Last Port of Call....End of Journey

Bridgetown in Barbados is our last port of call before we re-enter the USA. What a great trip it's been, and Barbados was no disappointment.

We took a Jeep Safari around the island and saw beaches, churches, and lots of rum shops, or what we would call bars. Our guide Charles told us that for every church on the island, and there are lots, there are three rum shops within walking distance.

Sugarcane, rum and tourism make up the island's main revenue sources. 95% of the population is black, with lots of Rastafarian type guys around. I found out that they don't like having their picture taken....one of them shook his fist at me when he thought I was trying to sneak in a photo. I put the camera away after that.

Barbados has long been popular with people from the U.K. It's hot climate and cool trade winds make it a good antidote for the often gloomy UK weather. There are a number of celebrities that own property on the island, and Tiger Woods got married here back in 2004.

We saw a huge gap between the very upscale houses of the rich and the very humble homes of the not rich, but I guess that could be said of every country.

After our jeep trip, we wandered around Bridgetown for a while and spent about an hour in a grubby little rum shop sipping Banks Beer....the beer of Barbados. It was fun in that we were on the second floor on a balcony overlooking a busy street, so there was lots of interesting people watching to be done.

Barbados reminded us quite a bit of Jamaica, with the same 'don't worry mon' attitude. Everyone we met (with the exception of the fist-shaking Rastafarian) was extremely friendly and very helpful. If it looked like we were in the least bit lost, or looking for something, people would stop on the street and help us. Everyone speaks English, albeit with an interesting combination of a Brit accent with a Jamaican lilt. I think the local patois is called Bajan.

Now we are back at sea for three days. Friday will be spent packing and hopefully, getting laundry done. We had hoped to be able to ship a couple of suitcases home to Canada with Luggage Concierge service, but according to them, there are two countries in the world where, because of Customs Laws, this is almost impossible....Canada and Mexico. So, we will be schlepping all our luggage to Mexico and then again back to Canada. Sounds like fun.

As this is nearing the end of our South American Adventure, this will be my last travel blog posting. Thanks to all who posted comments....it was fun to get them.

SORRY....PHOTOS WOULDN'T LOAD, BUT THEY WERE PROBABLY THE BEST PHOTOS I'VE TAKEN THIS ENTIRE JOURNEY. THE LANDSCAPES WERE OUT OF THIS WORLD, THE COMMENTARY SPARKLING AND WITTY, AND STEVE AND I LOOK AMAZING. YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO TAKE MY WORD FOR IT!

Prisoners, Monkeys and Rats on Devils Island

Devil's Island is actually three small islands that the French used as a penal colony until the mid 1950's. Over the years, more than 80,000 men were imprisoned there, in conditions that were abominable. They were shown no mercy. Each day, they had a quota of timber they had to cut. If they fell short, their daily rations were cut back to become one slice of bread. Whatever amount they didn't complete was tacked on to the next day's quota. Of the 80,000 men imprisoned, only 30,000 managed to survive, and I'm amazed that many were able to.

Escapes from the “Green Hell' were common and mostly unsuccessful. Papillon was one who was successful, but there were thousands more who perished in the attempt.

One of the most famous prisoners was Army Captain Alfred Dreyfus, who was unjustly found guilty of treason, stripped of rank and honor, and sent to prison. He was later exonerated. There have been several books and a play written about the Dreyfus Affair.

We visited there on Sunday for a couple of hours. There is still a community there, albeit one that is decaying and falling back into the jungle. The French government, however, is taking steps to clean up some of the ruins. They have constructed a hotel there and offer special weekend wedding packages. Personally, I think the bad karma is still far too strong for me to be able to enjoy a relaxing weekend!

It was interesting to see the old prison cells. Solitary confinement was in a small cubicle with virtually no light coming in. The condemned men cells were conveniently located just steps from the guillitine (I'm pretty sure I spelled this wrong...but you know what I mean....the sharp blade that fell from a distance and in one clean swoop, detached the head from the torso.)

We saw lots of monkeys in the trees, large rat-like rodents without tails, and beautiful but noisy parrots.

We walked around the island and were struck with how utterly isolated the prisoners must have felt.

But, we headed back to our ship to enjoy delicious dinner, an entertaining show, and dancing until midnight. For us, Devil's Island will only have good memories.

Our next stop is Barbados on Tuesday. After that, we head for Florida and disembarkation. It will be nice to feel terra firma once again.

 SAILING INTO DEVILS ISLAND....WHICH IS ACTUALLY THREE ISLANDS, ALL WITHIN ABOUT 300 YARDS OF EACH OTHER, BUT ISOLATED FROM EACH OTHER BY STRONG OCEAN CURRENTS, ROCKY SHORES AND SHARK-INFESTED WATERS (AT LEAST WHILE THE PENAL COLONY WAS THERE...PERHAPS BECAUSE THEY DISPOSED OF THE CONVICTS' BODIES BY DROPPING THEM INTO THE WATER.)

STEVIE JOKING AROUND......HE IS IN THE HALLWAY OF A BLOCK OF CELLS. THE CELLS THEMSELVES HAD LITTLE OR NO WINDOWS AND OF COURSE, THERE WAS NO ELECTRICITY SO NO ARTIFICIAL LIGHTS OF ANY KIND.

THIS IS A DRIED UP LAGOON THAT AT ONE TIME SUPPLIED THE DRINKING WATER FOR THE PENAL COLONY. THE CONVICTS HAD TO DIG THIS OUT BY HAND, SOME OF THEM WITH NOTHING MORE THAN A SPOON.

A COUPLE OF THE MONKEYS THAT ARE LIVING ON THE ISLAND.

THE SECOND OF THREE ISLANDS...YOU CAN SEE BY THE POUNDING SURF THAT IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO LAND A BOAT THERE.

A NOISY BUT COLORFUL PARROT THAT FOLLOWED US AROUND. WE SAW A FLOCK OF THREE OF THEM FLYING AROUND.

THERE WERE A LOT OF THESE CRITTERS RUNNING AROUND. THEY LOOKED LIKE LARGE RATS (BUT CUTER) AND WITH NO TAIL.

Fishing for Piranha

Today we were in Santarem, a bustling port city on the Amazon. Actually, it sits on two rivers, the Amazon and the Tapajos. Here is where the Wedding of the Waters can best be seen.....the brown of the Amazon and the deep blue of the Tapajos, that run side by side for about 10 miles before the water blends. It is quite the sight. This is also the home of the pink dolphin. We did see dolphins, but they did not look too pink to us. There is a lovely legend about dolphins here, one that is perpetuated in an annual festival. According to the legend, the dolphin will come to land disguised as a man. Dressed all in white with a white hat to hide his blow hole, he seduces one of the village's prettiest girls. Nine months later, a child is born. Even today, some children claim they are the son/daughter of the dolphin. Dolphins are not allowed to be hunted, for obvious reasons!

Steve and I took the shuttle bus into the bustling downtown area and watched as dozens of riverboats were being loaded with every type of consumer good/foodstuff that you can imagine. This is the only mode of transport for people living along the banks of the river. Santarem is perfectly situated to be a supply stop for people going up or down the river.

We walked for several miles in the heat and high humidity looking for a post office. By the time we got back to the ship (mission accomplished) we were both soaked. We quickly showered, changed and headed off on our next adventure....cruising down the river in a riverboat, visiting Maipa Lake and fishing for piranha.

The scenery was just exactly what I had always thought the Amazon would be like. Lots of trees and bushes with flood waters covering many of them. Very basic and rustic houses on stilts....as we passed, some people were moving their chickens from the yard into the outer room of their stilted house in anticipation of the river rising even more. We saw beautiful butterflies flitting around, and a number of birds were calling to each other in the jungle. We saw several people in small dugout canoes fishing. When it came time for us to drop our lines into the river, we were rewarded with two piranha (albeit small ones) being landed into our boat. Even though they were small, their teeth were impressive.

We have now departed from Santarem, and will not stop again in Brazil. We will be out of the Amazon Basin by tomorrow, and will make a short visit to Devil's Island on Sunday. To get into the mood for Devil's Island, Steve and I are going to see Papillon at the movie tonight!

 SANTAREM IS A BUSTLING PORT CITY THAT MANY RIVERBOATS USE AS A STOCKING PLACE. THIS BOAT IS GETTING READY TO LEAVE FOR UPRIVER, WITH MANY PEOPLE AND LOTS OF SHOPPING ON BOARD. NOTE THE HAMMOCKS HANGING....THIS IS HOW MOST PEOPLE TRAVEL. THE JOURNEY TO MANAUS, FOR EXAMPLE, TAKES TWO DAYS AND TWO NIGHTS. THERE IS ONE SMALL TOILET ON BOARD.

CRUSING ALONG THE AMAZON....LOOKED JUST LIKE I ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WOULD.

 EVEN THOUGH WE WERE IN A MAJOR CITY, THE TREES IN THE SQUARE REMINDED US THAT THE JUNGLE WASN'T FAR AWAY.

A MOST IMPORTANT CARGO....THE BEER BARGE!

THE FIRST, AND SMALLEST, OF THE TWO PIRANHA CAUGHT BY OUR BOAT WHEN WE STOPPED TO FISH FOR HALF AN HOUR ON THE MAICA LAKE. WE JUST DROPPED FISHLINES WITH A PIECE OF RAW MEAT ON THE END OF IT AND JIGGED.
 

A VERY TYPICAL RIVER HOUSE. ALL THE HOMES ALONG THE RIVER ARE BUILT ON STILTS. THE HOUSES ARE RUSTIC...OFTEN ONLY ONE ROOM, BUT EVERYONE SLEEPS IN HAMMOCKS SO THEY DON'T NEED SEPARATE BEDROOMS. WE DIDN'T SEE ANY GLASS IN THE WINDOWS, BUT THINK THEY MUST COVER THEM WITH WOODEN SHUTTERS IN THE EVENING TO KEEP OUT THE INSECTS.

 A WATER BUFFALO.....WE SAW ABOUT 8 OF THEM.

The Amazon as Seen From a Small Canoe

I think I've found Paradise, and it hasn't cost us a cent. Okay....it cost $5.00 each, but it is totally worth it!

Today our ship anchored off a remote Amazonian village called Boca de Valeria. The village residents were waiting for us with open arms, wide smiles, and numerous opportunities to take an enterprising child's photo with your choice of a sloth, parakeet, baby, or anything else they could rustle up. I think tourists are few and far between here, which may account for why both Steve and I put today at the top of our list of memorable and enjoyable days.

We took a riverboat ride down the Ria Valeria, in a small motorized canoe. The crew consisted of the father, about 34 years old, and his two sons, aged 6 and 4. We had no sooner left the riverbank and got out into the river than the skies opened and it poured torrential rain. There was nothing for us to do but laugh and enjoy the feeling of getting soaked through to our skins in less than 2 minutes. Good thing the sun came out about 5 minutes later and we were positively steaming soon. It was great!

It was a good thing we had the entire crew on board, as it took some serious bailing on the part of the 6 year old to get the water out of the bottom of the canoe!

How wonderful to be really on the water....we would have trailed our fingers in the water, but were apprehensive about fish and piranahas and things. Meanwhile, the two young boys were leaning over and bringing up handsful of water which they proceeded to drink.

Our guide asked if we wanted to visit his village and his home, and of course, we jumped at the chance. We met his entire family which consists of 5 children with another on the way. The house was rustic, but very clean and he is very proud of it. He toured us around the village, including a visit to the children's school. The door was closed but he took the string off the nail and we were in. He also took us around to meet his brother and his cousin. In all, there are 35 families in the village. The children were very happy ... running around with minimal clothes and flip flops. We had the feeling that here it truly was a case of the village raising each child.

We were absolutely delighted with the family visit. The children loved having their pictures taken. They would laugh and take great delight in pointing to each other when I showed the pics to them. I only wish I had an instant developer (a Polaroid would have come in handy) so I could have left them a copy.

Once we were back in civilization....or at least, to where we started out, we spent an enjoyable hour or so having a beer and chatting with the local children. We were sorry we had not stocked up on little gifts before we came out, but we hadn't even thought of it. As it was, we distributed dollar bills with abandon (yes, even Steve!) and had a thoroughly good time.

Now, we're back onboard the ship where we will have a rest and then go out to happy hour, followed by dinner. Hard to believe there are fewer than 10 days left before we head home to Mexico.

 THERE ARE NO ROADS IN THIS SMALL AND ISOLATED AMAZONIAN VILLAGE. BOATS ARE THE ONLY WAY TO GET AROUND.

WE SAW GIANT LILY PADS WHILE ON OUR RIVER CRUISE WITH A DAD AND THE CREW, WHICH CONSISTED OF HIS TWO YOUNG SONS.

THIS WAS THE LARGEST RIVER VILLAGE WE SAW. THERE WERE PROBABLY 40 FAMILIES LIVING HERE ALONG THE RIVER BANK. THE HOMES ARE ON STILTS BECAUSE OF THE ANNUAL FLOODING OF THE RIVERS.

OUR GUIDE TOOK US TO HIS HOME TO MEET HIS FAMILY. THE CHILDREN LOVED TO HAVE THEIR PICTURES TAKEN AND TO SEE THEM. THESE ARE TWO OF FIVE (SOON TO BE SIX) CHILDREN IN THE FAMILY.

STEVE AND OUR GUIDE (AND ONE OF THE DAUGHTERS) STROLLING ALONG THE VILLAGE STREET. THERE ARE NO VEHICLES, NO PAVEMENT, AND ONLY 35 FAMILIES LIVING HERE. WE THINK THEY ARE ALL RELATED, AS WE MET SEVERAL OF THEM AND THEY WERE ALL BROTHERS OR COUSINS.

THIS LITTLE GIRL WAS QUITE TAKEN WITH MY HAT WHEN WE STOPPED FOR A BEER IN THE ONLY RESTAURANT WE COULD SEE. I THINK SHE WAS PRETTY HAPPY TO SETTLE FOR A DOLLAR WHEN I TOLD HER I NEEDED IT MORE THAN SHE DID.

 

Jungle Trek and Jostling Crowds

Today has been a day of great contrast. This morning we took a small river boat and travelling for about an hour to the Rio Negro. There, we disembarked and with guides, went on a two hour trek through the jungle. Our guides were very good, and approached it from the perspective of 'how to survive in the jungle.' They showed us many things....how to get water from a water vine (although this can be dangerous as the water vine looks very much like a poisonous vine). Steve and I both had a 'drink' from this vine and sure enough, it tasted like nothing....just like water!

We also drank tea made from three different tree barks...one for malaria (quinine); one from cocoa tree (relaxation!!??) and I can't remember the third one, but it tasted like cloves. We ate brazil nuts that we picked up off the ground, and one fellow in our group ate a big fat grub that was in the nut pod. Our guide said this was a good source of protein and quite tasty, tasting like coconut. We declined his offer to try it ourselves.

We also learned how to make poison....just like how the Indians made the poison for their darts. It is astonishing how easy it is to make. We learned how to make two kinds of traps to trap animals, and how to make shelter, start a fire from nothing, and trap rainwater. We fully expect to put some of these newfound skills to work at our cabin on Grand Lake!

We saw a tarantula, some very poisonous ants which were huge, and a tree that was crawling with 4 inch long caterpillars. All in all, the experience was one that we will always remember.

Once we got back to the ship, we had a quick shower and lunch, and headed out to explore Manaus, which is a city of 1,000,000 and serves as a distribution hub for the Amazon. It is an extremely interesting place to visit, but boy, I wouldn't want to live here. Perhaps because it is a port city, it is very dirty, very busy, and quite run down. At its height, it was called the “Paris” of Brazil. The wealth of the rubber barons was so great that they built beautiful palaces and private residences. Many of these buildings are now derelict, although the Palace of Justice and the Opera House are still beautiful and still being used.

What was most striking about the city however, was the number of outdoor clothing stalls, indoor clothing and shoe stores, and just the sheer amount of commerce that was being conducted for blocks and blocks. It reminded us of parts of Asia, especially when we saw men hurrying past us with bales of clothing balanced on their heads.

I checked several stores/stalls and it looked as though all the clothing was made in Brazil. The prices were incredibly cheap....but so was the quality. Again, reminiscent of parts of Asia.

On the way back to the ship we stopped for an orange juice in the middle of all this commerce and just people watched. Quite incredible. Overall impression.....glad we saw it, but once was enough.

Tomorrow we make a stop in Boca de Valeria. I don't think there is much there. There are no organized shore excursions, so it must be quite remote. 

 THESE CATERPILLERS ARE 4 TO 5 INCHES LONG. THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF THEM MARCHING UP A TALL TREE.

A BEAUTIFUL FLOWER THAT WE SAW GROWING IN THE JUNGLE.

 HERE OUR GUIDE DEMONSTRATES HOW TO MAKE POISON, THE KIND THAT THE INDIANS USED TO DIP THEIR ARROWS INTO. VERY DEADLY...AND EXTREMELY EASY TO MAKE.

JUST CALL ME BWANA.....HERE A YOUNG BOY CLEANS STEVE'S BOOTS AFTER OUR JUNGLE TREK. IT LOOKS LIKE HE WAS BORN TO THIS, DOESN'T IT?

 COMING INTO MANAUS ON THE AMAZON RIVER. THIS IS A SHOT OF THE SLUM PART OF THE CITY, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE HIGH RISES TO THE RIGHT. UNFORTUNATELY, MUCH OF THE CITY IS DIRTY AND IN DESPERATE NEED OF SOME FIXING UP. TWO NOTABLE EXCEPTIONS ARE THE PALACE OF JUSTICE AND THE OPERA HOUSE.

 I TOOK THIS PHOTO FROM OUR SHIP. DOZENS OF TRUCKS WERE ON THE DOCK LOADING THESE RIVERBOATS. EVERYTHING ON THE RIVER IS SHIPPED BY BOAT, AND MANAUS IS THE MAIN (ONLY?) SHIPPING HUB.

Carnaval has nothing on Boi Bumba!

Another rainy day in the rainforest. Today we are in Parantis, which is on an island in the Amazon river. Although it feels like a very small town, there are actually 50,000 people here. Services seemed fairly primitive....no wi-fi....few restaurants that looked appealing. But...the beer was cheap, the streets easy to navigate, and we met a new friend.

Our new friend could easily be a pygmy descendant. She spoke no English, and it didn't even sound like Portugese, but she had a beautiful smile and was very excited to greet us and wave to us as we sat at a red plastic table that was right beside one she was sitting at. At first I thought she was about 8 years old, as she was roughly that size. However, she was already on her second big beer and she had a pack of cigarettes beside her, so we reckoned she had to be older than 8! Every time we glanced her way, she would wave, smile and say something to us. When we left, she came over and hugged me and shook my hand. Amazing how big beers can promote bonding.

The town is 200 years old and was once a thriving Indian centre. It celebrates its culture in a vibrant way with an annual “Boi-Bumba” festival, which has been taking place here for 80 years. Similar to the intensity and fanatic fervour of Rio's Carnaval, the Boi-Bumba (meaning “Bull Dance”) is a three day event held in June and doubles this sleepy town's population.

We had the opportunity to see a special show Boi Bumba show at the local convention centre and it was truly spectacular. The costumes, the dancing, the music....it was all fantastic and a great way to spend a rainy afternoon while in the Amazon.

Tomorrow we are in Manaus, a large city that features opulent houses and buildings built by the rubber barons.

 Parantis' Boi Bumba festival is said to be the largest cultural manifestation in Brazil, with thousands of Brailians and foreigners making the trek to the Amazon Basin to experience it for themselves. We were lucky enough to get a special show that was spectacular in terms of music, dancing and costumes.

 Another of the many dancers in the show.

During the festival, every resident of Parantis chooses a side....either the red or blue. Once you've made your decision, you stick with it for life, and your family sticks with it as well. People get so involved they will paint their houses red or blue, depending on their allegiance. I am sure this is the only place in the world where Coca-Cola also has signs in blue, to placate the blue-loving Boi Bumbas!

Guess who just had to get his picture taken with one of the dancers!

Muddy and late for the ship...but happy.

Former Premier of Saskatchewan Grant Devine used to say “Don't say whoa in a mudhole.” That could have been our motto today.

It should not be a surprise that in the world's largest rainforest, during the rainy season, that it should rain. And it did. It poured for hours and hours. But, our excursion to go trekking in the forest wasn't going to be cancelled for such a minor (and common) event.

After a 90 minute bus ride, on buses that looked as if they could have come from Saskatchewan 40 years ago, we disembarked, put on our bug spray, our rain gear, and with walking sticks in hand, went trekking.

How does one describe your first time in the Amazonian rain forest. Silent...except for bird calls and piercing high cicada calls. Still, except for the steady drip of rain. Scary....as our guide finds a beautiful and deadly spider. We are told not to touch anything, as many things in the forest are poisonous or at the least, could cause an allergic reaction. We had to watch our footing on the wet and slippery trails, so looking around us had to be done quickly and from a standing still position. But what a reward when we did....beautiful orchids and other flowering plants were popping up in the most unlikely places.

We saw rubber trees, giant bamboo, and brazil nut trees. Those trees are huge. Their seed pods are about the size of a medium grapefruit. When broken open, they contain roughly 20 brazil nuts....the kind that are readily available in supermarkets at Christmas. Our guide peeled one with his machete and it was delicious.

Too soon our forest trek was over and we had to hightail it back to the ship. To get back to our bus, we had to walk about 1/2 km on a very muddy dirt road. By the time we got to the bus, we were all about 4 inches higher because of the sticky gumbo mud. What a mess! But, our guide scraped the majority of the mud off our shoes (using the same machete with which he peeled the nut) and we were off. As it was, we got back to the pier an hour later than we were supposed to. There was no question but that the ship would wait for us, as we were on a ship-sanctioned activity, but it was a good reminder why it is a good idea to go on ship excursions when out in the wilds!

We are now underway and will anchor off Parantis tomorrow. We are going to a folkloric show tomorrow afternoon there. One of us is a little more excited about it than the other!

 CHECKING OUT A BRAZIL NUT TREE....THEY GROW VERY VERY TALL!

THOUSANDS OF SMALL HOMES ARE BEING BUILT BY THE BRAZIL GOVERNMENT FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVE ON THE BANKS OF THE AMAZON RIVER, AS THEIR HOMES ARE CONSTANTLY BEING FLOODED. QUESTION....HOW WOULD YOU FIND YOUR WAY HOME IF YOU'VE HAD A DRINK OR TWO?

 A TYPICAL SCENE IN THE AMAZON RAINFOREST....A SMALL POOL OF RAINWATER, LOTS OF VINES, TREES, ETC.

THE MIGHTY AMAZON. ALTHOUGH THIS LOOKS LIKE A LAKE, IT IS THE AMAZON RIVER AS SEEN FROM OUR SHIP.

 OUR SHIP TENDER BRINGING PEOPLE TO AND FROM THE SHIP. ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE PHOTO, YOU CAN SEE THE BUILDINGS THAT HAVE FLOODED DURING THIS RAINY SEASON.

We're At The Amazon!!!

After 3 days at sea, we arrived at the mouth of the Amazon morning early Sunday morning. We have been attending lectures about the Amazon, so we knew a lot of the facts.

1. It is the largest river system in the world.
2. It is more than 4000 miles long.
3. The Amazon supplies one-fourth of the world's fresh water and one-third of the world's oxygen.
4. About 500 years ago, there were between six and nine million people lived in the Amazon River Basin. Today, fewer than 200,000 Indians have survived.
5. There are 1,500 species of flowering plants, 125 species of mammals, 400 of birds, 100 of reptiles, 60 of amphibians, 150 of butterflies and tens of thousands of species of insects.

The Amazon River is huge. At its mouth, it measures 200 miles across. Its average width is 30 miles.

Many rivers flow into the Amazon. In a few days we will witness the 'Wedding of the Waters', where 'black' water from one river runs into the 'white' water of the Amazon. It takes many miles before the waters are mixed together.

Don't get the idea the Amazon River is 'white'. It is quite a muddy brown (all the better for the alligators and crocs to hide in!). I tried to take photos today but my camera battery needs recharging, so photos will come later.

The ship has to make special provisions while travelling on the river. All the laundry facilities on board are shut down to conserve water. We can't keep verandah doors open because of flying insects and high humidity. We are limited to the speed we can travel.

The windows on the lower decks are running water from the high humidity, although it doesn't appear too bad on our floor, the ninth.

I was walked on deck today and was amazed at the number of different insects I saw on the ship. One that was quite intriguing was large and perfectly white. It blended in perfectly against the white walls of the ship. I wonder if it changes colour depending on where it is, or if it is actually white.

I don't think there are any roads in the area we are travelling right now, but I do see occasional flashes of buildings on the shore. If I remember correctly, one lecturer said that all travel is done by river. We will, however, visit some big cities on the River, including Manaus which is Brazil's fourth largest city.

Tomorrow we anchor in Alter do Chio. I don't think there is much of a community there, but we are going on a hiking trip, so it should be fun. I have stocked up on Deet mosquito spray, as the last thing we want to get is Malaria.

Rio and We're Loving It

We anchored in the bay and took tenders into Buzios, a seaside town that people from Rio de Janiero (called Cariocas) love to visit. And the reason why is easy to see....beautiful beaches and a laid-back pace that still manages to incorporate all the big city niceties such as trendy restaurants and lovely little boutiques. We wandered around the town for a bit, then Steve headed back to the ship while I did some power shopping. I picked up a little sundress and a pair of flip flop sandals that add about 4 inches to my height! I headed back to the ship in plenty of time to have a rest, as we were going out for a very special evening.

We had met a couple, Ed and Connie Foster, when they first embarked in Buenos Aires. We had an enjoyable chat for about 30 minutes, then they went their way and we went ours and our paths never crossed again. To our great surprise, and delight, they invited us to cocktails in the palatial penthouse suite they are staying in, followed by dinner at The Vintage Room. There were 14 of us, and a very eclectic group we were. Dinner was amazing, and the wine was paired to ensure the best dining experience. All in all, a very memorable evening.

The next day we pulled into Rio. We got up early to watch as we pulled into what has to be one of the world's most beautiful port cities (although Sydney and Vancouver are right up there as well.) What a thrill to see the Cristos statue high on his mountain blessing the ship as we sailed into the harbour. And to recognize Sugar Loaf Mountain.....it sent shivers down my spine.

Once we were docked, we quickly left the ship and decided we would wander around the downtown area for the day, and leave our major sightseeing for the next day.

There is no getting away from the beaches in Rio.....they are very much a part of the downtown and go for miles and miles and miles. It is not unusual to see people dodging traffic wearing a bathing suit cover up (or not) and flip flops. Button down suits are non-existent. We walked along the Copacabana beach and because it was Saturday, it was teeming with people. We read that the Ipenema beach was considered the sexiest beach in Rio, so it was on our list of places to check out on Sunday.

We walked around for a couple of hours, which was plenty because of the high temperatures (34 C.) and the high humidity. Of course, a beer stop helped save us.

We headed back to the ship for a rest and then put on our most appropriate Rio clothes and headed out to sample the nightlife. We ended up in a really neat part of the town in a three-story bar and restaurant called Rio Scenario. It is on a pedestrian street that has many cafes and bars. This one is absolutely jam packed with artifacts, antiques, collectibles and curious things. It is very popular with the locals and people line up to get in. We got in with no problems and enjoyed a bottle of wine and some dinner. We wandered from room to room, as there were several music groups playing and lots of people dancing the samba. We never tried dancing, but it was fun to watch. When we got back aboard the ship we went for a nightcap and Steve jumped outside his box by sitting on the piano bench and singing Love Potion Number 9 with Joel, the pianist. Myself and one other passenger were there to enjoy the peformance!

Sunday we took a tour to go to see two iconic symbols of Rio.....Cristo the Redeemer, the largest art deco statue in the world, and Sugar Loaf Mountain, which requires two cable car rides to get to the top. We were in a van full of young Buenos Aires people, so it is a good thing we had a little bit of Spanish to get us by. We got back to the ship, had dinner and collapsed in bed.

Today, Monday, we travelled with another couple and visited several sites. A couple of highlights were a set of stairs that an artist has spent years decorating with tiles that people brought him from all over the world. Unfortunately, he was killed on the steps in December and police have yet to solve the case.

A couple of things I learned about Rio that I did not know before:

1. On Sundays, one half of the road around the beach is closed off to make it a pedestrian street.
2. Rio has four soccer teams and rabid fans. The stadium, which is being renovated for the 2014 World Cup, has a dry moat that surrounds the field, separating the players from the fans. There used to be capacity for 20,000 fans, but they are installing individual seats (as opposed to benches) so the capacity is down to 80,000.
3. There is a circus school here, as well as schools for the blind, the deaf, and for Samba. The Samba school consists of about one block of bleachers on either side of a paved road. People of any age can come to learn or practise their Samba.
4. A popular sport here is a form of beach volleyball wherein people cannot use their hands. The ball must be kept in play by using the head, feet or chest. It looks extremely difficult!
5. Traffic here is a nightmare, partly because of the preparations for the Summer Olympics in 2016 and partly because many of the streets are narrow.
6. Grafitti is everywhere. Some of it is quite attractive, while much is not.
7. Catholicism is the most popular religion here, but a fast-growing religion is a combination of catholicism and a religion that is practised in Africa.
8. There are numerous fresh fruit juice stands in the city.
9. The city is home to about 3 million people.
10. I would like to visit it again.

We set sail in two hours, heading for Bahia del Salvador. We have less than three weeks left on this journey. It will be good to get home, but we will miss much about onboard life.

 THERE WERE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE LINED UP TO GO TO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN TO SEE THE CRISTOS STATUE. WE WERE JUST TWO OF THEM.

 SEEN FROM THE TOP OF SUGAR LOAF MOUNTAIN....THE BEACH OF COPACABANA.

 GRAFITTI IS VERY VISIBLE IN RIO. LOTS OF IT IS QUITE GOOD....BUT LOTS ISN'T.

THE MAYOR OF THE CITY PROMISES RENOVATIONS AND UPGRADES TO THE MARACANA FOOTBALL STADIUM WILL BE COMPLETED BY APRIL 27 OF THIS YEAR. EVERYBODY THINKS HE MUST BE SMOKING SOMETHING.

SUGAR LOAF MOUNTAIN AS SEEN BY OUR SHIP AS WE SAILED INTO RIO DE JANIERO.

 THE OPERA HOUSE IN DOWNTOWN RIO. OUR TAXI DRIVER/GUIDE COULD NOT REMEMBER HEARING OF AN OPERA BEING PERFORMED THERE. BUT...THEY WERE PRESENTING SPORTS MEDALS THERE TODAY.

A Pleasant Surprise

We sailed into the Bahia de Todos Santos today and docked at Salvadore, Bahia in Brazil. I think most people were a little sceptical about going ashore, as we heard that it was very dangerous and lots of robbery and violence.

Much to our pleasant surprise, the city of Salvadore was a delight to walk around. First some history. It is the port city in Brazil in which the majority of slaves from Africa disembarked. The bay area is huge...one of the early visitors to Salvadore said the Baia was large enough to hold every ship in the world. Of course, that isn't true today, but it is huge.

Because of the slave trade, there are a lot of Black people living here today. They celebrate their past and there are many memorials to the Baianas. There are a number of women in the old town area that wear the traditional clothing. I had the camera in my hand and one of these women came up to me (towering over me I might add) and was vocal and challenging when I wouldn't give her any money. I hadn't taken a photo and I wasn't going to be bullied!

That was the only instance of anyone being less than polite and friendly. For the most part, we felt safe and didn't hesitate to wander the streets.

There are many artesanian shops in the old town area, and there was some surprisingly good art work and jewellery for sale. We also visited the Sao Francisco Monastary and Church that dates back to the 16^th century. The architecture and interior is of the baroque style, and it is mind-boggling. Every square inch of the walls, ceilings, alters, and niches have been intricately carved out of wood and then painted with gold. I can't imagine the cost of building something like that. Incredible.

We also saw a number of young men drumming in the streets and performing a dance that looked a lot like break dancing. There are quite a few drumming, music and dance schools in the area, including one that was supported by Michael Jackson.

We are back on board ship now and we set sail in an hour. We will be three days at sea, arriving next at the Amazon River on Sunday. I am so excited.

 ONE OF THE STREETS IN SALVADORE, BRAZIL. WE WERE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED AT HOW MUCH THIS PORT OF CALL HAD TO OFFER.

THE MONASTARY AND CHURCH OF SAO FRANCISCO IN SALVADORE IS AN AMAZING EXAMPLE OF BAROQUE ARCHITECTURE. EVERYTHING (and I DO MEAN EVERYTHING) IS CARVED FROM WOOD AND PAINTED WITH GOLD LEAF.

SOME BOYS STREET DANCING. IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN A LOT AS THIS WAS THE THIRD GROUP WE SAW WITHIN THE DISTANCE OF A FEW BLOCKS.

Ilha Grande...once a prison, now paradise

What a fantastic show we saw tonight. It started storming about 11:00 p.m. with crashing thunder and lots of sheet lightning and bolt lightning. I went up to the 12^th deck around the pool, enjoying the fantastic light and sound show that Mother Nature provided. Soon Steve joined me with two glasses of champagne and we had a wonderful time watching and listening to the best show on earth. Of course, we followed that up with dancing in the Avenue Saloon.

Today we took the tender into Ila Grande, an island that was once a penal colony and also a place to drop off contagious people from ships.....think Cholera and Black Plaque. Today, it is a quiet but lovely island that has numerous beautiful beaches and lots of ideal snorkeling and scuba diving. Much of the island is a national park and sanctuary. There are no roads on the island, so most travel is done by boat.

We walked along a trail that took us to our choice of beaches. We chose one, plunked ourselves down on towels, and proceeded to spend several very enjoyable hours tanning and swimming. The water was incredibly clear, refreshing and shallow. Just perfect for little old non-swimmer me.

We hiked around a small part of the island and saw an old aquaduct that was built over 100 years ago. While it is no longer in use, the natural dam system still supplies the little town with its water supply.

This was our first exposure (I chose this word advisedly) to a Brazilian beach. I don't think we saw a woman's bathing suit that wasn't a thong, regardless of the age or size of the wearer. What an eye-opener!

We found a woman on the beach who was selling beer, so after a beer and a visit with fellow cruisers who had also found the beach, we hiked back into the town of Vila do Abraao. For lunch, we shared a plate of the best french fries I've tasted in a while and washed it down with a big beer (Steve) and a local concoction made with sugar cane juice and rum and lime (me). We managed to find our way back to the ship's tender and are now settling in for a little shut-eye before we go out for formal dinner tonight.

We sail for Buzios tonight and will spend all of tomorrow there.

 ENJOYING A BEER WITH FRIENDS ON ONE OF THE MANY BEAUTIFUL BEACHES IN ILHA GRANDE, BRAZIL.

 MORE FRIENDS POSING WITH A SAND SCULPTED HORSE.

ILHA GRANDE IS JUST A SMALL LITTLE BEACHFRONT TOWN, BUT IT'S HISTORY IS QUITE SAD AS IT WAS A PENAL COLONY AND A PLACE FOR SHIPS TO DROP OFF THEIR CONTAGIOUS CREW AND PASSENGERS.

 ANOTHER SHOT OF THE BAY AT ILHA GRANDE. THE WATER IS CRYSTAL CLEAR AND IS HOME TO WHALES, DOLPHINS AND MANY OTHER AQUATIC ANIMALS. THE JUNGLES ARE FILLED WITH HOWLER MONKEYS. WE DIDN'T SEE ANY, BUT A FELLOW WE KNOW RECORDED WHAT HE HEARD WHEN HE HIKED FURTHER INTO THE JUNGLE THAN WE WENT. QUITE EERIE SOUNDING.

Paraty - Brazil's Beauty Spot

A beautiful hot and sunny day met me as I opened the curtains this morning. We were anchored out in the Baia de Parati, part of the Baia da Ilha Grande 100 miles south of Rio De Janiero. We had to take the tender boat into the town of Paraty, a trip that would take about 45 minutes. As Steve does NOT do small boat rides well, he chose to stay onboard the Serenity and I struck out on my own.

The town of Paraty is a small beachfront town, however it was named a World Heritage Site in 1966. The reason for this is because back in the 17^th Century, Paraty was a logical shipping point for the gold that was discovered in the then world's richest mine in Minas Gerais. Gold seemed to flow out of the hills and the population of the port town grew to 16,000. However, it wasn't long until the town went bust because of the rough waters between it and Rio, combined with the savagery of the pirates. An overland route was built to take the gold to Rio and Paraty's population dropped to 1,000.

However, today it is a favorite stopping place for sailors. And it is a charming town. It is described as having some of Brazil's finest examples of colonial architecture and design.

The streets are paved with something similar to cobblestones, except they are much bigger, rougher, and can easily twist one's ankle. It is definitely not wheelchair accessible.

The shops are small and many of them feature Brazilian artists and artesans. I picked up an awesome necklace that looks just like licorice allsorts....how cool is that?

The centro area of the town is pedestrian only, however, I saw a number of horse and carts that were being used for deliveries. There were a number of interesting looking restaurants and coffee houses as well.

There are also some 200 beaches in the nearby seaside and offshore islands. I heard that Bridget Bardot used to come here regularly to get away from it all and to take the sun. She would have had her choice of any number of beaches that feature beautiful white sand, swaying palm trees, and beautiful turquoise water.

One of the favorite drinks here is Cachaca, a local spirit made from sugar cane. Brazil produces more than 4,000 brands. I tried some the other day and it was okay if mixed with lots of ice. I've heard that you don't want to try more than one, or two at the very most.

Tomorrow we head to Ihla Grande. We are trying to book a guide online to take us on a jungle hike that ends at a famous waterfall. So far, we've heard that 'yes, we will have a guide' but to date, we haven't received any details like where to meet them, or at what time. But, travel is full of adventure so we will don our mosquito repellant, our sunscreen, our floppy hats and be ready for whatever awaits us.

 THAT LITTLE SPECK YOU CAN SEE IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS PHOTO IS OUR SHIP ANCHORED. IT TOOK US 45 MINUTES TO TENDER IN FROM THE SHIP TO THE TOWN (AND ANOTHER 45 TO GET BACK TO THE SHIP.) THANK GOODNESS THE SEAS WERE CALM.

 HORSE AND CARTS ARE A COMMON SIGHT IN PARATY, AS THEY ARE STILL USED FOR DELIVERIES AND HAULING THINGS.

ONE OF THE SHOPS THAT IS SITUATED IN A COLONIAL BUILDING. THE STREETS ARE ALL PAVED IN SOMETHING SIMILAR TO COBBLE STONES BUT MUCH BIGGER AND ROUGHER. YOU REALLY HAVE TO WATCH YOUR STEP.