Grand South America & Antarctica Voyage, Parintins, Brazil...

I was up early and out on the front deck for our arrival into Parintins. There were some challenges with the tenders, but we made it on the first shoreside boat…an adventure! Ann, Cathy and I were anxious to start our day before the heat of the day. Parintins is a small city on the Amazon River…there are no bridges or roads that connect the city-island of Parintins to the rest of the world. Parintins is home to thousands of low-income and Indigenous Brazilians. Its position along the Amazon River makes it dependent on commodities and resources that arrive from far away cities. The city is 200 years old and has a rich Indian heritage. Parintins is known for a popular folklore festival held there each June called Boi-Bumbá or bull dance. Once ashore, we walked up the walkway from the tender pier…you could definitely see the effects of the low water on this port. We walked to see the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church and Square. The city's colorful streets, wall art and statues take in the lively atmosphere of the city. We stopped at a local roadside market looking for hot chili peppers but no luck... Circling the block, we headed back to the market closest to the cruise terminal and did some shopping. Our plan was to do a quick tour of the town which we did and took an early tender back to the ship…it was another hot and very humid day in the Amazon. Back on the ship, I spent a fair amount of time on the back deck watching for the pink dolphins. I decided to pack it up as the ominous sky was ready to burst with some liquid sunshine. Short but enjoyable stop in Parintins…