Table of Content

• Introduction

• Day one: Getting the ticket and boarding the boat

• Day two: First night sleeping in a hammock and activities on the boat

• Day three: Food on board

• Day four: A beautiful sunrise

• Day five: Getting into a routine

• Day six: Arrival in Tabatinga

• What I've learned from this trip

Introduction

You know that sometimes you get one of these crazy ideas you think you would do, but you don't know how, and if it's a good idea, you decide to go for it anyway. That's how this Amazon river boat trip came to be; I was researching options on how I could get to Colombia and found out that there's a slow boat that takes six days because the ship sailing upstream opposite the Amazon river flow and covers around 1100 km from Manaus in Brazil, the largest city in the Amazon, to Tabatinga. This village sits at the border with Colombia and is close to the town of Leticia. I started looking it up online and couldn't find much information about this, at least not recent information. This is the perfect opportunity to write a blog post about this unique experience: to try and help others who would want to do this trip.

The most important things to consider for your Amazon boat trip:

• Buy the tickets in the port of Manaus a day before the day of departure or even on the day of departure

• Slow boats from Manaus to Tabatinga run every day apart Sunday and Monday

• Buy a hammock and ropes to tie your hammock

• It is very important to bring mosquito spray with you

• Buffet-style meals are provided; bring some snacks or fruits if you want, but it's not going to be a necessity; there's plenty of food.

• Get to the boat fast to secure a spot. Stay away from the toilets and bar area, as the music blasts all day.

• Try to find a hammock spot far from the bar or toilets.

Good to know :

• The ticket is going to cost between 450-500 reais (90-100$)

• You get three meals a day, and there's also free drinking water and coffee

• They have wifi on board that costs 1$ per hour and a half

• They have a small shop on board that only takes cash and pix( Brazilian payment app)

• They have plates and cutlery on board, but sometimes they run out, so some people bring their own Tupperware

• You can charge your phone and devices; there are a couple of extension cord

• You will sleep with your luggage and belongings near you. I've had no issue with leaving my stuff unattended, and I've had a laptop and cameras with me, but don't take that for granted, and be mindful of your stuff.

• The boat will stop along the way, sometimes for an hour or two or sometimes for even more. Ask the ship crew about the stoppage time and go for a walk or shopping. If you need something but are on shore, listen for the three honks and run to the ship; you don't want to be stranded in a random Amazon village without your luggage.

Day one: Getting the ticket and boarding the boat

I got my ticket a day before the trip from the Port of Manaus; there are some small street stalls just outside the port where you can buy tickets. If the dates you find from those agencies don't work for you, try also in the Port. I need to mention that this ticket only includes three meals a day, coffee and water on board, and a spot with the hammock if you would want a private cabin; there's also that possibility, but it would be at least twice as expensive, and the spots are limited.

I started the day by having breakfast with two friends I've made here in Manaus, one of whom I had just met that morning, and he made the same journey that I was about to do but the other way around, from Leticia to Manaus. He was accommodating in answering some of my questions regarding the trip and excited me for what was coming. Leo was such a nice guy with a great vibe. Unfortunately, we didn't have more time to discuss this, but he's also a travel writer, so check out his content here. 

Next, I returned to the hostel and got an Uber to the port; after getting there, I paid the five reais ($1$) port tax and went on to find the boat. I asked someone if they could point me to where the boat was, and they took me straight to where it was docked.

I would recommend getting there hours in advance because I arrived one hour early, and the boat was packed with people. I first stopped on the bottom deck and tried to squeeze there somewhere, but then I remembered that Leo mentioned that the upper deck would be an excellent spot to stay, so I went up and found a good place right in the back, far from the toilets or the bar.

I went on the deck and met some other gringos that were making this trip, and I was happy to make some friends with that I could spend some time the following days. The clock was close to 12, and the boat didn't look like it would leave soon; in typical Brazilian fashion, it had an hour delay, but we left at one pm.

I was saying goodbye to Manaus while looking at its port and boats, which seamlessly merge with the background of the colorful city buildings and houses.

It was a long day, so now that everything is sorted, I just decided to do some reading, nap, and test my hammock. I have to say I'm thrilled it's super comfortable. But the real test would be to see how I would sleep on my first night in a hammock.

Day two: First night sleeping in a hammock and activities on the boat

My first night of sleeping in a hammock just passed, and I have to say it was not that bad; my hammock is wide, and I have plenty of space to stretch. I've slept until 5:30. I tried sleeping more but couldn't. I'm still getting used to the ship's noise. In addition, there was a storm before, so cold winds were coming on the upper deck where I was sleeping. Since I was wearing only T-shirts and shorts, I woke up and put on some pants and a hoodie. A blanket would have been nice, but I chose not to carry one.

Since I couldn't sleep anymore, I woke up, showered, and prepared for breakfast. The breakfast looked like this. It was pretty basic, but enough, with some coffee, will do.

We're going to have so much time to fill the next couple of days, so luckily, one of my friends had a deck of cards, so we were all brainstorming games that we could play.

The only thing that is hard to get used to on this ship is that I'm not moving much. Given that I was used to walking 10-20 km daily the past couple of weeks on the boat, I think I average 4 km a day just walking around the boat. To release some of that energy, I started working out, doing pushups, pullups, abs, and whatever else I could. Luckily, I also had a resistance band that I used to stretch and do other exercises.

Dinner was at 5 p.m. every day on the lower deck. There was a queue, as the room where we could eat was not big enough to fit everyone. After waiting about 15 minutes, we went to eat, and I have to say that the food was quite tasty; I used my Tupperware to eat.

Day three: Food on board

Food was served at specific intervals every day, and the timing was announced by a bell ringing sometimes at the following intervals.

Breakfast: 06:00 – 07:30

It was pretty light, usually comprised of fruits, sandwiches, other pastries, and coffee.

Lunch: 11:00 – 12:30

Lunch was served as a bouquet, so everyone would grab their Tupperware, get the food, go back to the deck, and eat, or keep it for later if they were not hungry. We usually got rice and pasta with some meat, mostly chicken or beef, and sometimes veggies or salad. Some people would choose to eat in the small dining room because it was the only place where AC was working, and also, it was a great way to socialize with other people on the boat.

Dinner 17:00 – 18:30

Dinner was quite similar to lunch; sometimes, they would reuse some of the meat served at lunch and create a new recipe; nonetheless, it was also tasty.

On the third day, I started downloading the GoPro videos I was filming that day, so I started sorting them and combining them into a long blog video about this trip that you can check out here.

Yesterday, I was chatting with a friend I'd made on the boat, who told me she had done acro yoga. We thought about trying it on the boat's top deck, as nobody was there. It was so fun and an excellent workout. We said we could also try this the other days, so let's see if we both become better at it after these days.

Day four: A beautiful sunrise

The boat stopping at the Port woke us up, but I couldn't ignore the beautiful colors coming into the upper deck and onto the hammocks while I was still tired and sleepy. It was one of the most beautiful sunrises of the whole trip. Having spent so much time on the boat, I've got to marvel at the beauty of the environment I'm so lucky to spend time in.

In the afternoon, I've been spending a lot of time watching birds and how the Amazon River flows, marveling at how people live in some of the most remote places in the world. Today was a really slow day because we docked many hours in some local ports to load and unload, and I had a feeling that we'd be late arriving at our destination because of how much time we spent in the ports.

By now, I can say that I've gotten used to the sound of the diesel engine at night, but after all the lights were closed with only that sound in the background and the complete darkness of the Amazon, I could see the start like I hadn't seen before. It was such a wonderful moment; unfortunately, I don't have any good pictures to show it.

Day five: Getting into a routine

It's Saturday; days pass fast when you're relaxing and have nothing else to do. We got into a routine like this: We woke up around 6 a.m. Not long after that, breakfast was served, and we had some coffee with a sandwich and fruit.

After that, we get back to our hammocks and rest a bit. Following this, I've got into the habit of doing some morning exercise, and given that, I found an acro-yoga partner and practiced a few basic poses that I remembered from my previous sessions.

After my workout, I shower to freshen up and continue reading my books. I also lay in the sun and get tanned.

Look how time flies! It's already lunchtime. We had lunch and started playing card games to have fun and make the time pass faster. After finishing the card games, I returned to my books and began writing for the blog. Then I went back to hang out with my friends for a bit more, and not before long, we got called for dinner.

After dinner, it's around 19:30. It's time for the pre-night routine: shower, apply some mosquito spray, and get ready for sleep. Before sleeping, I try to read one of my books; then, I put on some music to block the sound of the engine and try to fall asleep around 21:00-22:00.

That's how my days have been lately. I can't complain, but it's been quite lovely.

Day six: Arrival in Tabatinga

I'm getting close to the end of this boat trip, and the excitement of visiting my country is getting higher and higher. Knowing that I've also got friends waiting for me in Colombia, I'm confident another adventure awaits me there.

​The boat got a bit late to Tabatinga because, in some places, it took more time to load or unload the cargo, so keep that in mind when you plan your trip. Given that, we arrived in Tabatinga late at night, around 2:30 am, and because we booked a hostel in Leticia, we had to walk ... a lot. Tabatinga is a small village at the border with Colombia, and there's no border between these two small settlements. So, without cash or the internet, we had to start walking the long, 3 km journey at 3 am, with all our backpacks in the Amazonian humidity. Just imagine how that went, but after an hour and a half of walking with some small breaks, we made it to the hostel and got to sleep in a bed after many days, which was a weird feeling.

The most important thing after you get to Tabatinga is to go to the Policia Federal point and get your existence stamp. I went there the second day, but the queue was so long that I didn't want to waste my day there, so I came back the next day. After you do this, you also have to go to the airport in Leticia to get your entry stamp into Colombia. After this, you're all set to explore the country.

In these last two days, I took some time to write about my experience in Brazil. It's been one month, and although one month is a long time for many to travel somewhere, that's not the case for Brazil. One month felt like scratching the surface; everyone I've met was traveling in Brazil for a few months. I would say that two months is a good start, like this, you get to experience some of the best places, have time to spend and not rush them. Thinking about my trip, I have to say that I've been guilty of that; some areas were rushed, and I didn't get to feel the full taste of them, but I have to say that it was a learning experience for me. It gave me a pretty good idea about Brazil. It's one of the best countries I've seen so far in my travels, and I've seen 37 other countries.

Back at the boat trip, I would say that only the first night was a bit more complex; after I got used to life on the boat and got into a routine, everything went quickly. Would I do it again? Certainly. On the same route? Maybe I can try another way. Let's say from Manaus to Belem. It would be interesting to get to the Atlantic coast and have time to visit the north coast of Brazil. That would be a fantastic trip.

What I've learned from this trip:

• I've missed long periods where there was nothing to do, no responsibilities, no pressing external factors, no stress, and no social media—just time you could think about life, relax, read, or write.

• Learning the local language, even a bit, can be such a bsignificantadvantage. In this case, Brazilians are such amazing people; they are very curious, social, and friendly. So, it helped that I understood Portuguese and could give some basic replies. Through this, you can exchange thoughts with the locals on the boat, learn about their ways of life and culture, and make time pass more quickly.

• It does help to have someone with you on this kind of vacation or to make friends on the boat. Don't get me wrong; doing this vacation alone is also lovely, but after spending a lot of time alone, it's also nice to have some company to discuss things. So I appreciated that I've made some friends on the boat to play cards, have food with, share some travel stories, and also have fun.

• Sleeping outdoors in a hammock is not that bad; it was the first time for me, and I'll do it again when I have the chance; it's comfortable, and I've got plenty of rest.

• My Kindle was one of my best things; before the trip, I downloaded four books I wanted to read in the next period and some guides for Colombia and Ecuador. It's the first time I've researched a country from a Lonely Planet book, but I have to say that it's relatively comprehensive and helpful to plan, and I think from now on, I'll use it in conjunction with online blogs and other sources.