Rivers in the Amazon region work like highways do in other places, and many towns are only reachable by boat. The Amazon River is the largest “highway” and the Manaus-Belém trip connects people to various cities along the river. Our boat passes by some and makes stops on others for passengers and cargoes.
While we are docked, people come aboard to sell all kinds of things, from local fruits to sunglasses. I love trying the different flavors of ice cream. They are made out of fruits that only grow locally, and some from things we would never think of in the US such as corn and avocado. Avocado ice cream is the greatest!
Music on the deck starts at about 8am and blares loudly until midnight. The songs don’t repeat themselves but the theme is the always the same: “amor, amor, amor” “love, love, love. Today everybody seemed more relaxed. Some danced, others chatted away with their new friends, and some used the outdoor showers as a hangout.
I myself met almost every kid on the boat, and our card games became a spectacle even for adult passengers. But other games were also introduced, soap bubbles being maybe the most favorite. While some kids made bubbles, others competed catching them. I ran around and yelled so much I almost lost my voice.
Together with my parents, we then met this man who had bought a box that showed a sample of every wood available in the Amazon. It was beautiful and I loved looking at each one of the little squares and trying to remember names.
When the sun was setting, all the passengers on the boat rushed and found a room near the rails to watch it. It was a perfect sunset. It felt as we were on an ocean trip though, because of all the water around us, and the horizon in the distance.
