A grey morning with commercial shipping, low green shoreline, humble housing and a pleasing absence of toytown high rise. This is a working port.
We moseyed up river and anchored off the old town, the only yacht among working craft. A quiet waterfront of crumbling colonial buildings in soft colours Dulux could never recreate. A day spent making ourselves legal in Brazil – Capitania dos portos, Aduana, Policia federale, sanitaire, then back to Capitania.
All charming officials, helpful and cheerful. It is not common for yachts to clear into Brazil here. What little was left of the day we spent eating fresh crumbed prawns at a waterfront café. Not a foreign tourist in sight, no other yachts.