TayanaLorna

Iberostar Grand Amazon - still Day 2 Back on board and hungry but first it was time to attend a lecture on the fruits of the Amazon before lunch in the Tucano Grill. The talk was very informative and accompanied by an excellent slide show on a large screen. The first talk was at 11:30 am in Portuguese and the second was at Noon in English. Jefferson, our guide and of the Expedition Team, gave the talk. He is not only an amazing knowledgable guide but a superior linguist speaking many languages. While on our morning expedition he conversed mostly in English but would speak in both German and Chinese for the benefit of those guests. Of course, he also spoke Portuguese and Spanish as well. Lunch was served in both the Tucano Grill on the top deck and a half hour later a buffet lunch was available in the Karup Restaurant on the bottom deck. The top deck was delightful and our choice most meals. We were always out of the sun and the rain as long as it was not windy. The buffet lunch consisted of hamburgers and sausages on the grill, sandwiches, a big cauldron of a local river fish in a sauce with vegetables kind of like a stew or thick soup, ribs, meats as well as rice, salads, fruit and desserts. Drinks flowed whenever one asked for a glass. My go to afternoon drink became a Mojito without the rum. The mint was so refreshing on a warm humid afternoon By now the ship was on the move. What I really liked was that the ship anchored for the night at one location and the next mornings excursions were from that spot. Then the Grand Amazon sailed to the next location where it would anchor for the afternoon and evening excursions and the ship would stay there overnight. When we sailed in the afternoon, we were so close to shore that we could spot birds and easily see the landscape pass by. We were so captivated by the afternoon traveling that we forgot to sign up for the Bridge Tour which was conducted each day. From reviews read before we took this trip, travelers reported there was no Internet on board the Grand Amazon. We were delighted to learn that the ship was experimenting with a new WiFi system. It was only available on the top deck although occasionally I would hear the ping of an incoming message in our room on Deck 3. Since we returned home, I read an article about how Elon Musk supplied some Amazon regions with Starlink. For better (or worse) some remote regions are now connected for the first time. So we caught up on some dweebing as we watched the world pass by the top deck railings. I include some photos of the ship and as we sail to our next anchorage. In choosing them, I realize some may need explanation. The photo with the vertical flowers is actually a stateroom door. Every stateroom had a photo on the outside of the door. Neither of us are much for capturing the food we eat. We pretty much devour as soon as served but I did capture a photo of the buffet in the Karup Restaurant. The one photo with the Chef is a omlet station with all the choice of fixings. I tried getting a photo of our room but hard to get it all. Best photos are on the Iberostar website or guest photos on Trip Advisor. The Iberostar is single use plastic free. They do not give you or sell individual plastic water bottles. They provide a really nice BPA free heavy plastic refillable bottle. Each floor has a water station from which we can choose still or sparkling water. Pretty cool.

Iberostar Grand Amazon Day 2 March 4, 2023 We had a great night's sleep on our first night aboard this river boat. Bed was very comfortable and the AC worked great. The only thing I missed from our Viking stateroom was the heated floors and mirror in the bathroom. Showering really fogged up the room so we took to leaving the door open while bathing. The towels never dried but as soon as our room steward found a wet towel, it was replaced with dry ones. So up early to ready for our 7:45 AM excursion. The big breakfast buffet in the Karup Restaurant did not begin until 7 AM however there was an early riser Continental Breakfast ready on the top deck at the Tucano Grill by 5:30 AM. We feasted on fruit and baked goods, the bar concocted fresh fruit smoothies, and the coffee was accompanied by a pot of warm milk which was wonderful. By now we were already anchored in a quiet stretch of the Solimoes River. Geared up with cameras and rain ponchos, wearing long pants and long sleeved shirts thoroughly sprayed with insect repellent, we arrived promptly for our excursion. We donned Personal Flotation Devices (PFD's) and were called to our waiting skiff by language spoken. On our first excursion we had 9 English as a first language (US, UK & So Africa) and 8 English as a second language (4 German and 4 Chinese) guests on our skiff. The skiffs were long flat bottomed open boats which we boarded by walking down a metal staircase to the bow of the skiff and chose our seats. There were helping hands available for those needing them. This excursion visited a Family Farm as well as cruised along the back waters or igarapes, creeks off the main Rio Somiloes, to see what we might see in the Janauaca Lake region. Each skiff took a different track so as no two skiffs would be in the same area or at the farm at the same time. We docked along a wooden pier and walked up a wooden walkway to reach the family farm perched high on a bluff. Homes were either on high ground as this family farm, on stilts or anchored along the river. Anchored homes you ask? Our March visit was well into the rainy season and the river had risen enough for us to be able to motor through channels of flooded forest. However, within the next three months, the water would rise as much as another 15 feet. Homes were anchored so they would stay put during the floods. Everyone whether living in a stilted, anchored or bluff top home, had a boat as that was the only means of transportation in this region. The stilted homes would soon be waterfront. We saw some with a dock attached that would be floating in a month or so. We were warmly greeted by the family and 3 of the 4 dogs at the farm as our guide provided interesting stories about life at the farm. Manioc is a main staple of the peoples of the Amazon region and this farm was a major producer in the region. Manioc is a kind of root which is harvested, roasted and ground. It is made into a breakfast porridge, ground fine to flour for bread, and is tapioca. Boats come from all over the area to purchase huge sacks of manioc. Besides this industry, the family grows many fruits, vegetables and herbs as well does fishing. We saw a small herb garden, cocoa pods, brazil nut pods, corn, acai, beautiful flowers and trees as we wandered around the expansive property. Jefferson, our guide, did a great job. Once back on the skiff we cruised around the Lake region through creeks and the flooded forests. We saw many, many birds - more then we were able to successfully photograph, a sloth of which I will include a still shot as well as a video, Caimen, a hilltop community with a school, gas station boats, floating churches and stores, and many different homes. Seeing the simple household task of laundry hung out to dry, dogs and children playing on the floating homes, fishing boats in the reeds and marveling at how trees would survive the flooding, was amazing. Jefferson said the trees can survive the flooding because they originally evolved from seaweed. In the ship photo below, our room is the forwardmost stateroom on the third deck - a nice location. The school is at the top of the photo of the small community depicted below. The children arrive in a yellow school boat but it was not at the dock. I included a video of our motoring through a flooded forest to give you a sense of it. It was a great morning excursion and we were eager for more to come. We were lucky to have only a light shower on the water and no rain at all during our farm visit. P1010006.MP4 P1010019_1_1.mp4

Glad you enjoyed my stories and our photos. Still have more days on the river to do and our 2 days in Manaus.

Norway is very expensive. $49 x 2 is probably cheaper then a private car service. Just reserve your transfer more then 30 days before cruise.

Yep. Had lunch at the facility to top. Mushroom soup was REALLY good.

We went to Fjallsarlon for iceberg Zodiac. Saw the rock formations along the south coast of the Reykjanes Peninsula on a excursion that dropped us off at the airport.

Really enjoyed your Iceland trip. Wasn't the glacier lagoon zodiac trip awesome and the basalt columns amazing.

The bartenders share in the 15% gratuity when the SSBP is purchased as well as the 15% included in each drink purchased. The wait staff shares in the suggested gratuity at the end of the cruise. Guests often tip a bartender or waiter/ress that provided good service at the end of the cruise. We have not done this as we rarely have had the same person serve us. On our recent cruise of 2 weeks, we were seated in the same section having the same staff only twice. Tipping at the end of each meal or when each bar drink is served is a very recent thing on Viking. Who wants to carry cash around on ship or complete to have good service.

Iberostar Heritage Grand Amazon March 3, 2023 Once aboard the Grand Amazon we were ushered into the combination bar/theatre/lecture hall for an orientation and to receive our room assignments and keys. We chose our floor by Cabin Type when we booked with the higher floors costing a tad more then the lower ones. We reserved an Acara Suite on Deck 3 and when we arrived our luggage was sitting outside the door. We were delighted with our cabin. It looked exactly like the photos on line. The veranda was smaller then a DV on Viking but it had 2 wooden deck chairs and a table. There was a built in desk/shelving unit and one chair, a bench to fit an open suitcase but no seating area with coffee table like Viking. However there was way more storage closets, drawers and shelves then in a Viking DV cabin. The bathroom was large with a huge walk in shower but no shelves or drawers like Viking. The Grand Amazon is 275 feet in length with 74 cabins housing 148 guests. Deck 0 is the Karup Restaurant location, Deck 1 is half staterooms and the bar/theatre/lecture hall with access to the skiffs for excursions just aft of the hall. Deck 2 contains the Reception desk, seating areas and staterooms. Deck 3 contains shops and staterooms. Deck 4 forward contains the swimming pool, jacuzzi and lounging chairs all under the open sky. Aft on Deck 4 is the bar, tables and chairs, the Tucano Grill and buffet area all under cover of a roof. The floors 0-3 are served by a gorgeous grand staircase. To get to the top deck one climbed another staircase. One elevator serviced floors 0-4 and, as most guests were younger then me, I was about the only one to use it. Dining whether it was at the top deck Tucano Grill or at the Karup Restaurant on Deck 0, was self service buffet. There was also room service during certain hours which we never used. Traveling on the Grand Amazon is all inclusive - all meals, snacks, alcoholic or soft drinks, wine, beer, excursions, lectures, entertainment were included. There was a small gym and one could get a massage for a fee. One could purchase bottles of wine or champagne but we were happy with what was served. Unpacked, organized and showered we were ravenous not having time for lunch on our excursion. We wandered up to the top deck and found a spread of appetizers available so we snacked on those and ordered some drinks. Sail away was at 6 pm and most guests gathered here to watch it. We gravitated towards the English speakers where besides the 4 people who we knew from the Viking cruise, we met a couple from South Africa. Drinks were consumed and apparently the bartender/server liked me because he said he reserved a table for dinner especially for us. Sunset was shortly after 6 pm and gorgeous. We waved good bye to Manaus and the anchored Viking Sea. Between 6 and 8 PM we were able to choose excursions for the next day which we did. No excursions were full or sold out - we got exactly what we wanted. The Captain's Welcome was at 7 PM in the bar/theatre/lecture hall. We had a safety briefing at this time and more drinks before dinner. The Karup Restaurant doors opened at 8 PM sharp and we were ushered to our reserved table and called our English speaking friends over to join us as it was a table for 8. Dinner was outstanding consisting of a side table where two different hot soups were served and the U-shaped main buffet area with the fixings for a nice green salad, cheese, cold cuts, sausage and shrimps and then the hot entrees of all different meats, local river fish, vegetables, rice, potatoes. Ice cream with toppings or choices of cakes and sweets were dessert. Wine was freely poured - a choice of red or white. I believe the evenings entertainment following dinner was a Magician but we were pooped from our long day. After a trip to the top deck to hopefully see stars and darkness, we found that the ship was still in sight of Manaus and we could see their distant lights. We welcomed our nice air conditioned cabin and its the comfortable bed and got a really good nights sleep. Our AM excursion was at 8 o'clock and we neede to arrive in the hall by 7:45. Some of the following photos will give you an idea of the boating chaos in the port of Manaus. Also some pictures on the Grand Amazon as well as the Sea anchored out and in the sunset glow.

Manaus, Brazil March 3, 2023 I completely described our disembarkation from the Viking Sea in Post #24 as an answer to a question from a follower. The hardest part of the process was dragging our luggage to and fro. We are accustomed to leaving our bags outside our stateroom door and then finding them in the port terminal. Not the case here if you are traveling independently. It was also very crowded in the Atrium with the only place to sit on the staircase. The Brazilian authorities were delayed in setting up the dockside inspection point for luggage and the transfers were a bit backed up because of it. We were glad we had allowed extra time to meet our guide in the port terminal. Planning our post Viking independent extension was very stressful. There was not much current information about the port, what to expect, was it safe etc as no international ships had cruised there since before the pandemic. The Iberostar Grand Amazon reviews on Trip Advisor were glowing even though I had to translate most of them from Portuguese. Reviews of Tours by Locals guides also were sparse. All the hotel reviews were in Portuguese also. I thoroughly researched everything I could and was satisfied that I made some right choices. I read that guests on a previous Viking cruise did not pre arrange a taxi to the airport and relied on whomever might be at the terminal. The "taxi" at the terminal curb was a local who charged $100 for 2 people and had an beat up old Renault with the trunk tied closed. I suggested that our departing friends engage a legitimate taxi service to their hotel. There are Ubers in Manaus but you better speak Portuguese to use them. We were delighted that the bus dropped us off right at the entrance door to the terminal. We dragged our bags into the terminal and began looking for our excursion guide. We had sent him a WhatsApp message as we left the Sea and he responded he was on the way. The terminal was surprisingly nice and there was a Tourist Information desk right in the entrance. After we could not find our guide, a gal at the desk spoke English and telephoned him to learn his location. Most tour companies found on Trip Advisor do not allow any luggage on their excursions. We did not want to part with our bags even though there may have been an Iberostar desk in the terminal. We found our guide, Aldinei C, through Tours By Locals, described our bags in our messaging and assurred he had room in this vehicle for them. Once Al found us, we walked to his nearby parked car and were off for our excursion to MUSA (Museu da Amazonia). MUSA is an open air museum situated within the huge Adolpho Ducke Forest Reserve just North of Manaus. At MUSA one can find exhibitions, an orchid and bromeliad house, a lake, aquariums, dinosaur bones excavated from the area, a 42 meter high tower that provides a magnificent view of the treetops and numerous hiking trails. Aldinei was very knowledgable pointing out many plants, inspects, trees and explaining native forest survival techniques. We saw our first monkeys of the Amazon here way up in the trees. Al often took us off trail to take a closer look at something. He always told us to stay and wait on the trail while we went and thrashed about with a stick. Then he would indicate the all clear. He was making sure there were no snakes lurking about thank goodness. Visitors are required to wear long pants and footwear that entirely encloses the foot. When we first parked at the museum, I asked Al if there were any mosquitoes. He replied millions of them. I grabbed my long sleeved bug sprayed shirt for the hike but we did not see any mosquitoes once again. The drive to the reserve was almost an hour each way and it was not at all scenic. The Manaus we saw was a typical commercially sprawling 2 million resident city of crowded streets and highways with motorbikes zipping in and out of traffic. We had about 2 1/2 hours at the park and the visit was well worth it. Al learned of my birding interest and, although we did not see many birds midday, we bird talked on the drive back to the Port. He described the coloring and habits of many of the birds we would see further up the Amazon and really helped me to identify them later on. He also does a guided birding tour which would be fabulous. Upon arrival back at the Port, we were immediately met by a representative from Iberostar. Boarding began at Noon but room availability and orientation was not until 3 pm. We were very close to 3 pm by now and apparently among the last guests to arrive. The rep had us load our bags into a wheeled cart and a short wirey older man whisked our bags down the dock expecting us to follow closely on his heels. I literally could not keep up with this fellow while dodging other carts loaded with huge bags of onions, boxes of electronics, giant bags of oranges going both ways. My DH kept up wi9th him and, by the time I arrived, our luggage was already being loaded on to the ship. We were not on a floating dock and although it was the rainy season, the door to the ship was way below the level of the dock and there was a steep ramp to board. We were surrounded by boat after boat along the dock as far as we could see. I don't think I have ever experienced a port such as Manaus. I will begin our Iberostar Grand Amazon adventure description in my next post. For now, lets look at some MUSA photos. The first photos are of the local boat used to ferry Viking guests to and from shore. It was hot!! The photo of the sign was at the port of Manaus indicating high water levels over the years. The big water lillies can grow to 3 meters across and were named after Queen Victoria (Victoria Regina) who visited the Amazon and sat upon one very large specimen.

For those folks who plan to take the Iberostar Grand Amazon further up the Amazon, its the long white boat to the far left along the water in the final photo. Yes it does dock. Actually when you embark, it is located on a pier near the double tall white building to the right of the photo. The double white building is right across the street from the entrance to the Port of Manaus Terminal.

Manaus, Brazil March 2, 2023 As we neared Manaus in the morning we noticed some of the homes were much nicer, cattle farms were more numerous and there was more industry. We also saw the first bridge across the Amazon. We passed through the Meeting of the Waters where the muddy Amazon River met the clear water of the Rio Negro. This water color difference phenomena can be seen from satellite. We arrived and were anchored off Manaus by Noon and shortly thereafter the excursions began. A pontoon was pulled up alongside The Sea and all the excursions except the Included and the History of Manaus & Its People boarded their tour boats directly on the pontoon. The shoreshide excursions boarded their local tender boat on the pontoon in order to be transfered to their waiting bus on shore. We had cancelled our Manaus Rubber Museum & Indigenous Village excursion a few days beforehand. Instead we packed, I got a massage and we relaxed. Knowing we still had 5 days of excursions ahead of us from the Iberostar Grand Amazon as well as in Manaus, we just enjoyed our last day on Viking. Friends who were on the same excursion that we cancelled loved it. Only drawback was that it poured rain at some point on the 4.5 hour excursion and the land became quite muddy. We saw numerous guests upon their return from this tour tip-toeing in their wet socks carrying their very muddy shoes to their cabin. Other friends who joined a Viking Included said it was passable but the Zoo they were taken to was sad. Manaus is 1,000 miles upriver from the Atlantic Ocean and is the most populous city in the Amazon basin with close to 2 million residents. Other then its historic district with its either maintained or restored buildings including the Teatro Amazonas (the Opera House) and a few well maintained buildings nearby such as the Palacio Rio Negro (Rio Negro Palace), the city is rather run down. The saving grace for Manaus was the establishment of a Free Trade Zone. Manaus is the main transport hub for the entire upper Amazon basin. It imports beef from the hinterlands and exports hides and leather. Important industries in the Port of Manaus include manufacturing soap, chemicals, electronics equipment as well as shipbuilding, brewing and petroleum refining. There is a large concencentration of electronics, two-wheeled vehicles, optical products, and computer products. The waterside is bustling with activity. Passenger ferries coming and going, fishing boats off-loading their catch, all manner of goods wheeled to and from docked boats and heavy street traffic. From the Viking Sea we could view docked boats stretching along shore in both directions. Here are some photos from our sail in as well as the anchorage.

Well I am going to miss you too. So sorry you have Viking problems that could not be resolved. I first "met" you when following your World Cruise reporting at the beginning of Covid which i very much enjoyed. I always respected your input as a maritime professional when a ship's functioning, sea condition/handling or maritime rules/law came up. Going to miss the balance you often brought to the discussion.

You are welcome. Had a friend visiting for a couple days so did not have time to continue. Have about a week to finish with our time in and around Manaus. So you are flying into Manaus and sailing to San Juan. We got $200 US in Realis but really didn't need it. To purchase local crafts, souvenirs, give gratuities to guides or taxi drivers we used Realis or Dollars. The locals always quoted 5 Realis to $1 as a simple way to exchange. Have small denomination US bills. We used a credit card at our hotel. Disembarkation in Manaus was not as grueling as it was reported on the first cruise SJ to Manaus in January. A few things were changed based on lots of complaints. We anchored as did the first cruise. The cruise ship dock was damaged by high floods and i could not see any work being done on it. We were traveling independently after Viking so did not have a transfer. We had to carry our own luggage from our stateroom to the Atrium. Once our call for the tender came, we had to get our luggage from the Atrium to Deck 0 where there was a floating platform and a local boat to take us to shore. There were fellows who took our bags, loaded them and helped us board. We arrived at the local dock where our luggage was offloaded - even our backpacks - and placed on the dock for inspection by dogs. Once that was complete, we claimed our bags and carried them to the bus to the main terminal. People with Viking transfers had their luggage picked up outside their room the night before and did not have to claim it until they reached the airport. Viking transfers also had different buses - either direct to the airport or to a hotel to waif for their evening flight. This is what we had to do in Manaus. You will disembark in San Juan where the ship will be docked. You claim your bags in the terminal, walk through Customs & Border patrol who pretty much only asked us if we had any plants or agricultural products when we did it in 2021 after a Viking TA.

We got a blue onevin 2018 and a brown one in 2020. Two cruises in 2021 and 1 in 2023 with no pouch or printed booklet.

Ok great info. Our friends only said they had to walk through another boat. Sounds like it was much easier. Yes of course we remember you two. Was thinking about Anika and Keith from South Africa. Meaning to email them since we got back home.

Parintins Parintins is best known for its folk theatrical tradition known as Boi Bumba. This extravagant performance, part of an annual folklore festival held each June, is Brazil's largest celebration after Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Combining costumes, drumming and Amazonian, African and European rhythms, it tells the story of a resurrected bull. Viking had secured two performances of this show exclusively for our cruise. It was the best included excursion of the entire trip and we missed it. Me because I did not want to be in a room with 400+ unmasked folk and Ray, I don't know why. I was feeling better but still leary of contacting Covid on top of a respiratory ailment. Friends attended and took some awesome photos and videos to show us. I can, however, tell future cruisers about the logistics of the event. The morning show was at 10:30 and ticket holders were requested to arrive in the Star Theatre as early as 8 am and as late as 8:45 am. Those on the early tenders were able to choose seats in the front of the theatre. However they had to wait up to 1.5 hours for everyone else to arrive and the show to begin. Same for the afternoon performance. There was a short, mainly flat walk from the landing pier to the convention center. Apparently this was a great improvement from the first cruise in January up the Amazon. People had complained about the long, hot and uphill walk there to reach the convention center. Viking listened and found a much closer tender landing although friends reported the tenders docked alongside a local boat and one had to walk through it to reach land. The center was air conditioned as there were rest rooms. At the end of the performance there was time to take photos of and with the performers. At the end of the performance, Viking warned guests they would have to wait for the next available tender boat to return to the ship. Passengers were able to explore town if they wished as it was very close. We just enjoyed a day on a mostly empty boat. We got up early this morning also to see what insects were on Deck 8 after the night. At 5 am the deck crew had it almost cleaned up. I asked when they started and was told 4 am! A crew indicated that the number and type of insects on this cruise was greatly reduced from the January cruise. Ray did capture a few shots. Well those few shots are all we have to post here today along with some river traffic pix.

Viking Guest Services was never successful in punching a hole in my card without deactivating it. I gave up and keep it in a zipped pocket on excursions or in a small crossbody bag when on the ship along with my cell phone, comb and hand sanitizer.

Santarem, Brazil (continued) I took the Maica Lake & Pirhana fishing excursion not because of the fishing but I had read it was a good place to see wildlife. Boarding the cute excursion boat was easy. Walk down the Viking gangplank to a very solid floating dock, wait for the other boarding ramp to be moved to our boat. Board and find your seat. We were boarded to the top open deck rather then the lower one which was where we saw other Viking excursion folk directed. The top offers much better views and is partly open and partly covered plus we could walk all the way around the bow being careful not to block the view of the Captain. We set sail enjoying views of Santerem, the blue Cathedral of our Lady of Conception, shoreside businesses and all the different kind of boats. Everyone travels by boat and all goods are transported by boat. Most families have a boat as many of the settlements can only be reached by water. There was even a floating gas station as well as a floating platform where boats were able to dock and be partially raised for bottom work and maintenance below the waterline. Locals would travel by ferry boat to and from towns up and down the river. Booking passage gave you space to hang your sleeping hammock. The trip between Santarem and Manaus would take over 3 days. We could clearly see our first meeting of the waters - the clear Tapajos meeting the silty Amazon waters. Passing town we entered the narrow canals of the Maica Lake region. We heard and saw birds - different cormorants and the yellow headed caracara, hawks, turkey and other vultures - saw a sloth which was very difficult to spot as its coloring matched the bark of the cecropia tree. We passed homesteads on stilts to protect against the seasonal rising of the waters, a pig farm, and beautiful scenery which photos don't do justice. Farmers had two pigs in a small boat and would scoop a bucket of water pouring it on the pigs who would squeal much to our delight and laughter. Pigs to the market or stray pigs collected wandering off the farm, we don't know. Folks live in the area scraping out a living - no electric, no Internet service. A guest asked our guide why they don't have solar. She politely answered - they cannot afford it. When fishing time arrived, we merely pulled to the side of the waterway along the trees and were given the means to pirhana fish as the locals do. That is take a wooden block wound with fishing line and a hook tied to its end. A guide kindly baited the hooks for the guests. Line and bait lowered to the water as each watches for the feel and pull of fish on. Several felt the tug but were unable to bring the fish to the surface for all to see. Most lost their bait - sneaky pirhana! It was all good fun. We did have a couple die hard fishermen on board our vessel who brought their own fly rods all the way to the Amazon. They didn't catch anything either although I don't know what fish can be caught with the fly technique. Our guide told us that the pirhana were about a meter down. On our way back to the Viking Sea we again passed by the Santerem waterfront. I spotted a bank of very dark clouds moving quickly towards us. Soon enough we were hit with a very typical Amazon rainstorm with high winds and horizontal rain. Our boat had blue tarps that could be rolled down and secured against the rain but we didn't have time to do that before most people got soaked. Visability was gone. We couldn't see town, other boats or the Viking Sea. We held position until the squall passed and visibility to maneuver once again returned. We queued to board along with the excursion boats having left the Sea earlier then us as all had to hold position until weather cleared. I loved this excursion and was excited to see the a portion of the Amazon backwaters and how people live in the remote areas. Plus I saw my first Sloth! FYI. Our friends on board who took the Viking Included of Santarem area liked it very much. The only drawback was the heat and humidity as the buses are not air conditioned. Those wishing to explore Santarem on their own were asked to wait until the early morning excursions had departed before seeking a tender ride to shore. Once on shore Viking offered a complimentary shuttle bus in the port of Santarem with the drop off point Downtown at Praca do Pescador.

Santarem, Brazil Up early and had breakfast inside at the World Cafe because it was too hot and humid to sit on the Aquavit Terrace. Ray had gone up to Deck 8 to see if there were any photo worthy bugs from overnight to shoot. The deck crew had already swept and hosed all the decks. Since we each took different excursions, I will describe them and post the photos separately. Ray's guided hike was to the Tapajos National Forest, a preserve of over 1,300,000 acres. It stretches along the Tapajos River which boasts miles of beautiful sand beaches and clear water. On the other side it is bordered by a heavily farmed area. A percentage of land per farm must be preserved - 20% perhaps. The soil is poor and needs lots of fertilizer. The main crop in this area is soy beans. They drove for over an hour through fields with protected areas of forest. Their hike was in a location in the northern portion of the forest and, from a photo I will post, you can see just how large is the preserve. Ray said that altough they did not have a rainshower while hiking, their starting point had to be changed due to several buses stuck in the mud at the first parking lot they reached. He said they didn't see any mosquitoes which was good news to those not vaccinated for yellow fever. During the hike their guide showed them a nest of electric ants. Just put your hands on the nest and then squish them on your arms he said and did. The scent (actually pleasant) is a repellent. No others tried this remedy. He explained how it is illegal to cut down a Brazil Nut Tree with fines and prison imposed no matter the size of the tree. He showed them the softball sized Brazil Nut seed pod within which 10-14 brazil nuts were contained when opened. This pod is harder then a coconut. The only animal capable of opening it is the Agouti. The Agouti is like a squirrel from the US which eats the nuts and buries what it does not consume. Except the Agouti often forgets where it buried them and the nut eventually sprouts a new tree. They saw the fruit and flower of the Achiote tree and how the red pigment from the seeds and be used for face and body painting. They saw and carefully avoided a Bullet Ant - the most painful insect bite you can get. One indigenous tribe's warrior rite of passage is to wear gloves filled with these ants - on 16 separate occasions. A separate guide we had when further up the river from Manaus said he was bitten by 1 bullet ant and was off work for 2 days. There was a National Geograpic special covering the warrior rite of passage event. The guide lit fire to a stick to produce a dripping resin which he said has many uses including making casts for broken bones. They saw snails and butterflies and big trees and generally had a nice and informative time. This was basically the only forest hike Viking offered on its excursions. SD1_8062_1.mp4 SD1_8063_1.mp4

Macapa, Brazil & Scenic Amazon Cruising Upon rising and opening our stateroom drapes we were treated to a bug and salt free veranda compliments to a heavy rainshower overnight. Macapa was a technical stop meaning local officials would come on board to complete our clearance into Brazil and the Amazon river as well as taking on local Amazon Pilots who would sail with us to Manaus. We were anchored or holding position just off Macapa and the Amazon Pilot was already on board. While others took advantage of all the on board activities and lectures, we relaxed and I continued to rest in our stateroom while the Amazon shores passed by. Some have said that sailing up the Amazon is boring and you don't really see anything. However, we found the changing shoreline, seeing the different homes, watching all the river traffic and the often dramatic skies fascinating. The best part was when we spotted some small boats speeding from a goup of homes toward us. They were mostly boys in boats fitting one or two persons. Their props were at the end of a very long shaft and very noisy. They shouted and waved at us taking photos with their cell phones as we took their pictures. We were surprised that we sailed close to shore much of the time. We had a couple pairs of our own good binoculars to bring points of interest close to our eyes. When tired of watching the world go by, we caught up on Richard Lovelocks lectures and they were all excellent. It was so nice to sit outside on our Veranda even in the heat and humidity. How humid you might ask? The glass partition below the balcony hand rail constantly dripped with moisture. Water would also continuously flow down the wall partitions separating each veranda and it was not raining. We were glad to have the pool towels covering the chairs and one positioned on the floor as we entered the cabin from the veranda so as not to get the carpeting all wet. Although we have always enjoyed Room Service for breakfast, some of the items we ordered for other meals we did not like. The Caesar salad which I love in The Restaurant was limp and wilted, the chicken soup was very bland and my fried chicken left a puddle of grease on the plate. However, DH said his steak was cooked perfectly. Feeling better by evening, we joined friends for cocktails and dinner in the World Cafe, a welcome social event after my two day self confinement. That evening we watched the Port Talk for Santarem and Parintins. DH had the Tapajos Forest Hike scheduled and I had the Maica Lake Pirhana Fishing optional one chosen. Ray learned that it would be a tender to shore for the bus to the forest. I learned that there would be a floating platform affixed to our ship at anchor from which I would board the boat for the Maica Lake trip. Still weary and energyless from my infection, I was really happy to just get on another boat for my tour and not having to walk. Ship news for today, actually beginning once we entered Brazilian waters, was that all on board shops were closed for the rest of the Viking trip. That included any clothing, jewelry and the little store for sudries. So be sure you are stocked up on toothpaste or Tylenol before entering Brazil. So enjoy some photos from along the Amazon.

We use WhatsApp to communicate with friends while on board.

I think i did it!

Lirio, I began my trip report and have reached the point where our Viking ship entered the Amazon basin. I am doing it in the Viking Ocean boards and it is called Amazon & Caribbean Adventure, February 2023 Report with Iberostar Grand Amazon River Cruise after Viking. Its journal style includes excursions we took and some Viking specific info for future cruisers. If i can figure out how to do it, i will copy a link here.

Betelguese, Southern Cross, Milky Way endless names.