Santarem, Brazil: Sipping Amazon’s Exotic Cupuaçu Juice

We arrived on a Sunday morning at 11 AM—the streets were eerily quiet, with most shops and banks closed. Just as we planned to return to the ship after a short stroll, we stumbled upon a hidden gem of a restaurant tucked deep in a residential area. 🍹 Fruit Adventure in the Amazon Zero English, 100% Portuguese: The menu was a mystery until Google Translate came to the rescue. First round: A refreshing açaí smoothie for R$5 (under $1 USD)—cool and creamy. Main event: Two fresh juices—passionfruit and cupuaçu (R$7 each, ~$1.50 USD). 🌿 What’s Cupuaçu? A rainforest-exclusive fruit (like açaí’s lesser-known cousin). Taste: Tangy-sweet with a hint of rubbery earthiness—imagine pineapple, banana, and passionfruit had a tropical love child. Pro tip: The juice is thick and ultra-sweet—dilute with ice! We took an extra cup back to the ship. 💳 Cashless Jungle "No change for cash!": Even this remote spot preferred card payments. Shocking receipt: 3 juices = $3.66 USD (thank you, Visa). #Santarem#Orla de Santarém#travel guide#trip diary#brazil