Decision time...Belém

My fifth and final days ride to Belém was much like the four that preceded it, except for...rain! The final 200km was like standing six feet away from someone constantly blasting a pressure washer at me. The lorry traffic (as it has been throughout Brazil) didn’t let up and so as I've also experienced in hot and dusty places elsewhere on my travels overtaking became a leap of faith as the visibility around the side of the lorries and the view of oncoming traffic was well, let’s just say not ideal...
Belém was made just as darkness was about to fall and with no GPS coordinates for another of Carlos’ contacts – Alex at Moto Mania, a friendly taxi driver was happy to lead me there free of charge. Yes you did read that correct! After a brief chat with Alex it became clear that I’d be looked after with contacts for the boat, promises of food, beer and help with accommodation. This is what these trips are all about not blasting across the continents and being too tired to even leave your room at the end of the day. So then, after the usual introductions off we went to his motorcycle club’s meeting. Despite only a couple of English speakers (my Portuguese is still little more than ‘obrigado’) I was welcomed with open arms. As I sat wearily on the dock looking down the Amazon while they discussed items on their agenda the time had come to make the biggest decision on the trip yet. Do I take the next boat in two days time and try to make NY or do I finish in Columbia and save the NY stretch until next time? Could I make it even if I tried? Does it mean that I would’ve failed and have to refund the FOUR people who have been kind enough to sponsor this year's charity? Well, the answers that I came to were No/Yes, Unlikely and I hope not – I’m not refunding myself. With 8-10,000km still ahead, three lots of shipping (two boats and a plane), eight or nine borders to get through, little support by way of donations and no help in getting my much needed shift swaps from the ever so helpful chaps at work, it would simply be going into a blind alley. Plus I’ve a friend at home who needs my support right now.
So what next then? Well, BJ is still somewhere on the east coast but on his way, Alex’s motorcycle club have something interesting planned for Sunday (more later) and there’s still plenty to see properly here in Brazil, then Venezuela and Columbia which is precisely what I intend to do...