Whispering up the Amazon

Don't be discouraged regarding the Amazon, Sunprince, the river's gargantuan nature is sufficiently splendid and the burning area was small in one spot. In a sense I appreciated that spot because it gave me first-hand comprehension of at latest one ecological threat in the Amazon basin.

As the river narrows upriver we expect to see more of interest including pink dolphins. We have a birding expedition Sunday outside Manaus.

Hoping Master Echo will weigh in to apprise us of his adventures and thoughts.

At sea -en route to Devil's Island - Nov 23rd.

St.Georgrs

Whilst in St. George's Grenada we used the Wi-Fi provided by the New York Bagel Company, whose cafe we were sitting outside. This is situated at the exit of the terminal building, the Esplanade Mall, on the right. Outside the cafe entrance in the public square are some tables and benches and the cafe's wi-fi signal, which was not password protected, could be picked up from this outside area.

We sailed at 1600 after a heavy rain shower with rum punches in hand, leaving Regatta the only cruise ship, until she was due to sail at 19.30.

Sailing into a strong wind on the port bow, the ship's movement became quite lively, as so often is the case on formal nights! Despite this and the relatively small a number of passengers, there was a strong turn-out for the welcome cocktail party hosted by Captain Luigi Rutiligiano. We met October Kat and her husband briefly, always good to put a face to a name. The Silversea Voices put on their second show - Premiere which encompassed musical shows down the years, from Sweet Charity to Hairspray. As on the night previously, they were excellent.

The clocks went forward one hour last night and the butler had inadvertently switched on the clock alarm which woke us at some unearthly hour. In consequence it was nine am before we stirred.

November 23rd - at sea

The weather was against us all day, with frequent rain squalls and the wind made the ship's motion lively once again as yesterday,

Martin the Hotel Director, invited the two of us to join him for dinner in The Terrazza. The joy of dining as a trio like this is that one can engage in conversation with the HD without the need to allow others to be part of the evening's conversation. Martin was able to elucidate about some of the menu changes which have stirred so much comment on CC in recent months. The dinner menus, of which there are about 19, were drawn up by a nutritionist employed in Monaco. Interestingly the burgers that have attracted so many adverse remarks on CC are very popular, and this is from an authority. The "always available" options are still there but not specifically delineated on the menu. At the end of the evening it was amusing as we left to see the "pecking order" line up of Food and Beverage Manager, Restaurant Manager, the Manager of La Terrazza, such was the farewell, after having spent the evening with "The Boss", a charming and entertaining host.

November 24th - Devil's Island

En suite champagne breakfast to celebrate wedding anniversary - what better way! We adjourned to Pool Deck for the remainder of the morning and then prepared for our arrival into the area of the serious biting insect.

Devil's Island actually comprises three islands, part of the Isles du Salut French Guyana, due to lack of infrastructure no one actually now visits Devil's Island, and our tender took us to the middle island - Isle Royale, to our left was St Joseph's, and to our right was the infamous island of well known repute. The tender docked at a pontoon with a good path leading round to the edge of the former prison area. It was possible to circumnavigate the coastal edge of the island in about 45 minutes, however one is almost directed to climb the steps to reach the Governors House, rough hewn brick steps, which are quite uneven. Once on this level, there are further steps to reach the church, the jails, and the guillotine area.

The pathways are rock strewn and the steps in a poor state of repair. We were fortunate that the weather was good, should it have been raining, it would have been very treacherous to navigate round the island.

The day ended with a lovely evening dining in the Grill, originally known as "Hot Rocks", which was well patronized, not least because of the balmy weather we were experiencing.

November 25th - Day at Sea

Hot and humid. The cobbler had his array on Pool Deck, and we were told that this business was now owned by Silversea. The quietest part of the ship continues to be "the shops".

From about noon, the muddy waters of the Amazon became evident, despite still being In the Atlantic. We also got the first whiff of wood smoke from illegal logging operations?

November 26th - at sea.

We dropped the anchors off Macaipa, just after 06.00 to await the arrival of local officials to clear the ship, to transit up the Amazon. We were under way by about mid morning. Having crossed the Equator several hours earlier, King Neptune made his appearance to ensure that all polywogs were properly initiated and became shellbacks, and thus able to proceed through his Kingdom. Madame participated and her performance received many compliments.

By late afternoon unauthorized wood burning created quite a fog and eventually blocked out the sun, so the sunset became too obscured for any good photograph. The width of the river channel varied but being dry season was never too far away on either side, with the occasional flotsam - small logs and greenery- floating by in mid channel. No land based wildlife observed, apart from a few small birds who flew over the ship.

Another "informal" night on board - with a Thanksgiving turkey dinner - which was particularly good, prior to landfall tomorrow morning at 8.00am in Santarem, a port which most of the passengers are looking forward to, being the first sight of the Meeting of the Waters. To our surprise, we were proceeding up river at over 16 knots.

From casual conversation there appear to be a lot of "red card holders" on this voyage. Those new to Silversea have a cruise card with a red flash, as opposed to "Venetians", which are blue.

By now over half the crew are calling us by name and it is a mark of the high standard of customer care that they bother to learn. With the odd exception the crew are friendly in a professional manner, and are providing excellent service. We have also been very pleased with the standard of food, having eaten in all bar Le Champagne. The menu in the latter contains too many dishes that are not to Madame's taste. Instead we have placed an order for two Dover soles for tomorrow night in the MDR, when we will eat a deux to ensure these are served as soon as they are ready, without waiting for other diners food to be plated up.

November 27th - 06.30

Early than scheduled, we began to manoeuvre into the commercial port of Santarem. The Pacific Basin was tied to a mooring point that appeared to be linked to the shore by a very long conveyor, cargo unknown.

Coming within 30 foot of our berth, with the bow being moved round for docking on the port side, we suddenly swung round, to come alongside on the starboard. By 6.45, the sun made an appearance but was almost obliterated by the woodsmoke and mist. Even at this early hour of the day, the temperature was 83F. It really has been a feature ever since we left Devil's Island, of the strong smell of burning, and we do hope this does not mean that illegal logging is on the increase, however there has been no visible sign of fires. Speaking to the lady on the hospitality desk later, she said that the fires are because it is very dry. From where we are docked there is no sign of the Meeting of the Waters, where the Tapajos River joins the main Amazon channel from just upstream of Santarem.

The tourist information lady, very pleasant and informative with excellent English provided a useful fold out map of the city. Santarem is the third largest city in the Amazon, behind Belem, and Manaus, with a population of 300,000. It offers port facilities for goods brought here by road from the Matto Grosso area, and merchandise transported here by river. This is very much a staging post area, with many of the boats taking both passengers and provisions further up the river systems.

An hourly shuttle ran from the quayside - a good five minute walk from the gangway across the bridge. A few stalls were set up adjacent to the shuttle bus, but we were keen to get into town, and once on the bus, it left about five minutes later. No a/c of course on any of the tour buses in the Amazon, however there was a most pleasant breeze.

The route to the Praca Mirante do Tapajos, the drop off point, is flanked by the river. There were quite a few small ships and a fish and a fruit and vegetable market further along on the riverbank. These retail outlets resembled more third world than first world and gave a rundown appearance.

The drop off point is an easy landmark, by the presence of the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Conceicao, which towers over the square. Typically Portuguese in style and colour in blue and white, we eschewed a look inside, in favour of about a ten minute walk along the waterfront to the steps leading up the hill where the viewing area is for the Encontro Dias Aguas- the meeting of the waters, where the clear water from the Rio Tapajos meets the muddy water of the Amazon, but does not mix.

Many of the properties are the same as in Portugal, some painted in the same salmon pink colour.

Having clambered up about 30 steps to the viewing platform, there was no sign of the waters meeting. On enquiry at the little cafe here, and with the help of our limited Portuguese, we were told that we were too early and would have to wait about an hour - we are not sure the reason. However around noon, the delineation between the two became more obvious.

Whilst we were waiting, sitting on a bench in the shade with a cooling breeze, we picked up a free wi-fi signal provided by Santarem Digital. One problem that has now arisen, with using this viewing platform, is the construction of probably a new restaurant, which obscures the best view. Ironically the best view may be from deck 10 on board! Another benefit of the breeze is that the fug of burning wood smoke has dispersed.

Nice write up, Master Echo.

I second OctoberKat's motion! Enjoyable reading from both of you!

Agree with last post and hope that Master Echo continues to post -- such great information:)

Rachel - while I personally have no interest whatsoever in this itinerary, I find the comments of interest. IMO, nothing tops Africa - especially if hot/humid weather is not an issue for you (JMHO). I still love the layout of the Whisper -- really a beautiful ship. Hope that Silversea pays attention to the carpeting, etc. of their ships. They seem to spend a lot of $$$ on "new" ships but not so much on refurbishments.

I do notice the amount of "personal" attention that you receive on the Whisper...... however, with under 400 passengers, it is easier to remember "names" than on most of the Regent ships.

If you get this in time, Master Echo, you can see the meeting of thecwaters from deck 10, albeit from a distance but it's clearly demarked.

Excellent post Master Echo. Glad that you enjoyed your evening with Martin and found him charming. I like your description of him as 'The Boss', although he is only keeping the seat warm whilst Norman is on his enforced hols.

Do you know if the 'Voices' are still the predominantly English group that has been on-board since May, and if so when do they get replaced?

Master Echo - Thanks for your wonderful comments on the cruise. They bring back fond memories of our trip on the Cloud several years back.

Hope the cruise continues to be wonderful. By the way, has anyone mentioned just how much higher the river is in the rainy season. We were told that it rises 40 feet which seems unbelievable.

Bringing back memories of our Cloud cruise.However ours was in the dry season and already noticing differences with the wet season.On our cruise we could see the meeting of the waters off our balcony on deck 5 as well as seeing pink dolphins from the same vantage point.

Keep up the good work OctoberKat and Master Echo.

As a fellow sailor with the folks above, that was one of my favorite trips. So enjoying your commentary, it creates visual memories. Thanx. [emoji56]

The carpeting has just been replaced on the Whisper, a few weeks ago. Painted too.

The carpeting has just been replaced on the Whisper, a few weeks ago. Painted too.

Wallpapered also.

Interesting reports. The wood burning is disturbing though. But still must make a trip up the river, and George would love Devils Island

November 27th - Santarem - continuation

Parallel to the road along the river, and extending inland for several blocks on a grid system, is the main shopping area of the city. It was amusing to see several stores promoting Black Friday in English, the day of our visit. There is a new shopping mall, but this is located some distance away in another area of the city.

Walking along parallel to the river brought us back to the cathedral square. The cathedral itself was relatively plain and simple internally, perhaps a sign of a low level of affluence. The original church dates from 1751, but has been rebuilt and remodelled several times over the centuries.

The square in front of the church was full of little stalls selling a variety of different goods, with many offering a multiplicity of hammocks, some plain and others more ornate with fringing on the bottom. The significance of the hammocks is that they are used extensively on the ferry boats, whose journeys often last for several days and which start in Santarem. We noted one or two taxis waiting for trade around the square.

On our return to the ship we saw that the various riverside markets had now finished for the day and were shuttered and deserted.

Back onboard by 3.45, we went to deck 10 to see the meeting of the waters but this had seemingly ceased. Just why this phenomenon is not continual is unknown. Thank you October Kat for your post, but unfortunately we were offline at the time.

Blue pipe water was still being pumped onboard right up to our departure. That night a note came round from the Captain advising that we would be unable to take on water from leaving Manaus on December 1 until the 5th, when we will be well clear of the Amazon outflow into the Atlantic. This would impose some limitation on laundry services and will provide an opportunity for any passenger not usually schooled in personal hygiene to revert to type!!

Must dash- off to Trivia. This has been very well attended daily and Vicky is trying really hard to maintain a convivial atmosphere rather than outright warfare. BTW it seems the point system has devalued, and more are needed for the top prizes!!

The cobbler had his array on Pool Deck, and we were told that this business was now owned by Silversea. The quietest part of the ship continues to be "the shops".

Can someone explain what this is all about? I encountered the cobbler only once, several years ago. I think it is appalling that Silversea is commercializing the pool deck (just as it commercialized afternoon tea with conversation-stopping "fashion shows" with items from the boutiques.) We pay enough for our fare. We can go to the stores if we can to shop. Why does Silversea have to be so in-our-face with these sales pitches?

One tends to lose track of time on a longer cruise so it came as a shock to learn yesterday was Sunday and many attractions in Manaus were closed, including the Adolpho Ducke Botanical Garden, sigh. So we hired a a taxi to drive us around to get the lay of the land.

Today we bird in the late afternoon in the rain forest surrounding Manaus and tomorrow we'll try again for the botanical garden. This morning is lazy.

The sky continues hazy due to fires in the rain forest. A clear day here likely is a rarity.

Had an epic moment yesterday morning when a pod of a dozen or more pink dolphins cavorted briefly on our side of the ship. Wonderful, hoping for more sightings.

I don't mind the cobbler but have no use for him, either. The fashion show at tea was annoying but it starts on the half-hour so there yet is quality tea time ahead of it and it's easy enough to leave.

Still have not pinned down any scrabble players, sigh. Jim continues to chess. There's a strong player aboard and he and Jim are keeping one another entertained.

October Kat, thanks for reviving so many happy memories of our 2013 adventure.SS did an excursion to witness a fabulous pink dolphin show together with the opportunity to swim with them,supervised of course.If you get the chance it is well worth it.Hope the weather clears so you can enjoy a wonderful cruise.

it came as a shock to learn yesterday was Sunday and many attractions in Manaus were closed

The sky continues hazy due to fires in the rain forest. A clear day here likely is a rarity.

Master Echo: November 27th - Santarem - continuation Parallel to the road along the river' date=' and extending inland for several blocks on a grid system, is the main shopping area of the city. It was amusing to see several stores promoting Black Friday in English, the day of our visit. [/quote']

 

Appreciate these continued and good postings. Sorry to hear that the Sunday offerings were limited in Manaus. We enjoyed our time very much in that city, seeing its historic Opera House, sampling their markets, etc. Fortunately, we did not have any smoke/hazy programs there while sailing earlier this year along the Amazon River. Keep up the good postings and sharing.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 32,823 views for these postings.

Octoberkat.... Find me on a sea day for scrabble if you like.

Highlight for me so far has been swimming with the pink dolphins which was a wonderful experience.

I think the voices of silversea have been wonderful too - particularly Luke and Laura

November 28 -Boca da Valeria

Apologies for the delay but life has been so hectic, up at 6.30 am, bed at midnight- so still no time to write up the log!

Clarification as to why we pirouetted to dock starboard side in Santarem, this was to enable passengers doing a local boat trip to see the Meeting of the Waters, to disembark direct from the ship from Deck 3. Apparently the Meeting of the Waters had been clearly visible from the ship during the early afternoon, during our call in Santarem.

Boca da Valeria means the mouth of the Valeria river, although we never saw this. We anchored off the south bank at about 07.00 am, and a tender service started about an hour later taking passengers to a small wooden jetty. Fortunately there had been no rain and the ground was bone dry, a big relief for the new carpets on board!

As expected, local children awaited the arrival of the passengers to escort them by hand to the nearby village. This was about half a mile away along a sandy track, not well suited to the footwear worn by some passengers.

The children were not all from the village visited, because later in the day, several climbed into a small boat and rowed down the river. There seemed to be a distinct correlation between the number of escorting children per passenger and the size of the bag being carried by the passenger, the bigger the bag, the more the children! About half the passengers had brought goodies to distribute amongst the children, although some did give them to the people on the boats which surrounded the tenders as we disembarked.

In the environs of the village, which had a church and a school, as well as a bar selling cold drinks and the local beer, were toucans pinned to wooden perches, sloths desperate to get to something resembling a tree branch, being manhandled by children offering them to being photographed at a dollar a time. Other children were dressed in costume and painted with make-up, some as young as two being offered to be photographed also for a fee. MainsD and another passenger were invited on a three mile trek to visit a swimming hole and this involved the use of plank bridges across streams.MainsD admitted that he would have been unable to find his way back unaided, but the guides stayed with them but did expect money for the trip.

Several boatmen offered mini excursions by motorised canoe along the river for 5 U.S. These trips lasted any time between 30 and ninety minutes depending on the boatmen, although many of these were curtailed due to the extreme low water level, making navigation difficult. Madame and Ana, one of the International hostesses, took one of these trips which ran out of fuel at the furthest place from the departure point! Luckily one of a couple of boats going the other way threw a drum of fuel into the water, to which our boatmen rowed furiously to pick up!

The SS security staff on shore monitored as far as possible the passengers taking these private excursions, thereby knowing who had left the village.

SS crew came ashore with large bin bags and cardboard boxes with gifts of various types, for the village, not only food and drink, stationery, toys etc, but apparently also clothes.

Some of the children were observed with touch screen electronic devices. The houses all appeared to have electricity and one house had two TVs! Satellite dishes were commonplace, even on a couple of boats. This led to a dichotomy of views amongst the passengers. Once we had distributed our gifts, the children melted away to find other passengers carrying bags! Some passengers enjoyed the experience. Others felt that the children were being prostituted. Still more, were upset at the treatment of the animals, in particular the prizing apart of a baby sloth from its mother for a photo opportunity. Clearly the community was not impoverished, everyone from the oldest to the youngest appeared well nourished and clean. We will therefore not seek to make any value judgement on our call at this island - Boca da Valeria.

Tonight was the Venetian party which was held in the Panorama Lounge. There were only 121 Venetian Society members out of a total of 216 passengers and this probably decided the venue.

In response to the query regarding the Voices of Silversea, all will be getting off by December 14th, and some of them will be joining the Shadow early in 2016. Two of the girls are English, the "opera" pair, one female and one guy are Italian, the other two guys - one from Yorkshire, and the other from Ireland. They all gell, work extremely well together, and are a truly professional and entertaining troupe. The World Cruise replacements will have to go some to out perform these guys!

Thanks Mainsd and Master Echo for your on board postings. Enjoyed your FB photos

Mainsd, thanks for sharing your FB photo page link. And thanks also to Master Echo for a very well done/robust post of your boca da valeria port visit. Ana is such a good sport/outstanding international hostess, she is a delightful dinner companion too. Ida and I will miss having her on board the Spirit next month.

This ongoing thread is most relaxing and positively sublime. More, please, as time permits.

WesW can I ditto your comments on Ana. We have sailed with her several times and always enjoy her company around the ship and at dinner. We do hope she stays with SS.

Master Echo - Your opinion of Boca do Valeria is the same as mine.

Please say hello to Ana for us. She is a favorite, and you're lucky to have her on board.

Hope the remainder of your trip is wonderful. Thanks for your great posts.