Brasil

En route BR #364, Agropecuaria mezzomo

On Monday, March 14th was still a long driving day without interest. But with a stop at Ji-Paraná to publish the pages of my website. I questioned a native about a cybercafé who made me a plan. During his explanations a teenager with a motor bike listened. I left while following the plan and I noted that the young person-man followed me. At the place indicated by the plan, no cybercafé. The young person-man came and made me understand to follow it. Of course I arrived in front of a cybercafé. I thanked it cordially. He asked me my e-mail address. I gave it him. While I got my bargains with Internet, I received a message from the teenager, in correct French. What kindness! I answered him in French, correct, with the translation in Portuguese by Google! I bivouacked after Ariquemes on the Agropecuaria Mezzomo's carpark at about 200 km southwards away from Porto Velho.

BR #319-1, Realidade

On Tuesday, March 15th arriving at Porto Velho I made purchases of food to a supermercado in preparation for a stay from 7 to 9 days on a barge to go from Porto Velho to Manaus. While leaving with a full carriage I saw an assembly from four to five gentlemen around my truck. They was taxi drivers who questioned me in the vernacular language to which I understood nothing. But in the end we discussed. After a few minutes they understood that I went to Manaus by the barge. But they made me understand that road Br #319 was practicable. I was septic. going to the landing of the barge I met a young-man who made me a sign of welcome to my truck. I stopped. We discussed, finally we tested. He understood that I went to Manaus by the barge. As made me understand as the road was practicable.  And to convince me he showed me on his smartphone that he had a splendid LandRover Defender. He told me to follow him to the entry of the BR #319 bridge. I followed him, I could not move back any more. I thus went to Manaus by track Br #319. But on the way at a plant health control I questioned the employee who told me, OK. At the gas-station in Humaitá, new questioning, OK. Br #319 is a beautiful tarred road up to a roundabout where it goes full north with a road sign Manaus 747 km. Then it is a road with a roadway smashed by pot-holes up to the village without-name of my bivouac.

BR #319-2, trackside

On Wednesday morning as of 6:40 I attacked Br #319 considered difficult during the rainy season, very muddy. Actually it is made up of four types of surface. The ex-asphalted road with giant pot-holes, the muddy part very slipping with deep ruts, the part dries very travelling and finally of the more or less dilapidated bridges. I carried out 309 km in 9 hours with a half an hour lunched pause , some photographs and a video.

La route !, click la photo

Manaus

On Thursday, March 17th was with my great astonishment only a driving morning to make approximately 260 km up to Manaus. Indeed the last 200 km are asphalted whose roadway presents some rare potholes. I knew that there is a ferry to enter in Manaus at approximately 256 km away from my bivouac; but I discovered a first one at approximately 12 km away from my bivouac at 6:30. I was the first customer. I arrived at the second one little before midday. I was the last customer, it remained only one place. I approached Manaus at 1 p.m. Then I sought a bivouac at the edge of the river which I did not find. I stationed in the street.

The Federal road BR #319 is unworthy of Brazil. Moreover the Net surfers publish with Yahoo of the very eloquent videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H60zLYp9Hg . But reality is a little different in the rainy off-season. Admittedly there are very difficult and very dangerous muddy passages. I have several times come very close to catastrophe with no-controlled skids. The state of the truck testifies some. It was a real challenge to traverse it alone. I was very glad to arrive at Manaus without incident. Moreover I saved the cost of the transfer by barge, approximately 2,000 US$, like 9 days of voyage. With final I am in advance on my road plan to go to Cayenne, Guyana.

Premier ferry et son pousseur

Deuxième ferry et quai de débarquement à Manaus

On Friday, March 18th I visited the historical center of Manaus. As of 9:00 I was at the entrance of Palacete Provincial housed in the Governmental Palate of the 19th century. It exhibits various collections whose room of archeology, art gallery with famous copies of sculptures, etc. But highlight of Manaus are Teatro Amazonas built at the 19th century at the time of the rubber-boom. The greatest singers of opera as well as the dancers occurred there. I have the privilege to attend two repetitions, one of an opera of which alas I did recognize neither the title nor the composer and the repetition of the horn concerto that Richard Strauss had written for his father, Franz Strauss, horn player at the orchestra of the Opera in Vienna. I speak about memory. The visit lasted more than one hour in English. Around 1 p.m. I left to station and bivouac in a public carpark close to the docks. The guards accepted my presence for one night.

Manaus, Centro Historico, click la photo

Teatro Amazonas, repetition of a horn concerto by Richard Strauss

Saturday, March 19th after shopping at "Carrefour" supermarket at the exit of Manaus, I decided to have rest at the IBIS Hotel Airport for two days because I'm worth it after the road BR #319 and savings achieved by not having taken the barge for 9 days. Of course I used this break to prepare for the rest of my trip with Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana.