At long last on Sunday, March 30, we docked in Santarem, our first Port on the Amazon.  The city of Santarem is actually on the Tapajós river.  The meeting of the rivers is a big deal.  The muddy Amazon meets the clean Tapajós and you can see the demarcation for miles.  Here it is:

We were on that small boat, bound for a piranha fishing trip.  It was about a 45 minute ride up the Tapajós river and our guide filled it with all sorts of interesting facts.  We were well into the rainy season but not yet at high water.  So the farmers would still be home here.  This is what a farm looks like as we approach it:

As we got closer, we could see the animals.  This farmer had water buffalo, pigs, goats, chickens and all.  Here are the goats:

Since we are not at high water yet, it seems to be time to be getting worried.  The farmer is prepared:

He’ll just load his livestock on to this boat, with his family, and enough food to last and they’ll ride it out.  If he is rich enough to pay for grazing on higher ground, that’s good, if not, they’ll float it out, maybe a couple-three months.  Methinks I’d rather be on the Volendam, where a nice dinner and violinist Susana awaited.

But we were on a fishing trip, so we had to fish for an hour or so, first.  We each had a baited hook and a line, but no pole, nor reel.  I was lousy at it.  The fish ate my bait five times before I could get it out of the water.  There was a prize for the biggest piranha and this one won:

Tanner won the prize for the biggest fish overall, with this impressive catfish:

You get the idea.

The next day’s port, Boca de Valeria, was a sight more primitive, but not so primitive that they hadn’t figured out the value of the tourist dollar.  The cruise lines had got together and funded a very basic dock for tenders. 

You had to walk through a bit of water to get to shore, even so.  But it worked.  The village swole to about five times its normal size when there was a ship.  The welcoming committee consisted of the children of this and neighboring villages, with their pets, wanting a dollar for a photo op.  But we weren’t going there just yet.  The local fishermen had their own business taking us out two by two in their motorized longboats.  I hooked up with Lisa Moser, who was on my tender and whom I knew a bit from the Queen Mary 2 last year. 

We left the village behind and meandered up and down the tributaries to the suburbs:

And among the giant lily pads:

To a bigger village with a church and school:

Back past a country house:

To the dock at Boca de Valeria.  You can see the Volendam in the middle of the river as we approach.

It was time to pet the animals, click the shutters and pay the children, and so we did.

There was obviously some rivalry:

And this guy was my favorite:

But you have to give this girl and her turtle their due:

I was surprised there weren’t more people patronizing the bar.  It was up on stilts, a little up from the water and with a great view and a breeze.  Lisa and I had a thoroughly enjoyable local beer:

And were happy to get back to the Volendam, a good dinner and Luca Lattanzio on the stage again.  He was just as good the second time.

On the first of April, we docked in Manaus for an overnight.  I got off late morning and walked to the market, which was supposed to be good.  On the way, I met one of Robbie’s relatives:

I met a nice lady from Montreal, so we did the Market together.  It wasn’t much.  She continued on to the Cathedral and I went back to the ship but via the back streets which looked interesting.  There were a lot of shops for locals, and tables on the sidewalk, selling anything you might need.  I bought three pairs of socks for $5.  They are cute, too.  Then I has another pastel de carne lunch, in the park, with the locals, at this spot:

Cheap, delicious, plenty of local atmosphere.

Since we were overnighting in Manaus, the Wescotts, David and Wendy Clarke, from Montreal, and yours truly, went out to dinner.  We took one taxi and one Uber to Gaucho’s Churrascaria, a Brazilian BBQ place, or what Dee’s grandkids call “steak on a stick”.  I found their web site and browsed through their 34 pictures and the one they didn’t have the one that tells it all.  So, here’s mine:

That drink you see with all the limes in it is Brazin’s national cocktail, the “caipirinha” and it’s delicious.  Quite strong.  We only had one each.  The Uber had come in about three times the price of the taxi, and the taxi driver had given me his phone no.  I WhatsApp’d him and we got two taxis for the way home.  You never know what’s going to work best.  Every city is different, but this is fact in Manaus in 2025.