Tabatinga is over 1000 Km away from Manaus ... and the fast boat covers the distance, including a few stops in about 28 hours. For the speed, the money is definitely well spent, and it is a fairly comfortable ride, with much better food than the normal boat. However, in terms of overall comfort, the hammock was actually much better option - there is a lot more space to move around, and there is also the fact that you can actually lie on the hammock to sleep which is a lot better than a reclining seat.
The main problem with boats, especially when you do not speak the lingo is boredom. The fast boat had a constant rotation of B grade movies (dubbed and subtitled in Portuguese) and music videos (which were a lot more interesting), but one can only stare at a small screen for so long.
The fast boat is a bit too fast to really appreciate the scenery - but the sizable increase in deforestation (compared to Peru) is hard to miss regardless. The rivers is also a lot wider, almost stretching into the horizon from one side!
Edit: I forgot to add this ...
The most and only exciting part of the trip was when the boat was stopped by the Police about 2 hours down river from Tabatinga. Identity documents were scrutinised, bags were thoroughly searched (surprisingly, no dogs though) and two people were yanked (with their luggage) for further questioning. One person came back, and then the boat left. With my crudest Spanish and Portuguese, I managed to learn from one of the passengers (who had decided to take a smoke on the docks) that the yanked passenger had 2 Kilos of cocaine strapped to his thighs.
This also reminds me about the extra scrutiny I got at Peru (see last post). I learnt later from the guide that many South Africans pass through the tri-border area; and most of them carry false papers, and are involved in the drug trade.
The boat was very prepared for the search: all the bags were left on the aisle and only after the police check were they placed in the hold. Clearly, it is a regular occurrence - I just wonder how the police conduct searches on the bigger riverboats - esp with cargo and passengers and no dogs ...
2 comments:
Hi! Fellow South African here. Not sure if you check your comments anymore but, can you remember how much you paid for the fast boat, and were you bought the ticket? I know it was a long time ago but any assistance will be much appreciated. Thanks!
Hi Ingrid, At the time, I paid 300 Reals. I bought the ticket from a counter at Tabatinga harbour for the fast boat. I did get some assistance from a local at the time. Good luck with your travels!
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