We arrived in Belém yesterday morning. I thought it was a reasonably pretty town, with quite a few colonial buildings preserved. All the shops were shut as it was a Sunday, but the markets were open, and we managed to get a few bargains at the market. Zema had cautioned us about safety in Belém, that we should stay in groups and not take our camera (I could not leave my camera behind, so I tucked it into my pocket). As we wandered around the city center in search of a few of the interesting sights, a couple of locals reiterated the warning "Cuidado!" Be Careful.... and we took heed, staying off the side streets and sticking instead to the main thoroughfares.

26/8/08: It was great to bump into Kurt and Madelon as we boarded our bus to São Luis - they had decided to head out in the same direction as well. Madelon was recounting how someone had made an attempt to snatch her bag at the Plaza in front of the Teatro da Paz (which was quite a busy area), but she had elbowed him hard and sent him scurrying off!