From the lungs to the mouth of Pachamama

Days covered: 13

Costs about 600$:

1. Hotel Manaus (amazing staff and cool ambiance) 15$ x4days = 60$
2. Food and drinks in Manaus 30$ x4 =  120$
3. Hammock 20$
4. Boat from Manaus to Belem(don't recommend Liberty Star) : 80$
5. Food and drinks on 5 day boat trip: 80$
6. 40 hours bus from Belem to Recife: 165$
7. Food and drinks on the bus: 40$
8. Taxi to town in Recife 10$
9. Hotel first shared night in Recife 15

Sleep:

1. Hotel Manaus: great ambience, helpfull staff, great breakfast topped by sweet prices, highly recomend
2. Hammock on the boat: come early and get a cool place, don't hesitate to be an asshole and take your space, people will forget that first impression afterwards
3. Bus: Being small has unknown advantages. Strangely I got a place on a full bus just one hour before departure and on the window side

Story:

Week 3

Oi,

Bom dia...obrigado...belleza...uma cerveiza...

Been here in this lovely country for over a week and before I go on, let's just break a myth. Brazilian girls are not as sexual thirsty as they are often painted in North American travel stories and at least in the jungle they're a bit too curvy. Venezuela had by far the loveliest ladies, that seemed to get pregnant a little too soon.

Amazing hostel in Manaus

Chilled 4 days in Manaus, 2 with Benjamin a cool young "Franca" gringo that was going around and with whom we shared the french language. One local couchsurfer was great and came to take us out and show us around. She wanted absolutely to invite us to eat which resulted in all of us walking in dark obscure places for her to find a inexpensive place. We all ate for about 6$ and didn't get robbed so the goal was succesfully and ungracefuly reached. I couldn't be happier with the hostel because it provided lots of new traveller souls with whom to share Manaus vibe.

Aldo travelling alone was a choice, meeting new people and discovering things together has so many advantages, outside of just getting to know someone else's world. Manaus has a special vibe to it, becase of all its culture, it's very visible young people and the market all sharing this intriguing place.

Smooth mural

After 2 great days of chilling with french Benjamin, an invitation came from one of the local splendid girls travellers residing in the hostel. Finally the occasion to see a night club and her friends would come to pick us up. Unfortunatelly a previous invitation for "Carnaval practice" bathed in local beers, had a anesthetic effect on my legs. The proof that one's energy is a limited asset. The good side is that I get to have another first time out occasion. When the pictures came out the next day, there was so much missed beauty and grace that I couldn't forgive myself...for at least a day...

Note to self: Being surrounded by beauty and grace is a "muito legal" new general goal in life from now on.

Pictures Manaus: http://picasaweb.google.com/106908159456560056891/20140217_20140221_Manaus_Brazil

Just when I was about to let the hostel sort out my next boat ride, a new traveller showed up, "Tostel"(El Grandhe) with his imposing 2 meters and wanted to share the ride, which would make the 4 day hammock ride on the amazon a safer trip. Following his advice and in thirst of adventure, we decided to get the ticket straight from the captain, whichwould be 20$ cheaper and we could reserve a good spot for our hammocks. In order to get it from the captain, we have to get to the boat and through the gate, which is illegal. Unsatisfied with such an answer and knowing that the possibility existed...we tried the backdoor or as normal people call it, the pier's parking spot and fell on a cool guard that told us to come later around 19h.....which we did. Unfortunatelly the boat wasn't there and had to wait at least one hour, so we went to a truck loading beer and other goodies on a boat. 5 minutes later we had purchased 12 beers(mostly because of the german collegue) for a ridiculous amount of money, like 6$ and found a spot to create a lovely beergarden. A shy local curious tanned soul joined us randomely and his presence cheered us up. He was a simple guy, 18 of age, missing many teeth already but always smiling. He had a dark skin and was very skinnny, but always with a enlighted look and soft manners. Strangely, he didn't wanted to drink, just to enjoy 2 gringo's company, which was a great exercice to learn the language and passed time so much faster. 2 hours have past and the boat was in. 30 minutes more and we were invited in to buy the tickets. 30 minutes later we're chilling back at the hostel inhabited by a feeling of achievement.

Pinch me, must be a dream

The big day is there and having a heavy breakfast in order to prepare my shrinking belly for anything. Got to the boat about 30 min before scheduled departure at noon.
A lovely smile from a random cute sellswoman together with a verbal compliment made my morning and took my breath off, but my knees responded ungracefully letting my full weight plus bags down. No harm done besides the masculine bruised ego. Goes to proove that grace, beauty and charm are once again my weak spot in this life. Its a craving and whoever can fulfill those needs will have the focus of my usualy divided attention.

My hammock between FatBastard and El Grandhe, just before the lady came in between

Back to the rusty Amazon boat with our reserved spots...WTF...there's a HUGE fat(let's call him fat bastard) guy on the space right next to mine and without "vergona" he's laying uncharmingly sideways covering 4 spots with a robe lookalike that would make him a perfect roman. I look at him and say sorry as politely as I can, just to see if he'd move away, while cursing outrageously in my head since I waited 2 hours the previous night to have a cool place and there's many other places on the boat. He doesn't even blink, which is why I chose to call him fat bastard and together with the german, we move our hammock one spot further. Even on this spot, I still have his uncut toenails stabbing my back, so I move around to show him that patience is not my best asset. Just when about to throw him overboard, a lady comes filling the floor with about 20 huge bags and she sets her hammock in between me and big bastard.
Do you know that feeling when anger sets in and you feel like a war lord about to set everything on fire while not taking any prisoners. Exactly like when someone ungracefully keeps pushing his bag in your face when you sit on a bus, over and over again...

Drunk vaqueiro

Only one way to do...breath and relax...and throw the roman whale back into the water together with the lady and her packages. Once again I chose to keep my sexual orientation out of prison and make the best of it, ataching my hammock even further.
The real reason for my lack of action is that my full atention went back to a new younger passenger wearing a lovely pink bra boarding our ship. If there's one thing that beats anger in my universe is definitelly lust. How can anybody resist, young, sensual, graceful and feminine temptation. She speaks french and has everyone's attention with her colorfull dress, even the drunk local vaquero that loves to sing is hypnotised by her presence. He took out a wallet made of black socks that he had tied to his belt, which ended in his jeans pockets and paid her a fruit juice probably hoping like all of us males on this boat to have a sweet taste of her passion fruit later.
Sun was setting on this first day of cruising and strangely we were still in the harbour where these extremelly strong men, keep loading the boat or trucks. at about 18h the boat moves and my German friend is relieved after such obvious lack of precision(6 hours late already). To our surprise, only 2 minutes later, the boat goes back to another part of the pier where we will wait another 3 hours while the boat guys load cars and trucks on board. It's funny to see because at some point one car is half way out from the other side of the boat and all passengers look at the imminent accident possibility. Eventually only a bit sticks out...and it will stick out for the entire trip :)
We are supposed to get free food, but to our discontent, it costs. Eventually we make more friends, there's Venezuelian jewlery makers, Peruvian singers, an English writter and more.

Pink fruit

To my surprise, the only attractive fruit isn't our pink passion fruit and apparently I'm on the menu also, when the Peruvian singer, tries to get me drunk(I decided not to drink on this trip, but still had a glass of acai wine, because thirst for new things is one of my lovely weaknesses) and pushes his luck by grabbing my hand...WTF...I excuse myself politely trying to understand what's going on, since he just said he had a wife and I almost run to my gringo group. Eventually the day got to me and back to stepping between bags to get to my whale infested hammock, which to my sweet surprise chose to move somewhere else around 2AM....VICTORY, next 3 nights will be awesome, especially that I told the luggage lady to move over to the bigger now empty space.

Pictures from the boat Manaus-Belem: http://picasaweb.google.com/106908159456560056891/20140221_20140225_ManausBelemBoat_Brazil

Week 4

This week starts in my element. Indulging smooth ondulating movements. Most people seem to be under a spell or as Toronto's mayor would say "...drunk stupor..." while excitement seem to sneak into my world finding amazement in every breeze.

Pure force and beer

Can you imagine the coolness of a cool night in a hammock on a boat through the biggest and most ecosystem in the world. It's an out of this world experience and not a single grumpy person could ruin such a fantastic adventure. Even spiders changed into these lovely creatures crawling around on their sensitive webs protecting their bigger fellows.

Amazonian heaven gates

Such pleasure can come out of an enriched experience in the heart of Pachamama's lungs where everything and everyone melts together. In every pier we'd get out and the small groups from the boat would get to know others just to create one huge familly on the last day. I love the Brazil spirit, where we're all brothers and sisters. I never felt more welcome and accepted. Once in a while, small boats with locals would come near ours and sell us, shrimp, acai, mango and other exotic tasting goodies. I must admit, my heart was deeply touched by every bite filled with rich flavours.

Amazonian hell gates

In other circumstances, I could've seen rust, bugs, dirt, lack of hygiene, strange people, too much sun, cold water, incomfort, expensiveness and I would have been right all along, but there's also such a richness mostly driven my element and the friendly souls that hanged on in the same boat as I.

I do accept everyone and every style as long as it doesn't get in my way, but you can't stop and admire the strength of will of some stubborn travellers. One example is the vegetarian diet of some travellers, in a country where meat is a pretty important and present ingredient. It only got in my way because there were repetitive angry messages about the staff being unhappy with their chosen alimentary style and I can't but wonder, why would anyone would come to this country expecting to have vegetarian dishes. Either way, by the time you read this, those absurd comments will completelly be expelled from my reality and new ones will replace them. So be a fucking human being, meaning omnivore, and eat what is available...unless it's tarantula juice or cockroach salad. If you don't think that all other people will find you crazy for complaining for your choice of lifestyle...OMG, what do you mean ,you don't have pink slippers?

Amazing Peruvian singers

Back to rich flavours, met two amazing Peruvian singers on this boat that loved singing as much as they loved their alcohol. There isn't one instrument that could resist them and each sound would inspire a feeling in evey listener. The vibrations of their voice or of their instruments was astonishing.

Pictures from the bus Belem-Recife: 20140226_200228_BelemRecifeBus_Brazil

A great memory is burned into my psyche and concerns this local girl in her beautiful hammock and her lovely dresses, that she'd carefully change 3 times a day, always smelling deliciously. I've noticed her looks but until the last day, I didn't wanted to respond because she seemed to have a husband and directed my attention more to the pink passion fruit that seem to start passing her maturing time. Eventually the other members of the familly kept pushing me towards her and I had to admit that her insisting glances where absolutelly seductive. She would play the perfect push and pull game and my heart was stolen already, so I jumped on the occasion to verify if her chaperon was her lover, which he wasn't. A smile broke all damns and our sould met for brief moment, unfortunatelly I wouldn't seek anything in the long run, since she has 2 kids and other problems hidding under that absolutelly attractive allure.

Nothing like a little insisting shy glances in order to make the necessary space for seduction.

El Grandhe and sensual beauty

After many issues with the crew, I suggest you don't choose the boat "Liberty Star", because of staff lack of good vibrations, lack of free food, busted motor, trafiquers, etc. We had armed Narcos come on boat and bust 2 of the crew, also removing about 20 huge 1x1x1 meters boxes. We also had one of the 2 motors let us go in the middle of nowhere which made the last part of the ride, where the river meets the ocean, even more bumpier and slower. Apparently all my new more boat experienced new friends have only greater stories from other boats, so I strongly suggest you try this method of transportation because it has its many advantages, besides the cool stories.
Eventually we ended up sleeping on the boat for the last night saving some money and hoping to find an available ticket on the next night to the party city where I was going to meet backup.

After 5 nights in boat hammocks

Sometimes the gods are favorable and put small directions to follow. This time, there was a cool Brazilian that was going the same way and facilitated the trip, which was a 40 hour bus in confortable(but not confortable enough for 40 hours) seats. Had some interesting conversations about "Passo Libre", which seems to be a group of people organising violent manifestations to give back the power to the people. I like the idea, but it seems to have yet many holes and the violent part puts me off. On the other side, the guys were very cool and had honorable intentions.

Little stuborn fucker

I have to repeat that I absolutely love Brazilian people, they're friendly and generaly happy. They just seem to share Peruvian's taste for chaos for waiting lines and bus seats. It's almost a habit to lack respect in friendly way by getting into people spaces or push you around. Usualy a smile solves marvelously these small situation, but on my bus, this young guy seating in my window seat, had a problem with moving to his passage seat. It took 3 smiles and about 4 people to convince him. I think he never got over my determination, since he gave me evil looks until he got down 25 hours later. He even tried to incarnate Russia, thinking I was Ukraine, but he fell on Canada's mightness and he couldn't invade my terrritory...in the end behind my smiles, nature's law is the mightiest law of all.

Local sophisticated ultrasound building

Having so much time and a computer with a full baterry, I took this occasion to re-read an intense love story made by the texts exchanged between a sexy soul and me during last year's EuroTrip. To my amazement, we both wrote very passionate texts filling 300 pages that kept my imagination submerged into a bliss of lust. The passion and spontaneous love that resulted from a random kiss with a stranger is the type of life adventure that makes it worth living. It would make a crazy book and it's a worth to do project. Thank you bella ragata for the emotion storm...
We arrived and Carnaval will start, just in time...LIFE IS AMAZING, THANK YOU GODS, ANGELS, ALIENS, CONSCIOUSNESS, PACHAMAMA, [insert belief here]!!!

OH YEAH, almost forgot:

Stop burning babies