3 Border towns, two fines, one Barco

Actually, the list is longer. This was today:

0:00 to 0715 Continuation ferry from Iquitos, arrival in Santa Rosa (Peru).

730-740 Small long Boat then touk touk to Peruvian passport control

0740-0800 Wait for the passport office to open. Opens punctually.

0800-0820 Wait in line at the passport office. Oscar is lying on the floor. Nora is sitting on the floor.

0820 Passport official says we overstayed our 10-day visa by seven days, so that will be 95 soles per person, per day. I almost explode, because 6x7x95= 3,990 soles =US$1,050, and it wasn't our fault we stayed longer, it was the blockades in the South that stopped us leaving, and a normal visa is 90 days. Many others did the calculation, and they heard the same as me.

0825 Clarification. Fine is only for adults, and it's 4.95, not 95. So 7 x 2 x4.95=69.3 soles = US$17. Somewhat relieved, I still ask why the hell should we pay, its not our fault, but official being officials they insist. "Pay at the bank," " where us the bank?", "It's five blocks, take a taxi. "

0830-0845 Taxi to bank. Bank closed ( it's Saturday), back to the passport control

0845-0910 The official can now strangely take cash. Fills out lots of forms we sign, get fingerprinted, he stamps our passports, and I give my last protest at this nonsense ( After all tourism down 90% , but we came, we spent money we make it less worse. Of course, officials don't care, but locals in the queue are understanding().

0910-0940 we meet the guy,Jese, don't know how, who the nice people in Iquitos had asked to help us navigate the border. Our phones were not working. He literally showed up where we came back from the passport office, I guess finding 6 gringos, is not so complicated. He says there's a boat today, but we need cash, so we should go to Leticia (Colombia), because there the rates for Brazilian currency are much better (go figure). So I get on the back of his motor bike and we slalom through the traffic to a bank. Cash machines, All 3 not working. OK next bank, one of 2 working but won't take foreign cards ( this is a border town!). So next step is to change $250 cash. That's the fastest step of the day. Black Market doesn't do burocracy.

0940-0950 Small long boat from Leticea , Colombia to Tatabanga Brasil. Note there are no border controls on the river, and none on the land either. Smugglers paradise. But for us its sensible to visit the passport controls, otherwise we are likely to have problems with transport, hotels and the airport when leaving.

0950 Taxi to Brazilian passport office, we manage all six plus driver, our helper and 8 bags in the car. En route we stop and shop for hammocks and ropes. We need these for sleeping in the barco boat.

1015 Brazilan Federal Police Station. Nice English speaking policeman explains that he is the FBI, but he also stamps passports. He isn't the fastest though.

1040 Taxi to the port.

1050 Arrive at Port where Barco departs and buy tickets, but instead of the kids being half price, they are full price, so whilst we can pay the tickets, we've no cash for the next 3 or possibly 4 days on the boat.

1100-1115 Ian and helper take two motorbike taxis to change $100 cash at the Brazilian border. Exchange rate far worse than in Colombia.

1130-1200 Boarding and departure of Barco, but before it goes our helper, helps set up our hammocks. Great help, without which we would have missed the boat.

FYI. Locally a ferry is a faster boat with reclining seats. From Iquitos to the 3 country border we took such a ferry.
From the border to Manaus we are on a Barco, which is slower, and where you need your own hammock, that you tie to the roof

Off we go on well over a 1000km to Manaus at around 20km on average Will take 4 days!Read more