Planning Your Own Amazon Adventure
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Getting An Internet Connection
Getting an Internet connection while travelling the Amazon can be problem
– though the Internet is a great way to keep in contact with friends and family while
overseas. The projects that I've been involved with made Internet connections necessary,
so here's how I did it.
Use Local Internet Service Providers
Phone systems in South America are unreliable. The line quality is often
poor, making it difficult or impossible to connect with Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
in distant cities or overseas. Instead, I had to find a local ISP in each location that I
stayed. Fortunately, the proliferation of the Internet is making this easier. If you're
luck enough to have a portable satellite phone you can get around this restriction - but
satellite phones are very expensive.
I managed to find local Internet providers in all major centres which I
visited during the Amazon Adventure. Some were able to set up dial-up connections so that
I could dial into them using the laptop computer that I was carrying with me. However, if
you intend to use dial-up services you will need to stay in good quality hotels offering a
phone connection to your room. Local call charges may apply. You will also need to buy an
adapter so that you can plug your modem into the local phone system.
When unable to arrange a dial-up connection for my own laptop computer (or
if I hadn't been carrying a laptop computer) I was able to visit the offices of the local
ISPs where I was still able to pick up the email from my account back in New Zealand.
Which ISPs Did I Use?
- Manaus:
While in Manaus, I received a
considerable amount of help for the Amazon Adventure project from Aria· Towers. They were kind enough to let me use the
Internet connection available in their office, and even to install the connection
configuration onto my laptop computer. This is obviously way beyond the call of duty and
it would be unreasonable to expect them to extend this priviledge to all guests.
Aria·'s connection was through a local ISP called Internext. Email
Internext and try to work out the details beforehand. Contact them again (by phone or a
visit) once you arrive there. They should be able to set up up with a dial-up connection
once you arrive, or arrange a simple one-off use of a computer in their office to check
your messages. If you choose to set up a dial-up account, the setup fee might be around
$US 25 – so its only practical if you're doing this for business use or plan to be
staying a while.
| Internet |
http://www.internext.com.br |
| Office Address |
Internext - Rede Digital Amaz⌠nica Ltda
Rua 24 de Maio, 220 - Salas 808/809
Edificio Rio Negro Center
Manaus, Amazonas |
| Telephone |
+55 92 633 4409 |
Also see NutecNet (http://www.nutec.com.br)
who have local services in many Brazilian cities, now including Manaus.
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- SantarΘm:
- While in SantarΘm, I went through GregoNet.
This is the only company offering Internet connections in SantarΘm. Since I was staying
in a budget hotel without a phone into which I could plug a modem, I accessed my email
using a computer in GregoNet's office. Because I had my laptop computer with me, I was
able to copy the message files onto my laptop computer, and to copy my The staff were very
helpful and friendly. GregoNet can also set you up with your own dial-in connection.
| Internet |
http://www.gregonet.com.br |
| Office Address |
Grego Celulares
Travessa Moraes Sarmento, 299
(between Sπo Sebastiπo and Rua Barbosa)
Centro, SantarΘm, Parß |
| Telephone |
+55 91 523 2413 or +55 91 522 5328 |
BelΘm:- In BelΘm I arranged an Internet connection through
the Amazon Network. They were able to set up dial-up connections though, once again, I
chose not to do this for my short stay. Instead I visited their office, accessed my
messages using one of their computers then transferred these onto my laptop to be read and
replied to.
| Internet |
http://www.amazon.com.br |
| Office Address |
Amazon Network
Avenida Senador Lemos, 597
Umarizal, BelΘm
Parß, CEP 66.050-080 |
| Telephone |
+55 91 242 1622 |
| Fax |
+55 91 212 2566 |
- There was also another location for visitors to access their email, in a computer shop
located on the top level of the Igutemi (Mesbla) shopping mall on Travessa Padre
Eutφquio.
- Elsewhere in Brazil:
- NutecNet is one of Brazil's biggest Internet Service Providers. They have local services
available in many major cities and towns – now including Manaus. If you plan to be
spending a reasonable amount in time in Brazil, it may be worthwhile getting your own
dial-up connection and accessing it from different locations around the country.
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Cuzco (Peru):
- Cuzco's university (UNSAAC) runs an Internet service called Internet
Cuzco. They have a small office in an alleyway off Avenida del Sol, about 100 metres from
the Plaza de Armas. The office has about 15 Internet-connected computers which cost five
sols ($US2) per hour to use. The service had only just been set up when I visited, and
they planned also to offer dial-up Internet connections for users who wanted it. Internet
Cuzco is popular with locals and foreign travellers passing through the city.
Internet connections are also available in a few of Cuzco's bars and cafes, but these are
generally more expensive to use.
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Accessing Your Email from Other Internet Locations
Knowing where to get an Internet connection is one thing. But once you have access to
an Internet-capable machine, what are the settings you need to know (and change) to access
your existing email account back home?
Using Hotmail
Many travellers choose to set up email addresses on a services such as Hotmail. This enables travellers to access their email
from any location using a standard web browser such Netscape or Internet Explorer. This is
the easiest option for accessing email while travelling, but it requires you to be set up
with a new email address. If you already have an address elsewhere, you must make
arrangements with your existing ISP to automatically forward messages to the hotmail
address so that you can receive them while travelling.
POP3 and SMTP Settings (for more advanced computer users)
Sending and receiving email is often achieved using the POP3 and SMTP protocols. POP3
settings specific the Internet location of the computer server which holds your Internet
messages, and the name of your account on that machine. The account is sometimes a code
number which bears little relation to the email address that you're using. The SMTP
setting is similar, but specifies the server through which your outgoing mail is sent. If
you use programs such as Eudora or the email functions of Netscape and Internet Explorer
then you are probably using the POP3 and SMTP protocols.
If you know the POP3 and SMTP settings of your email account at home (and your
password), you access your email from other locations on the Internet. Locate the POP3 and
SMTP settings in the Internet settings of your email software, and note them down along
with your password. Take these setting with you when you travel and use them from other
Internet-connected computers to access email directly from your existing account.
Transferring Message Files between Machines (advanced users)
If using POP3 and SMTP setting to access messages from different computers, you will
probably end up with messages spread across all the different computers that you've been
using. If you want to keep copies of your messages, you will need to carry a floppy disk
with you.
Some email programs will let you archive and reimport saved messages – giving you
an easy way of transferring message fiiles between different machines. If your software
doesn't provide this function you will need to find a "cheat" if you want to
retain copies of sent and received messages. The following trick works with Eudora Light.
- Copy the messages that you have received into a new mailbox.
- Use Windows Explorer to copy the new .MBX and .TOC files created in the Eudora directory
onto your floppy disk. You will need to use a different mailbox name each time to prevent
overwriting the previous files.
- Repeat steps 1 and 2 to store copies of messages that you have sent.
You can then re-import saved messages onto another machine:
- Create a new mailbox with the same name as one of the saved files.
- Use Windows Explorer to delete the newly created .MBX and .TOC files in the Eudora
directory.
- Copy the saved .MBX and .TOC files from the floppy disk, put them into the Eudora
directory.
   
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