Amazon and on and on - Part 2

Ahoyhoy,

I´m back having had a kip waiting for the internet places to reopen.Don´t worry that you are only getting a taste of the trip. I´ll be publishing my book of it when I get back and, believe me, there is loads and loads more of the adventure. The blog is but a snapshot! Anyone know a good publisher?

So, to my surprise I managed to find transportation over the Easter weekend from Santana to Belem but I had to take two boats, the first an overnighter to Breves and then another overnighter to Belem but at least it was better than being stuck in Macapa for another 3 days with nothing to do.

The Ramon I was to be my home for the next day and thanks to the pontoon being level with the deck loading Sir Humphrey was easy.

So I tied up my hammock and got comfortable. This wasn´t easy as my travel string hammock is a poor substitute for the big fabric ones everyone else has.

For the next 30 hours I stayed here, looking out at the river and jungle eating uncooked dry noodles and tinned frankenfurters. Sometimes one has to eat to live rather than live to eat.

There are loads of little communities along the river banks only accessable by boat. Mine made MANY stops to resupply them.

At Breves I then transferred to the Custodio, a bigger steel ship, that whiskyed me through a storm to Belem for the next morning. Not a pleasant night! Getting off and on the boats was more fun this time, 3feet up and down ricketty split wooden planks.

Once at Belem the second most terrifying time of the trip occurred. Getting Sit Humphrey up the 12feet from the deck to the dock. I was ignored about how to lash him and he was lifted by crane with just one strap around his middle. I was too busy having a panic attack when his wheels went in the river to get any good photos but he made it to dry land.

So all I had to do know was ride 1250miles to Brasilia and this Sir Humphrey and I managed in two days. Not easy.

Alas Sir Humphrey has developed an intermittent problem resulting in massive fall off of power that, for now, seems to be rectified by switching him on and off. I am very concerned. If this is an engine management system problem it will be way over my head. We´ll just have to see. I have a know in my stomach about it!

Anyway Brasilia is like a grubby and old Dubai and there are monkeys in my hotel reception. I love monkeys but the little bugger wouldn´t stay still to have his photo taken.

I guess that brings you up to speed. Sorry if these two blogs have been a bit lacklustre but I am deeply tired, achy and seem to have lost some of what little remains of my cognition. Nevertheless chin up and onwards to Paraguay!

TTFN,

Tired Tiggerlumps