I had slept very well last night with the sound of the rain in my ears and in my heart. Activities on board this morning started slow but the ship had to be unloaded completely, cleaned completely and had to be prepared for tomorrow for police inspection, navy inspection and departure. I was hoping to stay one more night, I was speculating to stay one more night. I was thirsty and walked to the nearest kiosk open in the port area of Tabatinga. The only kiosk open was owned by a priest; he was sitting at his desk right at the counter in front of his computer which was connected to a flat screen just a meter away and he was studying the word of God.

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On the way back to the ship I met a Peruvian iceman and had a strawberry ice. The ice was freezing cold, very tasty and quiet big, I accompanied the iceman to the fish market and had another ice cream, we arrived at the fish market and I had my third ice cream. Two poor young boys were sitting at the entrance to the fish market and were looking at me with their big browns eyes and I bought two more. I walked back to the ship, walked up to the empty passenger deck and connected the computer to the electricity to finally and consequently get up to date with the pictures and the diary.

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Maybe the other crew members thought I was a passenger again, thought I would be going back to Manaus and had already checked in and therefore did not bother at all about my presence on board. I had several breaks and walked to the front of the ship to watch the activities on the river or walked down to watch the carriers.  I was thirsty again and I walked to the fluvial taxi port this time. The streets towards the taxi port were full of commercial small businesses. I bought a chocolate ice cream and walked down to the square, to the entrance of the taxi port overlooking the different docks and observed the activities, small wooden boats with indigenous traders or indigenous families from the nearby communities arriving or leaving, buying or selling.

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I had been almost at the triple border Venezuela – Brazil – Guyana during my adventure to Mount Roraima and was now almost at the triple border Brazil – Colombia – Peru during my adventure on the Amazon River. I had seen from different locations today the military from Brazil, the military from Colombia and the military from Peru patrolling the border which was somewhere in the middle of the river. What an interesting and amazing experience from two different triple borders, one completely abandoned and of no political, military or police interest whatsoever on top of Mount Roraima and the other completely patrolled and under constant political, military and police observation in the middle of the Amazon River.

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I was quiet close to edit all the pictures and write the diary up to the end of last year and continued working, focused and determined to finalize this. I had to spend all afternoon working and was finally ready with beginning of the sunset. I had seen the captain just briefly today, he did not bother and neither did I. I was thirsty again and walked to the fluvial taxi port and the commercial street, bought a drink and had a final look from the square, nothing had changed and all activities were still the small wooden boats with indigenous arriving or leaving, buying or selling. I arrived back at the ship again and did not want to leave. Another tropical rain poured down, perfect conditions for me,  it was dark and nobody around, no captain and no other crew member, I sneaked into my sleeping bag and listened to the sound of the rain hitting the roof of the ship and the plastic cover of the windows.

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