8th June
Check out was 11.00am from Hotel Amazonia so we decided to lay in as long as possible before washing and repacking our bags to suit our boat trip. We both are dreading 5 days in a boat up the amazon. Bags packed and time to kill we paid the hostel to look after our bags until we left for the port and headed into town. This time the main town was busier than yesterday. We visited an old fort, a decommissioned military boat (the whole tour was in Portuguese so we didn't understand a thing, just smiled and nodded, although the photos are great) a quick visit to a cathedral we headed back and discovered another market. This was a collection of small streets paved with stalls selling counterfeit DVDs, CDs, Bags and loads of underwear. Everyone in Belém is addicted to this toy where two balls are on a piece of string and when you bounce them up and down they click. Sooo annoying. We had something similar in the UK in the early 90s
Our hostel advised us not to eat the food on the boat so we did a bulk shop of tuna, ham, rolls etc and grabbed some lunch before heading to the port.
Arriving several hours early we thought it would be best to get there before dark and get the best hammock space. The boat was delayed by 3 hours so we ended up waiting 6 hours in total for the boat.
We have met a few backpackers at the port (our first!!!) A German called Thomas, he is fluent in English and Spanish although does worry alot. He is doing a similar route to us. An Argentinean called Paulo who is going around South America on his motorbike living his dream inspired by the motorcycle diaries movie and a Japanese guy called Kensai, who understands little English. I would tell you about his trip but Stevie and I have received different stories. Stevie loves him because he looks early 20s has geeky glasses, a pocket watch and some WW2 satchel. I try my Japanese out on him and he understands my limited phrases. It is nice to finally meet some other people backpacking and able to communicate in English with them and share stories and gain knowledge of what lays ahead or best way to get around.
Stevie made friends with some weird bloated belly brazillian guy who communicates with her by sign language.
Making friends before the boat set sail is making us feel safer. When the boat arrived we set up our hammocks making sure our friends are around us. Stevie's weird brazilian spots her and sets up his hammock next to her. (he keeps smiling and offering her water) We finally head off, let the adventure begin. We stop at the neighbouring port so the boat can stock up on cargo to transport to Manaus. we remain here for hours and hours, not moving we head to the hammocks....
So far the boat has not met our bad expectations. Hopefully this will continue....