The Daily for Monday Mar 22, 2021

[kb4683]

Good morning, all.  Thank you for the daily.

 

Have only been to Rio once - January 4, 2014, on the Golden Princess.  It was the disembarkation port of our LA to Rio 'Round the Horn cruise.  We hired a private guide to pick us up, tour the city and drop us off at a hotel in the afternoon.  Wonderful experience with a fabulous guide, but like @kazu, we feel no need to return.

 

The next day we flew from Rio to Manaus to join the Pacific Princess for her Amazon cruise back to Fort Lauderdale (easy way to get back home to Florida 😉).

 

Sugarloaf Mountain

 

Christ the Redeemer

 

 

 

 

Edited March 22, 2021 by kb4683

[mamaofami]

Good morning everyone. I love the collection of days and since the temps will be in the 60s today, I’ll be sure to sing out loud and be goofy and even take a walk outside and see some of my friends in the community.

 

Tomorrow we have a zoom board meeting for the community and we’ve started to wonder if they’ll open the pool this summer. Last year it was a no no.

 

Stay safe everyone!

 

Carol

[Seasick Sailor]

Good morning Rich and thanks for the Daily.

 

I love to sing! Allen would remind me at times when singing my favorite hymns in church that I was not in the shower. 

 

Roy, you are in my prayers as are my sweet sisters and fellow Daily-ites. 

 

Today is due to be 72 with chance of late showers. Allen gets his staples pulled out this morning,  hoping to grab a lobster lunch before heading to pick up our golf cart. 

 

Wishing all a peaceful day. Prayers and Cheers!

[Seasick Sailor]

[1ANGELCAT]

I’m back home. 1st one done-Pfizer- 2nd is April 12th.   
     

[Tbay]

@kazu Beautiful day in eastern Ontario yesterday.  Hope it reaches you today.

 

Enjoying the pictures of Rio, as we will be there on our next cruise.  And will stick to a HAL shore excursion.

We have a good friend who was born  in Sao Paulo. He panicked, when first  in Canada, and his now wife wanted to go for a walk by herself.  Not something that would happen in Sao Paulo.

 

Thanks to all who manage this site.

[cat shepard]

17 minutes ago, 1ANGELCAT said:

I’m back home. 1st one done-Pfizer- 2nd is April 12th.   
     

Woo hoo!🎉

[Vict0riann]

Good morning, all!  Nice to see everyone here on a Monday morning.  @1ANGELCAT, congrats! We had our first Pfizer, too.

 

We visited Rio many years ago, when we were returning to the DC area from Nairobi, and spent time there - a lot of it in H.Stern checking out the rocks!  We got some lovely geodes - DS "acquired" them when we downsized, hope he appreciates them.

 

So on our Prinsendam Grand SA (we joined Roy et al in BA) in 2019 we went in a taxi with another couple and a guide out to Niteroi, and watched the parasailing and a group of recent graduates in a park.  Then we returned to Rio and went to the Botanic Gardens, Copacabana Fort , a museum, and finally an amazing church with a golden interior (I can't remember its name, and my computer didn't know where we were!) Most of the others on the ship went to Carnaval shows and the sugarloaf - but we did have dancers on the ship that evening so we didn't feel we missed much.

 

Niteroi

 

 

At the Botanic Gardens

 

 

 

The "golden church"

 

 

Back on the ship:

 

 

 

If you can watch the video - that was the sound we heard most of the time in Brazil - very loudly!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 22, 2021 by Vict0riann

[JazzyV]

Good morning. Thanks for the Daily.

Another set of fun days! And a beautiful sunny day here.

Sourdough bread is in the oven baking.

I like the meal and drinks.

I've never been to Rio, so I look forward to all the pictures. I'd like to see the Christ the Redeemer statue, but not fond of hearing how people feel unsafe there.

 

Congrats to those getting their shots. Only 2 days until I'll be considered fully vaccinated!

 

Prayers for the care list and cheers to the celebration list.

Stay safe all and wear your mask.

 

 

[durangoscots]

Good morning. While they are threatening (or promising) showers throughout the week, right now it is sunny and fairly warm. I plan to head out to the store shortly to pick up a few items I need for the week. Suddenly I want chicken. Probably  will oven roast.

 

I have been to Rio 3 times.... once on the QE2, once on the Amsterdam and the final time on the Princendam.  The last time was Carnival..... and it rained!!!! It poured!!!!  I was glad I was not planning anything really special since they brought a show onto the ship that evening. I enjoy sight seeing with a group but not a place a would go out of my way to revisit. But glad I have been there.

 

Susan

 

 

[Cruising-along]

Good morning all!

Our weather has been typical March, unpredictable!  The weathermen try (and are usually wrong, like yesterday).  I never got out to finish planting yesterday because the afternoon turned out to be just as rainy as the morning.  Keeping fingers crossed today! I did get my gardening fix from planting some seeds indoors though.

 

I admit to singing (loudly) when I'm in the car alone, or on road trips with DH.  I think a lot of feeling "old" is psychological -- my BIL starting referring to himself as old by the time he was 40 (!!) and my Dad wouldn't admit he was old until he turned 100.  Guess who had a happier outlook on life?  😉  

 

Like others, I've been doing a lot of goofing off lately.  The manicotti meal looks SO good.  I try to stay away from pasta as much as possible, but this looks too good to turn down.  Do need to buy a few things for it, so maybe dinner tomorrow.  🙂  

 

Never have been to Rio, and after hearing about it, I don't think I want to go.  Thank you for the photos, I'll be content with those. 😃

 

@1ANGELCAT congrats getting your first jab!

@Crazy For Catsthat's great your DM is getting her first jab and you can visit later next month.

[USN59-79]

Back last night from a 4-day road trip Seattle to Denver and back.  Interesting how large motels handle the included morning breakfast.  Instead of a big spread where you choose eggs, muffins, make toast, etc. they have a coffee maker and a table with sack lunches on it.  We had a choice of one with a plain bagel, an apple and a fruit bar and one the same except a sesame seed bagel.  Except in Wyoming, most people chose to wear a mask.

In 2003 we got off in Rio after a trip from Santiago to Antarctica on the Amsterdam.  Most had signed up for excursion leaving in the morning.  It didn't happen.  After helicopters buzzed the ship as we entered the harbor, the authorities came aboard.  They wanted to fingerprint and take a picture of each passenger.  So half the passengers went to one area to get fingerprinted and the other half to another area on the ship.  Then we did the same thing to get our pictures taken.  Took til mid afternoon.  I asked one of the Brazilians why they were doing this.  They replied that Brazilians were being treated the same when they arrived at an airport in the USA after 9/11 so they needed to reciprocate.  Of course no excursions got off, the local tourist industry probably took a half a million dollar hit, but the authorities were satisfied.   I have no desire to return to Rio.

Incidentally, the speed limit in Colorado, Wyoming and Idaho is 80 mph and the traffic flows at about 90.  While my Toyota Prius Prime gets 45-50 mpg normally, it doesn't get that mileage at 90-95 mph.

[Overhead Fred]

We won't be making the manicotti but I will do some kind of baked pasta tonight using spaghetti leftovers. 

 

The ice is almost out on Lake Phalen and ducks, swans, and gulls are returning! We have rain in the forecast for the next few days and that should take care of the remaining ice cover. Here is the view from our kitchen this morning-

 

[Vict0riann]

We had a frost overnight, so I'm happy I didn't plant my peas yesterday and I hope the lettuce is okay.  We are supposed to be past all that nonsense.  The sun is shining now, but the forecast is for rain/showers all week.  My dear departed Granny always said "The sun shines every day in Victoria, even if it's only for 15 minutes."  But I have to wonder nowadays - is climate change here?

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

2 hours ago, StLouisCruisers said:

Hi all!  A beautiful sunny morning here and we plan to be around 70F.  Not sure when our clouds will move in because we have rain predicted by midweek.  A great group of days today.  I think I will goof off all day (except for reading the Daily).  I did my treadmill work before I knew I was supposed to goof off.  🙃

 

Ahh, the port of the day is Rio.  Like Kazu I can say it's not my favorite port.  That probably surprises people, but I don't like the feeling of unease I get when there.  Many cruisers have heard the stories of travelers attacked and robbed.  Before he got on the ship there with us in 2012 on the Star Princess, a fellow cruiser was taking photos of the beach in the early morning and was attacked by two armed men and robbed of his cameras, wallet, etc.  That 2012 cruise we began our journey there in Rio

so spent the night before in a hotel.  Our group was grateful to get on the ship unscathed.  We sailed Rio to San Francisco then.  Our second time there was a Ruby Princess 49 days from Ft. Lauderdale to Los Angeles.  That's the cruise we took a ship's tour to see Christ the Redeemer.  We were determined to see it and not worry too much.  

 

We stayed at the Sheraton in 2012 and this was a view from the hotel of the beaches.

 

As a group we decided to risk walking along the roadway path to an overlook to get a better look.  Wearing no jewelry and hiding our tiny point and shoot cameras as we walked, we made it safely there and back.  

 

This was Feb. 17, 2012 so close to Carnival there.  The beaches were crowded.  The following morning we got a brief tour of the city as we headed to the port for embarkation.  It was utter chaos there.  The buses were parking a block or two away and letting you drag your bags to the end of the line at the terminal building.  As you approached the line, men ran out of the building and tried grabbing your bags with no identification or anything, so most of us refused until we got to a point where we were entering and could identify the people in charge of luggage.  The lines snaked all through the building.  We vowed then and there to never embark in Rio again!

 

 

Another odd thing here was just as you left the building your carry on luggage and purses were X-rayed and examined by local authorities, then you walked out the door and up the gangway and the cruise line employees X-rayed and checked your bags again.  I have no idea why it was necessary to do it that way.

 

Later in the afternoon we prepared to sail.  The sun was setting and we were able to get several cool shots of Christ the Redeemer.  

 

 

 

 

Exactly three years to the day that we embarked the Star Princess, we arrived in Rio on the Ruby Princess on our route from Florida to California going all the way around South America.  On Feb. 18, 2015 we went on that tour to the top of the mountain to see Christ the Redeemer in person.  It was a very cloudy day but it wasn't raining so we dealt with it.  We got on a tram like this to head to the top.  By the way, that's a photo of the statue on that wall behind the tram.  It looks life like, doesn't it?  

 

 

view from the top

 

 

Sugarloaf Mountain

 

 

After our visit, walking down.

 

 

 

And a photo along the beach on our way back to the ship.

 

The bus stopped and let us out to walk on that esplanade, walk in the sand, take photos, buy goods from vendors on the beach, etc.  Enough photos however.  You'll probably see a lot of them today since Rio is a popular port (for some reason). 😏

We were on the Ruby Princess with you from FLL to LA in 2015, and we took the tour to see Christ the Redeemer on the second day in port.  The first day,  we took the ship’s tour up in the mountains to see the emperor’s summer palace.  After our tour the second day, we took the jewelry store’s shuttle into town, where we walked around a little, stopped at a grocery store for cokes, then took the shuttle back to the ship.  
 

Rio is not one of my favorite ports either, but there are some parts we like.  If I remember correctly, Maasdam was in port with us the first day.  We had an aft balcony, and we looked out on her.

 

Lenda

[Marmot@Sea]

Good Morning.

 

The sun is shining and it looks like it will be a beautiful day.

 

This song popped into my mind.  Remember to sing it outloud.

 

 

Val

[highland cruiser]

Good morning from Northern California. We are enjoying a quick road trip while grandkids are on spring break. So goof off day is just for us. 
thanks for all the news. Stay well and safe , prayers to all on the care list and congratulations to everyone who has a praise! 
 

[highland cruiser]

Why trailer pic is upside down is beyond me. Sorry.🤣

[bennybear]

Good morning and thanks all!  Enjoying the photos of Rio!  But not sure about those stories!  
I haven’t been goofing off,  helping DS unpack, as he just moved into his first house!  It’s hard while masked up and he’s taught his young dog to ring the doorbell to get in, lol!  
 

I’m so grateful I have had the first shot, the variants are up and we are top in the country, boo!  

Stay safe!  

[bennybear]

5 hours ago, Mary229 said:

Good Morning.  I will be sure to sing a song today.  Manicotti sounds great and when I drank Tom Collins was a favorite.  

 

Wishing everyone a great day.

 

Brazil is a mineral wonderland, made famous by the vast treasure trove of Amethyst found there.  

 

 

Spectacular!   

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good morning.  Like all the days, but no goofing off here as we’re busy getting the house cleaned and ready to close for the summer.  We’re also getting everything loaded on the motorhome, the patio furniture up away and the sunscreens put on the windows.  Right now depending on the weather gods and the wind, we’re planning to head to Texas Wednesday and take it slow, taking four days to get home.

 

I don’t feel old and my mind has trouble acknowledging my age, then I look in the mirror!😱

 

We’ve been to Rio twice, the first time on the old Noordam in 1999, and in 2015, on the Ruby Princess.  If I have time later, I’ll try to post some pictures.  That is one port where we take ship’s tours, and feel pretty safe.  As with most large cities, you have to be careful and stay out of unsafe areas.
 

@1ANGELCAT  Congratulations on your first shot.

@Crazy For Cats  Glad your mother is getting her shot.

 

Lenda

[StLouisCruisers]

@Vict0riannI love botanical gardens!  Thanks for the photos from Rio's.

 

@Quartzsite Cruisernice to hear we were on a cruise together once.  We cruised Princess a lot until we found Holland America in 2014.  We had scheduled two cruises on Ocean Princess to the Black Sea and Holy Land that year, but Princess was cancelling the ports left and right due to problems in Ukraine and Egypt.  HAL still had a good itinerary on Prinsendam, so we switched.  I'm so glad we did!  After that we started booking up the great HAL itineraries beginning in about 2016.  We already had a full complement of cruises booked in 2015 on Princess so no room for any HAL cruises that year.

 

Since you were on that Ruby Princess cruise, do you remember when the ship was slammed with an 80 mph wind from a squall along the coast of Chile?  I think it may have been March 1.  I was sitting in Crooners at one of the sofas placed along the windows, doing my cross stitching when it happened.  The ship listed to starboard for a minute and it practically stood me right up off the sofa, like one of those recliners that lift you right up off of them that some people use.  Unfortunately, the bartender had just unlocked all the liquor bottles and placed them on the counter prior to placing them on the protective shelving.  He walked into the back for a minute and the list happened.  All those bottles went crashing to the floor!  I could smell the alcohol all the way over to the piano on the opposite side of the bar.  Crazy!!!  

 

My next stop in Rio is scheduled on the Grand South America and Antarctica in early 2022.  I wonder if South America will be open and safe for visitors by January?

Edited March 22, 2021 by StLouisCruisers

[superoma]

Good morning all. Great news, my DH is scheduled for his first moderna shot tomorrow morning at our doctors office. No muss, no fuss. His age group opened this morning. I will schedule myself tomorrow at one of our pharmacies fi4 the astra Zeneca vaccine. That will open up to anyone 60 and older. Starting to make progress!

[Vict0riann]

37 minutes ago, highland cruiser said:

Why trailer pic is upside down is beyond me. Sorry.🤣

That has happened to me, too - someone said it's because the photo has been edited, and the only way to post it upright would be to revert to the original - but I'm pretty sure I have posted edited photos which haven't gone upside down!  Have yet to try the revert...

[cruisemom42]

6 hours ago, Mary229 said:

 

Brazil is a mineral wonderland, made famous by the vast treasure trove of Amethyst found there.  

 

 

 

Amethyst is my birthstone. I didn't know it was prevalent in Brazil! I will have to keep that in mind if I make it there in 2022...

 

Those look like overgrown rock crystal candies.