Caracas to Rio - Planning stages for trip
 

We're planning for a ride to my favorite country in the world, Brazil in the near future (next 12 months). The plan is to get our bikes by boat from Miami to Venezuela (either Caracas or Maracaibo) and ride to Manaus. From there, take an Amazon boat to either Santarem or Belem and ride to Rio. There's lots of good info here on the board but I still have a few questions.

??Weather - I'm getting conflicting info on weather off the net. Its telling me that the dry season in Venezuela is Dec - May but the wet season in the Amazon is the same time, Dec - May. I know there's only on road to Manaus and would definately like to take it at its best, not its worst.
What's the best time to go?

Road condition - I hear the road from the Venezuelan border to Manaus is paved and pretty good with a new bridge?

Distance and Riding Time - How many kilometers is it from the Venezuelan border to Boa Vista? from Boa Vista to Manaus? Assuming decent weather and road conditions, how many hours?

Thanks. I'll keep searching for info...

Road conditions and options
 

Wet Seasons vary throughout the Amazon. But never count on a dry season beeing dry. The Road from the brazilian border to Manaus is 1200 km's all paved and in good condition. I drove it in two days last year. There more options than a riverboat from Manaus. There is a road from Manaus to Porto Vehlo it is an adventurous one but take you right through the middle of the amazon. I drove it least year in four days, very muddy but beautifull scenary.
An other option is taking a detour through the guyana's from Boa Vista to British Guyana, Suriname and French Guyana to Macapa Brazil on the other side of the Amazon river from Belem. The Guyana's offer a lot more culture but takes more effort as the road through British Guyana can be quit bad after rain and from French Guynana to Brzail involves crossing a few rivers by ferry or small boat (canoe) ( unless bridges have been build sice 2003 when i took this trip)

Notice when stopping In Santaerm the road to the coast is the Trans-amamzonica which also can be bad after rain.

On my website you can find a few foto's off these roads www.trans-amerika.nl