Located near the Guama River, Belem is the capital of the state of Para. The river here defines the Belenense Life and located along the banks are many of the city’s most interesting sights. It was the discovery of rubber and its importance in the 19th and 20th centuries that triggered an economic boom in Belem. The newfound wealth fuelled the infrastructure and it was during this time that most of Belem’s colonial buildings were constructed. Belem became known as the “Tropical Paris” and this culture is still evident in the city today. Today, Belem remains an important commercial and economic centre, transporting large numbers of fish, shrimp and timber through it port.
We were very lucky with the weather today, there was a huge rain shower just before we left in the tender and then another right after we came back, so we had great timing for our day in this city. The tender ride was about 20 minutes and the water here is very brown because of all the sediment that flows down the Amazon river - it is amazing to be here, this has been on the list for some time, so enjoying every minute. So although there is a strong commercial element to the city, they have recently done renovations to the dock and promenade areas bringing back to life the cultural heritage and the 19th century charm. We strolled this area which also contains Mercado Ver-o Peso, Brazil’s largest outdoor market but unfortunately many stalls were not opened as today is the big Carnival day here in Brazil, many shops and sights were closed including the Zoo which we had hoped to visit. We did get to the Forte do Presepio which is one of the oldest and dates back to the early part of the 17th century, it was built to defend against the Dutch and the French. All in we walked about 12 kilometres around this city seeing many of the sights and the beautiful old buildings, many needing a little TLC. Although we were warned about possible problems here, but today, because of the holiday, felt like a Sunday morning with limited traffic and people on the streets. We did have an interesting time in the market with all the varieties of merchandise including many live animals available for sale. Tonight we had a very fun night as we were celebrating Carnival and Fat Tuesday. Here are a few pictures of our day, hope you enjoy… Tomorrow will be exciting as we cross the equator once again, they are having an event at 7:30 tomorrow morning where you can place one foot in each of the hemispheres, north and south. Hmmm, we will see if I/we attend…
Quote of the day: “ Once a year, go somewhere you’ve never been before” - Dalai Lama
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