14.09.2013,
Day 939,
104,223 km since the beginning of the journey,
Daily Route 253 km,
In the morning a winged one is in the shower room, and even stays in place until I come back with the camera.
On the barge. In the morning from the side of Humaita arrives a local Mitsubishi, and while having a talk with the drivers it turns out that they had left Humaita yesterday, and had traveled all night through.
On the other side of the river the road conditions are better in some places, but the night rain has done its job. The road is more slippery. I will give a lift to a local who wants to get on somewhere. Here, in sparsely populated region it is usual to make a stop and ask if everything is o.k. even then, when someone has just stopped the car by the road. In some places the bridge construction works are going on, and for a moment a wooden bridge, that is below, has to be passed. The first bypass goes nicely.
In dry weather it would be ok, but the freshly fallen rain has made the road so slippery that in some places the bus does not want to obey the steering wheel. Fortunately the bridge will be crossed decently, but driving up from the other side the already non-existent speed gets slower, the rear wheels go around ,but at the last moment I still get up safely - so here, too, everything ends well .
My inner feeling says that before the next detour it would be better to take out the chains , but there are no more of this kind of detours
Some parts of the road are more proper again.
I drive on, so I guess about 20 km per hour using the second gear, but then the vehicle begins to tilt to the right, and a moment later the right side sinks into the mud. This mess was not needed at all.
Getting out of the car it is clear that the next hour is filled with action. I take out the rope, and as quick pulling out from the back hook is not successful, then sandplates will be taken into use.
From the side of Manaus a bigger truck arrives slowly, stops almost in the middle of the road, and then also starts to sink toward the ditch as well. The drivers bring branches and get the car back under control .
With joining forces and of course with the help of Landcruiser – the bus is again in the middle of the road. I pass the truck and continue with the speed of 10 to 15 km per hour. So – too much speed - sometimes it can be only 20 km per hour when the road is slippery like ice.
Immediately a road with the fresh trail improvements follows and then asphalt begins.
It is only 114 km to Manaus, the signs are barely readable.
By the side of the road there are again gas stations.
The barge, that is no longer used as a bridge is built across the river.
The last 100 km of the road is of perfectly normal traffic, although this part of the road is called the BR - 319th as well.
The sign indicates to the direction of Porto Velho. Rodovia Fantasma , ie Ghost Road through the Amazon rainforest has remained behind.
We did it! Done!
Before Manaus there is one more an hour`s ferry ride, and quite a bit of waiting in the ferry queue.
We do not fit into the first ferry, an hour later another ferry comes and more time passes before we can drive on board and finally it turns out that we will reach Manaus in the dark.
Finding an overnight place takes time- as finding an internet in the gas stations is of no success. And neither helps the buying of a local Vivo calling card.
Plan B is to look for a hostel with parking possibilities, but just parking in the street in front of the hostel and sleeping there with the doors of the car open (with closed doors I guess the temperature would be about +40), was not acceptable either.
Plan C is to sleep anywhere next to a gas station, but, however, joyful nightlife is experienced there too, and for sleeping earplugs should be used. The next issue was to find an overlanders overnight place of 10 kilometres from the center of the town, but all in vain. No such place there.
But it was not for nothing – as a few hundred yards away is a paid parking lot with normal guards and surrounded by a wall, so this time the search ended, and once again an overnight place was found. And in the city one will not starve - by the street one can buy any freshly cooked food.
The day of 939 was over.
Continued...
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