After taking the motorcycles to the shop where the tires will be changed for more dirt-friendly ones, we headed out for a long walk around town. We visited the Cathedral and the port. A very Amazonian kind of town with everything a bit weathered, unkempt, and run down. This climate must be harsh on everything ... including people.
The port is your typical Amazonian port with big wooden and colorful ships anchored against the muddy banks of the Madeira River. Including the big weathered and rotting wooden plank walkway from the street to the ships down 100 feet below.
Visited the food market and the fish markets. An interesting experience. Different clientele in each. Multigenerational. It was already 100 degrees and humid by 11am so we headed for cover.
This city is a city of contrasts ... it feels full of energy with people going about their day, markets were busy, political demonstrations were on, shops were open, restaurants were on ... but at the same time, it all felt a little abandoned ... it was like people didn't care about the physical aspects of their homes or city ... dirty streets, unpainted building, rotted windows, broken sidewalks, weeds ... all of this with life on as if none of that matter or as if it was not there in the first place. I guess once you are in, you do not notice these things.
At the end of the day, we went to the Mercado Cultural de Porto Velho where we heard people congregate every night to chat, meet friends, and dance. A great social tradition in this town.
Tomorrow, we pick up the motorcycles at the shop and head to Humaita, deeper in the Amazon basin.
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