Travels with Irene

I had never heard of Belem before I signed up for this Grand Voyage.  Now I find out that it has over 1.4 million people and is the capital city of one of the 26 states in Brazil, the State of Para. Founded in 1616 by Portuguese explorers, it is called the City of Mango Trees and also the Gateway to the Amazon.  Located just 100 miles south of the Equator near the Amazon River Delta, this city is in a tropical rainforest climate of high heat and humidity all year long.

This was our first tender port, meaning that our ship was anchored out in the harbor of the industrial port Icoaraci, and small boats took us for the 20-minute ride to the pier and terminal.  There we met our excursion tour guide for “The Best of Belem” and traveled by motorcoach about 45 minutes to Belem, with informative narration by the guide.

Our first stop was the Basilica of our Lady of Nazareth, built in 1909 in the neoclassical architectural style.  We walked in reverently as people were praying throughout the cathedral.  Stunning stained-glass windows depicting Biblical scenes reached upward and drew our attention to the ornate ceiling.  The front of the church was called “Glory” where the faces of the “Holy Family” were circled with actual gold.  This basilica hosts a world-renowned pilgrimage each October attended by over two-million Catholics.

For the next hour we toured Mangal das Garcas, an egret sanctuary which also was home to birds rescued from black market smuggling.  Hundreds of butterflies flitted around us in the Butterfly Center.  We walked up a winding wooden ramp to an overlook of the river, and I admit I was huffing and puffing a bit.  And I couldn’t hold onto the railing because it was covered with tiny black ants, and I sure didn’t want them crawling up my arms! The walking in the heat and humidity took its toll on us senior walkers, and we were grateful to get back on the air-conditioned bus for a drive through the city.

I was surprised by the sight of modern buildings on one street and run-down looking shops on the next.  And I’m sure ComEd would never approve of the jumbled bundles of wires on the electrical poles that I saw repeatedly!

Our last stop was at South America’s largest open-air market, Ver-o-Peso.  We were guided through blocks and blocks of tents and open-air stands filled with local crafts, produce, fish, and eateries.  Music was blaring from multiple speakers, and there was the hub-bub and commotion of local people buying daily necessities and tourists looking for the perfect souvenir. 

Our tender trip back to the ship was not an easy one.  The waves were choppy as our boat holding forty people approached the Volendam.  The captain of the tender had a hard time positioning the boat and getting it tied to the temporary gangway lowered down from the ship.  Two Holland America crew members held on to each of us as we took the big step off the boat to the little dock.  The last challenge was walking up the outside stairway to Deck A where I was helped aboard.  I sure was thankful to be safely back home!