New Beginnings

First Shopping at Makro

This is a warehouse type store. The cost is no better than a regular store...everything is just in larger quantities and is a whole lot dirtier.

They have Pringles, but the cost is outrageous! The flavor looks a bit odd too.

Dennis figures out which coffee and filters to buy.
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First Day of School

First day of school at Amazon Valley Academy
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Caleb's 9th Birthday

Caleb celebrated his 9th birthday on his first day of school at AVA. We took a cake up to share with his 3rd/4th grade class.

Birthday cake at home that night!

Trevor and Janelle Collazo went through PFO with us and got their visas a few weeks earlier than we did. They helped us a great deal when we finally arrived. They came down for Caleb's birthday meal and gave him some flip-flops.
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First Trip Downtown

Standing by the front gate of the school. A guard is at the gate only letting in folks that are supposed to go in.

The road from the school's gate to the main road where we can catch the bus...the BR, a main highway that runs from Belem all the way to Brasilia, over a thousand kilometers away.

Crossing over the BR on the passarela (overpass) to get to the bus stop.

A statue of Jesus by the Amazon River
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Docas

Half of the shipping docks have been turned into a tourist area with restaurants and shopping.
We are standing along the riverfront outside that area.

Walking along the Amazon Riverfront

The shipping area of the Docks
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Ver-O-Peso

This is a large outdoor market area. You can buy just about anything you need down there.

This is the grain area.

This man is selling various dried meats and fish.

They are sewing up the baskets of shrimp to be sent inland for selling. There were area for fresh vegetables, tinctures, medicines, small animals, the large building in this picture is the actual Ver-O-Peso, or fish market, with TONS of different kinds of fish to buy. It is an amazing place!
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Belem Fort

One of two forts on the mouth of the Amazon. The other is in Macapa, which is the far north side of the mouth. The mouth of the Amazon is approximately 250 miles across.

Heading into the Fort. There is a museum inside (all in Portuguese) that tells all about the fort and its protection of the city.

One of the many cannons that still sits at the Fort. You can see the battleship in the background.
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The Praca

By the park next to the Fort is this beautiful, old Cathedral.

A pretty clock tower in the Praca.

We bought some coconut water to rehydrate ourselves in the heat.

Trying coconut water for the first time.

This is how Elisabeth thinks it tastes.

Here is a view of the Per-O-Peso and the Docks from the Fort.
Beautiful!

A floating gas station in the river.