Travelling by bus from Manaus to Boa Vista with Eucatur.
Having travelled down the Amazon in a slow boat from Tabatinga to Manaus, I then continued my journey on an Eucatur bus to Boa Vista.
The plan is to get to Georgetown in Guyana and Boa Vista makes a convenient place to stop for a couple of nights. Plus they have a couple of hostels.
I tried to make a booking online with Eucatur but the website wasn’t working for me. So, with no alternative, I went to the bus station to get my ticket.
I had decide to use Eucatur as it was the name that popped up when doing my preliminary research.
I didn’t check out the competition.
Eucatur buses from Manaus to Boa Vista leave from the main bus station in Manaus, the Terminal Rodoviário de Manaus, 7 km north of the Centro Histórico area.
I used Google Maps to plan my journey. Bus 440 left from a stop very near the Aldeia Hostel.
The great thing about the city buses in Manaus, is that you can still pay in cash, though most locals were tapping in with a travel card.
The fare is 5 Reals. Thats 1 USD. Try to have the correct money. They will sigh if you try to pay with big notes. And yeah, Reals only!
On the way to the bus station I paid the driver who lets your through the barrier. On the way back, they had a conductor in the middle of the bus collecting the fare.
Hot tip: it’s a darn hot and sweaty one, so if you want the bus to stop, pull the cable. If not, the bus keeps on going. I only had to back track 10 minutes or so.
Terminal Rodoviário de Manaus:
The Eucatur ticket agent spoke a bit of Spanish, and I got my Semi Leito ticket on the 9 am bus:
I paid with my UK-ISSUED Visa card.
How much was the ticket from Manaus to Boa Vista? 306 Reals which is about 61 USD or 52 Euros.
The distance is 777 km according to Google Maps and the journey is scheduled to take 12 hours +/-.
I made a booking for two nights at the Tepuy Hostel in Boa Vista, 2 km from the bus station.
I was up early, had my free breakfast at the Aldeia Hostel where I had enjoyed my two-night stay.
By 7.40 am, on the city bus #315 by 7.52 am. 15 minutes later I was at the Main Bus Terminal in Manaus:
I had a Semi Leito, seat #33 which is a recliner seat, by the window. I chose the day bus over the night bus so I could enjoy the view. Not to mention the fact that we cross the equator somewhere along the way.
I am definitely about the journey. Love watching the world go past.
12 hours is a long time. The bus had fast Wi-Fi, and used the opportunity to do some planning.
We made a scheduled 30-minute stop after just 2 hours.
Unceremoniously crossing the equator:
Back in the Northern Hemisphere again, closer to my wife back home in Mexico City.
Then a 15-minute stop at 5 pm
Important points worth noting:
- In Brazil they like the AC cold. So be prepared, but I got lucky, it wasn’t set to 5 degrees C.
- There is a toilet on board
- Wi-Fi works and is fast!
Arrived at the Estação Rodoviária de Boa Vista at 21:40.
I asked a small kiosk for Wi-Fi but couldn’t get Uber to work. A lady from the bus tried to help me. Some how all the locals had found a ride. She even used a different app on her phone, be to no avail.
I hiked the 2 km to the hostel. No other choice.
This is why I don’t like arriving after dark. And when distances are long, like here in Brazil, plus it’s dark at 7 pm, sometimes there is no other option. Such is life.
I called my wife and then climbed into bed. Exhausted.
