Slow boating down the Amazon (Manaus to Belém)

Iris, who I met on the boat from Tabatinga and I were both heading for Belém so when we arrived in Manaus we decided to travel together.

 
My original plan had been to break up the journey to Belém by stopping for a few days in Alter do Chão, three hours from Santarém. I had also hoped to be there for my birthday. Boats leave Manaus for Santarém everyday and take about a day or a day and a half, tickets cost around 80 Reals.

Iris and I both planned to spend at least one night on dry land, so headed straight from the port to Hostel Manaus. A taxi to the hostel cost 15 Reals. 

The hostel is really nice and I highly recommend it. The staff are very knowledgeable and went above and beyond to help us. A bed in a six bed dorm with a fan cost 45 Reals, breakfast is also included. 

When I mentioned where I was planning to go I was told I may want to reconsider because Alter do Chão is currently under 6m of water so there would be no swaying in a hammock on the white sand beaches I'd been picturing.

This was slightly annoying especially as a lot of advice I'd read online and in guidebooks says that June is the best time to go - obviously it isn't. It may be dry, but that doesn't take into account the flooding left over from the rainy season.

This meant I needed to rethink my plan as I didn't want to end up in Belém for ages before my flight to Rio de Janeiro. In the end I decided I would head to Ilha do Marajo, which is an island three hours from Belém.

As I was in no rush I planned to get the boat leaving on Friday and spend a couple more days in Manaus. Boats bound for Belém typically leave on a Wednesday or Friday.

Manaus was a lot bigger than I had imagined and it is easy to forget you are on the banks of the Amazon miles away from the rest of civilisation. There are still remnants of the city's colonial past in the buildings and the Teatro de Amazonas is particularly impressive.

After three days of meat, rice and beans Iris and I were ready for something different and checked out Tambaqui de Banda on the main square by the theatre.

It specialises in fish and I tried piranha, which was meaty and very tasty. The meals are reasonably priced and the food was really good quality.

On Thursday, I went back to the port to buy a ticket for the boat and found a guy, who we had spoken with previously and came away with a ticket for 180 Reals.

It is worth noting that buying a ticket from one of the touts at the port is a lot cheaper than buying it once you are on board the ship. The price to buy a ticket to Manaus on the day of departure was 326 Reals just for hammock space.

While I was at the port I had a look around the Mercado Municipal. It is worth going to as there is a real mix of things on offer from souvenirs to traditional medicine. I even found a guy selling fudge and had to buy some just to try.

Unlike the previous two boats meals on this one weren't included in the price. Breakfast was seven Reals with lunch and dinner each costing 15 Reals.

As per my preparations for the last two journeys I visited the two main supermarkets in Manaus to stock up on water and other snacks.

The following day Iris and I headed to the port at around 9am to secure a decent hammock space. However, when we tried to gain access to the dock the official told us we needed to come back at 5pm. Due to our lack of Portuguese skills this was about all we were able to glean from the conversation and that the boat would leave after 5pm.

Very confused we headed back to the hostel to see if they might ring the agent we booked the tickets with to get more info. It turned out that due to a problem with the ship it wouldn't be arriving until around 5pm and would leave at midday the following day.

It is possible once a ship you have booked a ticket for is in port to spend the night on board before it leaves. The hostel said we could do that to ensure a good hammock spot and leave our larger luggage and valuables in storage at the hostel and collect them the following morning before the boat departed thus saving money on a night's accommodation.

We decided we would probably do that as neither of us was keen on the idea of spending a night in port with all our stuff. However, after calling the port just before 6pm the ship still hadn't arrived and we were given an estimate of 7pm, although this being South America that doesn't mean anything. After a quick discussion we decided to spend a last night at the hostel as neither fancied the idea of having to hang around the port after dark if the ship wasn't there.

The next morning we headed to the port early and lo and behold the Liberty Star was there. I have to admit that my first impressions of the ship weren't good and unfortunately didn't really improve once we were on board. It was a lot shabbier than the previous two.

We boarded through the cargo hold, which smelt of rotten fruit due to a spillage of tomatoes. In the hold was a desk where we needed to register, however after taking the advice of another tourist in the queue we decided to come back and do this after hanging our hammocks.

Unlike the other boats I have taken, this one insists that the lower hammock deck be used until it is full and only then will the upper hammock deck be opened.

Despite it being early the deck was pretty full, but we managed to find a spot each and one was close to a pole so we could secure our bags. It was very claustrophobic and as more people arrived there was even less space.

I went back to the hold to register first, yet another process I feel could be made more efficient. First the crew member added my details to the passenger list then he put my passport and ticket in a separate pile, this meant I had to stay in the smelly cargo hold until he went through the pile and then issued everyone with a new ticket and in my case a new surname too. He missed the 'Rew' in my passport and instead went straight to the first word under my actual name, which is my nationality, so on this boat my name was Capella British. Why the guy doesn't do the new ticket at the same time as the passenger list is beyond me and had I known how convuluted the process was I would have waited until there wasn't anyone else waiting rather than waste 30 minutes.

When I returned two people had strung hammocks up between mine and they were so ridiculously close together I had images of an awkward night's sleep wedged in between two strangers with just our hammocks dividing us.

With hammock space on the deck running out I even noticed someone string their hammock up diagonally above and across another!   
 
While the ship is in port it is really important to keep watch over your luggage as there are children running round and people selling things so it is easy to get distracted.

After a while we noticed a guy, who had been on the previous ship, pack up his hammock and make a move for upstairs. However, when I went up to check it out I was told to go back later as it was still too soon and they needed to clean the floor or something.

About an hour later we finally made the move as several hammocks were already up. I would definitely recommend going to the upper deck as it is more open, much less crowded and it felt a bit safer in terms of being able to keep an eye on our belongings.

As per usual 12pm came and went and we still hadn't moved. At 1pm we had moved, but only to another part of the port so some cars could be loaded. By 5pm we were wondering if we were ever going to get going. We managed to find out the delay was due to some paperwork issue with the ship and we should leave at 7pm. Amazingly at 6.45pm we finally left the port.

In terms of general cleanliness and appearance this had to be the worst of the three ships, many areas could do with a lick of paint and the floor on our deck was very rusty in patches. Also, during the entire five days no-one seemed to come and sweep or mop the deck so by the end of the trip a lot of debris and rubbish had collected.

The toilets also had dodgy locks and one had no light. Out of all the boats this was one I hoped I wouldn't get sick on.

Positives were that the canteen area was nice and even had air con. Despite having to pay for it, the food was of a slightly better quality and variety.

On the second day we reached Santarém at 8am and were told we should be leaving at 12pm. Also, good to note is in Santarém you lose an hour as it is an hour ahead of Manaus.

Most of the other passengers took the opportunity to go out to the market close to the port and we went out to get some lunch from one of the many lanchas near by.

At 12pm we hadn't moved, no surprise there, then at 1.30pm we finally set off, but only to let the ship behind us get out. We were then stuck at port for the rest of the afternoon and did what most people do when there nothing better to do we started drinking.

Several groups on our deck were doing the same. It isn't strictly allowed to bring alcohol on board, but no one checks your luggage so as long as you are discreet it is fine.

By 4pm a few of our fellow passengers were getting agitated and frustrated and a group went down to complain and ask what was going on. Apparently it was yet another paperwork issue and something to do with safety checks not being met. Finally at 7pm after nearly 12 hours in port we set sail again.

That night was one of the worst I've experienced in the hammock as strong gusts of wind were blowing through the deck and it got very chilly.

To top it off at 4am it started raining and it was coming through to the deck so Iris, myself and another chap took it upon ourselves to pull the awnings down and secure them as the crew hadn't bothered doing them on our side of the deck.

The next day was clear skies and sunshine perfect for some upper deck sunbathing, possibly the one saving grace on this boat.  

Unlike the previous boat, we often found ourselves the subject of curiosity for some of our fellow shipmates. Many of whom took it upon themselves to strike up conversation, this is all well and good except my knowledge of Portuguese is slim to none. However, this didn't seem to put anyone off as despite saying I don't speak Portuguese many people just carried on regardless at the same pace of speech too.

Most of the people were just intrigued by us travelling alone and again the familiar words of warning to be careful etc were left ringing in my ears. I had been told by many travellers I'd met who've been to Brazil that many Brazilians do love to talk and are very friendly. If experience is anything to go by then I can confirm it is true. 

I managed to just about get by speaking a mixture of Spanish and the few words of Portuguese I know. Unfortunately, my phrase book from 1981 wasn't much use. Although, Iris and I did find some amusement from several of the outdated topics.

During the journey I noticed that once it got to sunset a lot of the younger people seemed to go for a shower, change their clothes and generally get spruced up - one young chap liked to douse himself in so much cologne that the smell lingered long after he walked past. I found this routine quite curious until one night I decided to venture on to the top deck to check out the stars and stumbled upon young couples in varying degrees of embrace in the privacy of the darkness.

On the fifth and final day the icing on the cake of this troubled journey was the toilets not flushing and then being told by the rather surly woman in the canteen there wasn't any dinner. This was a lie as a little later there was free soup being dished out.

The ship finally docked, after hitting several other boats on the way to the jetty, in Belém at 11pm. However, it didn't stop in the usual port and I was told by someone it was safer to spend the night on the ship as the area outside of this particular port is very dangerous at night. Myself and the other tourists decided to stay on board and many of the Brazilian passengers seemed to do the same.

So after 17 days (11 of which weren't spent on land) three boats and approx 2,300 miles covered I had reached the Atlantic coast and the end of my Amazonian voyage.

 

Slow boating down the Amazon (Tabatinga to Manaus)

The canoe dropped me off at a jetty at the bottom of Rua Amazonias in Tabatinga. I wandered up the road and found a taxi office and took a cab to the Policia Federal, which is where the immigration formalities take place. I had to wait 45 minutes for it to open as it is closed between 1pm and 2pm.

 

While I waited I was joined by a Colombian gentleman, who was also planning to go to Manaus. He explained he had been to the port and had been told the next boat wouldn't be leaving until Tuesday. It was Thursday and the prospect of having to spend five days in Tabatinga didn't fill me with joy.

 

The immigration formalities were quick and when the immigration official asked about my plans he said that usually boats left for Manaus on Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday. I also started to doubt whether doing the boat journey was a good idea when the official told me to be very careful as it is dangerous here. I still don't know if he was referring to Brazil in general or Tabatinga. Needless to say this just added to making me feel all that bit more nervous.

 

It also didn't help that at this point I still didn't have anywhere to stay. So a quick flick through my guidebook and I found a hotel, which I hoped still existed. The next problem was how to get there from the police station. It was too hot to walk and like Iquitos cars are not the main means of transportation so the chances of another taxi driving by were pretty slim.

 

In the end I flagged down a mototaxi and had my first ever ride on any kind of motorcycle wearing flip flops and with a 13kg bag on my back! He did have a spare helmet at least.

 

I ended up staying at the Hotel Cristina on Rua Marechal Mallet, an ensuite room with a fan cost 50 Reals. It was basic, clean and would do for a couple of nights.

 

At the hotel I asked for the best way to get to Porto Fluvial, which is where the ships heading for Manaus leave from. The owner asked why I was going there so I explained to find out when the ship would be leaving and buy a ticket. He then pointed out there was a ticket office just across the road, which saved me time and a taxi fare.

 

I discovered there was in fact a ship, Voyager V, leaving on Saturday and bought a ticket for 200 Reals.

 

With a day spare in Tabatinga I went out to get more supplies for the ship. I wandered down Rua Amazonias, where there is a market and a lot of mini market type shops all selling the same thing, but I managed to get what I'd need for the 3.5 day journey. I took four litres of water again, some fruit juice and stocked up on more snacks.

 

To be honest there isn't that much else to do in Tabatinga and had I been feeling a bit more motivated I would have gone to Leticia in Columbia, which is close by and as long as you stay in Leiticia you also don't require any immigration formalities.

 

The boat was due to leave at midday and I had been told to get to the port for 10am to board. I got to the port, which unlike the one in Iquitos actually seemed a bit more professional. I was told to wait in a holding area, which was just a large open air hanger type building, it had a roof at least.

 

The ship looked pretty decent and at 10am I watched the police board the vessel to do a search. I realised it would be unlikely that we would be leaving anytime soon.

 

Finally at 11.45am we were allowed to board, a process I feel could have been made a lot more efficient than it was.

 

First, I had to join a sort of queue to get a wristband, there were several different colours, which indicated your destination (green for Manaus). Then from here I had to join another sort of queue and wait for the only official, who was checking everyone, to check my passport and ticket and let me board. All this was happening in the heat of the day so I was a sweaty mess by the time I finally got on the boat. The gangplank to enter the ship was also placed at a very steep angle not good when carrying a lot of bags.

 

Due to Tabatinga's proximity to both Colombia and Peru, paired with a fairly relaxed border between the three countries every passenger is subjected to a thorough bag search as they board the ship. The official searching my luggage remarked on how much medicine and clothes I had. 

 

After the search I was finally able to get on deck and hang my hammock. The second deck was already quite crowded, but I managed to find a spot in the middle row near to several other tourists. The bars on which to hang the hammock were too high for me to reach so I had to enlist the help of a couple of guys to do it for me. As I didn't have a cabin on this ship I locked my big bag to a wooden pallet just at the end of my hammock. At 4.30pm we finally left port.

 

The ship was nicer than I thought it would be and there was even drinkable water provided.

 

Unlike the Peruvian ship, there didn't really seem to be anyone in charge of our deck, although thankfully the toilets were regularly cleaned and toilet paper was provided. There were also proper showers in the toilets on board. Football fans could make use of the makeshift pitch on the lower outer deck too.

 

One thing worth noting is that the majority of the lights on deck are kept on overnight. I also made the mistake of being fairly close to the TV and I guarantee that you will still hear it at 4am. As per the last journey ear plugs and an eye mask are necessary.

 

Meals on this ship were also included and I decided to risk it this time. Lunch and dinner were usually rice, noodles, beans and meat. I didn't bother with breakfast as this was just super sugary coffee, sweet milk and sugary bread. 

 

The Rio Solimoes and Rio Negro meet. 

The journey was pleasant and I saw some stunning sunsets as well as a pair of macaws flying overhead. Due to it being the end of the rainy season the Amazon is flowing at its highest so I didn't see a lot of land and I did get a little excited when I spotted a few metres of riverbank to break up the monotony of treetops.

 

As we reached Manaus I also saw the point where the Rio Solimoes and Rio Negro meet to form the Amazon.

 

At Santo Antônio do Içá there was a long stop while the ship was searched again, officials also came round checking passports and luggage. My name caused much amusement to the guy checking my passport because in Portuguese it means chapel. He found it so funny he even went to tell his friend. 

 

About an hour before we reached Manaus I noticed a lot of people getting washed and changed into nice clothes, which just added to my feeling of grubbiness. After 3.5 days of sweating, covering myself in several layers of DEET to ward off mosquitoes and wearing pretty much the same clothes I boarded the boat in I very possibly looked and smelt like the stereotypical soap dodging traveller.

 

As soon as the ship was docked it was a rush to leave as porters jumped on board in swarms to help with luggage. Iris, a German solo traveller I met on the boat, and I managed to get through the crush and out onto dry land to find out when the next boat to Belém would be leaving.

 

Slow boating down the Amazon (Iquitos to Tabatinga)

Inspired by Ed Stafford, who is the first person to walk the entire length of the Amazon River, I decided to look into the feasibility of travelling down the river from Iquitos, Peru to Belém on the Atlantic coast in Brazil.

As Iquitos is one of the largest cities in the world not accessible by road I had to fly from Lima. There are several flights a day and I managed to get a single ticket with Peruvian Airlines for £68. The journey took 2.5 hours with a 15 minute ‘technical stop’ in Pucallapa so the plane could be refuelled.

Once out of the airport I was accosted by several moto carro (similar to tuk tuks) drivers, in Iquitos you will be hard pushed to find a proper car as most people travel using motorbikes or moto carros.

I knew that the price from the airport to my hostel shouldn’t be more than 15 Soles and successfully haggled it down, although the driver still tried to add more when we reached the destination. This is something I’ve noticed happens a lot in Peru, but I stood my ground and he accepted the price we’d originally agreed upon without a problem.

I stayed in the Golondrinas Hostel for a couple of nights to acclimatise to the jungle heat again and find out when the next ship to Santa Rosa would be leaving. Santa Rosa is a Peruvian village, which sits on an island in the Amazon and from there it is only a short boat ride across the water to either Leticia in Colombia or Tabatinga in Brazil.

As in most places in Peru the Plaza de Armas is in the centre. On the corner of the plaza where calles Putumayo and Raymondi meet is the Casa de Hierro, which was designed by Eiffel, made in Paris and imported piece by piece to Iquitos around 1890. It isn’t the most amazing building I’ve ever seen, but interesting nonetheless. 

From the plaza it is a short walk to the waterfront where I caught my first proper glimpse of the Amazon. It is also possible to see several decoratively tiled buildings, which are remnants of the city’s former wealth.

The tourist information centre on Jirón Napo just off the plaza has lots of information on the various boats. The woman there was even kind enough to call the port to find out when the next slow boat to Santa Rosa would be leaving. There was a ship going at 7.30pm the following day and the woman explained tickets can only be purchased on board and on the day of departure.

If you are pushed for time there are speedboats leaving Iquitos pretty much every day and take just 10 hours for 200 Soles. Tickets for these boats can be bought from the agencies along Jirón Raymondi.

The next day at around midday I took a moto carro to Puerto Pesquero to get my bearings and check out the ship without the stress of having all my luggage with me too. The port was a hive of activity with boats being loaded and unloaded and people and moto carros everywhere. I use the term port very loosely as in all honesty it was just a big sandy bank with ships moored.

Despite having a seafaring father I don’t really know what to look for in a ship, but the Gran Loretana, which was the vessel I’d be taking, actually looked to be in better condition than some of the others docked nearby and I could see it had lifejackets at least.

In order to reach the ship I had to negotiate a series of precariously positioned gangplanks and avoid getting in the way of people also using them carrying various heavy loads.

Once on the cargo deck a helpful man called Richard took me to the person in charge of issuing tickets etc. There are two types available - hammock only or cabin. The hammock option costs 80 Soles and the cabin 100 Soles. As there wasn’t too much of a difference in price I opted for the cabin mostly so I would have somewhere safe to store my luggage.

Richard explained that the cabin gets very hot so it is better to sleep in a hammock on deck, which you can do at no extra cost. It is also possible to purchase a hammock once you are on board for around 30 Soles. I would add here that definitely knowing a bit of Spanish helped me as unsurprisingly no-one I dealt with spoke any English.

After I’d bought my ticket Richard told me to come back at 4pm as that was the official boarding time for passengers. Before heading back to the port I visited one of only two supermarkets in Iquitos to get supplies for the journey. Meals are provided on board, but after being regaled with stories of dysentery by Helen and Dan, a couple I’d met on the Tucan tour and who had travelled on a similar boat in Brazil, I decided not to take any chances. I bought several tins of tuna, some fruit and snacks to see me through the 2.5 day journey.

It is also important to make sure you take your own water to drink as well as to brush your teeth with. I found four litres was adequate for my needs.

Back at the port it was still pretty chaotic and as I was getting myself ready to negotiate the planks again with my all my luggage, Richard appeared from nowhere to help me.

I had a cabin on the second deck and just in case there is any doubt I want to make clear that this wasn’t a tourist boat cruise down the Amazon it is basically a cargo ship, which also happens to take passengers.

My cabin was akin to a prison cell with no window and a bunk with a vinyl mattress. Needless to say it was very hot and stuffy in there. If you choose to sleep in the cabin it is worth noting that linen isn't provided either so you have to bring your own.

There weren’t too many hammocks already up on deck so I was in the good position of being able to pretty much choose where to go. Having never hung a hammock in my life Richard and the guy I bought it from helped string it up for me just opposite where my cabin was.

I would definitely recommend heading to the second deck rather than the lower as it is much less crowded and the sides are open during the day so it is better ventilated too. Also, you get less people too-ing and fro-ing as when embarking or disembarking you have to go via the lower deck.

I was pleasantly surprised at how clean the ship was and there was a woman in charge of our deck who always seemed to be sweeping or mopping. The toilets were also kept in good condition, but make sure you take your own toilet roll.

There are showers in the toilet cubicles, but I wasn’t brave enough to use them as it was literally just a tap in the ceiling and I couldn’t see how you would keep your towel and clothes dry when it was on. I made do with wet wipes and there were also a couple of basins.

Having lugged a mosquito net around with me for the best part of four months I decided now was possibly the time to make use of it. Needless to say it was a disaster and as per usual I was the gringo providing amusement to the locals. Instead I decided to lose the net and rely on my insect repellent instead – it worked.

At night the awnings go down to provide some protection from the elements, however it does get surprisingly chilly so I would recommend taking a thin blanket and a hoodie. If you are sensitive to noise, ear plugs would be another must especially as the engine is very loud.

Despite having a cabin I still kept my valuables (passport, phone, money, cards etc) in the hammock with me just in case. If you don’t have a cabin, do as the locals do and keep your luggage either under or just to the side of your hammock. I noticed that several people hung food in plastic bags from the ceiling. As an extra precaution it may be prudent to lock your bags to something too.

The journey was pleasant and being the slow boat it was exactly that as it stopped at many small communities along the way, these boats are often the main means of getting supplies to these villages. If you are easily bored and don’t like the thought of not showering properly after spending the day sweating in a hammock then this trip probably isn’t for you.

At one time or other on the outer cargo deck I spotted goats, a pig and a cockerel the latter rather considerately started crowing at 4am.

Everyone being in the same living quarters meant the boat had a bit of a community feel and I came to recognise many of the people on my deck. I even took the opportunity to practise Spanish with some of my neighbours, who didn’t speak any English.

When we were docked in Caballo de Coche, Michel, who was from Iquitos and was heading to a village near the border for work, insisted I accompany him on shore for some breakfast. Despite him trying to persuade me to have chicken soup, 7am is just too early for that, I ended up having a strange hot quinoa based drink made with apples it had a weird jelly-like consistency, but was pleasant enough.
 

With regards meals on board I didn’t have any, but it seemed to be a hot milky drink and ham roll for breakfast and lunch and dinner were meat and rice. On this boat cutlery and plates were provided, although I have heard that on others you need to take your own.

The ship arrived in Santa Rosa at 12pm, but being at the tail end of the rainy season when the river is at its highest meant that there was no land to get off on to so I had to get a motorised canoe straight from the ship. It was a slightly scary experience having to clamber over the side of the boat onto the unstable canoe, but myself and my luggage survived.

I told the boatman I was headed for Tabatinga, however before going you will need to be taken to the immigration office in town to get an exit stamp. Most of the boatmen will know to do this but I still asked just in case. 

Before going to immigration it is necessary to go to the police station a few buildings down where they will sign the back of your tourist card to confirm you haven’t committed any crimes while in Peru.

As Santa Rosa was looking more like Venice the boat stopped at the police first where there was a guy sat outside, who quickly checked my passport and signed the back of my tourist card.

The boat then took me to the immigration office, which being lunch time was closed so we had to wait 20 minutes for it to reopen. When it did the procedure was quick and from there we dropped one of the passengers off in Leticia, Colombia before heading to Tabatinga in Brazil. The boat cost 15 Soles and it all took no longer than an hour.