First class hammock-style

NOW we are talking. A Brazilian hammock-boat is very much different. These guys know how to travel in hammocks. For starters, they charge much more. I first thought they wanted to scam me as a stupid tourist when they asked more than three times the price I paid for a similar length trip in Peru. I dropped out of the queue temporarily to “think” and saw that they asked the next guy (a Brazilian) the same, and he paid(!). “Well this seems to be the going price”, I thought. “A bit expensive but what choice do I have? Swim?” I bought the ticket and expected a grand ship where they serve dry-martini.

It wasn’t quite that grand but certainly you travel in much more comfort here than in Peru. First it didn’t look too good as the hammock-deck was practically the same, with the only difference that there was a little more space. They didn’t pack it so close as in Peru either and they had even marked on the floor where you can put the hammocks and not, in order to keep walkways free and make it possible to move around.

After it had filled up and just before departure, some guys entered and didn’t seem to find a place for their hammocks. They were Peruvian for sure as one decided to hang his hammock vertical just in front of mine. I thought: “Damn it, why did he need to block MY space when there are so many other ones he could put it in front of”. But luckily, only five minutes after the captain walked past and said that it wasn’t allowed and that he had to move his hammock. Yey!

So the journey started. On the Brazilian boat toilets were kept clean, bathroom lights worked and showers were separate, in real shower cabins. There were nice wash-basins and a tank with free drinking water and sometimes a free coffee-dispenser. For meals, there was a special dining room and food was a buffet-like eat-all-that-you-can setup (still rice and beans however!). Breakfast had unlimited sandwiches with coffee, a nice change from the soup.

On upstairs deck, there was a big open space, a TV, a bar (serving mostly hamburgers and beers) with loud music and space to sit, chat, watch the forest, get a tan, dance or whatever you like to do by yourself in the middle of nowhere. It was in fact such a difference from Henry (see earlier posts) that I thought I could have sent my parents with this ship. Almost.

In other words, a first class hammock-style trip.