07-NOV-2007
boy in canoe
Everywhere along the way, the river dwellers (known as Caboclos) came out in their canoes, or stood at the end of their docks, to watch the ship go by.
07-NOV-2007
lumber
Small lumber yards and mills dotted the river for miles and miles. Lumber is a big export for the area of Brazil, especially the exotic hardwoods such a mahogany and jacaranda.
07-NOV-2007
tight turn
At two points, there were such sharp turns in the channel that the Captain had to literally stop the ship, and use his bow thrusters to pivot the ship in place to make the turn.
07-NOV-2007
Breves
The only town we passed all day was the town of Breves.
07-NOV-2007
narrow channel
Cruising the Breves Narrows, Brazil
From Belém, our ship headed upriver via a series of channels through the delta known as the Breves Narrows. At 500 ft., our ship is within 10 feet of the largest ship that can navigate the channel. Larger ships must enter the Amazon through the northern channel of the mouth. We cruised the entire day in channels so narrow that the bank of the river was only a few yards away from either size. Even recent charts do no good in this area, as the river can change very quickly. A good local pilot who knows the river is a must!
06-NOV-2007
manatee
Our afternoon was a bus tour of the city, where we stopped at a museum, the historic fort, the Basilica of our Lady of Nazareth, and the zoo, where we were able to see some of the shyer native animals, such as this manatee.
06-NOV-2007
Hi there
Also insects, such as this friendly little guy.
06-NOV-2007
Jungle Walk
We stopped at Santa Maria Island, and took and hour and a half guided walk in the jungle, where we saw Para (Brazil nut) and Kapok trees, along with other trees.
06-NOV-2007
riverside house
Our tour boat cruised around some of the local channels to see the flora and fauna, and to see how the locals live.
06-NOV-2007
tour boat deck
Our morning tour was on a boat of this type, this deck would be used for hammocks on the Belem-Santarem-Manaus run.
06-NOV-2007
Our tour boat
From Belém, river boats make their way upriver to Santarém and Manaus.
06-NOV-2007
Teatro da Paz
Belém, Brazil
Belém, or the City of Our Lady of Bethlehem, lies a short distance upriver from southern channel of the mouth of the Amazon. Now a city of 1.4 million, it’s glory days were during the height of the rubber boom in the late 19th - early 20th centuries. Most of the important buildings, such as museums, churches, and the Teatro da Paz, were constructed during that era. No expense was spared, the various families trying to outdo each other with their contributions to the various buildings.
