JOHN AND DIANE ARE AT IT AGAIN!

[REOVA]

Yes Barbara Haenni is irreplaceable, RIP. 

 

You will love Tobago. 

[sandiego1]

Sounds like Kimberly is an improvement over the 2023 WC Cruise Director!

[Sir PMP]

2 hours ago, Johnny B said:

January 6, 2024 - En route to Tobago

 

The best way to start a world cruise, I am convinced, is three days at sea.  There is luggage to empty and put away, old friends to greet, activities to plan, and jet lag to overcome (for some of us).  Our friends Greg and Heo flew in from Sydney four days before the cruise, and they’re still having a bit of “lag.”  Those who haven’t been aboard the Zuiderdam have a ship to explore and figure out if they’re going the right or wrong direction.  In November, when we enjoyed a 7-day cruise on the Koningsdam, we went the wrong way more than once, even though we’d sailed on her before.  It’s just a really good way to begin our 128 days.  Tomorrow is Tobago, and I think we’re all now ready to face the ports, some more willingly than others.

 

This morning John and I attended a lecture on Tobago, presented by Kimberley, our Cruise and Travel Director, and boy, were we impressed.  We were used to our friend Barbara Haeni for several years, whose title varied, but most recently was Port Lecturer.  Barbara had been everywhere, knew everything about it, and happily shared her knowledge with anyone who asked.  She could give you directions to a shop in Singapore that sold Chinese attire for the next formal night on board or to a coffee shop in Naples that made “the best cappuccino ever.”  After she retired, we really noticed a difference, simply because the individuals in that role didn’t have the experience.  Now the job of Cruise Director has been combined with what was the Port Lecturer, which I’m sure is an enormous challenge for any individual.  Kimberley may not have been everywhere, but she certainly does her homework and introduced a full World Stage audience to tomorrow’s port, making it informational and interesting.  We gained knowledge (without a sales pitch for shore excursions) and got pretty darned excited about tomorrow’s visit.

 

After lunch, it was time for John to head up to pickleball and for me to head to the Explorer’s Lounge for the “Booklover’s Meetup.”  The room was full, and Kimberley (who ran the “meetup”) gave everyone a chance to recommend a book that they were currently reading or had read in the past and could highly recommend.  Meanwhile, she was taking notes on the books, and she will type up a list of them, along with brief summaries and reviews, and deliver the list to each of the attendees.  I don’t know when Kimberley sleeps!  It turned out that the woman next to whom I was sitting is a published author, and while she spoke, I looked her up on Amazon.  I had expected a book which I might not enjoy, but my “flawless first impression” led me to a long list of her novels, most of which sounded incredibly interesting.  A man sitting in the back, who told us he only came because he saw his wife sitting there, turned out to have published several non-fiction books on birds and birding, including a 2-volume, 1000-page book on the evolution of birds in Texas from European settlement to today.  It may not be my cup of tea, but I am impressed.

 

This evening is the “Captain’s Welcome,” an event which begins every world cruise.  so that we may meet 18 of the ship’s officers.  Champagne will be poured so that we may toast the beginning of our Grand World Voyage.  The World Stage will be jam packed with passengers who are excited to begin this great adventure, no matter how many world (or other) cruises they’ve been on.  It is always such an honor to share in the adventure of a world cruise, seeing some new places and re-visiting destinations which have become old friends.  Of course on this cruise, because of the current world situation, some of the ports have already been cancelled and others are in jeopardy, but as long as we’re on board, we’re quite happy.

You may know (or not) that our three Israeli ports have been cancelled - for obvious reasons, and now there is some question about the Red Sea and Suez Canal.  This is certainly a “wait and see” cruise, but we’re still excited to be a part of it.   

 

Yes, there is a good chance that, after Hong Kong, you might be heading towards South Africa and come home that way unless they want to do Australia and come through the South Pacific.

[bennybear]

Glad to be following along!  How exciting to have authors onboard!  

[Pauanui]

Hello, great to see you enjoying another World Cruise, hope you have a blast!

 

have you been able to get another table? Hope it’s a good one?

 

funny that another WC blogger is now at table 66 😊

 

have fun and keep your great daily updates coming.

[Johnny B]

Sunday, January 7, 2024

Tobago (Part of Trinidad and Tobago)

 

After three blissful days at sea, we arrived at our first port, Scarborough, Tobago.  Our first challenge was to learn the correct pronunciation.  Was it Tobaigo or Tobahgo?  We heard both on the ship, but when we walked ashore, we heard the locals welcoming us to Tobaigo, so that’s what we used the rest of the day.  Speaking of the people here, they  are friendly and helpful.  The only drawback was that it was Sunday, so almost everything was closed, and it seems that most of the residents spend a good part of the day in church.  In the middle of a downpour, we dashed into a little mall, where a church service was being broadcast.  The music was great and the pastor broke up her sermon between songs so that listeners could focus on one part at a time.  Maybe I’ll suggest that to our minister at home!

 

Tobago is the “little sister” of this fairly new country, Trinidad and Tobago, which gained its independence in 1962.   It is smaller, than Trinidad, and has less development, fewer people, and one of the most beautiful nature reserves in the world.  In fact, we read that the reserve here, covering thousands of acres, was the very first in the Western Hemisphere.  We had considered hiring a taxi to tour the reserve, but then the rain started and we gave up that idea.  From hot and sunny to light sprinkles, to a heavy downpour, still in the 80’s, the weather here seems pretty changeable.

 

Finally the rain stopped and we decided that it was time to go to the beach.  While watching a couple of YouTube videos at home, we learned that the best beach was Pigeon Point, at the “bottom” of the island. it’s about a 20-minute drive and, since taxis have set prices, we also found out that the drive would be $25.00 US each way.  That seemed reasonable, since it guaranteed that our driver would come back to pick us up at a set time.

 

The drive to Pigeon Point was not only interesting but beautiful.  We drove alongside the white beaches and turquoise waters on the left and some colorful houses and a great deal of rich foliage on the right.  Our driver, Alexander, told us bits and pieces about his island, where he was born and has always lived.

 

We had been told that Pigeon Point was a national park with an admission fee of $7.00, but were  pleased to find out the fee was per car instead of per person.  Alexander dropped us off near the beach, snack shack and restrooms, agreeing to return for us at 2:00, giving us a little more than two hours to enjoy ourselves and have a local lunch.

 

Making our way between the restrooms and the cafe, we came upon a truly beautiful beach.  The sand could not have been whiter and the 85 degree water could not have been more beautiful.  Groups of people were splashing around, making me kick myself for not bringing my swimsuit. We settled down on the concrete benches of a concrete table to enjoy the views, wet our toes in the warm water, and decide what to do about lunch.  I’m a sun fan, but I quickly moved to the shady side of the table because it was just too hot.

 

After perusing the menu on the wall, John decided on fish tacos and the grilled pork looked good to me.  Then he found the drinks list so, figuring that this was a lot like Hawaii, we ordered two mai tais.  We were reminded that we were in the tropics so we patiently waited, and waited, and waited for lunch.  However, that gave us time to begin chatting with Sid at the next table, learning that he and his wife were from near Toronto and that they come to Tobago for two weeks every Christmas to stay with his wife’s grandmother who lives here.  I can certainly understand the draw - and Christmas weather is bound to be better here than in  Toronto!

 

Our food and drinks did eventually arrive, giving us time to work up an appetite and really enjoy our lunch.  My pork was nicely grilled with crispy bits, and a small side salad accompanied it.

John’s tacos were huge, and when he looked he said, “If I’d known they were this big, I would have only ordered one.”  Clearly, the servers knew how to use rum in the drinks, because I had to sip mine slowly.

 

Because of my torn meniscus, I couldn’t join John in his walk down the quarter mile of beautiful white-sand beach, but he took some great photos and splashed in the water a bit.

By then it was almost 2:00, so we walked back to the pickup point, where Alexander was patiently waiting for us.  It was another beautiful drive back ( this time I was on the ocean side of the car), and even though it was only 2:30 with an all-aboard time time 4:30, we were really tired from the sun, so an afternoon nap was on the agenda.  We awoke in time for sailaway, where we enjoyed tasty appetizers and the company of some of our friends.  Finally the wind really started to come up, so we headed inside to get ready for dinner.

 

Altogether it was a lovely day with a beautiful port, friendly people, a gorgeous beach as well as a visit to a new port and country for us.

 

[Sea42]

How fun it must be to be able to explore a new port. I'm guessing that doesn't happen too often for you!

Thanks so much for sharing your experiences with us.

[St Pete Cruiser]

On 1/6/2024 at 2:21 PM, Johnny B said:

January 6, 2024 - En route to Tobago

 

The best way to start a world cruise, I am convinced, is three days at sea.  There is luggage to empty and put away, old friends to greet, activities to plan, and jet lag to overcome (for some of us).  Our friends Greg and Heo flew in from Sydney four days before the cruise, and they’re still having a bit of “lag.”  Those who haven’t been aboard the Zuiderdam have a ship to explore and figure out if they’re going the right or wrong direction.  In November, when we enjoyed a 7-day cruise on the Koningsdam, we went the wrong way more than once, even though we’d sailed on her before.  It’s just a really good way to begin our 128 days.  Tomorrow is Tobago, and I think we’re all now ready to face the ports, some more willingly than others.

 

This morning John and I attended a lecture on Tobago, presented by Kimberley, our Cruise and Travel Director, and boy, were we impressed.  We were used to our friend Barbara Haeni for several years, whose title varied, but most recently was Port Lecturer.  Barbara had been everywhere, knew everything about it, and happily shared her knowledge with anyone who asked.  She could give you directions to a shop in Singapore that sold Chinese attire for the next formal night on board or to a coffee shop in Naples that made “the best cappuccino ever.”  After she retired, we really noticed a difference, simply because the individuals in that role didn’t have the experience.  Now the job of Cruise Director has been combined with what was the Port Lecturer, which I’m sure is an enormous challenge for any individual.  Kimberley may not have been everywhere, but she certainly does her homework and introduced a full World Stage audience to tomorrow’s port, making it informational and interesting.  We gained knowledge (without a sales pitch for shore excursions) and got pretty darned excited about tomorrow’s visit.

 

After lunch, it was time for John to head up to pickleball and for me to head to the Explorer’s Lounge for the “Booklover’s Meetup.”  The room was full, and Kimberley (who ran the “meetup”) gave everyone a chance to recommend a book that they were currently reading or had read in the past and could highly recommend.  Meanwhile, she was taking notes on the books, and she will type up a list of them, along with brief summaries and reviews, and deliver the list to each of the attendees.  I don’t know when Kimberley sleeps!  It turned out that the woman next to whom I was sitting is a published author, and while she spoke, I looked her up on Amazon.  I had expected a book which I might not enjoy, but my “flawless first impression” led me to a long list of her novels, most of which sounded incredibly interesting.  A man sitting in the back, who told us he only came because he saw his wife sitting there, turned out to have published several non-fiction books on birds and birding, including a 2-volume, 1000-page book on the evolution of birds in Texas from European settlement to today.  It may not be my cup of tea, but I am impressed.

 

This evening is the “Captain’s Welcome,” an event which begins every world cruise.  so that we may meet 18 of the ship’s officers.  Champagne will be poured so that we may toast the beginning of our Grand World Voyage.  The World Stage will be jam packed with passengers who are excited to begin this great adventure, no matter how many world (or other) cruises they’ve been on.  It is always such an honor to share in the adventure of a world cruise, seeing some new places and re-visiting destinations which have become old friends.  Of course on this cruise, because of the current world situation, some of the ports have already been cancelled and others are in jeopardy, but as long as we’re on board, we’re quite happy.

You may know (or not) that our three Israeli ports have been cancelled - for obvious reasons, and now there is some question about the Red Sea and Suez Canal.  This is certainly a “wait and see” cruise, but we’re still excited to be a part of it.   

 

Yes, Barbara Haney was a jewel. We invited her to have dinner with us on the Volendam as her career came to a close and she was still delightful.

[Johnny B]

Monday, January 8 and Tuesday, January 9

At Sea and visiting Devil’s Island

 

We had a wonderfully relaxing sea day, during which I tried to improve my French, visit with friends and read about a few of the books that were highlighted in our Booklovers meetup.  I still don’t know how Stephanie managed to not only list the books but provide summaries and reviews of each.  The document which she provided to each of the meetup attendees was 11 pages, double sided.  It has taken me more time to read through it than I think it took her to write, assemble, and distribute it.  This will give me reading material for a couple of years, at least.

 

John, of course, spent his sea day playing pickle ball, both morning and afternoon.  They try to play pickleball, but if the wind is too strong they resort to paddle tennis.  That wouldn’t be so bad except that shortly before we left home he pulled a muscle in his right forearm, so as soon as he comes back into the cabin, he heads for the bag of ice.  Does he get any sympathy from me?  Of course not!  But he does love both the game and the interaction with others.  Heck, he makes more friends playing pickle ball than I do with other activities.  We even stay in touch with two couples from last year’s pickle ball games on the WC and had dinner with Peter and Ellen in San Diego the night before we sailed on a 7-day California Coastal cruise.

 

Today was a repeat port for us, but a fascinating one.  If you’ve ever read Papillon or seen the movie, you know it told the story of Henri Charriere, an escapee from Devil’s Island, only one of two men ever to succeed in this almost impossible task.  Devil’s Island is actually a small group of three rocky islands, only one of which we may visit.  Its name is Isle Royale, and it was also part of the prison.  I guess the best comparison here is Alcatraz, where prisoners were held in the heat of the tropics in the middle of incredibly rough seas.  These islands are part of French Guiana, so the language is French and we were able to use some of our euros for beverages.

 

What most call Devil’s Island is now called Iles du Salut, and was the prison to Alfred Dreyfus for four years.  Many political prisoners were held here and, sadly, statistics say that only a third of the convicts sent to Devil’s Island ever returned to France.  During WW I, the island was used to incarcerate spies and deserters.  The last prisoner did not leave Devil’s Island until 1953.

 

After disembarking our tender, we hiked along the side of the island (saying hello to an iguana along the way) and then continued all around the island, seeing many abandoned buildings overrun with tropical plants.  There is a prisoners’ swimming pool, an area of the surrounding ocean surrounded with a wall of stones to keep out sharks and the worst of the ocean tidal action.  There were  prisoner dormitories, workshops, an infirmary, a chapel, a cemetery, and houses for the administrators.  A hotel has now been added along with a restaurant, and that provided us a visit to the bar and then a rest stop on the verandah.

 

John took some great photos, so if you’re interested, they’re posted on Facebook at

johnanddiane st john.

 

 

And if a visit to such a memorable place as Devil’s Island isn’t enough, we had a wonderful sailaway party on the aft deck.  So far, the sailaway parties have been head and shoulders above last year’s.  For example, today there was a variety of appetizers including arancini, tempura shrimp, and salmon mousse on crostini.  We even had a live band playing for everyone’s enjoyment.  I think we have Gus Antorcha to thank for this improvement as well as others we’ve noticed.  Thanks, Gus.

 

[57redbird]

23 minutes ago, Johnny B said:

Monday, January 8 and Tuesday, January 9

At Sea and visiting Devil’s Island

 

We had a wonderfully relaxing sea day, during which I tried to improve my French, visit with friends and read about a few of the books that were highlighted in our Booklovers meetup.  I still don’t know how Stephanie managed to not only list the books but provide summaries and reviews of each.  The document which she provided to each of the meetup attendees was 11 pages, double sided.  It has taken me more time to read through it than I think it took her to write, assemble, and distribute it.  This will give me reading material for a couple of years, at least.

 

John, of course, spent his sea day playing pickle ball, both morning and afternoon.  They try to play pickleball, but if the wind is too strong they resort to paddle tennis.  That wouldn’t be so bad except that shortly before we left home he pulled a muscle in his right forearm, so as soon as he comes back into the cabin, he heads for the bag of ice.  Does he get any sympathy from me?  Of course not!  But he does love both the game and the interaction with others.  Heck, he makes more friends playing pickle ball than I do with other activities.  We even stay in touch with two couples from last year’s pickle ball games on the WC and had dinner with Peter and Ellen in San Diego the night before we sailed on a 7-day California Coastal cruise.

 

Today was a repeat port for us, but a fascinating one.  If you’ve ever read Papillon or seen the movie, you know it told the story of Henri Charriere, an escapee from Devil’s Island, only one of two men ever to succeed in this almost impossible task.  Devil’s Island is actually a small group of three rocky islands, only one of which we may visit.  Its name is Isle Royale, and it was also part of the prison.  I guess the best comparison here is Alcatraz, where prisoners were held in the heat of the tropics in the middle of incredibly rough seas.  These islands are part of French Guiana, so the language is French and we were able to use some of our euros for beverages.

 

What most call Devil’s Island is now called Iles du Salut, and was the prison to Alfred Dreyfus for four years.  Many political prisoners were held here and, sadly, statistics say that only a third of the convicts sent to Devil’s Island ever returned to France.  During WW I, the island was used to incarcerate spies and deserters.  The last prisoner did not leave Devil’s Island until 1953.

 

After disembarking our tender, we hiked along the side of the island (saying hello to an iguana along the way) and then continued all around the island, seeing many abandoned buildings overrun with tropical plants.  There is a prisoners’ swimming pool, an area of the surrounding ocean surrounded with a wall of stones to keep out sharks and the worst of the ocean tidal action.  There were  prisoner dormitories, workshops, an infirmary, a chapel, a cemetery, and houses for the administrators.  A hotel has now been added along with a restaurant, and that provided us a visit to the bar and then a rest stop on the verandah.

 

John took some great photos, so if you’re interested, they’re posted on Facebook at

johnanddiane st john.

 

 

And if a visit to such a memorable place as Devil’s Island isn’t enough, we had a wonderful sailaway party on the aft deck.  So far, the sailaway parties have been head and shoulders above last year’s.  For example, today there was a variety of appetizers including arancini, tempura shrimp, and salmon mousse on crostini.  We even had a live band playing for everyone’s enjoyment.  I think we have Gus Antorcha to thank for this improvement as well as others we’ve noticed.  Thanks, Gus.

 

Can't find your FB address...

[Johnny B]

On 1/9/2024 at 1:04 PM, 57redbird said:

Can't find your FB address...

It's on our page as DianeandJohn St John (no periods).  I don't know if it's case sensitive or not, but that's what our  page says.  Good luck - John has some great photos. 

[Johnny B]

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

At Sea en route to Alter do Chao, Brazil

(and, coincidentally, crossing the Equator)

 

As you know, I love sea days, but this is one like no other we’ve experienced.  We began this morning in the beautiful blue Atlantic between Devil’s Island and Brazil, and as we sailed into the Amazon River, the blue water turned to lighter blue and then to tan and now, at 5:00 PM, to a muddy brown.  Every day, about 1.3 million tons of sediment empty from the mouth of the Amazon into the Atlantic Ocean, resulting in a milky brown color.  The fresh (?) Amazon water flows into the Atlantic for almost a hundred miles.  Virtually all of the sediment that reaches the Ocean has traveled from the foothills of the Andes mountains, contributing to about 85 to 90 percent of it.

 

The effects of the sediment are not  just changing the color of the water; it’s loaded with nutrients that make the entire Amazon area rich in feeding both plants and therefore animals, especially fish.  Those vicious  piranhas that I watched strip a cow down to just bones in scary movies when I was a child were fed by the sediment, but were highly exaggerated in their ability to eat entire animals.

 

Sailing up the Amazon was a real highlight of this cruise for us, and now that we don’t need the blasted visas (until  April 10 if you’re interested), John has just had his approved and it should arrive via email any day now.  The villages we’ll visit are still very primitive, even though there are passenger ships that sail past and occasionally stop.  For example, the village we’ll visit tomorrow has about a hundred residents, including two buildings clearly labeled “Restaurant” and “Bar.”  The idea that there are 1200 of us on board makes me wonder how the day will go.  I imagine that markets will have been set up, but we’ll only be there in the afternoon, so it will be interesting to see what happens.

 

Since the Amazon is famous for its mosquitos and malaria. we’ve each  brought along a prescription of Malarone to keep the former from giving us the latter.  The directions tell us to take one the day before entering a malaria area, then one each day while there, and then for seven days afterward.  We brought Malarone for a trip to India once before, but after about five days into our drug regimen we both had nasty side effects so stopped taking them.  We’re also equipped with cans of spray with DEET for our skin and clothes as well as little wipes that serve the same purpose.  Unlike most diseases, malaria is particularly nasty because it can recur without any further exposure as long as 50 (yes, 50) years after you’ve had it.  That’s a great incentive to take our pills and spray our skin and clothes.

 

Now that I’ve dealt with the less lovely parts of visiting the Amazon, one of the best parts is the Oi Brasil group that has joined us on board.  Our first exposure to this talented group was in the Rolling Stone Lounge last evening.  We were watching the dancers (no dancing until my meniscus gets better) and noticed that two women and one man were dancing beautifully together and it became obvious that their dancing was highly choreographed.  All three were tall, slender and incredibly good dancers.  They will be part of a dance troupe performing the evening of our visit to Santarem as well as teaching samba, ballroom dancing, Capoeira (rhythm, strength and self-defense) and Acai jewelry arts and crafts while they’re on board.   There will also be a couple of speakers in the World Stage, today’s being “Beliefs, Legends and Myths from the Amazon.”  All in all, any of us who are interested in more than the muddy water will be learning a great deal.

 

While I’m sure there are some passengers who will not even get off the ship while we’re on the Amazon, most of us will explore to our heart’s content, from the small villages to the city of Manaus, with more than two million citizens and the only opera house in the Amazon rainforest.

[Sir PMP]

Macapa is just a stop for pilot pick up, lots of pickpocket problems there, watch out. The 2 you don't want to miss are Boca de Valeria and Parintins, and I don't think you're stopping there but Alter de Chao is a beauty and safe.

[RuthC]

3 hours ago, Johnny B said:

It's on our page as DianeandJohn St John (no periods).  I don't know if it's case sensitive or not, but that's what our  page says.  Good luck - John has some great photos. 

I can find you on FB, but can't do anything more, other than send a friend request or Messenger you. Your identity is not case sensitive, as I found it both ways, also with and without the space between your first names and last name. 
I suspect you have your privacy settings so tight that no one who isn't already a friend can get into anything (good job, btw.)

[Johnny B]

Thursday, January 11, 2024

Basically a Sea Day - sort of

 

Well, I guess I need new glasses.  When reading the itinerary yesterday, I wrote about Alter do Chao as today’s port, and I was simply wrong.  Today is actually the town of Macapa (thank you, Sir PMP), and it’s not a port but a place where we can board a pilot.  Everything I wrote about Alter do Chao is correct, but it’s tomorrow, not today.

 

What we learned from the captain’s midday talk yesterday was that the Amazon is, as many of you may know, at a very low level and in order to sail and not run aground, we are cruising at about 1 knot in this area, where the water level is less than 30 feet and only because our ship has such a shallow draft are we able to sail - even at such low speeds.  That means that the view from our verandah looks like we’re at anchor somewhere.  I guess we’ll gain some speed as we head upriver, so it doesn’t take us until Christmas to visit Manaus.

 

One request that the captain has made of the passengers is to use as little water as possible, including laundry, showers, sinks, flushing, etc.  At the same time, however, we are reminded to stay hydrated because of the heat in the Amazon basin.  The two requests seem contradictory, but both are necessary.  Another communication from Captain Frank has to do with our crossing of the Equator yesterday.  We received a funny little card yesterday from “King Neptune” telling us that we’d be crossing the Equator again when we leave the Amazon and that our King Neptune ceremony would take place at that time.  We’ve watched the ceremony many times, but I always find it great fun and join in the “Kiss the Fish” cheer.  I imagine those who are covered in pink, blue and green foam are glad that it’s not fish guts anymore!

 

Last year we were disappointed in the evening entertainment but this year we haven’t missed a show.  I think we still get credit for leaving one show early, since that comedian didn’t make me laugh once in the 15 minutes we stayed.  Last night we saw Camila Andrade for the second time, and she has such a beautiful voice.  On Friday, we have a return visit from Chris Ritchie who is listed as an impressionist, but is actually a singer who “covers” famous songs with the sound of the original artist.  We do enjoy the Zuiderdam Singers and Dancers, a group we’ve known since our 2022 South Pacific voyage.  This evening, the World Stage entertainment is a movie (Golda), but like most of the passengers, we’ll be going up around the Lido pool to enjoy Brazilian Social Night, an event to celebrate Brazilian New Year.  It will feature performances by Oi Brasil Cultural Ambassadors as well as the aforementioned Camila Andrade. It should be fun, as are most of the Lido poolside parties.

 

This evening will be the first Cellarmaster Dinner, a collaboration between the head chef and Jacques, the ship’s cellarmaster.  We took a peek  at the menu and found many of our favorites, beginning with pate paired with sparkling rose (which I love) and ending with a chocolate pot au creme served with port (not my favorite).  Of course they give me too much to eat, but I’ll enjoy every bite.  I did get into the gym this morning to visit the scale, and I must say I do like my weight better in kilos.

 

Of course I do love an extra sea day, but I’m really looking forward to our first Amazonian port tomorrow - which I did my best to describe yesterday.

 

 

 

[Sea42]

13 hours ago, RuthC said:

I can find you on FB, but can't do anything more, other than send a friend request or Messenger you. Your identity is not case sensitive, as I found it both ways, also with and without the space between your first names and last name. 
I suspect you have your privacy settings so tight that no one who isn't already a friend can get into anything (good job, btw.)

https://www.facebook.com/dianeandjohn

Here are others if you're interested

https://www.theinsidecabin.com/world_cruise_blogs/

 

[RuthC]

6 hours ago, Sea42 said:

https://www.facebook.com/dianeandjohn

Here are others if you're interested

https://www.theinsidecabin.com/world_cruise_blogs/

Thank you for the link. I have the night off from any other tasks, so can spend some time on their page. 

I already read Pete's blog, along with a few others. Some come in via email, as I subscribe, but with a couple of others I have to go looking. 

[Johnny B]

Friday, January 12, 2024

Alter do Chao, Brazil

 

Yesterday was wonderful, from one end to the other.  After figuring out that it was a sea day (talk about feeling dumb), we used the day to relax, read, do French lessons, and, of course, play pickle ball.  It was so hot and humid that John returned wearing a soaking wet tee shirt and feeling like he’d been run over by a truck.  But last evening was just the best.  At 6:00, we joined our friends Martha and Bob in The Pinnacle for the first cellar master dinner of the cruise - and was it wonderful.Our friend Jacques, the Cellarmaster, worked with Tiffany, the ship’s executive sous chef, to come up with a delightful menu, to which Jacque added paired wines.

 

We began with a glass of Le Grand Courtage Brut Rose, a sparkling French wine.  It went nicely with the first course of foie gras, followed by mushroom and artichoke soup with a Washington state dry Riesling.  John said afterwards that the soup was his favorite course.

Our “salad” was made of warm sliced lobster, accompanied by tiny asparagus spears and Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, my favorite wine of the evening.  Our main course, beef tenderloin, was paired with an Italian Valpolicella, and even thought I’m not much of a beef eater, I thought it was delicious.  The final delight was a chocolate pot au creme (fancy French chocolate pudding) with a couple of toasted marshmallows on the side.  There was port served with dessert, but we took a pass.

 

Overall, all four of us decided that Jacques and Tiffany  created a wonderful menu, and we’re all looking forward to the next Cellar Master dinner, which will have an Italian theme.

 

After three hours at dinner, it was time to go work it off, so we headed upstairs to the area around the Lido pool for a show put on by Oi Brasil, the cultural group which has accompanied us since Tobago and I believe will stay on for the rest of our Brazilian ports.  When they put on a show, they really put on a show.  The costumes were incredible, with brightly-colored feathers reaching two feet above their heads, and the dancing amazed us.  We took lots of photos and wondered how they could dance like that.  It was like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, but with skimpy, colorful outfits and lots and lots of feathers.  We had a great time, and my trip around the pool with the conga line was way too much fun.

 

Of course we slept late this morning, until almost 7:30, but we knew that we weren’t arriving at our port until 10:30 so we had plenty of time to do all our regular morning things. We had been told that Alter do Chao was a lovely, undiscovered little port, and that was the absolute truth.  From the ship we could see miles and miles of golden sandy beaches and  when we tendered ashore we were able to visit a small part of them.  Ilha do Amor (love island) is a sandy peninsula which was clearly a popular destination for local folks.  The “island” is between the Tapajos River and Lago Verde, and the blue of the water was rather nice after sailing through the  brown Amazon.  After walking through town, we paid $2.00 each to be rowed out to the “island,” where we wandered across the soft sand and watched entire families enjoy lunch, swimming, and playing games on the beach.  It is said that Alter do Chao has the most beautiful freshwater beaches in Brazil and it is often referred to as the “Caribbean of Brazil.”  It’s such a hidden gem with almost no foreign tourists, but many Brazilians come here for their holidays.  We’re just glad to have spent time here before the hordes of American and European tourists arrive - because we know they will.

 

Two great days in a row - how could anything be better?  We look forward to finding out when we visit Boca da Valaria tomorrow.  Stay tuned!

 

[Sir PMP]

7 minutes ago, Johnny B said:

Friday, January 12, 2024

Alter do Chao, Brazil

 

Yesterday was wonderful, from one end to the other.  After figuring out that it was a sea day (talk about feeling dumb), we used the day to relax, read, do French lessons, and, of course, play pickle ball.  It was so hot and humid that John returned wearing a soaking wet tee shirt and feeling like he’d been run over by a truck.  But last evening was just the best.  At 6:00, we joined our friends Martha and Bob in The Pinnacle for the first cellar master dinner of the cruise - and was it wonderful.Our friend Jacques, the Cellarmaster, worked with Tiffany, the ship’s executive sous chef, to come up with a delightful menu, to which Jacque added paired wines.

 

We began with a glass of Le Grand Courtage Brut Rose, a sparkling French wine.  It went nicely with the first course of foie gras, followed by mushroom and artichoke soup with a Washington state dry Riesling.  John said afterwards that the soup was his favorite course.

Our “salad” was made of warm sliced lobster, accompanied by tiny asparagus spears and Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, my favorite wine of the evening.  Our main course, beef tenderloin, was paired with an Italian Valpolicella, and even thought I’m not much of a beef eater, I thought it was delicious.  The final delight was a chocolate pot au creme (fancy French chocolate pudding) with a couple of toasted marshmallows on the side.  There was port served with dessert, but we took a pass.

 

Overall, all four of us decided that Jacques and Tiffany  created a wonderful menu, and we’re all looking forward to the next Cellar Master dinner, which will have an Italian theme.

 

After three hours at dinner, it was time to go work it off, so we headed upstairs to the area around the Lido pool for a show put on by Oi Brasil, the cultural group which has accompanied us since Tobago and I believe will stay on for the rest of our Brazilian ports.  When they put on a show, they really put on a show.  The costumes were incredible, with brightly-colored feathers reaching two feet above their heads, and the dancing amazed us.  We took lots of photos and wondered how they could dance like that.  It was like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, but with skimpy, colorful outfits and lots and lots of feathers.  We had a great time, and my trip around the pool with the conga line was way too much fun.

 

Of course we slept late this morning, until almost 7:30, but we knew that we weren’t arriving at our port until 10:30 so we had plenty of time to do all our regular morning things. We had been told that Alter do Chao was a lovely, undiscovered little port, and that was the absolute truth.  From the ship we could see miles and miles of golden sandy beaches and  when we tendered ashore we were able to visit a small part of them.  Ilha do Amor (love island) is a sandy peninsula which was clearly a popular destination for local folks.  The “island” is between the Tapajos River and Lago Verde, and the blue of the water was rather nice after sailing through the  brown Amazon.  After walking through town, we paid $2.00 each to be rowed out to the “island,” where we wandered across the soft sand and watched entire families enjoy lunch, swimming, and playing games on the beach.  It is said that Alter do Chao has the most beautiful freshwater beaches in Brazil and it is often referred to as the “Caribbean of Brazil.”  It’s such a hidden gem with almost no foreign tourists, but many Brazilians come here for their holidays.  We’re just glad to have spent time here before the hordes of American and European tourists arrive - because we know they will.

 

Two great days in a row - how could anything be better?  We look forward to finding out when we visit Boca da Valaria tomorrow.  Stay tuned!

 

I told you so, it's a gem, now tomorrow will be a little bit different, you might have a sloth in your hand.

[Johnny B]

Saturday, January 13, 2024

Boca da Valeria, Brazil

 

Yesterday’s Amazonian port was a small but thriving town with a beautiful beach and many shops and residential areas.  Today, however, is pure Amazon.  It’s what we imagine as the quintessential Amazon village, with indigenous people and primitive structures.

 

This was an early port, with tenders beginning shortly after 7:00 AM for a 10-minute “drive” to the village.  We were told that when the water was higher, the ship could dock closer to the main part of the village, but now a tender is necessary and a small pier has been constructed for the tenders.  We didn’t want to go ashore quite so early, so we had our typical morning, with coffee and breakfast by the pool on the Lido, followed by showers and covering ourselves and our clothes with bug spray.  We use little packets containing bug-repellent saturated paper which we rub over all exposed parts of our bodies and then use DEET spray on our clothes.  So far so good.

 

When we arrived and looked up the trail toward the village, we thought we had a huge welcoming committee, as both sides of the path were lined with locals, some dressed in traditional clothing and some in very modern sports outfits.  I was very pleased that they all wanted to High-Five me, until I realized that their hands were hoping for dollar bills instead of just a hand-slap.  Before boarding the tender, we had changed some bills into singles, since we had been told that villagers expected a dollar for a photo.  As we walked along, we saw children holding all kinds of local critters.  There were lizards, baby crocodiles, parrots, parakeets, and, my favorite, sloths.  At first I thought the fuzzy little creatures were monkeys, and then I decided they must be lemurs, but then we found out they were sloths.  They’re really cute and fuzzy, but our friend Heo discovered they also have sharp claws.

 

Walking through the village was fascinating.  The houses were all built on stilts so as to remain dry when the river rises and also, I imagine, to keep some jungle animals at a distance.  There’s a quaint church, a bar/restaurant, and around the corner were porta-potties.  We really didn’t know the sanitary conditions in the village, but I don’t imagine flush toilets are part of the houses.  Although we have been told that the village houses about 100 people, there were far more than that today, so we suspect that those who live even further into the jungle come into “town” when ships call.

 

We did use most of our dollar bills for photos of some lovely children and adults, some with feathers and others just holding little jungle creatures.  Even though the costumes some of them wore were from another time, this visit gave us an insight into another part of the world with people who lived along the river in such a different world than we’ve ever known.  It often occurs to me while traveling that “the luck of the draw” is much in effect in our lives; how do some of us live in relative luxury while others suffer hunger or violence to survive.

 

* * * * *

 

This afternoon was an excellent example of the differences in our lives.  After seeing people who live in difficult circumstances, we had “For Cakes’ Sake” at 3:00 in the Lido.  This was one of the most over-the-top displays of decadence I’ve seen, with every serving surface in the Lido covered with beautifully decorated cakes and pastries.  It was one of those events which allows photos for 15 minutes before serving time, and it was incredibly difficult to even get close enough to get some pix.  If you have a favorite cake or pastry, you would have found it here, everything from Black Forest to strawberry to eclairs to croquembouche.  John had asked me to be the photographer while he played PB, and by the time he wandered through the Lido at 3:30, he said it looked like a swarm of locusts had come though .  Even though I hadn’t intended to, I did give in and enjoyed an eclair and an eclair-shaped piece of chocolate mousse covered in a dark chocolate glaze.  Oh my!

 

* * * * *

 

Tonight is a “dressy” night.  HAL used to have two kinds of evening dress, smart casual and formal.  Now they have three:  casual, dressy, and formal, with the last one only occurring about four or five times during the cruise.  Since I have a closet full of formal dresses from earlier cruises, I tend to sneak one in on the “dressy” nights.  Tonight’s will be short, black, and sparkly - I guess that will qualify.

 

Tomorrow is Manaus, a port we’ve wanted to visit for a long time.  I imagine we’ll be off the ship fairly early, hire a touring taxi, and see everything we can in the time we’re allotted, especially the famous Opera House.  Can’t wait!

[Johnny B]

Sunday, January 14, 2024

Manaus, Brazil

 

We have wanted to visit Manaus for a very long time, and today was the day.  We’ve read about it, talked to friends who have visited, and looked at photos  Above all, we wanted to visit the famed opera house, the Teatro Amazonia.  Since it’s the only opera house in the entire Amazon region and was designed to imitate the Paris Opera, it had been on our bucket list for a long time.  For some reason, I have long assumed that Manaus was a pretty little village with a large and impressive building in its midst, but it has more than two million people and is the capital of the state of Amazonia.

 

We docked a bit later than scheduled, due to a great deal of debris in the river, but dock we did.  As we approached, it looked like a baby dock, not nearly long enough for our ship, but even though we stuck out a bit fore and aft, it seemed to work.  As we looked out at the dock from our usual breakfast table on the Lido, we saw that there was a steep ramp from where we docked up to street level.  While we were wondering how some of the passengers with limited mobility were going to get up that ramp.  It turned out that no one had to manage that task; it was considered a construction zone, so buses were ready and able to take us up to street level. From what others have told us, the current low level of the Amazon has caused ships to dock at a much lower level than the streets, so the ramp was built and the buses were made necessary.

 

We left the ship at about 9:00 and, after getting directions to the Opera House (“Go straight up this street”), we headed out.  Since it was Sunday, it seemed to be family day, and as we reached the pedestrian area of the street, there were cafes and booths selling everything from underwear (some of it very attractive) to tapioca bars to shoes.  We watched the cafe workers preparing rice (and more rice), sausage, and fruit, but we’d just had breakfast, so we took a pass.  It was about a mile walk, but we had so much entertainment along the way that it seemed to go by quickly.

 

Once we arrived across the street from the opera house, we just stood there and admired it.

We knew that it had been built in 1896 when Manaus was referred to as “The Paris of the Tropics” and was the heart of the rubber boom at the time.  It had taken 15 years to construct it, with almost all materials imported from Europe.  It contains 198 crystal chandeliers, 32 of which are made of Murano Venetian glass and reportedly has superb acoustics.  The architect modeled it on the Palais Garnier in Paris (Phantom of the Opera anyone?) and the ceiling makes you think you’re looking up at the Eiffel Tower.  The most amazing part is the dome which is created from 36,000 tiles imported from  Alsace.  While the opera was being constructed, Brazil became a republic, and to celebrate that fact, the dome’s tiles create the image of the Brazilian flag.

 

Now, with all that grandeur, we could hardly wait to get inside.  Did we?  No, of course not.

We did get through the front door and walked through the indoor cafe  and the foyer, where we met with a gentleman who seemed to be a combination of security agent and concierge.  When we asked him if we could take a tour, he told us that the dozens of ship passengers on an HAL tour were the only ones allowed in for a tour.  I asked if we could just peek through the door to see the auditorium and he told us that no one would be able to into that space because of a chemical spray which had been used and required that no one be exposed to it.  So. . . even though the ship’s passengers had paid for a tour including a tour of the opera house, they, like us, couldn’t see the most spectacular part.

 

Across from the opera house is the San  Sebastian park, a large square with beautiful trees and benches.  Since it was time for our daily FaceTime with our granddaughter, we decided that the  square would be the perfect place for two reasons.  One, it was quiet, and two, because of the large number of tourists, it was surrounded by about a dozen military police.  We had been warned about thievery in the city, especially of cell phones, so having the police presence made us feel much better about sitting in plain sight talking to Jessica.

 

After our call, my knee was telling me it was time to head back to the ship, so we headed back down the hill, past the cathedral, the market and the cafes, and arrived safely at the shuttle that would take us back down the ramp to the ship.  We were especially happy to return when we found out that there had been an announcement warning single people to either stay on the ship or find someone to walk with.  This, we were told, was in response to two ladies

 

 

 

who had been held up at gunpoint and relieved of all their jewelry.  We had been warned several times to leave jewelry on the ship, but such an event must have been incredibly traumatic for them.  Brazil is a beautiful country, but travelers just can’t be too careful.

 

Even though we didn’t get to see the main auditorium of the opera house, we are so glad to be finally traveled to Manaus and come “up close and personal” to it.  It’s a destination well worth seeing, and we’re glad we did.

 

[Johnny B]

Monday, January 15, 2024

Martin Luther King Day

Parintins, Brazil

 

We’ve almost never visited a city which is entirely on an island in the middle of a river, but today we did.  Parintiins is a a city of 100,000 people and the only way to access it is by plane or boat.  The boat approach was, as the captain said, “the most challenging tender transfer of the entire world cruise.”  We didn’t understand what that meant until we were ready to board.  We had to walk down several stairs, very carefully board a local two-deck ferry, and then cross from it into a larger ferry which would take us to town.  Before tendering began, Kimberley, our Cruise Director, made an announcement that because of the shifting of the boats and the rough seas, that no mobility devices (wheelchairs, scooters, etc) would be allowed.   That became very clear as the tender process continued; there were stairs, boat-to-boat transfers, and ramps to manage before arriving on the main street of Parentins.

 

The most interesting fact about this city, however, is what it’s famous for.  Almost everyone knows about Carnival in  Rio during Mardi Gras, but almost no one knows that the second most famous and well-attended festival in Brazil celebrates a 19th Century fable about a resurrected ox (go figure) takes place in Parentins in June, more than doubling the population of the city for a couple of weeks.  It’s called Boi Bumba, and a show exhibiting its color and excitement was put on today for the benefit of our Shore Excursion department.  We did not attend, since we wanted to see as much of the city as possible in the time allotted, but our friends Greg and Heo did go, and they couldn’t praise it enough.  Oh well, maybe next time we sail up the Amazon and stop at Parentins!

 

The downtown area has all the requisite shops and open air markets, but the surprising thing to us was that of the many, many shoe stores, virtually every one only sold flip flops.  Why?  As we looked around, we noticed that that was all anyone wore as footwear.  Considering the heat and humidity as well as the frequent rain creating mud and puddles, it certainly makes sense.

We wandered through the fish market as well as the  produce area, and even though there were many tempting items, the lack of refrigeration made us shy away.  The same was true of the little food stalls along the street, so when we returned to the ship, we were hungry.

 

Even though no one I know has ever heard of, let alone visited this city on  the Amazonr, it’s the type of port that I think is most interesting.  We had no pre-conceived ideas about it and appreciated the fact that it seems very authentic in its Amazonian existence.  Going to a place like Dubai simply allows us to see what has been advertised over and over, but Parintins gives us a look at a place which enhances our knowledge of the world and its people.

[Johnny B]

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Santarem, Brazil

 

Our final Brazilian port provided us with a beautiful sunny day and weather that was probably as hot (90 degrees) as before, but the humidity seemed to have been dialed down a notch.

We hopped on the tender at about 9:00 and a ten-minute ride ferried us to the Santarem’s port, where a shuttle waited to take us to the main part of town.  We were let off at the Praca Pescador, or Fisherman’s Square,  a large and beautiful park across from the shore.

 

Santarem, with about 300,000 people, is a beautiful city at the confluence of the dark blue River Tapajos and the pale, sandy-colored Amazon.  The really amazing part of this confluence is that the two colors never blend; they simply flow along side by side with a sharp divide between them.  Apparently there are other places on the Amazon where this happens, but this one is the most famous.  We stood on the esplanade overlooking the rivers and were amazed at this natural divide.

 

We walked along the incredibly long promenade overlooking the water, going about a half mile in one way and then a half mile in the other.  As we moved to the side streets, we found that the city is a bustling place of business, with dozens of different types of stores.  Again, the most common footwear on sale was flip-flops, and most people we saw were wearing them.

 

One of the great beauties of Santarem is the 60 miles of white sand beaches along the fresh water of the rivers, making it a great ecotourism destination.  The beaches stretch to Alter do Chao, our first Amazonian destination.  There are also tours of the Amazon Rainforest, one of which was offered by our Shore Excursion Department today.  In fact, the names of both places can be found together on tee shirts available at the market stalls.

 

The waterfront is incredibly busy with boats of all sizes, most of which are for commercial purposes.  We saw a group of men in a line carrying sacks of either rice, beans, or something similar from a waterfront truck to the hold of a ferry, no doubt taking the products to outlying towns and villages.  The boat’s deck also held plastic chairs, 5-gallon bottles of water, appliances and even a glass-walled shower.  It seems that the Amazon is just like a freeway, taking  people and products from one end to the other.

 

Finally, however, the heat and humidity got to us, and we hopped on a tender to return us to the ship.  I survived better than yesterday, when I returned soaked from the weather, but I was still exhausted.  Lunch around the Lido pool made me feel a bit better, and a nap did even more.  The rest of the afternoon was very low-key until it was time for sailaway.  Last year’s sailaways were pretty ho hum, but this year they are head and shoulders better.  If there’s not a four-piece band, there’s a DJ, the sun has been out, and there’s always a specialty drink.  Yesterday’s was Brazil’s national drink, the Caipirinha, a combination of cachaca (a rum-like liquor) lime and sugar.  Since we missed it yesterday, we just sat up at the Seaview Bar and enjoyed one today.  If you like margaritas, you’d love a Caipirinha.

 

And so we say goodbye to Brazil and the Amazon, toasting with our caipirinhas.  It’s been an excellent experience, experiencing everything from a village full of indigenous people from the village and beyond to a city of over two million people.  Although the heat and humidity have been a challenge, we wouldn’t trade this experience for any other.

[Johnny B]

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

At Sea (sort of) en route to Grenada

 

Yesterday we thought we had said goodbye to Brazil, but it was a bit premature.  Today we’re still in the muddy brown Amazon with jungles miles away on either side.  The size of this river is amazing; during the rainy season, the mouth of the Amazon can be about 300 miles wide.  As we sail now, not quite to the mouth, it’s several miles to the shore on each side.  It does provide a quiet peaceful day, with no  ports and nothing to see except jungle in the distance and calm waters.  We even watched as the last river pilot disembarked this morning.  It’s an amazing (and dangerous) thing to watch, since the pilot, in a harness, lowers himself on a rope ladder and then must jump on board a small, moving boat which will take him to shore.  I don’t think I’ll be applying for that job any time soon.

 

Not only have we not left Brazil geographically, but last night we had an amazing view of Brazil culturally.  We’ve had the members of Oi Brasil! on board for the last week, and their show last night was its culmination.  This group mentors and teaches young people from impoverished backgrounds and helps them to escape poverty.  In fact, one of the videos they showed was a young man with a hat that said “Favela,” the name of the slums on the hills of Rio de Janeiro.  The energy in their singing and dancing was amazing, and by the end of the show the audience was on its feet, clapping in time to the music and swaying back and forth as the cast came down from the stage and up the aisles to wend its way through the ship. Even Kimberley, the cruise director, came out in costume (a little less skimpy than some) and joined the group.  What an amazing group.

 

What did we learn from our Amazonian adventure?  First, the river is immense.  We’ve read about it and seen photos, but nothing prepared us for entering a waterway where we couldn’t see the banks in either direction.  Our ship sailed 900 miles up the river, but smaller ships can travel all the way to Iquitos, Peru - over 4,000 miles.  We have found a fascinating country, and although crime is an ever-present danger in some areas, it’s a great place to visit with preparation and precaution.  We learned to say “obrigado” (thank you - “obrigada if you’re a woman) and that’s really how we feel about our visit to Brazil.

 

[arzz]

Some years ago while cruising Alaska one of our fellow passengers was a recently retired pilot - he and his wife were on a pleasure cruise, possibly celebrating his retirement. For the first time the pilot's wife got to see how her husband transferred to and from the pilot boat and the ships. She was very vocal - saying that if she had realized exactly what her husband had been doing and how dangerous it was she may have demanded he change his career. 
 

John and Diane keep doing what you are doing and keep writing about it all - we have been enjoying your adventures for years.  I find it fascinating how each of the world cruise bloggers has their own perspective on travel and what it is all about. I have found your view of the world the most like ours. I will continue to vicariously travel the world with you.