Ola amigos, here we are again having completed long truck days, hour after hour, wee stop after wee stop bush style, and petrol station after petrol station. Donning my anorak for a minute, you come across some amazing filling stations from the super massive, clean with showers to the right low down truck driver special where the shower has also been used for the ablutions with little tugs up to massive battleships floating to greet you as you enter. I dont think of these encounters, no matter what it is, as awful, its just another experience to be remembered and part of the expedition as a whole. I hasten to add that these stops have their benefits though as it gives you an opportunity to try the local assortment of fried pastries, empanadas, with some amazing fillings. It's pot luck but in general very tasty. Having completed approximately 20,000 km these days are necessary to get us to the next adventure and it allows time for reading, writing, photo editing and a good old fashioned 40 winks or two or maybe three or four. Hats off to Pete though who puts in these amazing drive times, but he is ably assisted in the co pilots seat by the lovely Kirsten, now his fiancée.
25.02.13 We've made good time and arrive in Porto Velho, our jump off point for what is anticipated to be an epic boat trip up Rio Madeira, one of the major tributaries of the mighty Amazon, the 6th largest river in the world. Arriving at lunchtime we book into Hotel Tia Carmen. Geoff and I share a room with a couple of cockroaches in this run down but ok joint. A slight sewagey smell coming from the air-con added to the flavour of the place. Well it was stay cool or roast. The bathroom was an all in one shower, toilet and wash hand basin in about 3 foot square with a concertina door which when you sat to contemplate, your knees already around your ears, splayed open the concertina section leaving nothing to the imagination. Adding to this when flushing the loo the water came out at every seal running over your feet into the shower.!!! Nothing much gets Geoff or I down and we continually laugh at our situations and thoroughly enjoy all the experiences this expedition is throwing at us. We wake at our usual time at about 0430, having added to the unusual smells, but on this occasion we're completely soaked with perspiration in our little sweat box. The mattresses are new and still have the delivery plastic on them !!!
We are now at our departure point to catch the boat travelling initially down the Rio Madeira and then up the Rio Negra, to our destination, Manaus. The only reason I can see you would visit Porto Velho is purely to catch a boat to another destination which is precisely what we're doing. We are due to sail on the 26th Febuary and head off down to the port area. It is an interesting dock side with a fair bit of rubbish lying about, areas in disrepair, but in general it has character. One of the many local drunks is lying flat out on a box and shopping trolley with his bottles of grog, a small fire and his worldly possessions, the local prostitutes wave and laugh as we drive past, the roads been dug up from a burst pipe spilling red mud everywhere, the tracks are worn with ruts and holes but as I said this place does have character. Amongst this chaos there is a large square building containing numerous hardware stores, fish sellers, tackle shops and most importantly for us numerous very clean eateries. I digress, we headed into one of the many hammock shops to negotiate a deal on our bedding for the next four nights. Having received the hammock inspection instructions from Pete, twenty four of us got stuck in, hammocks being pulled from shelf to floor, a right bundle, it was hilarious. All spent up, about £20 for a hammock and mossie net, we head down to our boat the Dois Irmaus - 1 for an early set up. One of the crew a pleasant little chap assisted us with stringing up our hammocks in our designated area. We are on the second deck, no one else there, due to sail at 1800 hrs but dont forget this is Brazilian time. I forgot to mention that on the first deck and lower decks is a cargo area, this is already 70% full of onions which in the heat and humidity are already emitting an unusual aroma. The lower deck corridors are formed by walls of onions, top to bottom, it really is fascinating. The good thing is the mossies are staying away, which reminds me that I have started taking my antimalarials in the form of Doxycycline. Unbelievably truck after truck load of more onions arrive and are filling every available space. The plimsoll line is almost met but no one seems to mind it disappearing as at 1800 hrs yet another load of onions arrive and we are informed that our sail time is now 0900 the following day. From being quite spacious the second deck is now starting to fill up with locals who bring all manner of possessions, sardines springs to mind. We are settling in for the night in port, and it's obvious that "the Gringos" are the entertainment for all n sundry with our mossie nets. Pete and Kirsten arrange a delivery of hamburgers for our tea which we had on the breezy upper deck before retiring to our hammocks (flying carpets). By this time the noise was incredible, locals chattering, shouting, singing, babies crying all until about 0030 hrs. I slept well on my flying carpet suspended between Heather and Geoff which I must say was a laugh a minute. We woke at about 0530 to the sound of excited locals chattering loudly. Many of the group hadn't slept that well as we were too close together so a few tactical manoeuvres were required, a bit of spreading out. Realising the "flying carpet" was going to be home for a few days it had to be right.
Geoff, Robin, Heather and I went ashore to one of the very clean eateries served by three lovely ladies. It was busy with locals and numerous police officers. We had cakes, coffee and of course meat empanadas, fantastic. Back on board even more people were being loaded on ready for departure. Further enquiries revealed a set back until 1500 hrs and you guessed it even more lorries loaded with onions were placed on board all loaded by hand. We're into the swing of this Brazilian time and sit chatting, reading, taking photos etc but eventually we're back ashore to see our ladies for lunch. They are pleased to see us and we enjoy another round of drinks and pastries. After loading up with snacks from the supermarket we head back on board to more produce being loaded, this time onions, limes and potatoes and a continual flow of people. This is getting crowded. Right we're ready to go but at the last minute another HGV load of onions arrive..... I'm beginning to smell like an onion. Departure has been put back yet again until 1800 so after a monsoon type downpour we're back in our little cafe for coffee and cake, no coffee so were now on the fresh fruit milk shakes. We spot the crewman, who previously assisted us with the hammocks, riding his bike round town, hes completely stoned but waves and shouts greetings. We trudge back on board and as another load of blooming onions arrive we notice the decks are rammed, all available space taken. There's approx 700 - 800 tons of produce below, the 2nd deck is a cacophony of noise from children, adults, music, and the smell of body odour in the heat is rising but this all pales into insignificance as the smell of onions rises from below.
We're finally in our hammocks, rocking gently, getting bored,
when Geoffs breaks the ice. his hammock is a nice brown design with a lovely flower in the pattern. The flower is just about where his backside is and he asks in his loud Aussie accent if anyone wants to smell his flower as he lets rip. Well the look on poor Heathers face was a picture as we all fell about laughing, what a bloke.
It's now 1930 hrs, the boat is heaving and were going nowhere, I now know what a battery hen must feel like, but hey this isn't a holiday, it's an Expedition !!! Finally at 2000 hrs the boats horn sounds and were underway, the engines exhaust droning, vibrating and drowning out any surrounding noises.
Instant relief as the breeze from the river cools us and an evening snack of meat and noodle soup is served. We managed half a water bottle, swiftly cut in half, full of this tasty surprise, after the initial bundle of course. Right now what to do, feeling weary it's into the flying carpet to read my book with head torch attached. The gentle motion of the boat soon has me like the Churchill insurance dog, nodding, and I have to say this was the norm for the following three days and nights. At 0600 a load whistle blast alerts you to breakfast, another bundle to get coffee and cream crackers. At 1200 lunch in a foil plate consisting of meat, rice and a few vegetables, plain and wholesome but perfectly edible. At 1800 another foil plate with a variation on lunch, but always rice and spaghetti. We got into a routine spending the majority of the time in the hammock. There was no point changing clothes as you were just as damp within minutes,clean or not, and having seen the photo of myself I look pretty shabby. Washing consisted of a wet wipe treat every morning. There were showers on board but the water was pumped direct from the river which was a rich brown colour, ok for your ablutions but most of us deciding not for anything else.
So motoring along the river day and night we had nothing to do but take in the marvellous jungle scenery on both banks, watch local fishermen throwing a few nets and in general take in river life which is a massive part of the indigenous populations routine. It was fantastic and thoroughly enjoyable. Occasionally boredom set in and as usual Geoff and I would be playing pranks on each other. It was late one night Geoff had been asleep and had stumbled off to the toilets. While he was away I stretched my mossie net over my face and had my head torch ready. He came trudging back and bent over to get under his own mossie net. I switched on my head torch and placed it under my chin , leaning out to within and inch of Geoffs face suppressing the need to burst out laughing. I couldn't hold the laugh and whimpered, Geoff looked up, startled with fright and instant automatic reaction punched me in the face, he jumped, I certainly jumped, he called me a cock (one of his favourite sayings) and I swore, we then both burst out laughing trying to keep the noise down.
Another highly amusing incident aboard involved Steve in his flying carpet. Steve is a top bloke, who is competent and knows his own mind. He's been married to Karen for 37 years !! Having strung his hammock up perfectly well and had mastered the art of getting in and out of it on the left hand side he made a few adjustments. Perfectly happy he was going to get in on the left hand side when Karen suggested why don't you get in on the right hand side. Now I don't know for the life of me why he took any notice, you should know better Steve. He duly obliged, sat on the right, flipped his legs up and whoosh, quick as a flash did a Fosbury flop and landed on the deck. Trying to hide my ever increasing grin he rose with nothing more than bruised pride so I burst out laughing. Probably best from the left hand side Steve !!! But you knew that. Up the Stags :)))
Life at the moment is just incredible, witnessing amazing scenery, fascinating cultures, ever changing weather conditions and having an absolute ball with a bunch of like minded people, what an experience.
Having stopped at a couple of ports en route we finally arrive at Manaus, the flying carpet finally coming into land at about 0530, ready for our next adventure.
Meanwhile Pete was on the cargo barge with Ithaca following at a slower pace. After several hours of travelling he heard a noise from the tugs engine, which sounded like it was seizing up. The crews tool box consisted of a hammer and screwdriver. Pete got his tools and having a good knowledge of engines started to strip it down and found some of the bearings had gone, he was doing all of this whilst lying in the bilge oil. He is always happy when he's under an engine fixing something. After a couple of hours it was fixed enough for them to continue to within striking distance of Manaus. Pete however was covered head to toe in oil. The Captain had a pallet attached to the back of the tug and two ladies of dubious employment proceeded to scrub him down with industrial laundry soap powder, needless to say he arrived in Manaus shining like a new pin and many a tale to recite of his own trip.
Onwards into the unknown, until the next time.
Tchau
Tony x
1. In the hammock shop
2. The local drunk
3. This is looking good, plenty of space......little did we know!!!
4. Our vessel
5,6 Hammock life
7,8,9 ONIONS
10,11 monsoon like rains
12. It's getting busier
13. More onions, around the engine room exhausts
14,15 Hammock life
16. A change, potatoes this time
17-21 River life
22-24 Boat life
25-26 me in my flying carpet
27. Family shot
28. Local shower
29-30 Ithaca's barge
31. Coming into dock at Manaus
32. Our arrival.
