The Mighty Amazon

We wake early as Mark in his drunken wisdom decides he is going to have a tatoo this morning. The boat is leaving at midday and the taoo will take 3 hrs so we get up and pack and Mark goes off and leaves me to go and get the boat sorted After breakfast i finish my last bit of packing and get a taxi to the boat port , only to find out that the boat actually leaves at 11. I dont know why i get myself so stressed as there is another boat tomorrow but time yet again has caught up with us and im ready to leave today. I reserve our place and go to find Mark to explain, but as were driving down the road we see Mark walking back to the hostel. Its just after ten and im so relieved so we pick Mark up and head back to the hotel. We then remember that we havent got our laundry back and the girl on reception calls and they will be 20 mins. At 1040 the washing still isnt back, but i have to remember we are on Brazilian time and lets hope the boat is too. Eventually the washing turns up andour taxi is waiting. Yet again its a mad dash to the dearture point with literally seconds to spare we pay for our tickets and bid farewell to Pierre and board the boat. Its not waht i was expecting at all and is really big. We have opted for a cabin as it ws only 20 quid extra and im sure it will be worth it. were shown to our cabin and you can barely swing a cat in it, but we have a lifejacket each so we will be ok in an emergency. We drop our bags and go for a little wander and make it as far as the first deck. There are tables and chairs and a little bar that sells everything fro sweets and beer to hamburgers and toasties . This is nothing like the rice an beans scenario that we had heard about , its more like being on a cruise ship, well almost. As i look down to the harbour, they are even loading cars onto the boat with two planks of woul, and i wonder if any have ever dropped in. We actually don sail till 1210 and i once again wonder what i was getting myself in such a flap for. After sailing for nearly an hour i realise why they call it the mighty Amazon, the size of this river it should be an ocean, it really is amazing. at around 3ish we start to slow down and turn off down a smaller expanse of water and pull alongside a small town . A few people disembarque and we take on a few more as i watch them boarding i can see famil on the quayside the woman is crying as she is saying goodbye to her son , it makes me feel a little tearful as life in these river towns is so vastly different to ours, its not where she will see him again in a few weeks as the boat is really expensive for them and once again i am humbled . As the evening draws in we watch an amazing sunset and then go down for dinner. For 2 quid we get more meat than i can eat rice noodles and salad, its absolutely delicious and far better than i was imagining. We return back to the upper deck and after an hour or so pull off iinto another port agiain. We have been chatting to two french girls who have travelled on here from Manaus and they get off the boat o buy a couple of beer, and when they come back and open the bottles its more like Fenet and 38 % proof so athey ask us if wed like to join them We spend the evening chatting and drinking and as we stand at the back of the ship the view of the stars is beautiful . We head to bed just after 11 and get into our bunkbeds .Read more