THE AMAZON RIVER^159
BELEM – MANAUS - BY BOAT
Belem - Manaus - By boat - Day 1
On 28 December, we headed to the port where the Rondondin, our home for the
next six days, lay waiting. I boarded nervously, not knowing how my sister would
handle the trip. She did, however, appear entirely at ease on the larger boat,
which felt more stable. We booked a cabin instead of hammocks, as Amanda
claimed she couldn’t get in and out of a hammock, let alone sleep in one for five
nights. Sleeping in a hammock sounded romantic but I agreed that five nights
might be a tad too much.
Once settled, the canteen provided cold beer and food. At the same time, our
boat sailed into the sunset, leaving Belem in the distance. Our first evening on
the mighty Amazon came with a stunning sunset. The cabin turned out a noisy
affair and it felt like we were right next to the engine room. Most of our time was
thus spent on the deck.