![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.peterwoolley.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/2017-01-19_alterdechao_1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n…and tons of boats….<\/p>\n
This morning, we sailed past Santarem, a place we’ll be returning to in a few days time, and dropped anchor about 20 miles further on, off the small village of Alter De Chao.<\/p>\n
Alter Do Chao is known locally as the Caribbean of the Amazon because, with its great bathing waters in what is basically a large lagoon, this is the place where many locals come to swim at a weekend and on holidays. It’s an unusual first stop on the river section of the cruise; in the past, it’s always been at the end of the Amazonian itinerary, but a slight change to the timetable thrust it forward in the grand scheme of things. For those who had never been here before, I think it probably came as a bit of a surprise, since it feels very touristy and seaside-ey… not terribly ‘Amazon’ at all.<\/p>\n
We were due to arrive at 11am, with a tender boat operation commencing very soon after. Unfortunately, things didn’t go according to plan. A passenger announcement explained that there was a problem with the quayside where the tender boats would be tying up. Passengers were asked to be patient and wait in the public lounges, where quizzes and other activities would be laid on until further information could be given. Time rolled on, and it all started looking bleak for Alter De Chao, with many folks starting to think we were never going to get ashore at all.<\/p>\n
However… this is the Marco Polo! And if there’s one thing we’ve learnt over the years of sailing on her, it’s that her dedicated crew and officers will not be beaten. I watched through Tracey’s new binoculars as the inflatable Zodiac took a small team of white overalled engineers to the quayside to sort things out. As far as we could tell, there were a couple of issues preventing disembarkation of the passengers, associated partly with the height of the river and difference in height between the quay itself and the tender boat, and the poor condition of the access to the stilted boardwalk from the beach, which leads into the town. Needless to say; both issues were fixed with a few planks of wood and screws, and a heap of hands-on ingenuity.<\/p>\n
A couple of hours later than planned, then, the tender operation began. We held tender tickets ‘S’, which meant we didn’t get to shore until 3pm. The last tender time had been extended by one hour, to 5pm, effectively giving us just two hours to enjoy Alter de Chao.<\/p>\n
We remembered that the whole of the centre of the village has free wi-fi, so this is where we headed. I had quite a lot of uploads and downloads I needed to do, and figured I should be able to wrap everything up in about 15-20 minutes, then spend the rest of my time pottering about and taking some photos. Unfortunately, the wi-fi was rubbish; logging on was swift and painless, but using it was hopeless. After about half an hour of trying, we gave up and went straight for the pottering\/photographing option.<\/p>\n
Despite being a relatively small place, there was a lot to see. We saw this magnificent iguana…<\/p>\n
…and tons of boats….<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n