Well, we learned a lesson today.
We are anchored 70 miles up the Amazon River at Belem, Brazil. We decided, based on a lecture on the ship about Belem shore experiences, that we would take the tender to shore and walk approximately a mile to an old fort and the Catholic cathedral and do some other sightseeing along the way. Although we took off all jewelry (including our rings) and watches, as advised, we didn’t give full weight to the following wording for this port: “Pickpockets work in teams and are rampant, especially in tourist areas. Dress down. Leave valuables on board. Use a money belt or inside pockets. Muggings are common. Avoid areas with no people visible.”
We had assumed that many other passengers would walk where we planned to go. However, upon getting to shore, we saw no one else headed in the direction we wanted to go and the line of sight showed no people. Thus, we opted to ride a free shuttle bus to the center of the business district and then we promptly took another bus back to the pier and took the tender back to the ship.
Rather than venture on our own as often as planned, we have decided to add a shore excursion in ports that have a U.S. State Department Safety advisory level of “2” (such as this one) versus an advisory level of “1”. A “1” level coincides to the safety level of a typical U.S. city.
Two sea days ahead before Recife, Brazil….
The only photos we took today were from the ship. Here is one of our tender, an old ferry provided by the port, rather than one of our lifeboats.
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