For a change, the location of the night’s rest place on the ferry, open fresh air and bathroom convenient downstairs, made a small difference and I had the feeling of sleep. Space to put your legs the way you want was a new experience after some time now. The cost for this experience was, due to the surface having been a wooden bench, some smaller pain to the bones, where actually hard meets hard.

Please click on “View Album” to see pictures in a Google+ Album.

The port area was a quite dangerous area and everybody reminded me various times to watch out for the camera as assaults were common. With the car already on the ferry, I did not make any plans anyway and was ready to absorb and watch the whole procedure of loading the ship. Looking on the map and due to my actual experience I realized that the state of Amapá is totally disconnected from the rest of Brazil and therefore totally dependent on ship transport. All goods had to come from overseas and be deposited in a distribution center or delivered and shipped in small numbers from Belem by any kind of boat.

With sunrise activity started and primarily food was loaded, onion, pepper, melons and cherry, medicine, children food, toilet paper and sanitary goods. As promised the ship was full and ready to go at lunchtime. We left the interesting city of Belem, probably 150 passengers and 20 crew members, three cars and tons of fruits and vegetables.

Just one hour after departure some loud noise from a fight between some people caught everybody’s attention. I was exactly one deck above and could just look down without really understanding the reason and when it got quite again I did not bother too much. I am a child in many things and I am still very curious about so many things, but I am not curious about accidents, fights and other people’s habits or looks.

One hour later the captain stopped the engine and made a turn back to join with the company’s returning ferry for what seemed to be a change of passenger. Under some yelling and applause a man changed sides and without asking people explained that he was on the wrong ferry and got angry as nobody felt responsible and let him get on board without checking. The ship is a small place and without asking I knew now what the fight was about.

The ship would stop the engine several times. As it is a commercial ship, this includes smaller deliveries including single plastic bags tight up and thrown into the water, to be picked up by a small, small boat with a small family or even just a single boy or girl picking up the delivery at various locations along the way.

Driving into the night through the bay with open waters was with a kind of mixture of an Amazon, open sea experience. The boat would find smaller arms throughout the night and spent actually the whole night on them. The whole tour is kind of divided into these two types of waterways, bay and river, bay during the day and river during the night, a coincidence due to time of departure and the distance of the whole trip.

For a small understanding of the days travel, I have included a Google Earth map. The red pins mark the locations I have stopped and taken pictures. At the bottom of the page you will find a link for all the pictures I have taken. The link will open in a Picasa album. At the top left of this Picasa album you will find the botton for a Slideshow.

Please click on map to enlarge!!!

See map and distances / Siehe Karte und Entfernungen / Ver mapa e distâncias / Ver mapa y distancias

Belem                                        0 km

Macapá                                 340 km

Please note, distance is air distance between the two cities due to travel with ferry!

Please click on “View Album” to see pictures in a Google+ Album.