Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Boca de Valeria, Brazil

Wednesday, February 29, 2012 – Boca da Valeria, Brazil

A day out of National Geographic. We had a GREAT day which started in the pouring rain. We were on the first tender out at 8AM (perks to being 4* on Holland America!) and saw the pink dolphins on the way to the small village of Boca da Valeria.
We were welcomed to the center of the one-street village (mud paths and ants and bugs – I thought for sure I was going to be in the hospital from bug bites but all went well) by a welcoming committee of children ranging from 3-11 years old. They wanted to hold our hand and lead us around town, asking for a dollar or goodies for their school or home. We quickly latched on to “Donald”, a nice man with 8 children who offered us a canoe ride upriver for $5 per person per hour. Sold. Off we went on his motorized canoe through the mangroves and through the gigantic lily pads into the back waters of his “neighborhood”. We glided right up to his front door, to his home on stilts and saw where the water level from 2009 had reached two feet above the floor of the home. Wife and eight children greeted us at the kitchen door – one gas burner worked on the stove and their portable stove was not functioning. The living room/bedroom had a loft and the hammocks were strung up for bedtime use and TV viewing. One small cot for day use and bedroom time use. Yes, there was a TV and radio and stereo and a large book shelf with text books. Donald had been a teacher at the local school and had traveled four hours each way to the town of Paratins for his education and taught at the local school in St. Rita, where his children now attend.

The potable water comes from a rainwater tank across the river and through pipes to an outside spigot. One spigot; an outside sink near the entrance to the kitchen and an outside toilet up the hill. He had made their picnic table kitchen table and was planning on an addition to the home when he was financially able but it was marked out in the sand, where the clothes were now drying on clothes pins. No screens or glass on the windows and he had an electric fan, he said to keep away the mosquitoes. Many chickens were running wild under and around the house but made no noise. The children go to school in the afternoon but we could not quite understand the hours (our conversation was through my Spanish and his Portuguese so it was interesting at times!). They had another canoe for the kids to get to school as we figured they needed both canoes for everyone. Donald was anxious to explain and show us everything.

We headed up river now to the village of St. Rita to see the school and church. We climbed a steep stony hill where we were met with kids holding parrots, toucans and other colorful birds on sticks – take a photograph for a $1. The school was quite modern! It was orange colored, octagonal shaped with a rotunda/grandstand center for meetings, a computer classroom!!, offices for teachers and staff and a café area for prepared meals. There were four classrooms and regular school desks and chairs and blackboards and a TV in each room. Down the muddy street was a hut which served as the village market; Donald bought gasoline which was sold in a 2-liter soda bottle. The Catholic Church was at the other end of town; there were about 80 homes in the village, all with at least 6-8 children. Donald claimed it was a nice community with no violence or crime and everyone helped each other.

On the way back to the village where the ship tenders ran from, we stopped to hear the stillness around us. Birds sang, the water rustled, the sound of the waves around us…peaceful and silent.

Back in town, we explore the one street from end to end. Some kids had small fish on a stick, one man a huge catfish on the table, one 16-year old girl was in full regalia Amazon costume as was a man with feathers and bow and arrow, etc. Other kids were holding sloths, monkeys (could have been a pygmy marmoset or a Goeldi monkey), colorful birds and one family were dressed in costume and had a baby armadillo and something that was a cross between a hog, warthog, long-haired furry dog and small elephant without the trunk!..it was a very unique tame zoo on the high street! Vendors were out with homemade crafts of wood and fabric and paintings – little voodoo dolls, necklaces, wooden carvings of birds and fishes, riverboats from balsa and beautiful paintings. And through all this, the children were holding on to the hands of the passengers as if they were their long-lost grandchildren – each party seemed to be enjoying the moment.

Back on the ship, we had a nice lunch as we watched the canoes come closer and closer to the ship, trying to sell their wares from the canoes and being pushed back by security. We had a nice sail away and then sat in the back of the ship to see the river behind us. It is so wide; much wider than I thought and much muddier. The riverboats ply the waters around us and there are still many clumps of grass and wood floating by. Small villages occasionally appear at the banks but most of the time, we are passing tall trees. The landscape is flat and the sky seems endless. You can see rain storms in the distance – I saw five at one time as I glanced behind the ship – and the cloud patterns are incredible. Went up for sunset but there were too many clouds for a display of color. Dinner and Al Brown, UK comedian, was the entertainer. Listened to the Rosario Strings and worked.

Population of 2200 on Boca de Valeria. Goats and longhorn cattle were imported by the Spaniards and Portuguese.

“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” - Plutarch

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Santarem, Brazil

Tuesday, February 28, 2012 – Santarem, Brazil

We were up early for a coffee talk with the cast members of the Prinsendam singers and dancers; they also gave us a nice back stage tour. We had an early lunch as we were supposed to DOCK at 12:00 but we ended up tendering. There was total chaos as they put a pontoon beside our ship and tried to let some of the tour groups go directly from the pontoon to their riverboat. And then we had to wait until the ship’s tenders were ready to go so we were not off the ship until 2:30!! They did extend our departure time an hour but it did not help us as we had a dinner reservation at 6PM which could not be changed.

There was the German ship, AIDA, in port with us again. They were docked so they must have paid more for that privilege!

Santarem is the Amazon’s third largest city (population 200,000), located on the confluence of the creamy-brown Amazon River and the reddish-black Tapajos River; you can clearly see where the black and dirty/muddy brown rivers meeting. They claim the roots of civilization began in this area 12-13,000 years ago. Soya bean plantations are plentiful. Cargill is working on genetically modifying the soya bean. The economy today is based on rubber, soy and hardwoods, plus Brazil nuts, black pepper, mangoes, jute and fish.

A large market area was set up for our arrival and a bus took us to the center of town, finding every pot hole it could during the 15 minute drive. We found the cathedral (a blue church), the fish market and several stalls of household items but nothing really for tourists. Priced some taxis to take us out of town but had trouble making them understand where we wanted to go. Finally, they agreed to our price but we should have known better! We went to a park in the city – I had them read the paper that we wanted to go 12 miles OUTSIDE the city and they kept saying yes, yes…well, no, no. So we paid him a portion of what he requested and we went to try to find a bus back to town. And, then the moto-taxis arrived! Motorcycle taxis! We had wanted to try them anyway, so it was perfect timing! We each had our own motorcycle and driver and helmet and off we went. The bumps on the road were much better now as we were able to swerve around them and it was a great breeze and great fun! Make lemonade when you get lemons, right??

So then we shopped at the pier markets and J had made her own way to the market stalls via tender so we all went back together. We had a reservation in the Italian restaurant (they are trying it out in the Lido section for about a week) and it was very nice. Then Hanna Starosta played the violin for the evening’s entertainment.
We are sailing the Amazon now and it is just as brown and muddy as you see in photos. I guess I thought it might be clearer and cleaner than the photos but it is not; the many riverboats are constantly stirring up the bottom and it is amazing how wide it is in most areas. Our ship must seem massive compared to the riverboats sailing near us.

Yesterday we crossed the equator. Latitude lines are one of two measurements needed to locate points precisely on the earth’s surface. Running north-south, longitude lines have their zero-point running through the Royal Greenwich Observatory in England. As the center point of the earth, the equator is also the center of the tropics. The tropics are the area lying between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. The sun’s heat near the equator easily evaporates water from the oceans (hence the very humid days!). This is also why there are rain forests at the equator. The sun’s rays are unaffected by the tilt of the earth, so the area is always exposed to the sun and receives direct solar rays year-round, regardless of season. The equator marks a turning point for the seasons, which are reversed in the northern and southern hemispheres. When it is spring in the northern hemisphere, it is fall in the southern hemisphere.

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel only read a page.” – St. Augustine

Monday, February 27, 2012

Belem, Brazil

Sunday, February 26, 2012 – Belem, Brazil

The Blue Coats arrive in Belem! (pronounced bay-len with the accent on 2nd syllable) We had wonderful tender boats supplied by the port for the very short ride to the pier; they were colorful two-storey river boats with plastic stacking chairs for seats! Felt like an authentic experience for approx. 10 minutes! Our arrival port was almost 45 minutes from the larger city of Belem and as we arrived to the city so did the rain. So all the blue coats emerged from our bags – the practical rain coats given as a gift from the ship. We were easily identified as tourists but at that point, better dry than wet. We were dropped off at the very modern bus, taxi and river boat terminal, Estacao das Docas, and walked the very short distance to the Ver-o-peso market. The market name means “check-the-weight market”, created in 1688 as a result of the Portuguese tax for everything entering and leaving Amazonia. It is Sunday and raining – although I think they are used to the rain in this section of the world. The restaurant stalls were clearly identified with the owner’s name and some even had a TV, like a small bar. They have a space large enough for four stools for customers, the counter to eat from and the small area behind for cooking. Fried fish, pork, rice, vegetables…the smells were tempting. The next market had the fresh fruits and herbs – MANY fruits were unidentifiable to us so I took some photos. Even when I asked for their name, I had no idea what it was – just that it was a fruit or a vegetable. The herbs were wrapped in bundles – some were “sticks” and some were fresh bunches. The stalls along the Amazon River were handicrafts – wooden products from dark and light wood, boxes from a very light wood similar to balsa and unique jewelry and wooden tubes that sound like rain. The fish market was just about closed by the time we arrived but you could smell the activities of the morning. The Plaza de Relogio had a large Big Ben clock and then the Museo de Arta Sacra is near the Cathedral (was once an elegant palace and the site where the Spaniards and Portuguese met to set the frontiers for their respective colonies), Catedral de Se (which was closed until 4PM on a Sunday!). The Forte do Belem/Forte do Presepio overlooked the market place (built by the Portuguese in 1616 to protect their claim on the land) and the Casa das Onza Janelas now housed an art exhibition and a lovely area for waterfront dining by the river. Outside the Fort and Cathedral, there was a 1956 light beige Chevrolet with a very proud owner, a wealthy Belem resident. He spoke excellent English and said he loved antique cars as they reminded him of his days with his Father driving him to school. He owns only antique cars and had his friend/restorer with him.

We did not explore the Palacio Lauro Sodre (once a wealthy home and now the state museum) or the Parque Zoobotanico and Museu Emilio Goeldi so we have something for next time. By 1675, the city had grown into a prosperous port. Shipments of fragrant spice departed to Portugal and European goods were brought back. Poor Portuguese farmers emigrated in the hope of building new and prosperous lives and missionaries arrived to convert Amerindiens. There were bloody raids and Belem held the dubious distinction as the place where the first visiting bishop was killed and eaten by his would-be converts.

In 1876, Henry Wickham exported 70,000 rubber seed plants as a gift to Queen Victoria and they were grown in Kew Gardens. Belem was awash in money in the 1800s from demand for the rubber latex so they imported a cast-iron market hall from Scotland, streetlights and electric trams from England and dresses and lingerie from Paris. Today, it seems grotty and worn but perhaps the rain was a major influence on our perspective.

After taking the bus back to the ship, we walked the streets of the village of Icoaraci and bought some drinks at the local grocery store. A fisherman had just returned with his large catch of dorada and we watched several river boats and a ferry boat arrive and depart.

Back on our home ship, we had dinner in the dining room – all three of us, which had not happened in quite awhile. No entertainment as it was Oscar Night so we went to the casino.

“I could not at any age, be content to take my place by the fireside and simply look on. Life was meant to be lived. Curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life.” - Eleanor Roosevelt

Monday, February 27, 2012 – cruising Amazon and crossing equator

Cloudy and muggy, we are cruising up the Amazon. We cross the equator and therefore a ceremony is required! About 40 passengers jumped in the small pool in the Lido area and we had two “gentlemen piranhas” swim through them to earn a certificate.
The temperature was actually was not unpleasant today – not too muggy and humid and there was a great breeze. We saw clumps of grass and wooden planks floating by us (instead of icebergs and penguins!). We still have about 700 miles to get to Manaus.

There are over 250 days a year of significant rainfall in the Amazon. In the 1940s, the Brazilian government set out to develop the interior, which was away from the seaboard where foreigners owned large tracts of land. The demand for rubber from the Allied Forces in WWII provided funding for this drive. A large-scale colonization program saw families relocated to the forests, encouraged by promises of cheap land. They found the rainforest soil difficult to cultivate. In the 1970s, the idea of the Transamazonica highway was born, when President Medici decided that the Northeasterners should colonize Amazonia. The 3,360 mile “highway of national integration” was to be cut across the caatinga (savanna) and rain forests from Joao Pessoa (where we were!) on the Atlantic coast to Boquerao da Esperanca on the Peruvian border. Only 1,500 miles of highway was actually constructed and only a few short stretches are paved! Today, it is full of potholes large enough to tip a bus and is all but impassable in the wet season. Even in the dry weather, buses struggle for 34 hours to cover 600 miles from Maraba to Itaituba and the road beyond there has been closed since 1999. !!!!!

There are over 200 languages spoken by the various tribes in the Amazon region.
Movie “Where the River Runs Black" about the Amazon-- Ok since we are in this region.

Mr. Lee Bradley, UK tenor/opera singer, was the entertainer.

sea days and Fortaleza, Brazil

Thursday, February 23, 2012 – at sea

Heading to Forteleza, we had choir practice (our last before the concert on Saturday), lunch with an officer, lecture on the next ports of call, and dinner at the specialty restaurant, The Pinnacle Grill, with some friends. Captain Roberts came on the loudspeaker to advise that we were 12+ hours AHEAD of schedule and would be docking in Forteleza TONIGHT. They are concerned about filling the ship with fresh water as we go the 4,500+ miles up and down the Amazon before we can re-fill. The port area is not supposed to be very safe but at first they said we could get off until 1AM; next announcement said the “leave” had been canceled until tomorrow morning. Lee Bradley, UK opera singer, was the entertainer.

“The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it.” - Rudyard Kipling (wonder if he has been to Cabadelo where they smell was fermented grain???!)

Friday, February 24, 2012 – Fortaleza, Brazil

The free shuttle supplied by the ship ran frequently to the central market in the city centre. It looked like a round stadium and each level had various handicraft stores and the tourist information. We hired a nice taxi driver, Marcus, to see the main sights and also went to the “street of eyeglasses and optometrists” to get Gene’s eye prescription. We found the streets were categorized for shopping – one for baby clothes, one for fish, one for hardware items…very interesting. Hot and humid day but we explored the city museum and I saw two sewing machines older than my grandmother’s! The beaches are beautiful but are not swimmable. The old prison is now an artisan’s workshop. The Teatro Jose de Alencar is an incredibly artistic art nouveau building with cane seats!! It has a beautiful U-shaped interior with cast iron on each of the balconies and curved stairs OUTSIDE the theatre that lead directly to the second and third levels.

Mr. Robin Zebaida, English classical pianist, was the entertainer. “Tower Heist” was the movie. We have a DVD library at the front desk also so if we want to watch any movie at any time, there are free rentals with DVD players in the rooms.

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.” - Helen Keller

Saturday, February 25, 2012 – at sea

Prinsendam Singers sang “Simply Broadway” and then we had the Prinsendam Golden Raspberry Awards Show – a variety show of professional and passenger talent, including our choir singing a medley and What A Wonderful World. We were pretty good!

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Cabadelo and Joao Passao, Brazil

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 – Cabedelo and Joao Pessoa, Brazil

This is the most easterly point in Brazil/South America and they say you are closer to Senegal, Africa, from here than you are to the most southern section of Brazil. (Honestly, hard to believe…)

This is also the beginning/end of the Trans Amazonica highway – BR 230. We saw the mile marker “0”. Then we saw the map on where the road is SUPPOSED to be – it really weaves through the country and has been washed out several times and never finished in some areas. I can understand why.

Cabedelo is the port area (very, very stinky) with a nice small village with ferry service to several islands. It is a ½ hour shuttle ride to the city of Joao Pessoa, whose literal translation is John Person (what a name for a city?!). HOT and HUMID, we ventured off in the ship’s shuttle to Joao Pessoa’s historic center. But again, everything is closed for Carnaval. Out of ten+ churches, two churches were open. We hired a taxi for an easy drive around the hilly streets for the photo opportunities of the lagoon and mythical monument (Lagoa and Pedra do Reino, churches, art deco mansions of the Antenor Navarro Square (1933), the Sao Francisco Cultural center (1770), the Gunpowder House, and Globo Hotel set alongside the Sanhaua River, the Legislative Assembly, the 17th century Redemption Palace (government offices) and the Courthouse.

The big adventure today was getting on the bus back to the ship. J went on the bus to rest and cool off but Gene and I knew we had another 25 minutes before the bus left so we went to the monastery right next to the bus (Igreja de Sao Francisco). It is considered the most important Baroque complex of Brazil. The Santo Antonio Convent and the Sao Francisco Church are masterpieces of colonial Portuguese architecture begun in 1589. Upon exiting the monastery we saw the bus had left!! And our ID and bags were on the bus and J was alone. And then we met another friend whose husband was on the bus and she was not. So we explained the situation to the bus coordinator and after some discussion, he called the driver and they returned to get the three of us as the next bus was not scheduled to depart until 45 minutes later. What a mess; not supposed to leave until 11AM and they left at 10:45. And then we heard many other stories from passengers at the port TRYING to get to the city and they bus did not show. It is best to get out the door early so you can begin your day – you never know what will happen along the way.

We are now in the state of Paraiba, and Joao Passao is the capital. It is also the third oldest city in Brazil. The city was founded in 1585 as Vila de Filipeia de NS das Neves and was re-named Joao Pessoa, the governor of Paraiba who formed an alliance with Vargas to run for the presidency of Brazil In 1929. He was courted by opposing political parties and uttered “I refuse”, which is now given prominence in all Brazilian history books and is emblazoned in bold letters on the state flag of Paraiba.

After lunch, we hired a taxi to take us Praia da Camboinhas (beach) and we hoped to catch a ferry ride to the Ilha de Areia Vermela, an island (sandbar) of red sand that emerges off the coast at low tide. But the tide was already in and the island/bar had disappeared! So I sank my toes in the warm sand, took a few photos of the bikini-clad women (of all sizes), waded through the HOT water and enjoyed the moment. The beach stretches for 24 miles in this area and there are multitudes of restaurants with great views overlooking the ocean. To board the boats to get to the island, you walk in to the sea and board the boat – no jetty or pier.

Back in Capadelo, we walked to the Fort Santa Catarina (1589), the hospital (to get a prescription, which was given without seeing the DR, was free and we waited only 10 minutes for the entire process), to the pharmacy to fill the prescription, the supermarket, map of end of the Trans-Amazonica highway and plaque and the artisan market. We met the nicest people at the market and Gene bought me an off-white necklace made from fish scales (interesting, huh?). Sioba fish. I forgot to ask how fragile it is so I’ll have to be careful. There are also acai beads, natural colored, around the fish scales – quite interesting.

The Brazilian national economy now ranks as the world’s 5th largest.

The Cabo Branco Science, Culture and Arts station was designed by Oscar Niemeyer, same architect of the Rio museum in Niteroi – both are space station creations.
Dinner and Richard Gauntlett, a British vaudeville act, was the entertainer.

“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” – Aldous Huxley

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

2nd day of CARNAVAL

Tuesday, February 21, 2012 – Recife, Brazil

2nd day in Recife and it started out much more humid and uncomfortable. We were just about out the door when we decided to get something to eat. And it poured rain!! Glad we were inside and we watched many from the ship wander back soaking wet. Just rain. Just water. But, for the moment, we were glad we were dry and inside. We had a nice lunch with friends and then took the ship’s shuttle to the Mauricio Nassau Bridge, which was probably a 15 minute walk from the ship but a 25 minute bus ride as we had to go around the city to get to there. We walked over the bridge, saw many people in costumes and vendors setting up for the afternoon and evening events. Back to the ship to get ready for a ship’s tour on the canals so you could see CARNVAL from the water. It was a wonderful clear night with a nice warm wind and for people with walking difficulties, it was a great way to experience Carnaval.

Back to the ship by 8PM, which was just in time for the 8:15PM local folklorico performance of Bale Cultural de Pernambuco. It was very colorful show but very hard to understand as the host spoke in Portuguese; sign language, music and laughter are a wonderful way to communicate.

Ate the tidbits we had in the room for dinner (apple, bread, peanut butter, cereal, orange, juice – we will survive!!) as it was late and we were tired. Basketball game on – MO vs. KS State – so I’m working while Gene is watching the game and then off to bed. We are now back to two hour time difference between us and Delaware/East coast.

There are 26 states in Brazil and 23 letters in their alphabet.

“Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe.” – Anatole France

Monday, February 20, 2012

Vitoria, Recife and CARNAVAL!

Friday, February 17, 2012 – Vitoria, Brazil

We sailed five miles up the river to get to Vitoria, the capitol of the state of Espiritu Santo. We were docked in the center of town and we found very nice tourist info young adults to help with a wheelchair and taxi. Ilse, from Sydney Australia, came with us. She has a rollator and walks very well but it was nice to have some company also. The city has 300,000 people and the roads are hilly and steep. We toured quite a few churches – Igreja de Sao Goncalo, Capela Santa Luzia, Theatro Carlos Gomes (with an Italian façade), Catedral Metropolitana de Vitoria, Escadaria Maria Ortiz (steps) and the Parque Moscoso. In one of these churches, they found human bones in the foundation so the wall they cleverly placed four pieces of glass, like a window pane, over the human remains. In the Parque, we enjoyed the exercise equipment area – you could do a complete workout -- and we were surprised that J and Ilse did as much as they did. I asked the taxi driver to get us two Cokes and he came back with two fresh coconuts! Something lost in the translation there but we enjoyed them. There were beautiful stained glass windows in the cathedral and CHICKENS in the courtyard. Hot and sweaty, we returned to the ship and were asked to sit at the special luncheon table with the tourist information group who were onboard for lunch – was a nice time.

Gene and I went off on the public bus 509 to the area of the pottery makers – paneleiras -- had no trouble with the buses and I really don’t know which corner we exited the bus (but know it was before the airport) and the man beside me was very helpful. We walked one more corner and asked another man and he pointed to what looked like an auto repair shop! In we walked, and there was a fire in the sand with wood and the pottery being “fired” right there in front of us. One man invited us in to the primitive “shop” and the other was using his knife and water to smooth the edges of the lids and bottoms of the casserole dishes almost ready for firing. Very interesting, very simple and not at all what we expected. So that was that. We took the bus back, passed the WALMART (who would have thought they were here?) and back to town. Walked to the government building, the Palacio Anchieta, which also houses the tomb of Padre Anchieta. The tomb is the focus of devotional pilgrimage; he was one of the co-founders of Sao Paulo. The metropolis grew from the small highlands chapel he built in what is now the city center in the 16th century. It was originally a 16th century Jesuit college and church.

We had a nice sail away; there was a tug boat attached to our bow with a long rope. We finally cut them loose and the tug went to the starboard side and did “wheelies”!! It was such fun to watch and you could tell they were having a grand old time doing them. Such children!!  We were in the river and very close to land at several points; there was a beautiful monastery at the top of one mountain.

Nick Page, direct from London’s West End performing at Jean Valjean in Les Mis, was the entertainer. He was fabulous – I went to both shows. There was also a local samba school onboard at 3PM – all ages and abilities.

“I soon realized that no journey carries one far unless, as it extends into the world around us, it goes an equal distance into the world within.” – Lillian Smith

Saturday, February 18, 2012 – at sea

Forgot to mention that we had a nice singing tour with our taxi driver in Rio/Niteroi. Whitney Houston just passed away and our driver had her CD. One of her songs was the first song he and his wife had danced to so he played the CD and he and I sang all the songs. What a wonderful memory of our drive from Niteroi to Rio…

Today was formal night – Prinsendam singers and dancers performed. Culinary Arts demonstration and the other activities.

“Brazil is a 100% energy-independent nation.” -Think about that. Doesn’t that tick you off??? Why aren’t we…think of the millions they have been given by the USA.

“Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.” - Pat Conroy

Sunday, February 19, 2012 – Salvador da Bahia, Brazil
Port call canceled due to civil unrest. Day at sea.

Portuguese class, computer class, next port of call discussion where they told us it was Carnaval and to be careful, don’t go here, don’t go there, don’t wear this and don’t take that. So we’ll see what we end up doing and seeing or if we have two days on the ship!! We have to be sensible. Tex Mex BBQ out on deck and two hours of open bar since Salvador port of call was cancelled; nice dinner with friends. We are singing in the choir! Two songs.

Rosario Strings trio played a very nice concert. Great movie – Moneyball. We really enjoyed it for a late night out.

And then Gene’s glasses broke. Just fell apart in his hands. And not as easy fix – like screw it or something; they need to be welded and of course everything is closed for Carnaval. One more saga to be continued…

“Travel does what good novelists also do to the life of everyday, placing it like a picture in a frame or a gem in its setting, so that the intrinsic qualities are made more clear. Travel does this with the very stuff that everyday life is made of, giving to it the sharp contour and meaning of art.” – Freya Stark

Monday, February 20, 2012 – Recife, Brazil

It is Carnaval time! And we have an overnight here. It was not supposed to be an overnight but with the cancelled port, it worked to our advantage. Known as the Brazilian Venice, Recife is surrounded by rivers and is dotted with islands and mangroves. This is the state of Pernambuco; sugar cane industry prospered with the import of African slaves from the 16th-19th centuries and their influence has a major impact on the area. The first Jewish community and synagogue of the Americas was founded in the city. The inhabitants were eager to expel the Dutch, carried out the Pernambucan insurrection. Most of the Jews fled to Amsterdam while others fled to North America, starting the first Jewish community of New Amsterdam, now known as New York City.

We were up to explore to try to find an optometrist and a medical clinic. We found neither. All store fronts, churches…are all boarded up. Every business in town is closed. That tells you the damage caused by Carnaval. We were docked in Bairro do Recife and we could walk easily to the Carnaval area – about two blocks from the ship. The vendors were either sleeping on the sidewalks or cleaning up from last night. There was absolutely nothing to see – every public building and private business was closed. We had lunch on the ship to escape the heat and then took J out for a walk in the main squares to get a feel for the Carnaval. Very large faces, about 14 feet high, were being paraded by men inside the puppet faces. Kids started arriving on buses in costumes and entire families were dressed in costumes. The asphalt and ground was littered in confetti. It was interesting.

We wandered over the bridges to the Santo Antonio area and then to Boa Vista.
After dinner, we went out again and what a different scene. The bands were so loud on two stages, there were various TV screens to display the group on stage and the costumes were lavish and must have been ghastly hot to wear. They carried banners, wore head dresses and glitter adorned every inch of costume. A dog even wore a hat, costume and diaper! It was very loud but a very good time. There were sidewalk cafes and vendors with food and drink. The drink vendors even sold hard liquor. Some people went around collecting the aluminum cans to be turned in for cash, we assumed. We got caught up in the flow of the parade and were pushed along with them. Finally, we were able to veer off to a side street and things calmed down. It was very nice and you felt welcomed and everyone had a smile and good attitude.

Back to the ship for dinner and Nick Page concert and then we went out again. Well, this time the families were gone and it was all young adults and teenagers and the atmosphere reflected the change. Alcohol, the stench of urine, sweaty bodies with little clothing on bumping in to you…yech. Not the scene I wanted to remember so we did a quick tour and headed back to the ship. I can’t imagine what the Rio and Sao Paulo events are like.
There is another section of the Carnaval in Recife and that is supposed to be louder and not as family-friendly as the one we enjoyed tonight. Tonight’s memories of Carnaval will do me just fine.

“Brazilian law prohibits smoking in all public rooms while our ship is in Brazil. Smoking is only allowed on the designated outside decks and on stateroom balconies while the ship is in Brazilian Territory.”

“Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.” – Benjamin Disraeli

Friday, February 17, 2012

Buzios, Brazil

Thursday, February 16, 2012 – Armacao dos Buzios, Brazil

We had a beautifully hot and humid day in Amarcao Dos Buzios, just a two hour ride from Rio on the tip of a peninsula – the haven for Rio socialites. A Costa ship was also in port so the small town with shops, shops and more shops was overrun with tourists speaking every language you can imagine. We had to tender in and the sea was as smooth as it could be. The area is known for its beaches and bays – Tartaruga, Ferradura (snorkeling), Ossos (for the young, beautiful and wealthy), Armacao, Brava and Geriba (surfing), Joao Fernandinho, Manguinhos (for sailing and windsurfing)…all within a 5 mile radius but there were some steep hills involved.

We hired a tax for an hour’s ride and had some nice vantage points over the various beaches. Buzios’ claim to fame is from Brigitte Bardot’s visit in 1964. There is a nice small statue of her by the beach; and also one of a past Brazilian President. In the shallow water, there is also a nice bronze statue of three men fishing/working the nets.
Back to the ship to rest and then we returned to Buzios with the computers. We searched for a WIFI office and after a few HOURS on the Skype phone with Verizon I hope I have my email account all resolved. I have had a terrible time this week with email. HOPEFULLY, it is resolved. That gave us zilch extra time to look around but there seemed to be just three streets of shops and restaurants, all parallel to the beach. It was 4:30 and my favorite time at the beach. I would have loved to jump in for a quick dip but maybe next time.

Rested on the ship’s lounge chairs on the walking deck for a short time while we sailed away and it was so nice -- the sound of the water, the warmth of the sun and the wind cooling you…I loved it. Dinner was very good and we had Juan and Eileen LOS GAUCHOS for an Argentinian cowboy and tango show. Gene was pulled from the audience to work with the entertainer; he had to hold a cigarette in his mouth while they twirled the bola and knocked it out of his mouth. Went to the line dancing event and worked for a short time.

“Too often travel, instead of broadening the mind, merely lengthens the conversation.” – Elizabeth Drew

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Tuesday, February 14, 2012 – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Early morning sail in to Rio! Lovely day – warm and humid and just what you expect. We arrived ON TIME. J, Gene and I took the free shuttle from the jewelry store H. Stern to their office on Ipanema Beach, which was great. It was clear across town so you got the entire tour of Sugarloaf with the cable cars (of James Bond fame) and Corcovado (Statue of Christ on the hill) and past Copacabana Beach. Sugarloaf is reached by cable car and there is an excellent view of Rio’s skyline. The cost is approx. $28 to go up and we had done it before so we went on to the next site.

Corcovado, the large statue of Christ, Christ the Redeemer, was recently chosen as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. The view from the toes of Rio’s mountain top Christ is spectacular. It was intended to mark the 100th anniversary of Independence for Brazil in 1922 but it arrived 10 years+ too late. This also costs approx. $28 per person for the train to the top of the hill and since we have been there before, we opted for the view from the ship, streets and on sail away; it can be seen from almost anywhere in the city.
Great office and museum – we saw how the natural gems of Brazil, the emerald, imperial topaz, tourmaline, amethyst and aquamarine are faceted and cut and mounted and then were shown quite a few options for rings, pendants, necklaces, earrings…could not resist so one of us brought home a lovely imperial topaz and diamond ring. We asked for a private van to return us to the ship and to drive slowly so we could photograph the beaches and sites and it worked out great. Lunch on the upper deck and then Gene and I went off to find internet. But since we had taken a ½ hour nap we hit the rain storm, and of course had left our umbrellas behind since the morning was so spectacular. We waited it out at McDonald’s, which did NOT have WIFI, and found a small hole-in-wall internet shop to use for $2 an hour.

That satisfied and wishing all a Happy Valentine’s Day, we returned for dinner on the ship and a fantastic Brazilian folkloric show with all kinds of dancing from samba, tribal, carnival (which begins next week) to capoeira (martial arts acrobatics that I am enthralled with) to the conga line. Walked around the ship and out on the docks at night – lovely, clear night sky and fell exhausted in to bed.

Oh yes, I did try my Portuguese – with my notes, I am fine. Without them, I rely on my Spanish. Not good.

Rio de Janeiro, or River of January, is the former capital of Brazil and has a spectacular natural harbor ringed by beautiful and famous beaches. It is equally famous for its Carnival celebrations and samba music. Along with the very wealthy that can afford the splendors of the city, it has an extremely large slum area. Over 6 million live in poverty in communities called favelas. Crime is a major problem in Rio and you must use common sense and leave valuable jewelry at home and watch your purses and bags.

“Too often travel, instead of broadening the mind, merely lengthens the conversation.” - Elizabeth Drew

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 – Rio de Janeiro

Hot and humid again it started out quite stressful trying to negotiate a taxi to take us to the cathedral, monastery and arches in Lapa. The prices are astronomical. We turned them down at first, $100 for 2 hours, and then we ended up with that anyway. Safety is your first issue and they had “secure” taxis or “street taxis”. Pay the price and be safe.
We were very fortunate to end up with Sergio, a very amicable Presbyterian taxi driver with some English, who was just good fun. He tolerated my poor Portuguese and helped me with the pronunciation, told us about his wife and 7-year old son and took us to the church where they were married. We hope to meet him again. They are putting a contract down now for a flat one block away from Copacabana Beach and hope to complete it by Carnival! Exciting times in his life.

First we stopped for gas, which I did not appreciate UNTIL we got to the station. It was a natural gas station. This meant we had a small hose connect to the front engine section of the Chevrolet. Then we had the big yellow gas tank in the trunk. And they gave you free Brazilian expresso (very sweet) and cookies at the station. He said he get 70 miles on $10! Very informative and interesting stop for all of us.

We ended up going over the 7 mile bridge to Niteroi – accomplished what Gene wanted to do – cross the bridge – and what I wanted to do – see the modern space ship/flying saucer Museum of Modern Art designed by Oscar Niemeyer, who also designed the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain. Lovely beaches there and you can take a ferry from the center of Rio to the center of Niteroi – next time.

Back to the city center to see the Cathedral, a bee hive structure, and past the Municipal Theatre and to Lapa, once known as the Parisian “Montmartre of the Tropics” and the Roman-style aqueducts called Arcos da Lapa. There used to be a trolley which rode on the top of the arches but after a recent accident, that was stopped. Gene had wanted to do that today so at least we found out before trying to find the station to take the trolley. Back to the ship for lunch and a quick rest.

After lunch we ventured off on our own to the Mosteiro Sao Bento, a monastery within walking distance of the ship, high up on a hill. We were able to get the school bus to the top to visit this incredible Baroque church from the 1500s. Every inch of the church is richly carved in wood and covered in gold leaf – a sight to see. Must be very moving to attend a Sunday mass featuring Gregorian chants. Trying to find the cathedral on our own, we asked some “security” in front of a building. They motioned us inside this building and you have never seen so many armed men in a lobby! There were three outside and at least five inside. We could see a large rotunda and I felt it was like our Capitol – found out it was the Central Bank of Brazil. They must have all the billions of dollars the US has given them in there and they certainly are not giving it back.

They could not help us with walking directions, even with four employees discussing and looking online, so we wandered off to the church of Nossa Senhora de Candelaria, likely the most impressive church in Rio, has stood on this spot since the 1680s. There are huge and ornate cast-bronze doors, the ceiling panels tell the story of the church and the large Art Nouveau lamps look like cast-iron Christmas trees. We wandered through different streets to find the way to the internet café and there was a drunken man passed out on the street. Legs sprawled, head half on and half off the stoop and just looked as if he were dead. This did not cause one person to stop and notice; we felt it was quite the “norm” and it probably happens even more frequently during Carnival. The internet man was pleased to see us again and I was able to resolve my Verizon issues. Again, we ran back to the ship for the 5:30 sail away.

It was a very nice evening with the Brazilian churrascuria BBQ on the open decks as we sailed out of Rio. All kinds of meats and salads and the live music and we passed the smaller domestic airport, the military bases, Corcovado could be seen in the distance as the sun set and Sugarloaf was still moving people up and down in the cable cars. The lights of the city were slowly coming on as we sailed out to sea.

The entertainer was a magician/comedian, Jeff Moche, and then I watched a Sean Connery film, The Medicine Man.

Montevideo, Uruguay

Saturday, February 11, 2012 – late arrival to Montevideo, Uruguay

After not much sleep, we had set the alarm for scenic cruising at 7AM and had the TV switched on the channel for the front of the ship. So we saw an incredible sunrise but no announcements about scenic cruising. So we dozed. Finally at 9AM, the Captain came on to explain that we were approx. 5 hours late. Since we were delayed an hour last night on departure, as waited for the last buses from the charter flights to Iguazu Falls, we had missed our slot in the “convoy” to leave the port and had been anchored for 5+ hours during the middle of the night. Therefore, we had missed our spot in the next convoy to get to Montevideo and there were 20+ ships in (Rosario), a port city, that had been waiting for over 2 weeks to dock due to an incident at that port. All that affected our arrival time so we were now scheduled to arrive at 1PM. Bummer.

But there were clear blue skies with a hot sun and a pleasant wind as we docked right in the center of the city. Regent Mariner ship was right next door and we were surrounded by the freighters and container ships. Gene hosted a city tour and J and I sat on the Lido Deck and had a nice lunch at sail-in. Tours at the port were offered for $25 for a 3 hour city tour. Free WIFI was right outside the port gate with no password needed.
J and I got in the free shuttle to the leather factory (Montevideo Leather Factory – www.montevideoleatherfactory.com) at Plaza Constitution and near the Radisson) and rode the oldest, creakiest elevator up to see the fabulously soft leather goods. The elevator even had an alarm on it- if you entered too slowly, it sounded like a burglar alarm!! Nothing purchased there so we were off to find a beauty shop. We met a nice young couple and they found us a cab and directed us to a nearby street where they may be open- it was Saturday afternoon and most shops were closed. One did haircuts for $4 but no nails. Too bad…the other did it for $7 but no nails. Next one won: nails and hair cuts. So we waited and waited. We had forgotten to ask how long the wait would be. And never have I seen hair dried so slowly or styled so carefully or a manicure take so long – cut, trim, soak and paint. And the hair wash – the lady had just had her hair colored and then they proceeded to wash it for over ½ an hour!! It was a real lesson for me. I had forgotten how the Latin women love to take care of themselves. It is their time for themselves.

Anyway, finally J and I had our haircuts and he did a good job. Cut, trim, shape, razor cut, scissor cut…he did it all. And then blow dry. And in the end there was no time to get her nails done -- wouldn’t you know it!? Anyway, they took off the old polish and we can work it from there. My cut is completely different, short on the sides and long on the top – perhaps I needed a change. Maria Jose Gonzalez, Rio Branco 1414, ph 2908 4047
The store owners were very helpful and called a cab to take us to the ship – apparently you have to be careful on which company you use and which car. This driver was so excited to be near the ship that he took a photo of it and then I took two photos of him with the ship; made his day!

I waited outside by some WWII machinery for Gene to return from his tour and then we went off exploring. Walked up the pedestrian street, listened to the local music in the cultural center, found the Plaza Matriz/Constitution, Plaza Zabala, the cathedral and met Marcel, a nice older gentleman in a wine shop (Bombonier at Peatonal Sarandi 649) who had dated a woman in Wilmington, DE. We had a nice talk about which city we preferred - - Buenos Aires, the larger more cosmopolitan city OR Montevideo, the smaller city with the beach. He made an interesting comment: “Those big cities, like LA…they rob you of your life. You spend so much time commuting you don’t have time to live life.” Think about it.
Montevideo is the chief port, capital and largest city in Uruguay and the only city in this country with a population of over 1,000,000. The majority of the population is of Spanish and Italian descent and the African influence can be seen in much of the cultural aspects of the city. The very first FIFA World Cup (soccer) was held in Montevideo in 1930 and Uruguay won by defeating Argentina 4-2.

Wonderful walk back to the ship. Was nice to have time to walk on our own and also have time to get the hair cut.

We had a nice buffet on the outside deck in the back of the ship and it was a beautiful sail-away. All the freighters were unloading and the tugs were pulling and pushing us out of the narrow slip. Just at sunset, 8:30, we were on our way. It was nice to be able to sit outside, not worry about getting dressed for dinner and to enjoy the city and ships and lights all around us. Need to do this more often.

I did not even worry about missing the show. Also knew there was another one at 10PM, so I was safe there!

Clear night with 75 degrees and we could see 21 ships on the port side and 11 ships on the starboard side. Wow. The full moon is sliding away.

Emily Reed, singer from the UK, was the entertainer.
We moved our clocks forward an hour so we are now THREE hours ahead of Delaware.

Sunday, February 12, 2012 – at sea
Weather was absolutely perfect – 75 degrees and a gentle wind. What a nice day. Worked most of the morning and then had a wonderful lunch on the back verandah with friends. Enjoyed a class in Portuguese offered by a fellow passenger who taught for 30+ years. Never hurts to learn the basics as you enter a new country.

Just found my notes from the Antarctica follow-up:
On our first day of scenic cruising, visibility was 1/10 of a mile. Not much to see that day! Fish won’t freeze and their blood is white/clear. We were 1380 miles from the South Pole. Latitude 65 degrees 23. Longest life span of some penguins – King penguins at 15-20 years and 45 pounds. Emperor penguins weigh up to 90 pounds. Adelie penguins live 15-18 years. Some skua birds fly five day to fee in Brazil. When we did not dock in Ushuaia, Argentina, the wind was 20-25 knots and the Coast Guard determined it was not safe for us to dock as the tenders were too light.

Formal night and we went to the Cupid Ball with all the officers in the showroom.
“When you are old and gray and full of sleep
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep:
How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true;
But on man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face.
And bending down beside the glowing bars
Murmur, a little sadly, how love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And his face amid a crowd of stars.” – WB Yeats

Monday, February 13, 2012 – at sea
Cloudy day and humidity is in the air. Classes, lunch with friends on the outer verandah, entertainment by Emily Reed and Shirley Dominguez. Nap time. Portuguese lesson. Computer work.

For the DID YOU KNOW section: “STOP DIDYMO”. Look this up. Seriously, just found the flyer I picked up from Chile and this is an algae commonly known as “rock snot” that attaches to rocks and forms thick brown mats that cover large areas in the bottoms of rivers and lakes, and tend to persist to several months. This algae spread easily, it is highly invasive in a short period of time and rapidly turns into a plague. It was reported in Vancouver Island, since 1984, and in parts of the US, in South Dakota it was found across an area of 10 km during months. The human factor has been the main cause of the spread of didymo to other rivers or streams.

“I soon realized that no journey carries one far unless, as it extends into the world around us, it goes an equal distance into the world within.” - Lillian Smith

Monday, February 13, 2012

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Thursday, February 9, 2012 – late arrival to Buenos Aires

Well, we missed our slot in the convoy to arrive to the city on schedule. The River Platte is a muddy, brown, shallow, ugly river that carries hundreds of ships to BA for loading and unloading. During the night, we ended up anchoring 5+ hours as we departed late, missed our slot INBOUND slot and had to wait for the next group. All the tours were messed up; all the flights for Europeans to go home were missed and there was general chaos. We arrived about 2:30PM and took a taxi to the La Boca (artists haven), San Telmo, around the government square to see the PINK HOUSE (their White House) and the Virgin Bridge. It is a nice city but the traffic is another story – just as you would expect in a cosmopolitan city.

In the early 20th century, Argentina absorbed millions of immigrants, mostly from Italy and Spain. Today, many Koreans and Chinese have settled here also.
The exclusive Ensemble Experience was tonight! Esquina Carlos Gardel tango palace – www.esquinacarlosgardel.com.ar

We were 26 picked up at 7:45PM for a wonderful dinner and tango show. There were three choices for each course (the large rib eye won for most of us as it is THE THING to eat in Buenos Aires) with wonderful dances. Various tango styles with various dresses and suits – at one point I did not think the “dress” could get any shorter or smaller and guess what, it sure did. It was fascinating and graceful and wild and sexy. They had the classic tango danced by a couple in their ‘70s and a sexy tango danced in a red hot barely-there dress

“What you’ve done becomes the judge of what you’re going to do – especially in other people’s minds. When you’re traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don’t have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road.” – William Least Heat Moon

Friday, February 10, 2012 – Buenos Aires, Argentina

Lovely day again and we set off on the free shuttle bus to the main pedestrian street – Florida Avenue – shops and shops and restaurants and an architect’s dream of facades. We hired a cab to take us to the Recoleta cemetery, where Evita Duarte Peron is buried, along with every other wealthy Argentine. They say it is good to be wealthy in Buenos Aires, but it is better to be buried in the Recoleta for your wealth to be seen for centuries. They had a nice wheelchair for use and we walked all over the small city - -streets and names and plaques and fabulous mausoleums. It is the most exclusive neighborhood in the city and the surrounding area is full of boutiques and restaurants. Taxi back to the ship after we passed the Congresso, the largest building in the city. FREE INTERNET as we were able to get on to the private site and made some calls and worked. Barely made it back in time as there was a problem with a bank account.

The gaucho is a figure in the history of both Argentina and Uruguay. These cowboys of the Pampas (the most fertile regions in the country) lived on the grassy plains from the mid-18th to the mid-19th centuries. They were mixed Native American and Spanish descent and were known to be courageous and skillful riders. Their livelihood was earned on cattle ranges or by illegal horse and cattle trading at the Brazilian frontier. Their weapons were used to capture wild horses and cattle, the lasso and the bola, a cord and weight type of sling thrown to entangle the legs of quarry. In folklore, music, art and literature, the gaucho still conjures images of the wild, unbridled enthusiasm and romance of a time gone by.

Entertainer was Paul Adams, UK comedian – very good.

On the way to the Falkland Islands

Sunday, February 5, 2012 – at sea

Superbowl celebration in the showroom at sea for all those interested. For those of us not interested, myself included, I enjoyed the movie “Endurance” about the Shackleton excursions in 1916+ to the Antarctica. What a brave and honorable man he was; he proved many times that the safety of his men came first, above his mission goals. He died on a voyage of a heart attack and is buried on King George Island.

We anchored from 10PM and overnight in the harbor for a quiet night. Glad to have gotten this far with no mishaps. AND for a night of calm seas.

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” - Miriam Beard

Monday, February 6, 2012 – Falkland Islands! Yeah! Population 2000+; sheep 700,000

We made it. After all the rough weather and being anchored overnight, we were off on tenders very early. Those departing after us had very rough seas and some were very wet as they started to explore the island – not a good way to start the day. Some had to buy dry socks!!

We hired a taxi for a short drive to Gypsy Cove to see the Magellan penguins on the beach. They were burrowing and squawking on the beautiful cove and beach. Surprisingly, there were unexploded mines in the area so you had to stay on the path. At the end, there was a WWII piece of artillery.

We walked through Port Stanley, an easy place to explore on foot. English is the official language and British sterling is the currency. There are two main islands – East Falkland and West Falkland and there are 700 smaller islands. Two-thirds of the Falkland residents were born in the islands and most claim some British ancestry. All hold British passports.

Local homes typically have brightly colored roofs – perhaps to counter sometimes bleak weather. Many of the homes are fashioned in traditional British style. There are many sheep farmers and several species of penguins – Rockhopper, gentoo, macaroni, magellanic and king. There are over 30 shipwrecks in the Stanley harbor in various stages of disrepair. The jetty is built over four of them! The Anglican Christ Church Cathedral is the southernmost cathedral in the world. The town hall is the post office, law court, library and dance hall. Peat is the primary source of fuel. The land around Stanley is heavily mined and there are still areas that are marked as minefields from the bitter 74-day Falklands War of 1982 between Britain and Argentina.

BEAUTIFUL blue skies with very cold and fierce winds – and this is their SUMMER. Small rolling hills, with brown and beige patches of rock and lichen but no grass. Small peaks. Made for a “mean tender” ride to and from the ship. Our return tender was delayed over an hour as they moved the ship. You have never seen a tender move so gingerly through the water and even then many people got wet (myself included) as we returned to the ship. But we were safe. Hotel Manager, Cruise Director and Beverage Manager greeted us as we returned. That told me they realized what we were going through to return to the ship.

We’re ready for another 8+ hours of rough seas, per the Captain. Should be over by 11PM tonight—we’ll hope and see what actually happens. Michael Bacala, virtuoso violinist, was the entertainer.

“I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” – Mark Twain

Tuesday, February 7, 2012 – at sea

Lectures, computer classes, Antarctica Forum with Captain Tim Roberts and the exploration team speakers and our ice pilot. Formal night with the Prinsendam singers and dancers performing.

“A journey is best measured in friends, rather in miles.” - Tim Cahill

Wednesday, February 8, 2012 – at sea on the way to Buenos Aires, Argentina

Tea extravaganza in the afternoon. Worked. Jason Chase, comedian, was the entertainer.

Antarctica!

February 1, 2012 - in the Drake Passage, at sea, heading to Antarctica

We had hoped to be able to see Cape Horn but the weather was so bad to the west of us that the Captain veered due south and off we went. The route around Cape Horn was the shorter of the two routes between Europe and Asia/Pacific. A Dutch merchant, Isaac Le Maire, was awarded rights to trade in Asia. He hired Willem Shouten, from Hoorn, the Netherlands, to explore the route for safe passage for his goods. Schouten departed in 1615 with two vessels: the Eendracht and the Hoorn. They sailed first to Patagonia, where the Hoorn burned on the beach. They sailed to the south in January 1616 and rounded Tierra del Fuego on January 29. They successfully entered the Pacific Ocean without passing through the Strait of Magellan. The sailors named the southernmost point Kaan van Hoorn in honor of their village in the Netherlands.

Great speakers: History of the US Involvement in the Antarctic, Antarctic Treaty: Managing an Unspoiled Continent and Introduction to Sea Birds of Antarctica. Camera class. Battles of the Sexes games all days long – WOMEN prevailed! Movie “180 Degrees South: Conquerors of the Useless” about trying to climb Mt. Corcovado in Chile. Dinner with Sparky (Daniel Hoffman), entertainment staff.

Did you know there are 17 species of penguins? They have a layer of grease under their skin which serves as a thermal insulator. Some can sustain temperatures of -40 degrees Fahrenheit! Baby chicks have dense feathers which they shed for their known black and white feathers. They can swim up to 13 miles an hour! There are no physical differences between the male and female. They groom each other frequently.

Dale Kristien, actress “Christine” of the Phantom of the Opera played opposite Michael Crawford for FIVE years, was the entertainer. Pirates and privateers party! Movie “180 Degree South: Conquerors of the Useless” about the Chilean Patagonia.

“Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by.” - Robert Frost

February 2 – 2012 – Antarctica!

The sun is up at 4:30 and sets about 11PM. Temperature is freezing and the wind makes it even colder -- and is their summertime. Enough said.

Rules for visiting this area: No smoking by crew and guests on all open decks, including verandahs. No loud playing of music or making loud noises on open decks. Do not feed birds and other wildlife. Do not throw anything overboard and remove all items that can be blown overboard by the wind. Do not fish (!!). Do not litter.

Up at 6 as we approached Anvers Island. Small and medium size icebergs floating past us but today we are “enjoying” gale force winds, SNOW, and just plain cold temperatures. In the SUMMER. The seas are calmer than last night since we are in the channel.
Antarctica’s frigid nature was revealed by the 2nd voyage of Captain James Cook in 1772. He was the first to cross the Antarctic Circle. John Davis made the first landing on the Antarctic continent in 1821 at Hughes Bay. The continent is almost completely covered by continental ice sheets, which are compacted layers of snow that turn into ice. It is surrounded by sea ice, or pack ice, formed from ocean water that freezes, which makes it impossible to access Antarctica during the winter months. The continent holds 90% of the world’s ice and 70% of its fresh water. If melted, it would cause sea levels to rise 200 feet. The ice is, on average, 6,561 feet thick but can reach up to 13,123 feet!!

The scenes around us were misty and clouded. It was not the photo op we see in the National Geographic magazines but, perhaps, the real Antarctica. We were here in 1995 and I have to confess that I remember many more icebergs and seals and penguins and birds. And sunshine. But we had mist and snow and wind. I can’t imagine sailing in the old ships in this mess. The seas were rough and we secured everything in the stateroom.

Various lecturers throughout the day and many whale and penguin siteings. Did you know that penguins look like frogs leaping through the water as they “swim”? Really cute – little black and white figures.

Naki Ataman, from Turkey, played a non-stop musical adventure/tribute to 19 countries for 45 minutes on the piano.

“A traveler without observation is a bird without wings.” – Moslih Eddin Saadi

February 3, 2012 – Antarctica – Anvers Island, Cuverville Island, Brabant Island, Neumayer Channel

Cruising all day we were pleased to see many penguins and whales around us. The weather fluctuated between misty and damp with some sun. The wind was COLD.

Antarctica is completely surrounded by the three great oceans of the world – Atlantic, Pacific and Indian. The nearest settlement is Ushuaia, Argentina at 622 miles away. It is the bigger than Australia and Europe and if it were a country, it would be the second-largest in the world, after Russia. We saw several research stations and disembarked a team of scientists (mostly young adults) from Palmer Station who worked together for 3-5 months on various research projects, such as counting penguins the marine ecosystem, atmospheric studies and the effects of increased ultraviolet radiation on marine and terrestrial communities. They gave two nice lectures on their facility with photos.
Palmer Station, built in 1968, honors Nathan B. Palmer, who in 1820 was one of the very first to see and experience Antarctica. It can accommodate 44 people and is usually only full during the summer months.

While there are no permanent residents, anywhere from 1000-4000 people reside at various times of the year as participants in research projects representing many different countries. Although some of these stations are staffed year-round, the personnel are not considered residents of Antarctica. In 1913, Klara Olette Jacobsen gave birth to the firs child born in the southern polar region. Her husband was the Assistant Manager of whaling station and two of their children were born here and registered by the British Magistrate. In 1978, Emilio Marcos Palma became the first person born on the Antarctic mainland. His parents were part of a group of families sent by the Argentinean government to see if family life was suitable, or even possible, in the harsh conditions. Currently, there are several bases where families live and station schools attend to the educational needs of the children.

Jim Kolb was the entertainer – 12 string guitarist and comedian.

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” Henry Miller

February 4, 2012 – Antarctica –Bransfield Strait, Palmer Archipelago, Gerlache Strait, Lemaire Channel

Up at 4:30 for the final day of scenic cruising. Deception Island is volcanic and on our previous trip when we landed, you could swim there! The water was hot but the air was cold!

98% of the continent is covered with ice and is the coldest, driest and windiest continent on Earth. The interior, due to lack of precipitation, is also technically the largest desert in the world. As of today, 45 countries have signed the Antarctic Treaty which prohibits military activity and mineral mining and encourages scientific research and protects the continent’s ecozone.

The days were cold and dreary with a few hours of sunshine. What a contrast from the days in South America. I don’t think that many people realized how different this portion of the trip would be – mentally and physically. Wonderful experience.

Saw an interesting documentary on the Poncet family, from the Falklands, who spend the summer in Antarctica with their children, doing research. Took them five days to sail from the Falklands each way – in a SAIL BOAT. “Antarctic Wildlife Adventure”

Note from the Captain: “I wish to inform you that although we have planned to avoid the worst of the weather, we will however encounter rough seas towards this evening. We are expecting seas to increase with a wave height on the portside up to 19 feet and relative wind speed of up to 70 mph through the night and continuing until we arrive at Port Stanley, Falkland Islands.” Battle down the hatches, gang. We’re in for a rough night.

“There is no moment of delight in any pilgrimage like the beginning of it.” - Charles Dudley Warner

Monday, February 6, 2012

Punta Arenas, Chile and missed port!

Monday, January 30 – Punta Arenas, Chile (means sands point)

This was supposed to be the day we met my cousins here, on our sister ship, the VEENDAM. This was supposed to be the day our two friends returned to the PRINSENDAM from their medical disembarkation. Very sadly, both did not happen.

We are now wearing long underwear and the complete line of winter gear. The ports are windy and cold. The ship docked at the port and we took the free shuttle to the main plaza. We were here in 1992 and we think we found the small hotel where we stayed.
This is the most prominent settlement on the Straits of Magellan and the third largest city in the Patagonian Region. It was a penal colony and disciplinary posting for military personnel in the mid-19th century. The growth of the sheep industry and the discovery of gold led the area to proper and for the 50 years between 1890 and 1940, the region was the world’s most important sheep-raising region. The harbor was considered of the world’s most important before the construction of the Panama Canal; it was used to prepare ships for the treacherous passage around Cape Horn.

We were able to work via the internet and I joined a minivan group from the Veendam ship to go to the Seno Otway penguin colony, about 20 miles out of town on a paved road and another 30 miles on an unpaved road. There was a boardwalk path leading to a lean-to where you could view the Magallanes penguins in the water, in their burrows and on the beach – adults playing at the water’s edge, the chicks in their fluffy wing fur on the sand and get up close and personal for their unforgettablde stinky smell.

There was much immigration from the Welsh and Croatian community. Only 1% of the Chilean population lives in Punta Arenas but the region covers 17% of the mass of the country. 150,000 total population. Sodalite is the Chilean version of the lapis lazuli stone. The city flourished during the California Gold Rush when it was a haven for steamers rounding the Cape - -hard to believe they had to come all the way down here to get to California from the east coast!! The Museum of Regional History was built by the 19th century businessman Braun-Menendez. The sheep farming industry led to vast fortunes because enormous land grants allowed high yield.

We climbed the hilly streets for a nice lookout over the city and water, checked out the many local vendors selling sweaters and products of wool and local stones and found the old cemetery – a virtual city of mausoleums of the town’s wealthy. There were even street signs to make the paths. One large mausoleum even had photos of the family members on porcelain plates on an altar.

We also passed the Nao Victoria ship, a replica of the first ship to circumnavigate the globe. Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521) was a Portuguese explorer, and served King Charles I of Spain in search of westward route to the “Spice islands” modern Maluku Islands in Indonesia. His expedition became the first expedition to sail from the Atlantic Ocean into the Pacific Ocean.

We had the best ever Indonesian Crew Show at 11PM! Absolutely great entertainers and variety of songs and dances all performed by the crew. Folk songs, guitar playing, dancing and monkey costumes and the angklung orchestra, which is similar to a wooden ruler in length and width that holds narrow round sticks upright. As you jiggle the “wooden ruler” the sticks hit each other and make a sound. Each “angklung” has a different pitch so you play them like a hand bell.

“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” - Lao Tzu

Tuesday, January 31 – Ushuaia, Argentina

We were all out on the cold deck photographing the “most southerly city in the world” and “the only Argentine city on the other side of the Andes” as we were told the seas were too rough to land. Bummer. It was very windy and the waves were high and sometimes you forget how difficult it is to get passengers safely in and out of the tenders. We were anchored in the harbor for about four+ hours. Pull out the map or google this city to see where it is located: much closer to Chile than to Argentina, separated by the Andes Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.

Ushuaia: Much like Australia, beginning in 1906, this city was built by the convicts shipped here, to the last frontier. The windswept island of Tierra del Fuego has witnessed a rich history of shipwrecks, penal colonies, gold prospectors and missionaries. Now the area attracts Argentines who come for tax breaks (due to the harsh climate/temperatures drop well below zero between July-September (their winter) and the sun rises only briefly) and there are plentiful jobs.

Museo Maritimo and Museo del Presidio: The national prison for the area, it was built to house 380 but held up to 800 at times. The 2nd floor has the Antarctica exploration exhibit. In the courtyard are the remains of the world’s narrowest gauge freight train which transported prisoners between town and work stations. The prisoners built and maintained the tracks and restored cars operate as a tourist attraction now with a 9-mile route passing through the national park.

Cerro Martial and Glaciar Martial: you can either hike or take the chairlift for a beautiful view of the Beagle Channel.

Parque Nacional Terra del Fuego (End of the World National Park): The park was created in 1960 to protect a 155,610 acre chunk of wilderness that includes mighty peaks, crystalline rivers, black-water swamps and forests of lenga, or deciduous beech. There are easy and medium day hikes, boat rides and bird-watching.

While we were anchored, the government paperwork was able to be completed and then we were on our way to Antarctica! The Captain was anxious (as we were also) to beat the weather pattern heading from the west to the east and decided not to go via Cape Horn but to sail directly south. We were doing 18 knots and the winds were 35 mph. It was still a rough night and one of the first nights I actually moved while in the bed. Most of the time you feel only the swaying, but this time there was physical movement of the body; but at least I did fall OFF the bed!

Larry Linkin was the entertainer – a fabulous clarinet player we enjoyed on last year’s cruise also.

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” - Lao Tzu