Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
5
RIVER JOURNEYS
Any journey up the Rio Amazonas is a serious affair. The river is big and powerful and the
boats, in general, are relatively small, top-heavy-looking wooden vessels on two or three levels.
As far as
spotting wildlife
goes, there's very little chance of seeing much more than a small
range of tropical forest birds - mostly vultures around the refuse tips of the ports en route -
and the occasional river dolphin, although your chances increase the smaller the craft you're
travelling on, as going upriver the smaller boats tend to hug the riverbanks, bringing the
spectacle much closer. Going downstream, however, large and small boats alike tend to cruise
with the mid-stream currents, taking advantage of the added power they provide. Whichever
boat you travel with, the river is nevertheless a beautiful sight and many of the settlements
you pass or moor at are fascinating.
WHAT TO PACK
It's important to
prepare
properly for an Amazon river trip if you want to ensure your comfort
and health. The most essential item is a
hammock
, which can be bought cheaply (from about
R$25 in the stores and markets of Manaus, Santarém or Belém, plus two lengths of rope
(
armador de rede
) to hang it from - hooks may not always be the right interval apart for your
size of hammock. All hammock shops sell the ropes and you need to get them at the same
time as you buy your hammock. Loose
clothing
is OK during daylight hours but at night you'll
need some warmer garments and long sleeves against the chill and the insects. A
blanket
and some
insect repellent
are also recommended. Enough to
drink
(large bottles of mineral
water are the best option) and extra
food
- cookies, fruit and the odd tin - to keep you happy
for the duration of the voyage may also be a good idea. Virtually all boats now provide mineral
water, and the food, often included in the price, has improved on most vessels, but a lot of
people still get literally sick of the rice, meat and beans served on board, which is, of course,
usually cooked in river water. If all else fails, you can always buy extra provisions in the small
ports the boats visit. There are toilets on all boats, though even on the best they can get filthy
within a few hours of leaving port. Again, there are exceptions, but it's advisable to take your
own roll of
toilet paper
just in case.
BOAT TYPES
There are a few things to bear in mind when choosing
which boat
to travel with, the most
important being the size and degree of comfort. The size affects the length of the journey:
most small wooden boats take up to seven days to cover Belém to Manaus, and the larger
vessels generally make the same journey in five to six days (four to five days downriver).
Better value, and usually more interesting in the degree of contact it affords among tourists,
the crew and locals, is the option of taking a
wooden riverboat
carrying both cargo and
passengers. There are plenty of these along the waterfront in all the main ports, and it's
simply a matter of going down there and establishing which ones are getting ready to go to
wherever you are heading, or else enquiring at the ticket o
ces; these vessels are essentially
water-borne buses and stop at most towns along the way. You'll share a deck with scores of
other travellers, mostly locals or other Brazilians, which will almost certainly ensure the journey
never becomes too monotonous. The most organized of the wooden riverboats are the larger
three-deck vessels
. All of these wooden vessels tend to let passengers stay aboard a night or
two before departure and after arrival, which saves on hotel costs, and is handy for travellers
on a low budget.
ACCOMMODATION
There's room for debate about whether hammock space is a better bet than a
cabin
(
camarote
), of which there are usually only a few. Though the cabins can be unbearably hot
and stuffy during the day, they do offer security for your baggage, as well as some privacy
(the cabins are shared, however, with either two or four bunks in each) and, in most cases,
your own toilet (which can be a blessing, especially if you're not very well). The hammock areas
get extremely crowded, so arrive early and establish your position: the best spots are near the
front or the sides for the cooling breezes (it doesn't really matter which side, as the boat will
alternate quite freely from one bank of the river to the other), though the bow of the boat can
get rather chilly if the weather conditions turn a bit stormy.
