From Manaus to Belém by Amazon River Boat

Day 1

I woke up feeling hesitant about the trip ahead. Two days of sleeping in a hammock on the deck of a boat on the Amazon River felt daunting, but I had to give it a try. I ran downstairs for breakfast, some pão de queijo, chocolate bread, sausage, and a glass of orange juice. The pão de queijo was freshly made, soft, and melted in my mouth.

I hurried back upstairs, packed my bag as quickly as possible, checked out, and called an Uber. I asked the driver to stop at Western Union and a bookstore, as I needed extra cash and something to pass the time without WiFi or electricity.

The computer at Western Union was down, and the attendant didn’t remember the exchange rate. She estimated, and although I was sure I got a bad deal, I accepted it to save time. The taxi driver left me in the car and ran down the street to buy me a notebook and pens for 7 BRL (1.30 USD).

He dropped me at the Port of Manaus. The ticket line moved quickly, and in about 10 minutes, I was out the door, walking toward the boat. It turned out that I didn’t need to rush because the ship left two hours later than expected.

They checked my ticket and ID a second time, copying the information into a physical ledger book, and placed a plastic amusement park bracelet on my wrist. I lugged my bags to the first floor and chose a random place for my hammock. I was doing a poor job of hanging it when a local girl stepped in and tied it up with ease.

Two hours later, we were underway. We rode up the river and passed the Meeting of the Rivers, numerous small towns, and lonely farms along the jungle’s edge.

I found the bar upstairs and ordered a ham and cheese panini, chips, peach juice, and a WiFi voucher. Starlink WiFi had just been installed on the boat, so I was able to keep in contact with friends and family. As I ate, I sat on the second floor and looked out over the gorgeous, endless river. There was nothing else besides the occasional hut for hundreds of kilometers.

At 5:00 PM, an announcement called us to dinner. I waited until the last moment because I spotted a few people on the roof watching the sunset. I stayed up there for 45 minutes and enjoyed the 180° views of the bright orange sky and red sun sinking below the water, and cattle grazing on the shores.

Finding the cafeteria took time, as it was hidden downstairs near the cargo area. I had a typical Brazilian meal of beans and rice with farofa. Soon after dinner, they shut off the lights. The Amazon disappeared into the darkness, but thousands of stars shone overhead.

Day 2

I slept terribly, waking every hour to check my belongings. At around 4:40 AM, the sky started to glow orange. The beans from the night before hit me, and I was forced to use the dirty bathrooms. There were no separate showers or toilets, just one cramped space where a leaky showerhead dripped onto my head as I tried to do my business. The air was humid like a sauna, the floors were slick with urine, and the wastebasket was overflowing with soiled toilet paper.

I took a quick shower and left. Admittedly, it was one of the most refreshing showers I’d ever had. After a sweaty night, the cold water was precisely what I needed.

I watched the sun rise over the river. Before long, we were being called for breakfast. The meal was just like dinner, but with a different type of beans and potato salad with chunks of carrots.

Somehow, the scenery was even more spectacular today, and the heat had intensified. As the night fell, the river became eerie. I could see only the peaks of the waves moving and a thin layer of fog rolling in.

Day 3

After managing another hour or two of sleep, I forced myself to take a shower. I organized my luggage and chatted with my parents for about 45 minutes. I was tired, so I didn’t feel like going out, but my hunger got the best of me.

I walked through the clothing market, checking out all the local merchandise. The heat was oppressive, far worse than Manaus.

I searched for food down a walking street but only found clothes and electronics shops. The few restaurants eventually encountered looked unsanitary, but I stumbled on a nice buffet and filled my plate with lasagna, stroganoff, fried plantains, potato salad, and flan.

The heat drained me, so I returned to my room. I packed my beach bag to go to Alter do Chão, but I was so tired from the boat ride that I couldn’t mentally bring myself to go. I lay down for a long nap.

I spoke to the hotel receptionist about the boat to Macapá. She was helpful, explaining how and where to catch it. I didn’t catch everything, but I understood enough.

At 10:00 PM, I met up with my new friend Edu for a walk around the city center. The boardwalk was alive with people playing soccer, drinking, playing music, and selling goods. We stayed out until 1:00 AM, chatting about music and travel. The crowd dispersed, and the boardwalk was empty. Edu thought it was unsafe, so we went our separate ways for the night.

Day 4

I woke early to check on the status of my boat to Macapá. I ran downstairs to ask the receptionist. She called the port and told me it wouldn’t leave until 6:00 PM. Relieved to have a few extra hours, I returned to my room to wait until checkout time at noon. I packed, took a hot shower, filled out some postcards, and communicated with some friends before heading out.

Edu and I decided to hang out again before I left. We had planned to meet at a café, but they were all closed. I wandered all over town looking for an ice cream shop, but they were all closed too. Instead, I took a taxi to the Paraíso Shopping Center and ate a rice bowl with carrots, corn, falafel, and palm hearts, with açaí juice. When Edu arrived, we chatted in the restaurant and then walked around the mall. There was a dollar store called Americana with amazing air conditioning, and we walked around for about 45 minutes browsing through the shelves of trinkets and pretending to search for something. Edu taught me the Portuguese words for different items, and I taught him the English ones.

At 4:00 PM, I called a taxi to the port and bought a ticket to Macapá. This ticket was more expensive, 260 BRL (47 USD) instead of 180 BRL (33 USD). I had to leave the building, cross a busy street, and walk down a dirt road past all the cargo and passenger vehicles to get on the boat. I signed in, got my wristband, and made my way to the first floor. This time, the deck was enclosed, and there were air conditioners!

This boat had three floors for hammocks and one for recreation. There were also significantly more outlets, so it was quite easy to keep my phone charged. For 25 BRL (4.50 USD), I was able to purchase Wi-Fi for the entire journey, rather than having to buy vouchers every 24 hours.