Santarem, first settled in 1661 by Jesuit priests, is today one of the Amazon's most important centers of commerce.
It is here that the murky (brownish-yellow) waters of the Amazon River meet the aquamarine waters of the Tapajos River. For some distance (after joining) the different colored waters don't mix and there's a very visible dividing between them. See the bottom of this page.
Just a few miles to the southwest of Santarem along the Tapajos River, the charming village of Alter do Chao is a popular tourism destination for Brazilians.
Literally surrounded by the Amazon Jungle and fronted by the Amazon River, Santarem street art uses an obvious theme.
Few roads exist in this area of Brazil so riverboats literally cover the city's shoreline, from end to end. They take animals, people and supplies up and down the river 24/7.
This is a very typical street in the Santarem, one that leads down to the river.
This city, like most that I've seen in South America, uses bright colors almost everywhere. The local Catholic church was no exception.
In town there seemed to be only three types of stores; one that sold shoes, one that sold clothes and one that sold hammocks. I guess that's why I saw mostly women on the street.
This ficus tree, and a few dozen just like it, provided shade for shoppers and merchants in the central market.
Now I ask you.....if you developed a tooth ache while visiting Santarem, would you go to a dentist with a questionable reputation, or would you use this one? I know what I would do.
Off the edge of Santarem the murky (brownish-yellow) waters of the Amazon River meet the aquamarine waters of the Tapajos River.
For some distance (after joining together) the different colored river waters don't mix and there's a very visible dividing line.
The locals call this the "Meeting of the Waters," and it's a very unique phenomenon.