2015 - (Part II) Antarctica, Falkland Islands, South America, Amazon and Caribbean

Armacao dos Buzios and Vitoria, Brazil

Harbor at Buzios

Another hot and steamy day . . . anchored off the resort town of Buzios, a municipality located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 1900, Buzios was popular with the Carioca's high society, who wanted to escape from the chaotic city life of Rio and enjoy over 23 beaches that the peninsula offers. But it wasn't until 1964, when the French actress Brigitte Bardot visited Buzios, that it grew to be a popular tourist destination. Today the peninsula is a traveling site that offers calmness, direct contact with nature and scenic views. The west coast beaches offer calm, clear waters while the east coast, facing the open sea, are wild and draw surfers and water sports enthusiasts.

Adolfo remained on board and I took the tender ashore and walked around, visiting the few shops that were open, and looking in the windows of others. One hour ashore was enough - way too steamy. Had to be careful as streets are "paved" with uneven stones, some sharp edged, and sidewalks are uneven, and often wooden planked.

We are now leaving the area and one can see lots of large homes up in the hills. Would imagine these are the homes of the owners of the many beautiful boats in the harbor. Along with the fancy privately owned boats, there are also very old creaky large boats that can take travelers to one of the many beautiful beaches on the peninsula. They don't seem at all well maintained and spew tons of exhaust into the air coming and going from the little harbor.

Sailing for Vitoria where we thought we would be a part of a tour of the island. However, there was only one slot left, so we both decided not to go with the group. Well, it's the next day - we're just docking in Vitoria and we've just been preceded by a rain squall. It looks threatening and should rain more today. The city is larger than we thought it would be, but the parts that we can see from the ship seem very poor.

Vitoria is the capital of the state of Espirito Santo, Brazil - located on a small island within a bay where a few rivers meet the sea. In 1998, the United Nations rated Vitoria the fourth best state capital in Brazil in which to live, rating cities on health, education, and social improvements projects - from the look of the city now, would imagine things have declined. Think we're going to have another lazy day. Haven't decided whether or not we'll take a walk - but should we stay on board, we can always fill our day with Caipirinhas and naps!! Perhaps today it's time for a change to Mojitos!

Our existence is turning into the epitome of hedonism - will I ever again be able to acquaint myself with a vacuum cleaner?!?! Right now, our every wish is granted - we are spoiled beyond belief. The skies have opened up and it is pouring cats and dogs. Our decision to stay on board is confirmed. We are dry and cool and right now in the midst of a ship-wide safety drill. Announcements and sirens are going off every 5 minutes - we've been asked to vacate Seabourn Square where we were enjoying conversation and coffee so have retired to our suite. The captain has just made me giggle as he gave a directive over the intercom and instructed crew to do something "NOW, N-O-W, NOW!"

Typical slum neighborhood (from afar), Vitoria

The photo above of the slum (favela) is typical of the area. Falling down buildings, no windows in them, painted brightly, a general jumble of housing that barely seems to be hanging together, and probably open-air sewage disposal. This has been one very dark day!! Rained off and on and thundered in the distance. Everyone who went out on tour came back with negative comments, i.e.,

· "We were too early to see the museum, and the wait would be too long, so we came back to the ship."

· "Climbed up to the Cathedral but it was closed!"

· "We were scheduled to visit the Garoto Chocolate Factory, but it is closed for renovations."

· "Toured too many ghettos".

· "We had a Portuguese speaking guide, who then had to be translated to us by an English speaking guide".

·

Those of us who stayed on board are feeling rather brilliant for our choice.

Am not a complainer, but the last two ports of call, and a few coming up are really not up to Seabourn standard - yes, I did write that!! Just before we left we were informed that a port in the Amazon had been dropped, and therefore, we would spend an extra day in Fortaleza. We've been to Fortaleza - not worth two days. Also have been told that it has the highest crime rate in Brazil, and people on the ship often hear gunshots - Good Grief!!!

That's it for today. We're scheduled for a French dinner tonight in the Colonnade Restaurant, with our friends from Belgium. Just realized that I've been calling him Jerry, but his name is Thierry. They've given up trying to correct others, so just go with whatever people hear. Am determined to call him by his correct name!!

Next two days we'll be at sea, before arriving at Recife, Brazil.

Two Days at Sea

We've left the dark clouds of the last two days behind us. It's so wonderful to see the beautiful blue sea and an almost clear sky. We are on our way to Recife, Brazil. It will take us two days at sea to arrive there. I am now known as Jeanne Caipirinha - the crew has suggested that I change my last name from Capurro to Caipirinha - they are truly wonderful drinks! Because of my new reputation, Daciano Da Silva, the head of beverages and food has suggested that there is not a bartender on board who can make these drinks like a true Brazilian - he is Brazilian.

Daciano Da Silva on the right

This afternoon at 5:00 Daciano scheduled a Caipirinha lesson. He will show anyone who wants to come the "true" way to make this national Brazilian drink. Wouldn't you Know it - there were only two of us - Mary (a Brit) and me! Before we knew it we each had four Caipirinha's in front of us, from L to R in the photo:

1. Traditional Caipirinha (made with Cachaca - a Brazilian rum made from sugar cane)

2. Caipirocha - the same basic drink, except substituting a good vodka for the Cachaca - have come to prefer this method

3. Pineapple Caipirinha - made with fresh pineapple

4. Passion Fruit Caipirinha - made with beautiful local passion fruit - the most delicious flavor.

Here's the recipe:

One Juicy Lime - cut into 6 equal wedges. Put into tall bar glass that can also be used as a shaker.

Add 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar. Muddle away so that the sugar gets crushed into the fruit.

Add Cachaca (or Vodka). Daciano said to pour as you count to three, or perhaps 2-1/2!

Add ice cubes, top with metal shaker and give it a good workout.

Pour into glasses and serve.

Note: Any fresh fruit can be used, but if it is very sweet, you might want to cut down on the white sugar. Daciano suggested that kiwi and strawberry also make great drinks. He said that if you make a strawberry Caipirocha for a girl, she will fall in love with you - I told him that wouldn't work for me!! Second note: Did not drink all 4 drinks, but did take 2 back to the suite and shared with Adolfo!

The evening took us to the table of Guenter Steinbrenner who has been with Seabourn from the very beginning. His reputation precedes him as he moves from ship to ship, making certain that all crew keep up the sacred Seabourn standards and traditions. He is a hoot, and we always have a wonderful time when he's on board.

One great thing about rainy days and/or sea days is that there is much time to stitch. Brought five Christmas ornaments along for the two months, and I'm done! Have no more projects to work on, and don't believe any of the stops in the continuing journey will have us finding any good stitchery shops.

Second day at sea - the weather began this morning with beautiful clouds in the distance, sunny skies and rolling seas. Suddenly the skies darkened, there was a thunder and lightning show, and sheets of rain and wind. We are still in the midst of the heavy storm. Captain has announced that all guests should remain off all open decks.

Crew that is from Brazil go around the ship muttering: "This is not Brazil!".

Tonight we dine with Margaret and Ted whom we'd met on a previous cruise when they were traveling with mutual friends. They are from San Francisco. They have arranged a table with a current lecturer. Should be an interesting evening.

Big storm continues . . . Wish we could bring this rain back to the Bay Area!

Recife and Natal, Brazil

Vegetation choked waterway.

Yesterday, brought us to Recife, Brazil for the second time. "Recife" - means "reef" - is the fourth largest metropolitan area in Brazil and is host to one of the main ports in the Atlantic Ocean. Tourists come to Recife for its splendid beaches, and is heavily traveled by Germans and Italians. It is also known as the "Venice of Brazil" because of its rivers and waterways that wind throughout the city.

We took a tour on a catamaran in the Capibaribe River. Saw the city from the water - the very dirty water - filled with floating debris and garbage. Given the heavy rains of the last few days, the river was also filled with floating vegetation that will eventually choke off the waterways, and will have to be removed.

The depth in the river varies from 4 to 12 feet (if I understood correctly). There are locals in little boats operated individually. The driver/diver of the boat anchors the boat, dives down to the bottom, gathers a ton of what looks like mud, brings it up to a basket attached to the outside of the boat, and then rinses off the gunky mud leaving behind some sort of shell fish (maybe small mussels), and crabs. Then the "cleaned" catch is thrown into the boat, and the process begins anew. This river appears so dirty, cannot imagine eating anything found on the bottom!

Our guide was not too wonderful, kept trying to lose his trousers, so everything he reported to us was punctuated with hauling up his waistband. His favorite word was "chic" - but pronounced "shick" - took a while before I was able to understand what he was trying to convey.

The following phrases we heard at least one hundred times each:

· Do you know?

· Do you understand?

· Hello, hello, hello, hello, hello, can you hear me at the back of the bus?

· Now you know!

· Germans are heavy drinkers.

· Italians are argumentative. (Hah! We didn't have to be told that!)

Need I write more!?!? We were very happy to get back to the ship after a tour of the city that highlighted the extreme poverty and the extreme rich, side-by-side, and co-existing everywhere. It was not what the guide said, but rather what we saw. Every empty space seems to be a dumping ground for garbage. On this tour one of our stops was Cavalheira Cachaca, a local manufacturer of the sugar cane liquor. We learned another way to make Caipirinha, and sampled - very tasty. Bought a few little bottles in their gift shop.

We continue to hear about the high consumption taxes in Brazil, and yet, wonder where the tax money goes. Buildings are in such a state of disrepair, roads are in horrendous condition, traffic is heavy and congested, etc. The worst for me was the buildings covered in solid black mold - am certain that this has to do with the high humidity - but wonder how much of the mold penetrates the walls and has residents breathing this stuff.

Back aboard ship we were greeted on our return to the ship by music and dancing of our crew, ice cold towels, and fruit juice and champagne - it is so good to get back.

Everywhere I walked on the ship today, I was greeted with birthday hugs and good wishes from the crew - so nice. Seabourn staff and crew are so exceptional, I could probably write about them in every blog - but then, there are really no words to describe all of the small details we have come to take for granted when traveling with this superb line - we are so very fortunate for these many cruises. In the afternoon a local folkloric troupe came on board to dance and sing - they were very good, funny, beautiful and totally entertaining.

In the evening we had dinner with Brenda and Bernie from Des Moines. Our table was covered with rose petals, and a bouquet of flowers lay at my plate - and at the end of the meal received a lovely chocolate mousse birthday cake.

When we returned to our suite, there were balloons, a birthday cupcake and a bottle of fine Chardonnay. It was a lovely day!

Cell phones are a wonderful invention, as I'm able to call Mama from most ports and hear that she's sounding pretty good. Spoke with her this morning.

We are staying on board for our Natal stop. The last time we were here we took an all-day dune buggy ride - it was at times hair raising, but lots of fun. We were younger and stronger then, so we've decided to have a quiet morning on board, as we depart at 1:00 p.m. for the next stop.

New bridge since our last visit

Natal is the capital and largest city of Rio Grande do Norte, a northeastern state in Brazil. One of the biggest draws of this city is that it lays claim to a cashew tree that is purported to be the largest in the world. While I'm certain that this will excite some people, we've decided to give it a pass!!

Natale

Our gang of six who spent the day in Rio together, are trying to arrange a private outing in Fortaleza - where we go tomorrow - and we'll be there for two days. So, we met this morning for breakfast in the main dining room - had the place almost all to ourselves. A good place to have this very important meeting - What to do in Fortaleza?

This is a very dangerous city, one where we've been warned not to travel around alone. Adolph and I have been in Fortaleza before, seen the Metropolitan Cathedral that is a cold and stark Gothic structure, but does have extraordinary stained glass windows. We don't need to see it again.

Additionally, there is a multi-storied Central Market that might have at one time been a sports stadium. This market is tons of space filled with tons of more of the same junk we've been seeing everywhere. Doubt we'll want to go back there. So we met for breakfast to suggest possibilities, and we are working on an outing to a very good restaurant - if there is one; possibly an outing to the night market; a small craft market that resides in an old, abandoned jail; or we'll see . . . . . more to come.

When we travel to places where we've already been in previous trips, I find that my old journals come in very handy. They reside on my computer, so I can pull them up at any time. For the Brazil part of this trip, have lots of information from our last trip - that way we don't see the same thing twice!!

Two Days in Fortaleza, Brazil

Yep, Two Whole Days in Fortaleza - YAWN!!!! We've checked the opportunities in this city today against my journal of 2003 when we were here last - we've done most of everything that is recommended. So we stayed aboard ship and watched lots of people depart just before the skies opened up again!!

Dining in the rain

Speaking of rain, last evening we dined out on the patio deck, al fresco, with our Belgian friends. The evening began beautifully as the ship left for its next destination and that made for cool breezes. However, in the distance we could see dark clouds - and sure enough, the skies opened up with the most heavy rain that I've ever seen - it was like monsoon time in Brazil - though I don't think this is possible. Our table was under cover, so there was no need to move inside, but getting to the buffet for our first course would be a problem. Only the buffet portion was out of the rain, and we would have to get soaked to get our food. Our drink waiters were thoroughly soaked, and in fact, Martin the bartender took up a huge umbrella and did his rendition of Singing in the Rain and received a standing ovation! When it appeared that there would be no respite with the weather, small plates from the buffet were prepared and put on trays by the kitchen staff - then brought around to each of the tables. The waiters always smiled, made jokes, even the chef got into the act as they traversed the tables with all sorts of goodies. We laughed and laughed, and when I got to our suite later, I laughed more because my hair had become a giant bush from the dampness - too funny!

View from our balcony in Fortaleza - AWFUL!

This port is absolutely ramshackle - though there are lots of new buildings on the city skyline, the port facilities are horrible. The building directly in front of our balcony is covered in black mold, and the pier is a virtual lake. People coming off the gangway to catch a tour bus must wait until the bus can maneuver near to the end of the gangway and then step on to a box before boarding the bus. Seabourn staff is there to make it as painless as possible but this area is truly ugly. Another time for us to ponder the extremely high taxes and wonder what the government is doing with the funding.

Bus in the "lake" on the pier

We spent the day on board, had lunch at the patio grill once again in the rain. Tonight we are invited to a private cocktail party of one of our fellow passengers, in their suite. They have arranged for Passion Fruit Caipirinhas and nibbles. Should be fun. That will probably be our dinner because we ate a substantial lunch. Many other guests have stayed on board because of the inclement weather, and hope to see Fortaleza tomorrow, before the ship departs at 5:00 p.m. The private cocktail party in the larger suite of our Brit friends, David and Mary, was fun. Passion Fruit Caipirinhas were brought in for the guests, or you could imbibe in champagne, white or red wine - you can guess what I chose! Captain and his wife (she's a delight!) also attended. This captain from Norway is such fun - when you meet him personally, and even his announcements through the ship. He has a great sense of humor. The captain also told us how difficult it is for him to deal with local authorities in Brazil - that rules and tariffs seem to change daily and he never knows what to expect. Nothing makes sense, nor is there any common sense in the way problems are solved.

A temporary break in the weather

After the cocktail party we chose to dine outside at the Patio Grill and enjoyed delicious grilled Mahi Mahi and Scallops en Brochette accompanied by sautéed artichoke hearts - so delicious and one of the lightest meals we've had so far - we felt so virtuous at end of meal that we both enjoyed some lemon sorbet. Retired early and had a good night's sleep while we were rocked to sleep by the ship. The port of Fortaleza has a huge tidal surge at all hours of the day and night. Often times, ships moored here have ropes break. That happened a few days ago, and a lady passenger who was on the pier was injured - not our ship. As a result of the constant tidal surge, walking around the ship while in port is like being out at sea and sometimes difficult to get your balance. I have noticed that there is a brand new terminal that is open in another part of the port, but learned last evening that our captain refuses to berth there, as the tidal surge is twice as bad in that location. That's is why we've been berthed at the old site that is dilapidated and nearly falling down! On our second day in Fortaleza, we awakened to more dark clouds and soon it was pouring again. So much for those who hoped for better weather today - not going to happen. During the morning I spent time in Seabourn Square drinking caffe latte and getting to know another passenger, Carlos, who was at our table a few evenings ago. He is very interested in Antarctica, so was able to show him the program that we were gifted by the photographers on board. He is sold!! During a break in the downpour we decided to have lunch out on deck again, of course, under cover. Before we began our meal, it did begin to rain again, and has been off and on all day. So we've had an another easy day. The ship has just now departed Fortaleza, and Adolfo and I hope to never see it again. Tonight our Brit friends have arranged a seafood platter for dinner and have invited us to join them. I know that the chef and head of food and beverages were up at 5:00 this morning to go to the local fish market, so the seafood should be nice and fresh - looking forward to this treat. Our next three days are at sea, and on the third day believe we will be in in the South Breves Narrows, as we enter the Amazon. Pray for better weather! Do so wish that I could send some of this rain up to California - there's been so much of it - never had a cruise where it rained this much. Adolfo and I wanted a restful vacation and we've really gotten the full treatment for resting!! Am still coughing sporadically, so do not want to take the chance of getting wet and going in and out of air conditioning. Just easier to be sloths and stay aboard the ship!

Three Days at Sea and in the Amazon

DAY ONE: Another grey day out at sea - at least the weather is warm and even muggy, but as long as you are out at sea, the weather is very pleasant. We had a couple of glimmers of sun, but alas, it mostly hid above cloud cover, as we proceeded to sail through rain squalls - though not the heavy downpours of the previous days. We are back on our trivia schedule today - here's the question of the day:

· Where does a Bone Eating Snot Flower reside?

Really!

The obvious answer would be - the nose. However our team was the only one that came up with that answer - and everyone laughed - really, we get no respect! All other teams replied - the Amazon - not an unlikely answer since that is where we're heading.

But, the answer is: Inside the carcass of a dead whale. Not only is that obscure, but who cares - do you think you'll ever have to know that - do you think it might ever come up on Jeopardy - do you think you'll ever introduce this topic at a dinner party?

After Trivia, we all trekked down to the main dining room for the Galley Lunch. On the first part of our trip I was too sick to consider entering the kitchen where food was being prepared for others, so stuck to the suite. Yesterday we did participate. There is a salad and sushi bar in the dining room. Then one goes into the galley to get food that is being prepared as you walk through you begin with a shot of vodka (oh my! I did pass!) - there is everything from fresh seafood, two different pastas cooked to order, beef stroganoff, pork piccata, Southern fried chicken, fried calamari, pureed peas, roasted prime rib of beef - too many foods to adequately list here.

We'd thought that we might be going to Restaurant 2 that evening, so we ate lightly - we really did. Then, however, there is the temptation of the dessert tables - you've never seen so many beautiful desserts - Baked Alaska, Lemon Meringue Pie, Black Forest Cake, a tower of Profiteroles, custards and puddings of every flavor and description, sautéed plums with custard and served warm, and my very favorite - Summer Pudding - made with an assortment of fresh berries and bread. I'd never had this before and found out how to make it. So my friends, look forward to that when I return home.

At around 6:00 p.m., the Captain came on the intercom and announced that in 5 minutes, he would be sounding a series of loud horn blasts as we crossed the Equator. This in an effort to summon King Neptune from the deep to attend our Crossing the Equator party tomorrow evening.

We then thought we'd skip dinner, but after two cocktails, we headed for the patio grill and each had a calzone and some ratattouille (sp?). No dessert! Then won $50 at Blackjack - listened to a guest artist with a lovely voice perform all sorts of beautiful music, and so to bed.

DAY TWO: Awoke this morning to this peculiar shiny stuff out on our balcony - was it? could it be? - sunshine? By golly, it was! We have some blue skies today, moments of glorious sun, and then clouds in the distance.

There is interesting stuff on the schedule today.

1. 11:00 a.m. - a seminar in the spa: The Secret to a Flat Stomach. I could lead this seminar - just don't take a cruise!!

2. 12:00 - noon - we will again play Trivia with our team - the Bilge Rats.

3. 2:15 p.m. - Our friend Eric will be giving a seminar on investing and I do plan to go - he's quite interesting and is a top broker with Wells Fargo Advisers. Should be interesting.

4. 6:00 p.m. - Crossing the Equator Party, where polliwogs (those who've never crossed the Equator before) will be indoctrinated into the club of Equator crossers. This is usually a romp with lots of colored slime and outrageous nonsense, often with the Captain getting thrown into the pool. However, due to the water shortage (more on that later) while we are in the Amazon, believe the festivities will be different.

5. 7:30 p.m. - Dinner in Restaurant 2 with our Belgian friends.

6. 9:45 p.m. - A guest pianist performing from Beethoven's Pathetique to a bit of Rachmaninoff.

7. There might be a bit of time for the Casino in between!

A full and fun day - indeed! The ocean hue has turned into milk chocolate brown. The closer we get to the great Amazon River, the more chocolatey (is that a word?) it becomes. There is also minute vegetation in the water of a curious yellow color - can't get close enough to see, but it might be petals from small flowers.

Today I managed to run up two whole flights of stairs without almost passing out from exhaustion - so although am still not up to full strength, there is improvement. Cocktails in the afternoon certainly give one a false sense of wellness!! Tomorrow I shall try for three flights. Still coughing, especially when I remain out of doors in the steamy, heavy air. Adolfo has signed up for two rather long tours off the ship in the Amazon which will have him out of doors for almost 6 hours at a stretch - am afraid that I can't do that, so will walk around the towns and come back to the ship when I get tired. Will write more later - must get ready for King Neptune's party to celebrate crossing the Equator. Just as we were getting ready for the Equator party it began to rain. If there was a way that I could sprinkle this blog, it would be truly soggy.

Cheese Station at Equator Party

Party was moved down to The Club where a beautiful and abundant buffet was set up - everything from seafood to beef - caviar - the works. We had nothing, except cocktails, of course - because we were slated to go to Restaurant 2 for a Chef's Tasting Menu - one that has historical significance as it will include recipes from many early cruises. And . . . . it was terrific - cannot begin to describe the wonderful dishes, because I just get hungry thinking about it, and the last thing I need is to feel hungry!!! DAY THREE:

We are in the Amazon - dense jungle on both sides, milk chocolate waters, puffy white clouds and some blue sky. Yes, it did rain today, but not very much. Played "Name that Tune" this afternoon, and our team tied for first place - such a surprise. Received a very nice bar set in a black leather, round box - Seabourn name and logo are embossed on the top.

It's been a quiet day - very steamy outside. The Amazon varies in width from close shores on both sides, to quite wide and almost lake-like.

There is no place I've ever been that is quite like the Amazon. The river moves languorously, the water is filled with silt from the rain runoff making it look very thick, there are boats and dugouts filled with children who come right up to the boat, waving and laughing. It is a sultry and seductive land. Only wish the weather was cooler, but then it wouldn’t be the Amazon! Sometimes I forget that although I am on a small ship, as cruise ships go, and all of a sudden will be brought up short when we either pass or are passed by a huge working ship on the river. One will see fuel tankers, container ships, etc. This is a major waterway. In our travels today, we have crossed the Equator for the second time in just a few days.

Tonight we have arranged a special Peking Duck dinner for six of us. There are four people whom we've enjoyed a lot since Antarctica, so we invited them to be at our table for something different.

Tomorrow we will be in Santarem (pronounced sant-a-reem). My understanding is that the literal translation of Santarem is Saint Irene. Adolfo is going fishing for piranha and a cruise on a little boat that will take him to tributaries of the Amazon. We both did this in 2003, so I've elected to pass. I will remain on board and perhaps wander about the town - and be only a short walk away from an air conditioned ship!

Santarem, Brazil - The Amazon

Santarem is a city in the west-central region of the state of Para in Brazil and was named after the city located in Portugal. Santarem was founded in 1661 as a Jesuit mission to a Tapajo Indian settlement (aldeia) and grew around a fort built by Pedro Teixeira. It was given town status in 1758 with the name of Tapajos and was elevated to city rank in 1848.

Meeting of the Waters

Santarem is bordered by the Amazon and the Tapajos rivers, both running along many kilometers in the front of the city, side by side, without mixing - isn't that amazing! The Amazon's milk chocolate colored water carries sediment from the Andes in the East, while the Tapajos' water is somewhat warmer and has a deep blue tone. This phenomenon is called "the meeting of the waters" by the locals.

Santarem is an important regional market center in Lower Amazonia, located midway between the larger cities of Belem and Manaus. The economy is based on agriculture, cattle and mining. The city has seen many cycles of development dominated by one or a few economic activities, including (in the last century) rubber tapping, coffee production and gold mining. Most recently there has been a huge growth in the area of soy plantations. The region is famed for its unspoiled river beaches, where beautiful white sands are kept clean by the effects of the Amazon's seasonal rise and fall.

Today, we have some blue skies, lots of clouds and the even present threat of rain. Adolfo is off on his tour to see "the meeting of the waters", and to catch a piranha. If the weather holds, would like to take a walk in Santarem, which might mean hopping a shuttle from the ship to Fisherman's Square.

We've been wondering about the different species of trees we can see on shore. (From Encyclopedia Brittanica) The overwhelmingly dominant feature of the Amazon basin is the tropical rainforest, or selva, which has a bewildering complexity and prodigious variety of trees. As many as 100 arboreal species have been counted on a single acre of forest, with few of them occurring more than once. The Amazon forest has a strikingly layered structure. The sun-loving giants of the uppermost reaches, the canopy, soar as high as 120 feet above the ground; occasional individual trees, known as emergents, rise beyond the canopy, frequently attaining heights of 200 feet. Their straight, whitish runs are splotched with lichens and fungi. A characteristic of these trees is their buttresses, the basal enlargements of their trunks, which help stabilize the top-heavy trees during infrequent heavy winds.

Further characteristics of the canopy trees are their narrow, downward-pointing "drip-tip" leaves, which easily shed water, and their cauliflory (the production of flowers directly from the trunks rather than from the branches). Flowers are inconspicuous. Among the prominent members of the canopy species, which capture most of the sunlight and conduct most of the photosynthesis, are rubber trees, silk cotton trees, Brazil nut trees, sapucaia and sucupira trees. Below the canopy are two or three levels of shade tolerant trees, including certain species of palms - of the genera Mauritian, Orbignya and Euterpe. Myrtles, laurels, bigonias, figs, Spanish cedars, mahogany, and rosewoods are also common. They support a myriad of epiphytes (plants living on other plants), such as orchids, cacti, and bromeliads - as well as ferns and mosses. The entire system is laced together by a bewildering network of woody rope-like vines known as lianas. (those things that Tarzan used to swing through the forest) So there you have it!! Shuttle service will begin at 9:30, so I'd better get hopping.

Was on the first shuttle into town - to say it's steamy outside would be an understatement! It's like being in a universal sauna. Walked around a bit and found that there is an abundance of fabric stores - there are so many, in fact, that I wonder if every household has a sewing machine. Along with those fabric stores, there are tons of bad shoe stores. The shoe stores are, as a rule, very dark inside - probably so that one cannot see the shoddy manufacture of these products. The young guide on the bus into town told me that the shoes do not last so he buys better quality on the internet - it must take forever for him to receive them. He also told me that almost all of the shoe stores are owned by one person or company.

The town of Santarem, although old and a tad shabby is quite clean. Streets and sidewalks are in need of repair, but there is no debris around. On the shuttle back to the ship, the driver took a back road and I was able to see some residential areas. Homes are very small, some dilapidated, but all have a patch of garden, most have respectable paint jobs, and everywhere, because this is the tropics, there are flowers in bloom. I even saw several trees as we whizzed by, that I was almost certain were white plumeria in full bloom. The homes that Adolfo saw out on the river are quite a different story, and as you can see in the photos, they are very primitive - no running water, and no electricity. Adolfo had a wonderful time on the small boat trip - enjoyed seeing the meeting of the waters again, and also lots of flora and fauna of the region. All photos on this page of the journal are his from the jaunt out on the Amazon today.

Another Rainy Day!

We cannot see our hands in front of our faces today!! Outside it is foggy and extremely wet. Last evening as we ate dinner in the Colonnade on Deck 8 (the Chef's Market), the skies were constantly lit up with lightening. There was so much lightening that one could clearly see the nearby shore and even the color of the foliage and trees. It was truly amazing.

Shipping on the Amazon

From what I'm reading about the politics in Brazil, and the proposed protests and riots to let the current government leadership know just exactly how the people of Brazil feel about the rampant corruption, it would seem that the weather is joining in on the protests. Am rather content that we are away from the larger cities at this time. Today should be a quiet day on the ship, except because of the weather, all public areas will be humming. We have our final round of Team Trivia at 12:00 noon, and then at 2:30, another round of Name That Tune. Also can attend various lectures during the morning and afternoon. This evening we're invited to a table of one of the officers, and then at 9:45 p.m. there is a show with two of the entertainers getting together to do something interesting and novel - hmmmmmm - what could that be?!?!? Actually, one is the singer who I thoroughly enjoyed several nights ago, and the other is a trumpet player who is off-the-wall goofy. Saw a bit of his personality last evening at Liar's Club. Might be a fun evening.

Transport on the Amazon

Tonight is the last formal evening on this leg of the trip. The evening begins with the Captain's traditional farewell party. Day after tomorrow, most of the passengers will debark on their journeys home, so many of them today begin the process of packing up. Will be very sorry to see some of these people leave the ship. Many have been on this voyage since Valparaiso, Chile and we've become a family of sorts. The captain has announced in his daily message to us, that there is reported protesting in Manaus, yet nothing violent. We are advised to stay away from any crowds. The whole world has become sort of edgy - one never knows where something untoward will develop. In many of our travels there has been tourist advisories, so we are used to these announcements. Being the cautious people we are (Mama, if you are reading this) there is no worry - just interest. Amazed that it has taken the Brazilian people so long to protest their high taxes with no improvements being made to the country's infrastructure. There can be no more rain left in the heavens - it has not ceased to pour all day. The river is swollen, filled with green debris and lots of fallen trees - yet the ship pushes on. At least we are no longer shouting our presence with our fog horn - that stopped around midday. Visibility is much improved. The two photos below are from the day before. If one were to sit outside and just take photos, opportunities would change every two minutes!!

Manaus, Brazil

Manaus Waterfront

Manaus stands about 9 miles up the Rio Negro, a modern, high-rise it of 1.7 million and a deep-water port in the heart of the wilderness, 1000 miles from the sea. The city of Manaus began as a small outpost of Portuguese colonial trade, but burst into the limelight in the 1800's as the center of the rubber boom. By the end of the 19th century, and at its peak, Manaus had electric lighting and a tram network when most European cities were still under gaslight. When the boom ended, the town fell into a half century of decay. Manaus became highly industrialized in the 1960's and began to flourish again. As state capital it stands in a key position at the crossroads of air and river routes and of the network of highways being slashed through the Amazonian forest. As such, it has the best and worst of modern Brazil - smart pedestrian shopping precincts, modern hotels and old-world colonial mansions sit alongside the favelas (slums). On the waterfront great merchant ships tie up next to old-fashioned double-decker riverboats and frail covered crafts with outboard motors. In the town, the elegant Opera House is not to be missed. Every part of the building was imported from Europe and hauled down the river over a century ago, when the surrounding Amazon region had scarcely been explored.

Rubber Plantation

Adolfo has gone off on his river tour, also visiting an indian village and rubber plantation. He will be seeing parts of the Amazon that we did not see last visit - particularly on the Rio Negro. I can see a church from the ship, not too far away, and am going to try to attend a Mass there, and then poke around the town. The weather is iffy, with a few rain showers here and there, but nothing like the teeming downpour of yesterday. Last evening we had dinner with the head of guest relations, and the chief purser - both really nice people. As a special treat, the purser had ordered a bottle of Brunello di Montalcino - such a delicious red wine from Italy. We were told by the purser that a full complement of passengers will be joining the ship tomorrow, and even with most of the passengers departing at this stop, we will again have a packed ship. This surprises me a bit because I would think that coming to Manaus to board a ship would not be attractive to most travelers. Left the ship this morning for a walk into town. As I stepped out on to the gangway, the sun came out - a miracle! Walked down the pier and into the city where I was greeted by a parade of cars led by an automobile that had huge speakers on the top of it - spouting and shouting something in Portuguese. All following cars had horns tooting and flag waving. Can't be certain but believe it was a part of the protests, as the flags all had large writing on them.

Managed to cross the busy street and follow the map to a handicrafts market. Thought I was doing quite well, even though I didn't feel totally safe. Carried my large umbrella as a weapon, ready to use if I had to do so. Walked merrily along with a purposeful stride, I thought, diligently following the map and staying away from the area where all protests were happening. While I did accomplish that, I took a turn into a street that I thought had the market, and was stopped by a man who told me that it was dangerous for me to be on this particular street - not safe. I thanked him in Portuguese – “obrigado” - close enough! Turned around and double-timed it back to the ship.

In all, believe I walked about one mile. All the while I heard police sirens and there were helicopters hovering overhead. Arrived back at the ship and within ten minutes there was a deluge - AGAIN! Was told at the hospitality desk on the ship that the Cathedral we can see from our balcony, where I was hoping to attend a Mass, is closed for reconstruction. In my walk never spotted another church, so have another Sunday without benefit of Mass.

Here are photos of Adolfo's visit to the Indian village. There are other photos, too, but all of the ladies only have clothing on the bottom halves of their bodies!!

Manaus, The Amazon - Day Two

Today most all of our new friends have departed the ship on their way home. After six weeks with them, we are sad to not have their company any longer. Newbies will be joining the ship during this day so there will be lots of new faces on board this evening. Meanwhile, we continue to learn more about the Amazon River. The early Portuguese called it O Rio Mar, the River Sea, and its statistics are awesome. From the river source in the Andes to its mouth on the Atlantic, the Amazon extends 4000 miles. The Amazon's depth reaches 100 meters, but averages around 2-50 meters. Such is its power that the fresh water pumped into the sea spreads out 100 miles from the land. Several of Amazon's tributaries - the Japura, Jurua, Madeira, Negro, Purus, Tocantins and Xingu - are each more than 100 miles long. Altogether more than one-sixth of all the world's fresh water is carried in the Amazon system. The river is the largest river in the world, by discharge of water, averaging 7,381,000 cubic feet per second (WOW!), greater than the next seven largest independent rivers combined. The Amazon accounts for approximately one-fifth of the world's total river flow. The width of the Amazon is between 1 and 6.2 miles at low stage but expands during the wet season to 30 miles or more. The river enters the Atlantic Ocean in a broad estuary about 150 miles wide, and the mouth of the main stem is 50 miles. The total volume of water flowing from the Amazon in one year is about 6,591 cubic km (you'll have to do the math conversion!).

The largest city along the Amazon River is Manaus, today's port of call. The distance from the mouth of the Amazon to Manaus is 850 nautical miles. Two nights ago we had a formal evening. After dinner, I went on to the show, and Adolfo went to bed - this is normal activity in the evenings! As he was removing his studs from the tux shirt, one fell to the floor. He couldn't find it. When he told me about it the next morning, I looked everywhere and neither could I find it. All we could imagine is that it had bounced and gone into the vent near the floor that is the air return. Both yesterday and today, we've had workmen come to the room and remove the grate. We've searched and searched and it has truly disappeared. Very strange. This set of cufflinks and studs was a gift to Adolfo from me for an anniversary years ago - maybe 25th? They are really good looking - 18K gold, with black onyx and a small diamond. Will be sorry not to recover the missing piece - but guess it could still turn up when we pack and clear out everything in just two weeks - JUST TWO WEEKS! Where has the time gone? Adolfo's had quite enough of the weather on his tour out in the steamy jungle yesterday. We will remain quiet today and probably tomorrow as well. The skies are overcast and threatening rain - so what else is new. We have five more days in the Amazon so assume we'll have more of the same weather. Our suite faces the dock area. Right beneath us there is constant and moving real-life theater. There are several large boats lined up taking on provisions for their journey to "wherever". All day long provision trucks line up at the far end of the dock area and as there is room to park, they are let in one at a time.

When they arrive right beneath our balcony, the fun begins. All sorts of mysterious bags of what we assume is food and supplies comes off the trucks and on to the boats. Today we watch what looked like cases of wine being off-loaded from the trucks on to the boats - here's how it proceeded.

1. Man comes to the truck and faces another man who reaches into the truck for a case of wine.

2. One case on the right shoulder of first man - right arm holding in place.

3. Second case on left shoulder of first man - left arm holding in place.

4. Piece of wood measuring approximately 3 feet long, 1-1/2 feet wide and four inches thick goes atop the two cases on the shoulder.

5. On top of the wood goes an additional three cases - YEP - THREE! Five cases on man's shoulders.

6. Man then proceeds to balance load and walk down a ramp to the boat where another man takes off all cases in reverse, throws them one at a time to another man six feet away and inside the boat, who then stows them on the boat.

This process continually repeats until all provisions are off the truck and on the boat. Then the truck leaves, only to be replaced by another boat with more provisions. Rain or shine, they work through the day. One would think that a hand truck would be truly helpful - but nary a one in sight!

Manaus - Third and Last Day

Early Morning

Beautiful this morning - for a very short time. We leave Manaus today at 1:30 p.m., just a scant three and a half hours away. It cannot be too soon. Dripping skies continue, although this morning we awoke to some sunshine. However, there are very dramatic, black, rain clouds amassing overhead, and it will probably be pouring again very soon. This is a land of extremes - heat, water, rodents, bugs, snakes, etc - you name something horrible - Amazon has it. The only good thing about the rain is that bugs are not a problem this time - think they've all drowned!

Along with the horrors of this region, there is an exotic beauty - the jungle is so rich and lush - flowers, plants, natural cures, interesting history with the indigenous cultures. A visitor can only barely taste and experience what is here. For me, a bit of a taste is just perfect! New passengers are all settled on board and we've all been through the safety drill yet again last evening. Right now, those late arriving passengers who weren't here to attend the drill are being put through a mini drill here at Seabourn Square by the safety officer. The rule is that if you have not attended a drill, you cannot sail with the ship. We have heard that a couple who refused to attend the drill on another cruise, were packed up and set off the ship - how silly of the passengers to refuse such a drill. Safety drills, since the Costa ship disaster, have tightened up considerably. Most of the newbies are out this morning on tours into the Amazon forest and tributaries. As soon as the last little boat returns, the captain will fire up the Quest and we'll be sailing back the way we came in, only this time there will be a stop in Parentins - more on that later. At some point, I must do my naughty description of some of the more infamous guests on board - am trying to think of clever ways to describe them without being too mean!! While there aren't too many, they certainly stand out in this crowd of an otherwise interesting and very nice guest list. The sun came out very strong in the late morning, so we headed out to the Grill/Pool Deck and had lunch al fresco while we enjoyed the beautiful blue skies and puffy white clouds. On the not too distant horizon, the dark, full of rain, clouds seemed to be moving our way. We sailed away at 1:30 p.m., as scheduled. Adolfo headed up for a haircut, and when he was finished, it was my turn for a cut and color. In this weather, our hair seems to be growing twice as fast as usual. At 3:00 p.m. the dark clouds caught up with us and poured down their contents for about one hour. The river and surrounding shore line is really beautiful as we sail toward Parentins on our way out of the Amazon. All kinds and colors of cattle graze on the lush green grass. The river is high and rushing - so much so that it’s easy to forget that you are on a river. The entire trip out to the Atlantic / Caribbean will take about 4 days, because we are stopping at one more port than we stopped on the way in to Manaus.

Parintins, Brazil

Totally confused this morning. The Herald, our daily ship newspaper has the spelling two different ways and I've always spelled it a third way. My way - Parentins - the newspaper has Parantins and Parintins. Just googled it - correct spelling is Parintins!!

Parintins is a small town in the far east of the Amazonas region, located on Tupinambara Island in the Amazon River and is home to about 80,000 people. The village is about 200 years old and has a rich Indian heritage. We've traveled about 350 miles from Manaus.

When we were here 12 years ago, we were on a smaller ship, one that could dock in town, but with this larger ship we must be anchored out in the river, and it will take about a 15 minute tender ride to get us to shore. That might give you some idea of the width of the Amazon in some places!

Parintins is the home of the famous Boi Bumba Show. Their troupe came aboard the ship in 2003 and gave us the best local show we'd ever seen. We've been told that two years ago, Boi Bumba built a special air-conditioned show house in the city of Parintins, and that's where we'll be going this morning. The ship will leave at 1:00 p.m. to sail toward Santarem. Yes, we've been there already on this trip, so there won't be a need to leave the ship.

Each June, Parintins hosts the Boi Bumba Festival to which tens of thousands of visitors pour into the town for a week-long party. The festival involves lots of music, dancing, costumes and huge animal floats. The local folklore is full of myths, tales and legends and they are depicted using characters, parade carts and giant puppets - all accompanied by the rousing Brazilian beats - drums and maracas. This celebration is also a token of gratitude to St. John. There are other festivals during the month of June in honor of St. Anthony and St. Peter.

The town is divided into two teams - one red and one blue. They compete for the best dances and costumes. Today we were to see the red team and they were terrific. Imagine I burned a calorie or two dancing in my chair as the rhythms pulsed throughout the room - it is absolutely impossible to stay still. My darling curmudgeon husband said he enjoyed the first five minutes - then it was just too loud and too long! Totally disagree! Tremendous fun with almost all of the passenger guest list and lots of the crew.

When the show was over, we wanted to browse through the stalls that held local handicrafts, but as our luck would have it - the skies opened up and we made our way back to the tenders and ultimately to the ship. Changed clothes and off to lunch.

The large depictions of local animals were stupendous. Photos here show a huge bird, some kind of lizard, and a bat. There was also someone in a huge white brahmin bull costume who danced and gyrated and made the bull look quite sweet and gentle - the bull also had the beat!! The bull had a heart on his forehead that pulsed with a red light. Red lights were also active in drums, as they received the rhythmic beats of the players. A great morning!!

Back to Santarem, Brazil

We are doing the return trip to the Atlantic cruising back on the Amazon, and will be staying on the ship today while the new passengers take in the "excitement" of Santarem, and others tour the Amazon River and see the meeting of the waters. So, given that there's not much new to report, will try to tell you about some of the people and crew on board. Daciano - Head of Food and Beverage Department - a handsome young Brazilian man, full of charm and warmth - a definite favorite on board with everyone, not just the ladies. Daciano is engaged to Meredith, who is the Assistant Cruise Director. She's a lovely girl from America - they make a wonderful couple and both bring much fun to the ship. Jovan - pronounced "Yovan" - full of energy, almost runs everywhere - have forgotten what he's "head" of. Stephen - from Scotland, one of our baristas - always ready when I come in to Seabourn Square and knows that I want my usual - small orange juice, almond caffe latte and bran muffin. The order is ready for me almost before I can say "good morning"!! He's absolutely fed up with the rain and said yesterday, that if he doesn't have sun soon, he's going back to his home on March 31 "whiter than when he left"!! Not acceptable, and he's looking forward to sunshine in the Caribbean. Waiters, Simone (from Tuscany) and Filippo (also from Italy) - real charmers, so good at their jobs and always smiling. There is also another waiter who is a favorite of mine - he is so shy - it's become a game to see if we can make him smile - Vitor - who has been on another cruise that we were on previously. Chef de Cuisine, Martin - great chef - great food - but perhaps a bit rich for every night. So, my favorite has become Chef Michael, up in the Colonnade. His menus contain simple food cooked to perfection. If I ask him a question about the food, or send a question to him through a waiter, before the evening is over he will be seated at our table giving me all of his secrets on a particular dish. Believe he loves food and wants everyone else to love it, as well. Both Martin and Michael are skinny as rails - darn them anyway! All of the ladies who staff the center offices of Seabourn Square are warm and helpful. They arrange tours, answer questions, take complaints and compliments with equal grace. Seabourn Sally - at least that's what I've named her in my mind - is exactly the kind of guest that gives Seabourn a snooty reputation. Everyone on board knows all of their business - they've sold their second home for a huge amount and have elected to be on Seabourn ships for 6 months out of every year. When you happen to sit at table with her, her opening gambit is: "We have more days on Seabourn than anyone else on this ship"!! Like anyone cares. Most every morning, she holds court in Seabourn Square with a few other women who dote on her every word. Conversations are held at a decibel to be certain everyone around can be certain to understand that she knows everything about everything! She has a definite "ownership" complex with regard to this ship, and often shouts to an officer in a rather officious voice, and then crooks her finger at him so that he will come to her to have conversation. Guess you can tell that we're not exactly loving this one! Gambling Gus - there's one at every casino table. He comes every night, signs a chit for either $500 or $1000, gets $100 chips (the table maximum bet) and proceeds to bet $100 dollar chips on each successive hand until he goes broke. He then leaves without a word to anyone. This routine is repeated every night that the casino is open. Guess I could also name him Friendly Freddie! Gourmet Gertrude and Full-Plate Frank (there are several) - these people love to load up their plates from the buffet portion of the food offerings. The food appears to be in the shape of a volcano and is all a jumble with some of everything on the buffet. How they manage to finish all the food is a miracle! On this leg of the trip there are lots of German tourists. They tend to be very clannish and not at all inclusive of non-Germans. It's not that they don't speak English - I don't know what it is. Two days ago, a German couple were looking for a table to eat out on the Patio Deck, and we had space at our table. We invited them to join us, I arranged for another chair to be brought, we introduced ourselves, spoke for a moment in English - and that was the end of that. They faced each other while they were eating and proceeded to speak German throughout the meal - they virtually walled themselves off from us. We were out of there pretty quickly. This behavior is such a change from our Belgian friends who we are missing since they left the ship in Manaus. Claire and Thierry spoke little English, but we still managed to have so much fun. Claire did pretty well with English, but Thierry's language difficulty was compounded by severe Parkinson's which delayed what he could say. One had to be patient with him - and that patience helped develop a wonderful shipboard friendship. We hope to see them again in future. There were other guests who wondered why we spent so much time with Clare and Thierry - were we old friends? Would you ask that question? For some, the severe shaking was off-putting. Underneath the Parkinson's was a delightful, funny and caring man - we felt privileged to know him. Okay - enough for now. There is more, but will save for another time. There are no photos today because we’ve been here - done that!!!

Two Days at Sea (in and finally out of the Amazon

Day One: This is the first of two days with no stops as we head out of the Amazon.

Last night at 10:00 p.m., just as we were settling down to sleep, the Captain came over the loudspeakers throughout the ship, asking all passengers to stay indoors. Within 30 minutes we were to be hit with amajor storm, and 65 mile per hour winds that could tilt the ship. Did hear very loud thunder, but never felt that much change in the stability of the vessel. Earlier we'd enjoyed dinner out on deck - the temperatures were very nice and there was a bit of a breeze. Was all set for some grilled fish when Daciano reminded us that the Colonnade had the Brazilian Market dinner - this is a fabulous menu. Asked him if they had the wonderful Fejoida (spelling is wrong!) - the Brazilian Bean Stew. He said "yes" and that he'd bring me a sample. A little while later, and before I'd ordered my dinner, out came a lovely plate with a small bowl of the Bean Stew, alongside two mini caipirinhas. That was my dinner - so delicious. Topped it off with a small Insalata Caprese and I was a happy sailor! Such a good girl yesterday - a very light lunch and no desserts. Now, if I could only cut the cocktail intake - all those delicious empty calories!!! It's become our daily routine when the weather is nice, to sit out on deck prior to lunch and enjoy a strawberry daiquiri - they do go down so easily! Throw in an occasional Pina Colada for Adolfo - and he's happy, too! Day Two: Finally we awoke to be out of the Amazon River. The sea water is finally clearing up but it will take a while because the force of the river pushes silt out into the ocean for almost 200 miles. Yesterday, had asked for the ship's Brazilian Bean Stew recipe and now have it. Good Lord - will have to find a few short cuts - it is not something that one can throw together - that's probably why it's so good. Last evening we enjoyed dinner with Richard Lewis, who is a trainer for all sorts of departments on the ship. He is a delightful man who's been with Seabourn for over three years. It was rather funny that our table was on one of the main waiter corridors in the dining room, and as luck would have it, there were two dropped trays right by our table. This doesn't happen often, but it does happen! Broken crockery and food splatter everywhere while all waiters help mop up and set things aright once again - and rather quickly. When this happens, diners applaud! Waiters are always mortified, but to have this happen near Richard's table is awful for them. Richard never batted an eye. Found it very interesting that every diner near the disaster was spoken to by the head waiter, room numbers taken, and if any spot showed up on clothing, the ship will take care of the cleaning. There was a bit of cream splatter - like snow in the dining room! We asked Richard about the process for hiring personnel for the ship. He said that there is an agency that does the major hiring - the first phase of employment with Seabourn. Then prospective hires are sent to the ships and trained in place, often shadowing someone seasoned. His success rate is 73%. Would seem that the major criteria is a person having a proper and most willing attitude. They want people to succeed at their jobs. While training on a ship, personnel are considered to be attending "Seabourn College". All travel expenses for getting personnel to the ships are paid by Seabourn, and if things do not work out, they are given a plane ticket home. It is the only "college" that pays one to attend, and not too often, pays one to leave! Today is a lazy day - there are no new photos - no icebergs, no steamy jungle, no chocolate river, no old moldy towns - just sailing toward Devil's Island, Team Trivia, eating and drinking. Though the skies are overcast, am hoping that we've left those rain heavy clouds behind us, and will soon be sailing in the sunny Caribbean. We are a little over one week away from arriving in Ft. Lauderdale and traveling home. Soon the suitcases will begin their journey out from under our bed, and I will begin the repacking process. Think tomorrow I will pack one suitcase of clothing that we are no longer wearing. To do this process ahead of time makes it easier toward the end of the trip.

Devil's Island, French Guiana

. . . and here we are at Devil's Island. It's another overcast day, but the cloud cover may dissipate by late morning - we are hopeful. It is beginning to break up a bit right now. Two nights ago, when we dined al fresco on the Patio Deck there was a stunning sunset, and here you have it.

Yesterday we finally celebrated outside for those who crossed the Equator the first time. Aboard were King Neptune and his bride, and the court of mermaids. The captain arrived with one red sock and one green sock - funny - one for "port" and one for "starboard"!! He made certain to have his photo taken with all of the mermaids.

"Kiss the Fish!"

In order for the "first timers" to graduate from polliwogs, they had to kiss the fish - seen in the photo on the right. It was a real fish and although everyone who should have, did kiss the fish, most tried not to make contact. Everyone entered into the festivities with quite good humor.

It is now Sunday morning, and we are anchored off the coast of Devil's Island. I've been told that I slept through a huge swell as we approached the island. The swell caused lots of breakage on the ship. All of the trays that were prepared for room service delivery this morning were trashed and the crew had to begin anew. In Seabourn Square there was also lots of breakage of glassware.

Devil's Island is said to be the most dreaded prison in the history of mankind. The island was set up as a penitentiary by the French emperor, Napoleon III, in 1852, and is said to have housed the most hardened criminals in human history: murderers, thieves, politicians (this from the Seabourn Herald!) and psychopaths. I find this a most interesting group - putting politicians in the middle of murderers and psychopaths.

Devil's Island, French Guiana

From the ship, the island looks to be a lush jungle island. Some passengers will be going ashore to tramp through the paths of the jungle, and view the ruins of the prison, which was abandoned in 1938. We were advised that in order to go ashore, we must take Yellow Fever shots and we elected not to do so. We are viewing the island from afar - well not too "afar" - I could actually swim to shore if I had to!

Devil's Island is located about 7 miles off the coast of French Guiana and can be reached by boat from the mainland, or cruise ship by sea. Record has it that of the thousands of prisoners sent to this island, more than 80,000 of them were never seen again. It is a palm-covered rocky island rising 131 feet above sea level. While the prison was abandoned in 1938, since 1952 this island which is a part of the Isle du Salut (Salvation Islands) is used by Guiana Space Center for studying space launches. More than 50,000 tourists come to this island annually to visit the prison and the Space Center. The rest of the day should be quiet for us. Tomorrow is another day at sea, and then Barbados. I am particularly looking forward to the Caribbean, better weather, and perhaps a bit of shopping. So far, there has been little to buy, and almost nothing to bring home for gifts. Am hopeful that our next stops prior to ending our cruise in Ft. Lauderdale will be more fruitful!

Bridgetown, Barbados

After an uneventful day at sea yesterday, the ship came in at Bridgetown, Barbados, this morning, accompanied by heavy rain and super dark clouds. The skies have been playing with us most of the day and although we did have a few hours midday, looks like it's getting ready to rain once again. That's too bad, because in a little over one hour, a local steel band is slated to be performing out on the patio deck. Then later tonight there will be a "Rock The Boat" music evening. In between there is an Epicurean Event scheduled - all out doors . . . . hmmm. This photo below should have been put into the Devil's Island post. We were out on our balcony while anchored off Devil's Island. We looked down into the water to find this little boat with two crew members painting our ship and getting rid of all the rust spots!! Crew is always busy!

Today, one of our favorites on staff, the Bar Manager, Jovan, left the ship after his seven month contract. He was so excited to be going back to his family and his girlfriend in Serbia. We will miss this wonderful young man. He gave us so much of his positive and funny personality. When Jovan was in the room, everyone smiled! Another bulletin on the Food and Beverage Manager, Daciano (the Caipirinha specialist!) - Daciano has been in quarantine for the last four days, and is currently slated to remain there through tomorrow. No one seems to know exactly what is wrong with him (or they're not telling) - perhaps a severe case of the flu. We miss his presence very much and hope he is well soon. In addition to our ship, the Seabourn Quest, there are two other huge ships in port - one behind us, the Star Princess, and one in front of us - can't remember the name! Both the large ships must have 3000+ passengers. Whenever we are in port with other ships of this size, it really impacts the tourist facilities, tours, and generally just walking around.

Because of the rain, we did not get an early start but after lunch decided to walk to the terminal - perhaps a half mile. We'd been told that there were lots of shops there, and we could probably find gifts to bring home. Adolfo made it to the terminal - but after sitting there for a while in the hot steamy building he decided to walk back to the ship. I stayed on, poking around in the shops, mostly filled with awful stuff. Was really surprised to find huge groups of tourists from the two large ships buying big ticket jewelry items at two stores in the terminal - Diamond International and Columbian Emeralds. Though I did spend time in both stores perusing the goods, the signs made me very wary. Lots of verbiage of "full guarantees", spelled out in many different ways. If one buys something there, what recourse do you have if it's not what you paid for? Guess it would be a great way to have an excuse to get to another cruise in the same area. I did make a huge purchase of $36 for a large over shirt that looks like it's made out of mini gauge fish net. Figure when I get tired of it, I can always use it to catch fish! In my window shopping, I did spot some necklaces the same as I'd purchased in the Amazon - they were priced 50% higher in Barbados. Also looked at some t-shirts, but most were printed with advertisements for local rum or inappropriate phrases. Few were 100% cotton.

Most all of the tours today involved beach time and snorkeling. Wish we'd done this part of the cruise 10 or 15 years ago when I was still happy to get into a bathing suit and be adventurous in the beautiful waters of this area. Later in the afternoon the arrival of the Copacabana Steel Band coincided with light rain showers, but they performed anyway, barely noticing the moisture. The rain finally ceased - the steel band performed for two hours - wonderful music - talented musicians. They played everything from traditional music of the Caribbean to Strauss. The Epicurean event was also fun and delicious.

At lunch today, Raffaella, the Maitre d', asked us if we had plans for the evening. When we told her we were free, she asked us if we would include an elderly Australian gentleman who is traveling alone. This is apparently his first cruise since his wife passed, and he's been having a difficult time mixing in. We thought that would not be a problem, so arranged to meet him on deck in late afternoon.

For the sake of this journal, will call this gentleman "RJ", who seemed nice enough when we met. After the music, we three stayed on deck for dinner. RJ's a very needy guy. Adolfo excused himself after a polite interval following dinner. RJ talked and talked to me - believe I now know about his entire life and family history. Finally I politely remarked that I should join my husband - could I see RJ back to his suite? (He has difficulty walking and uses a cane). When I got to our suite, and had safely seen RJ to his "home" aboard the ship, I collapsed on the bed in exhaustion. This was a most difficult evening. Can't help but remember the old adage that "no good deed goes unpunished"!! I would have loved to stay on deck for the "Rock The Boat" program, but way too tired!

Castries, St. Lucia and Terre-de-Haut, Guadeloupe

Castries, St. Lucia - although the official language is English, most of the 177,000 inhabitants also speak French patois, a remnant of the days of French colonization. This island boasts some of the best scenery in the Caribbean - rugged green jungles, undulating agricultural terrain, dazzling beaches and the volcanic, cone-shaped Pitons. There's even a dormant but still bubbling volcano named Soufriere that can be viewed from inside (they say "without apparent danger").

Ships come into port right in the middle of town. Really huge ships pictured here absolutely dwarf the surroundings, and create these huge "walls" that block out the natural beauty of the area. Am certain that inhabitants must cheer when all the boats leave! We learned that what was available in the town center, was duplicated at the mall in the terminal, so we walked there and shopped a bit. Picked up a few little things. But with two other very huge ships in this small town at the same time - the area was very crowded. Over 6,000 passengers - and then there's crew!

We came back to the ship and sat watching the goings on in the small harbor. One scene had me cracking up as a very long boat with motor going full tilt, and loaded with long, lanky locals, had one man with a huge bucket sitting in the middle of the craft, madly bailing for all he was worth. The boat was by so fast that we couldn't get a photo. It sprinkled a bit - of course - how could we possibly manage one whole day without some precipitation. But then - the sunset that evening was picture perfect!!

Terre-de-Haut, Guadeloupe

. . . an island we know as Guadeloupe is in fact made up of two separate isles, linked by a drawbridge across a saltwater channel. The eight islands that make up Le Aintes form a miniature archipelago just six miles south of Guadeloupe's Basse-Terre. Only two are inhabited by descendants of the first Breton and Norman settlers. This island is known for the best sailors in the Antilles.

This is a beautiful spot. Appears there is an abundance of beautiful homes and their occupants must be the owners of the sleek sailing yachts and speed boats in the harbor. The water is a lovely turquoise, but it does change hues depending on whether or not there is any cloud movement in the skies.

We went ashore via tender, walked around a bit and visited some interesting shops. Finally found a Catholic Church that was open and had candles available for lighting.

Shops are filled with a variety of usual trinkets, and then there are some wonderful things made from very bright Caribbean colored print fabric. Very happy goods!! There are also lots of mongrel dogs that don't seem to have a home and try to corner you - not aggressively, but persistently. Believe they want attention, and perhaps a bath!! Many of the store operators have a chihuahua in arms as they assist customers - very French!!

Shipboard life continues on - the crew spoils and coddles us - we are in for a rude awakening in only 5 short days - UGH - can't believe this lovely trip is almost over.

Gustavia, Saint Barthelemy

Known as "St. Barts" or "St-Barth" in French, Columbus gave his brother's name, Bartholomew, to the island when he sailed past in 1493. The French must hate the idea that an Italian gave this island its name and that it is named after an Italian. The island is peaceful and picturesque, with arid roller coaster hills, hidden rocky coves and powdery beaches lining a limpid, emerald sea. St. Barts is a world apart from most islands in the Caribbean. Many of the 9,000 inhabitants are descendants of Huguenots from Brittany and Normandy who arrived in the 17th century.

What a culture shock today going ashore at St. Barts. The size of the yachts should give one a clue. Add to the boats in the harbor the fact that there is every high end store of the world represented in this port - Oh My Gosh! After all of the "trinket" stores of the Amazon and other small ports on this trip, I really wasn't ready for St. Barts.

All store windows were a feast for the eyes, but I did restrain myself and didn't take out my credit card even once!

Some of the clothing stores were of interest. There were a few of the usual inexpensive beach wraps, towels and t-shirts. But the interesting ones had very unusual clothing at very hefty prices. There were several stores that really annoyed me because not one piece of clothing, either on hanger or on table, had a price tag on it. The very snooty French madame who ran the store looked each new customer over very carefully. My take on that would be that she then decided to charge what she thought the tariff would bear. On the other hand, there just might be the thought that if you have to ask a price, you can't afford it anyway!

I was astounded at the numbers of very young and beautiful, tanned people buying very expensive things without batting an eye. I did find one shop that had beach wear and went in to find a beautiful one-of-a-kind caftan for over a swimsuit. Very pretty, but $750?!?!?!?

Think not . . .

The hotel right on the harbor is the Hotel de la Collectivite. There is a crest over the front and the famous words beneath it - "Liberté, egalité, fraternité". Huge yachts moor right next to the walkway in front of the hotel. Many say that this small island is the "best" of France.

Coming "home" to Seabourn Quest

Flags of many nations flew at the sterns of the beautiful yachts, and there were quite a few from the United States.

Did have a bit of fun with Adolfo as I joined him for lunch announcing that there would soon be a launch arriving with my packages - his response - WHAT?!?!? HAH!

Also took a look at one of the real estate "stores" along the waterfront. Here are some fun facts:

· A one bedroom condo on the water can rent for $8,000 (beginning price) a week, or can be bought for about $800,000.

· There are homes to rent beginning at about $25,000 a week.

· . . . or you can buy one of these "pretties" for starting prices of anywhere from $6,000,000 to $8,000,000 - depending on size and location of the home.

Caviar and champagne ended the day out on the Patio Deck. We elected to stay there and enjoy the chop house grill. The evening air was balmy and most comfortable. An early night and a good night's sleep seemed in order.

Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands

Jost Van Dyke, BVI, is a tiny, luxuriant paradise hemmed with white sand. Great Harbour is a pretty village of wooden houses that seems lost in time. Named for an early Dutch settler and former pirate, rugged scenery and colorful folklore make up Jost Van Dyke. With fewer than 300 inhabitants, it measures just four by three miles, with the highest point at 1,054 feet and has been home to Arawak Indians, Caribs, Dutch, Africans and the British. Notable inhabitants have included William Thornton, architect of the U.S. Capitol Building, and John Lettsome, founder of the London Medical Society.

It is recommended that a visitor stop and have a beverage and a bite to eat at the infamous Foxy's bar. Though we didn't go ashore, have been told that there is all sort of paraphernalia hanging from the ceiling of Foxy's - from soup to shirts!

Today is our last landing day for the trip. We then have two days at sea prior to ending our trip in Ft. Lauderdale. From what I've been able to see from the ship, and what I've heard from those who went ashore for a swim in these incredible waters, believe if I were ever to come back to the Caribbean, it would have to be to this small island. There is no shopping (oh dear!), but there is a peace and quiet, and a joy in the simplicity of the place.

Crew (those not on duty) and passengers alike have gone ashore as soon as possible, but won't have long to enjoy the ocean for too very long, as the ship departs at 1:30 p.m.

There is today and then two days at sea. Have begun to sort clothing, have done the last hand wash, and sent out the last laundry. After lunch will begin actually pulling out the suitcases and filling them.

And, so we leave our last port - and after two days at sea, we will be back in the wonderful United States of America.

We’re Coming Home!

We were ready to vacate our suite at 7:30 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. was the deadline. Just prior to leaving our suite, we got a call from Seabourn Square to let us know we had to be ready to see customs at 8:00 a.m. Had no idea what it was about, so we packed up and waited for further instructions. There were five couples who were in the "customs" bunch, and off we went, with our carryons, to the huge area where all luggage had been off loaded the previous night. We still had no idea why we'd been singled out, and not one person we saw could give us any information. Retrieved our luggage and went off with the customs representative to a room where we waited, and waited. While we were there and chatting to the others in this select group, we determined that what we all had in common was a purchase from the ship's "Duty Free" jewelry store. Finally it was our turn with the very stern custom's guy who said, while showing us our declaration form - "Please think carefully before you answer my question - is this all you are declaring, including what you might have purchased on the ship?" I answered in the negative and said that we'd bought a ring in the jewelry shop and hadn't declared it because the certificate of authenticity stated very clearly that all taxes and duty had prepaid on it when it left the manufacturer who happened to be American. At which time, I also whipped out the Certificate - still do not know what made me tuck that into my purse, rather than put it into the checked luggage. That was all we needed. He said to please amend our form and include the ring - we did - we were excused. No additional duty needed to be paid. So, after a fifteen minute ride to Hollywood International Airport (Ft. Lauderdale), we are all checked in (very early) and waiting for our plane (another 3 hours) to Charlotte, North Carolina, where we'll board a flight to SFO. Tonight we'll sleep in our own bed!

Well, not so fast, missy!!!

Sitting here at Charlotte, North Caroline Airport – staring at “burgers – Shrimp – Fish & Chips and Phillips Famous Crab Cakes".

We boarded a plane for our flight to San Francisco 2 hours ago, and there was a delay – something wrong with the hydraulics. So we all gathered up our belongings per instructions and deplaned, back into the waiting area. It is now 8:00 p.m - one and a half hours since the timed departure.

US Airways/American Airlines’ plan is to find us another plane and send us on our way. There is a huge bunch of disgruntled people here. In the background the motorized handicap carts that transport people to and from the different gates have been beeping at us since our arrival this early afternoon. It's actually getting quite annoying!

Just announced – another plane is available three gates over – the herd thundered over. Same kind of plane – crew came over as well – and they say our luggage is being transferred over to this airplane.

While standing in line to board, a guy (no gentleman) talking on his cell phone for all the world to hear was making me crazy – so loud he didn’t need the aid of a phone. Discussion was about someone named “Sara” in his company – not forthcoming, not productive, and a long lists of “nots” – "but she is most photogenic"!!

Then a complete calendar of events when he arrives in San Francisco, visiting friends here and there – he’s going to be the BIG surprise in the planned festivities – YAWN!!

Then on to his current divorce proceedings where his lawyer recommended that he be a gentleman, make this a good memory for his children (not certain how this can be achieved), be generous with his ex-wife, and on and on. Announcements while he was talking and talking made it impossible for us to hear clearly any directions that pertained to our new flight. Almost guffawed when he related that his attorney cautioned him against being an a**h****!!

At one point, he’d given all around him so much information, that the lady next to me leaned over and whispered: “All I need now is his name and social security number”. Laughed out loud.

So now, the hordes who’ve passed by me on the other plane, are doing it once again. Adolfo and I are once again settled in First Class – we still don’t know how our travel agent worked this one out, but we’re very grateful. Some people are really pissed – would they’d have rather taken off on a plane that wasn’t worthy of the flight? Suppose we will now get home closer to midnight, SF time. Have emailed our car and driver and he will wait for us.

Supposed takeoff is at 8:37 p.m., however, it’s already that hour and there are many still to board and settle.

Finally took off at 9:10 p.m. We’re supposed to be in SF by 11:00 – 11:30 p.m. – we’ll see.

Have no idea where we are up in the air right now, but on the dark and cloudy horizon to the south of our plane, there is a lightening show of gigantic proportion – huge blasts light up the clouds in a warm orange – and as if that wasn’t enough – every so often, there’s a spidery line of pure power that climbs above the clouds and into the sky – better than a movie – which they don’t have on these planes.

While waiting for our luggage at the carousel, we noted laughingly that a luggage tag had arrived and was traveling around the carousel without the attached bag. On closer inspection the second time around, I noted that it was OUR TAG!! Shortly thereafter, our bag came by.

True to his word, our car and driver awaited us. So lucky that he's such a nice guy! We were home by 1:00 a.m. this morning.

A bit tired, grateful for the gift of this wonderful trip, and more than thankful to have arrived home safely.