Journals
The Amazon
May to June, 2016
Day 1. Monday 30/5/16 London-Lisbon
Woke at 3.50 in time to hear the World Service News at 4.00 am and then got up some 20 minutes later, showered, fed the cats and breakfasted. We left the house at 5.55.am. giving us plenty of time to walk to the bus-stop for an Ilford-bound bus but, it seemed, the schedules had changed and we ended up walking to Gants Hill station. Early morning on a Bank Holiday but I still had to stand all the way as far as Oxford Circus! Reached Victoria at 7.00 am and paid £5.40 each for tickets to Gatwick which we reached at 7.40 am. By 8.00 am we had checked-in and proceeded through to Departures and Security.
As usual my bags were diverted for further investigation - I had put the few liquids in my possession in the obligatory clear plastic bags but had left them in my hand-luggage! My innocence was soon established; however,one of the little plastic bags containing two miniature perfumes (a Calvin Klein and a 4711 Cologne in a very pretty little flask which I had inherited from my mother-in-law and which I decided to bring with me for its very refreshing fragrance), was dropped en route to the X-ray machine and, in the process, my bottle of 4711 was smashed, rather to my chagrin! I was soon, however, placated by another official who promised me compensation and dispelled my scepticism by issuing me with a voucher for £25.00 to be spent in any of the airport shops!
Once through all the formalities I soon spent my voucher on a Calvin Klein travel fragrance package after which we proceeded to our usual waiting spot upstairs. The Departure Gate was called at 9.35 am and, with minimal delay, on arriving at the Gate (#38) we soon found ourselves boarding a full flight which departed for Lisbon at 10.40 am.
I have always enjoyed the light, complimentary snacks served on TAP but on this occasion was let down badly by a chicken, cheese and salad roll whose bread was leaden and which did not feature even a vestige of chicken! Needless to say I complained (politely) and was given a replacement! Otherwise the flight was uneventful and we landed in Lisbon a little before 1.00 pm.
On arrival we had a lengthy search for a TAP information desk and passed from pillar to post finally arriving back at Entradas; at this point I decided to put on my glasses only for a screw to fall out of the hinge thus making them unwearable! Finally we located a sign proclaiming TAP Transfer Bus; we were given a warm welcome and directed towards a black Mercedes people-carrier driven by Richard, a personable young Brazilian. We were taken to a Novotel [Metro: Pr. de Espanha] where we were allocated a very comfortable room. Unloaded our hand-luggage (the main bags were retained by TAP to accompany us tomorrow) and then left the hotel with two objectives: to find an optician to fix my glasses and to go to the district of Saldanha to locate a Tiger shop where we might buy some 100ml plastic bottles to accommodate some of the Gaviscon liquid that M felt compelled to buy at Gatwick!
Lisbon and the Teatro Eden
Asked several very willing people as to the whereabouts of an optician but all to no avail; on the point of abandoning the quest we suddenly realised that we were standing within 100m of one! Very obliging optician who happily fixed my spectacles for free. Long hot walk past Gulbenkian to Saldanha where we had the devil of a job finding the desired store but, on deciding to walk to Rossio and the waterfront we finally encountered our objective. Mission accomplished we headed further downtown stooping off only for an expensive, though welcome beer [€2.90 each!]
Suitably refreshed we then went in search of something to eat and were soon inveigled by a Zidane look-alike to patronise his restaurant in Rua dos Correcios and then to eschew the menu and settle instead on the meat platter that he recommended (at e60 for the pair of us!) Being used to brilliant meals in Northern Portugal for around €12 to €20 per head my first inclination was to laugh the suggestion to scorn but, it being the first day of the holiday, I just went along with it! A bizarre “free” aperitif was followed by rolls, butter and a very fine little cheese before the celebrated meat platter, rice and french fries turned up; well, it was perfectly acceptable, they certainly did not stint on meat, we had far more than we could possibly consume and ended up having to ask for a doggy bag! Finally, with a “service” tip, we paid €80! Way over the odds in my opinion but, as it was a “one-off”, just about OK.
Back to Novotel via the Metro and to our room and a much-needed shower. On the way back we stopped off at a MiniMercado and bought a couple of bottles of wine (which the store staff kindly opened for us) which we broached as soon as we had showered. Spent the rest of the evening watching BBC News and drinking wine and retired for the night at 11.25 pm. TAP scheduled to pick us up in the morning at 9.30 am.
Day 2 31/5/16 Lisbon – Belem
Enjoyed a wonderfully comfortable night and struggled to get up for a hot shower at 7.30 am. Thought we would put in a cameo appearance at breakfast – we weren’t very hungry and, besides, we still had yesterday evening’s doggy bag of meat! In the event, the goodies on display got the better of us! For my part I enjoyed eggs, bacon, rye rolls, fruit juice, agua mineral and a very generous helping of fruit salad – a truly first-rate breakfast! Staggered away to sit in the foyer and to await our transportation to the airport scheduled for 9.33 am.
The TAP “Green Bus” arrived on time and took us on a circuitous route which gave us the welcome opportunity to see more of the city. Arrived at 10.15 and found our way with difficulty to the Security section; this time I had all my liquids in a separate plastic bag apart from my other belongings and sailed through unmolested. Treated myself to a litre of 51 at the Duty Free – a classic case of carrying coals to Newcastle, I suppose!
Whenever we come to Lisbon airport we seem to find ourselves ending up at Gate 42 and today was no exception! Boarding was scheduled for 11.30 but was, in fact, considerably delayed; a lot of passengers milling around for what was clearly to be a well-patronised flight.
While waiting around we encountered an Afro-American couple who were returning to the USA from the “Land of Freedom and Justice” which gave us plenty to talk about; they insisted on taking some pictures of me as I reminded them of a friend back home -incredibly, they actually called the the gentleman and got me to speak to him! Eventually we were allowed on to the plane and found our seats – 17 H & J, an excellent arrangement as they were to the side and so we had no-one next to us. Departure was delayed until 1.00 pm; seemed amazing to me that so many people wanted to travel to Belém! Thought the meal served a little after departure somewhat disappointing – a decent enough beef curry/stew but served with puréed potatoes? Read a little after lunch but soon devoted my energies into trying to snooze. A lighter, quite appetising, meal was served at 4.00 pm shortly after which we began the descent to Belém and, somewhat surprisingly, arrived on schedule at 5.00 pm local time (9.00 pm Lisbon).
Lengthy wait to get through Immigration and then an even longer wait for our baggage to come through which eventually, unlike last year, it did! Took a taxi [Rs.50] to Soft Inn stopping en route for essential provisions. For our purposes Soft Inn is not so well-situated as last year’s Hotel Senador being much further up into town but, apart from that, we could have no complaints with a hotel that was modern, clean and bright but with a technology that was beyond our fathoming! We had to be shown how to operate the lift, get into our room, turn on the electricity etc – it all became a trifle embarrassing! Did little more than dump our bags in the room (once, of course, we had managed to enter it) and then went back to the Ground Floor and its restaurant where we enjoyed a pretty good dinner (steak, chips, feijão) for Rs.84. Satisfied, we returned upstairs to sup a night-cap of cachaça (the 51 from Lisbon’s Duty Free) and guaraná before turning in for the night by which time it was 2.00am Lisbon time.
Day 3. Wednesday, 1/6/16, Belém
Up at 7.00 am for a luxurious shower and then down to a very substantial breakfast: rolls, ham, cheese, pizza and fruit salad! On the way back upstairs we spoke to an Elvis look-alike at Reception and were delighted to learn that there is a room available for us to deposit our luggage for the rest of the day! This was a real boon as it allowed us to go around town and return in the evening to collect our belongings, dine at the restaurant and then take a taxi up to Val de Cans (airport).
Dumped our bags in the storage room and then set off for the Bosque Rodrigues Alves, helped on our way by a very helpful woman who led us to the appropriate, and near-by, bus-stop. A relatively uninteresting journey of 25 minutes brought us alongside the Bosque. We stopped for an indeterminate, but rather fine, fried snack and a pineapple suco before entering the Bosque at a cost of Rs.2 each. Found ourselves in a a substantial and heavily-wooded square surrounded by busy roads which proved to contain lots of very curious architecture: bridges, follies and the like all highly reminiscent of Gaudi!
Wandered the numerous avenues, pausing from time to time to sit quietly and observe; we encountered numerous agouti and frequently found ourselves surrounded by very cute miniature monkeys!
The Bosque also boasts a variety of exotic and attractive birds – we saw varieties of owl, macaw and ibis; there was even an enclosure for jacaré but none were in evidence when we passed by. A little beyond mid-day we left for the bustling city, taking a bus to Ver-o-Peso where we promenaded along the water-front and enjoyed an icy beer at one of the many refreshment stalls. It did not take great eloquence for the proprietress of the stall to persuade us to have something to eat with our beer!..Before we knew where we were we were tucking into fried fish,rice, spaghetti, feijão and onion salad: with another cold beer the bill came to Rs.42.
Having lunched, we went in search of a bus to take us to Mangal das Garças and, more by luck than judgement, soon found one (mercifully for the afternoon was exceedingly warm!) Outside the garden, just like last year, was the same refreshments vendor who sold us a couple of maracuja choppes before we entered.
We spent the remainder of the afternoon in the garden – not so many iguanas as last year but those we did see were of a very substantial size; there were lots of storks, ibises, flamingos and ducks in evidence and we even saw a pelican! As pensioners we were able to enter the butterfly sanctuary for free where there was plethora of bright orange butterflies but seemingly few other species.
In the course of the afternoon we covered the entirety of the attraction and then, plagued by thirst, exited to avail ourselves of our new-found friend’s delicious choppes. Using a very basic map we embarked on a very long walk back to Soft Inn; we made it back to Avenida Bettincourt without too much trouble but slipped up at the end when, on finally reaching the avenue, we then went the wrong way!
Getting back to the air-conditioned cool of the hotel came as a great relief and shortly thereafter, at 7.00 pm we sat down to another fine meal in the restaurant, Dinner over we collected our luggage from store and hired a waiting taxi to take us to the airport [Rs.50]. By 8.30 we were ensconced in Val de Cans and endeavouring to find a means of making ourselves comfortable over the next four and a half hours before Check-in opened at 1.00am. With the strategic placing of bags and neck- rests we managed to reduce the discomfort of the seats to some extent and I even found that, from time-to time, I was able to drop-off, albeit briefly!
Day 4, Thursday 2/6/16, Manaus
In many respects it was a relief to get up at 1.00 am and go and check-in with GOL! Perhaps because the night seemed so short the experience was nowhere near as dire as last time! Boarding, which proved to be pretty chaotic took place 90 minutes later and the number of people travelling at such an un-godly hour amazed me; the aircraft, a large one, left with at least 70% of seats filled. The flight proved routine and we reached Manaus at 5.00 am (4.00 am Belém time).
We gathered our bags and then sat reading in Arrivals. When it opened at 6.20 am, we went upstairs to California Coffee for refreshments and stayed up there until it was light enough for us to feel that we could safely make our way into town. 7.30 am. We took a taxi [Rs.70] to the Hostel Manaus; bizarrely, we seemed to know the route better than the driver! Rang the bell on our arrival and were delighted to be greeted by Erico (last year he had talked of returning to full-time higher education) who seemed equally pleased to see us! Had feared that we would only be able to deposit our baggage this morning and that we would have to wait until the afternoon before gaining admittance to a room…well, Erico fixed us up with Room #6 and we moved in at once – we were even in time to avail ourselves of a very welcome breakfast!
Spent a couple of hours showering and then resting in our air-conditioned room before, partially restored, we made our way up to the Opera House to check out its programme. Came across a helpful Turismo where we obtained a couple of maps and then found, rather to our surprise, that in spite of the recent breakfast, we were quite hungry!…Walked over to Marlene’s and had a tasty meal of rice and pirarucu (which was sold according to weight) and then, hunger assuaged, reacquainted ourselves with Armando’s cold beers! The plan for the afternoon was to go to the Bosque da Ciência but the bus #125 was so long in coming that when, eventually, a #120 came by, we jumped aboard and visited the CIGS Zoological Park instead. Heavy rain whilst in the bus which, mercifully, stopped just before we were due to alight.
Spent a pleasant couple of hours visiting the various animal enclosures and the Aquarium – very little change from last year save for the fact that visitor numbers were much reduced (and in general it seemed to us that both the city and the hostel were much quieter – last year we were here over Easter and tourists were everywhere!)
Returned to the city at 5.00pm calling in at Carrefour on our way back to the hostel where I made a priority of settling our bill: four nights for Rs.480 plus a deposit of Rs.40. Had time for a shower (the second of the day) before setting off for the Opera House which was featuring a free concert by the Amazonian String Orchestra (OVAM).
OVAM turned out to be brilliant! The orchestra gave a short, first-class performance which really did merit a larger audience – all the free seats (two of which we occupied) were taken up but, the body of the hall where seats were priced at Rs.20 was but sparsely populated. There was a well-deserved standing ovation at the end of the performance. Returned to the hostel feeling very tired but revived sufficiently to imbibe some guaraná and cachaça! No sooner had we got up to the room than there was a terrific cloudburst and heavy rain fell until we called it a day at 11.00 pm.
Day 5. Friday, 3/6/16, Manaus
Had a good night’s sleep and woke up at 7.30 to see a scan of Eleanor’s baby…Breakfasted an hour later on toasted cheese and ham sandwiches and fruit. Morning very bright and warm but with a number of ominous clouds in the background. Having breakfasted did some washing and hung it out to dry – sinks have no plugs and the custom seems to be to scrunch up a plastic bag and ram it down the sink-hole!
Laundry done we left for Av. 7 Setembro to catch either bus# 515 or #517 to INPA – O Bosque da Ciência. Had a long wait in the hot sun before a #515 came along; tried out my new hat and was amazed at the difference that it seemed to make to my body temperature!
On arrival paid an entrance fee of Rs.5 each and entered the Bosque where we were to remain until the early afternoon. Began by looking at the manatees and other animals of that ilk and then progressed across the immaculately ordered grounds to observe turtles and jacarés and to walk through some very attractive forested trails – were encouraged by a Park Ranger to have a look at the Abaço da Morte ( a parasitical tree in the process of strangling its host.) Finished up by the picturesque Science Lake looking out for birds and turtles and generally relaxing; it took a supreme effort of will to avoid falling into a lengthy snooze on one of the benches!
The Bosque seems to have developed since last year – one feature that we had not seen before was an exhibition area devoted to the many species of Amazonian turtle (which included a specimen of what was undoubtedly the ugliest creature that I have ever seen – a Mata-Mata.)
Stopped to watch the feeding of the Manatees on our way out (tons of cabbage and lettuce) and then took a bus back into town. Alighted down-town and walked over to the water-front and the market. Ostensibly we went to the market to find a cheese stall and also to see what specimens, if any, were still around in the fish market. No sooner had we entered the market, however, than we came across stalls selling meals, one of which was offering tambaqui for Rs.13; as we had not eaten since early morning we were petty hungry so decided to have a very late lunch/very early supper (ca. 3.00 pm). Sat down at a simple table and enjoyed a very fine meal of fried tambaqui, salsa, rice, farofa and beer, all for a modest Rs.32!
Made our way from the market to Rua 7 Setembro stopping to buy a bag of giant maracujas and an umbrella and reached home at 5.00pm. Although there had been a number of very threatening clouds and the odd drop of rain, the deluge held off so I was able to take our dried washing from the line (in spite of the heat of the day and the fact that little or no rain fell, nothing was actually tinder dry and a few items were still too damp to take in.)
Showered and prepared some of the passion fruits and, rain still holding off, considered whether or not to make the effort to go up to the Opera House for an evening of experimental dance. We opted to go out and to start off proceedings at Glacial; we were just making our pick of flavours when I realised that I had left my purse back in the hostel!…
Arrived at the Teatro to find a long queue snaking around the building – many more people than yesterday. While we waited for admittance the young poet, Helena Valentine, worked the queue purveying her latest work, Palavras Ocultas; reminded her that last year, in the same spot, she had sold us her previous booklet of poetry! Anyway, we bought the latest opus [Rs.10] and she wrote an affectionate dedication in the front.
Entrance to the dance show was free and only seating on the ground floor was made available; by the start of the entertainment most seats were taken. We witnessed a performance of Casarda by the Corpo de Dança do Amazonas, much of it , particularly the first half, a festival of contortions set against turn-table feedback. Personally I found much of the evening pretty dire although things did buck up a little in the second half; we left at the end somewhat bemused but at least glad that we had made the effort to attend! On the other hand, the rest of the audience rewarded the performance with an ecstatic ovation!
Back to the hostel for a night-cap, cheese and plantain chips before retiring at 11.00pm.
Day 6. Saturday, 4/6/16, Manaus
Awoke at 6.30 am to a cooler and cloudier morning than usual. Today was planned as primarily a beach day after we had made some essential purchases (notably hammocks! Walked down to the environs of the market where there are a plethora of shops selling redes (hammocks); Eriko reckoned that we could buy a rede for somewhere in the region of Rs.25 but either his information is out of date or prices are lower for locals! Eventually we did find some hammocks to suit our purposes and our purse [Rs. 40 each] and spent a further Rs.5.50 on strong cord. Mission accomplished we made tracks back to the hostel stopping only to buy another consignment of giant passion fruit and also to enjoy a fried snack and drink of sugar-cane juice from a jovial Brazilian/Bangladeshi vendor.
By 11.25 am we were waiting patiently outside Glacial for the #120 to take us to Ponta Negra – there were times when we thought that the bus must have stopped running! Today, our designated beach day was, at this stage, easily the dullest of the week with rain a constant threat.
On arrival at the jetty we found a launch just awaiting two more passengers for a full complement so we embarked and were whisked away almost immediately. On arrival at Praia da Lua we availed ourselves of a couple of beach chairs and an empty table and had no sooner sorted out our beach gear than a young woman appeared with a menu…we ordered the standard fried tambaqui menu which was served up in due course, was of a very high standard and cost Rs.50.
Spent the rest of the afternoon going in and out of the water which was pleasantly warm and clean – cannot escape the fact that it seems strange to be swimming in water that looks more like Coca-Cola than anything else!
Rio Negro – Praia da Lua
A little after 4.00 pm people began to congregate at the jetty so we followed suit; sat in the launch for close to 30 minutes before it departed for the mainland and we had another lengthy wait at the bus terminus. Finally a bus picked us up and we arrived back at the hostel around 6.00 pm; at the time, leaving the beach at 4.00 pm seemed unnecessarily early but, given the time taken to get back, the decision was proved to be the correct one.
After showering prepared some of the passion fruit which we consumed with some of the cheese bought at the market yesterday. Decided to stay in this evening as the Corpo de Dança is in residence at the Opera House all weekend. Thought that we might while away the time watching some episodes of Coronation Street on the tablet but it just would not load up so we contented ourselves with some more cheese and, our old familiar stand-by, cachaça and guaraná before turning in for an early night.
Day 7. Sunday, 5/6/16. Manaus
Woke at 6.15 am to rumbling thunder which was a precursor to a raging storm. Rain bucketed down and we breakfasted with the staff frantically mopping up the dining area. Breakfast over we opted to stay in our room until the storm blew over. Weather took a while to ameliorate and we did not actually stir from the hostel until nearly mid-day by which time it was pleasantly warm and sunny. Waited for a #120 having been warned that Sunday buses were few and far between but in fact one came along only moments after we had reached the stop. Maybe it was because of the day but the bus took a different route; nonetheless, by early afternoon we were across the water and tucking into a similar lunch to yesterday only this time with additional portions of chips! Repast was washed down with a couple of litres (between us!) of Brahma and we were set back Rs.60.
For a further couple of hours or so conditions were nigh-on perfect and we spent much of the time in the river but, gradually, ominous clouds accumulated and spots of rain then followed and we thought that we would have to make a get-away. Happily the deluge did not materialise, indeed conditions improved and we continued at the waterfront until 4.00 pm when, as yesterday, we took the boat back to the mainland.
Stopped off at Glacial for ices and then returned to the hostel to hang up our swimwear and to prepare maracujas and cheese for our evening snack. We abandoned the idea of ever seeing Corrie so turned to YouTube ,and after watching a fascinating Louis Theroux documentary on the legion of Avon Ladies in Amazonas, watched a selection of music videos – Joe Cocker, Queen, Michael Jackson etc. A pleasant evening concluded at 9.30 pm when we ran out of guaraná (which was probably just as well!…)
Day 8 Monday 6/6/16 Manaus – Leticia
Had a poor night, for no particular reason, and got up to shower at 6.30 am. Breakfasted and then packed; as at a later stage we planned to return to Hostel Manaus, we were able to leave superfluous gear in the lock-up. Luckily, on looking at the Tabatinga flight tickets last night I noticed a warning of dire penalties if one did not check-in in advance, something which in practice was far easier said than done! Happily, with Eriko’s invaluable assistance the matter was resolved and we were e-mailed the boarding passes. There was some doubt remaining as to whether our tickets included luggage but we just had to hope for the best and be prepared to argue our case at the airport.
Before leaving Manaus we needed more cash so walked down to Banco de Brasil in Pr. da Matriz which, last year at least, offered the best rates…arrived to find chaos with several hundred people all seeking to conduct some business or another! Just around the corner was a tranquil branch of Santander where I was able to draw some cash (with a Rs.12 charge); was a little disconcerted by a woman at the next booth who warned us to be “very, very careful”…
At the junction of Av. Joaquim Nabuco and 7 Setembro there are chemist shops on all four corners! At last we were able to get our hands on some Engove (the Brazilian hangover preventative) for which I paid Rs.20 and thence to a neighbouring electrical shop for another plug adaptor for Brazilian fittings.
Thought we would end this Manaus sojourn with a farewell beer at Armando’s and a meal at Marlene’s but, to our disappointment, both establishments were closed (we assumed because it was a Monday). Finally, we ended up at an attractive little place, Calçada Alta, on Rua Costa Avezedo where we ordered beers and a meal (tambaqui for me and chicken “milanesa” for Margaret) – bill came to Rs.56 and was worth every cent! Eriko secured us a taxi for Rs.75 to take us to the airport where there was a wait of an hour or more before we could check-in; there were no problems in printing the boarding passes nor in checking-in a large bag; a rucksack and bundles of hammocks we kept with us.
Waited in a bright and airy Departures lounge for embarcation at 5.10 pm and perused a number of interesting gift-shops. My eye was caught by an attractive apron decorated with Amazonian fish like pirarucus for a reasonable price of Rs.45 but was offered a Rs5 discount if I paid cash rather than card; also bought Millie a tee-shirt featuring a flamboyant macaw (Rs.39). We flew to Tabatinga with Azul, and was quite impressed with the company – we departed on time, aircraft was comfortable and free fruit juice and snacks were provided. Flight took an hour and forty minutes bringing us in at 6.20 pm (one hour behind Manaus) into an incredibly warm and humid environment.
Outside the airport we contracted a friendly taxi driver (Rs.40) to take us across the border (a line in the main road) and a little further on to Hotel Divino Niño where we checked-in to a small but clean room with a fridge, an adjoining bathroom and a TV with, seemingly, hundreds of channels. The taxi driver took me for a Cuban which I thought quite flattering! Once unpacked we sat on our bed drinking cachaça and Coke and watching CNN until opting for an early night.
Day 9. Tuesday, 7/6/16, Leticia [Colombia]
Enjoyed a good night – comfortable bed and ambient temperature. Up at 6.30 to shower and to find the lavatory blocked!…
Left the hotel on a very bright and warm morning and wandered through the streets of an exceedingly attractive little town. First of all though we had two imperatives: to secure an exit visa from the Brazilian authorities in Tabatinga and then journey in the opposite direction to secure Colombian entradas at Leticia airport.
Frontier between Brazil and Colombia
The main means of transport in this area seems to be the Tuc-Tuc; negotiations proved to be far from straightforward but eventually managed to agree a fee of CP15,000 with a pretty decent sort of driver. Official at the Brazilian visa office was positively effusive – turned out that he had lived in Cardiff for eight years as well as having spent some time in London! He was most anxious to hear our views about Brexit!
Having sorted out the passports we returned to the town centre to buy some provisions and to breakfast at a roadside eatery on rice and fried eggs [CP 14,000]. Found a Cambio [El Opita – recommended by the proprietor of the Niño]and changed US $140 receiving in return, CP 440,000. [Theoretically the pound was worth approx CP 4450 but the Cambio would not accept it hence the use of US dollars which changed at a rate of $1 = CP 2940].
Thought it best to look ahead so returned to Tabatinga by Tuc-Tuc to make enquiries about boats to Santa Rosa and, above all, to Manaus. Prices to Manaus seemed pretty reasonable and was just a question of whether we wanted a fast (36 hours) or slow boat (3 days), seats in a fast boat or cabin in a slow one; the slow boat travels twice per week (departing Saturdays and Wednesdays) while the fast Lancha is more frequent.
Back to a blazing Leticia and a somewhat frustrating search for a beer – the joint where we breakfasted only sells beer after 2.00 pm, otherwise it seemed to be an almost unobtainable luxury!
Leticia High Street
Passed by a basic-looking restaurant, Sr. Pollo, which miraculously offered tins of beer as well as food! We took advantage of both aspects of the restaurant’s trade and tucked into seared steak, rice and beans plus, of course, the longed-for beer! (CP 16,000 – not bad if hardly gourmet!)
Visited a very willing, if rather limited, Turismo, and then proceeded down the main road to the bottom which terminates in a market and a waterfront featuring lots of little boats ferrying locals and their shopping across the water. Moved across to the very unimpressive Parque Orelliana – inexplicable that this small and most unremarkable space should get a mention in any tourist literature!
The Parque Santander, renowned for the thousands of parrots who return every evening to roost, was close by so we thought to look it over even though it was far too early for any of the birds to be in the neighbourhood. En route we passed a very well-appointed public library and we stopped off to visit its ethnographic exhibition and an exhibition portraying the country’s history through photographs, both of which were well produced and very informative.
By the time we left the library the sky had darkened and we hastened back to Divino Niño arriving just a few minutes before the inevitable downpour! By 4.45 the rain had stopped and we ventured out again. By a somewhat circuitous route we made our way to Parque Santander ( a pleasantly wooded square), paid CP 3000 and climbed to the top of the tower of the Cathedral of Nuestra Senora de la Paz which adjoins the square and from which we enjoyed a grand view of the city, its surrounds, the river and, of course the park.
Around 5.15 pm droves of parrots started arriving, parking-up in the trees, dive-bombing and making a fearful noise! Within a short while the branches of all the trees were absolutely choc-a-bloc with birds! I must admit to a little disappointment: I had fondly imagined that the parakeets would be brightly coloured and not just black and yellow.
Parque Santander at dusk
After dark we left the square and returned slowly to the Niño halting at assorted shops to buy snacks and also a couple of wayside sellers to buy cheese-filled arepas.
Arepas on the grill
More street food!
Back at the hotel we drank our usual concoction and ate cheese and nuts while watching CNN. We saw Donald Trump give a victory speech in which he made one outlandish promise after another without giving the slightest hint as to how any of them might actually be achieved! Quite extraordinary!
Perhaps it was the effect of seeing “The Donald” but we soon felt exhausted and were compelled to shut things down for the night not long after 9.00 pm!
Day 10. Wednesday, 8/6/16, Leticia
Had a reasonable night and got up reluctantly at 6.45 am but only because we had booked breakfast!
Breakfast was taken at 7.30 am and my heart sank when I saw scrambled egg and what I can only describe as “plastic” yellow bread; in fairness though, when I steeled myself to eat the stuff I found the egg tolerable and the bread actually seemed to complement it! Fresh fruit juice and orange segments comprised the remainder of the repast plus coffee produced on the proprietor’s own finca!
It must have rained heavily at some stage in the night and the roads were very wet so we did not rush out; while waiting in the morning room I made the acquaintance of some fellow guests – two young English women from Enfield and Edgware who were en route to Bogota so was able to pass on the benefits of my knowledge of tuc-tucs and my recollections of the capital in the year dot! Took a tuc-tuc ourselves to the nearby border, just crossing into Tabatinga as far as a bank where I drew another Rs.500 to ensure that we have enough for our fare back to Manaus plus some on-board spending money.
From Tabatinga back to the waterfront of Leticia. At the quay we met up with a cheerful individual (Eduardo) whose acquaintance we had made very briefly yesterday and he and his mate took us across the river to the Peruvian island of Santa Rosa.
Sta. Rosa proved to be a most appealing and peaceful outpost of civilisation – lots of interesting shrubs, fruits, flowers etc. and the inhabitants seemed to be occupied either in house renovation or in snoozing!
Walked in the company of Eduardo the length of the island’s main road; stopped by the house of a particularly jovial type who had a cute baby monkey as a pet.
The road itself was paved and was just wide enough to accommodate a tuc-tuc of which there seemed to be a surprising number (particularly surprising in view of the fact that the paved track can be no longer than a few hundred metres in length and that the island is narrow enough for the river to be seen on both sides from just about any point!)
Having arrived on Sta. Rosa a little after 10.00 am we had completed our perambulation by 11.30 am when we arrived back at our starting point and decided to visit the near-by Brisas del Amazonas for a cold beer on its jetty which protrudes into the river. Thirst satisfied we remembered that the Niño’s owner had advised us that Sta. Rosa was renowned for its culinary delights so we took the opportunity to try a couple of dishes from Brisas‘ menu; M had steak, chips and the trimmings whilst I enjoyed Lomo saltado (strips of steak fried with tomatoes and onions). The portions proved to be exceedingly generous as well of being of a high standard – indeed, M had too much to get through so Eduardo got lucky! The bill for our two meals plus two large beers and an Inka Cola came to Rs. 57 (reais seem to be the favoured currency even though the island is Peruvian!)
It was fascinating to see the trappings of modern social and political life in such surroundings: the Court House shares a shack on stilts with a general provisions shop and the Deputy Governor’s residence is another wooden shack albeit in the process of construction. At one end of the island there is even a separate barrio of San Pedro with all of six houses in it!
After lunch we returned to Leticia – Eduardo and his companion seemed unsure as to what to charge us and hesitatingly suggested CP 20,000, a bargain indeed. I gave CP 22,000.
Back to Divino Niño just as the rain began – a perfect excuse to stay indoors and read and snooze for a while! 4.15 pm and we walked into Tabatinga in search of a supermarket; almost immediately came across a large store, Mansão do Chocolate, which saved us any further effort for, as well as chocolate and cosmetics, the place was well-stocked with liquor enabling us to buy enough to cover our needs between here and Manaus!
The Mansão was staffed by several very pretty young women all dressed in a green company uniform and all made-up to the hilt; immaculately coiffed, lip-sticked and eye-shadowed. Throughout our journeying in Amazonas we have been struck by the extreme care women put into their appearance no matter what status in life, be it street-cleaner, shop-assistant or business woman, their grooming will be absolutely fastidious; made us wonder to what extent the legendary Avon Ladies are responsible!
Dumped our purchases back in the Niño and then hurried down to Parque Santander for the roosting of the loros who, once again, began arriving at 5.15 pm and, within an hour, had settled down on the branches in their thousands for the night. On our way back we patronised a near-by open-air stall for a couple of cheese and ham filled arepas and a grilled sausage and took the food back to our room to consume as, once again, we turned to CNN for our entertainment.
Day 11. Thursday 9/6/16, Leticia
Night was comfortable enough but I just had difficulty in finding the right position for a sound sleep! Rained heavily during the night and it was still pouring at 6.40 am when we got up. Two hours later and having breakfasted (on eggs swimming in margarine!) there was still no respite to the deluge.
Finally, around 11.00 am there was a halt in the rainfall and we made a dash for Tabatinga to get the main business of the day done. Took a tuc-tuc direct to the shipping company (previously we had been taken to an agency) and our arrangements were made in no time; booked tickets for a 3.00 pm departure on Saturday which should see us into Manaus on Tuesday morning. Paid Rs.1000 as opposed to Rs.1300 as quoted by the agency and that included a cabin.
Actually we had the option of returning to Manaus on Saturday or the following Tuesday but, much as we liked Leticia, we began to feel that we had more or less exhausted the opportunities that it could afford us and that Manaus would give us greater scope. More rain on our way back to Leticia but as soon as there was a lull we hastened down to the river, met up with Eduardo and got him to take us over to Sta. Rosa for another fine lunch at Las Brisas. Eduardo picked us up at 2.45 pm and took us back to Leticia where, after a little shopping, we returned to the hotel. Arranged that Eduardo would, weather permitting, take us on a river tour beyond Sta. Rosa to Puerto Alegria which should mean that we had done all that could be expected of us during our short stay in the area – the long and final stretch up to Iquitos would have to wait for another year…
Well, after 5.00 pm things brightened up considerably and we were able to go down to P. Santander, sit on the Cathedral steps and watch the roosting parakeets.Events thereafter followed a now-traditional path – home via the supermarket and arepa stall. Sat in the Day Room and ate half of a very large pawpaw and thence to our room to drink rum and coke and guaraná while watching CNN (almost wholly devoted these days to the US election). Finally retired for the night at the relatively late time of 9.40 pm!
Day 12. Friday, 10/6/16, Leticia
Woke to another overcast morning; must have been some heavy rain during the night as the streets are very wet. Went to breakfast expecting the worst and was very pleasantly surprised! The eggs came fried English-style, that is, not swimming in a revolting lake of marge, and I was actually able to eat the meal with something approaching relish!
Settled accounts with the hotel proprietor [CP 375,000] and also paid for a car to take us to the port tomorrow at mid-day. Next item on the agenda was to sort out our assorted exit and entry permits…Engaged the same genial tuc-tuc driver as yesterday (though today he had his two dogs sitting in the front with him!) and went first to the Colombian airport where we received our salida from a female official who sang throughout the proceedings and then back to Tabatinga to another friendly encounter with officers at the Brazilian Federal Police HQ.
Our essential business done by 10.00 am we sauntered into town stopping at a discount clothes store to buy two Colombia football shirts [CP 10,000 each] and then on to meet Eduardo on the waterfront. Our little party was joined by a young German doctor from Heidelberg and his even younger Colombian girlfriend.
Leticia water-front
We set off up river in perfect conditions and made one stop before our main objective of Puerto Alegria which was a settlement close to Leticia that specialised in Victoria Lillies – a most attractive location that also boasted a number of tame macaws – both scarlet and blue.
Pressed on to P. Alegria passing a number of frolicking dolphins and arriving at 1.00 pm. just as a large party of visitors was leaving – must admit that I did not fancy the place overmuch as it looked, from a distance at least, a little too touristy and synthetic; subsequently I revised my opinion.
Walked up from the jetty to a covered meeting area where coffee was offered and where a number of locals were seated around the walls;some had toucans, others macaws and parrots, a couple of women were even cuddling (well-coiffed) sloths! Before too long a lengthy python and a baby ant-eater had joined the throng! All the birds (including an odd grebe-like avian) were incredibly tame and quite content, by and large, to be picked up and petted.
Lunch was served up at a nearby thatched dwelling: chicken with boiled rice and plantain fritters (the absence of piri-piri or some other form of seasoning was badly missed.) After the meal we wandered down the main track and came across a woman with her own menagerie – monkeys and a coypu.
After what proved to be a rather lengthy stop we set off again, this time for La Isla de los Micos quite some distance away (and 33 km from Leticia) arriving a little before 4.00 pm and being required to pay an entrance fee of CP 30,000 each. Once paid and registered we entered upon a prolonged and elevated wooden walkway which led to a large clearing in the forest where a substantial number of visitors had congregated and were being besieged by monkeys! We joined the throng and were soon also covered with little monkeys! When one of the guides handed us some pieces of banana with which to tempt the creatures we soon found ourselves absolutely inundated! We had monkeys on our heads, shoulders, arms; animals climbing up our shirts – it was complete madness!
When the group ran out of “treats” and the monkey population’s excitement abated, we were addressed by an official upon the importance of the nation conserving its ecological heritage and the importance of the co-operation between Colombia and Brasil in particular, as well as Peru. Finally we enjoyed a short jaunt through the forest before being brought back to the starting point and then, just before 5.00 pm embarking on the lengthy voyage home.
Preparing for rain
Dusk on the river
Just as darkness began to fall over the river so did the rain and this resulted in a spectacular rainbow across the sky which was reflected on the water. Intensity of the rain increased with each passing minute until, eventually, we found ourselves in the midst of a full-blown storm! Luckily the boat had a quite effective tarpaulin roof and sides which saved us from the worst of the tempest but, due to the prevailing wind, we still managed to get a soaking. Of course the simple boat had no lights of any sort so steering was aided by the light of Eduardo’s mobile phone!…
Reached Leticia at 6.30 pm by which time, mercifully, the rain had stopped. Paid Eduardo the sum of CP 150,000 and then headed into town resigned to the fact that we no longer had enough pesos to pay for the fancy dinner that we had promised ourselves. What Colombian money we had left we decided to spend in an artisanal shop where we found two suitable woven bags for CP 40,000 – unfortunately, when I looked in my purse I only found CP 12,000!…
Retired to the Niño after making a couple of small purchases and finished off the other half of our pawpaw before getting to grips with our usual drinks and snacks. Apart from watching bemused at the continuing Trump saga we also witnessed an equally bizarre spectacle from Rio – a female weight-lifting competition.
Day 13. Saturday, 11/6/16, Leticia – …
Showered at 6.30 after a reasonable sleep. Curiously, during the night, the thought occurred to me that I had not noticed the boat ticket in my passport since returning from the Federal Police…Sure enough, when I checked the passports and documents bag the ticket was nowhere to be found!…
After an anxious breakfast of fried eggs (which are better prepared by the day) and fruit, I left the hotel for town. A Quick transaction in the Cambio El Opita where I cashed US $20 (CP 58,000) enabled me to hire a female tuc-tuc driver to take me to the boat company’s premises in Tabatinga. The driver quite clearly had no idea as to where I really wanted to go but she persevered and, after asking all and sundry along the way, eventually brought us to the appropriate office. Fortunately (and I was dreading the possibilities) the official at the counter recognised me at once, listened with sympathy to my garbled tale of woe and promptly issued me with a copy of the ticket duly embossed with the company stamp and with her counter-signature too. Highly relieved, we returned across the border! On the way back I witnessed the hostility women tuc-tuc drivers (and there are few of them) must encounter on a daily basis – quite what my driver did wrong at one stage I have no idea but it earned her a volley of abuse from another (male) taxista.
Went to last night’s bag shop to reclaim the two bags that we had arranged to buy lasy night but could not find it! All the artisanal shops in the road (and there were a fair few) denied seeing us last night and none seemed to quite hold the stock that we remembered! Eventually we reached the conclusion that the bag shop of last night was the one shop that this morning was firmly closed!
Went back to the near-by El Opita and cashed another US $20 and then bought a nice string bag and two small, very pretty, wooden trinket boxes. Going back to the Niño we encountered a stall selling Lechon (Leitão) and stopped to buy a plate (CP 10,000) reasoning as we did so that, though it might have been just a little while since breakfast, there was no knowing as to when and where we would eat our next meal. Our few remaining pesos we spent on more packets of assorted nuts and on a strange selection of cakes and biscuits at La Casa de la Torta which, among other curiosities, offers chocolate -cum- cheese bolos.
Courtesy of the proprietor of Niño who charged us CP 15,000, we were driven down to the port at mid-day. We registered our tickets and then took bets as to when we would actually embark given that departure was scheduled for 3.00 pm; we guessed that we would have to wait until about thirty minutes before sailing but, as it transpired, we were a little too optimistic and did not get ushered aboard (among the first) until 2,45 pm. We finally left Tabatinga aboard N/M Voyager IV at 3.45 pm.
Once afloat we slung up our hammocks on the upper hammock floor, put all our other belongings into our cabin (which even had a TV on the lower bunk!) and then climbed to the top floor to look at the scenery and enjoy a cold beer before dinner scheduled to be served between 4.15 pm and 6.30 pm.
At some stage some soup was offered but we didn’t take up the offer not realising that this was, in effect, dinner! Fortunately the Bar sold snacks and we were able to buy a tasty salad/egg/ham burger for Rs.6.
As night drew on we stayed up on the top drinking our own cachaça with mixers from the Bar until 8.00 pm when we had just about had enough. We were beginning to think about retiring for the evening when the boat drew alongside an amphibious building jutting out into the river – The HQ of the Federal Police. Our boat came to a halt and a dozen armed officers came on board and, in the course of the next hour or so, examined everyone’s credentials and luggage and living-space! A futile exercise really when it would be so easy to hide contraband in this vessel and, without sniffer dogs, one fails to see what such searches can achieve.
Once the journey was resumed we finished off our drinks and prepared for the night: M in the cabin and me in a hammock.
Some observations on Leticia:
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Cleanliness: Immaculately clean streets.
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Friendliness: Even policemen wish one Buenas noches.
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Transport: Few cars, quiet motorbikes and a most efficient tuc-tuc system.
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Security: Appears to be totally safe.
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Hassle-free: No begging or pestering.
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No massive buildings and a quaint central road system.
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Sobriety: Seemingly no public drinking or smoking.
Conclusion: If Pleasantville has a real-life counterpart it has to be Leticia!
Day 14. Sunday, 12/6/16. [Amazon]
The night in the hammock wasn’t too bad – admittedly it would have been better if the deck lights had been extinguished or at least dimmed! There was a stop at 4.00 am but I was too tired to get up and see exactly where we were. At 6.30 I rose and went to the cabin for a short snooze on the top bunk.
Up again at 8.00 am and showered whilst we docked at Amatura. Seemingly, like most of the passengers, somehow we missed breakfast; M. only really wanted coffee and fortunately there were large urns of the stuff freely available on the middle deck.
I was sitting on a bench looking at the shore when I thought that I heard someone in the kitchen say that lunch was about to be served; apparently lunch was to be taken early as by mid-day we were expected to be arriving at a location where the Federal Police were likely to come aboard in which case all dining facilities would have to be closed down. Not really conscious of being hungry, we nonetheless sat down for a very satisfying meal of rice, beans, shredded chicken and stewed beef; incredibly, this lunch was free and was served at 9.30 am!
After eating I relaxed in the hammock and, a little later, we docked in San Antonio do ICA where a number of people got off thereby giving us more space for our hammocks – it had earlier been just a little crowded. After a more comfortable afternoon in the hammock it came as something of a surprise at 4.00 pm when dinner was announced! In view of the extensive, albeit early, lunch we expected little more than an offering of soup but were proved to be quite mistaken: rice, salad, shredded and stewed chicken in generous portions! Began to think that we might just have to limit ourselves to one meal per day lest we start putting on too many extra pounds!
Day 15. Monday, 13/6/16. Amazon…
Chose M’s hammock to spend the night in (she slept in the cabin) and profited from the decision as it can be folded around one like a shroud and thus obviate the need for a blanket. Again I had a reasonable night but at 5.40 am I moved to the cabin and lay there till 7.00 am.
Did not bother with breakfast which was, perhaps, just as well, as yet again “lunch” was served at 9.30 am! ( at this stage in the journey am not sure whether we are running on Amazonas or Para time – but even so…).We joined a long queue and had to eat separately; rice, beans, farofa and dried meat, grilled chicken – all perfectly acceptable if rather on the dry side!
Resumed watching the passing shore when, just before mid-day a police craft drew alongside and officers again went through the boat, the passengers and their belongings for the third time in 48 hours! I asked an official why they don’t use dogs and was told that at Tabatinga they do but, on the river, they rely on the combined forces of the Policia, the Marinha and the Armada Tatica. As before, the search was conducted in a perfectly pleasant and friendly manner but, as far as we could see, was completely fruitless.
After an afternoon reading, and after such a dry meal, we went up to the top deck for a couple of beers; M wondered when the evening meal would be served and whether it would include any salad which led me to go down to investigate only to find dinner already in full-swing! By 4.25 pm we had consumed a meal of stewed mince and were back upstairs for yet more thirst-quenching beer. At this point we moved over to Amazonas time and witnessed a spectacular sunset at 6.15 pm.
We sat on the top deck drinking cachaça and Fanta (bar had run out of all other mixers) and chatted to a couple of Swiss girls. During the course of the day there were a number of short stops.
By 8.45 pm we had had enough and so retired for the night – M to the cabin and me to a bench by the hammock where I read for an hour before settling down for the night.
Day 16. Tuesday, 14/6/16, Manaus
Enjoyed a good night and got up at 6.00 am – guess I have finally cracked the technique of sleeping in a hammock! Showered in the cabin and then got M some coffee and coconut cake from the refectory which, curiously, opened much later than was usual. We were originally scheduled to dock in Manaus at 9.00 am but I asked the Steersman for confirmation and he reckoned a 2.00 pm arrival more likely.
Was wondering whether there would be any lunch served today and was beginning to give up hope when, at 10.30, it was called and a pretty good one it was too: salad, rice, beans and stewed beef. Felt compelled to retire to the hammock for an hour afterwards to recuperate!
Took down the hammocks and packed our belongings so as to be completely ready when we docked and then spent the remainder of the voyage observing the shore and the growth of habitation and cultivation. Ominous clouds loomed at one stage but we arrived in Manaus at 1.30 pm in blazing sunshine.
Walked up to Hostel Manaus with a couple of Cuban-American girls from the boat and, as usual, received a warm welcome from Eriko. Re-allocated our old room (#6) we had a shower and made ourselves at home.
Refreshed, we took off for Rua 24 Mayo where I found a deserted HSBC in which to withdraw Rs.400 and then proceeded to Carrefour for some groceries before wandering past Rua 7 Setembro in the direction of the docks to buy fruit and eventually returning with limes, water-melon and two large pawpaws – all to be consumed before we leave tomorrow!
Retrieved our baggage from the arrecadação and sorted out the things that we would need for the next couple of days (when we shall be limiting ourselves to rucksacks). 6.25 pm and time for an evening snack – cheese, guava jelly, rolls and a melon and papaya salad.
Took our repast in the open-plan breakfast area – cool and airy with a good night-time panorama of the city. After consuming the fruit salad we went out for a little walk ending up, surprisingly, at Glacial! Returned home for a “night-cap” and to watch a You Tube video of Amazonian wild life. As luck would have it, the video folded up after 25 minutes which provided us with the incentive to close down for the night and go to bed in a room whose floor is awash with the contents of our various cases, bags and rucksacks. Took a Tesco “sleep-aid” tablet and soon felt exceedingly drowsy; went to sleep hoping that there would be no overnight rain thus allowing our washing to dry out before we leave.
Day 17. Wednesday, 15/6/16, Manaus – Presidente Figueredo
Tesco’s “sleep-aid” tablets are clearly more effective than I remembered! By 8.45 pm I felt dead tired and, in spite of the sounds of youthful high-jinks and raucous Cuban-American voices in the early hours, I slept very soundly and got up at 6.45 am only with the greatest reluctance!
Breakfasted and then put our main bags in the store-room; long discussion with Eriko about the English football scene (he supports Chelsea) and then up to the bus stop by Glacial to catch a #209 to the Rodaviaria. Bus dropped across the road from the terminus and quite how we managed to get across the three-lane highway to the station I shall never know! Paid Rs. 26.44 each for a bus departing at 12.30 pm which turned out to be super comfortable and departed on time (before we could embark the bus had to be swept out, inspected and then sprayed with air-freshener!) Only a few passengers and an enjoyable journey through heavily-wooded scenery along what must be one of the world’s straightest roads!
Arrived in Pr. Figueiredo at 2.35 pm and sought out Eriko’s recommendation, A Pousada das Pedras, which turned out to be some 800 metres from the centre of town. At the Rodoviaria we had encountered a very odd foreigner who also bought a ticket for the bus; for some reason we took a dislike to him and vowed to do our damnedest to avoid any further contact…well, when we reached the Pousada, there he was just in front of us! However, our luck was in, the weirdo objected to the price quoted and left the premises! We happily paid up RS.100 per night and were promptly shown to an attractive little chalet where we dumped our rucksacks and then returned to town to seek out a Turismo.
Loquacious and welcoming individual in Turismo showed us a map and told us of the various attractions in the area: forty-eight waterfalls (and others still to be discovered), a large artificial lake and, very close-by, the Parque Urubuí, a major attraction, apparently, for the locals.
Already well into the afternoon we opted to take a stroll up to the Urubuí. We entered the park and then walked down a long drive past dozens of restaurants and bars until we reached a beach resort on a narrow, fast-flowing river with umpteen beach shacks and a number of people bathing and paddling.
Further up the river we noticed a large congregation of people including a large police contingent as well as a plethora of photographers. Eventually a rubber dinghy took to the water, rode the rapids and came to shore some 100 metres further down, all the while, one of the passengers holding aloft a coloured baton; learned from a passer-by that some kind of festa is to be held on Monday which will involve some sort of torch procession. Once the boat landed, the myriad police officers and security guards, plus a good number of the audience, adjourned to a near-by hostelry where they soon seemed to enjoy themselves!
We eventually returned to town in search of a square meal but it soon became clear that there was little likelihood of food before 7.30 pm so we sat outside a small cafe drinking beer until the magic hour arrived and we could go across to the restaurant adjacent to the bus station. Had a really first-rate meal: beans, fish, meat, rice, salad, farofa etc and charged according to weight [Rs.28 per kilo] – our final bill came to Rs.37.10.
Made our way home feeling very full; meantime the seemingly sleepy little town was quite clearly in the process of waking up! Plagued by mosquitos in the room we sat outside on our porch to enjoy our usual evening refreshment before going inside for a (hot) shower and taking a. “sleep-aid” tablet and thence to bed just after 10.00 pm.
Day 18. Thursday, 16/6/16, Presidente Figueiredo
The bed comprised a mattress upon concrete foundations and to say that it provided a very firm base upon which to sleep is to put it mildly! In spite of all I did have a reasonable night and, had I had a more substantial pillow, would probably have had an excellent one. Woke at 6.40 am but, as there was no water in the chalet we were obliged to stay in bed until some time after 7.00 am when normal service was resumed!
A most elaborate breakfast at 8.00 am as, apart from the standard rolls, cheese and presunto there were tapioca pancakes, cake, fried plantain, cheese puffs as well as pineapple and watermelon. Last night spoke to the proprietor, Fernando, about local attractions and called on him after we had eaten and arranged for him to drop us near a group of waterfalls and then pick us up at mid-day with the option of a similar arrangement in the afternoon.
Set off at 9.10 and were driven 8 km up the main road before turning on to an unmade track that led up to the entrance to the Hotel Iracema where we paid Rs.10 each and were then left to make our own way having arranged to meet back at this point at noon. A short walk down the path and wooden walkway brought us to our first waterfall – Cachoeira de Iracema from whence a wooden walkway and a lengthy jungle trail led us to the second – Cachoeira das Araras, which was even more spectacular.
On the other side of the trail were a number of large caves (grutas) one of which, for obvious reasons, is named A Catedral! Undoubted highlight of this part of the walk was M coming across a bright red and black striped snake! Looked to me very much like a coral snake (which fact locals subsequently confirmed!…)
Turned back as far as the main road before meeting up with Fernando and his truly decrepit car. It now being lunch-time our host suggested visiting his favourite restaurant which turned out to be an adjunct of a petrol station! In fairness it should be added that though the surrounds were small and somewhat cramped, they were spotless and the food was of good quality and sold at a most reasonable price (we paid Rs.26 for the pair of us!)
Directly after lunch we visited another cachoeira, that of Santuario (so-called, I imagine, because half-way up the falls, to one side, is a grotto presided over by a statue of Sta. Clara); this was the most impressive of the falls that we visited and offered good bathing facilities as well (not that we had our gear with us…)
Moving back towards town we paid a fleeting visit to one final waterfall, Orqueadas, which though free entailed a long walk down a well-made path to the falls and bathing pool.
Met up with Fernando for refreshments before heading back into town.
Our final visit of the day was a return to Parque Urubuí where we had some very welcome beers and where the barman gave us a discount of Rs.3 as a gesture of goodwill before going down to the river to bathe our feet.
Returned to town, stopping at a supermarket to stock up on 51 and some cheese and then, closer to the Pousada, for bread and guaraná. On reaching Pedras we made getting out of our sodden clothes and showering a priority. Asked Fernando what he wanted for taking us around – I agreed to his suggestion of Rs.200 which, at the time, I thought a little on the high side but then, without his services, we would have seen hardly anything at all.
Transpired that all the fuss at the Urubuí yesterday was in fact a rehearsal for Monday when the Olympic flame will come to the town!
Spent the remainder of the evening on the porch with our 51 and guaraná. Did spend a few minutes in front of the TV but it was all about local crimes and seemed pretty sordid. Once again resorted to a “sleep-aid” tablet before yet another comparatively early night.
Day 19. Friday, 17/6/16. Pr. Figueiredo – Manaus
Woke to the news of a pro-Europe Labour MP (Jo Cox) being assassinated in Leeds!
Not knowing when our next meal might be we had substantial breakfast of cheese, rolls and tapioca pancakes before bidding farewell to Fernando and promising to send him a card from the UK (preferably of a steam engine!)
Morning very hot and sunny and so made our way slowly and, where possible, in the shade, to the bus station. Bought our tickets [Rs.26.44] and were allocated seats 19 &20 – alright in themselves save for the fact that the driver curtained off his cabin meaning that, sitting in the aisle seat I had a very restricted view of the road ahead; later on the bus emptied and I was able to move to a window seat.
Arrived at the Manaus Rodoviaria at noon and endured a lengthy wait by the roadside in a temperature of 37 C for a #205 to take us into town. Sometime after 1.15 pm we were back in the hostel moving our bags back from the cellar to our room and once that was done we made haste to get out and about.
Another lengthy bus wait, this time for the #120, during which we made the acquaintance of a rather eccentric seller of crosswords who was not only a supporter of MUFC but, as his headgear attested, the England football team as well!
Took the bus to Ponta Negra where we alighted and made for the beach; we seem to have passed by so often but have never bothered to stop at what is, in fact, the city’s prime resort! Hired a parasol, table and chairs, bought a couple of beers, and spent the rest of our time either dipping in the river or reading on what proved to be a very warm afternoon.
Later, back at the hostel, put a hefty bundle of washing in to soak and prepared our pawpaw for later consumption. Washing finally hung out to dry, our thoughts turned to eating; we chose to go back to restaurant Azevedo (Rua 24 Mayo) where, after a protracted wait we enjoyed another very fine meal (I had Pirarucu à Milanesa) and the bill, including two beers, amounted to Rs.45.10.
On our return home we took the pawpaw and our 51 and mixer upstairs where things were a little cooler; had to finish off the evening with a cold shower. We learned this evening that the tocha olímpica will be passing through Manaus on Sunday prior to arriving in Pr. Figueiredo on Monday.
Day 20. Saturday 18/6/16, Manaus
Just as we were ready to turn out the light last night, all hell broke out on the floor above! Shouting and laughing which seemed to go on and on! We were on the verge of giving up all hope of being able to go to sleep when things quietened down only to flare up again a few hours later.
After breakfast we went into the city in search of postcards and, surprisingly, were soon successful, finding a booth just down from the Opera House which would appear to be the last bastion of the postcard in Manaus! Buoyed up with our success we hastened back towards our usual bus-stop and soon found ourselves heading for Praia da Lua.
Arrived at the jetty to find a launch awaiting two final passengers! There were lots of people milling around all seemingly intent on a beach weekend which made us fear that we might struggle to find a suitable spot but, as luck would have it, most seemed to be heading for a neighbouring beach to Pr. da Lua, leaving us with plenty of options for seats and tables.
Started the day at the beach with a beer and spent the rest of the morning going in and out of the river; lunch of beans, rice and tambaqui followed by further relaxing and swimming.
3.30 pm. and the sky began to cloud over; fearing the worst we succeeded in hailing a returning launch and, after a short wait on the mainland for a #120, were back in the hostel before too long.
Arrived back to find the hostel experiencing an electrical crisis with most of the building devoid of power; without the air-conditioning our room rapidly came to resemble an oven! The extent of the crisis was illustrated by the fact that Eriko, who had the afternoon off, was recalled (plus an unlucky girlfriend) to assist in any capacity that he was able! Sometime after 6.00 pm an electrician was called in but there was no instant remedy.
Gathered together our cheese and guava and took our simple meal up to the breakfast area where there was a welcome breeze. Ate our meal and then supped our evening drinks all the while surviving in darkness; the services of another electrician were called upon but there was no immediate improvement. The only consolation to the outtage is that we were offered a discount in lieu of the inconvenience. Little option but to go for another early night…
Day 21. Sunday, 19/6/16, Manaus
Endured a hot and sticky night but still managed to sleep reasonably well and, apparently, “snored like a pig”!
Showered and came back into the room to find that the air-con was back on; confined myself at breakfast to fruit – cheese and ham sandwiches are rapidly losing their appeal! At 8.00 am the morning was bright, albeit streaked with cloud; according to the newspaper (admittedly, Dez Minutos) today, weather-wise, was scheduled to be a carbon copy of yesterday.
Left for the beach at 9.45 am and had only a short wait for the #120 bus to arrive; just one problem…waiting in the queue was a pastor who, on the bus’s arrival, moved himself to the front and then shepherded his flock on board (ie most of those waiting) ahead of all those (like us) who had got to the stop earlier! Ended up standing almost all the way.
Walking down from the terminus to the jetty we saw a young(?) sloth on one of the lower branches of a roadside tree! A passer-by tried to tempt it down by reaching up to it with a long branch but, although it seemed vaguely tempted, it decided to stay where it was!
Took the launch to the beach a little further on from our usual one and found that, unlike yesterday, it had far fewer visitors and an abundance of tables and comfortable(?) chairs.
In view of the morning’s rather sparse breakfast we soon felt hungry and so ordered lunch which took an age to be served and, when it did arrive, comprised one plate and set of utensils plus one beef chop, one portion of rice and peas and a double helping of chips! We were not best pleased particularly as this meal coupled with two beers came to Rs.60.
Itinerant kebab seller about to make a sale
Much of the afternoon we spent in the river perfecting “floats”. Some fat oligarch-types came and parked their fancy speed-boat in our small bay where there were already a number of people, young and old, in the water; a poser on a water bike joined the throng making swimming, or just playing about, difficult if not positively dangerous. Happily, in due course a Marinha vessel came by and, after some discussion and delay, compelled the water-bike to tow the fancy boat to a less popular location!
Returned to the mainland in pouring rain where, once again, we were lucky with the bus and where, as soon as we touched land, the rain stopped. Just had time for a shower and then out to the Teatro Amazonas where a musical evening of Amazonian artists was promised.
The Mostra da Música, entitled Canção da Mata, turned out to comprise five acts all performing three items apiece. Must confess that even now I am far from clear as to how Amazonian music may differ from Brazilian music as a whole but, suffice it to say, the performance was of a uniformly high standard and we both thoroughly enjoyed the evening. We came to the conclusion that other rules of theatre etiquette must prevail out here for members of the audience seemed to have absolutely no qualms about getting up and leaving the show mid-performance!
On leaving the Teatro we were assailed by a mass of smoke and a strong smell of burning – we followed the crowd and saw what must have been a large fire (we only saw smoke and glow, no flames as such) raging at the elevated back of that rip-off restaurant, Tambaqui da Banda, mentioned earlier. Remarkably the conflagration seemed to have no effect upon the many diners present who appeared to continue with their meals as if nothing was happening!
Left the fire and continued to a roadside Tacacá stall where we shared a plate of fried meat pieces, rice, farofa and a guaraná all for the price of Rs.15. We were finishing our snack as the bombeiros finally arrived to fight the fire! We went back towards the Tambaqui and found that the brigade seemed to have the situation in hand just as, it would appear, that the restaurant had decided to stop serving!
Returned home via Glacial where I tried a different flavour, Malaga, an exotic take on tutti-frutti. Once back we restricted ourselves to one glass of cachaça before bed; not only was the air conditioning working but, as a consequence, the room was positively cold!
Day 22. Monday, 20/6/16. Manaus
Another good night thanks to a “sleep-aid”; got up at 6.30 am but could not get into the bathroom for ages as someone from downstairs was ensconced in it and was seemingly determined to stay in it for as long as possible ( we came to the conclusion, once we had seen the individual, and having noted that he always left his sandals on the mat outside the room, that he was a Muslim and was using the facilities as a prayer room!).
Finally got to have my shower while M got through a substantial pile of washing. Went upstairs for breakfast only to find the area full and the food practically exhausted! Contented ourselves with melon and pawpaw which we washed down with “cherry” juice (like no cherry juice that I have ever tasted!).
Went downstairs and spoke to Eriko about our bill and to Wedson (Paolo’s friend) about the ecological park before going up to Rua 24 Mayo to draw out a substantial tranche of cash to settle our forthcoming obligations.
Withdrew Rs.1000 from an ATM at HSBC which, extraordinarily, asked me how much money I wished to “loot”! Returned to the hostel and gave Eriko Rs.600 to pay for a cabin on a boat to Santarem and then found, to my delight, that the hostel now accepts credit cards and so was able to pay off our accommodation by Visa! [Rs.627].
Most satisfactory discussion with Wedson and his colleague about visiting the Janeiro Ecologico Parque; they arranged with a pal for us to be taken for Rs.150 – all we had to do was go down to the docks , find a jetty called Ajato and ask for an elderly gentleman by the name of Pedro!…
Well, we went down to the extensive docks, as frenetic as usual, and began asking all and sundry whether they knew of “Pedro”…a classic “needle in the haystack” scenario if ever there was one! Incredibly, however, everyone did know Pedro and, before too long, we met up!
10.30 am. and we embarked on Pedro’s boat and were taken across the river and then down the narrow passages of a vast sunken forest – both very tranquil and beautiful. Out into a lake and across to a small settlement colonised by lots of inquisitive monkeys where we passed along a wooden walkway to a large plantation of water lilies at the side of a lake.
Thence to another little water-side settlement for a fizzy drink and to be introduced to its menagerie: a very cuddly young sloth, a huge sleeping anaconda and a young jacaré which M made a point of holding!
On the return to Manaus we passed iguanas in trees and dolphins frolicking in the water; we also crossed “the meeting of the waters” – not only are the rivers Negro and Solimões different colours, they are of markedly different temperatures too! The Negro warm and the Solimões cold.
After what was a most enjoyable excursion we had a large tambaqui lunch in the market before returning to the hostel, making a quick change and then setting out once more for Ponta Negra.
It very soon became apparent that we had probably enjoyed the best of the weather for the day; increasing cloud deterred us from going on to Pr. da Lua and we contented ourselves with drinks under a parasol (which soon became an umbrella!) on the Ponta Negra beach. No chance of the weather ameliorating so we called it a day at 4.30 and returned to the city calling, on the way at Carrefour and then a chemist (to stock up on Engove).
Took a very basic supper up on to the cool and breezy top floor where we remained for our evening drinks. Noticed one seemingly odd phenomenon: at this time yesterday there seemed to be regular flights leaving the airport as well as a plethora of helicopters hovering around, tonight the sky was totally empty, not a craft of any kind (at least not before 10.30 pm when we went to bed.)
Back in the room, M brought up the Daily Telegraph for Tuesday 21st. – a strange sensation to be reading tomorrow’s news today!
Day 23. Tuesday, 21/6/16, Manaus
Up at 6.30 am to shower; no sign of the bathroom being turned into a prayer room this morning!
Took yesterday’s prepared pawpaw upstairs and made that our breakfast together with a glass of “cherry” juice. The other day we made the acquaintance of a Swedish youth who had returned from a jungle trip and was suspected of contracting Leishmaniasis; Eriko confirmed this morning that the diagnosis had proved a false alarm and that the Swede is simply very sensitive to mosquito bites.
Another trip out to HSBC to “loot” another Rs.1000 and then to the Correo to purchase stamps for various destinations and which a clerk affixed for me (just as well as some cards, notably one to Canada, required seven stamps and all the others at least four!)
The day gradually became dull and so we decided to try a little sight-seeing…took a #119 bus, a genuine “bone-shaker”, to the start of the city’s new bridge over the Rio Negro, via a long and circuitous route through some of the less salubrious quarters of the city. From time to time we got glimpses of the bridge but eventually came to the conclusion that we had gone way too far and that we might just as well stay on board and enjoy(?) the ride!
Fortunately, as the bus reached the end of its route, it swung towards the river and we suddenly found ourselves just a block or two away from the Rio Negro Ponte! As, from what we could see, there was little of interest on the far side of the river, we resolved to walk to the half-way point and summit of the bridge and then back; this gave us a fine panorama of the city and docks of Manaus as well as a vista of Ponta Negra and beyond on the Rio Negro.
Jolted back to the city courtesy of another #119 and then on to the market for a repeat of yesterday’s lunch [Rs.31] before returning to the hostel via the Artisanal market where we made a couple of attractive purchases.
Gathered our swimming gear together and set off, rather half-heartedly, to catch a #120 to the beach (half-heartedly both because it was already 2.30 pm and in addition the sky was beginning to darken). Had a lengthy wait at the bus stop and this served to convince us to abandon the project, indulge in a “Malaga” ice cream at Glacial and then go back to a cold, air-conditioned room for a rest!
Took it easy until 5.00 pm when we roused ourselves to pay another visit to Carrefour. On the way back we passed alongside the little park on Rua 7 Setembro where, by now gone 6.00 pm, flocks of little birds with long forked tails were swirling and roosting among the trees – much like Leticia albeit on a smaller scale.
Returned to the hostel to put our groceries in the fridge and then went out again to walk the green recreational space at the bottom of the road – an attractive area with cafes, bars, enclosed 5-a-side and beach-volleyball courts etc with plenty of space for people to walk, run, cycle or simply sit. We explored the roads running parallel to L.Cavalcante as well as Nabuco and discovered a large and bustling university and a diversity of food shops ,taco bars, cheap restaurants; shame that we had to leave it until the final night to discover that the area offered a lot more than we had ever suspected!
Still feeling full from our market lunch, we made our evening meal exclusively of passion fruits and pawpaw (almost certainly the largest that I have ever had) and then prepared to turn in for the night after a short sojourn on the top floor…
Day 24. Wednesday, 22/6/16, Manaus –
My daily tablets are by the side of the bed together with a plastic cup, one quarter full of water with which to wash them down…well, this morning, I put the tablets in my mouth, took a swig from the plastic cup, swallowed and was then taken aback! The plastic cup contained cachaça and not water! Happily, I did not seem to suffer any consequences – by this stage I was probably immune to anything less than a positively industrial dose of the liquor!
Went upstairs for breakfast to find that today the toaster is actually working efficiently so, although only white “plastic” bread was available, we made cheese and ham toasties and, more surprisingly, thoroughly enjoyed them! returned to the room, completed our packing, and then descended with our baggage to the foyer at 9.15 am.
Eryco arranged a taxi for us for 9.30 am which left us time for both a chat with him and Wedson and a farewell photo session.
Taxi turned out to be a man with a pick-up who arrived absolutely on the dot, slung our bags into the back of the truck, and then whisked us away to the port. The taxi/truck proved a godsend for, in the mayhem that is Manaus harbour, we we would never have found our boat, N/M Clivia 1, unassisted.
Once aboard we were allocated a perfectly acceptable cabin on the middle floor with M waiting on the lower deck by some hammock spaces whilst I took the bags up to the cabin. Put up our hammocks on the lower floor which, as might be expected, was rather noisy being adjacent to the engine room but hammock space was clearly at a premium and we secured the best places that we could – obviously the middle floor would have been preferable but there was simply no space available. Given that the ship was not scheduled to depart until noon a lot of people must have boarded well in advance.
Whiled away the hours before departure by sitting in the hammocks and then going to the upper floors in an attempt to avoid the noise and the copious diesel fumes coming from the engine room where, judging by the amount of activity, all was perhaps not well…
Mid-day arrived without any sign of an imminent departure; as far as were were concerned the later leaving the better as the very last thing we wanted was to arrive in Santarem before nightfall and get kicked off the boat!
Finally set off at 1.30 pm and moved down river quite normally until, forty-five minutes later, we reached the riverside HQ of the Marinha…All passengers were obliged to disembark (except me as I was required to unlock the cabin for inspection); men and women waited in separate areas under an awning in the shade (the day was exceptionally hot and bright) while the Marinha launched into an inspection of the ship. I asked an official if they were searching for drugs but he replied that it was an inspection to check-up on safety equipment and the number of passengers being carried – when they came to our cabin they only wanted to look under the bed to ascertain that we weren’t hiding anybody!
Quite what faults were unearthed by the inspection was not clear but, suffice it to say, that once all the passengers had re-embarked, we found ourselves heading back to Manaus! At 4.00 pm we found ourselves in exactly the same spot that we had vacated a few hours previously! This time everybody had to disembark while the crew counted up the child life-vests and goodness only knows what else! Requirements finally complied with, we set off down river once again at 6.15 pm!
Any delays were of course to our advantage but we never envisaged a departure delayed by more than six hours though! Another upside to the the late departure was that, in compensation, the evening meal (a very tasty chicken-noodle soup) was dished out for free in the ship’s small but prettily-decorated, refeitorio. Curiously we were numbers six and seven in the queue but were compelled to wait for quite a while as the kitchen only had six suitable plates!
Soup consumed we went upstairs to the top deck to drink a very welcome cold beer and then stayed on to drink our own supplies of guaraná and cachaça as well as to eat some of our cheese and nut collection, Spent a very pleasant and warm evening in chairs looking over the side to the nearby shore all the while being serenaded/deafened by the ubiquitous (and, in my opinion, dire) Marilía Mendonça!
Day 25. Thursday, 23/6/16 [Brexit Referendum Day], Amazon…
Took a heavy-duty “Sleep-aid” to make the night in the hammock easier and soon dropped off (M opted for the cabin); however, woke after a couple of hours and, although feeling dead tired, had difficulty returning to sleep, The lower deck seemed completely devoid of breeze, the engines sounded preternaturally loud and the stink of diesel was all-pervasive. At around 2.00 am we made our first scheduled stop, albeit a very brief one with no-one either getting on or off; I took the opportunity to move to the air-conditioned quiet of the cabin where I slept happily until 7.00 am.
Breakfast is supposedly available until 8.00 am but, when we turned up at 7.45 am we were informed that everything had been consumed! Seeing our disappointment a kind employee took pity on us and produced a couple of rolls plus a coffee for M.
The top deck was sunny and breezy but as the morning wore on became uncomfortably warm forcing us back down to our deck to sit reading on the benches and to enjoy the breeze. One advantage of stationing ourselves on this floor was that it enabled us to keep an eye on any developments in the kitchen area…At 10,30 am the Refeitorio opened and we were among the first to be served lunch [RS.10 each] – chicken, rice, beans and pasta.
Surmised, correctly, that an early lunch probably meant that the boat would be stopping shortly; 11.30 am we pulled into a very lively Parentins which was holding its annual festival this weekend and was quite clearly already in full-blown festa mood! Docked alongside a “Festa” ship – larger than ours and packed with revellers from Manaus determined to enjoy themselves!
Returned to the top deck to read as the hammock area is simply too noisy and too diesel-polluted. 15.30 pm [in fact 16.30 pm as we changed from Amazonas to Pará time] we arrived at another lively little town – Juruti, where, for forty minutes or so, the ship came under siege from vendors selling lollies, plantain chips, packed lunches etc etc.
Juruti water-front
15.30 pm (Pará time) and the evening meal was served (same as lunch save for the addition of a little vinegared salad); needless to say, the cashier had no change (for a Rs.50 note) so was given an IOU to cash in later!
Once more took to the upper deck and indulged in some cups of cachaça and guaraná before Obidos loomed on the horizon.Stayed up long enough to witness our departure from Obidos and then took a “sleep-aid” each and retired to the cool camarote for what we thought would be a good long sleep as, according to the ship’s timetable, Santarem and Obidos are separated by well over twelve hours meaning that we should reach our destination by mid-day…
Read for a little before being overwhelmed by fatigue and sank into a deep sleep. To our consternation, we were woken by heavy banging on our door – we had arrived in Santarem! (can only assume that the ship’s timetable confused am and pm! As the company does not insist on evicting passengers into the middle of the night we were permitted to stay aboard and, once all the noise had died down, slept on until 6.00 am when we got up, showered and made ready to leave.
Day 26. Friday, 24/6/16, Santarem / Alter do Chão
Truly a “Black Day”! Brexit has been confirmed and within a few hours the pound has fallen to its lowest level for thirty years! This is surely just the beginning!…
By 7.00 am the day was already underway and we disembarked and walked with our gear out of the port confines (that was one lesson we have learned!) Once outside we were accosted by a very cheerful taxi-driver who offered to take us to the appropriate bus-stop for Rs.20; no sooner had we got going than he offered to take us to Alter do Chão for Rs.70, an offer that I could not accept fast enough! In actual fact we got on really well with the driver to the extent that we arranged for him to come to Paolo’s next Thursday morning and take us to the airport!
When we arrived at Ximango at 8.00 am it transpired that Paolo and taxi-driver were old work mates! We were shown to our old room and dumped our baggage before taking a coffee in the dining area and then putting all our dirty clothes in to soak. Ximango is visited these days by a small troop of silver marmosets – one of them has two day-old babies!
After a chat with Paolo and, having rearranged our room, our thoughts turned to food and drink; Paolo recommended a new restaurant just a little up the main road, adjacent to the petrol station, Cabocla, but he was unsure as to whether they did lunches.
Happily, Cabocla is open for lunch and a very fine fist they make of it too! We had beef, rice, beans, salad plus two icy beers for RS.36 – food was excellent, the environment spotless and the hosts personable; we were suitably impressed!
Restaurante Cabocla
Fully refreshed we set off for town where we took a quick amble around the main square and then hired a boat to take us out to the nearby island beach (we were charged a rip-off Rs.10!) Spent a very pleasant afternoon bathing in the Tapajos and, when it was time to return to the mainland, hired a boat for Rs.5!…
Explored further along the mainland shore than we have in the past and the returned to the Praça to shop in the little supermarket. Walked back to Ximango at a cracking pace so as to avoid the imminent rain shower! Just managed to get in the dried washing when the downpour arrived!
7.15 and to Cabocla to try out the evening menu; same high standard – we had tambaqui this time with a promise of leitão tomorrow evening!
Home to sit on the perch with our sundowners before retiring, rather tired, some time after 10.00 pm.
Day 27. Saturday, 25/6/16, Alter do Chão
Fell into a deep sleep at first but soon woke up due to the warmth of the room with the air-conditioning functioning more like an oven than a cooling device! Eventually M managed to find the most effective setting for the apparatus but, until then, sleep was very difficult. Happy to get up at 7.30 am and go for breakfast.
Sat in the thatched dining area with cheese and ham rolls, fried eggs, tapioca pancakes and pieces of pawpaw and soursop – all washed down with cashew fruit juice. Quite clearly there had been rain overnight but the morning was cool and bright and filled with bird song; the marmosets came down for their banana treats!
Went into town and first bought provisions in the supermarket before hiring a row-boat to take us over to the island where we found a table on the popular, windward side, had a beer and then spent the next couple of hours in the river.
We came to realise that the leeward side is far less popular but, at the same time, offers much smoother water so, in due course, we moved across, grabbed a couple of chairs and sat with our feet dangling in the river. Devoured our supply of bread and cheese and then spent the rest of the afternoon lying on our backs in the shallows!
5.00 pm took another row-boat back to the mainland, bought some bottles of water and guaraná and made our way back to Ximango.
When we were leaving this morning the sky was full of threatening clouds but Paolo assured us that the day would turn out fine and he was certainly proved right! Even at 6.00 pm the day was bright and warm; in fact weatherwise, today was probably the best of the whole trip (and undoubtedly spent in the best location!).
Showered and read for a while (I am still working my way through The Quincunx) before trekking up to Cabocla for a warm welcome and a freezing beer!
Tonight we were the sole diners which was a little sad as it would be a shame if the place had to fold up through lack of customers. Once again we were treated to a very fine meal: beans, rice, salad etc and pieces of leitão cooked in a delicious sauce of peppers, onions, olives and prunes. [Rs.38 total]
Walked home on a balmy evening and then sat on our porch drinking our traditional evening beverages. The other guests here seemed a pretty uninspiring bunch who all went out for the evening leaving us stay-at-homes to enjoy ourselves. The controls having been mastered we were able to go to bed at 10.30 pm in a room well air-conditioned!
Day 28. Sunday, 26/6/16, Alter do Chão
Woke up to a darkened room at 6.30 am, got up an hour later and found that another beautiful day had dawned; breakfasted at 8.15 am. M seemed to be developing a stomach upset so we agreed to take things slowly this morning.
Paulo endeavoured to get a tour together with Moíses involving us and other guests (obviously, the more the cheaper) but no-one else was interested leaving us to make our own arrangements; cannot say we were too disappointed as the other guests are cold and taciturn and far from being to our taste!
As M was not at her best we hung around Ximango for the morning and then left for town at mid-day. Gave Paolo US $100 which his friend will translate into Rs.300 and will obviate the need for us to go into Santarem and draw on our dwindling sterling account (which has been hard hit by the Brexit decision.)
Took a row-boat out to the island and settled ourselves in the same spot as yesterday; no-one seems to take an interest in the the chairs on the leeward side so we were able to sit undisturbed and not feel obliged to buy food nor drink.
An ideal day for dipping and sun-bathing deteriorated rapidly towards 3.00 pm when heavy clouds were followed swiftly by the heavens opening! Grabbed our belongings and sought the shelter of the nearest kiosk where we felt obliged to buy a beer as we sat under shelter looking out at the torrents!
However heavy the downpour they do not necessarily last long and today was no exception; before too long we were back in our beach chairs enjoying what was, perhaps, the hottest sunshine of the day! Unfortunately as the afternoon progressed I became increasingly concerned that all was not well with my system and by 5.00 pm was more than anxious to return home!
Today we had designated an “economy day” (encouraged by the fact that Cabocla was closed) and so relied on basic provisions bought at the supermarket (rolls, cheese, tomatoes, onions and maracujas).
The simple foodstuffs formed the basis of our evening meal which, as usual, we followed by cachaça-based drinks on the porch. My queasiness relented as the evening wore on but still decided to turn in at the very early hour of 8.30 pm.
Day 29. Monday, 27/6/16, Alter do Chão
Had a pretty good night and was surprised to find, on waking, that it was already 7.40 am! Breakfast of rolls, fried eggs, tapioca pancakes and fruit.
Arranged via Paolo to meet up with Moíses tomorrow at a nearby bay and not the town square; Paolo recommended the bay for its seclusion and suggested that we might like to have a look at it this morning.
Left Ximango at 9.50 am and, instead of turning right along the atrocious path to the main road, turned left and then shortly right to reach the paved "Oxford Street" (!) before another left and then down to a delightful sandy bay. Lots of chairs and recliners about the place belonging, one assumed, to a near-by pousada but, as there was not a soul in sight, we took advantage of the day.
Walking down to Oxford Street….
Spent most of the day at the bay, either reading or swimming, and only abandoned it when our thirst became uncomfortable. Moved back to Ximango for a cold drink and then hastened out to town via the newly-discovered Oxford St. to the supermarket to buy the necessities for the evening meal (Cabocla being, once again, closed but this time because it was a Monday!) Chose the same ingredients as yesterday but this time with embellishments such as chillis and sweet red peppers.
Carried our shopping back home but stopped along the way at a bar to enjoy a cold beer and, at the same time, watch England play Iceland in the Euros – one of the great disasters of all time!….
Dumped the shopping in the room , quick shower and then back into town to watch a spectacular sunset over the Tapajos river. Sun set at 7.15 after which we walked back in the twilight to our evening meal.
Sat on the porch and drank our usual ration; curiously the conversation degenerated into a pointless argument about which of us eats the most cheese and other such bizarre concerns! We finally withdrew at 11.15 pm.
Day 30. 28/6/16, Alter do Chão
Up at 7.00 am to shower and then across to breakfast for the usual fare. Another Brazilian couple has joined the Ximango throng and seem every bit as distant as the others!
Bright, warm morning as we prepared to walk down to the bay to meet Moíses for a half-day excursion on the river, Finally left pousada at 9.20 am after M had a stomach alarum! Trusting to Immodium we pressed ahead and met up with our guide as arranged. Took the Oxford Street route and along the way encountered a bright green iguana sitting peacefully on a fence.
Naturally enough, Moíses remembered us from our previous visit and seemed pleased when we referred to a conversation of last year and gave him a large bottle of “Encona” pepper sauce! Curiously, Moíses recalled me describing Brazilian pimente as fraco! He also brought up the huge fish that I naively ordered that lunch-time!
Suffice it to say that we enjoyed a first-rate excursion via the highways and byways of the Tapajós – passed by enormous cliffs, saw assorted monkeys a plethora of bird-life etc. Stopped for a drink and a short swim at Ponta das Pedras and were back at the starting bay by 1.00 pm. Paid Moíses Rs. 200 for the trip which constituted pretty good value.
Ponta das Pedras with Moíses
Returned to Ximango to change before returning to town along Oxford St. and taking a canoe over to the island. As we were leaving the enclosure there was great excitement when a long, thin, bright green snake was discovered on on a branch by the refectory – have to admit that it was a surprisingly beautiful creature. To cap seeing a snake however, as we journeyed down Oxford St. we came across a bright green chameleon sitting stock-still on a post at the side of the road!
Stopped off at the supermarket to bolster our stock of maracujas and then proceeded to spend the rest of the afternoon on our favoured side of the island. Sat at a table and drank beer before being seduced by the enticing smell of barbecue and indulging in portions of beefsteak and rice [Rs.15 each].
Remained at the beach until 6.00 pm at which time conditions were still bright and warm and made our way home to shower and refresh ourselves. Used the remains of our soap powder for a final clothes wash and gave Paolo a packet of “Tesco Finest” shortbread for his family as well as a packet of potato puffs that we had been carrying around since Manaus!
7.30 pm we left for Cabocla where, as usual, we received a warm welcome and which, as usual, was devoid of diners! Another exceedingly good meal followed (M had leitão and I had pirarucu); we were also given a plate of mandioca chips to try (tasty but simply too generous a portion!) In many respects this trip to the restaurant was probably motivated more by the wish not to disappoint the proprietors than by actual hunger! Staggered back home, uncomfortably full, to prepare our evening refreshments.
We had just made ourselves comfortable when some new guests arrived – a young couple, on a motorbike and quite devoid of any luggage! No sooner had we established ourselves on the porch with our drinks than the new arrivals made it pretty clear what the main objective of their stay was! There being no sound proofing worthy of the name between the chalets we found ourselves subjected to repeated and prolonged vocalized outbursts of passion!
To finish off what had been a promising evening there was a power-cut! Each chalet is equipped with a portable LED light for emergencies and we carry a couple of torches of our own but it soon became clear that the electricity was not going to be restored any time soon! Of course, the air-conditioning had stopped functioning but, before doing so, mercifully, had chilled the room, so we took a couple of “sleep-aids” (in the semi-darkness we could only locate the full-strength ones), made our ablutions by torchlight and went to bed ca. 10.45 pm.
Day 31, Wednesday, 29/6/16, Alter do Chão
Slept like the proverbial log (in spite of some rather bizarre dreams) and rose, with reluctance, at 7.45 am. Power was restored during the night so we woke to a pleasantly-cooled room.
Went to breakfast at 9.00 am – apparently our fellow guests had been enquiring as to our whereabouts!…
Got down to the bay a little before 10.00 am and found our recliners waiting. There was a boat in our section of the water but it transpired that it was waiting for one of the pousada guests, a Gary Glitter look-alike, whom we noticed on the island beach yesterday; after his departure we had the beach to ourselves. We were later joined by a very pleasant Brazilian couple with whom we had a lengthy conversation about Brazil, Recife, Natal etc etc and then ,when our UK identity was revealed, Brexit and, of course, to hilarity all round, the England football team!
Racked by thirst, we abandoned the bay at noon and proceeded in to town by way of Oxford St. and thence across to the island. We made ordering cold beer our first priority and shortly thereafter, now ravenous, tambaqui da banda.
Had a lengthy wait for our meal which we occupied by reading and swimming but the meal, when it finally did arrive, was well worth the wait! We demolished a whole half of a huge fish! [Rs.70] and dined at a table actually in the water! Spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing either in, or beside, the water, and conditions were still idyllic when we returned to town.
Realising that we had few pictures of the centre of Alter do Chão we set about remedying this lack; subsequently we went down to the waterfront and witnessed a flotilla of rowing boats, all decked out in colourful bunting on one side of the harbour and, on the other side, a double-decked vessel with a band on the upper deck with church functionaries and parishioners on the lower. Eventually all came together – the double-decker launched itself into the Tapajós followed by a line of some forty rowing boats which, in a short while seemed to lose contact with one another! Anyway, it all made for an interesting spectacle, its inauguration being marked by a thunderous salvo of fuguetes.
Once back at Ximango we made packing our first priority which once completed left us free to go up the road to Cabocla. More thirsty than hungry we started off the visit with two beers each before our meal (chicken etc for M, pirarucu for me.) Said a long farewell to our hosts, took some snaps, exchanged email addresses before returning home to a dessert of guava jelly and cream followed by our familiar nightcap. To bed just before midnight.
Final visit to Cabocla
Day 32. Thursday, 30/6/16, Alter do Chão – Belem
Set alarm for 5.45 but, in the event, had no need for it, getting up at 5.30 am. Showered and then prepared our breakfast – five massive maracujas.
All the packing being completed last night it was just a matter of sitting tight and hoping that the taxi-driver would remember firstly, to pick us up, and secondly to do so by 7.30 am!
In actual fact, the taxi-driver, cheerful as ever, was as good as his word; indeed he turned up ahead of the arranged time! Bade Paolo and family farewell and then set off on a beautiful ride to the outskirts of Santarem and then on to its small, but modern, airport which we reached just after 8.00 am. Took some pictures of/with our taxi-driving friend and paid him the requested Rs.70 and added on a further Rs.10 as a tip.
Checked-in our baggage and then sat outside the entrance on padded benches on a perfect morning observing the antics of a large congregation of assorted birds in the trees in front. Boarding was scheduled for 10.48 am and it seemed like no time before we were aboard and waiting for take-off; found ourselves in seats 24A and 24B directly behind what appeared to be the only baby on the flight!…[Aircraft is an Embraer 190-195 of Azul Airlines.] Flight both left and arrived a little early; passage was perfectly satisfactory and we were even given a tin of guaraná and a packet of Brazilian “Wotsits”!
On arrival in Belem, as soon as we had retrieved our luggage, we went to the lockers, paid an exorbitant RS.60 for two and packed everything away securely.
Took the #631 bus from outside the airport all the way to Ver-o-Peso, a bumpy ride of some forty-five minutes and, on arrival, went straight to the new shopping mall, located the restaurant [Lá em Casa] at which we had eaten our final meal last year and decided to treat ourselves! For Rs.120 we had the Menu Pararense, viz.: Patinhas de caranguejo à Milanesa, Canguejo refogado, Salada de feijäo manteiguinha, Molho de cebola ao leite de coco, Iscas e farofa de pirarucu, Maniçoba, Pato no tucupi, Refresco de cupuaçu e sorvete de cupuaçu! We concluded that we had enjoyed a fine meal if somewhat different from anything that we had ever experienced before! (the soup, pato no tucupi, actually made our tongues tingle as we consumed it!)
Late lunch over we made a short detour into a very hectic market area in search of some more Engove (more expensive here than in Manaus) and then returned via #631 to the airport which we reached at 5.30 pm. only to find a long queue had already built up for check-in. Took a long while to get as far as check-in and then a further lengthy wait in Departures to get through the security procedures (so many passengers but only one security scanning machine!) By the time we had finally gone through all the safety hurdles it was time to board the aircraft!
Found ourselves sitting in 23F & G – centre aisle adjacent to the emergency exit; no view, of course, but we did have considerably more leg room plus two overhead baggage compartments! To our stupefaction, just as were about to take off, the man next to M was moved to another seat and his place taken by a mother with a babe in arms!…
Day 33. Friday, 1/7/16, Lisbon – London
Well we were wrong about the baby! Absolutely no trouble at all!
Aircraft took off more-or-less on time and the evening meal was served almost immediately thereafter: chicken risotto with a rather good tomato salad and a portion of fried-fish cubes – also good if, perhaps, a little salty. Tried to sleep after eating but with little success; fortunately the flight itself was not a particularly long one.
Breakfast was served at 5.30 am and by 6.55 am we were arriving in Lisbon where we were scheduled to take an onward flight at 10.05 am.
Boarded a Star Alliance/TAP Airbus A320 and found that we were restricted to just one piece of luggage in the overhead lockers with anything else on the floor by one’s feet. Started off with the rucksack more-or-less between my knees but as the seat next to mine appeared to be vacant (7D) I lived in hopes of being able to occupy that space; meantime, we removed the prohibitory notice attached to M’s rucksack and put it up above!
Flight did not depart on time due to the fact that the Lisbon area was hosting some sort of air-show and so all flights out of the airport were being delayed by forty minutes or more! We eventually got air-bound at 11.20 am arriving two and a quarter hours later at a drizzly and cool Heathrow (15c).
Passed through Immigration quickly and congratulated ourselves on the fact that this trip has run like clockwork from beginning to end…
Directed to Carousel #3 in Terminal 2 but found no sign of our bags! Went along to Lost Luggage to learn that the baggage from our flight was in fact being unloaded on Carousel #4…sure enough, my bag soon turned up but of M’s luggage there was not a trace!… Back to Lost Luggage to notify the authorities of the missing luggage; we were assured that when the bag does eventually turn up it will be delivered promptly to our home in Ilford.
Piccadilly Line to Barons Court and then a gentle meander along the District Line to Mile End before a Central Line train to Gants Hill. Short bus ride home to reacquaint ourselves with Millie and the cats at 4.30 pm.