We are off on another adventure. After docking in Saint Lucia we meet our group and head for the rainforest, about 45 minutes away by small bus to Saint Lucia Rainforest Adventures. Windy, narrow roads, passing the domestic airport where the runway runs parallel and close to the road, heading to the hills. Once we arrive we are divided into groups of 6 and helped into our gear. Hard hats and harness and then have a lovely 30 minute ride in an open cable carriage through the lower rainforest while our guide tells us about the different plants and animals that inhabit this area. Then it’s off for a ten minute walk to our first platform. Now this is a first for me, needless to say I’m slightly anxious but after the safety demo and instructions I am off flying through the trees on the first of 8 zip lines. This first one is about 100 metres long and I am clutching the handles with a very firm grip and dreading the stop at the other end. But I landed safely half way up a tree on a small platform and unhooked from the line and hooked onto a safety rope. We watched the others follow us down before attaching to the next zip line. More relaxed this time and what a hoot, flying through the tree tops. Philip followed as did the other guests. By the time we reached the last zip line we were pros. Philips off first for the longest and steepest ride back to ground level. Then it’s my turn again. I must be getting game as I could even ride with my hands in the air (off the handles) and turning around. What a buzz, I want to do it again. But alas we have to climb back up to our starting point for the ride back down through the tree canopy with great views of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

(P:- I am not so sure that the reporting on the above activity is 100% correct! Judith was aware we were “doing” a Zip line but I am reasonably sure she didn’t realise there were 8 lines as part of this fabulous cruise thru the Rainforest. On a few occasions zip lining was mentioned with some nervousness! Never to be beaten with her phobias (in this case heights and a couple of flimsy cables) she was eager to give it a go! The results were – she enjoyed it immensely! Eyes wide open and at time arms in the air, as close to “ flying through the canopy like a bird” as you can get the experience was another great first! Then back to our ship for my Siesta!)

Philipsburg, Saint Maarten

Our last port of call before returning to Fort Lauderdale, and a gorgeous harbour to enter as we watched this morning. Just a quick, light breakfast today before disembarking and walking to our pickup point for our “Taste of Saint Martin” food tour. This tour read up really well (after some Internet research) so we hope it lives up to what it says.

But before the tour here is a bit about St. Maarten. It is a small island just 37 square miles and is the smallest land mass in the world divided between two governments, the Dutch and the French. The Spanish abandoned the island in the 17th century and the Dutch and French moved in and after some conflict decided to split the island in two. Legend has it that the border was originally decided by a drunken wager between and Dutchman and a Frenchman. Each agreed to see who could claim the most land by walking in opposite directions around the shore and meeting on the other side. The winner, by a small amount, was the Frenchman, and still is today with the French governing 21 square mile and the Dutch 16. Today there is still a very definite divide between the two sides. Different policing, different taxes, different money, different schooling and different foods, (P:- and would you believe the Dutch and French both use different style, non interchangeable electrical sockets!) and this is what we are here to taste.

So, now onto the food tour. We approach our meeting point “The Amsterdam Cheese Shop” and meet our guide outside, who informs us that we are the only two on today’s tour so she will be able to personalise it a bit. Our first stop is this Cheese Shop for some Gouda cheese tasting and our first alcoholic drink of the day at 10am. (P:- correction make that two drinks! Evidently a must to cleanse the palate between samples). Cheese and bubbles, who can complain about that!!!

We tasted five different aged Gouda and several flavoured ones and all were delicious. Our Host TJ, (with blue hair) describes the cheeses as we taste. After a look around their lovely shop we head on our way with Albert our driver and Terrie our Guide. Terrie gives us lots of information about the Dutch side of the island and the history. Philipsburg, the capital of the Dutch side is only four streets wide and 1 mile long but manages to captivate most of the islands visitors. ,

Our second stop was just over the border into the French side, passing the marina where some massive private yachts were moored, to a quaint little restaurant on the beach overlooking some impressive mega yachts moored offshore. “Guayabera Beach Club” where we were served an early lunch and a rum cocktail (it’s still not midday yet) Coconut rum, plain rum, Curaçao and pineapple juice on ice. Our food was delicious, grouper, yucca, Johnny cake and salad. (Not quite enough to soak up the rum). As we were eating we watched some boats leave the marina via the lifting bridge. No money spared here, some of them are pretty luxurious. One mega yacht that is moored in the bay has a smaller yacht on its aft deck and another has a helicopter.

We leave this area and continue around the island spying some of the 37 beaches as we wind round the hills. Much of this island was destroyed by Hurricane Irma in 2017 and there is much evidence of this still today. Broken boats piled up along the lagoons edges, hotels on the waterfront that were destroyed, homes that were just demolished and have now been left to rot away. There is reconstruction going on but it’s a slow process. Our guides home was only slightly damaged with gutters torn off and windows broken but all the homes surrounding hers were decimated. Why hers remained virtually untouched, while others were destroyed is amazing.

We wind through narrow streets and past waste land, over water drains called “guts” until we stop at our next destination. The “Gutside Cafe”. It hardly looks anything as we pull up and then climb the stairs from the road, but inside we are greeted by Lourdes and Richard, the owners and made to feel very welcome. This is a pretty basic local cafe, plastic chairs, large tables, drift wood, number plates, old shells and t shirts for decoration. Very eclectic but comfortable. Our next drink arrives, thankfully only a nip of coconut rum this time. Boy, I’m not used to drinking this much rum in one day. (P:- as most of you know I drink very little but being the last port of the cruise I felt I needed to ensure Judith didn’t feel like a lone drinker! Man I know I am going to regret this!!!) Then we are served, plantain, peanut chicken and a shot of spicy pumpkin soup. Again very tasty. (P:- correction, awesome food, ) We spend our time there chatting to Lourdes and Terrie and enjoying the food before heading (P:- correction again almost staggering) back to the bus and continuing round the island to our final stop for a French dessert and iced coffee. Then a quick stop to check out the beach which is lovely before heading back to our pickup point. 4 hours of enjoying the island and its lovely foods now we need a rest before dinner tonight. (P:- We were very fortunate to have a total circumnavigation of the Island, dirt roads and Nudist beach included, not normally done but seeing only two of us Terri was most gracious in doing it for us! Back to the ship for a well earned siesta time for me! (Man O Man I need it!)

We are reasonably confident we have run out of “rabbits” (fantastic experiences) to pull out of our hat, so now all we have left is a couple of sea days travelling back to Fort Lauderdale before we end this wonderful cruise.

Parintins

One of our last two stops on the Amazing Amazon. How can we top what we have already seen?

We probably can’t but we will give it a crack. Parintins on a Sunday is a pretty quiet town but still has a bustling port area, with many ferries lined up along the pier. After tendering ashore we again marvel at the state of some of the ferries and wonder where their destination is. Off for a walk around the town where very little is open, but Philip finds a hardware/farm store and goes in for a wander and comes out with a souvenir, a small hoe, made in Brazil. He always has need for a hoe!!!

After several hours wandering the town we head back towards the pier and find a Brazilian BBQ restaurant. Of course Philip can’t go past it without going in for a closer look at the menu which luckily also has some English on it. The big open BBQ area looks interesting and smells great as it cooks, lamb, pork, beef and some fish. We take a seat by the railing overlooking the waterfront and pier and peruse the menu. So many decisions but we finally decide on some mutton and pork and sit back to await our meal.

While waiting we talk about the things we have seen and what we would like to have seen. Philip has missed seeing the big tarantulas, (not high on my bucket list) and an anaconda, I would love to have seen the Amazon Pink Dolphins, we saw glimpses of grey dolphins at the Eco Lodge but the pink ones were elusive. As we were relaxing I glanced out to the water, watching some birds and the ferries coming and going and to my great delight saw a dolphin just break the water, then another and another. And they were coming out of the water enough to see they were PINK. To say I was a little excited is an understatement. Several of them played around for a while before disappearing but several times during the course of our lunch they reappeared. What a treat we had. Another amazon bucket list item ticked off. Philip even snapped a picture of one, but thanks to MrGoogle we found a better one. A great way to finish our time in Parintins. (P:- J forgot to mention our “lite” Brazilian BBQ was awesome. I hope she appreciates that without my local food “hunt” no pink dolphins would have been seen!)

Alter do Chao

P:- After a casual breakfast (and my morning gym session (dream on!) we casually wander down to the tender for our trip ashore. We had nothing planned apart from a casual walk around the town of Alter Do Chao (approx 6500 residents), a town that claims the only true white sand beaches on the Amazon. As we take approx 20 steps ashore we are approached by a guy with a small motor boat offering a “Forest, boat, canoe”. In my best Brazilian Portuguese I negotiated a trip in an old crusty boat with a “Smokey” 2 stroke motor to somewhere! We assumed the 1 1/2 fingers he put in the air wasn’t a rude gesture but meant it would be 1 1/2 hours for 75 Reais each (25 bux). So off we motor (no mosquitoes today due to 2 stroke exhaust fumes) round the corner and past the beach shelters somewhat submerged by high water (sorry to the many people looking forward to a beach day) past the town centre and into the most beautiful tributary of the Rio Tapajos motoring amongst forest, what in the dry would be green lush flood plains, past villages, birds, flowers, canoes, old river boats etc. We were quite satisfied with our little “cruise to somewhere”. The “captain” brings us to a landing with a few canoes there, circles around and heads back to town. In my, by now very good Brazilian sign language I imitate me paddling a canoe and after a stern look from us he about turns and takes us to the canoe dock where we are allocated an old canoe with 2” of water in the bottom and a guide / paddler. Once we delicately step aboard (with a couple from Belgium) it’s off we go! Maybe slightly overloaded (me) we had no more than 2” free board which created a few nerve racking moments when the water almost lapped the top of the vessel on several occasions.

Wow before we knew it we were in the most beautiful “flooded forest”, if there ever was an enchanted forest this would be it, absolute quiet apart from bird calls and gentle paddle splash. Submerged living leaves of plants visible into the depths, awesome trees, vines, fruits, insects and spider webs above the water line, which was at times hard to spot because of the magnificent reflections. The vegetation, very different to what we had experienced further upstream. We transferred back onto our trusty motor boat and toured back to town. Not only an impromptu activity but one which has left another lasting memory. We then wandered the town, paddled what was showing of the white sandy beach and listened to a local musician before reboarding the Veendam after a very pleasant day.

And there ends our ports along the Amazon. We still have a day cruising tomorrow before we reach the ocean again approximately 11pm. Then heading north towards the Caribbean.

It’s been a fantastic experience and one we will talk about and remember for a long time to come.

I think I should be worried when I see Philip looking for cruises on the upper Amazon. The cruise boats shrink, build quality deteriorates as the river narrows and I’m not keen on sleeping in a swinging hammock!

(P:- Brazil we approached with an almost negative impression. Ship board gossip (which we have learnt is mostly inaccurate) advised us to stay onboard at all Brazilian ports, which a lot of fellow passengers did! Sure it appears to be a country that was once wealthy and now has a huge gap between wealthy and poor but that doesn’t make them all bad ( as shipboard gossips broadcast!)

We were off at every port, some we did tours and some we wandered ourselves, out of the tourist areas and into local market, beach, natural areas and of course local restaurants and lunch bars. Not once did we feel unsafe or threatened (we were “street aware” and didn’t enter dodgy places). The only places we saw undesirable looking people were around the popular tourist haunts such as theatres, tourist markets, Cathedrals etc. all of which we tend to avoid as they become very monotonous and all but the same after a while. Gold laced cathedrals in areas of absolute poverty don’t do a lot for me!

The Brazilian people we encountered and met were generally helpful, seemed happy had beautiful complexions awesome smiles and have left a lasting impression on us (along with their fascinating country).

Note to oneself —- there is still over 1000 miles of the Amazing Amazon to explore!)

Adios Brazil

What a treat we have had. We arrived in Manaus on 15th March, 1000 mile from the mouth and 3 degrees south of the equator and not even half way up the river. (In a straight line the Amazon would reach from NYC to Rome). Every stop continues to amaze us and we can certainly say that the two days we were docked here have been the (P:- Well another) highlight of our trip and we only spent an hour in the city. We were two of twelve that booked two days and a night at the Amazon Eco Park Jungle Lodge and what an experience we have had. After being picked up by our coach we did a drive through the city and made a stop at the Teatro Amazonas just as a thunder storm hit the city with drenching rain and ear splitting thunder. Half of the passengers had packed their rain jackets in their overnight bags in the back of the bus. Lucky us, (P:- or common sense us) we had ours in our bag with us. Just as well because the guide made us stand in the rain instead of taking us straight inside. Most were sopping very quickly. This theatre/opera house was built in the 1890s, by the Rubber Barons, with all the materials and furnishings being brought over from Europe. Outside the Teatro streets were paved with rubber to stop the noise of the horses and carts from disturbing the performances (P:- Kinda reverse engineering – rubber streets and steel wheels) and there is still a section left today. It is an extremely elaborate building with a very ornate interior. From here we continued through the city to the marina, via a very circuitous route as the driver and guide got lost. (P:- Quite noticeable when you see the same sights 3 times over!) We finally met our boat for our transfer over to the Eco Park. Our information describes the Eco Park as follows “an enchanting place created for your comfort and offering guests a unique and unforgettable experience in the heart of the Amazon Rain Forest”.

After lunch and cabin allocation we are off on our first experience in a narrow boat with driver and our own guide, Marcos Lima, a researcher and fish biologist from this local area. (P:- Marcos is often employed by organisations such as National Geographic as a researcher and field guide). Marcos gave us a run down of what we would be seeing as we spend the next hour heading to an Indian Village. Explaining the rain forest, primary forest, flooded forest and secondary forest. We interacted with the local Indians and walked around their village and marvelled at the Blue Macaws that flew around the area while we were there. Then another hour down the Rio Negro back to the Park just before arriving back Marcos spotted a Toucan high in a tree, but clear enough to see, a tick off the list of things we wanted to see. Arriving back (P:-whilst the others in the party rested or immersed themselves in their “most important” internet time, Judith and I) had time for a short walk around the area before dinner. We walked down to the natural pools and just spent the time absorbing the cacophony of sounds and sights from the jungle, birds, cicadas, monkeys in the distance, bats flying around as the tropical dusk faded into night. Back to our cabin for a few minutes before heading to dinner. Marcos talked to us while we were dining and shared some of his experiences in researching this amazing place. After dinner we were again out on the boat for some alligator spotting. Unfortunately they weren’t cooperating tonight but it was fantastic to just float along listening to the sounds of the night. Owls, frogs and birds. There was just enough moonlight to give us some great reflections of the trees in the water as we were floating around in an actual flood plain of high water amongst the low forest. Back to our cabin by 9pm. We opened up our window shutters so we could listen to the jungle noises as we turned in for the night. (P:- with just insect screens between us and the world the sounds of nature soon drifted into part of our dreams. Evidently this was “ Shock Horror “ when we mentioned the wonderful night time sounds to some of the other guests who locked doors and wooden shutters and “enjoyed “ the rattle of their air conditioners and were petrified the tropical “Hob Goblins” were gunna come and get em ! )

5.45 am and we are up ready to go bird watching at 6am. (Can’t miss any of these experiences, we may never get back here). Meeting at the coffee machine and after a quick drink we head out for an hours walk round the park as dawn breaks. Marcos did a great job pointing out birds, their habits and again just as we were finishing up we found another toucan high in a tree. We watched for quite a while and listened as it replied to Marcos mimicking it. Then back for breakfast before heading out on a walk through the rainforest. ( P:- very pleased I had my binoculars!) This certainly comes alive when our guide talks about the plants, spiders, ants, birds, snakes and the whole eco system of this area. Marcos pointed out the high water marks from 2012, where the water level was 45-52 feet above normal level. We are here at a time when the water level is reasonably high and the edges of the forest are flooded, (P:-the water will keep rising until June, by then the area of flood plains covered in the Amazon Basin will be larger than France!). We head across the bay from the lodge to see some monkeys, watching their agility as they swing about the treetops. We can hear howler monkeys in the distance and watch woolly monkeys here. Monkey areas are defined by the rivers, with different monkeys in different areas. Leaving the monkeys we head to another local village where Marcos gives us a history of the area and we are shown how the local people prepare the manioc plant ready to eat. The white manioc can be prepared and eaten straight away but the yellow manioc contains cyanide and needs to be grated and washed then cooked, forming almost a coarse flour like texture. Then we get to taste some manioc bread and sweet manioc cake along with some strong coffee. Then we see where they make rubber balls ready to sell, using volcanisation. (P:- a small volcano shaped smoking fire which adds smoke to the raw rubber causing it to solidify. The rubber was treated this way and shipped back to Europe in balls approx 300mm diameter).

Back to the lodge for lunch before packing our gear and boarding another larger classic old river boat, this time ready for the 1 hour 45 minute trip back to the Veendam. Marcos spends some of this time pointing out things of interest along the river. As we near Manaus we pass under the Rio Negro River Bridge. This bridge is 3 mile long and after crossing the river there is 42 kilometres of road through an agricultural area. That’s it!!! The bridge was built to look good (Politicians are the same world over) for the Soccer World Cup held here in 2014. The deepest spot under the bridge is 375 feet deep.

Marcos has been a fantastic guide and certainly loves the Amazon region. We will have to check out an article in National Geographic which he took part in, Last Tribes of the Amazon.

This has been an awesome experience, spending time in the rainforest, on the waters of the rivers, listening to the animals and birds of the area and learning so much about the Amazon. These few paragraphs don’t do it justice but it will stay in our memories for a long time to come.

(P:-The Mirky Depths

When staying at the lodge we were treated to local foods which included 3 different species of Amazon Fish. We ate the Piraña, it didn’t eat us! The fish was all hacked up with a machete, egg washed and baked. The flesh was firm, tasty and mild in all species. No filleted fish here, bones galore!

The Amazon basin contains the largest number of freshwater fish species in the world — more than 5,600 species

• Many fish in the Amazon — like the Tambaqui — are important dispersers of tree seeds

• The Pirarucu is one of the world’s largest freshwater fish attaining a length of up to 16 feet (5 meters).

• Several traditionally saltwater creatures have adapted to freshwater conditions of the Amazon including stingrays, dolphins, and sponges.

The silty waters of the Amazon which drains snow melt from the Andes has an almost neutral PH and is nutrient high. The flood plains covered by this water are fertile.

The Brackish (tea coloured) waters of the Rio Negro are acidic and soils are low in fertility. The “meeting of the waters is an interesting sight.

Adding to the “mirky depths” our guide was proud to tell us that Manaus had very little in the way of sewerage treatment plants. The city of almost 3 million just add their waste to this “mighty big river”.

The city has no street garbage collection but a series of “dry canals” . “The citizens simply throw their waste onto the streets, bottles, food waste, plastic etc etc” he explains and then Mother Nature simply washes all the trash into the canals during the tropical down pours (like we were experiencing) “ we have nets at the end of the canals to collect the waste there before it goes into the river” – good theory but by looking at the trash in the river and every corner we visit the system has a few flaws! Not to mention the oils, fats and small particles that slip thru what must be a very course net!

-Manaus, 3 million residents has only one road out which is thru Venezuela. (currently the border is closed), all access is by air or the Amazon to the city.

-20% of the world oxygen is produced by the Amazon rainforest.

-25% of all western pharmaceuticals come from rainforest based ingredients

We hope you enjoy our photos, almost all of which Judith or I have taken, ones marked with a * or otherwise noted are ones we have not taken. Part of our enjoyment is photography albeit in a “very point and shoot manner”.

Amazing Amazon

Finally we are here————!

(P:-Well that was some amazing detail from Judith! Again I believe she has gone out on brain overload from all the A-maz-ing Am-a-zon experiences!

So here I go again with a couple of facts- (all learnt in onboard lectures or Dr Google so I claim no expertise)

A is for Amazon and awesome

B is for Brazil and Big

Globally Brazil is the 3rd largest individual country

Is the 3rd largest agricultural products producer

Has the largest river system (Amazon shared with a few other countries)

One of the largest producers of soy beans and corn (corn mainly for ethanol)

Big in Beef

Monsanto’s largest client for Roundup ready Soy Beans

From our experiences a land of beautiful smiles

Yesterday we arrived in Santarem (approximately 500 nautical mile up river) a city of approx 35,000 people. We have learnt on our travels if our ship docks at an industrial dock in an industrial port we can be assured of the best of times! (for the Tasmanian’s that would be Burnie! And in our cruising we have only heard positives on the way the guests are treated there).

We chose to take a trip out to the Tapajos National Forest, a 1.5 million acre forest reserve. We were treated to an awesome 1.5hr drive thru dense rain forest, cattle farms, corn and soy fields

Their season is hot and dry and hot and wet and allows 2 crops a year. Generally fields are small and machinery accordingly. We drove down highway 163 (part of the Trans Brazilian Highway) rough, narrow and somewhat windy (rough enough that my “steps” app on my phone recorded approx. 7000 steps whilst I was seated in the rear of the bouncy old coach!). Once we reached the forest we had a local guide join us armed with a 26” machete and a hand gun, we drove down a narrow dirt track for 10 or so miles and enjoyed a 1.5 hr walk thru the magnificent rainforest, with our guide explaining the Botanical features and often the medical uses of the plants. We also sampled the sap and fruits of some. The heavens slightly opened and treated us to a wonderful tropical “shower” whilst under the enormous tropical canopy. This was followed by another enjoyable drive back to town. We re-boarded the Veendam, lunched and rehydrated before taking the shuttle bus to town. We wandered around a few farm supply stores then had a leisurely 5 km stroll back to the ship. As we wandered along the water front we were almost swallowed up by the activities of the local street stalls and all the ferries about to depart to “somewhere”. Upon asking (Brazilian Portuguese is very good now! – as long as the locals can read a calculator on my phone or understand my sign language!) some of these ferries were departing on 5 or 6 day voyages. The passengers buy their ticket, take their own hammock, food, live chickens, bags of corn, kids (both human and 4 legged) race aboard, hang their colourful hammocks and its putt, putt, putt and away they go! I couldn’t resist going aboard one to take a photo of the hammocks etc so (apart from the aroma’s of all types) the photos can tell the rest!)

My turn now. Philip has about covered it all but never mentioned that today was our first time getting soaked as we ran for the bus from the ship. Not to worry though it’s so warm here it only took about 20 minutes to dry off. About as long as the rain lasted. The buses are a little different here. No air conditioning!!! Luckily the windows open so we can get some air in. No shock absorbers in the rear (where we are sitting because usually we get the whole back seat and can take photos out both sides, and we don’t need to be first off the bus). The rain forest is great, no boardwalks or paved pathways here, just leaves, mud, mulch and narrow windy trails in amongst the vegetation.

As we leave Santarem this evening we wait to salute the Princendam as she sails past us. This is one of her last voyages before the ageing old lady (ship) is being sold off. We traded horn blasts with them as they sailed past. Then as we pull away from the dock we cruise through the “meeting of the waters”. Here the black Rio Negro and the silty Amazon rivers meet and the flow together for a considerable distance before the waters merge together.

Some facts

We met the silty Amazon River Water approximately 300 kilometres out to sea. The sea changed from blue to brown, not quite as pretty.

The Amazon is unofficially the longest river in the world, 2 mile longer than the Nile.

It is the widest river in the world.

It has 1100 tributaries, the seven main ones being longer than 1000 mile.

There is still a tidal flow 500 mile from the mouth of the river.

The current flow of the river would fill an empty Sydney Harbour in approx 6 seconds! And fill our Lake Argyle in under 2 minutes!

The speed of flow this evening is approx 7 knots (15kph)

River height rise and fall wet season to dry is approximately 45’

Boca da Valeria

15th March

Today’s stop is a total change from anywhere else we have stopped. We slip into a side tributary of the Amazon and drop anchor. Prepare the tenders and head into a tiny village of just 120 inhabitants, (usually) today there are a few more as they prepare to welcome the ship.

Boca da Valeria is a tiny trading village, a mix of indigenous and Portuguese heritage. This tiny community is carved out of the jungle and has only about a dozen houses and other structures including a church and school. There are no paved roads or tracks in this town. Many people make their living from fishing, with some selling handmade goods which are sold from thatched roofed shelters along the edge of the jungle. As we disembarked the tender, children lined pathway grabbing our hands, wanting to take us to show off their homes, school etc. Others have iguanas, sloths, snakes, toucans etc and for a small fee we can take their pictures.

Numerous boats, all shapes and sizes are lined up along the river bank and they are all encouraging us to take a ride with them. $5 US for 30 minutes. We decide to take a ride before too many ships passengers are about, so pick a guide and hop on to his boat. Plank seats, water sloshing in the bottom, little freeboard, blue tarp roof, a long paddle and a little Honda motor with a pole shaft drive and a very small prop. I hope we make it back safely. Once settled we get pushed off from shore and start the motor to head upriver. This is certainly a different view of the river, water level not deck level. First detour off the main channel is over to some giant water lilys, 4-5 feet across with upturned edges and dark pink and light pink blooms. These almost look solid enough to walk on but I don’t think I’ll try today. (P:- they can hold up to 20kg of weight each!) We then motor further upriver and through some channels under trees and out into another channel finally motoring over to a clearing on the side of a hill. There are a few people to greet us, kids in costume with iguanas, alligators and birds. It costs us a few local dollars and the kids give us some smiles then it’s up the hill to our guides local village. Twenty or so homes, church, school and a small store. Everyone is friendly and wants to show us around. We also have a great view back down the river to our “home”, then it’s back to our canoe with a roof for the return ride to the village. (P:- Our Captain looked about 15, and as we went to his village we met 5 of his siblings and Mum – maybe he was only 14! But he gave us an awesome time! Yet again our Brazilian Portuguese (sign language) proved awesome. We do a bit more of a tour through the giant lily pads and past semi submerged cattle yards, through tunnels of trees and finally reach the village. Our 30 minute ride lasted an hour and a half and cost us just $15 US. We gave him $25 as we enjoyed it so much.

(P:-once back on board I did a google earth of where we went – we actually were floating over a huge flood plain that in the dry season is used for cattle grazing!)

Once back on land we wandered around the local village and found a track heading inland back into the forest. We head up the track following a few fellow travellers. The track winds it’s way further into the forest, revealing its beauty yet again. Butterflies are plentiful and colourful, plants many and varied, the heat and humidity intensify as we wander along the pathway. We walk for several kilometres (P:- we lost all our fellow travellers way back as they turned around not far out of the village! We kept going sure we would find better around the next bend or over the next hill!) just enjoying the beauty that’s around us, the smells, the plants and trees, the sounds of the birds and cicadas.

How lucky are we to be here experiencing this amazing area. As we sail west into a beautiful sunset we think tomorrow will need to be good to equal today.

As we open the curtains this morning all we can see is fog and rain. We are docking at Fortaleza after 3 days at sea and we are ready to get out and stretch our legs. No tours booked today but a shuttle into the city and then off on foot to explore. Fortaleza is the capital of this northeastern area of Brazil and is known for its beaches, red cliffs, dunes and lagoons, none of which are very appealing as we run off the ship to the shelter of the terminal and onto the shuttle. Fortunately by the time we reach the city about 30 minutes later the rain has eased and the sun is starting to poke through. Now if we were like the other tourists off the ship we would get off the bus and explore the market on our doorstep, maybe walk down the road to the cathedral and then head back to the ship. Well I’m sorry to say that is not our plan. We head straight through the market and towards the cathedral but then we turn away and head behind the cathedral area to a more local market place. I have never seen so many clothes packed into a building as there was here. Small booths from a metre wide to several metres wide, most just a couple of metres deep with clothes stacked in piles and others displayed on hangers or models. Most are one size fits all, stretch fabric, man made fibres and a riot of colour. I found several shirts that fitted and spent a whole $12 for four tops. (P:- and again all I got was to carry the bags!)

Then out the back of this area we walk through hardware, kitchen ware and bulk groceries. Small dark holes in the wall selling food and food stalls along the street. Rubbish everywhere.

Much more interesting around here than the tourist areas. We eventually head back to the Mercado Central, Central Market and walk through the lower level but it’s all very touristy and the food stalls, mostly open buffet style look like they may have been sitting a while and in this heat that may not be so good. After 4-1/2 hours walking and looking we head back to the shuttle pick up point and head back to the ship for a late lunch. It’s been a fun morning.

(P:- Today is the last port before we “paddle” up the Amazon, the mouth of which is a couple of days away!

Useless hearsay and observations!

-Today we berthed at the “new cruise terminal” completed 2 years ago but no money was allowed to dredge a channel for the cruise ships to berth until very recently! Oops!

-Overheard at Breakfast – “ today is our first port up the Amazon River” said the loud mouthed self appointed “leader” of a group near us— Oops bad information, we are still 3 days sailing south of the Amazon!!!

-whilst waiting for our coach back to ship there is a line of people FACING toward the BUS Stop sign and a guide instructing – on 3 seperate occasions passengers returning to ship asked in their loudest voices “where is the end of the line”? – and they claim to be global travellers (I think bent over and their head in a dark place!!!)

Wow, Wow, Wow

How do you describe something so loud, colourful, amazing, technical and fun as this night.

I can’t right now so here are some pictures while I think of what to say.

(P:- well I know Judith isn’t the most vocal person on the planet but it’s not often she is lost for words! So I guess I best write a couple of words whilst she regains her composure!

When we booked this row boat trip we knew it would be different, contrasting and a world apart from other trips we have done. As far as Rio De Janeiro was concerned, we were approaching that with mixed feelings! From media reports of the previous Olympic Games and snippets we had read and researched nothing made us feel particularly secure about the visit. A city of over 7 million with an excess of 4 million residing in the Favella’s (Slum or lower socio economic areas). If you read the forums online, listen to the wisened old (yep old) veteran cruise travellers there was going to be a good chance of being robbed, mugged, pickpocketed, shot at or maybe worse! Yes, I agree, the safety risk is higher here (and in some of the other cities we have been in in Brazil) but if you follow basic common sense, don’t go into dark parks and places, keep on the correct side of the road in dubious areas, don’t overdress and wear jewellery (no issue there as we don’t have any!) we never felt uncomfortable at all. We walked with Block Parties, ate in local restaurants (non tourist) and mingled in the local markets as well as visited the “iconic sights of Rio” (apart from the Carnival and Sugarloaf / Christ the redeemer tours) we did it alone and had a ball!

People were courteous, friendly and helpful. Our personal view of this metropolis is far better than what we were led to believe.

As Judith is still “dumbstruck” with amazement (2 days later) I will report on Carnival. As a disclaimer I will remind you that I am severely restricted in ability and knowledge with culture and anything musical – so here goes!!!

We joined our tour coach at 7 pm for the trip to the Sambadome (a specifically designed 750m long stadium with seating along each side for in excess of 100,000 people. We arrive at 8pm and it is almost empty, show starts at 9 and it’s overflowing with excited patrons! Everyone stands for the vibrant Brazilian National Anthem and let the “Party” begin. My ear plugs were quickly inserted as firmly as possible which reduced the music to a somewhat acceptable (loud) level.

The evening consisted of 7 presentations from 7 of the best Samba Schools in Rio. Each presentation was a story told by music, dancers, floats and lighting effects. Each Samba was approx 80 minutes in length and consisted of:- over 4000 dancers, special lead dancers, and a continual stream of extremely elaborate and huge floats which were amazing. The length of each Samba approx. 1000metres. The cost of each Samba (remember there were 7 tonight) is in excess of $4million!

We were immediately awestruck! The noise, the lights, the floats and the costumes! All to be judged by a team of experts (I am fairly sure judged on how much noise they could make!!). To keep with the Brazilian “Fabric shortage” some of the costumes, whilst elaborate were also very brief or non existent in some vital areas! Another amazing view was watching some of the patrons and their non stop Samba dancing in the audience near us for almost 12 hours- their bodies just flowed to the music as if they were mesmerised!!!

Now I think the photos can take over !

The only other thing I will mention is that the sun had well and truely risen when we arrived back at the ship- overawed, excited and tired – been many a decade since we have been to an all night party! And we have suffered a bit since but it was a once in a lifetime! Rio and Carnival will be one of those special places we have visited that we will fondly remember for a lifetime.

As we woke this morning we are cruising through Guanabara Bay on our way into port in the city of Rio de Janeiro. The suns rising over the city giving some great views. We are the first of 6 Cruise Ships into port today ready for the fun of Carnival 2019.

First stop on our tour today is Corcovada, “Christ the Redeemer”. After a drive through the city to the train station we collect our tickets and climb aboard the Cog Wheel Train for the steep ride up the side of the mountain to reach the first stage of Christ The Redeemer. Then onto an elevator, (or climb 200 steps), then several escalators to reach the base of the statue, along with several hundred other tourists. Each train carries 120 people and they run every 20 minutes, so there are a few people here. The 360 degree views are clear and we have some great views out over the city and harbour. Hundreds of people are jostling for just the right spot to take a photo of this 125 metre statue of Christ with his arms outstretched over the city. After our allotted time we decide to take the steps down to our meeting spot before catching the train back down to our bus. Then it’s over to Sugar Loaf Mountain. This takes an hour or so negotiating the traffic and then it’s waiting in line to get our tickets for the gondola ride up to the first stop. On this lower mountain we stop for a helicopter ride out over Copocobana Beach and Ipanema Beach then back to land. As this is Carnival week there are street blocks, not what you think a street bock would be, but the street is blocked by hundreds of people dancing, playing music, watching and just getting together. The crowds follow an app and they continually move so only temporarily holding up the already congested traffic. (P:- The Samba Music, Bright clothing and colourful characters are fun to watch!)

From the air we can see two huge street blocks, one along Copacobana waterfront and another at Ipanema. There must have been thousands at both blocks. Once back on land we continue up the gondola ride to reach the top of Sugar Loaf. Well I’m assuming the mountain is there. The gondolas disappear into the mist and the mountain top is not visible at all. It’s quite the ride as we ascend into the clouds and disembark into the misty air on top of the mountain. We only have 20 minutes here, just long enough to see nothing. Then it’s to the end of the line that snakes it’s way around the mountain top to wait for the ride back down. After an hour in line we make it to the gondola just as the cloud breaks and we get a fleeting look at the view, before it disappears again. Oh well, we can’t have everything go our way all the time and the “Chopper” ride gave us more diverse views anyway. (We can see why it’s called Sugar Loaf as it looks like sugar sprinkled over the mountain when the clouds surround it.) We are just pleased we did the helicopter trip for a different perspective of the area. Then it’s back to the ship. We have been gone for 6 hours just to view these two icons of Rio. But it was worth every minute. As we breakfasted this morning the couple next to us said that they weren’t doing the tours as they heard they would have to wait in lines for up to 3 hours. Yes we did have some waiting but it was worth every minute. I can’t understand that they have cruised for 26 days and 6408 miles to get to Brazil and then are not visiting these iconic places. This is amongst others who were happy to watch previous years Carnival on U tube!

(P:- or even worse they didn’t know they were going to be in Rio at Carnival time despite it being in the Cruise Title, advertising and itinerary! Add to that many who departed us in Rio somewhat disappointed they never saw much of the Amazon – which was and is clearly marked in the Itinerary as being on the second half of the adventure! I am fairly sure some people must get around in fairy land — or MAYBE their Son – In – Law bought them a cruise to anywhere to give him (son in law) a break for a while!!!!!)

Copacobana Beach is our destination this morning. We are grabbing a taxi to get out there to spend a couple of hours before we have a quiet afternoon before Carnaval this evening.

We are dropped off at one end of the beach and head down to the water for a stroll along the beach. The water is lovely and warm and the waves are pounding in, this is the Atlantic Ocean after all. We spend an hour walking along taking in the views, good and bad. It seems the less clothing the women wear, the more the men wear. (P:- I have heard many mutters from Judith that the less fabric in the bikinis the more fabric there is in the men’s board shorts! )

Along the beach there are guys selling bikini tops, hats, sarongs, water, drinks and cooked prawns on skewers. Once we reach the boardwalk just about everything could be purchased, food, drinks, jewellery, outfits for Carnaval, ie tutus, fancy headwear, beads, hats, sequins and sparkles. There are several markets along the way as we head back to our starting point. Part way along we head back a street to get off the waterfront and the streetscape changes to more local areas local foods and local stores. The quick couple of hours soon extended in to a fantastic four or five!!!

Once back at the ship we have a quick lunch before having a snooze before we head out to Carnaval tonight at 7.pm. We are excited to see what the Sambadrome is all about.

Today’s stop is another quaint little spot. On an island just off the mainland. It’s a tender trip to the jetty and then we are off for a walk along the waterfront. There are many, many boats moored along here and Philip is in his element checking them all out. Also along the way are bars and restaurants all setting up for Carnival parades and music venues. Boats are moored just offshore just waiting for the party to begin later tonight. It will be a very busy noisy waterfront tonight. But a very beautiful setting. We stopped at a bar/restaurant for a drink and stayed for lunch. Had a swim and wandered back towards the ship. I’m sure Philip has sore eyes since we have been in Brazil. There are many “bathing beauties” along the waterfront. It seems that the bigger the lady the smaller the bikini, or they only make bikinis one size and everyone wears that size. Very few women here wear a full piece bathing suit, bikinis are the go. All the women, young and old, are proud of their bodies and happy to show them off.(P:- Considerate of Judith to point this out now as we are leaving port!! I really never noticed!!)

We end the first half of our cruise tomorrow so there will be a change in some of the crew. Some leaving and others just changing areas they work. We have met some lovely crew members and look forward to meeting more during the next couple of weeks. Here is some info about some of our crew.

* Gred, Dining Room Host. From Indonesia. Always on for a good chat during dinner. ( P:- If I don’t have Judith’s arm as we go to dinner he takes her by the arm and escorts her to the table)

* Paizul, Dining Room Server doing his 16th contract with HAL. From Lombok. Most contracts are 8-9 months long. He has paid for both his daughters to go through University. Lives in a village of about 80 people. (P:-I trained Paizul early in the cruise that “Grande” = double meat serving and what “ice cream o’clock” is and “ice cream o’clock “ must accompany every dessert)

* Arturo, Drinks Waiter doing his 6th contract. Has a wife and two young sons at home. (P:- had to train Arturo how to make a decent Lemon Lime and Bitters and an Affagato, neither are well known drinks on board and if available made incorrectly!)

* Betty (Yvette) Pinnacle Grill Waitress has a very bubbly personality and comes into dining room each night to say hello to us. She is married and has a 3 1/2 year old son at home being looked after by his dad and grandparents. She is working to give him an education. (P:- Yvette is a real sweety and goes out of her way to have a chat every evening.)

* Yorg, waiter doing his 3rd contract. Always greets us in the morning in the Lido restaurant as well as serves us in the dining room in the evening.

(P:- today’s observations

-Brazilian people in general are very friendly and have great complexions and smiles

– Seafood has been delicious and well prepared and a “must do” lunch stop whilst ashore

– To date weather has been fantastic, warm , humid and rain has stayed away whilst we are ashore and we are treated to “ nature’s fireworks” most evenings as we sail off into the tropical evenings

– Fabric is in very short supply (well it must be rationed for bathing suits anyways!!!)

Today’s port is not on our original itinerary. Due to a problem with a bridge in Vitória our port was changed to Buzios. We decided not to do a tour as they all visited local beaches and not much else. So it will be a “do-it-ourselves” tour today. After breakfast we organise ourselves and head down to be tendered ashore. As we head left from the dock we are immediately in the town centre, cobble stone streets, guys spruiking for taxis, shops, not open yet and beach, boats of all shapes and sizes and a path along the beachfront. We start to wander along the path and some other people from our ship are just unloading themselves from a buggy ride and said it was great so we decide to spend $17 each for an hours ride and jump in with Julio’s our driver. During the hours ride we stop at several of the local beaches before climbing a hill to look out over a bay with great views back over the town and the two cruise ships at anchor in the bay. Then further round this hilly peninsula we overlook another small beach and Bay Area. Julio’s doesn’t speak English but gives us basic details that we can understand (P:- we had no trouble understanding which was the nudist beach so I guess that must mean our Portuguese is improving!!!) It’s a very pretty area with a rugged coastline and lovely beaches. Some very nice homes and resort areas. It’s only 3 hours from Rio and is a popular holiday spot but still retains its quaintness with no high rise buildings along the beachfront And very few umbrellas along the waterfront.

After our ride, which we really enjoyed, we wandered along the street eventually making our way onto the beach. After finding the perfect spot we slip into the beautiful water for a swim. It’s so nice, clear and warm. Fish jumping and few people about. After a swim and a wander back along the beach and back up onto the street, we continuing along the waterfront for a while until we find a place to eat and enjoyed another delicious lunch. This time some of the menu was even in English. We chose a seafood plate for two with rice and potatoes. After lunch we returned to the beach for another swim before returning to the ship for a shower and relax before dinner.

March 1st is a cruising day as we make our way down the coast towards Rio. We don’t have a big distance to go and we have beautiful weather so as we near Rio the Captain brings the ship in so we can plainly see the coastline. Luckily we are on the right side of the ship to just sit on our deck and observe. Here the coastline is rugged with craggy mountains and steep cliffs interspersed with what look like nice beaches. As we pass by the entrance to the harbour that Rio sits on we can plainly see SugarLoaf Mountain and and Skyway gondola that takes tourists there to visit. That will be us in a couple of days. We spend a pleasant afternoon just watching the city pass by. Later afternoon the ship starts a 360 degree turn and the Captain informs us that we have to return to Rio to off load a passenger with a medical emergency. This time we enter Rio harbour on dusk with the lights making the view more interesting. During the time we are offloading the passenger onto a coastguard boat we watch an awesome lightening show over the city. Last night we also had a spectacular show as we left Buzios. Here’s hoping the thunder, lightening and rain have disappeared before our night at Carnival.