So after 4 days boating down the Amazon we reached Santerem, and after an hour bus ride (we had some fun trying to fit about 10 of us with bags and all on to an already busy local bus, but the locals helped and put some of our bags on there laps, very friendly!) we reached Alter de Chao, which is literally stunning. Our hostel was 1 min walk to the beach, palm trees everywhere, mountains in the background... Beautiful! We swam over to a small island, a few took a...

After arriving at the boat at 7pm and gaining a half decent spot, we had to then hang about for a further 15 hours until it actually left! All day workers were loading the boat with cargo, I'm surprised it actually floated at all! Eventually the captain tooted and we set sail, we stood up on the top deck and watched the city of Belem disapear into the distance. The top deck is the only place on the boat where you can relax, provided there is no torrential downpou...

Arrive in Belem at about midday, the travel book says it's not the nicest place in the world so we don't bother with sight seeing! Head off for lunch at a market, £1.50 for a big plate of fish, rice and pea! Not really peas but a near enough fresh salad, food is food... some lad asks me to scrape my leftovers into his plastic bag, help yourself pal! Buy our tickets for the boat trip, then our hammocks, haggle with man to get very good price! £10 for hammock a...

After hanging around a bus station for 7 hours we catch an overnight coach to Sau Luis, arrive at 5.30am and we book another coach to Belem (start of the amazon trip) for later the same day, so we have about 15 hours to kill! Walk around the city and we've seen all the sights by 7am! Bump into Heidi and Asterid, Columbian and Chilean girls that we spoke to in Jeri, who are getting the same coach to Belem. Finally gets to leaving time and we crash out on the coach...

Last hour of the journey to Jeri is taken by 4x4 truck along dusty lanes and then eventually the beach, because Jeri is so off the beaten track and there are no big city lights, smog etc, the night sky is like nothing I have seen before.. so many stars across the sky, mesmerising. Happy time! Arrive at our Guest house, which is owned by a crazy old lady, she tells us that tonight is samba night so we head straight out. Bump into Hendrick from Salvador and go to ...