Belém, Brazil

Day 52, 26 February

Belém, Brazil

Amazonia

We came in on the southern channel of Rio Amazonas which looked very much like the entry to Rio in that this is wide and not like entering a river but more like a continuation of ocean except for the cappuccino colored water. At about 0845 we dropped our hook in a bay NE of the city of Belém, off the fishing village of Icoaracy. Due to the draft of the Prinsendam, we could go no farther and would have to tender to shore. Smaller vessels can go into Belém and even proceed up the channel into the main channel. So we got to ride a half hour in our lifeboat/tender to the pier ashore. There we climbed the ramp and walked the length of the pier, looking down at fishing boats, launches and riverboats lying on the mudbanks awaiting higher tide. Past fish mongers with piles of today's catch on tables, filleting and chopping and chattering with the morning customers.

Our tour bus took us through the town and to the city of Belém, a 45 minute ride. This gave a glimpse at industry, housing, schools and such with narration by our guide. When we came to a halt in the city waterfront the temp was about 88 and the sun being equatorial. Today's expedition was to be an introduction to fruits and herbs of Amazonia so we headed for the Ver o Peso (Check the weight) market. On the street we got a lesson in nuts with a vendor cracking away.

Into the covered food court we found perhaps a hundred little kitchens with counters and people coming and going for/from a fast food lunch of fried fish or pasta of fruit and so on. This was a treat for the nose. Into the fruit market and much to see and smell. Actually the entire place has quite an odor which mixes the heavy river air with fruits, herbs, fish, cooking oils and whatever is on the ground. It is easy to find the market, we had been advised; just follow your nose. In the fruit market (covered as well) are small stands selling amazonian nuts and fruit from small stands. The nut sellers are cracking and shelling nuts, packaging and stacking. Our guide took us from stand to stand and explained many of the fruits to us and provided samples as well. Those of us who have been missing good fresh fruit lately (the ship's fruit is no longer looking fresh and the variety is down to 3 or 4 kinds. We even had canned peaches one day.), this was a mouth watering event and soon we were loading our shopping bags with mango's, star fruit and other finds.

nuts

Then next door into the meat and seafood market. Here the pungent smells really got one's attention. Sausages and rolls of pork sat piled on shelves. Huge mounds of shrimps, sorted, and piles of dried fish were in another section. 

 

dried fish

shrimp

shrimp

Then we came across the pepper sellers with the Amazon's hottest peppers. Another section featured live rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens, ducks, geese and probably more that I didn't see.

red and yellow peppers

medicines

We stopped for an exotic fruit smoothie, or I should say we stopped. While a few of our party tried the juice, I ,being suspicious of the sanitary situation, went off to chat with the police following us. These are tourist police in training and one spoke a little English. We also had a large bodyguard trailing us.

After discovering an ice cream stand nearby and sampling the best chocolate ice cream yet, we left the new waterfront and the Ver o Peso markets and boarded a river boat. This took us up the channel, past the city and across the river to an island and the Saldosa Maloca restaurant. There, on this platform built on pilings over the river and shore, we observed again fruits of the area and were served a lunch of these fruits along with 3 different types of Amazon river fish. The beer was cold and the lunch a treat of new flavors.

We had a couple of heavy rain showers pass over us and when we returned across the river the sky remained cloudy. When we arrived back at Icoaracy to board our tender a thunderstorm struck and a heavy downpour ensued. The young people playing football on the mudflats played a little in the rain then gave up. The stairs from the street to the pier became a waterfall. Our tender disappeared in the heavy rain and ended up a couple of miles down river. Another tender was dispatched for us and we finally got back aboard, though wet and tired. 

futbol, football, in the rain

from the pier; rain approaching

As a result of this heavy rain I have added another first to my collection of travel oddities; we shared the pier's tiny rain shelter with a very wet and very determined amazonian dog.

At 1805 we had our pilots back aboard (2 now), pulled our hook and headed back out the way we came, heading down river to the Atlantic. The float plan is to head back out to the Atlantic side, steer North for awhile then re-enter the Amazon via the Northern channel.