Lirio

2 hours ago, spinnaker2 said:

Happy Saturday from the peninsula where it is absolutely scorchingly TORRID.

Intense heat. 

Hydrate everyone!

I know the feeling. Hello from Rio de Janeiro......

According to the follwing news from CNN, Central is the best of world......

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/worlds-50-best-restaurants-2023/index.html

16 hours ago, JSR said:

The number of options for dinner our one night in Lima are endless. 
Has anyone eaten at any of the following and if so what did you think of the experience? We also have time for a lunch or ceviche

Central

Maido

Kjolle

Mayta

Astrid y Gaston

Awicha

El Pez Amigo

Any other recommendations for dinner?

 

How about for Ceviche?

La Mar

El Muelle

 

Thanks for the help!

I wen to Maido and Astrid y Caston last time I was there on 2018. Both very good.

2 minutes ago, Dan'l B said:

Fletcher, My wife and I stayed at the Juma Opera Hotel in May before boarding the Shadow. It is a small hotel across the street from the Opera House (predictably).  It is about a 5-10 minute Uber ride to the port.  We met a few fellow passengers at the hotel, some boarding, some leaving and some just visiting.

Have fun.

Juma is a great hotel as well, just one block from Villa Amazonia. Should you consider one of those, try also the restaurant of both. All good, but Juma´s a bit better.

27 minutes ago, Fletcher said:

Hello Lirio - any idea which hotel Silversea favours in Manaus?  We're there next April on the Wind.

No idea. I was in Manaus until yesterday, working. For my pleasure, in the weekend, I stayed at Villa Amazonia (second time, always good) for working days I was at Quality Hotel (business hotel 3 stars).

10 hours ago, JSR said:

I am researching segment 4 of our GV. We are able to do a boat tour into the Amazon river where the cruise ship will not be going in both Manaus and Santarem. We can not decide if we should do both or just one, and if one which place is best to do it from. Please share your input and experiences. 

Thanks

I know Manaus pretty well but never went to Santarem. What exactly are you looking for?

13 hours ago, drron29 said:

Don't worry Lola those Americans can't even say aluminium properly.

And the way they say Brisbane is the bane of my life.

Thanks God you can only see my typing mistakes, not my speaking. Cooler is also education: I learned a new word....cravat......

11 hours ago, RyanJCanada said:

Brazil is on our list too, but probably not until after 2027. We might impose upon you too, Lirio, if that's okay... still very early in our planning, but we would definitely appreciate any recommendations for where we might be able to see jaguars in the wild.

To see jaguars in the wide, the option is Pantanal!

On 7/14/2023 at 5:03 PM, RyanJCanada said:

We're coming in 2025! We might impose upon you for some recommendations a little later on, if it's not too much trouble - but still planning Galapagos as that's coming up in 2024.

And about Brazil?

On 7/14/2023 at 4:28 AM, AusMum said:

when are you bringing the family to Australia? lol

This is where we are driving to tomorrow (we have a caravan). It will always be one of my most favourite destinations in the world, even though it's in our state. I've bought a new lens for my camera (75 to 300mm) and hoping to practice some photography for our Iceland/Greenland trip.  This is peak time for whale sharks and humpbacks.  We've seen orcas up there too!

 

 

what a place. Is my list now!!!!

1 hour ago, TLCOhio said:

 

Great background and details from Lirio about Manaus and its fascinating history.  Brings back excellent memories from visiting that historic German mansion, plus their famed Opera House in 2015.  

 

Their wealth at that time was amazing.  Plus, how they tried to import parts of Europe to this remote location in the middle of "nowhere".  Below is my pix of that German mansion, plus two of my favorites to illustrate the luxury with that unique Manaus Opera House.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.).  Now at 72,163 views:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2076101-live-amazon-river-caribbean-many-pix’s-terryohio/

 

For "eye-candy" and relief from the summer heat, here are my visuals from Manaus to supplement what Lirio has shared.  This includes two visuals inside of this "jewel-box" performing arts site.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!)

 

 

Great photos!

A night at opera followed by a day at woods

The theater from inside.

Didnt see any mirror @zqtchas maybe I must visit it again.

This morning a walk in the Musa - Museum of Amazonia, 25km from city center. This time I managed to go up to the top of the tower (42 meters). In the first attemp, a year ago, I got nervous and didnt make it. Now I am very pround of me!!! Picture from below, above and the trails.

Three weeks to Silver Spirit.....

23 minutes ago, zqtchas said:

Did you check out the mirrors in the opera house. How close you finger against the mirror appears?

I am going tonight for a Opera there. I will let you know. Never got inside.

15 hours ago, texanaust said:

Went walking before 6am today and all double loungers were taken.  Are people reserving them the night before!!!!   Yesterday at least half of the double sunbeds were taken all day but only used for 1-2 hours in the afternoon.  Sad...

I will be in the Spirit in 3 weeks for a 7 day itininerary I hope this will not happen! 😨 

Back to Manaus. Before start working, a visit to Palacio Rio Negro. This house was built very early XX century by a German gentleman who was natural rubber export to Germany. As WWI started, exports for Germany were blocked and he went bankrupted. He sold the house and got back to Germany. House eventually was acquired by the state government and now is opened to the public.

The house is a very good example of the wealth and opulence generated by the natural rubber exploitation (The Manaus Opera House was built at that time of wealth). But the exploitation in the jungle was very, very hard due to the weather, fever, snakes, and other animals. To make more money the workers (who were paid by the weight of rubber collected) put rocks inside the rubber and the landlords to pay less, tampered with the scale in a game of loss-loss. Several conflicts happened.

An English gentleman smuggled several rubber tree seedlings to UK and from there to Malaysia to stablish plantations easer to produce than going into the woods. The natural rubber era was gone forever.

I also visited a small local museum where I foun these two precolombian pieces. The first one ia a rare religion icon (most where destroyed by the priestes during colonial times) and the funeral urn.

6 hours ago, mysty said:

Last night Myster and I dined at Black Tartan Kitchen for their July 7 course meal.  It was heavenly.  And I got the crossword menu items right!  😀

 

1. Gazpacho - with a ball of tomato sorbet and a fascinator.....

 

2. Mollusk - scallops with ribbons of cucumber....

 

3. Brie - Brie inside the pastry.....

 

4. Cornish Hen - smoked Cornish Hen in the pasta served with sauce and buns.....

 

5. Beef.....

 

6. Confection.....

 

7. Berry.....

 

Final answer to the crossword....The puns may be terrible but at least there are no LINEUPS.

I want to find a way to visit this restaurant!

While waiting the cruise at Silver Spirit next August, working from north to south in Brazil. Some days in the Amazon region again and I got a weekend to visit new areas around. Some pictures from Parintins - Amazonas.

Old house in the port area.

The market

boats on the port (Amazon river)

Me (happy to be able to work in such a amazing place)

5 hours ago, jpalbny said:

 

Hey now. I wear them on cruises all the time!

Please, define a sketcher....not familiar with this word.

1 minute ago, commodoredave said:

We enjoy architecture and history, so usually find ourselves walking around old sections of a city, sometimes with a guide. We also enjoy museums, particularly ones that showcase local culture and history.

Thanks. 

Historical area in Sao Paulo is not safe to walk around by your own. I myself go from one point to other by taxi or uber. Or you may schedule a private guide.

Main historical points: Patio do Colegio (where the city was established). Just by it the house of Marquesa dos Santos the mistress of the Emperor Pedro I. Check the hour the church of Patio do Colegio is opened.

Nearby you may go to Viaduto do Cha, Teatro Municipal. Further you may consider Estação da Luz, Mosteiro da Luz Where you will find Pinacoteca, Museu of Arte Sacra and Museu da Lingua Portuguesa (this 3 you can visit in 2-3 ours all together but they are 2^nd line in terms of museum).

The main museum for the history is Museu do Ipiranga, my first choise ever.

In downtown you also have Museum of the stock Market and Farol Santander in the former financial district early XIX cetury. 3^rd line musuems.

A stroll in Avenida Paulista is a must to see the financial district of 1970´s. There is Masp - a Museum of Fine Arts Top in Brazil and several other arts centers.

To see modern buildings, you must go to Faria Lima Avenue and Berrini Avenue where you will find today’s financial district. Should you like biking, there is a bike lane all over it and you can see several buildings. In between those expensive office buildings you will find a historical house surrounded.

I posted some photos of all this in the Coolers post. And you can find a lot of information in the internet as well. Happy to help.

On 2/15/2023 at 7:18 PM, commodoredave said:

Thanks, i would love some. We plan to spend 2-3 nights there in October.

What would you be your interests? Museums, skylines, natural parks?

6 hours ago, jpalbny said:

 

 

If you're coming to see M&M then you'll have to come to Albany and see us too!

Gastronomic tour!!!

8 hours ago, mysty said:

 

Perhaps poutine!  BBQ is the order of the day typically!  We are having Harira (Moroccan lamb soup).  Myster makes an amazing version of this.  😁

And you will have it in that lovely patio? Have a great day!

3 hours ago, jpalbny said:

For @highplanesdrifters:

 

This Peru trip is for my brother's wedding. Except he and his bride couldn't wait through Covid, so they got married 2 years ago. So this is an excuse for a party on their 2-year anniversary. That's in Lima, a week from tomorrow. 

 

We're going early because, why not? We fly out tomorrow afternoon. We've been to Machu Picchu in the past so we're not going again. So we land in Lima Sunday morning and immediately fly to Cusco. Nothing planned for Sunday other than around town on our own. Monday we are hiking to "Rainbow Mountain" to see if we can get some good pictures before we die of hypoxemia.

 

Tuesday we take the Belmond Train - not to MP, but to Puno. It's an overnight train which will be fun! We have two nights on the shore of Lake Titicaca. Then Friday (a week from today) we fly back from Juliaca to Lima for the pre-party, then the party on Saturday, then fly home early Sunday (ugh).

Lima has great restaurants. I hope you have time to try some of it.

3 hours ago, RachelG said:

Wow, so excited you got to extend the trip.  That is really spectacular.  

 

Couple of comments--too late now, but you would have been better off just taking a taxi to and from the blue lagoon.  We rented a car the first time we were in Iceland but it was a big hassle as you have described.  I did the math, and it was cheaper to just take a cab even to the Blue Lagoon as that is right by the airport. 

 

I agree with Fletcher's observations regarding Greenland.  It is beautiful countryside and fjords, but the towns are pretty awful, and the people are very grim.  George befriended the police chief in one town.  He came over from Denmark on a one year contract. He told George that most all the people there live on welfare--very few are employed except for the teachers and hospital workers who are mostly from Denmark and don't stay longterm. Fishing has pretty much died out. He has a big uptake in crime, mostly related to drunkeness the day the checks arrive.  Otherwise, it is mostly domestic violence.  Really very sad. 

I also noted that dogs for dogs sled is being reducing in favor of snowmobiles and there less and less dogs and some a pretty skinny.

When we were there last year no food allowed off the ship. It was also informed that supplies in small villages are difficulty to arrive, so we were recommended to avoid buying them. But you can buy souvenirs. There are beautiful handcrafts.