Today’s post is 1950 words, 39 photos, 3 videos, a 10 minute read. Enjoy!
Hi everyone,
This week we say farewell to our friends in Belo Horizonte and travel to Belém in northern Brazil. There we’ll meet new friends and enjoy experiences in the Amazon region.
If you missed any of the nine earlier posts in this series on Brazil, click here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
The Trail from Belo Horizonte to Belém
We were up early to finish packing and have coffee and breakfast before heading to our usual meeting place. We would travel to the airport on the bus we rode while in Belo Horizonte. It was hard to say goodbye to Diana, our home host. We enjoyed our time with her and the other members of the Friendship Force club. Here’s the last photo I took before boarding the bus. Diana is on the left and another host couple on the right.
After checking in at the airport, we had a couple of hours before our flight to Belém departed. We passed our time having another coffee, reading, and talking about our time in Belo Horizonte.
We arrived in Belém at about 3 PM after a short stop in Carajas. Overland it’s 1700 miles (2750 km) from Belo Horizonte to Belém. Our hosts, Nazaré and Cornélio, met us and spirited us away to their 9th floor apartment home in the city. 
Nazaré spoke English so we were able to communicate with her. Cornélio spoke very little English but understood more, we used the Google Translate app when needed. Our host’s apartment has four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a large living room, dining room, and kitchen. Off the kitchen was a small bedroom and bathroom for their maid and cook. Otilia has been with their family for 48 years! Our bedroom was roomy and had a private bath. Thankfully, we also had air conditioning. It was 90°F (about 32°C) and humid. We were just south of the Equator. No wonder it was hot!
That evening, the Friendship Force Club of Belém hosted the eight members from Madison and their hosts at a welcome dinner. It was held at the community room of one of their members. The dinner was excellent, I really liked the dish with shrimp. 
On one of the tables was this nice fresh flower arrangement with the US and Brazilian flags. The flag of Brazil is interesting. The blue disk in the middle is dotted with 27 stars with one star above the national motto Ordem e Progresso (Order and Progress). These stars represent the 26 states of Brazil plus the federal district of Brasilia, the nations capital. The lone star at the top of the blue disk is for the state of Pará the most northern state at the time the flag was designed. Belém is the capital of the state of Pará. 
During our stay in Brazil, I learned that Brazilian parties include some type of music and dancing. The musician in the photo below is blind. He sang songs in both Portuguese and English. At the beginning, he played the national anthems of both countries, a nice touch. The Carimbo Dancers are club members that enjoy folk dancing. The video offers a little look into their dancing culture.
After the party, we were off to bed excited about the next day’s adventure.
But first a little about Belém.
Belém
Belém will be in the news beginning tomorrow through the next couple of weeks. The city and the country of Brazil are hosting COP30, the United Nations annual Climate Change Conference. Tens of thousands of visitors from nearly 200 countries are expect to attend. Unfortunately, our country, the United States of America, is not sending an official high level delegation to this important meeting near the endangered Amazon region.
We were in Brazil in late May and early June. Our homes hosts in Belém were concerned about the impact of the conference on the city. There weren’t enough hotel rooms to house the delegates. To address that concern, organizers brought in three large cruise ships that would dock at the riverfront. During our stay, we saw several places in the city that were getting a buffing up for the coming tide of visitors. I’m interested to hear how it all worked out.
Belém, in addition to being the capital is the largest city in the state of Para. There are nearly 1.4 million residents in the city proper and a total of 2.4 million in the greater metro area. A majority (60%) of the people identify as biracial, 26% white, 11% black, with the remaining 3% as Asian and Indigenous. About three fourths of population are followers of the Catholic faith.
The city was founded by the Portuguese in 1616 and was named Belém from the Portuguese word for Bethlehem. The city’s location along the Para River that flows into the Atlantic Ocean makes Belem the port where products are exported such as iron ore, aluminum, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and wood. At one time sugar and rubber plantations created significant wealth in the area.
While the colonial architecture brought to Belem from Portugal is still prevalent, the city itself is quite modern with skyscrapers and high rise apartments. In the next few posts I’ll share photos and descriptions of both.
Ilha do Cumb
After a good nights sleep, we had a very nice breakfast of sandwiches and fruit prepared by Otilia. The coffee was excellent and plentiful. Cornelio and Nazare took us to the pier on the waterfront to catch the 10 minute boat ride over to Combu Island. This island of about 3700 acres (1500 hectares) or about 5.8 square miles (15 square kilometers) is an environmentally protected area. Combu Island is inhabited by about 200 families of traditional riverside dwellers. The economy is based on fishing and harvesting forest products such as Brazil nuts, açai berries, and cacao. Tourism is also important with riverside restaurants and artisanal chocolate production.
As we waited for the boat to take us to the island, I took the opportunity to shoot a few photos of the river front.
Soon we boarded the boat and sped off towards Combu Island. We had to hold on to our hats and dodge the light spray created by the boat.
When the boat reached the island, we entered a secondary river channel to take us to our first stop. Along the way we passed several homes built on stilts. Boats on the water are the main mode of transportation on the island.
Soon we arrived at the riverside community of Ygara Artesanal.
Not only do they sell locally made crafts, they provide visitors with an experience in their environment. But first, let me introduce you to Marcus, our friendly English speaking guide for the duration of stay in Belém. If I recall correctly, he was 24 at the time. Already a certified tour guide, he’s studying at one of the local universities. A couple of times during the week, he had to take exams. We wished him well. He passed!
Marcus and the owner of Ygara Artesenal, Charlas (everyone calls him Charlie), took us behind the shop to show us flora and fauna important to their community. Charlie showed us an example of a rubber tree that made Brazil wealthy. Then he showed us how açaí berries are harvested. He fashioned a wreath from the large leaves of another plant then used it to climb the açaí palm. Here’s a short video that demonstrates this feat.
The açaí berries are known to be rich in antioxidants and heart-healthy fats. They are often consumed in smoothies, açaí bowls, juice blends, energy drinks, and ice cream. During our time in Brazil, I tried açaí a few times, once in a fresh smoothie and another time in ice cream. The best was when it was mixed with tapioca and added sugar. It’s an acquired taste.
Charlie also showed us the harvest of Brazil nuts, or Para nuts as they are known locally. They are ready when the large pods fall from the tree. It’s heavy so watch out for your head! Again, here’s a video of Charlie extracting the actual nuts. He took a machete to create the opening so the 15-20 Brazil nuts could be harvested. The nuts are then spread out to dry in the sun to extend their self life. All this work is done by hand, that’s why they are so expensive.
Charlie showed us the bee hives that pollinate the fruits and nuts grown in his part of the Amazon region. I kept my distance and backpack with my Epi-pen close at hand in case of a bee sting.
After our time in the warm sun, we were treated to a glass of cold passion fruit juice. It was so delicious. As I waited at the dock to board the boat, I snapped this photo. One of my favorites from the day.
Restaurante Porto Combú
When we pulled up to the dock of the Restaurante Porto Combú, we were met with the sweet smell of these flowers.
As we walked the boardwalk from the dock to the restaurant, we were warned to be careful. I think because there was a muddy swamp below.
While we waited for our food to be delivered, we were entertained by a musician and a couple doing a folk dance.
From the restaurant, we could see the skyline of Belém across the river.
The muddy river water did not stop locals or visitors from swimming in the fresh water. These girls came directly from the water to the restaurant. I couldn’t resist taking the photo!
Filha do Combu-Casa do Chocolate
After the delicious lunch and entertainment we boarded the boat for a visit to Casa do Chocolate-Filha do Combu. This business harvests cocoa pods from the native trees on Combu Island and process them into artisan chocolate. The goals are for sustainability and to provide income for the local community. The factory and business is only accessible by boat but many locals and tourists come by each day to buy these chocolates.
We had samples and the opportunity to purchase chocolates for friends back home or consume ourselves. We were also offered a taste of a liquor called jambu made from sugarcane and the leaves of the jambu plant. I took a little kiss of the liquor and immediately felt the numbing effect. It might be good anesthetic when you have a toothache but other than that I don’t see the appeal. It is popular with the locals. It’s also used in some regional dishes with shrimp and meat.
Meet Dona Nena. She’s the local woman that started this business in her kitchen and has grown it to a thriving business to benefit the community.
After being transported back to the port in Belem, we were met by our hosts. Back at the apartment we rested and prepared for the evening meal with Cornélio’s daughter, Marcia and her family. Marcia was an exchange student in Lake Park, Minnesota in the early 1990s. She works for an organization that places students in study abroad program including the US. Her two sons studied English in Vancouver, BC. For the first few days of our stay, Nazaré’s grandsons, Pedro and Antonio, were staying with their grandparents while their parents were away on business. We had a great time talking about movies, books, and stories of travels. It was a fun evening with interesting people.
Join me next week when I’ll take you to Mosqueiro and a tour of the city of Belém.
I’ll end with the five senses plus one.
Saw – houses on stilts, muddy water, lots of trees in the rain forest, lots of high rise buildings
Heard – birds singing, honking traffic, roar of jet engines, the sound of boat motors, music playing
Touched – a rubber tree, railings, stairways
Smelled – flowers, auto exhaust, coffee, food cooking
Tasted – cacao, Brazil nut, passion fruit juice (very refreshing), shrimp, crab, ice cream, chocolate, jambu, coffee
Learned – about making chocolate, cacao, Brazil nuts, açaí, rubber, traveling with others
Until next week, happy travels!
Tom
PS: Click here for a link to the post about my book “Farm Boy.” Contact me if you are interested in purchasing a copy. Thanks to all have plunked down your hard earned dollars and read the book. TM