The Daily for Sunday Apr 18, 2021

[cat shepard]

1 hour ago, Seasick Sailor said:

@DeeniEncinitas Aloha Denise! I was waiting to post this til you came back.

 

Look closely at my hands:

It's a hummingbird! She whacked into the window and fell onto the ground. I picked her up so she wouldn't die alone. 😢

 

Well, I held her and stroked her when I felt her little feet hold my finger. Then she rested her beak on top of my finger and opened her eyes. Our cleaning lady took the picture. Pretty soon (10 minutes?) She flew up to our geraniums for another while. Then to the feeder and then flew to our oak tree. It was amazing! Last night at the Scavenger Hunt I was presented with a "hummingbird whisperer" mug!!

Joy, how very special! 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good afternoon.  I'm late today since we also slept late this morning.    We actually have sunshine today,  ☀️ even though it is still windy.  @dfish I definitely agree with you about the sun.

 

An interesting collection of days.  While I've juggled many things at one time when the DDs were still at home, I have never been fond of actual juggling, but I do not begrudge jugglers their day.  Enjoy reading some of the op-eds in the newspapers, but could never have been a columnist.  I much preferred reporting and writing feature stories.

 

As far as Pet Independence Daly, we no longer have pets.  However, when we had our mini dachshunds they would do their best to keep the floor clean, especially in the kitchen and around the table.  We always joked that we should hire Nikki out to help clean the floor in the Lido on BHBs.  🤣

 

The quote is very interesting.   Will celebrate HAL's 148th birthday, but wish we were celebrating on a BHB.  I will file the meal suggestion for a time when we have leftover ham.

 

@kazu  I also liked the picture of the Queen with Prince Phillip beside her.

@Seasick Sailor Great picture of you and the hummingbird.  I've always wanted to hold one, but never because it hurt or stunned itself.

@smitty34877  Enjoy your visit with you DB and DSIL.  I have a cheeky suggestion about the meal.  You could always let DB bring takeout with him.  😀

 

When I saw the port of the day, I thought we had not been there, but DH reminded me that on our second stop in Santarem in 2006, we drove through Alter do Chao on our way to Belterra.

 

We were there at the end of the rainy season, and the little beach peninsula with the huts, was under water.  You can barely see the tops of the huts.

 

The inside of the church in @rafinmd Roy showed in his pictures.

 

A couple of street scenes of Alter do Chao.

 

As I mentioned, we were on our way to Belterra, one of two rubber plantations founded by Henry Ford.  The first was Fordlandia in 1927, but it did not thrive because the native workers were badly treated.  Belterra opened in 1931, and because the workers were well treated, it was a success.  While it is no longer a rubber plantation, the town is still populated and well maintained.  In 1945, Ford sold both Belterra and Fordlandia back to the Brazilian government.

 

Along with another couple, we found a taxi driver who was willing to take us to Belterra but it took about three tries.  Unfortunately, Princess at that time (yes we were on the old Regal Princess) nor HAL now, offer tours to Belterra, which is worth a visit.

 

Our first stop was the city hall.  The people working there were very friendly and glad to have foreign visitors.  They took us into the back office and showed us pictures, documents and maps from the heyday of Belterra.

 

Some views of the houses and the main street, which was paved with bricks.

 

There was also a pretty park complete with a basketball court.  I don't remember what the monument the other couple (who's name is lost in the mists of time) is looking at.  The other two in the picture is our taxi driver and DH.

 

They still have a stand of rubber trees that are scored and where they collect the milky liquid (latex) which is about 30% rubber..

 

The people in the city hall gave our driver directions for a quicker way back to Santarem using the backroads.  We saw a lot more of the jungle, especially since our driver got lost a couple of times, making us wonder if we'd miss the ship.  We made it back to town with enough time for a stop at the museum and a quick tour of the town.  I'll save those pictures until Santarem is the port of the day.

 

Lenda

 

Edited April 18, 2021 by Quartzsite Cruiser

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Good Morning from Las Vegas!!

Many Thanks to Rich and All that contribute to this great way to gather for HAL cruisers.

 

Normally we have Sunday Early Dinner at home but since we did that yesterday we are going to use a Groupon and go to our favorite Mexican Restaurant later today and pretend we are in Mazatlan for the day on a Shore Excursion 😉  

Every day is Pet Owner's Day for us.  BTW good one Ger 😄

 

But I am still amazed that Jugglers have their own day!!

[JazzyV]

The Westerdam celebrating Hal's 148th Anniversary. From Seth Wayne's FB chat this morning with the Director of the Mariner Society (and unofficial historian) Gerald Bernhoft. It was an interesting review of the history of the line.

 

Edited April 18, 2021 by JazzyV

[Horizon chaser 1957]

Pictures of Alter Do Chao as promised. The computer was acting up, and all,the pictures seem to be either the beach or the Amsterdam. Otherwise, I seem to remember coffee shops and boutiques for tourist season. Otherwise, it was just a quiet little town.

 

The main claim to fame is the beautiful white sand beaches sheltered from the current of the Amazon River.

 

 

A cashew fruit, which is eaten but not exported. The shell on the bottom holds the familiar nut within an acidic black goo.

The portable tender dock, moved out to match the water line of the day.

Lots of beach, cafes, and B&Bs. Not much town.

Stepping away from the Welcome pavilion, where locals,and tourists mix.

 

And finally, a salute to pet owners attempting independence.

[Cruising-along]

A very late good morning all!

Another gorgeous day here. I think we'll bbq steak tonight, it's the only day out of 5 that DH isn't working for the Mariners.  Interesting collection of days, have never been to Brazil, so I'm enjoying others' photos.

 

Stay safe and have a wonderful day everyone 🙂  

 

 

[rafinmd]

This didn't fit into the shoutouts and looks like it's been pretty widely circulated but it's a local story for me and too good not to pass along.  A local woman was due to get married about a year ago and it was postponed due to Covid.  Things didn't open up and they settled on a small, private wedding and her gown just sat in the closet.  She decided she had to wear it to her first shot and was the talk of the vaccination site.

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bride-covid-vaccine-wedding-dress-pandemic-cancellation/

 

Roy

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

@Horizon chaser 1957 I copied your picture as the image the town wants the tourists to see, and as a comparison to the end of the rainy season.

 

At the end of the rainy season in April, this is how the piranhas see the same beach.  

 

Lenda

 

[Copper10-8]

Amsterdam arrived at dawn/0600 hours in Phu My, Vietnam (pronounced Foo Me as in Foo Me once, shame on you; Foo Me twice, shame on me 😉), the port city for, and gateway to, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), formerly (prior to 1975 and the end of the Vietnam War) known as Saigon (many inhabitants of HMC still refer to it as Saigon). 

 

Phu My is a large industrial container port on the Thi Vai river basin along the coastline of Vung Tau province, and that's really about it; lots of gantry cranes (a type of overhead crane with a single or double girder configuration supported by freestanding legs that move on wheels or along a track or rail system) and miles and miles of concrete. Similar to Xingang, Beijing's port city in the People's Republic of China, it's either a ship's tour to HMC, a pre-organized private tour, or perhaps a 45-min. taxi ride to semi-nearby Vung Tau and its beaches.

 

Upon arrival, we had to deal with the tracks of such a gantry crane system in that those bad boys were located right smack at the end of the A-Deck gangway, an obvious tripping hazard. We solved that issue by having Amsterdam's lifesaving attendants (the "boatmen") use one of their platform and ramp systems to cover the tracks. The main gangway (we were once again using our long gangway stored on the bow) was hooked up to Deck 2.

 

The next "fire" to put out was the sighting and reporting by an "on the ball" crew member of a suspicious bag located just outside the fwd crew elevator on A-Deck, not far away (via a fire screen door) of the gangway, so that had to be investigated. It turned out to be a piece of equipment from fire station No. 5 that had been left by a member of the fire support team after the fire drill. Kudos to the crew member who called the bridge to report it! In our various briefings to crew we stress "better be safe than sorry" ad "if it doesn't like right to you with little bells going off in your head, then report it" so I asked the EO (environmental officer) to issue one of his "see something, say something, do something" coins to that particular crew member for a job well done

 

Soon, the majority of Amsterdam's pax were on their way to (mostly) Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon, on the average a two-hour bus ride, to take in the sights that that vibrant South-East Asian city has to offer such as the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, Thien Hau Temple, the Ben Thanh Market, to name a few. No time for moi today to follow them, as I would be preoccupied with meetings, drills and paperwork. Amsterdam would depart Phu My around 1800 hours/6:00 PM, destination Singapore after one sea day (lots of sea days on this itinerary which is just great as far as I'm concerned; lost of time to catch up and recharge batteries!) 😉    

[Crazy For Cats]

Good Afternoon All, the only way I can celebrate pet owners independence is on a BHB.  Otherwise I’m happy to obey their demands of feeding and treat giving.  Back in the day I considered a few newspaper columnists must reading.    I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the day?

[Horizon chaser 1957]

27 minutes ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

At the end of the rainy season in April, this is how the piranhas see the same beach.  

 

Lenda

 

😳😱 Oh my! I think I prefer the long, sandy walk from the movable tender dock! Thanks for the contrast No wonder a lot of people don’t like Alter De Chao! 💦🌊

[bobpatj]

In January, 2011, we sailed the Amazon to Alter do Chao, the port before Belem, on Prinsendam. I don’t have many photos and no notes about our tour there.  We visited the Santa Lucia Arboretum ( I took a picture of the sign) but am happy to view others’ pictures.

[ger_77]

@Copper10-8 we were at Phu My in March, 2019 on our SE Asia cruise and took a private tour to Ho Chi Minh City.  What an amazing place - had tri-shaw rides, saw American tanks at the Reunification Palace, had a lovely lunch, and so much more.  The only thing I wasn't comfortable doing was going down to the bunkers . . . claustrophobia.  We were about 1/2 way to the other side and I had to make a break for it.  *shudder*   I'd love to go back to that area of the world again, it was really eye-opening and so beautiful.

 

Smooth Sailing!  🙂🙂🙂

Gerry

[CrabbyPatti]

Good Morning Everyone!

         Thank you to all who post, I really enjoy the pictures of your travels and the comments, gives me thoughts about future journeys for us!

         Today it is beautiful spring day, supposed to get to 84 degrees!  We are going to celebrate my Mom's 84th birthday with a BBQ at my daughters place.  Mom and all of the adults except my daughter (who can't get the vaccine) have been vaccinated, except the children, we will be outside.  Mom was adamant after 13 months of not seeing her grand kids and great grand kids she wants to see them!  Its our usual family bubble just adding Mom to the group today.

        My 2 daughters and I split up the menu and keeping it simple for the day.

       It will be nice to sit in the yard and watch her visit with the kids, the past year her visits have been via the phone.

       Stay safe and enjoy this beautiful day!

 

Denise

[bennybear]

Good day and thanks all!  
@kazu I really liked the drawing of the Queen.   
DH and I were flummoxed about what happened to the casket when we were watching, then it all made sense.

We had a gorgeous summery day yesterday, today a snow storm!  
 

for Jacqui! 
 

 

 

[garlictown]

😎It's a warm one here.....still just "on-line" for church service even though it's now open with reservations for % of seating. We have become used to sitting with our ☕ in a comfy chair, LOL!😉

Thank You for the Daily and Happy Weekend.....wish I was back in Maui!🌴

Yes to Brazil but not that particular port ....the Viking ship stopped at quite a few cities in 2019. The cruise is a bit more pricey but I like the way they organize the tours/excursions.

Prayers to all in need!🙏

 

[rafinmd]

From @Copper10-8

 

This reminds me of Luke Burrage who I saw perform once on Queen Victoria and several times on Prinsendam (he mused that he had to modify his act a bit for Prinsendam's single level showroom).  Near the end of his act he always asked "Would you like to see something tricky and hard or something dangerous and stupid".  Of course the answer was predictably dangerous and stupid.

 

Roy

 

[Copper10-8]

4 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

From @Copper10-8

 

This reminds me of Luke Burrage who I saw perform once on Queen Victoria and several times on Prinsendam (he mused that he had to modify his act a bit for Prinsendam's single level showroom).  Near the end of his act he always asked "Would you like to see something tricky and hard or something dangerous and stupid".  Of course the answer was predictably dangerous and stupid.

 

Roy

 

 

 

Ever seen comedian / juggler Barnaby (RIP) on HAL? "It's all part of the act, folks" Hilarious!  😂

[rafinmd]

Just now, Copper10-8 said:

 

 

Ever seen comedian / juggler Barnaby (RIP) on HAL? "It's all part of the act, folks" Hilarious!  😂

 

I have not.  I wonder if he was before my time.

 

Roy

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

24 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

 

Ever seen comedian / juggler Barnaby (RIP) on HAL? "It's all part of the act, folks" Hilarious!  😂

That brings back memories of cruises long past.

[smitty34877]

@Quartzsite Cruiser, I  was  previewing  the  menu  for  tomorrow  with  DB and  told  him  of  your  cheeky  suggestion. He  allowed as  how  others  have  felt  the  same  way,including  our  own  mother! I  made  our  mom's  recipe  for  lentil,spinach  and  potato soup  but  left  out  the  garlic  in  his  honor. He  dislikes  onions  also  but  we  have  learned  over  the  years  to  use  shallots  instead. He  told  me that  it  sounded  good so  all  I  will  have  to  do  is  make  a  salad  and  a  dessert  the  rest  of  us  will  enjoy....Terry

[cruzn single]

 @Seasick Sailor, your Hummingbird story is so special.  What an incredible experience..

 

it is bright , sunny, and in the 60’s. Hopefully nicer weather is o. The horizon for us.  We had an all day rain a few days ago, and it still was than 1” of moisture

 

All of these ports are making my “want to see” list longer.  Not sure if I want to go to Australia or Norway more.  I think both would be great choices.

 

have a great day, everyone.

[kazu]

1 hour ago, bennybear said:

Good day and thanks all!  
@kazu I really liked the drawing of the Queen.   
DH and I were flummoxed about what happened to the casket when we were watching, then it all made sense.

We had a gorgeous summery day yesterday, today a snow storm!  
 

for Jacqui! 
 

 

 

 

Are you trying to encourage me to drink wine, Brenda?  😂 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

37 minutes ago, smitty34877 said:

@Quartzsite Cruiser, I  was  previewing  the  menu  for  tomorrow  with  DB and  told  him  of  your  cheeky  suggestion. He  allowed as  how  others  have  felt  the  same  way,including  our  own  mother! I  made  our  mom's  recipe  for  lentil,spinach  and  potato soup  but  left  out  the  garlic  in  his  honor. He  dislikes  onions  also  but  we  have  learned  over  the  years  to  use  shallots  instead. He  told  me that  it  sounded  good so  all  I  will  have  to  do  is  make  a  salad  and  a  dessert  the  rest  of  us  will  enjoy....Terry

Sounds like you came up with a good solution.  Glad he wasn't offended by my cheeky suggestion.

 

Enjoy your visit.

 

Lenda

[DeeniEncinitas]

6 hours ago, cat shepard said:

Gorgeous pictures, Denise! And I would not call you selfish at all. Enjoy your recuperative downtime!❤️

🌺🌺Aloha my sister!! Dear Ann thank you for what you said. I am a very sensitive person and felt so guilty for not being out to help again. David told me I have done a lot 

and know that I have helped many. The ride to Costco is always nice and stocked up and at our local grocery store

Safeway for some awesome 

Poki!  I am glad your dermatology appt. went well too!

Take care

🌺 Denise