Day 27 - Beijing, New Delhi, or the Amazon

Today, we left at our usual 8am departure time after a surprisingly nice breakfast in our bare-bones hotel in the middle of nowhere (Apui).

We knew today was going to be challenging ... 275 km all dirt through very remote areas. The locals said it was indeed a tough section.

At the beginning, we ran into the thickest smoke covering the road and everything around.  Reminded me of thermal inversions in Mexico City in the 80s.  Close to no visibility, eyes and throat burning, eyes watering ... had to stop and get my Covid mask out to wear under my helmet ... and went on and on for an hour or two. 

The road quickly turned into a mess with sand, gravel, deep holes, hills and drops, and deep ruts.  At least it was all dry and hard.  I cannot imagine trying to do this when it is wet.  Absolutely impossible on a heavy motorcycle like this one.

Because of the dust, we keep a few kilometers between motorcycles so unless somebody stops, we do not see each other for long stretches. After riding for a couple of hours without seeing anybody or any civilization I was glad that we had a chase vehicle coming behind (hopefully ... the chase vehicle has had its own issues also : )

We eventually all made it to Jacareacanda, our stop for the night, and the recounting of the adventure began. Guy's motorcycle frame cracked in two and the engine dropped to the ground ... touch roads indeed ... he is OK.  Rebecca fell over her motorcycle and twisted her ankle and leg ... she is limping but OK. We now have 2 motorcycles with cracked tail racks unable to hold the tail boxes anymore.  The front forks on all the bikes so far are holding miraculously. And so far we have had 8 flat tires.

After a few hours of riding, I saw a hut with some people outside and stopped to get some water.  Sat down with them to rest. The 3 of them had been at this hut for 2 days already.  Apparently their bus broke down nearby and they were waiting for a new one.  They slept on the floor the night before.  Reminded me of a Cuban movie I saw a long time ago with a similar story.

The worst event was that my phone flew off of its cradle and I lost it.  I flew blind for the last 2 hours ... no maps, no GPS, no phone numbers, no destination hotel names ... back to basic navigation by feeling alone : )

Tomorrow is a long day again all the way to Itaituba 400 km away.  Lets see how it goes. I will add some pictures from today's ride soon.

And, here they are ...

The view just outside of town as we departed

The morning thick smoke everywhere

Ghostly

Boarding our pontoon boat for the only river crossing without a bridge today

Lost count of how many of these bridges we have crossed already

Beauty even in the smoke and haze

Water everywhere

Made it to Jacarecanga all covered in red dust

Out very basic hotel in Jacarecanga - dust and dirt everywhere

Day 26 - Hot, Humid, Dirty, and the Art of Zen

Today, we rode 400+ kms all on dirt, crossed two major rivers on pontoon boats, and saw some of the best of the Amazonas yet.  All in all a great day.  

This is what motorcycle adventure riding is all about. To go places that are hard to get to ... with nature at its best ... rarely visited by outsiders ... and meeting people that expand your own worldview and your love for humanity.

The road was all red, dusty, dirt that created clouds half-a-kilometer long behind any vehicle.  There were very few vehicles but encountering trucks, buses, or cars meant getting showered with dirt. Tricky riding with ever changing terrain ... gravel, sand, ruts, mud, rocks, washboards.

I met a lot of people today, as we waited for our pontoon boats ... taxi drivers, truck drivers, shop keepers, trades people ... and decided to ask about politics given that Brasil's elections are coming up in 30 days ... Lula or Bolsonaro ... discussions were animated, full of laughter, and lots of teasing.

What we saw and what we experienced today was very special ... the remoteness and vastness of this area felt real ... so it is better explained with pictures.

Getting ready to depart Humaita

Oops ... no bridge ... or boat to cross the Madeira River

A school of Amazonian dolphins playing in front of us

A family installing a propeller on their boat to cross the river

Discussing politics with the locals while we wait for the boat ... Lula vs, Bolsonaro ... Oct 3

A nice stretch of the Trans-Amazonian Highway

Loaded on the boat crossing the Madeira River

Getting some shade on the boat ... 100 degrees and super humid!

We crossed around 20 of these rickety bridges today

The burning continues ... you could feel the heat on the road

No bridge to cross the Aripuana River either ... smaller boat this time

Eating red Amazonian dust ... it is everywhere

Hot ... dirty ... sweaty ... exhausted ... having fun ... on our second boat

Oops ... our chase vehicle

We went through thick jungle ... national parks ... Indian reservations

Another rickety and long bridge

Mesmerizing

Our first whipeout of the trip ... everybody is good ... motorcycle is in trouble ... punctured crankcase, bent handlebars

Made it to Apui ... as the sun was setting after 10 hours battling the dirt and the heat ... hungry, tired, dirty, and happy

Looks like we made it literally to the middle of nowhere

Day 25 - Amazonian Geniality Deeper in the Jungle

Today, we had late departure from Porto Velho as we made our way to pick up the motorcycles from the shop where new tires and new oil were installed. 

The road was more or less the same up until now.  Farms, ranches, fires burning, cattle, haze ... and oppressing, humid heat. The big difference is that today it all felt way more empty ... fewer cars, no towns or villages, greener and wilder.

Humaita, our destination for the night, proved to be a very pleasant surprise. With only 50,000 people, it definitely feels smaller, more welcoming, and livelier.  We walked to the pier and saw a school band marching around town, lots of people and families walking around, lots of trampolines and bouncy castles set by the river for children, and small bars and small restaurants everywhere.  Apparently this is a big area for Acai so we saw a lot of Acai juice places too.

We found a nice store that sold native Brazilian chocolate bars that also had cappuccinos.  Carolina and her friend were our servers and sat down with us to talk a bit more about life in Humaita.  

We learned lots of interesting facts. Looks like Malaria is very rare around here but Dengue is very common.  And, looks like the reason people do not swim in the Madeira river is because of alligators, piranhas, and electric paralyzing fish.  Good enough reason for me : )

Humaita is another small Amazonian village that felt like a happy place.  People around here are not used to seeing weird looking out-of-town foreigners that do not speak Portuguese walking about ... but are curious, engaging, and ready to talk and help.  

It is beginning to feel we are getting deeper into places visitors do not normally go.

Again, the excitement of the unknown and the presence it creates is palpable. All senses are on.

Tomorrow, we have a long day. 400+ km, all dirt.  Our first full day of dirt with our new Pirelli Scorpion Rally knobby tires. It show be fun!

Getting ready to leave Porto Velho from the shop where new oil, filters, and tires were installed.  It was already 100 degrees and humid.  Hot!

Borracharia in Brasil means tire repair - in Mexico it means big drunken party : )

Arriving to Humaita, deep in the Amazon

Welcoming poster at our hotel. Amen!

A school band performing in the streets

Action.

A typical house around these parts

The main church in Humaita

A view of the Madeira River as it makes its way to the Amazonas River

The Madeira River is 50 feet below its peak which is reached in February

A bar perched on one of the banks of the river

We found a place for cappuccinos and Carolina and her friend explained why people do not swim in the river - crocodiles, piranhas (although they don't eat people apparently), and big paralyzing electric fish. Valid reasons I think.

6,000 km so far!

Day 24 - A Day of Catching Up and the Weathered City

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.

Juice selection at breakfast - Maracuja, Acerola, Pessego - What? 

The Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in Porto Velho

The food market in Porto Velho

The fish market in Porto Velho

The port with some sightseeing boats

Colorful and big

A fleet of taxis

Porto Velho is the capital of the State

A typical corner in the city - a sort of feeling of decay everywhere

The :Reservoir Dogs" on a mission to get cappuccino and pastries

Cheers at our favorite coffee shop for making it to the middle of the trip in good health

The Mercado Cultural de Porto Velho - the only place open at night for people to get together

The dance action inside the Mercado Cultural