Brazil Day 2: Off to Belém

Saturday morning was used to relax and prepare for more flying. We sat in the lobby waiting for Fred and Julie when another guest, who was once again Asian, came and sat in a chair beside me. No big deal. We sat there for a few minutes and then I saw a bright light out of the corner of my eye and when I turned I saw this guy's phone pointed toward me and his camera light shining bright. So I immediately grabbed my passport bag that was around my neck and covered my face. Hello! What in the world. No paparazzi please! So I awkwardly sat facing away from him with my hand on the side of my face until he got up and left a few minutes later. So that was weird. Apparently he was not only new to Brazil, but he had never been to America or Europe to see a pale, green-eyed, brunette in the flesh. Dad said he noticed him looking at me and smiling when he first sat down.

So anyway, we road through the streets of Manaus and my opinion of the city remained the same. It was a little bit more lively than the night before, but buildings that looked like they were built for retail or business were abandoned. Rubble was everywhere and I noticed that the grass and trees were unruly, reminding me that our government takes care of maintenance so this must not be a priority for them.

Belém is Portuguese for Bethlehem. Some people in Brazil think Belém Brazil is actually where Jesus was born.

Manaus from the airplane.

We could see where the Rio Negro meets the Amazon River!

A rainbow from the airplane.

The Amazon River!

The Amazon River!

I had not eaten breakfast so I was ready for some lunch when we arrive at the Manaus airport. We got some ham and cheese croissants from 1 of about 3 food places in the entire airport and I am pretty sure I could have eaten about 4 more of those croissants. My impression of Belem was better than Manaus in that it seemed a little bit more lively and groomed. So when we arrived in Belem after a short flight we all agreed that food was next on our agenda. We ventured out of the hotel to a mall a little ways down the dark streets. Vendors and women in their stilettos and mini-skirts filled the sidewalk as we weaved in and out accompanied by lots of loud music, cars, and Portuguese. We made it to the 3 story mall which was booming with people. We looked for a good 45 minutes for somewhere to eat without prevail. No one spoke English, even police. We then finally found........the food court on the back side and top floor of the mall! I'm pretty sure my heart was fluttering with excitement when I finally saw some food options. Mom, dad, and I picked pizza for dinner and none of the people working there spoke English so we had a good time laughing with the employees as we finally communicated that we wanted a 4 cheese pizza and 3 sodas. Employees were coming from the kitchen to watch and laugh at our attempt to communicate. As we walked through the mall and down the streets to go back to the hotel, dad and I noticed people literally stopping and looking at me. They would either stare for a few seconds or smile. I figured that I stood out with my pale skin, light eyes, and short brown hair combination. It was an odd feeling to see so many people obviously amused by my appearance. In the USA I am so use to blending in I guess.

With food in our bellies we ventured back out into the party streets and slept well. 

Our trip over an overpass in search of food in Belem