I was not going to go out on deck for sail in photos this
morning but changed my mind and captured a few shots. The ship anchored and
Cathy and I got the first tender using a local double decker tender to get
ashore to Icoaraci. We then took the shuttle bus to Belém an hour away. Belém
is known as the gateway to the Amazon and also one of Brazil's busiest ports...about
60 miles upriver from the Atlantic Ocean. The river is the Para, part of the
greater Amazon river system, and the city is built on a number of small islands
intersected by channels and other rivers.
One part of Belém contains modern skyscrapers while the other part, the
colonial section, has charming tree-filled squares, homes and churches and its
19th century cultural heritage is still evident today. The shuttle dropped us
at the Estacao das Docas, an impressive renovation project in Belém, the
complex is three early riverfront warehouses transformed into a modern
commercial space with shops and restaurants. From here we made our way to the
largest open-air market in Brazil, the Ver-O-Peso markets, designed and built
in England and assembled in Belém. Here we found plenty of fresh fruits,
plants, and fish, and also medicinal herbs and potions. We walked around the
waterfront seeing fishing boats mired in mud due to the low tide and an
incredible number of vultures vying for whatever food they could pilfer.
Continuing through old town Belém we passed the St. Alexander church and
adjoining Bishops Palace and we went to visit the Metropolitan Church or Se
Church with its beautiful interior...this church over looks Forte Do Persepio
and a lovely flower filled plaza. Next, we visited the Fort, built in 1616 to
protect Portuguese interests against incursions by the French and Dutch...from
this point I could get some nice shots of old Belém and the Ver-O-Peso market.
Late morning, we made our way back to the Estacao do Docas to catch a shuttle
to return Icoaraci. This area is hot and rainy with very high humidity... Not to deviate from the norm, driving heavy rain met us
on our return to the tender pier...we were soaked to the skin by the time we
waited for the tender boat and got back to the ship. With the exception of the
rain, it was a very nice day in Belém and the people were very friendly….
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