From the colonial Sao Luis we took a bus to Belem, which is a large city on the mouth of the mighty Amazon River. Our plan was to take one of the local boats up the Amazon to Manaus. Photos below are from one of the ports in Belem. This was one of the shadier parts of the city where even the taxistas were hesitant to enter yet the boat that was to take us up the Amazon River departed from this very pier. Surprise was on our side as none of the vagabonds hanging around this place had a chance to plan an assault and separate us from our belongings. I wonder what the locals thought as they saw two blond guys walking around with their backpacks asking for a boat ride to the heart of the Amazon.