Day 11 (Janary 12). Alter do Chao, Santarem

 (Report on 12 January events)

This was our first excursion to city along the Amazon. We visited a market typical of ones you've likely seen in other countries. 

Here is fish monger with lots of fresh fish. I can't tell you what kind they are but they are not the mammoth Arapaima that can be over 150 kg and longer than a man is tall.

These fish merchants are weighing in already cut sections of Arapaima. These were big sections!The man with the hat must be from the fishing boat, watching his fish being weighed. Unfortunately, I missed getting photo of Arapaima before being cut up.

 

Here we have one of many vendors selling souvenirs.

And here more market commerce. 

 

And lovely people, all seemingly enjoying their shopping.

 

And another vendor allowing me to take his photo. Then two men outside the market, one happy to all me to snap his photo, the other suggest a dollar would be appreciated. (I declined) 

Back at the dock to take a tender back to the ship, there were several dozen stands where merchants offered tourist souvenirs or other items.  All transactions, as far as I saw, were conducted in US dollars. You could haggle the price down a bit, especially as you started to walk away, but prices were hardly prohibitive. Souvenirs included preserved piranha fish, blow guns, masks, and wooden carvings.

Two vendors, consulting on price? And Anne with the lovely lady from whom she purchased necklace.