Manaus, Brazil

Manaus is the capital of the state of Amazonas and is situated at the confluence of the Negro and Solimoes rivers.  It is the largest metropolitan area in Northern Brazil and the twelfth in all of Brazil, with 2,006,870 inhabitants, making it the 8^th most populous city in Brazil. It represents 50% of the population of the Amazon.

Manaus was at the centre of the Amazon region’s rubber boom during the 19^th century and was labelled “one of the most gaudiest cities in the world”. The decadence of the city extended to the grand opera house which cost $10,000,000 to construct. After the collapse of the rubber industry in Brazil, the opera house went through years of neglect, but has been fully restored and is fully operational.

We had an overnight stay in Manaus which gave many of the crew members a chance to go ashore. The city is very large and quite spread out. A beautiful new bridge has been constructed over the river and has been dubbed the “bridge to nowhere”. There is one highway out of Manaus and it extends north to Venezuela.

We did a tour of the city and really enjoyed it. Our driver made certain to take us all over the city to show us the different levels of housing and types of shopping. Near the harbour was the market where the people on the riverboats buy and sell their wares. Downtown are many elite shops, hotels and restaurants.  We toured the opera house, which is a magnificent building. They were preparing for a huge Christmas concert which was going to be broadcast outside, so the seats on the main floor were covered to make a stage. We have many beautiful photos of the opera house.

 The Opera House

Next we toured an Indian museum, operated by nuns. It was interesting to experience the culture of three different tribes.  Afterwards we toured the zoo, operated by the Army and saw lots of wonderful animals and birds.  It was a long tour and it was very warm, but we enjoyed it.

In the evening, Eric went “caiman spotting”. He found it interesting, but not well organized.  The next day was the tour to see the “meeting of the rivers” where the black and white rivers meet and flow side by side.  Both the meeting of the rivers and the caiman spotting at listed in “1,000 things to do before you die”.

Caiman Spotting

Meeting of the Waters

It was interesting to watch the activity on the dock while we were docked. Outside our balcony there was a commotion below us. It turned out to be a small fishing boat which 2 crew members had rented. They had caught 2, 35 kg fish and had them in the small boat. We watched as they tried to lift the fish out of the boat, on to the ship. It was tough, but they made it.

The slum area of Manaus on the waterfront

Our ship at night

The bridge to nowhere

Manaus was our last port before returning down the Amazon river and we travelled a total of three time zones.  As we left Manaus, we realized that our cruise was half over.

Christmas tree at the stern of the ship at sunset

Boca Da Valeria, Brazil

The Boca da Valeria Port in Brazil means “mouth of the Valeria River”; it is where only 100 people live. It is a tiny Indian fishing and trading village where the people sustain a livelihood through tourists’ purchases of their products.  The Amazon Basin Rio da Valeria converge to form this village. Boats are its means of transportation.  The children are dressed up for the tourists to have photos taken of  them and receive payment. They also act as escorts to the visitors.  The village allows visitors to witness the lifestyle and hardship that the residents experience daily.  The river dwellers’ houses are made of wood and built on stilts. There is a church and a school in this remote village.

The Church

The School

When the ship dropped anchor, the canoes and small river boats , full of people suddenly appeared. They had fresh produce and trinkets for sale.  They pulled up along side the ship and spent the whole day there.  Since we were being tendered ashore, there were several canoes that would come along side the tender boats as they were being loaded. The children had jewellery for sale and two boys held sloths inside the window for photos to be taken.

Children with pet sloths

We were advised to bring small things from the ship as payment. We had shampoo, soap, lotion, small jars of honey and jam and the most popular item …. the leftover balloons from my birthday.  All these items were gone in no time!  We had bottles of water which they loved. 

We were adopted by 4 children; one on each hand and away we went to the village. Our 4 little boys were so cute and one of mine spent the whole time repeating my name over and over. He would say it and giggle.  It was so interesting to see their homes, all on stilts because of the rainy season in July. Their gardens in most cases were raised, either on the rooftop or on raised wooden platforms, all covered with mesh.

 Eric with his little children

The village has a power generator and the batteries are replaced on a regular basis by passing riverboats. The houses have lights and deep freezers. Also each home has a satellite dish … they love to watch soccer.  It is interesting to note that since they are located right on the equator, the satellite dishes point directly up.

 Houses with satellite dishes

The families line both sides of the pathway from the dock to the village and they have their children dressed in native costumes and the children also have their pets on hand.  We were able to see caimans, monkeys, turtles, rats and sloths. There were lots of fish in pails of water and many more birds and animals.  All from the local rainforest.

Home with raised garden

3 of our 4 little boys

It was a wonderful day and we took many photos, too many for this blog.

We have enjoyed experiencing life along the Amazon river.  Sometimes the river is quite narrow and next it is several miles wide.  This is the dry season, but in the wet season, the river floods in some places to 30 miles wide.  Riverboats are the only means of transportation and the trip from Malaus to Belim takes 9 days. People bring their hammocks and hang them on the open decks. They sleep all day and party all night.  They arrive hours before the boat is supposed to leave in order to get a good place to hang their hammock.  These people are very social and happy.

Amazon Riverboats

Goods and cars are also put on the riverboats; but most goods are shipped by tankers and barges. Our ship had to change pilots periodically since the pilots have a very specific area they cover. The people in the little villages are very poor, but Brazil is a very wealthy country. The Amazon river consists of many island and it wanders all over the place. We travelled from the mouth of the river to Manaus and went through 3 time zones. It is all rainforest, but we did see “slash and burn” many times.

All for today.  My next blog will be about our 2 days in Manaus … a city of 2,000,000 people in the middle of nowhere!

Sea Days + Santarem, Brazil

Three Days at Sea

How wonderful to have three days at sea. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed every minute of it. Of course, this meant we had lots of time to play bridge. Each afternoon at 2 pm we met at the card room and had a duplicate game.  Our bridge directors Patti Lee and Marti Miller are top class.

Once we entered the Amazon River, life became very interesting. First, King Neptune showed up to initiate the Pollywogs who had never crossed the Equator.

Ice Caring of Eagle by the Pool

At the Equator, the rainbow goes around the sun!

The weather was outstanding, with high temps and moderate humidity.

The mouth of the Amazon is incredibly wide and the landscape very flat.  We began 2 days of a journey that was so interesting. Because there are no roads, the only transportation is by boat. Our ship seemed to attract so many small boats and dug out canoes that would come out to greet us.  The Amazon River is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by water flow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers. Its width varies between 1.6 and 10 km at low stage, but expands during the wet season to 48 km or more.

Natives coming out to greet our boat as we travelled along the river

Life on ship, while at sea, is fun and interesting. At noon, they had themed lunches by the pool. It is rather sad to see the people who spend all their time in the sun.  They come in all shapes and sizes   really don’t care how much sun they absorb. I guess the free alcohol probably has a bit of influence!  They had an ice carving demonstration by the young man who does all the carvings on the ship … from the ice carvings, to vegetables, fruits and fancy breaks.  Quite a talent.

December 4  … Santarem, Brazil

This probably has to be my most memorably birthday.  We docked early in the morning and set off for our various shore excursions.  Eric did a jungle trek, which did not interest me in the least. I did a tour of Santarem and it had to be the best shore excursion I have ever done. It was so nice that my friend Pat, who we have done three cruises with, came along.

Santarem is a city in the state of Para in Brazil and is an important regional market center in Lower Amazonia located midway between the larger cities of Belem and Manaus. The economy is based on agriculture, cattle and mining. Its population is about the same size of Halifax (200,000) and it the beginning point of the Pan American highway which extends south for many thousands of km. Only 150 of the highway is paved and the rest is a combination dirt roads and unpassable roads. A huge road rally is held yearly on this stretch of highway.

We did a tour of the city, which involved much more than expected. The busses were not air conditioned as air conditioning really is not a luxury in the city. The people have adapted to the hot, humid temperatures.  It was very hot and sunny there, but were okay.  I love the heat!

Our tour took us through the main road along the coastal market in the city and we stopped to tour a catholic church and small museum. We were fortunate to be able to see the meeting of the two rivers, the black and white rivers which flow side by side. The Amazon’s milky colored water carried sediment from the Andes in the East, while the Tapajos’s water is somewhat warmer and has a deep-blue tone. This phenomenon is called “The meeting of the waters” by the locals.

The meeting of the waters

Next we drove through the city and out into the countryside to visit a farm. This farm area represented the life of the farmers in this area; including fruit, agriculture and all the food production for living.  We met the owner of the property who was 73 years old and had 11 children.

Owner of rubber tree .... 73 years old with 11 children

It was a wonderful birthday and we ended it with supper at Prime 7 with our good friends, Pat and Gordon Gray from Richmond Hill, Ontario.

Next ….. Boca Da Valeria, Brazil!

St. Bart’s, St. Lucia, Tobago

Gustavia, St. Bart’s

Finally, our first stop and it felt wonderful to put our feet on solid ground, especially when the skies were sunny and the temperature was in the mid 80’s. This island has only one town, Gustavia, and this is where we docked.  Actually we were out in the harbour and tendered into town. It is a very small and shallow harbour, but did contain many beautiful yachts and boats.  We were warned not to shop on this island because items are highly priced, but we did walk past all the high-end shops.  They speak French and very little English.

Our shore excursion was scheduled for the afternoon, so we walked through the town and swam at a lovely shell beach near town. All the beaches are public and free of charge. Animals are forbidden and nudism is prohibited.  Apparently the locals don’t abide by the rules!  I nearly lost Eric a few times when he almost walked into a tree and a large rock.

Our shore excursion was called “trekking in St. Bart’s” and we, along with another couple were picked up by the tour guide and driven to the opposite side of the island to begin our trek to “Anse de Colombier”, a beautiful secluded beach on the north eastern end of the island.  We were about half way along the lovely trail when I tripped on a small rock and fell. I scraped the side of my leg and seriously wounded by pride! I could not continue the hike, but did find a nice shady spot to sit and wait for the rest of them. I am okay now, but my leg has a nasty scab. I have never fallen while hiking and was not impressed.

Our trekking pathway

The injury ... very swollen

Airport runway ... over the ocean

St. Bart’s was a pretty island, but really doesn’t have much tourist appeal. We did start to see some nice shore birds though.

                                                                                      Castries, St. Lucia

Magnificent St. Lucia – with towering mountains, dense rain forest, fertile green valleys and acres of banana plantations – lies in the middle of the Windward islands. Downtown Castries was within walking district of the pier and the produce market and adjacent crafts and vendors’ markets were the main attractions. There were 4 ships in the harbour; Carnival, Regent, Danish and another European ship.

Castries Harbour

This was the day that Judi did the 4 x 4 Beach Safari Adventure and Eric went zip-lining.

The beach adventure was wonderful. We were seated in the back of an open 4 x 4 (14 of us) and driven across the island. Of course, the roads were narrow and wound all over the place. We then went off road to the beach. This road made the road to our wood lot look like a 4-lane expressway. The beach was beautiful and it was so nice to sit in the shade and relax. They served spiced rum, but I knew to stay clear of it.

4 x 4 Beach Safari Beach

The zipline was interesting to say the least.  All 14 of the group piled into a bus for the hour long drive to the rainforest site.  Along the way I noted that the islanders have not thrown away any corrugated metal since the product was invented .  It would not be possible to imagine any other uses for the material.

The rainforest was as dense as can be imagined in a climate that would overgrow any open area in a very few months. We were outfitted with a helmit , gloves , a safety lanyard, a secondary shoulder harness and a main seat (mountain climbing) harness. The instructor showed the method for sitting in the harness and controlling the experience. The zipline was constructed  in 12 segments with walkways between the sections. The shortest line was a couple of hundred feet long and the others varied from 500 to 1000 feet each. The walkways were trails with stairs  ,the trek between line 11 and line 12 was several hundred feet in length with 104 stairs  in  various places as well as inclined ramps.  Some of the lines ended 30 to 50 feet up in a tree and you transferred from one zip line to the next by the local youth that were employed to ensure our safety. One tree in particular had a zipline attached near the base . Another 30 feet above it . The low ziplines went through narrow trenches cut between the trees, others were through circular openings trimmed through the passage and some were above all. The highest was 150 feet above the valley. Not recommended for the faint of heart.

Scarborough, Tobago

Another beautiful, hot day!  We docked at 8:30, but only had 6 hours in port. We were the only cruise ship. We were looking forward to this island because Alan and Lydia had spent quite a lot of time there. Our shore excursion was to the rainforest and this was a major undertaking for such a short stop.

We were loaded into two busses and started out on the 90 minute drive to the rainforest. It was a wonderful drive along the coastline and then 1,600 feet up into the rainforest. We drove through the area where Alan and Lydia had volunteered, some of the names I remember are Goodwill, Pembroke and Argyle.

Once we arrived at the hiking trail, those who had worn sandels were outfitted in rubber boots or running shoes. They passed out walking sticks and I was very thankful that I had brought mine along. Eric was busy running around taking bird pictures … this was the first time we had seen colourful birds.

We hiked in the trail for about 45 minutes and it was quite rugged and wet, making it a challenge at times. But it was so beautiful to stand there, look up and down and marvel at all the types of vegetation. The beauty was overwhelming!  We wished we could have hung out there a lot longer.

Trekking through the rainforest

 Our trip back once again hugged the coastline and we were very impressed with the beaches. We got back to the ship 10 minutes before it set sail, so we did not get a chance to shop. This island was far nicer than the other two stops and we wished we could have stayed longer.

Relaxing after a hard day!

Today we are still heading south and we must be very close to the equator, as sunrise and sunset are at exactly the same time.

We are enjoying life on board and have met more lovely people. Today’s temperature was 91 and the water temperature was 86.

All for now ….. love to everyone.

ON THE HIGH SEAS

Finally, a bit of time to relax!  This is Tuesday and we have been on the ship since Sunday afternoon.  Backing up a bit, we left Lakeland on Saturday morning and stopped in Ft. Myers to see friends we met on our last cruise (Myrna and Terry Nelson).  It was great to catch up on the past year.

We drove to Miami across Alligator Alley and enjoyed the beautiful scenery and wildlife.

Our walk through the evergades

At Miami we got a hotel room near the airport … not the best part of town to say the least. On Sunday morning we piled all our luggage in the car and left it at the cruise terminal, then we returned the rental car to the airport. We were amazed that the car rental area is a whole separate complex with a train to the airport. We figured we would have to take the train to the airport and then take a shuttle back to the cruise terminal, but they had a free shuttle right from the car rental area to the terminal. There were 5 cruise ships docked; 2 Carnival, 2 Norwegian and our ship.  Our little ship was dwarfed by the other ships.

Leaving Miami

It felt so good to get back on board!  This ship is 5/8 the size of our ship last year, but still has all   amenities. The cruise appears to be nearly full with about 470 passengers; 430 of them being returning passengers.  For a cruise with so many challenging ports and aggressive shore excursions, we are amazed at the number of wheelchairs and infirmed passengers … they just love to cruise.

Bruce and Jane had friends on the cruise and we got together with them the first night.  Lovely people and I am sure we will have lots more good times with them. First morning at the coffee bar we met another couple from  Musquodoboit Harbour! What a small world.  We were so glad to see our friends Pat and Gordon Gray once again.  They have one of the Master Suites and have invited us to a private formal dinner in their suite on Dec. llth.

Eric doing his daily walk ... got to get those blood sugars down!

The sun feels SO GOOD!!

We love to play bridge with the Gray’s and have had two days of bridge so far. The director is Patti Miller and this is her first cruise with Regent.  There is a new agent in charge of bridge for Regent and she is just thrilled to be on board. Pretty cool way to cruise.

The food on board is as good as ever; in fact, it seems to me to be better than the other ship.  Wonderful good choices, something for everyone. Actually, too much for everyone!

The weather has been good, but it is now cloudy and there is a risk of thunder showers.

We just finished the “block party” where we all go out into the hallway with our empty wine glasses and meet our neighbours. The captain, first officer and cruise director come through and meet everyone. I always find it interesting as people are all bragging up their cruises, where they have been and where they are going.  When asked where we were from, there was a blank look from them all … you are so far from home!  I felt like mentioning that we are much closer than the couples from Britain and California!

Not too much excitement so far.  Tomorrow we visit St. Barts and we are going to trek the island. Also tomorrow we start to take our malaria pills.

Oh yes, the air temperature was high 80’s today and the water temperature was 84!

Tonight we went to the new Italian Restaurant for our first time. This is a new feature on Regent cruise ships and is absolutely amazing.  It is totally Italian and was a wonderful meal. Our waiter was Italian and looks like her and her husband have been hired to work only in this restaurant.  Our other waiter was Indian and says he can see the sunrise and sunset from the same place. His wife is due to have a baby in February and he is going home then. His Father fishes and he gets all the shrimp and lobster he would ever want.  I told him we were from Canada and can say the same thing.  He kept coming back to talk to us, saying that he could never put his arm around another women in his culture (as he put his around me).  He was so happy as are most of the employees, especially those from the Philipines

All this food  … yikes!  Well, my size 10 pants still fit!!!!!!  This is only day 3 of 23!!

We now have the warning to keep our balcony doors closed.  This is to keep out the humidity as well as the bugs. It is starting to get humid ….. I absolutely love it, but poor Eric is melting.

Tomorrow when we go to St. Barts we are advised to wear our bathing suits under our cover-ups.  Yippie!!  I have been waiting for this.

Our first shore excursion …. More to come after we complete the next three days,

Much love to everyone ……

Halifax to Florida

Andrea safely delivered us to the airport on Wednesday morning and after having to de-ice the plane, we were off! We arrived in Orlando on time at 1:15.

 Somewhere over Florida

We are enjoying a beautiful sunny day here in Lakeland with Bruce and Jane Walker. We all went golfing this morning. I was the official photographer and drove one of the carts.

This is US Thanksgiving and everything is closed, waiting for Black Friday to begin. Actually, some stores open their doors in the late afternoon today.  We are invited out for Thanksgiving dinner up the street.

Not much more excitement here.  It is nice to have a few quiet days before we pick up the cruise on Sunday.

All for now and Happy Thanksgiving!

Amazon Adventure 2012

Welcome to this year's fantastic voyage 400 miles up the Amazon River.  This is a real adventure for us as it definitely goes way beyond our comfort zone.  Not only do we get to explore new places, but we also will be cruising for 23 days.  I am packing all my camera gear and hope to be able to get some unique photos, especially of the birds.

This is a map of our trip, showing our stops along the way.  We are sailing on the Regent Navigator which only holds 490 passengers.  We leave Miami on November 25 and return on December 18.  

Our ship .... Regent Navigator

Manaus, the “Paris of the Jungle,” is the capital of Brazil’s state of Amazonas. The former river village rests along the left bank of the Rio Negro, which merges with the mighty Amazon. This is the famous opera house we will be touring,

We leave Middleton on November 20th and fly from Halifax to Orlando on November 21st. We are looking forward to staying with our friends Bruce and Jane Walker in Lakelands before the cruise.

Keep posted ..... and please remember us in your prayers.