Belém: Gateway to the Amazon
Finn awoke early the next day feeling refreshed and full of anticipation. Here he was, Belém: gateway to the mighty Amazon and he was eager to explore.
After a quick breakfast of misto (a toasted ham and cheese sandwich) and coffee, he wandered down towards the Cidade Velha, the oldest part of the city, weaving his way through jumbled markets and shops hawking everything from umbrellas to underpants. Eventually, he arrived at the Mercado Ver-o-Peso, a vast bustling street market along the banks of the vast river. The whole area was full of life, noise and activity; the air rich with the smells of spices, fruits and fish. He watched as a modern-day pirate carved up a man-sized fish with a rusty blade in the fish market, bought some fresh, sweet papaya from a fruit stall and examined the mystical amulets and trinkets sold by the jewellers.
Leaving the market, he made his way up the mango tree-lined boulevards towards the Praça Republica, a leafy, relaxing space in the centre of town containing the lavish Teatro da Paz and some extravagant colonial buildings, now housing the local Government. Here he found a clean, self-serve restaurant and helped himself to a delicious lunch of dourada (a kind of catfish), salad and rice.
After a brief afternoon nap to avoid the rains, Finn made the short walk out of the city centre to the Zoo Botanic gardens housing a wide collection of Amazonian flora and fauna. He couldn´t help but rush about excitedly like a kid at the fair. There were spider monkeys, electric eels, harpy eagles, crocodiles, boa constrictors. The zoo even had a large jaguar, amusingly reclined on its back like a kitten under a radiator; all four paws hanging heavily in the air.
It wasn´t until he came across the strange, sad-looking dugong, looking like an over-weight dolphin as it sat depressingly in its shallow moat, that he felt a pang of shame. These animals shouldn´t be here as exhibits, they should be out in the jungle or in the river; free, as he was. Still, he couldn´t deny the pleasure he got from seeing them here and with the exception of the melancholy dugong, at least they seemed well-kept and happy.
He contented himself with this thought as he made the walk back into town and then down to the docks where he bought his passage to Santarém for the following day ( a 3 day boat ride) and a hammock for the journey. Walking back along the river, he came across the modern renovated port warehouses of the Estação das Docas, housing several up-market restaurants and bars as well as the Cervejaria Amazonas brewery. It was time for a beer...
After a quick breakfast of misto (a toasted ham and cheese sandwich) and coffee, he wandered down towards the Cidade Velha, the oldest part of the city, weaving his way through jumbled markets and shops hawking everything from umbrellas to underpants. Eventually, he arrived at the Mercado Ver-o-Peso, a vast bustling street market along the banks of the vast river. The whole area was full of life, noise and activity; the air rich with the smells of spices, fruits and fish. He watched as a modern-day pirate carved up a man-sized fish with a rusty blade in the fish market, bought some fresh, sweet papaya from a fruit stall and examined the mystical amulets and trinkets sold by the jewellers.
Leaving the market, he made his way up the mango tree-lined boulevards towards the Praça Republica, a leafy, relaxing space in the centre of town containing the lavish Teatro da Paz and some extravagant colonial buildings, now housing the local Government. Here he found a clean, self-serve restaurant and helped himself to a delicious lunch of dourada (a kind of catfish), salad and rice.
After a brief afternoon nap to avoid the rains, Finn made the short walk out of the city centre to the Zoo Botanic gardens housing a wide collection of Amazonian flora and fauna. He couldn´t help but rush about excitedly like a kid at the fair. There were spider monkeys, electric eels, harpy eagles, crocodiles, boa constrictors. The zoo even had a large jaguar, amusingly reclined on its back like a kitten under a radiator; all four paws hanging heavily in the air.
It wasn´t until he came across the strange, sad-looking dugong, looking like an over-weight dolphin as it sat depressingly in its shallow moat, that he felt a pang of shame. These animals shouldn´t be here as exhibits, they should be out in the jungle or in the river; free, as he was. Still, he couldn´t deny the pleasure he got from seeing them here and with the exception of the melancholy dugong, at least they seemed well-kept and happy.
He contented himself with this thought as he made the walk back into town and then down to the docks where he bought his passage to Santarém for the following day ( a 3 day boat ride) and a hammock for the journey. Walking back along the river, he came across the modern renovated port warehouses of the Estação das Docas, housing several up-market restaurants and bars as well as the Cervejaria Amazonas brewery. It was time for a beer...
posted by Dan Osborne | 12.1.06
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