If you can’t stand the heat, get into the kitchen
By hour 25 of my journey up the Amazon River, most of the passengers on the ship have attitudes that lie somewhere between moody, sleepy and annoyed. This trip can wear on a person.
There’s nowhere to escape the throngs of other people to enjoy a moment of privacy. The constant chatter of conversation and the shrieks of children can leave you feeling stuck rather than on some great river odyssey.
It’s hot, too. The boat was designed in a way that the hammock area would be cooled by air conditioning. However, the air-conditioning machines are broken and since the deck is mostly sealed off, only the rarest breeze passes through. It must be 10 C warmer inside the hammock area than on the upper deck — and it’s not exactly cool up there, either. Not a moment spent in the hammock area is a dry one — I gleam in constant glow of sweat.
However, at the back of the boat, the kitchen quickly becomes my sanctuary. Not only do they serve three meals a day but, more importantly, there is working air conditioning.
To be honest, I’d pay the price of a meal just to spend the three hours daily away from the stuffiness of the rest of the boat.
The meals that are served are basic, but hearty and tasty. The typical meal consists of what an average Brazilian will eat. A plate at lunch or dinner, for example, is generally rice, beans, a fried plantain, salad and your choice of chicken or beef.
At breakfast, we have the option of regular lunch or deluxe. The regular is essentially coffee and bread; the deluxe a bowl of fresh fruit and a couple fried eggs. The meals cost about the equivalent of $3, but still the majority of the passengers packed their own meals — presumably to save money. Maybe they prefer their own cooking.
The kitchen is my sanctuary, but for more than just cool air and decent grub. It’s the mood. As that cool wave of air-conditioned air hits you, so does the atmosphere. The people seem cheerier and the women working are a constant chorus of giggles. It’s hard to tell if they’re really enjoying life or if they’ve just lost their minds from too many days on the boat.
Their mood is contagious and I find myself looking forward to each meal as a reprieve from the lull that seems to have taken over the rest of the boat. It’s an emotional revival crucial for surviving the trip.