Go to the south west corner of Porto Santana and work your way through the market, where you'll find a row of agents in small offices.I duck my head into a few to shop for a good price. There is a fast ferry (later I heard it was filled with drunks and crying kids) that is more expensive, then the slower barge, which I took. I followed the agent a mile or so to a slightly down stream area where my barge was docked. Remember that you are traveling with people that can't afford airfare, so keep an eye on your gear. I had no problems.

When the tide came in (2 hours after the schedule departure), the barge floated out of its dry dock and we motored out a canal and east into the night. It was about 7:30 PM. During the first night there was an armed guard in bullet proof vest and short barrel shot gun that scanned the river ahead with a powerful search light. Perhaps he was looking for objects floating in the water, at least in part. Otherwise he was watching for raiders. I laid on the deck near the from of the barge, drinking a and looking up at the stars.

It took ~36 hours to reach Belem. There was coffee and cracker with butter for breakfast. Hot lunch and dinner. We ate in shifts of 8 to 10 people. Before we left I picked up snacks and a six pack of , which the cook stored in his ice case (I gave him a for his trouble.)

Yes, secure your bike for the last ~10 hours as the boat travels up the Rio Para. Its a bump voyage as the vessel hits the oncoming waves. I used a tie down strap between the center stand and front wheel, then kept clear of the bike as it rocked a bit in the waves for the last few hours. If I were to do it again, tie your bike to the railing. Now that I think about it, my barge didn't have very tall railings, so that wasn't an option. Some people slept through the ruff waters that was the last night. Another passenger and I paced the deck without much sleep, until dawn. Calmer waters replaces the crashing head waves as we neared Belem.

Crossing the Amazon is one of those epic passages. One full day and two nights threading through the delta islands as the worlds mightiest river becomes one with the sea. Buy a hammock before getting on the boat. I still have mine and used it later on my trip.

There are all kinds of stories of travelers crossing the Amazon. I read about a guy who was befriended by a tug boat captain and go connected with a free ride. When I fall into idle daydreaming of my big trip through South America, the time on the barge often comes back to me. Take a book. I plugged into the electrical system (with a surge protector!) and worked on my blog for several stretches of the trip.

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Peter B
2008/09 - NJ to Costa Rica and back to NJ
2012/13 - NJ to Northern Argentina, Jamaica, Cuba and back to NJ
2023 - Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia...back to Peru.

Blogs: Peter's Ride