Grand South America & Antarctica Voyage, Alter do Chão, Brazil...

Our last port in Brazil. I was out on the forward deck around 8 am for our sail into Alter do Chão.  The first thing I saw was that we were sailing past Santarém before our anchorage position. We took the first tender to this beachfront resort town. Since our last visit in March 2020, the river has receded significantly and the areas beautiful beaches are totally visible. It really is incredible how low the water level is now, especially when you compare it to when I was here in December of 2019, during the low water season.  Due to the low water, the tender pier was a floating dock so we had to walk up the beach to the permanent tender pier near the walkway into town. We followed the riverfront walkway to the town square. Alter do Chão is best known for its Ilha do Amor (Island of Love), a picturesque island ringed by a white-sand beach directly in front of town. On this visit we had a great view of this offshore island. Next, we visited Our Lady of Good Health Church across from the town square...  We walked around town did some shopping and then headed back to the pier area…we looked around the pier side outdoor market before taking the tender back to the ship. The rest of the afternoon was spent poolside...it was another really hot day in Brazil. Another great day and tonight we are having a President’s Club dinner. It was touch and go despite all the hurdles but we made up and back on the Amazon River…thanks to a skillful Captain and his team…Well done!