July 30,

I woke around 0500, but was able to go back to sleep until 0730. Jeff had been up since 0600. He was just getting ready to shower when the boat engine slowed down. We are near the town of Parintins. So we dressed and went out to check it out. S was standing just outside our room which is the front of the FB. We went over to look out the side. The boats always seem to bumper alongside, not front end – which is how most ferries land load and unload. Men took our ropes – one rope hit one of the men on the head and knocked off his hardhat. This saved the man’s head but made the hardhat fall into the Amazon. The hardhat did its job, I guess.

Anyway, we arrived at 0810 and the loading commenced. We didn’t notice any unloading. A few men had long (15-18 feet) poles with bags of food attached and a half cut liter bottle attached at the very top – to place money into. Entrepreneurs! A man standing next to me had bought a cake-like item. I tried to ask him what it was and he offered me a bite. I took a small pinch. It was a very dense, almost bread-cake, and not overly sweet. Then the entrepreneurial men came on board to sell. Jeff went to get money, buying one cake piece and one thin round of “queijo,” (Portuguese for cheese). Together they cost 15 BRL ($2.95). Now people streamed on board, to journey east with us. There was a very decorative setup that I assumed was feathered decorations for sale. But the setups were three large festive pieces and they came on board as well! Our FB pulled up the planks and away we went. It was 0842. Our first stop! What entertaining enjoyment!!

We went back to our room and had the bread-cake, probably cassava based with a touch of honey or molasses, maybe. It was good and we drank some coconut yogurt with it as we puttered along the Amazon.

At 1130, we each ate a sandwich with salami and the cheese we just bought. Somewhere here we crossed into another time zone. Then at 1220, we passed by Juruti, but the FB then did a big sweeping U-turn and we came back to it! The FB docked in the side by 1235. Normal unloading – some goods – including the festive things and the motorcycles that just came on at the previous stop. People left and people came on, replacing them. Then the FB pivoted around so we were perpendicular to the dock and a car, a pick up, and a larger box truck loaded. The loading of the vehicles was another Keystone cops scenario, # 2. The ship seems full of vehicles now! The FB took off 1312, to resume our course, downriver.

At 1630, we were coming to another town to dock and we saw dolphins!! It was a distance but fun. S was with us and he said dolphins are drawn to me…a dolphin whisperer, maybe. By 1640 the FB was tied on – after a couple of missed caught tosses of the anchor line. It was mostly people exchanging here, at Obidos. There were four stacks of five big tires that came on. Once these were loaded, the FB did not move. We went around the ship looking and at the back a couple of shipsmen removed some railing. Then two small, new metal canoe-type boats were readied to be unloaded. Finally someone on the shore came up another, close-by pier. A rope from our ship was attached to the first canoe with the other end of the rope thrown to the shoreman. The canoe “launched” and tied to the pier. Same with the second canoe. The shoreman then guided the canoe to shore by way of the pier, but he let go too soon and went adrift without a paddle! A 2×4 was in the canoe and used desperately! The second canoe was the exact same scenario! You can’t write this stuff!!! It was so comical and kind of sad. Keystone cops, take #3. That all played out but we still didn’t move. The crew waited for the rope to come back. It was unbelievable. But wait…our FB had to do, like a five point turn to get out – not so good or comical. We eventually left at 1735. Now the show was over and it was time for supper. We both had a meal: one chicken and one beef – it was 52 BRL ($10.24). The food is the same but it seems flavored or seasoned better than the prior boats. We took our meals back to our room. Then we saw the aftershow from the sunset and the moonrise- still looks full. What a day- entertainment and food!