on the project that included two ce-
ment plants and at least 80 transport
vehicles carrying fuel, food and wa-
ter. A massive project.
Back on the road Gilles reached
Maraba, before taking another break
in Belem while waiting for predicted
tropical rains to pass, the risk was
to great as the roads often turn to a
gloopy mush. The rains didn’t come,
the roads remained in relatively good
condition, yet there was plenty of ev-
idence that road repairs were taking
place.
The locals were friendly and
couldn’t wait to have their photos
taken with the Quebec registration
plate. Food was plentiful and fresh,
and the coffee as good as anywhere
Gilles had found in Amazonia so far.
Farmland dominated the land-
scape; beef and soy, eucalyptus (the
Australian native, often considered
a weed species in some parts of the
world), palm oil (a crop responsible
for the destruction of so many native
forests).
Belem, the town itself, Gilles con-
sidered clean and beautiful.
A 24-hour ferry was needed to tra-
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