Natal was quite an interesting place. Of course, the day was even lovelier because we had warm sunshine and a few thick white clouds scattered throughout the sky. The temperature was warm, but not unbearable, probably about 90 degrees. Humidity was high, so it felt much warmer. Still, it was more comfortable than it was in some of the earlier ports. Natal is frequently referred to as the "sun capital." The weather forecast had been for rain in the morning so we were thrilled when the city lived up to its nickname! There were expansive areas of sand dunes on which the locals enjoy activities such as skiing, tobogganing, riding dune buggies, or even camel rides. Since Natal was the closest port to Africa in the Americas, it was used extensively during WWII as an American airbase. It was used as a launching point for transport of planes, troops, and supplies to Northern Africa. Currently, Natal enjoys a peaceful, calm existence where our guide kept reminding us that people here move very slowly, are always late, and are very loud!!!! She explained that although it is a Saturday, the town is quiet today because Carnival just ended a couple of days ago and people are still recovering. They make a slow transition back to work. One owner went to work to open his shop this morning and waited for his employees to show up. He kept waiting but no one appeared. He finally decided that none of his employees were coming to work so he closed the shop again and went home!!!! Our guide continued to explain the attitude in Natal. She told us that if you go to a restaurant for a meal you can order your food and then wait for as much as two hours for it to arrive!
We had only two stops on today's tour. First, we traveled to a very large arts and crafts market. This was a tourist center with a large collection of small booths selling their wares. The main product was lace trimmed table runners, placemats, tablecloths, etc. as well as many crocheted shawls, tops, scarves, t-shirts and children's clothing. In addition, there was the usual collection of pottery dolls depicting Brazilian women dressed for Carnival or doing everyday chores such as carrying baskets filled with fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, no one took U.S. dollars and we didn't have any local money so were were unable to make any purchases.
Lastly, we spent a majority of our time at a school which teaches Capoeira, which is a mix of dance, acrobatics and martial arts. Capoeira was a form of self-protection disguised within a dance. It was developed by slaves during the 19th century as a form of survival in extremely harsh times. The "dance" utilizes acrobatics, cleverness and cunning through the extensive use of sweeps, kicks and head butts. It became such a successful tool for slaves to defend themselves that it was banned for a period of time. However, in 1932 the Brazilian ruler removed the ban and recognized the dance as an important cultural art form. It has since become a national treasure and is the second most popular sport in Brazil (soccer is the most popular). Before we arrived, our guide explained that the "Master" at this school established this small, non air-conditioned school 30 years ago and has been teaching young people since that time. He established the school in the poorest neighborhood of the city to give young people an incentive to remain in school and do well. Evidently, school only lasts half-day here. There are two sessions - morning or afternoon. The Capoeira master realized that students in this area needed more structure in their daily routine to keep them busy and out of trouble. So, he began teaching them how to perform this dance. As a requirement for continuing in the group, students must do well in school, get good grades, maintain a good attitude and register regular attendance. If they do not meet these requirements they may not remain in the dance group. Brazilians are very proud of their country and traditions. The Capoeira is an important part of their culture and they are eager to share it with visitors.
We had an opportunity to enjoy young children, just beginning to learn the Capoeira as well as students who had graduated from high school and were quite proficient in their dance skills. After graduation, many students continue to return to the studio to assist the master instructor, refine their skills and encourage the youth. It was quite an inspirational visit at the Natal Capoeira Boa Vontade School, directed by Mestre Canelao. It was a wonderful performance and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there. If anyone is interested in reading more about this intriguing art form, or watching this school perform, there are plenty of videos on YouTube.
As we re-boarded our bus and headed back to the ship, one of our passengers asked the guide about food and restaurants in the area. The guide told us that people in Natal are shrimp lovers. They enjoy all types of fish, but shrimp, crab and lobster are definitely on top of the list. She also told us about a very local recipe for Pacoca Sertaneja, which uses "meat of the sun." They use heavily salted beef, dry it in the sun, then mix it with flavorings and vegetables. It actually sounded quite delicious so we asked where we could try it this afternoon. She told us that, unfortunately, since it was Sunday, all the restaurants and shops closed at noon so we would be unable to have any today. Darn!!! We just returned to the ship and had our usual tuna sandwich. Arriving at our last port in Brazil tomorrow, Fortaleza.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Monday, February 23, 2015
Salvador de Bahia: Thursday, February 19th
We entered the port early this morning as our captain maneuvered our ship through the largest bay in South America. We were quite excited to arrive at this port today because we had heard that it was alive with a vibrant mix of African and Portuguese culture. African slaves and Portuguese were the first settlers in this area, therefore most of the residents are a blend of these two races. Brazil brought in more African slaves than any other country in South America. In the beginning stages of settlement, Brazil made most of its money from slave trade. Our guide told us that in the 1700-1800's five million slaves were brought to Latin America (500,000 were brought into the USA) and Brazil was the site of the largest influx. The cultures and religious beliefs have intertwined so closely that the current culture now differs from any of the original tribes or races who first settled in this area.
There are two distinct geographic areas in "Salvador," the upper and lower city. These two areas are connected by a series of four elevators as well as a funicular which delivers passengers up the hill to a level of 800 meters above sea level. The lower city was added in the 1800's by filling in the land that was previously occupied by the sea. There are a number of lovely parks filled with a variety of large jacaranda trees, flame trees with fire engine red flowers brought from Madagascar, red and white hibiscus, gracefully hanging pink bougainvillea, kapok trees, dahlias, geraniums, and a host of other colorful flowers and tropical plants. The warm, tropical weather encourages plants to bloom frequently. It would be quite easy to walk down the street and collect a lovely bouquet!
We disembarked the ship and began our tour of the city. We could tell some differences in the culture of this port immediately. As we drove through the various neighborhoods there were major discrepancies. In the financial district and major shopping area there were many high rises built in a very modern style, with large tinted glass windows, brightly painted cement which were surrounded by meticulously manicured gardens. Clean, sharp lines dominated the landscape. Many of the luxury condominiums have an elevator directly from inside their unit to their private boat dock below. Across the highway there were hillsides filled with favelas (slums), now referred to by the local politicians as "communities" where unorganized and tattered combinations of scrap plywood, metal, and concrete were used to create tentative looking structures which looked as if they were holding each other together. Our guide informed us that people who live in this area who work in the city must take buses to work every day. It takes two hours to make the one-way trip. There is a metro but it doesn't run in the areas where it is really needed.
We passed two large farmer's markets with fresh fruits and vegetables, but they were very different. The market in the suburb where over 2,000 residents, mostly descendents of African slaves, live was an open-air market with tables set up in no particular order. It was a HUGE place where our guide informed us 10,000 local people are employed. The market in the city, however was much smaller, indoors, and in a very structured setting.
It was interesting to learn about the unique flavor of Carnival as it is celebrated in this area as opposed to Rio. There is no official competition between the samba schools in this town. All schools parade on the streets and ALL spectators are expected to dance, sing and play along with the performers. Our guide informed us that no "watching" is allowed. All spectators are expected to participate in the celebrations. At this time there are many different parades and celebrations. Some are focused on the African traditions and other are tailored more to European (Portuguese) traditions with their mass, costumes and music. A goal for the future is to combine more of the celebrations and integrate the cultures. This year the European communities utilized electronic, modern music and dance while the African people used percussion instruments with traditional dance.
Many neighborhoods throughout the city had properties surrounded by chain link fences capped with large circles of razor wire. Most of the residents have safety bars attached to the outside of their windows. Even the residential areas which were touted as the "nicest" places to live were dated and somewhat rundown. We were warned by our ship's crew, as well as travel websites, to avoid walking alone in this city. Evidently, due to the high level of poverty in this area tourists are a common target for crime, particularly pickpockets and robbery assaults. We decided to take one of the tours offered by our ship and stay with a small group. They took great care to make sure we had escorts with to ensure that we remained safe from harm. After the tour we decided to return to the ship instead of walking alone in town.
On many of the outside walls throughout the town there was a mixture of stunning, rich graffiti next to haphazard and unattractive graphics. Some of the graffiti really added a beautiful dimension to the environment. Unfortunately, many of the graphics really distracted from the environment. People walked the streets, particularly in front of popular tourist stops, asking for money. Local residents were scattered throughout the city, standing around in small groups while we spotted a few city workers busily employed on the streets. Perhaps many residents took the day off to recover from Carnival which just ended yesterday in this city. Each town organizes its own festivities for Carnival. Some areas celebrate Carnival on a Saturday and Sunday, others for 3-4 days, and here in Salvador they party for an entire 7-day week. Schools and businesses are closed for the week and many of the major streets are closed to vehicular traffic for the entire 7-day period. They finished their festivities last night so they were in the beginning stages of cleaning up after all the parades and parties.
In an attempt to keep Africans connected to their ethnic roots there is a law which mandates that schools in Salvador teach African history. Evidently, as the generations continue to become more
entrenched in their local culture, their elders are concerned they will lose an appreciation for their African history background and culture.
The African-Brazilian religion of Candomble is paramount in the lives of the residents in Salvador. This religion is based on their local mythology which has one supreme creator and a variety of lesser deities which serve the supreme creator It has an oral tradition so there is no written scripture. Music and dance are critical in this faith and priests/priestesses will often masquerade as one of the Candomble deities in order to become possessed by the ancestor spirit. Evidently this religion does not exist in Africa because the religion is a blend of the of the practices of slaves and their tribes brought here as well as the native Brazilian people.
We visited the Nosso Senhordo Bonfim which is the local Catholic church. It was quite interesting to see the shamen standing outside near the steps of the church with their tables and supplies including herbal potions and "wish ribbons," to offer blessings to people after they leave church. Our guide told us that although people state they are Catholic and believe and pray to Jesus, when their prayer request is "too complicated" for Jesus to handle He consults with the cult's African deities for a solution!!!!!!
The church itself was quite interesting. There were replicas of prosthetic limbs hanging all over the ceiling and walls from people who prayers had been answered in the form of a miracle (still not sure who they thought answered their prayers, God or their deities). There was a chain link fence in front of the church. A number of people were selling "wish ribbons" so that you can say your prayer and hang the ribbon the fence. The belief is that when the prayer is answered the ribbon will fall off the fence. Of course, I'm not sure how anyone could tell which ribbon they had hung since there must have been thousands of them tied to this fence. There were absolutely no blank areas on the entire fence!!!
There was one more interesting feature of this society. Everyone is REQUIRED to vote after they turn 18 years of age. If an individual does not vote, their identification is invalidated (passport, driver's license, etc.) and they must pay a $250 fine. Sure would change the way we vote in the U.S.!!!!!!!
Well, that's all I can think of to share about this port. It was a fascinating culture about which to lean. Both Bob and I have spent lots of time online studying the various aspects about life in this area. However, I must admit that it was not one of the most comfortable places we have visited. We certainly stood out as tourists and I felt eyes following us everywhere we walked. I am glad, though, that we had an opportunity to learn something about this unique part of the world. Now, we have a relaxing day at sea before we arrive at our next to last port in Brazil.
There are two distinct geographic areas in "Salvador," the upper and lower city. These two areas are connected by a series of four elevators as well as a funicular which delivers passengers up the hill to a level of 800 meters above sea level. The lower city was added in the 1800's by filling in the land that was previously occupied by the sea. There are a number of lovely parks filled with a variety of large jacaranda trees, flame trees with fire engine red flowers brought from Madagascar, red and white hibiscus, gracefully hanging pink bougainvillea, kapok trees, dahlias, geraniums, and a host of other colorful flowers and tropical plants. The warm, tropical weather encourages plants to bloom frequently. It would be quite easy to walk down the street and collect a lovely bouquet!
We disembarked the ship and began our tour of the city. We could tell some differences in the culture of this port immediately. As we drove through the various neighborhoods there were major discrepancies. In the financial district and major shopping area there were many high rises built in a very modern style, with large tinted glass windows, brightly painted cement which were surrounded by meticulously manicured gardens. Clean, sharp lines dominated the landscape. Many of the luxury condominiums have an elevator directly from inside their unit to their private boat dock below. Across the highway there were hillsides filled with favelas (slums), now referred to by the local politicians as "communities" where unorganized and tattered combinations of scrap plywood, metal, and concrete were used to create tentative looking structures which looked as if they were holding each other together. Our guide informed us that people who live in this area who work in the city must take buses to work every day. It takes two hours to make the one-way trip. There is a metro but it doesn't run in the areas where it is really needed.
We passed two large farmer's markets with fresh fruits and vegetables, but they were very different. The market in the suburb where over 2,000 residents, mostly descendents of African slaves, live was an open-air market with tables set up in no particular order. It was a HUGE place where our guide informed us 10,000 local people are employed. The market in the city, however was much smaller, indoors, and in a very structured setting.
It was interesting to learn about the unique flavor of Carnival as it is celebrated in this area as opposed to Rio. There is no official competition between the samba schools in this town. All schools parade on the streets and ALL spectators are expected to dance, sing and play along with the performers. Our guide informed us that no "watching" is allowed. All spectators are expected to participate in the celebrations. At this time there are many different parades and celebrations. Some are focused on the African traditions and other are tailored more to European (Portuguese) traditions with their mass, costumes and music. A goal for the future is to combine more of the celebrations and integrate the cultures. This year the European communities utilized electronic, modern music and dance while the African people used percussion instruments with traditional dance.
Many neighborhoods throughout the city had properties surrounded by chain link fences capped with large circles of razor wire. Most of the residents have safety bars attached to the outside of their windows. Even the residential areas which were touted as the "nicest" places to live were dated and somewhat rundown. We were warned by our ship's crew, as well as travel websites, to avoid walking alone in this city. Evidently, due to the high level of poverty in this area tourists are a common target for crime, particularly pickpockets and robbery assaults. We decided to take one of the tours offered by our ship and stay with a small group. They took great care to make sure we had escorts with to ensure that we remained safe from harm. After the tour we decided to return to the ship instead of walking alone in town.
On many of the outside walls throughout the town there was a mixture of stunning, rich graffiti next to haphazard and unattractive graphics. Some of the graffiti really added a beautiful dimension to the environment. Unfortunately, many of the graphics really distracted from the environment. People walked the streets, particularly in front of popular tourist stops, asking for money. Local residents were scattered throughout the city, standing around in small groups while we spotted a few city workers busily employed on the streets. Perhaps many residents took the day off to recover from Carnival which just ended yesterday in this city. Each town organizes its own festivities for Carnival. Some areas celebrate Carnival on a Saturday and Sunday, others for 3-4 days, and here in Salvador they party for an entire 7-day week. Schools and businesses are closed for the week and many of the major streets are closed to vehicular traffic for the entire 7-day period. They finished their festivities last night so they were in the beginning stages of cleaning up after all the parades and parties.
In an attempt to keep Africans connected to their ethnic roots there is a law which mandates that schools in Salvador teach African history. Evidently, as the generations continue to become more
entrenched in their local culture, their elders are concerned they will lose an appreciation for their African history background and culture.
The African-Brazilian religion of Candomble is paramount in the lives of the residents in Salvador. This religion is based on their local mythology which has one supreme creator and a variety of lesser deities which serve the supreme creator It has an oral tradition so there is no written scripture. Music and dance are critical in this faith and priests/priestesses will often masquerade as one of the Candomble deities in order to become possessed by the ancestor spirit. Evidently this religion does not exist in Africa because the religion is a blend of the of the practices of slaves and their tribes brought here as well as the native Brazilian people.
We visited the Nosso Senhordo Bonfim which is the local Catholic church. It was quite interesting to see the shamen standing outside near the steps of the church with their tables and supplies including herbal potions and "wish ribbons," to offer blessings to people after they leave church. Our guide told us that although people state they are Catholic and believe and pray to Jesus, when their prayer request is "too complicated" for Jesus to handle He consults with the cult's African deities for a solution!!!!!!
The church itself was quite interesting. There were replicas of prosthetic limbs hanging all over the ceiling and walls from people who prayers had been answered in the form of a miracle (still not sure who they thought answered their prayers, God or their deities). There was a chain link fence in front of the church. A number of people were selling "wish ribbons" so that you can say your prayer and hang the ribbon the fence. The belief is that when the prayer is answered the ribbon will fall off the fence. Of course, I'm not sure how anyone could tell which ribbon they had hung since there must have been thousands of them tied to this fence. There were absolutely no blank areas on the entire fence!!!
There was one more interesting feature of this society. Everyone is REQUIRED to vote after they turn 18 years of age. If an individual does not vote, their identification is invalidated (passport, driver's license, etc.) and they must pay a $250 fine. Sure would change the way we vote in the U.S.!!!!!!!
Well, that's all I can think of to share about this port. It was a fascinating culture about which to lean. Both Bob and I have spent lots of time online studying the various aspects about life in this area. However, I must admit that it was not one of the most comfortable places we have visited. We certainly stood out as tourists and I felt eyes following us everywhere we walked. I am glad, though, that we had an opportunity to learn something about this unique part of the world. Now, we have a relaxing day at sea before we arrive at our next to last port in Brazil.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Buzios, Brazil: Tuesday, February 17th
What a delightful day we had in this charming and quaint beach town, which is known as the last paradise in the tropics. We decided against taking any organized tours today so we would have an opportunity to explore the town on our own. We tendered into town this morning and when we arrived at the dock we were shocked to see a massive line of people. We learned they were waiting for the water taxis to transport them to beaches which are father away from town. Whew! Glad we're not waiting in those lines!!!! There are 25 beaches nearby which offer beautiful white sand, a variety of water sports, a lively nightlife, and "all-over" suntans. A favorite activity for locals appears to be sitting on the esplanade watching the people walking by or enjoying a sunset.
We learned that this attractive port town was a favorite hangout of former movie and recording superstar Brigitte Bardot. There is even a bronze statue of her on the boardwalk. Plenty of people (including us) stood in line to have their photo taken with her :) Shows our age. Our kids would have no idea who she is!
Afterwards, we explored this absolutely delightful beach side community on foot. Thankfully, the weather was a bit cooler than it was in Rio. It was still quite warm, but not unbearable, for a walking tour. Specifically, we continued to look for the cabaca, or gourd doll we saw in Rio. It was quite expensive in the shop on top of Sugarloaf Mountain so we resisted purchasing it. However, we really wanted to find one before we left Brazil. We strolled leisurely up and down the cobblestone streets, entering all the shops where we thought finding our doll might be a possibility, while thoroughly enjoying the alluring atmosphere of the quaint streets. We would have liked to stop for a drink or snack but we were determined to stay on track with our mission. Finally, as we neared the end of town, near the dock we entered a small shop and found a limited, but quality, selection of the dolls. When the shop owner realized we were serious customers she brought out some additional dolls. We were able to purchase one at about half the cost of the ones we saw at Sugarloaf, so we were quite pleased with our accomplishment. Now, we had one final mission to complete. We had to find our magnet from this lovely port. Luckily, this task was much easier than finding the doll. Soon we had our magnet in hand and had seen the entire town so we returned to the dock for our trip back to the ship. Now we have a day at sea, with time to relax before we arrive at the first of our three remaining ports in Brazil. This is a huge country and extremely diverse in its geography, architecture and culture. We're anxious to continue our journey in this immense country.
We learned that this attractive port town was a favorite hangout of former movie and recording superstar Brigitte Bardot. There is even a bronze statue of her on the boardwalk. Plenty of people (including us) stood in line to have their photo taken with her :) Shows our age. Our kids would have no idea who she is!
Afterwards, we explored this absolutely delightful beach side community on foot. Thankfully, the weather was a bit cooler than it was in Rio. It was still quite warm, but not unbearable, for a walking tour. Specifically, we continued to look for the cabaca, or gourd doll we saw in Rio. It was quite expensive in the shop on top of Sugarloaf Mountain so we resisted purchasing it. However, we really wanted to find one before we left Brazil. We strolled leisurely up and down the cobblestone streets, entering all the shops where we thought finding our doll might be a possibility, while thoroughly enjoying the alluring atmosphere of the quaint streets. We would have liked to stop for a drink or snack but we were determined to stay on track with our mission. Finally, as we neared the end of town, near the dock we entered a small shop and found a limited, but quality, selection of the dolls. When the shop owner realized we were serious customers she brought out some additional dolls. We were able to purchase one at about half the cost of the ones we saw at Sugarloaf, so we were quite pleased with our accomplishment. Now, we had one final mission to complete. We had to find our magnet from this lovely port. Luckily, this task was much easier than finding the doll. Soon we had our magnet in hand and had seen the entire town so we returned to the dock for our trip back to the ship. Now we have a day at sea, with time to relax before we arrive at the first of our three remaining ports in Brazil. This is a huge country and extremely diverse in its geography, architecture and culture. We're anxious to continue our journey in this immense country.
Carnival in Rio: Sunday, February 15th
WOW!!!! What an explosion of activity we experienced tonight!!!! We had no idea what to expect when we boarded the bus to take us to the Sambadrome to attend the formal Carnival celebration. Although I had always heard of Carnival in Rio, I never understood exactly what it entailed. In case there's anyone else out there who doesn't quite know exactly what's involved I'll try to give a brief explanation. Once again, we aren't able to post Bob's pictures on this blog for some unknown reason so if you want to see his pictures, which are great, just send him a quick email request and he'll be MORE than happy to share them with you at drbobusc@gmail.com. Carnival is divided into two types, 1) informal street parties and 2) formal parade competition in the Sambadrome. The street parties are everywhere on the streets of Rio for three full days. They are simply neighborhoods or large groups of friends who gather on the street, share food, music, dance and sometimes floats. A parade might consist of an old decorated truck filled with musicians riding in the back and people following behind singing and dancing. Really a fun, fun time for everyone involved. Bob walked around town today while I was writing and found a great street party. They're everywhere!
The formal Carnival is held in the Sambadrome and is held over two nights, beginning at 9:00 p.m. each night and lasting until about 5:00 a.m. the next morning. There are 12 major samba schools who participate in this competition each year. A samba school is not an official "school." It doesn't take the place of academic school for young people. It evolved from individual neighborhoods which banded together and practiced samba, based on their particular culture and traditions. As the "school" gets larger and more proficient it may become more prestigious and have an opportunity to participate in more prominent celebrations. The schools have fundraisers throughout the year to raise the money they need to participate in the parades or competition. The twelve most accomplished schools have the opportunity to participate in the celebration at the Sambadrome during Carnival. Each school is given exactly 75 minutes to move along the stadium track which is about 2000 feet long. There are five judges who judge each school in a total of 20 categories on items such as costumes, music, floats, singers, etc. Each category has a maximum of 10 points. As in some Olympic sports, the highest and
lowest scores in each category are dropped and then the scores are totaled. The results are sealed and the winner is announced on Ash Wednesday.
Six schools perform on night one and the second six schools perform on night two. We were there for the first night. As each school entered the stadium, there was a sudden cacophony of sights and sounds. It started with an explosion of fireworks and a drum core of probably about 300 musicians which the crowd loved. Many people who were invited guests in the covered boxes reserved for large company sponsors became so excited they threw off their ponchos and started wildly dancing the samba, seemingly oblivious to the pouring rain. People in the stands were on their feet, dancing, singing and yelling their support for the people on the field. The dancers and floats which followed were an extraordinary spectacle. Every detail was perfect. The girls were gorgeous, the costumes were vibrant and textured with sequins, beads and other decorations which shimmered and shone under the lights. The samba music blared through the loud speakers and the crowd roared with delight. Each school had approximately 5,000 participants who were dancing, singing, playing drums and getting the crowd involved in the fun. It was an absolute sea of people on the field. It was a bit of a surreal experience to be there. Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Unfortunately, last night it rained the entire time were were there, so we were worried that the costumes and floats might be severely affected. However, amazingly, they didn't seem to be at all bothered by the weather. I'm not sure how, but everything held up perfectly in spite of the weather. As we were leaving the stadium we were gathered in our group and many of the dancers and participants passed directly between us, sometimes hitting us in the face with their feathers!! They were still fabulous, with no signs of wilting in the rain!
Our cruise ship personnel were great about making sure that none of us got lost in the crowd or left behind at the beginning and end of the evening, which was a Herculean task, considering the pandemonium entering and leaving the stadium. The traffic was horrendous and it took us well over an hour to go a few miles. However, once we arrived we were quite fortunate to have wonderful seats. We were sitting near the judges stand so the participants really tried to strut their stuff for them. Other than being completely soaked for a few hours we were quite comfortable. They gave us cushions on which to sit, since the seats were cement.
The parade started over an hour late so for the first hour we sat there in the downpour waiting for the show to start. It was impossible to leave the seat for any reason and return due to how tightly people were packed into the rows. Bob and I were at the very end of a row without an inside aisle so we we were really boxed in. However, once the competition started, we were able to somewhat ignore how physically uncomfortable we were sitting in the lightning, thunder and pounding rain and enjoy the magnificent myriad of sights and sounds.
We returned to the ship in the early hours of the morning. When we entered our suite our thoughtful butler had left us a lovely tray of cheese, crackers, fruit and a bit of chocolate. He is incredibly thoughtful. Sometimes it's fun to be so spoiled but I'm fully aware this is only pretend and not reality. In three weeks this amazing adventure will be over and it will be time to cook our own meals and clean up our messes. So, until then we'll just enjoy this extravagant lifestyle.
We had the following morning to sleep late and then spent most of the day relaxing. While I wrote the blog Bob went onshore and took a walk to shop for souvenirs we might add to our collection but unfortunately didn't find the one sculpture for which we have been searching. Maybe in our next port before we leave Brazil. We left Rio late this evening and are on our way to the small resort town of Buzios, which is nearby. No tours scheduled for tomorrow so we can spend the day on our own exploring the town.
The formal Carnival is held in the Sambadrome and is held over two nights, beginning at 9:00 p.m. each night and lasting until about 5:00 a.m. the next morning. There are 12 major samba schools who participate in this competition each year. A samba school is not an official "school." It doesn't take the place of academic school for young people. It evolved from individual neighborhoods which banded together and practiced samba, based on their particular culture and traditions. As the "school" gets larger and more proficient it may become more prestigious and have an opportunity to participate in more prominent celebrations. The schools have fundraisers throughout the year to raise the money they need to participate in the parades or competition. The twelve most accomplished schools have the opportunity to participate in the celebration at the Sambadrome during Carnival. Each school is given exactly 75 minutes to move along the stadium track which is about 2000 feet long. There are five judges who judge each school in a total of 20 categories on items such as costumes, music, floats, singers, etc. Each category has a maximum of 10 points. As in some Olympic sports, the highest and
lowest scores in each category are dropped and then the scores are totaled. The results are sealed and the winner is announced on Ash Wednesday.
Six schools perform on night one and the second six schools perform on night two. We were there for the first night. As each school entered the stadium, there was a sudden cacophony of sights and sounds. It started with an explosion of fireworks and a drum core of probably about 300 musicians which the crowd loved. Many people who were invited guests in the covered boxes reserved for large company sponsors became so excited they threw off their ponchos and started wildly dancing the samba, seemingly oblivious to the pouring rain. People in the stands were on their feet, dancing, singing and yelling their support for the people on the field. The dancers and floats which followed were an extraordinary spectacle. Every detail was perfect. The girls were gorgeous, the costumes were vibrant and textured with sequins, beads and other decorations which shimmered and shone under the lights. The samba music blared through the loud speakers and the crowd roared with delight. Each school had approximately 5,000 participants who were dancing, singing, playing drums and getting the crowd involved in the fun. It was an absolute sea of people on the field. It was a bit of a surreal experience to be there. Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Unfortunately, last night it rained the entire time were were there, so we were worried that the costumes and floats might be severely affected. However, amazingly, they didn't seem to be at all bothered by the weather. I'm not sure how, but everything held up perfectly in spite of the weather. As we were leaving the stadium we were gathered in our group and many of the dancers and participants passed directly between us, sometimes hitting us in the face with their feathers!! They were still fabulous, with no signs of wilting in the rain!
Our cruise ship personnel were great about making sure that none of us got lost in the crowd or left behind at the beginning and end of the evening, which was a Herculean task, considering the pandemonium entering and leaving the stadium. The traffic was horrendous and it took us well over an hour to go a few miles. However, once we arrived we were quite fortunate to have wonderful seats. We were sitting near the judges stand so the participants really tried to strut their stuff for them. Other than being completely soaked for a few hours we were quite comfortable. They gave us cushions on which to sit, since the seats were cement.
The parade started over an hour late so for the first hour we sat there in the downpour waiting for the show to start. It was impossible to leave the seat for any reason and return due to how tightly people were packed into the rows. Bob and I were at the very end of a row without an inside aisle so we we were really boxed in. However, once the competition started, we were able to somewhat ignore how physically uncomfortable we were sitting in the lightning, thunder and pounding rain and enjoy the magnificent myriad of sights and sounds.
We returned to the ship in the early hours of the morning. When we entered our suite our thoughtful butler had left us a lovely tray of cheese, crackers, fruit and a bit of chocolate. He is incredibly thoughtful. Sometimes it's fun to be so spoiled but I'm fully aware this is only pretend and not reality. In three weeks this amazing adventure will be over and it will be time to cook our own meals and clean up our messes. So, until then we'll just enjoy this extravagant lifestyle.
We had the following morning to sleep late and then spent most of the day relaxing. While I wrote the blog Bob went onshore and took a walk to shop for souvenirs we might add to our collection but unfortunately didn't find the one sculpture for which we have been searching. Maybe in our next port before we leave Brazil. We left Rio late this evening and are on our way to the small resort town of Buzios, which is nearby. No tours scheduled for tomorrow so we can spend the day on our own exploring the town.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Saturday, February 14th - Monday, February 16th
We're finally here! As we were promised, the weather was quite warm and humid. Just had to get used to feeling hot and soggy as we traveled around the city for a few days, soaking in all the beautiful sights and sounds of fabulous RIO!!!! This year, the city of Rio celebrated its 450 year anniversary. Six million people now call Rio home. On our way into the port early this morning we cruised very slowly through the lovely bay that is one mile wide in some places. We were eager to get off the ship to experience the sights and sounds of the amazing culture that we will experience over the next few days.
When we walked off the ship we were hit by a wall of heat and humidity. Thankfully, we didn't have too far to walk to catch our bus. As our bus was attempting to exit the port the driver caught the bottom of it on a curb and bent part of the step which is stored underneath when the bus is moving. Afterward, every time we went over even the tiniest little bump on the road the bottom of our bus would scrape and make a horrible sound. This went on for an hour until we arrived at our destination. Luckily, while we were on the mountain the driver changed buses and the ride back to the ship was much more pleasant and felt much safer!
Rio is an interesting city. It is extremely eclectic in its architecture, neighborhoods and people. We passed a Catholic cathedral that was extremely modern and built to look like a pyramid! Then we saw a beautiful set of arches that serve as a bridge for a railroad crossing. Our guide told us that they are known as the "arches of love" throughout the city. As we drove deeper into town we passed through an area that had sidewalks covered in trash. In addition, there were huge piles of garbage built up on many of the street corners. People were sleeping all over the sidewalk. Not really a neighborhood in which I would want to walk around alone.
We drove through a very long tunnel and when we reached the other side the neighborhood appeared much improved. We no longer saw piles of garbage and there was much less graffiti. In fact, there was a lovely large park which bordered the street. Our guide told us it was name Flamengo Park and was built in the French style. That's why it was so pretty! As we moved through the city our guide explained that since Rio is wedged between two mountains all the land is already built and there is no more room for building out so everyone has to build up if they want more space. There are many high-rise condominiums throughout the city.
We had a chance to see Ipanema Beach, which was lovely. We also saw the lagoon where the 2016 Olympic rowing competition will be held. Bob asked our guide about how the preparations were going for the upcoming games, since we have heard that there are some concerns about the city being ready in time to host them. Our guide assured him that preparations were going well and Rio would be ready in time to host a wonderful and exciting competition.
We arrived at our destination which was the Christ the Redeemer monument. We took a funicular up the mountain. The ride was itself quite remarkable. It was a 20 minute ride through the Atlantic Rain Forest. Although there are no large cats left in this area there were monkeys swinging through the trees while they munched on the jackfruit which is extremely plentiful in this forest. There are also armadillos, iguanas, snakes (yuk - thankfully we didn't see any), spiders, toads and lots of exotic birds, like parrots, toucans and macaws. Our guide explained that this is a high bio-diversity rain forest. Many large trees had epiphytes growing on their trunks. An epiphyte is a plant that grows non-parasitically on top of another plant. Orchids were growing wild on many of the trunks. There were also many spectacularly colored tropical bromeliads with bright red and pink flowers. Really a beautiful and peaceful ride through the forest.
After the funicular ride, most of us took a combination of elevators and escalators to the top of the mountain. However, my very studly husband climbed the 225 stairs to the top. No too shabby for a fellow who is 73 yeas old!!!! (plus, he's cute, too)!!!!
Once we reached the top of the mountain we were at the base of the monument. Unfortunately, when we first arrived it was completely clouded in clouds. Our guide told us to be patient and, hopefully, the sun would shine through the clouds in a few minutes. After about 30 minutes we were rewarded for our wait with a lovely sunny view of the entire monument. Absolutely incredible!!!! Although I've seen the Christ the Redeemer monument in many photos, they just can't do it justice. It is a remarkable sight. It's massive!!!! Even though this monument is nothing compared to the day when Jesus will return, just seeing this remarkable monument makes me even more excited to think about the day when Jesus returns from the heavens. The monument stands watch over the city of Rio and I must say it's very comforting to look up from anywhere in the city and see the monument of Jesus with outstretched arms. It's a constant reminder that our Heavenly Father is always watching over us, protecting, and loving us. It's a beautiful sight. After spending time on the mountain we boarded the funicular and rode back through the lovely rainforest. We returned to the ship to get ready for our big day tomorrow which includes a visit to Sugarloaf mountain and a nighttime trip to the world-famous Carnival!!!!
********************
We got up on this bright, sunny morning and went to Sugarloaf Mountain. We ascended to the top on a gondola built in 1912. Although the cars have been updated since then, it's still a spectacular ride up the mountain. We rode a series of two cars to reach the top. This gondola was used in a James Bond 007 movie titled "Moonraker" in which Bond and his girlfriend were being chased by the outrageous and vicious villain "Jaws." It's quite a famous scene and made a lot of people less than excited about riding a gondola in the future!
Once on top of Sugarloaf we enjoyed a magnificent view of Rio. Sine we were in the middle of the rainforest we could see marmosets, a type of monkey, playing and munching on fruit in the trees. There were also a couple of large iguanas crawling around on the ground. What an incredible sight! The wildlife is so rich and diverse in the tropics. We spent some time relaxing, browsing through the shops, and enjoying the spectacular views of the forest and city below. Afterwards, we took the funicular back down the mountain, boarded our bus and took a tour of Copacabana Beach, which was quite beautiful.
The beach was about 2-1/2 miles long and was very wide, similar to some of our beaches in Southern California. There were colorful flags flying everywhere and a sand sports court which is used for sand volleyball and soccer. Next week, Brazil will face the U.S. in women's beach volleyball on these courts. On New Year's Eve this beach hosted approximately 2 million people who rang in the new year. It was a relatively clean area with beautiful, small mosaic tiles in waves of black and white, which is the symbol for Copacabana Beach. The tiny tiles were hand laid with limestone and black basalt squares set in alternating black and white waves It was quite unique and very pretty. The streets were lined with large palm trees and tropical plants with gorgeous bright orange flowers.
Across the street there was a string of condos and hotels, although there were no elegant resort-style hotels. The area was clean and well-maintained but the structures appeared to reflect the architecture of the 1960's. There was no bellmen or large circular driveways to assist guests during the check-in process. In fact, we still aren't sure where people park when they visit Copacabana Beach. We didn't see any street parking or parking lots.
We were looking for beautiful Brazilian women (I should say BOB was looking) wearing string bikinis! The only people we saw were middle-aged men wearing what looked like the bottom of a woman's bikini with socks and tennis shoes. Not an attractive look. People are very active in Brazil. Soccer is the most important sport and the city of Rio has four different Division 1 Teams. We left the beach in the early afternoon to rest and get ready for our exciting outing to the Rio Carnival tonight!!!! Not sure exactly what to expect but know it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Should be fun.
When we walked off the ship we were hit by a wall of heat and humidity. Thankfully, we didn't have too far to walk to catch our bus. As our bus was attempting to exit the port the driver caught the bottom of it on a curb and bent part of the step which is stored underneath when the bus is moving. Afterward, every time we went over even the tiniest little bump on the road the bottom of our bus would scrape and make a horrible sound. This went on for an hour until we arrived at our destination. Luckily, while we were on the mountain the driver changed buses and the ride back to the ship was much more pleasant and felt much safer!
Rio is an interesting city. It is extremely eclectic in its architecture, neighborhoods and people. We passed a Catholic cathedral that was extremely modern and built to look like a pyramid! Then we saw a beautiful set of arches that serve as a bridge for a railroad crossing. Our guide told us that they are known as the "arches of love" throughout the city. As we drove deeper into town we passed through an area that had sidewalks covered in trash. In addition, there were huge piles of garbage built up on many of the street corners. People were sleeping all over the sidewalk. Not really a neighborhood in which I would want to walk around alone.
We drove through a very long tunnel and when we reached the other side the neighborhood appeared much improved. We no longer saw piles of garbage and there was much less graffiti. In fact, there was a lovely large park which bordered the street. Our guide told us it was name Flamengo Park and was built in the French style. That's why it was so pretty! As we moved through the city our guide explained that since Rio is wedged between two mountains all the land is already built and there is no more room for building out so everyone has to build up if they want more space. There are many high-rise condominiums throughout the city.
We had a chance to see Ipanema Beach, which was lovely. We also saw the lagoon where the 2016 Olympic rowing competition will be held. Bob asked our guide about how the preparations were going for the upcoming games, since we have heard that there are some concerns about the city being ready in time to host them. Our guide assured him that preparations were going well and Rio would be ready in time to host a wonderful and exciting competition.
We arrived at our destination which was the Christ the Redeemer monument. We took a funicular up the mountain. The ride was itself quite remarkable. It was a 20 minute ride through the Atlantic Rain Forest. Although there are no large cats left in this area there were monkeys swinging through the trees while they munched on the jackfruit which is extremely plentiful in this forest. There are also armadillos, iguanas, snakes (yuk - thankfully we didn't see any), spiders, toads and lots of exotic birds, like parrots, toucans and macaws. Our guide explained that this is a high bio-diversity rain forest. Many large trees had epiphytes growing on their trunks. An epiphyte is a plant that grows non-parasitically on top of another plant. Orchids were growing wild on many of the trunks. There were also many spectacularly colored tropical bromeliads with bright red and pink flowers. Really a beautiful and peaceful ride through the forest.
After the funicular ride, most of us took a combination of elevators and escalators to the top of the mountain. However, my very studly husband climbed the 225 stairs to the top. No too shabby for a fellow who is 73 yeas old!!!! (plus, he's cute, too)!!!!
Once we reached the top of the mountain we were at the base of the monument. Unfortunately, when we first arrived it was completely clouded in clouds. Our guide told us to be patient and, hopefully, the sun would shine through the clouds in a few minutes. After about 30 minutes we were rewarded for our wait with a lovely sunny view of the entire monument. Absolutely incredible!!!! Although I've seen the Christ the Redeemer monument in many photos, they just can't do it justice. It is a remarkable sight. It's massive!!!! Even though this monument is nothing compared to the day when Jesus will return, just seeing this remarkable monument makes me even more excited to think about the day when Jesus returns from the heavens. The monument stands watch over the city of Rio and I must say it's very comforting to look up from anywhere in the city and see the monument of Jesus with outstretched arms. It's a constant reminder that our Heavenly Father is always watching over us, protecting, and loving us. It's a beautiful sight. After spending time on the mountain we boarded the funicular and rode back through the lovely rainforest. We returned to the ship to get ready for our big day tomorrow which includes a visit to Sugarloaf mountain and a nighttime trip to the world-famous Carnival!!!!
********************
We got up on this bright, sunny morning and went to Sugarloaf Mountain. We ascended to the top on a gondola built in 1912. Although the cars have been updated since then, it's still a spectacular ride up the mountain. We rode a series of two cars to reach the top. This gondola was used in a James Bond 007 movie titled "Moonraker" in which Bond and his girlfriend were being chased by the outrageous and vicious villain "Jaws." It's quite a famous scene and made a lot of people less than excited about riding a gondola in the future!
Once on top of Sugarloaf we enjoyed a magnificent view of Rio. Sine we were in the middle of the rainforest we could see marmosets, a type of monkey, playing and munching on fruit in the trees. There were also a couple of large iguanas crawling around on the ground. What an incredible sight! The wildlife is so rich and diverse in the tropics. We spent some time relaxing, browsing through the shops, and enjoying the spectacular views of the forest and city below. Afterwards, we took the funicular back down the mountain, boarded our bus and took a tour of Copacabana Beach, which was quite beautiful.
The beach was about 2-1/2 miles long and was very wide, similar to some of our beaches in Southern California. There were colorful flags flying everywhere and a sand sports court which is used for sand volleyball and soccer. Next week, Brazil will face the U.S. in women's beach volleyball on these courts. On New Year's Eve this beach hosted approximately 2 million people who rang in the new year. It was a relatively clean area with beautiful, small mosaic tiles in waves of black and white, which is the symbol for Copacabana Beach. The tiny tiles were hand laid with limestone and black basalt squares set in alternating black and white waves It was quite unique and very pretty. The streets were lined with large palm trees and tropical plants with gorgeous bright orange flowers.
Across the street there was a string of condos and hotels, although there were no elegant resort-style hotels. The area was clean and well-maintained but the structures appeared to reflect the architecture of the 1960's. There was no bellmen or large circular driveways to assist guests during the check-in process. In fact, we still aren't sure where people park when they visit Copacabana Beach. We didn't see any street parking or parking lots.
We were looking for beautiful Brazilian women (I should say BOB was looking) wearing string bikinis! The only people we saw were middle-aged men wearing what looked like the bottom of a woman's bikini with socks and tennis shoes. Not an attractive look. People are very active in Brazil. Soccer is the most important sport and the city of Rio has four different Division 1 Teams. We left the beach in the early afternoon to rest and get ready for our exciting outing to the Rio Carnival tonight!!!! Not sure exactly what to expect but know it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Should be fun.
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Santos, Brazil: Friday, February 13th
We had a short visit to this city, which boasts the biggest port in Latin America. We quickly learned that the Brazilians are a very proud people who love and appreciate their country. Our guide immediately told us that Brazilians are loud, assertive and they always greet each other, as well as visitors, with kisses. Unfortunately, this didn't go over too well with our group, particularly since about half of the people on our ship have just recovered from a nasty GI virus. For the last two weeks the ship has had extra safety measures in place to help rid passengers of this illness. The buffets were closed and table service was the only dining available. There was a crew member stationed at each door in the common areas requesting that we sanitize our hands when entering and leaving the room. Many people were quarantined in their cabins for days and their rooms were cleaned by a crew member wearing a hazmat suit. Sooooo, when our guide tried to kiss us we quickly took a step back. Poor lady - probably thought we were quite rude!
This was not the most interesting tour we have taken on this trip. When our guide used the microphone it would short in and out so we heard about every 2-3 word. When she wasn't using the microphone she just screamed in a quite unpleasant tone. She would periodically break out in song and then tell us afterward that she knew her voice was terrible. She was just proud of her country and eager to share her culture with us. So, we rolled along, trying to get as much enjoyment as possible from our surroundings.
Our guide told us that although she loves and is devoted to her country, there are some major problems in Brazil. Security, political corruption, and illegal drugs are all major issues. Our ship's crew did admonish us to leave all of our expensive possessions on board while visiting this country and to keep our handbags, cameras, etc. in front of us when walking through the streets.
Since Brazil was discovered by Portugal in the 1500's, Portuguese is the language spoken throughout the country. However, we were informed that speaking English is considered mandatory, not an option. Speaking Chinese and German is considered a "plus" when seeking employment. Since there are 70 different nationalities living in Brazil there are very few issues with discrimination.
Coffee was a major contributor to the economic growth of Brazil. It has brought a fortune to the country. However, a recent problem for workers has been the growth of technology. Historically, a majority of workers were hired for manual labor. However, as the work becomes more automated, many workers are no longer needed. Like many other countries, Brazil is struggling with unemployment for unskilled workers Technical training is needed to run the machines. My ears perked up as we passed a huge park which stretches along the beaches in this area. Our guide explained that the government employs people with developmental disabilities to care for the park. Due to the enormous size of the area, that would create many jobs for people. Love it!!!!
Housing directly on one of the lovely beaches is certainly not inexpensive but not as expensive as they are in Southern California. Prices start at approximately $1,000,000 for a small condo. Many of the buildings looked reasonably modern but not elegant as we drove passed them. The traffic can be quite congested at times. Our guide explained that most people in the city choose to drive their personal car as opposed to taking public transportation. Sounds like Southern California!
Our first stop was at the Orchid Park where they advertise having 5,000 orchid plants, as well as hundreds of rare and tropical plants. Although we didn't see one orchid we did enjoy a lovely walk through the gardens. The park also serves as a care center for small animals and birds who have been caught when smugglers were attempting to take them out of the country illegally. The park nurses them back to health and then releases them back into the wild. If they cannot be returned they remain at the park permanently.
Our next stop was very exciting for a lot of our European tourists. We had a tour of the football (soccer) stadium. This is the league and home stadium where the famous Brazilian soccer player, Pele, played for the Santos FC. Pele was the most successful league goal scorer in the world, with 541 league goals. He is greatly revered in this country and continues to be one of their national heroes. Many of our passengers were thrilled to have the opportunity to visit his museum and home field. Now, if would have been visiting one of the big U.S. college football fields, Bob and I would have been thrilled. Soccer, not so much.
Our last stop was at the Coffee Exchange building (Coffee Palace). The coffee exchange was established in 1914 and continued until the 1950's. This beautiful historic building housed the official coffee stock exchange. Bidders would come from all over the world to meet, sample the beans, and then bid on the coffee. Although the descriptions were only in Portuguese, we enjoyed the beautiful stained glass ceilings, intricately carved, dark rich wood, and the elegant marble floors as we walked through the museum.
We returned to the bus for a short ride back to our ship. We were thrilled to be returning to the comfort of air conditioning, since it was 97 degrees with high humidity. Also, while on the bus (early in the day) the air conditioner above me spewed out water all over me so I was completely drenched - hair, top and pants! It was quite steamy and uncomfortable to walk until it dried. I was anxious to get back and freshen up after a hot day. OK, next stop RIO for three days of Carnival!! Hope we survive the extreme heat, humidity and crowds!!! Should be quite an adventure. Bring it on!!!!!
This was not the most interesting tour we have taken on this trip. When our guide used the microphone it would short in and out so we heard about every 2-3 word. When she wasn't using the microphone she just screamed in a quite unpleasant tone. She would periodically break out in song and then tell us afterward that she knew her voice was terrible. She was just proud of her country and eager to share her culture with us. So, we rolled along, trying to get as much enjoyment as possible from our surroundings.
Our guide told us that although she loves and is devoted to her country, there are some major problems in Brazil. Security, political corruption, and illegal drugs are all major issues. Our ship's crew did admonish us to leave all of our expensive possessions on board while visiting this country and to keep our handbags, cameras, etc. in front of us when walking through the streets.
Since Brazil was discovered by Portugal in the 1500's, Portuguese is the language spoken throughout the country. However, we were informed that speaking English is considered mandatory, not an option. Speaking Chinese and German is considered a "plus" when seeking employment. Since there are 70 different nationalities living in Brazil there are very few issues with discrimination.
Coffee was a major contributor to the economic growth of Brazil. It has brought a fortune to the country. However, a recent problem for workers has been the growth of technology. Historically, a majority of workers were hired for manual labor. However, as the work becomes more automated, many workers are no longer needed. Like many other countries, Brazil is struggling with unemployment for unskilled workers Technical training is needed to run the machines. My ears perked up as we passed a huge park which stretches along the beaches in this area. Our guide explained that the government employs people with developmental disabilities to care for the park. Due to the enormous size of the area, that would create many jobs for people. Love it!!!!
Housing directly on one of the lovely beaches is certainly not inexpensive but not as expensive as they are in Southern California. Prices start at approximately $1,000,000 for a small condo. Many of the buildings looked reasonably modern but not elegant as we drove passed them. The traffic can be quite congested at times. Our guide explained that most people in the city choose to drive their personal car as opposed to taking public transportation. Sounds like Southern California!
Our first stop was at the Orchid Park where they advertise having 5,000 orchid plants, as well as hundreds of rare and tropical plants. Although we didn't see one orchid we did enjoy a lovely walk through the gardens. The park also serves as a care center for small animals and birds who have been caught when smugglers were attempting to take them out of the country illegally. The park nurses them back to health and then releases them back into the wild. If they cannot be returned they remain at the park permanently.
Our next stop was very exciting for a lot of our European tourists. We had a tour of the football (soccer) stadium. This is the league and home stadium where the famous Brazilian soccer player, Pele, played for the Santos FC. Pele was the most successful league goal scorer in the world, with 541 league goals. He is greatly revered in this country and continues to be one of their national heroes. Many of our passengers were thrilled to have the opportunity to visit his museum and home field. Now, if would have been visiting one of the big U.S. college football fields, Bob and I would have been thrilled. Soccer, not so much.
Our last stop was at the Coffee Exchange building (Coffee Palace). The coffee exchange was established in 1914 and continued until the 1950's. This beautiful historic building housed the official coffee stock exchange. Bidders would come from all over the world to meet, sample the beans, and then bid on the coffee. Although the descriptions were only in Portuguese, we enjoyed the beautiful stained glass ceilings, intricately carved, dark rich wood, and the elegant marble floors as we walked through the museum.
We returned to the bus for a short ride back to our ship. We were thrilled to be returning to the comfort of air conditioning, since it was 97 degrees with high humidity. Also, while on the bus (early in the day) the air conditioner above me spewed out water all over me so I was completely drenched - hair, top and pants! It was quite steamy and uncomfortable to walk until it dried. I was anxious to get back and freshen up after a hot day. OK, next stop RIO for three days of Carnival!! Hope we survive the extreme heat, humidity and crowds!!! Should be quite an adventure. Bring it on!!!!!
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Buenos Aires, Argentina: Tuesday, February 10th
Don't cry for me........I'm in Buenos Aires!!!!
Oh--my--goodness!! What an incredible city!!!! I could have spent a week here!!!! It is the perfect blend of modern and colonial architecture. The streets were crowded with a mix of locals scurrying to work and tourists eager to experience the many beautiful sites this amazing city has to offer. I'm so excited to share all the beautiful places I've seen here that I'm having difficulty organizing my thoughts.
First, I'll describe a bit of my initial impressions of this massive city. Our guide told us that Buenos Aires is the ninth largest city in the world! It is divided into 47 districts, the largest immigrant groups being Italian and German. There are only a very few pureblood Argentinean people left and it is rare to meet one who lives in the city. It was immediately obvious that there are numerous means of public transportation to help people navigate the streets. There are 40,000 taxis throughout the city, a subway system, buses, trains, motorcycles, and bikes. Most of the streets are laid out in a grid which make it easier for tourists who are unfamiliar with the area. The widest avenue in the world is located in the middle of Buenos Aires. The Avenue Nueve de Julio is 440 feet wide from one building to the buildings on the opposite side of the street. There are 14 lanes of traffic that were filled with vehicles. Each city block is 100 meters long so it's easy to determine how far it is from one location to another.
One of the first areas we passed was a new and very upscale river walk shopping and dining area. The buildings have been converted from antiquated factory buildings. There was a gorgeous contemporary designed suspension bridge linking the two sides of the river and presented a great photo opportunity.
The hard scape is broken up beautifully by numerous parks and greenbelts throughout the town. Sycamore trees were planted in most of the grassy areas that divided the traffic. Kapok trees with gorgeous pink blossoms abound throughout, adorning the city with color. Enormous jacaranda trees with bright purple flowers also lined many of the avenues. Such a beautiful site. We noticed how bright and colorful the houses were painted. Our guide told us that most of the residents bought "leftover" pain from professional paints since it was far less expensive. Usually it was the bright colors that were left, consequently, the neighborhoods are filled with many different, brightly colored homes.
Many times when we stopped for a red light at an intersection, a street performer would jump out in front of the traffic. Most of them were jugglers trying to convince drivers to pass money to them through the windows. Not many of them were successful. We also noticed a number of dog walkers with lots of dogs on leashes. Many of them were walking 8-9 dogs, a few were walking up to 12 dogs, and one fellow was walking 15 dogs. What a sight!!! Not sure who was walking who in that case. We passed the obelisk, designated as the official center of the city, which was first established in 1536. It was at this location that the flag for the city of Buenos Aires was first flown. As we drove through this magnificent city there were many monuments devoted to the "common" people - union workers, men, women, children, as well as prominent historical figures. There was also a large flower sculpture which had lighted petals which opened during the day and closed at night. It was a dazzling sight. Buenos Aires is definitely the most beautiful city we have seen in South America.
Our first stop was in the La Boca neighborhood. This absolutely delightful area is considered the "Montmarte" area of Buenos Aires. It is quite similar to the Paris neighborhood for which it is named and is a wonderful place in which to spend a leisurely afternoon browsing through the handicrafts and enjoying a delicious cup of cappuccino or expresso. Many of the walls were decorated with sculptural reliefs. Some of them were of historical figures, like the Pope waving from a balcony, and many of them were whimsical characters. They were absolutely delightful. Tourists were lined up to take photos with many of them. I thoroughly enjoyed my time here and could have easily spent much longer browsing in the area and enjoying a coffee.
We continued our drive through this exciting city. Our next stop was to have a coffee and snack at the famous Cafe Tortoni. I think I could move to this city just so I could frequent this restaurant. It was opened by a French immigrant in 1858 and is the oldest coffee shop in the entire country. The owner named the establishment after an area in Paris where the elites of Parisian culture used to meet. Cafe Tortoni has been frequented by artists, writers, journalists, musicians and intellectuals to inspire their creativity. Politicians have gathered here to plan their strategies. Locals meet here to play billiards, cards or just share coffee and conversation with friends. Currently, tourists and locals flock to this establishment to soak in the charm, beauty, and culture found within these walls.
When we entered the cafe our eyes were met with an array of sights and sounds. Parisian music played softly in the background while customers were enthusiastically engaged in conversations. The space was filled with a combination of small round and square wooden tables with marble inlays on the top. The wooden chairs were covered in leather and soft cushions. The walls were paneled in dark, rich wood and were surrounded with exquisite moldings on the bottom half and bright yellow painted walls on the top. Historical pictures of the town hung on the walls, along with photos of some of the celebrities who have spent time in the cafe. Pedestals located throughout the space were topped with busts of historically significant figures. There was a tableau of three famous Argentinean artists gathered around a small table in one of the corners where tourists were falling over each other to take their picture with it. The ceilings were filled with huge panels of stained glass. Chandeliers hanging from the center of the stained glass gave the area an elegant look. A row of large wooden columns lined the center of the room and helped to separate the bar from the dining area. There was an incredibly gorgeous long wooden bar built in the Victorian style and a mirrored shelving unit on the wall behind it to hold the glasses. It was a beautiful piece of furniture. Tiffany lamps were scattered throughout the coffee house, adding elegance to the atmosphere.
In the back of the restaurant there was a separate room which serves as a Cabaret theater. There is a raised stage with thick red velvet curtains for dramatic effect. Small round tables for two with wire -backed chairs provided a cozy seating arrangement and the dark walls and floral-themed velvet wallpaper gave the space a warm, romantic atmosphere. Can you tell I LOVED this cafe????
Once we left this lovely cafe we drove to the Cathedral at Plaza Mayo, where Father Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who is now Pope Francis, attended services for many years. Our guide told us that after church he would cross the street to walk through the park, buy a newspaper, and then spend the remainder of the afternoon delivering food to the poor. It was a beautiful church, with small intimate chapels devoted to various saints located along the outside walls. I crawled down the stairs to the crypt where some of the prominent bishops and priests were buried. I was the only one down there and it was a little eerie so I didn't stay long!
We returned to the bus to continue our tour. We passed the Casa Rosada where Eva Peron (Evita) stood on the balcony to greet the tremendous crowds that would gather to catch a glimpse of her. The balcony doors where she stood remain open and it still appears that she could walk out at any moment. I am absolutely amazed at how much she is still loved in this city. We visited the cemetery where she is buried in a vault. As we were waiting our turn to take a photo, a group of young adult male tourists were sitting on the raised cement platform in front of her grave. Our tour guide became visibly upset with the tourists and demanded that they stand up and not sit on the platform out of respect to Ms. Peron. They laughed and made some disparaging remarks but they did remove themselves. Must have been the daggers in her eyes that she was throwing at them! There are images of Evita everywhere. There was more than one tableau of her waving to the crowd from a balcony. There are certainly people here who are not admirers but it seems that the great majority of working people remain very devoted to her memory.
Our guide told us that we were now driving to the northern section of Buenos Aires where, historically, the "rich people" lived. Evidently, there was an epidemic of yellow fever in the late 1800's so the families of wealth fled to this area to escape the illness. The mansions in this area were magnificent. The residents of this area traveled frequently to Paris, France and fell in love with the architecture. Since they had a great deal of money they had the means to ship materials from France and recreate their homes in Buenos Aires. Consequently, this area became known as the "Paris of Latin America." These homes easily rival the mansions we have in Beverly Hills, California. They are absolutely magnificent. The stately, formal and imposing homes had a combination of brick, stucco, or stone exteriors. Balconies were defined by elaborate and intricate iron work. The mansard roofs, covered with gray slate tiles, were built in the steep, boxy, nearly perpendicular design found frequently in French country manors. The streets were lined with French-style gas lamps which gave the area a very Parisian atmosphere. Some of the mansions remain owned by private families but many of them have been sold and are now used as foreign embassies.
The most elegant shopping area in the city is located in the north, next to the "Paris" area. All of the major luxury stores have a presence here. Tiffany, Cartier, Louis Vuittan, Gucci, Valentino, Prada, Hermes, Versace, Dior, and Armani, among others have a presence in this shopping district. Thankfully, we didn't make a stop there (I think Bob paid off the driver)!
We learned that the Argentine tango was first danced in the brothels of the La Boca area of Buenos Aires. The tango was banned in Argentina due to its explicit sexual nature. However, the daughter of one of the rich and prominent families traveled to Paris and learned the dance. She loved it and brought it back home to teach to her friends. Once the wealthy families were dancing the tango it became quite popular and Buenos Aires became the center for the tango.
There is soooo much more that I would LOVE to add but I realize the most of you have stopped reading by now so I will stop. Buenos Aires is a fascinating city with many different, and diverse, neighborhoods. There is everything from shanty towns to extremely wealthy and elegant neighborhoods. It's definitely one of my favorite places we have visited on this trip and I hope that someday we will return. Now, we are at sea for a couple of days. Then, we have a quick, one-day stop in Santos, Brazil, followed by a stop in Rio de Janeiro for a few days to celebrate Carnival!!!! Woo-Hoo!!!
Oh--my--goodness!! What an incredible city!!!! I could have spent a week here!!!! It is the perfect blend of modern and colonial architecture. The streets were crowded with a mix of locals scurrying to work and tourists eager to experience the many beautiful sites this amazing city has to offer. I'm so excited to share all the beautiful places I've seen here that I'm having difficulty organizing my thoughts.
First, I'll describe a bit of my initial impressions of this massive city. Our guide told us that Buenos Aires is the ninth largest city in the world! It is divided into 47 districts, the largest immigrant groups being Italian and German. There are only a very few pureblood Argentinean people left and it is rare to meet one who lives in the city. It was immediately obvious that there are numerous means of public transportation to help people navigate the streets. There are 40,000 taxis throughout the city, a subway system, buses, trains, motorcycles, and bikes. Most of the streets are laid out in a grid which make it easier for tourists who are unfamiliar with the area. The widest avenue in the world is located in the middle of Buenos Aires. The Avenue Nueve de Julio is 440 feet wide from one building to the buildings on the opposite side of the street. There are 14 lanes of traffic that were filled with vehicles. Each city block is 100 meters long so it's easy to determine how far it is from one location to another.
One of the first areas we passed was a new and very upscale river walk shopping and dining area. The buildings have been converted from antiquated factory buildings. There was a gorgeous contemporary designed suspension bridge linking the two sides of the river and presented a great photo opportunity.
The hard scape is broken up beautifully by numerous parks and greenbelts throughout the town. Sycamore trees were planted in most of the grassy areas that divided the traffic. Kapok trees with gorgeous pink blossoms abound throughout, adorning the city with color. Enormous jacaranda trees with bright purple flowers also lined many of the avenues. Such a beautiful site. We noticed how bright and colorful the houses were painted. Our guide told us that most of the residents bought "leftover" pain from professional paints since it was far less expensive. Usually it was the bright colors that were left, consequently, the neighborhoods are filled with many different, brightly colored homes.
Many times when we stopped for a red light at an intersection, a street performer would jump out in front of the traffic. Most of them were jugglers trying to convince drivers to pass money to them through the windows. Not many of them were successful. We also noticed a number of dog walkers with lots of dogs on leashes. Many of them were walking 8-9 dogs, a few were walking up to 12 dogs, and one fellow was walking 15 dogs. What a sight!!! Not sure who was walking who in that case. We passed the obelisk, designated as the official center of the city, which was first established in 1536. It was at this location that the flag for the city of Buenos Aires was first flown. As we drove through this magnificent city there were many monuments devoted to the "common" people - union workers, men, women, children, as well as prominent historical figures. There was also a large flower sculpture which had lighted petals which opened during the day and closed at night. It was a dazzling sight. Buenos Aires is definitely the most beautiful city we have seen in South America.
Our first stop was in the La Boca neighborhood. This absolutely delightful area is considered the "Montmarte" area of Buenos Aires. It is quite similar to the Paris neighborhood for which it is named and is a wonderful place in which to spend a leisurely afternoon browsing through the handicrafts and enjoying a delicious cup of cappuccino or expresso. Many of the walls were decorated with sculptural reliefs. Some of them were of historical figures, like the Pope waving from a balcony, and many of them were whimsical characters. They were absolutely delightful. Tourists were lined up to take photos with many of them. I thoroughly enjoyed my time here and could have easily spent much longer browsing in the area and enjoying a coffee.
We continued our drive through this exciting city. Our next stop was to have a coffee and snack at the famous Cafe Tortoni. I think I could move to this city just so I could frequent this restaurant. It was opened by a French immigrant in 1858 and is the oldest coffee shop in the entire country. The owner named the establishment after an area in Paris where the elites of Parisian culture used to meet. Cafe Tortoni has been frequented by artists, writers, journalists, musicians and intellectuals to inspire their creativity. Politicians have gathered here to plan their strategies. Locals meet here to play billiards, cards or just share coffee and conversation with friends. Currently, tourists and locals flock to this establishment to soak in the charm, beauty, and culture found within these walls.
When we entered the cafe our eyes were met with an array of sights and sounds. Parisian music played softly in the background while customers were enthusiastically engaged in conversations. The space was filled with a combination of small round and square wooden tables with marble inlays on the top. The wooden chairs were covered in leather and soft cushions. The walls were paneled in dark, rich wood and were surrounded with exquisite moldings on the bottom half and bright yellow painted walls on the top. Historical pictures of the town hung on the walls, along with photos of some of the celebrities who have spent time in the cafe. Pedestals located throughout the space were topped with busts of historically significant figures. There was a tableau of three famous Argentinean artists gathered around a small table in one of the corners where tourists were falling over each other to take their picture with it. The ceilings were filled with huge panels of stained glass. Chandeliers hanging from the center of the stained glass gave the area an elegant look. A row of large wooden columns lined the center of the room and helped to separate the bar from the dining area. There was an incredibly gorgeous long wooden bar built in the Victorian style and a mirrored shelving unit on the wall behind it to hold the glasses. It was a beautiful piece of furniture. Tiffany lamps were scattered throughout the coffee house, adding elegance to the atmosphere.
In the back of the restaurant there was a separate room which serves as a Cabaret theater. There is a raised stage with thick red velvet curtains for dramatic effect. Small round tables for two with wire -backed chairs provided a cozy seating arrangement and the dark walls and floral-themed velvet wallpaper gave the space a warm, romantic atmosphere. Can you tell I LOVED this cafe????
Once we left this lovely cafe we drove to the Cathedral at Plaza Mayo, where Father Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who is now Pope Francis, attended services for many years. Our guide told us that after church he would cross the street to walk through the park, buy a newspaper, and then spend the remainder of the afternoon delivering food to the poor. It was a beautiful church, with small intimate chapels devoted to various saints located along the outside walls. I crawled down the stairs to the crypt where some of the prominent bishops and priests were buried. I was the only one down there and it was a little eerie so I didn't stay long!
We returned to the bus to continue our tour. We passed the Casa Rosada where Eva Peron (Evita) stood on the balcony to greet the tremendous crowds that would gather to catch a glimpse of her. The balcony doors where she stood remain open and it still appears that she could walk out at any moment. I am absolutely amazed at how much she is still loved in this city. We visited the cemetery where she is buried in a vault. As we were waiting our turn to take a photo, a group of young adult male tourists were sitting on the raised cement platform in front of her grave. Our tour guide became visibly upset with the tourists and demanded that they stand up and not sit on the platform out of respect to Ms. Peron. They laughed and made some disparaging remarks but they did remove themselves. Must have been the daggers in her eyes that she was throwing at them! There are images of Evita everywhere. There was more than one tableau of her waving to the crowd from a balcony. There are certainly people here who are not admirers but it seems that the great majority of working people remain very devoted to her memory.
Our guide told us that we were now driving to the northern section of Buenos Aires where, historically, the "rich people" lived. Evidently, there was an epidemic of yellow fever in the late 1800's so the families of wealth fled to this area to escape the illness. The mansions in this area were magnificent. The residents of this area traveled frequently to Paris, France and fell in love with the architecture. Since they had a great deal of money they had the means to ship materials from France and recreate their homes in Buenos Aires. Consequently, this area became known as the "Paris of Latin America." These homes easily rival the mansions we have in Beverly Hills, California. They are absolutely magnificent. The stately, formal and imposing homes had a combination of brick, stucco, or stone exteriors. Balconies were defined by elaborate and intricate iron work. The mansard roofs, covered with gray slate tiles, were built in the steep, boxy, nearly perpendicular design found frequently in French country manors. The streets were lined with French-style gas lamps which gave the area a very Parisian atmosphere. Some of the mansions remain owned by private families but many of them have been sold and are now used as foreign embassies.
The most elegant shopping area in the city is located in the north, next to the "Paris" area. All of the major luxury stores have a presence here. Tiffany, Cartier, Louis Vuittan, Gucci, Valentino, Prada, Hermes, Versace, Dior, and Armani, among others have a presence in this shopping district. Thankfully, we didn't make a stop there (I think Bob paid off the driver)!
We learned that the Argentine tango was first danced in the brothels of the La Boca area of Buenos Aires. The tango was banned in Argentina due to its explicit sexual nature. However, the daughter of one of the rich and prominent families traveled to Paris and learned the dance. She loved it and brought it back home to teach to her friends. Once the wealthy families were dancing the tango it became quite popular and Buenos Aires became the center for the tango.
There is soooo much more that I would LOVE to add but I realize the most of you have stopped reading by now so I will stop. Buenos Aires is a fascinating city with many different, and diverse, neighborhoods. There is everything from shanty towns to extremely wealthy and elegant neighborhoods. It's definitely one of my favorite places we have visited on this trip and I hope that someday we will return. Now, we are at sea for a couple of days. Then, we have a quick, one-day stop in Santos, Brazil, followed by a stop in Rio de Janeiro for a few days to celebrate Carnival!!!! Woo-Hoo!!!
Punta del Eeste, Uruguay: Monday, February 9th
We could see the numerous wide sandy beaches even as our ship slowly approached the shore. We stopped a distance from land to drop anchor since we were tendering to the pier. The ocean water was more turquoise than we have seen lately and looked fairly clear. The oceanfront was filled with huge, glitzy hotels and upscale shops, although the pier itself was lined with tiny restaurants and shops selling and/or renting beach gear. We hadn't signed up for a tour today so we set out to explore the community on our own. It was quite warm but not hot - probably about 84-87 degrees. We walked down the major shopping street and purchased our magnet for the port. We really didn't find anything else that we wanted to add to our travel collection so we kept walking to see the "hand monument (La Mano)."
We arrived at the beach where we saw the enormous sculpture of five human fingers partially emerging from the sand. It's quite a unique site and a little bit creepy. It was created in 1982 by a Chilean artist and has become one of the most recognizable landmarks in Uruguay. Tourists flock to this beach to see this unusual sculpture. Evidently, the artist was inspired to create the hand due to the roughness of the water at this particular beach. It's more suitable for wind surfing or sailing than swimming. His sculpture depicts a drowning victim and meant as a warning for people who would potentially swim at this location - again, a bit creepy! We took pictures and decided to start walking back along the beach to the ship.
I was getting warm and a bit tired so Bob dropped me off at the pier to return to the ship while he walked to the nearby lighthouse and other sites to snap some additional pictures. I was glad to return to our lovely, air-conditioned ship and ice cold water. I want to make sure I have plenty of energy for our next stop - Buenos Aires, Argentina.
We arrived at the beach where we saw the enormous sculpture of five human fingers partially emerging from the sand. It's quite a unique site and a little bit creepy. It was created in 1982 by a Chilean artist and has become one of the most recognizable landmarks in Uruguay. Tourists flock to this beach to see this unusual sculpture. Evidently, the artist was inspired to create the hand due to the roughness of the water at this particular beach. It's more suitable for wind surfing or sailing than swimming. His sculpture depicts a drowning victim and meant as a warning for people who would potentially swim at this location - again, a bit creepy! We took pictures and decided to start walking back along the beach to the ship.
I was getting warm and a bit tired so Bob dropped me off at the pier to return to the ship while he walked to the nearby lighthouse and other sites to snap some additional pictures. I was glad to return to our lovely, air-conditioned ship and ice cold water. I want to make sure I have plenty of energy for our next stop - Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Montevideo, Uruguay: Sunday, February 8th
We arrived in this beautiful beach town on a Sunday morning, so most museums and stores were closed. Consequently, we decided to take a lengthy, all-day tour out of town to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Colonia del Sacramento. It was about a 2-1/2 hour bus ride to the site so our guide filled the time by sharing some facts about her country. She said that Uruguay is the second smallest country in Latin America. Their population is also quite small. They won their independence from Brazil in 1825. It is divided into 19 departments with middle class families making up about 65% of the population. Beef is an important product of their economy and is exported to over 100 countries. They are very proud that their cattle are raised on the open range and eat only fresh corn and grass. The people of Uruguay have the highest consumption of beef in the world. Wine is becoming an increasingly important product for the country. Tannat and Merlot are the major wines produced in the area. The wines here are lighter in body than the ones produced in the south of France. Our guide told us that the physicians here recommend that people drink two glasses of wine a day for good health. Wonder if they all own vineyards!!!! There are three traditions in Uruguay: 1) Gauchos ride through the countryside on their horses wearing high boots with spurs, baggy pants and shirts, a scarf for a belt and a wide brimmed hat with a flat top; 2) everyone barbecues. It's a family dining favorite; and 3) Yerba tea. We saw many people, both men and women, carrying around a thermos filled with tea and a manta (cup) from which to drink. Seems like a bulky item to carry under the arm all day but we saw many people carrying them.
I asked our guide about religion in Uruguay. She said that this country is probably the least religious place in South America. About 45% of the people identify themselves as Catholic but 40% of the population do not identify with any religion. Consequently, there are relatively few churches in Uruguay. The one church in this village was originally built in 1730. However, during the war of independence a priest was hiding explosives inside the church. Unfortunately, there was a fire in the church, the explosives caused a major explosion and the church was destroyed. It was rebuilt by the Spaniards in the 18th century and continues to be used for services on Sunday mornings. The interior of the church is quite plain compared to other churches we have seen in South America or Europe. Our guide explained that this sparse interior design reflected the casual attitude of the local people towards religion.
It was immediately apparent that Uruguay is a country filled with active people. We passed beautiful sandy beaches with people running, biking, sailing, surfing and sun bathing. People appeared to really enjoy being outdoors. A large river runs next to the town of Montevideo and it was surprising for us to see a combination of a grass strip next to the road, then a lovely sandy beach. Cars drove right up on the grass and parked while they enjoyed the shore. Picnic tables lined the shady areas and many families were out enjoying the beautiful weather.
Our bus was trying to get to the old bull fighting stadium but it was difficult because many streets were closed due to a major bike race. Luckily, our driver was able to take back roads to get to the location. The stadium is now in ruins but still maintains its elegance and charm. It was built in the Moorish Spanish style and was filled with large, but graceful arches and beautiful columns. This beautiful stadium was quite expensive to build but unfortunately the people of the area weren't very interested in watching bull fights. Three years after it opened bull fighting became illegal and the magnificent stadium was abandoned. After suffering extensive damage from earthquakes, as well as neglect, this stadium is now in ruins. So very sad.
We finally arrived at our destination for the day, the charming village of Colonia del Sacramento, which is Uruguay's oldest city The early Portuguese painted only in yellow and pink so the original structures that remain are painted in those colors. The tiles, made of clay, were made by prisoners and slave immigrants. Spaniards later arrived in this village and added to the existing buildings with red brick, so many structures have stone on the base and bricks on the upper levels. The oldest surviving structure in the village was a monastery with rough stone walls. Unfortunately, due to the deteriorated condition of the building we were unable to enter.
We continued walking through the cobblestone streets. A few of the original streets have been left intact to remind visitors of the difficult conditions of the roads during the early years. We walked carefully along the streets, examining each step before we planted our foot. Although it took some effort to maneuver our way, the walk was quite pleasant. The lanes were alive, teeming with art galleries, tiny restaurants and store windows decorated with a myriad of hand-made local crafts. The hard scape is softened with numerous trees and flora. We passed on particularly attractive group of plants which had intertwined to create a wall of cactus, avocado and bougainvillea. Quite striking. The most interesting tree we saw is called the "drunken tree" by the local residents. It is a type of silk floss tree and is unique because the trunk bulges in the lower one third, sometimes to a diameter of seven feet! Quite a unique look! There was an abundance of beautiful yellow hibiscus flowers blooming in the yards.
After our delightful walking tour through the streets of this charming colonial village we settled in for lunch at a lovely local restaurant, located just off the main town square and park. We sat in the courtyard with an open roof in the middle. A large tree provided a lovely shade canopy with its lush foliage. There was a refreshing cool breeze blowing through the ourtyard which helped create a comfortable environment in which to enjoy our lunch. There were pops of color everywhere we looked. The table linens were red and orange and there were plants hanging everywhere. Sconces were filled with candles or, in some cases, flowers. Decorative brass colored plates were hanging on the walls scattered throughout the courtyard. Lunch was absolutely delicious. We had an opportunity to taste the famous beef, which was quite delectable. Bob asked for a beer and they brought him a quart bottle! Needless to say, he didn't finish it, otherwise he would have fallen off of this chair.
Once we finished lunch we had some time to walk around and shop or explore the town independently. We did a bit of shopping to purchase our magnet and an interesting hand carved, painted mask from Carnival that took place in the village last weekend. I was getting tired but Bob was anxious to see if there were any more interesting photo shots so he "parked" me under a beautiful shade tree in the park and took off to go exploring.
Soon it was time for us to leave so we started walking toward the bus. All of a sudden we heard a woman scream loudly! Our guide went running to the back of our group. As it turned out, the ship's escort was walking and suddenly fell forward onto the cobblestone street, doing a complete face plant! He was surrounded immediately by local guides who called for an ambulance. Our guide asked us to continue walking to the bus and wait for her. After about 45 minutes our guide arrived at the bus with our escort. The doctors had arrived on the scene, conducted a brief evaluation, cleaned and patched up his cuts and scrapes, and determined that he had just fainted due to dehydration. Ship personnel always remind us to be aware of the dangers of dehydration but it's the first time one of us has suffered such a dramatic effect! They sent an additional cruise ship escort with us on the ride back to the port just to keep an eye on him, but he appeared to be fine - just extremely embarrassed by the incident. Certainly encouraged all of us to take water with us whenever we leave the ship for the day! We arrived at the ship without further incidents after our 2-1/2 bus ride It was a long way to travel for this excursion but definitely worth the effort to visit this charming, quaint village. Next stop will be at a popular beach resort in Uruguay.
I asked our guide about religion in Uruguay. She said that this country is probably the least religious place in South America. About 45% of the people identify themselves as Catholic but 40% of the population do not identify with any religion. Consequently, there are relatively few churches in Uruguay. The one church in this village was originally built in 1730. However, during the war of independence a priest was hiding explosives inside the church. Unfortunately, there was a fire in the church, the explosives caused a major explosion and the church was destroyed. It was rebuilt by the Spaniards in the 18th century and continues to be used for services on Sunday mornings. The interior of the church is quite plain compared to other churches we have seen in South America or Europe. Our guide explained that this sparse interior design reflected the casual attitude of the local people towards religion.
It was immediately apparent that Uruguay is a country filled with active people. We passed beautiful sandy beaches with people running, biking, sailing, surfing and sun bathing. People appeared to really enjoy being outdoors. A large river runs next to the town of Montevideo and it was surprising for us to see a combination of a grass strip next to the road, then a lovely sandy beach. Cars drove right up on the grass and parked while they enjoyed the shore. Picnic tables lined the shady areas and many families were out enjoying the beautiful weather.
Our bus was trying to get to the old bull fighting stadium but it was difficult because many streets were closed due to a major bike race. Luckily, our driver was able to take back roads to get to the location. The stadium is now in ruins but still maintains its elegance and charm. It was built in the Moorish Spanish style and was filled with large, but graceful arches and beautiful columns. This beautiful stadium was quite expensive to build but unfortunately the people of the area weren't very interested in watching bull fights. Three years after it opened bull fighting became illegal and the magnificent stadium was abandoned. After suffering extensive damage from earthquakes, as well as neglect, this stadium is now in ruins. So very sad.
We finally arrived at our destination for the day, the charming village of Colonia del Sacramento, which is Uruguay's oldest city The early Portuguese painted only in yellow and pink so the original structures that remain are painted in those colors. The tiles, made of clay, were made by prisoners and slave immigrants. Spaniards later arrived in this village and added to the existing buildings with red brick, so many structures have stone on the base and bricks on the upper levels. The oldest surviving structure in the village was a monastery with rough stone walls. Unfortunately, due to the deteriorated condition of the building we were unable to enter.
We continued walking through the cobblestone streets. A few of the original streets have been left intact to remind visitors of the difficult conditions of the roads during the early years. We walked carefully along the streets, examining each step before we planted our foot. Although it took some effort to maneuver our way, the walk was quite pleasant. The lanes were alive, teeming with art galleries, tiny restaurants and store windows decorated with a myriad of hand-made local crafts. The hard scape is softened with numerous trees and flora. We passed on particularly attractive group of plants which had intertwined to create a wall of cactus, avocado and bougainvillea. Quite striking. The most interesting tree we saw is called the "drunken tree" by the local residents. It is a type of silk floss tree and is unique because the trunk bulges in the lower one third, sometimes to a diameter of seven feet! Quite a unique look! There was an abundance of beautiful yellow hibiscus flowers blooming in the yards.
After our delightful walking tour through the streets of this charming colonial village we settled in for lunch at a lovely local restaurant, located just off the main town square and park. We sat in the courtyard with an open roof in the middle. A large tree provided a lovely shade canopy with its lush foliage. There was a refreshing cool breeze blowing through the ourtyard which helped create a comfortable environment in which to enjoy our lunch. There were pops of color everywhere we looked. The table linens were red and orange and there were plants hanging everywhere. Sconces were filled with candles or, in some cases, flowers. Decorative brass colored plates were hanging on the walls scattered throughout the courtyard. Lunch was absolutely delicious. We had an opportunity to taste the famous beef, which was quite delectable. Bob asked for a beer and they brought him a quart bottle! Needless to say, he didn't finish it, otherwise he would have fallen off of this chair.
Once we finished lunch we had some time to walk around and shop or explore the town independently. We did a bit of shopping to purchase our magnet and an interesting hand carved, painted mask from Carnival that took place in the village last weekend. I was getting tired but Bob was anxious to see if there were any more interesting photo shots so he "parked" me under a beautiful shade tree in the park and took off to go exploring.
Soon it was time for us to leave so we started walking toward the bus. All of a sudden we heard a woman scream loudly! Our guide went running to the back of our group. As it turned out, the ship's escort was walking and suddenly fell forward onto the cobblestone street, doing a complete face plant! He was surrounded immediately by local guides who called for an ambulance. Our guide asked us to continue walking to the bus and wait for her. After about 45 minutes our guide arrived at the bus with our escort. The doctors had arrived on the scene, conducted a brief evaluation, cleaned and patched up his cuts and scrapes, and determined that he had just fainted due to dehydration. Ship personnel always remind us to be aware of the dangers of dehydration but it's the first time one of us has suffered such a dramatic effect! They sent an additional cruise ship escort with us on the ride back to the port just to keep an eye on him, but he appeared to be fine - just extremely embarrassed by the incident. Certainly encouraged all of us to take water with us whenever we leave the ship for the day! We arrived at the ship without further incidents after our 2-1/2 bus ride It was a long way to travel for this excursion but definitely worth the effort to visit this charming, quaint village. Next stop will be at a popular beach resort in Uruguay.
Monday, February 9, 2015
Port Stanley, Falkland Islands: Thursday, February 5th
We were extremely fortunate to get onshore at the Falklands. We were told that the last three times the ship has tried to come here they were forced to turn away due to high winds and rough seas. Today the sea is quite calm and we were able to anchor offshore and take our tenders into the lovely port city of Port Stanley. This charming town looks like a quaint British village that fell out of the sky. The homes were painted in bright colors and were meticulously manicured. We even spotted a few of the famous British red phone booths.
When we reached the shore we were divided into groups of four and we piled into 4-wheel drive vehicles. Now, the first problem was that in order to enter the truck you had to climb about 4-feet up (not really, but it looked and felt like it)! Luckily, the driver offered a stool which I gratefully and readily accepted. I know she considered me to be a "wuss" but it was the only way I would be making my way into the vehicle. Otherwise, I would have been holding on, running alongside the truck!!! Bob rapidly grabbed the shotgun seat while the rest of us squeezed into the back seat. I don't even know how to describe the experience of riding in the back seat except to say that we became very cozy with one another and if one of us shifted our position, even slightly, we all shifted. One man was about 6'5" and probably weighed close to 275 pounds. I felt really bad for him since he was REALLY crammed. Also, since I was seated next to a window, there were a couple of accessories bolted to the inside and every time we hit a bump my head went bashing into them. Trouble is we were off-roading so there were LOTS of bumps. Bob later pointed out that there was a third seat which none of us in the middle seat noticed (this is Bob's input which Twila denies). Needless to say, I ran to the Advil as soon as we returned to the ship! Once we were squished into the truck the guide pushed on my door from the outside until it finally closed tight and we were off!!!
It was a unique environment, if not very interesting. It reminded me of Iceland except it wasn't as green. There were absolutely no trees or large bushes. The landscape was grass and ground cover that looked like tundra. Our small 2-lane road soon ended and we began our trek over gravel. We squirmed and jumped with every pothole. Hopefully, this was as bad as it would get (little did I know this was the easy part)! The drive across the island to where the penguins were located took about two hours. There was no air conditioner in the truck, so the back seat became quite toasty as we bounced over the gravel. The woman sitting next to me wanted to remove her jacket but it took some serious cooperation from the rest of us for her to remove it! We finally managed to get it off of her but the rest of us decided that perhaps it wasn't worth the effort so we remained in our jackets!
As our eyes scanned the surroundings we saw small streams flowing through the grass, cattle, sheep, and turkey vultures. A small, beautiful yellow bird, a sisken, flew passed us as we traveled through this wide open landscape. After nearly 1-1/2 hours our truck suddenly veered off the gravel road, paused momentarily to "push some buttons" and suddenly started driving over the ROCKY green landscape! Now the off-road adventure really began. We had no seat belts in the back seat (maybe they were buried somewhere underneath but we could have never found them at this point). Back and forth, up and down, side to side we were thrown around, jamming my head into the side with every big bump. This is not exactly the adventure I had in mind, although it was certainly a new and exciting experience. Just---get---there! That's all I could focus on. Our driver cheerfully informed us that we were nearly there (thank you, God). Suddenly, the front of our truck was facing quite a deep river, probably about 4 feet deep. We paused and then started heading straight for it!!! Oh my goodness I just took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Our truck skidded and growled its way through the water and soon we were on the other side. We probably traveled about 50 yards through the water. Ok, now I can say I have officially been off-roading!!! FINALLY, we reached our first stop which was a structure used as a rest stop for tourists on their way to see the thousands of penguins in the area. We had a chance to have a snack and use the facilities (although on a few occasions along the way it was almost impossible to wait for the "comfort" stop)!!!
Soon, we were on our way to the penguins. We pried our way back into the truck, pushed the door from the outside until it closed and headed back across the river. This time I kept my eyes open and saw the water rising practically to window level. Quite an exciting day! Within a few minutes we looked out and were delighted to see hundreds, maybe thousands, of penguins waddling along the beach. We opened the doors and lunged out of the truck onto the rocky soil.
A light fog gave the beach an eerie look and watching penguins as they bobbled along the sand was a bit surreal. It felt like I was in the middle of the movie "Happy Feet." Such an absolute delight. We walked slowly and steady, as quietly as we could, until were were within 5-6 feet of a large group of penguins. They didn't appear to be particularly bothered by our presence so we were able to get quite close to them.
Of course, Bob was off and running to remove himself from the crowd and get up close and personal with the penguins. I spotted him sitting on the rocky sand, waiting for the curious penguins to approach him. Although they got very close, none seemed to be curious (or maybe trusting) enough to come all the way up to him. He did get some amazing pictures. If any of you are interested in seeing his pictures of the penguins just email him at drbobusc@gmail.com. He's always happy to share photos.
Meanwhile, I was walking up and down the beach watching the funny little creatures wobble and bobble over the sand. They would hop, dance and sit to preen themselves. I watched three little penguins in a row follow each other around, chasing each other around the beach. They would stop periodically, form a tight huddle as if to plan their next move and then start chasing one another again. Incredibly cute. We saw three types of penguins, Magellan, King and Gentoo. They were all absolutely delightful. I was amazed to hear the sounds they made. They sounded a little like turtle doves cooing at one another. We were ale to distinguish the youngsters by the gray fuzz that covered the babies and the dark black feathers that covered the bodies of the adults. We were told that the penguins lay their eggs in October and it takes about 4-5 weeks for the babies to hatch. The couple takes turns watching the egg and keeping it warm while the other one looks for food. So sweet. We walked around, sat on the sand and watched these charming little creatures for a couple of hours before it was time to press ourselves back into the truck and start the return journey.
Although the ride back was just as bumpy and uncomfortable, there were a couple of interesting sites along the way. We passed the blades of an old helicopter which had been shot down during the Falkland Islands War in the 1980's. It was quite interesting to listen to the Brits with us as well as our driver and hear the animosity that continues to exist between them and Argentina. The British have left remnants of the war throughout the island as a reminder of the war. In addition, as we got closer to the town of Port Stanley we passed many, many workers in the fields, wearing day-glow yellow jackets with protective masks. These workers are specially trained in Zimbabwe and travel all over the world removing land mines. There are thousands of mines still in the fields after the 1982 Falkland Islands War so residents are not allowed to roam through the countryside in some areas.
Lastly, we passed by a large field, called Boot Hill, with sticks protruding up and a boot hanging from the top of each one. Evidently, when a British soldier has been stationed here for six months they go to the field, plant a stick, and leave a boot hanging on it. It's a peculiar site, but interesting. Not sure how this tradition got started but it makes an interesting site along the road. Now, it's back to our tender to ride back to our ship. Very ready for a couple of relaxing sea days. Next stop, Uruguay!!!
When we reached the shore we were divided into groups of four and we piled into 4-wheel drive vehicles. Now, the first problem was that in order to enter the truck you had to climb about 4-feet up (not really, but it looked and felt like it)! Luckily, the driver offered a stool which I gratefully and readily accepted. I know she considered me to be a "wuss" but it was the only way I would be making my way into the vehicle. Otherwise, I would have been holding on, running alongside the truck!!! Bob rapidly grabbed the shotgun seat while the rest of us squeezed into the back seat. I don't even know how to describe the experience of riding in the back seat except to say that we became very cozy with one another and if one of us shifted our position, even slightly, we all shifted. One man was about 6'5" and probably weighed close to 275 pounds. I felt really bad for him since he was REALLY crammed. Also, since I was seated next to a window, there were a couple of accessories bolted to the inside and every time we hit a bump my head went bashing into them. Trouble is we were off-roading so there were LOTS of bumps. Bob later pointed out that there was a third seat which none of us in the middle seat noticed (this is Bob's input which Twila denies). Needless to say, I ran to the Advil as soon as we returned to the ship! Once we were squished into the truck the guide pushed on my door from the outside until it finally closed tight and we were off!!!
It was a unique environment, if not very interesting. It reminded me of Iceland except it wasn't as green. There were absolutely no trees or large bushes. The landscape was grass and ground cover that looked like tundra. Our small 2-lane road soon ended and we began our trek over gravel. We squirmed and jumped with every pothole. Hopefully, this was as bad as it would get (little did I know this was the easy part)! The drive across the island to where the penguins were located took about two hours. There was no air conditioner in the truck, so the back seat became quite toasty as we bounced over the gravel. The woman sitting next to me wanted to remove her jacket but it took some serious cooperation from the rest of us for her to remove it! We finally managed to get it off of her but the rest of us decided that perhaps it wasn't worth the effort so we remained in our jackets!
As our eyes scanned the surroundings we saw small streams flowing through the grass, cattle, sheep, and turkey vultures. A small, beautiful yellow bird, a sisken, flew passed us as we traveled through this wide open landscape. After nearly 1-1/2 hours our truck suddenly veered off the gravel road, paused momentarily to "push some buttons" and suddenly started driving over the ROCKY green landscape! Now the off-road adventure really began. We had no seat belts in the back seat (maybe they were buried somewhere underneath but we could have never found them at this point). Back and forth, up and down, side to side we were thrown around, jamming my head into the side with every big bump. This is not exactly the adventure I had in mind, although it was certainly a new and exciting experience. Just---get---there! That's all I could focus on. Our driver cheerfully informed us that we were nearly there (thank you, God). Suddenly, the front of our truck was facing quite a deep river, probably about 4 feet deep. We paused and then started heading straight for it!!! Oh my goodness I just took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Our truck skidded and growled its way through the water and soon we were on the other side. We probably traveled about 50 yards through the water. Ok, now I can say I have officially been off-roading!!! FINALLY, we reached our first stop which was a structure used as a rest stop for tourists on their way to see the thousands of penguins in the area. We had a chance to have a snack and use the facilities (although on a few occasions along the way it was almost impossible to wait for the "comfort" stop)!!!
Soon, we were on our way to the penguins. We pried our way back into the truck, pushed the door from the outside until it closed and headed back across the river. This time I kept my eyes open and saw the water rising practically to window level. Quite an exciting day! Within a few minutes we looked out and were delighted to see hundreds, maybe thousands, of penguins waddling along the beach. We opened the doors and lunged out of the truck onto the rocky soil.
A light fog gave the beach an eerie look and watching penguins as they bobbled along the sand was a bit surreal. It felt like I was in the middle of the movie "Happy Feet." Such an absolute delight. We walked slowly and steady, as quietly as we could, until were were within 5-6 feet of a large group of penguins. They didn't appear to be particularly bothered by our presence so we were able to get quite close to them.
Of course, Bob was off and running to remove himself from the crowd and get up close and personal with the penguins. I spotted him sitting on the rocky sand, waiting for the curious penguins to approach him. Although they got very close, none seemed to be curious (or maybe trusting) enough to come all the way up to him. He did get some amazing pictures. If any of you are interested in seeing his pictures of the penguins just email him at drbobusc@gmail.com. He's always happy to share photos.
Meanwhile, I was walking up and down the beach watching the funny little creatures wobble and bobble over the sand. They would hop, dance and sit to preen themselves. I watched three little penguins in a row follow each other around, chasing each other around the beach. They would stop periodically, form a tight huddle as if to plan their next move and then start chasing one another again. Incredibly cute. We saw three types of penguins, Magellan, King and Gentoo. They were all absolutely delightful. I was amazed to hear the sounds they made. They sounded a little like turtle doves cooing at one another. We were ale to distinguish the youngsters by the gray fuzz that covered the babies and the dark black feathers that covered the bodies of the adults. We were told that the penguins lay their eggs in October and it takes about 4-5 weeks for the babies to hatch. The couple takes turns watching the egg and keeping it warm while the other one looks for food. So sweet. We walked around, sat on the sand and watched these charming little creatures for a couple of hours before it was time to press ourselves back into the truck and start the return journey.
Although the ride back was just as bumpy and uncomfortable, there were a couple of interesting sites along the way. We passed the blades of an old helicopter which had been shot down during the Falkland Islands War in the 1980's. It was quite interesting to listen to the Brits with us as well as our driver and hear the animosity that continues to exist between them and Argentina. The British have left remnants of the war throughout the island as a reminder of the war. In addition, as we got closer to the town of Port Stanley we passed many, many workers in the fields, wearing day-glow yellow jackets with protective masks. These workers are specially trained in Zimbabwe and travel all over the world removing land mines. There are thousands of mines still in the fields after the 1982 Falkland Islands War so residents are not allowed to roam through the countryside in some areas.
Lastly, we passed by a large field, called Boot Hill, with sticks protruding up and a boot hanging from the top of each one. Evidently, when a British soldier has been stationed here for six months they go to the field, plant a stick, and leave a boot hanging on it. It's a peculiar site, but interesting. Not sure how this tradition got started but it makes an interesting site along the road. Now, it's back to our tender to ride back to our ship. Very ready for a couple of relaxing sea days. Next stop, Uruguay!!!
Ushuaia, Argentina: Tuesday, February 2nd
Today was filled with the phenomenal beauty of God's awesome creation. I woke up early to get ready for our all-day tour. When I peaked out the balcony door I gasped with delight. My eyes were met with the dazzling sight of still blue-gray water. Only tiny ripples disrupted the surface of this glassy sea as our ship glided slowly through the water slicing a sharp, clean line as we sailed. Across the bay there were huge snow capped peaks partially hidden by clouds which meandered freely through the sky. The air was quite cool and crisp but definitely not cold. I went back inside the room to get ready for the day, eager to get out and enjoy this magnificent scenery. The word Ushuaia means "bay where the sun sets" and is a perfect name for this lovely town.
Although there were Europeans who tried to settle in this area years earlier, none were successful until the British arrived in the late 1800's. The area was so far removed from other settlements that early settlers had to become self-sufficient quickly in order to survive. In addition, the native people living nearby were quite hostile so settlers had to defend themselves against frequent attacks. In the 1800's there were up to 3,000 Yamana Indians, the native inhabitants, living along the southern coast of Chile. Today there is only one person who is pureblood Yamana still alive.
The British who came to this area in the early 1900's became ranchers who introduced sheep and different types of grass to the environment so the sheep would have plenty of food on which to graze. Today the land is more important as an archeological site and tourist draw. Goods are transported from the north and by sea to the people who live here. Prisoners were crucial to the settlement of Ushuaia. From 1896-1947 the settlement of Ushuaia had a prison to house repeat and/or very dangerous criminals. As we arrived at our first stop for the day to board an antique train to take a ride through the beautiful Tierra del Fuego forest, we were informed that the prisoners were chained together and taken out of their cells each day to build the tracks on which this train would eventually operate. Although this work was extremely difficult, particularly since the men were chained together, they enjoyed it because the work allowed them to spend time outside in the fresh air. Otherwise, they spent the entire day inside their cells with no activity or window to the outside. Not being allowed to work was actually used as a punishment!
Today the town of Ushuaia is a thriving tourist town. It is known as the gateway for journeys to the Antarctic. The delightful train depot where we boarded the train had a warm and cozy alpine feel with extensive woodwork, vibrant colors, and intricately carved designs. I would have loved to have had time to sit and enjoy a cup of hot cocoa but it was time to press on.
We boarded the charming antique train, complete with steam engine. It was brimming with excited foreigners, eagerly looking forward to a relaxing ride through the "end of the world" forest. Curtains with delicate lace trim adorned the windows. Antique sconces were attached to the walls and individual seats were covered in a soft velvet materials with bright floral designs. Each car accommodated six passengers with three people on each side facing each other. The conductor went down the line, carefully closing each car door and yelled a final "all aboard." The train's whistle blew and were were off!
We passed quickly flowing rivers in the canyons below which were lined with trees and green grass. Such a peaceful, quiet environment. As we chug-chugged along the tracks, white steam was released into the air, wafting through the trees that lined the path. We continued along the tracks built by the convicts so many years ago. As we made our way deeper into the forest we passed under a canopy of beautiful green, leafy trees. These trees, most with a diameter of 6-12" had lower branches that were bare but upper branches which were green and lush. Leaves turn yellow, orange and red as the seasons change and the peat moss, which fills the forest floor, emits a fragrance similar to cinnamon.
Periodically, the train would stop and allow us to get off for a few minutes to walk around and enjoy the sights and sounds of our hauntingly beautiful surroundings. One stop was to view the "tree graveyard." This was a large area where many, many trees were cut to make the wooden railroad ties. We were told to notice the different heights of the tree stumps. The prisoners cut them down at ground level but depending on the time of year, the ground level could be quite different. Trees that were cut in summer had much shorter stumps while the ones cut during winter had taller stumps. The reason for this difference is that during the winter the snow was so high it raised the ground level. In the spring and summer the ground was accessible so the stumps were shorter.
A trip through this lovely, isolated forest at the "end of the world" reminded me of a time when life was less frantic and there was time to look around and soak in the beauty of God's perfect creation. The sun's rays filtered through the trees, creating an eerie, isolated aura to the surrounding forest. As our journey on this lovely train drew to a close we took a final look at the forest, thankful for the opportunity to learn about this unique landscape which lies just north of the Antarctic. We readied ourselves to climb onto a catamaran which was waiting for us in the harbor.
We boarded the large catamaran and began our sail down the Beagle Channel. We were fortunate, once again, to have lovely weather which allowed us to see most of the snow capped peaks around us. Glaciers moved through this area long ago creating the sharp peaks and valleys we could see as we sailed. The gray-blue water was extremely calm in the channel. Everywhere we looked there were birds resting on the water or skimming the top, scouring the water for food. Their little heads would bobble and disappear under the water and they would return with a fish - quite cute to watch. Along the rocky shore there were thousands of mussels, many eaten by the birds but such an abundant supply that they are unable to eat more than a few of them. Kelp and seaweed also floated abundantly in the water. Ducks swam happily, hopping in and out of the water. A mother and her three little ducklings paraded proudly in front of us from the shore.
We had a lovely day as we sailed along the icy cold channel looking up at the forest and mountains while sipping on hot chocolate. We stopped in front of a small rock island filled with sea lions. Most of these tan, brown and black mammals were sleeping or moving very slowly around the rocks. They would raise their heads as if to see what all the fuss was about with the cameras clicking away, then lower their heads and fall back to sleep once they determined that we weren't very interesting. There was only one of these massive creatures who seemed intent on making an impression on us. He stuck out his chest and lifted his head to the sky. He looked quite proud of his bulky, blubbery body as he struck the perfect pose for us. It was amazing to me that these enormous mammals managed to sleep perched on the sides of rocks without falling off. It looked like quite a precarious position in which many of them were sleeping peacefully.
The blue-eyed cormorants continued to fly around our boat as we sailed along the channel. These large birds are sometimes mistaken for penguins since they have large black and white chests and waddle around when they are on land. However, cormorants have large wings. They are able to dive to a depth of 80 meters to catch their prey. Quite amazing to watch as they disappear into the water for a few seconds and then reappear suddenly clutching a fish.
We neared the end of our lovely sail. As we approached the open sea we passed the lighthouse, 11 meters high, and another small rock island which was covered completely in white from all the birds flying overhead. We were thankful to have a calm day for our cruise through the channel. Evidently, the winds can reach 130 mph here and the snow falls to a depth of 3 feet. We were quite fortunate to enjoy relatively warm weather for our beautiful outing at the "end of the world." Now we're off to the Falkland Islands for more adventures and hopefully an opportunity to interact with more penguins.
Although there were Europeans who tried to settle in this area years earlier, none were successful until the British arrived in the late 1800's. The area was so far removed from other settlements that early settlers had to become self-sufficient quickly in order to survive. In addition, the native people living nearby were quite hostile so settlers had to defend themselves against frequent attacks. In the 1800's there were up to 3,000 Yamana Indians, the native inhabitants, living along the southern coast of Chile. Today there is only one person who is pureblood Yamana still alive.
The British who came to this area in the early 1900's became ranchers who introduced sheep and different types of grass to the environment so the sheep would have plenty of food on which to graze. Today the land is more important as an archeological site and tourist draw. Goods are transported from the north and by sea to the people who live here. Prisoners were crucial to the settlement of Ushuaia. From 1896-1947 the settlement of Ushuaia had a prison to house repeat and/or very dangerous criminals. As we arrived at our first stop for the day to board an antique train to take a ride through the beautiful Tierra del Fuego forest, we were informed that the prisoners were chained together and taken out of their cells each day to build the tracks on which this train would eventually operate. Although this work was extremely difficult, particularly since the men were chained together, they enjoyed it because the work allowed them to spend time outside in the fresh air. Otherwise, they spent the entire day inside their cells with no activity or window to the outside. Not being allowed to work was actually used as a punishment!
Today the town of Ushuaia is a thriving tourist town. It is known as the gateway for journeys to the Antarctic. The delightful train depot where we boarded the train had a warm and cozy alpine feel with extensive woodwork, vibrant colors, and intricately carved designs. I would have loved to have had time to sit and enjoy a cup of hot cocoa but it was time to press on.
We boarded the charming antique train, complete with steam engine. It was brimming with excited foreigners, eagerly looking forward to a relaxing ride through the "end of the world" forest. Curtains with delicate lace trim adorned the windows. Antique sconces were attached to the walls and individual seats were covered in a soft velvet materials with bright floral designs. Each car accommodated six passengers with three people on each side facing each other. The conductor went down the line, carefully closing each car door and yelled a final "all aboard." The train's whistle blew and were were off!
We passed quickly flowing rivers in the canyons below which were lined with trees and green grass. Such a peaceful, quiet environment. As we chug-chugged along the tracks, white steam was released into the air, wafting through the trees that lined the path. We continued along the tracks built by the convicts so many years ago. As we made our way deeper into the forest we passed under a canopy of beautiful green, leafy trees. These trees, most with a diameter of 6-12" had lower branches that were bare but upper branches which were green and lush. Leaves turn yellow, orange and red as the seasons change and the peat moss, which fills the forest floor, emits a fragrance similar to cinnamon.
Periodically, the train would stop and allow us to get off for a few minutes to walk around and enjoy the sights and sounds of our hauntingly beautiful surroundings. One stop was to view the "tree graveyard." This was a large area where many, many trees were cut to make the wooden railroad ties. We were told to notice the different heights of the tree stumps. The prisoners cut them down at ground level but depending on the time of year, the ground level could be quite different. Trees that were cut in summer had much shorter stumps while the ones cut during winter had taller stumps. The reason for this difference is that during the winter the snow was so high it raised the ground level. In the spring and summer the ground was accessible so the stumps were shorter.
A trip through this lovely, isolated forest at the "end of the world" reminded me of a time when life was less frantic and there was time to look around and soak in the beauty of God's perfect creation. The sun's rays filtered through the trees, creating an eerie, isolated aura to the surrounding forest. As our journey on this lovely train drew to a close we took a final look at the forest, thankful for the opportunity to learn about this unique landscape which lies just north of the Antarctic. We readied ourselves to climb onto a catamaran which was waiting for us in the harbor.
We boarded the large catamaran and began our sail down the Beagle Channel. We were fortunate, once again, to have lovely weather which allowed us to see most of the snow capped peaks around us. Glaciers moved through this area long ago creating the sharp peaks and valleys we could see as we sailed. The gray-blue water was extremely calm in the channel. Everywhere we looked there were birds resting on the water or skimming the top, scouring the water for food. Their little heads would bobble and disappear under the water and they would return with a fish - quite cute to watch. Along the rocky shore there were thousands of mussels, many eaten by the birds but such an abundant supply that they are unable to eat more than a few of them. Kelp and seaweed also floated abundantly in the water. Ducks swam happily, hopping in and out of the water. A mother and her three little ducklings paraded proudly in front of us from the shore.
We had a lovely day as we sailed along the icy cold channel looking up at the forest and mountains while sipping on hot chocolate. We stopped in front of a small rock island filled with sea lions. Most of these tan, brown and black mammals were sleeping or moving very slowly around the rocks. They would raise their heads as if to see what all the fuss was about with the cameras clicking away, then lower their heads and fall back to sleep once they determined that we weren't very interesting. There was only one of these massive creatures who seemed intent on making an impression on us. He stuck out his chest and lifted his head to the sky. He looked quite proud of his bulky, blubbery body as he struck the perfect pose for us. It was amazing to me that these enormous mammals managed to sleep perched on the sides of rocks without falling off. It looked like quite a precarious position in which many of them were sleeping peacefully.
The blue-eyed cormorants continued to fly around our boat as we sailed along the channel. These large birds are sometimes mistaken for penguins since they have large black and white chests and waddle around when they are on land. However, cormorants have large wings. They are able to dive to a depth of 80 meters to catch their prey. Quite amazing to watch as they disappear into the water for a few seconds and then reappear suddenly clutching a fish.
We neared the end of our lovely sail. As we approached the open sea we passed the lighthouse, 11 meters high, and another small rock island which was covered completely in white from all the birds flying overhead. We were thankful to have a calm day for our cruise through the channel. Evidently, the winds can reach 130 mph here and the snow falls to a depth of 3 feet. We were quite fortunate to enjoy relatively warm weather for our beautiful outing at the "end of the world." Now we're off to the Falkland Islands for more adventures and hopefully an opportunity to interact with more penguins.
Punta Arenas, Chile: Sunday, February 1st and Monday, February 2nd
This incredible area, with its majestic beauty, is located near the southernmost tip of Chile. Impenetrable forests, impassable mountains, and endless fields of ice define this region of Patagonia. It went largely unexplored until the beginning of the 20th century, thus maintaining its pristine beauty. Although the area remains sparsely inhabited, Punta Arenas is a colorful provincial town which looked like it was about to be swept away into the Strait of Magellan.
Most buildings in this town were constructed between 1880-1905. Although there were earlier people who tried to settle here, they ran out of food and were forced to move elsewhere. Once the permanent settlers arrived, commerce expanded quickly because this waterway was the only passage between the oceans to the east and west. However, once the Panama Canal was completed the local economy was forced to find other means to support itself since ships no longer needed to make the long trip to the south. Currently, people in this area depend on exports such as fish and meat for their livelihood. Unfortunately, due to the harsh weather most fruits and vegetables do not grow here.
We boarded our bus and headed to the Otway Sound Penguin Rookery Reserve. We were quite fortunate to arrive on a picture perfect day. There were a few light, fluffy clouds surrounded by light blue sky. Mountains could be seen in the distance with snow covered caps. Our guide informed us that it rains at least 150 days a year in this area so we felt quite blessed.
The drive out to the reserve was quite interesting. We passed through terrain that resembled greatly the landscape we have seen in Alaska. The ground was covered with a type of unruly grass, some errant wheat (not the type harvested for food), small dead trees, a few green trees, and occasional burst of color from small, bright yellow flowers.
The penguin reserve was established in 1991 in an attempt to preserve the Magellan penguin population. Last year the reserve suffered a tragedy when a pack of wild dogs entered and killed a majority of the penguins. It was a huge loss and will take a long time for the penguin population to recover. Until recent years thousands of penguins could be seen in this area. However, due to the decrease in the amount of fish along the local shores and the increased number of predators, most of the penguins have relocated to a nearby island, where fish are more plentiful, they don't have to swim as far to hunt, and they enjoy a safer environment.
Fortunately for us, there were about 100 penguins playing along the shore and waddling through the pampas grass. We were able to observe them playing on the wet sand as the waves splashed around their feet, their flippers flapped, and they wobbled and bobbled on the beach. It was such a privilege to enjoy these delightful little creatures in their natural habitat. Their typical lifespan is 25-30 years and they choose one mate for life. Once the female lays the egg the couple takes turns in 12-15 hour shifts, taking care and keeping it warm. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at this reserve and having the opportunity to learn a little more about these adorable little birds.
As we drove back to the pier we passed a flock of Rhea birds, which are similar to the ostrich or emu. They have long necks and legs and large feathered wings which serve as sails when they run. Our guide told us that the rheas live in harems and are quite aggressive. One of their eggs in about the size of 1,000 chicken eggs - ouch!!! If the mother senses a danger to her egg from a person/animal, she will stomp on the egg to avoid someone else stealing it - talk about being overly protective!!!! Finally, we passed a herd of llamas grazing in the fields. So peculiar to look around and see creatures in the wild that we would never see at home. Again, so very blessed to have the opportunity to make this trip.
We returned to the ship and had some time to relax before dinner and the BIG GAME!!!! Yes, we are in Chile but it's SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!!! MUST---FIND---GAME!!! We were hoping the ship would air it on the big screen but they were unwilling to pay the $25,000 that ESPN was charging so we had to find a place in town where we could watch it. The Cruise Director called some local bars/pubs and found one that could accommodate us and was willing to allow us to watch the game. Of course, since we're in Chile, the time is much later here so the game didn't start until 8:30 p.m. Still, we decided we couldn't miss it so Bob and I bundled up and headed out to walk to town (no taxis were available at this hour). We found the pub, which turned out to be in the basement of a charming old historic building, without difficulty. About 30-40 people from the ship, both passengers and crew, showed up to share in the party!! We had a GREAT time, well, at least until the last few seconds of the game when the Seahawks coaches made the infamous brain-dead call and lost the game.
We did have a slight disturbance at the pub. Shortly after we arrived a humongous Aussie showed up, already drunker than a skunk. He was about 6'6" and probably about 320 pounds. We think he was a crew member on a working ship on its way to the Antarctic. He was certainly ready for a fight!!!! He definitely wanted to be the center of attention and periodically would stand directly in front of the T.V., blocking the view and dancing - badly. In addition, he was sick and sneezing all over the place (not covering his slobbery mouth). Some of our passengers were really uncomfortable around him and tried moving to another room but the guy just kept moving around making a nuisance of himself. Unfortunately, the bartenders just kept serving him more beer!! You wouldn't see that in the U.S. these days!!!! He would sit down periodically and nod off (thankfully), but would soon wake up, down his beer, then stand up and stumble around causing more trouble until he got another beer. at one point he was asleep and spilled his beer and the bartenders immediately brought him another one!!! Really pathetic and annoying. FINALLY, he put his empty glass down next to me, stumbled out the door and left. YAY YAY YAY!!!!
Everything was wonderful for the next little while...until the last few minutes of the game. Oh well, it was an exciting game. There's always next year!!! Once the game was over we had to find our way through town back to the ship at 1:00 a.m. The streets were completely empty so we had to walk back. Since we had no idea how safe this area was at night we decided to walk together in small groups. Luckily we returned without incident and were ready for a hot shower and a comfortable bed. Goodnight all. Tomorrow we will continue sailing south to Ushuaia, Argentina. I'm already humming "Don't cry for me Argentina..." Can't wait for our future adventures.
Most buildings in this town were constructed between 1880-1905. Although there were earlier people who tried to settle here, they ran out of food and were forced to move elsewhere. Once the permanent settlers arrived, commerce expanded quickly because this waterway was the only passage between the oceans to the east and west. However, once the Panama Canal was completed the local economy was forced to find other means to support itself since ships no longer needed to make the long trip to the south. Currently, people in this area depend on exports such as fish and meat for their livelihood. Unfortunately, due to the harsh weather most fruits and vegetables do not grow here.
We boarded our bus and headed to the Otway Sound Penguin Rookery Reserve. We were quite fortunate to arrive on a picture perfect day. There were a few light, fluffy clouds surrounded by light blue sky. Mountains could be seen in the distance with snow covered caps. Our guide informed us that it rains at least 150 days a year in this area so we felt quite blessed.
The drive out to the reserve was quite interesting. We passed through terrain that resembled greatly the landscape we have seen in Alaska. The ground was covered with a type of unruly grass, some errant wheat (not the type harvested for food), small dead trees, a few green trees, and occasional burst of color from small, bright yellow flowers.
The penguin reserve was established in 1991 in an attempt to preserve the Magellan penguin population. Last year the reserve suffered a tragedy when a pack of wild dogs entered and killed a majority of the penguins. It was a huge loss and will take a long time for the penguin population to recover. Until recent years thousands of penguins could be seen in this area. However, due to the decrease in the amount of fish along the local shores and the increased number of predators, most of the penguins have relocated to a nearby island, where fish are more plentiful, they don't have to swim as far to hunt, and they enjoy a safer environment.
Fortunately for us, there were about 100 penguins playing along the shore and waddling through the pampas grass. We were able to observe them playing on the wet sand as the waves splashed around their feet, their flippers flapped, and they wobbled and bobbled on the beach. It was such a privilege to enjoy these delightful little creatures in their natural habitat. Their typical lifespan is 25-30 years and they choose one mate for life. Once the female lays the egg the couple takes turns in 12-15 hour shifts, taking care and keeping it warm. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at this reserve and having the opportunity to learn a little more about these adorable little birds.
As we drove back to the pier we passed a flock of Rhea birds, which are similar to the ostrich or emu. They have long necks and legs and large feathered wings which serve as sails when they run. Our guide told us that the rheas live in harems and are quite aggressive. One of their eggs in about the size of 1,000 chicken eggs - ouch!!! If the mother senses a danger to her egg from a person/animal, she will stomp on the egg to avoid someone else stealing it - talk about being overly protective!!!! Finally, we passed a herd of llamas grazing in the fields. So peculiar to look around and see creatures in the wild that we would never see at home. Again, so very blessed to have the opportunity to make this trip.
We returned to the ship and had some time to relax before dinner and the BIG GAME!!!! Yes, we are in Chile but it's SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!!! MUST---FIND---GAME!!! We were hoping the ship would air it on the big screen but they were unwilling to pay the $25,000 that ESPN was charging so we had to find a place in town where we could watch it. The Cruise Director called some local bars/pubs and found one that could accommodate us and was willing to allow us to watch the game. Of course, since we're in Chile, the time is much later here so the game didn't start until 8:30 p.m. Still, we decided we couldn't miss it so Bob and I bundled up and headed out to walk to town (no taxis were available at this hour). We found the pub, which turned out to be in the basement of a charming old historic building, without difficulty. About 30-40 people from the ship, both passengers and crew, showed up to share in the party!! We had a GREAT time, well, at least until the last few seconds of the game when the Seahawks coaches made the infamous brain-dead call and lost the game.
We did have a slight disturbance at the pub. Shortly after we arrived a humongous Aussie showed up, already drunker than a skunk. He was about 6'6" and probably about 320 pounds. We think he was a crew member on a working ship on its way to the Antarctic. He was certainly ready for a fight!!!! He definitely wanted to be the center of attention and periodically would stand directly in front of the T.V., blocking the view and dancing - badly. In addition, he was sick and sneezing all over the place (not covering his slobbery mouth). Some of our passengers were really uncomfortable around him and tried moving to another room but the guy just kept moving around making a nuisance of himself. Unfortunately, the bartenders just kept serving him more beer!! You wouldn't see that in the U.S. these days!!!! He would sit down periodically and nod off (thankfully), but would soon wake up, down his beer, then stand up and stumble around causing more trouble until he got another beer. at one point he was asleep and spilled his beer and the bartenders immediately brought him another one!!! Really pathetic and annoying. FINALLY, he put his empty glass down next to me, stumbled out the door and left. YAY YAY YAY!!!!
Everything was wonderful for the next little while...until the last few minutes of the game. Oh well, it was an exciting game. There's always next year!!! Once the game was over we had to find our way through town back to the ship at 1:00 a.m. The streets were completely empty so we had to walk back. Since we had no idea how safe this area was at night we decided to walk together in small groups. Luckily we returned without incident and were ready for a hot shower and a comfortable bed. Goodnight all. Tomorrow we will continue sailing south to Ushuaia, Argentina. I'm already humming "Don't cry for me Argentina..." Can't wait for our future adventures.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Laguna San Raphael, Chile: Thursday, January 29th
Today was filled with extraordinary beauty. We arrived at the heart of the Patagonia region and looked out at majestic, glistening glaciers. This morning our ship cruised gently and carefully through waterways, fjords and estuaries that offered stunning scenery. We sailed past Mt. San Valentin (13,310 feet), which is the highest peak in the Southern Andes. Fields of ice extend over this mountain and the surrounding hills and from this mountain 19 glaciers were born.
Beginning in the early morning, we transferred a few passengers at a time to a lovely catamaran which took us on a 3½ hour tour to the most famous site in this area, the Mount San Valentin glacier. We were extremely fortunate to arrive at a time when the glacier was extremely active. Our small craft inched closer and closer to the base of the glacier until we were inches away from a large iceberg floating effortlessly in the water directly in front of us.
Once we were situated as near to the base of the glacier as we could be without compromising our safety the captain turned off the engines and allowed us to spend an hour observing the sights and sounds of this incredible natural wonder. Glacier ice ranges from a light to deep blue. It is blue because it is the only color that this extremely dense ice does not absorb. We carefully scanned the huge ice mass in front of us and listened for any signs of impending calving, the point at which a chunk of ice breaks away from the glacier and crashes into the frigid ocean water below.
A few minutes after our arrival we witnessed our first calving. We heard crackling deep inside the ice, then small pieces began falling. All of a sudden the ice began to shift and move. There was a huge crackle and "boom" as an enormous chunk of ice tore away from the main mass and crashed into the sea, creating a large wave which rocked our vessel, causing us to cling onto the sides for stability. Just as suddenly as the calving started it was over. The giant glacier became still one again and was eerily silent. The newly formed iceberg continued to rotate and float in the water until it found a suitable resting pose. Vibrations from the iceberg continued to create ripples in the water causing the crystal clear ocean to shimmer and shine as the sunlight danced across the top. We waited anxiously for any signs of additional calving. We didn't have to wait long. Additional huge chunks of ice continued to fall into the sea as our group responded with exited squeals of delight, "ooos" and "aahs."
Just before we pulled away, the glacier retreated into a lengthy silence and the sea became still and glassy once again. We took one last long look at this majestic sight as our small craft turned to return to our ship. Magnificent natural sites such as the one we just visited serve as an awesome witness to God's perfect handiwork. Northing short of our God's divine intervention could create such spectacular beauty.
For the next two days we will remain on the ship, cruising through the Chilean fjords. Really looking forward to it. Also, I am thankful to be recovering from my illness.
Beginning in the early morning, we transferred a few passengers at a time to a lovely catamaran which took us on a 3½ hour tour to the most famous site in this area, the Mount San Valentin glacier. We were extremely fortunate to arrive at a time when the glacier was extremely active. Our small craft inched closer and closer to the base of the glacier until we were inches away from a large iceberg floating effortlessly in the water directly in front of us.
Once we were situated as near to the base of the glacier as we could be without compromising our safety the captain turned off the engines and allowed us to spend an hour observing the sights and sounds of this incredible natural wonder. Glacier ice ranges from a light to deep blue. It is blue because it is the only color that this extremely dense ice does not absorb. We carefully scanned the huge ice mass in front of us and listened for any signs of impending calving, the point at which a chunk of ice breaks away from the glacier and crashes into the frigid ocean water below.
A few minutes after our arrival we witnessed our first calving. We heard crackling deep inside the ice, then small pieces began falling. All of a sudden the ice began to shift and move. There was a huge crackle and "boom" as an enormous chunk of ice tore away from the main mass and crashed into the sea, creating a large wave which rocked our vessel, causing us to cling onto the sides for stability. Just as suddenly as the calving started it was over. The giant glacier became still one again and was eerily silent. The newly formed iceberg continued to rotate and float in the water until it found a suitable resting pose. Vibrations from the iceberg continued to create ripples in the water causing the crystal clear ocean to shimmer and shine as the sunlight danced across the top. We waited anxiously for any signs of additional calving. We didn't have to wait long. Additional huge chunks of ice continued to fall into the sea as our group responded with exited squeals of delight, "ooos" and "aahs."
Just before we pulled away, the glacier retreated into a lengthy silence and the sea became still and glassy once again. We took one last long look at this majestic sight as our small craft turned to return to our ship. Magnificent natural sites such as the one we just visited serve as an awesome witness to God's perfect handiwork. Northing short of our God's divine intervention could create such spectacular beauty.
For the next two days we will remain on the ship, cruising through the Chilean fjords. Really looking forward to it. Also, I am thankful to be recovering from my illness.
Puerto Chacabuco, Chile: Wednesday, January 28th
Sorry everyone, but there was no blog from yesterday in Puerto Montt, Chile. I was quite sick and couldn't leave the ship. Bob went out but unfortunately he doesn't have the time or inclination to write the narrative. Nearly half of the passengers on our ship are sick with a gastrointestinal virus. Many are quarantined in their rooms. All buffets have been shut down so there is sit down service only offered on board. In addition, staff are stationed at each public area to ensure that as each passenger passes through they are asked to use the hand sanitizer located on the walls. Ship personnel are taking every precaution and being very proactive to rid the ship of this bug, since it seems to be quite contagious and lasts for nearly a week. Hopefully, I'll be up and around soon.
After staying in bed all day yesterday, I decided to attempt the excursion today since it was only a
4½ hour trip and didn't involve too much physical activity. I was feeling better but not certainly not completely recovered. I just didn't want to miss out on any more fun experiences so I decided to chance it!
We boarded a small bus and headed out to a local family's home for a barbecue and dancing. We drove for nearly an hour through landscape that we had not seen previously in South America. This area is the beginning of the beautiful Patagonia region in Chile. There were high, jagged mountain peaks topped with snow, green trees and grass forming forests teeming with life. Delicate waterfalls tumbled gracefully from the upper elevations creating quickly flowing rivers in the valleys below. The water was clear and the air was clean. The scents of the forests permeated the air and confirmed to our senses that we had left the coast behind and entered a completely different region.
Although when we left the port the road was paved, soon the pavement turned to gravel and our guide told us that this type of road is normal throughout this rural area. Our bus bumped and slid along the road as we made our way deeper into the luscious countryside. The dust created by our vehicle clouded the air behind us. After meandering through this enchanting area we arrived at our destination and we turned into the long dirt driveway down a gentle decline until we reached the house.
Upon our arrival the entire extended family came running out to greet us with huge smiles, hugs and kisses for each of us There was a mother, father, multiple grandparents, aunts, uncles, grandchildren, cousins, nieces, nephews and family friends. All of the young people under the age of 21 years were wearing vibrant traditional costumes. The youngest, a two-year old girl was absolutely adorable in her bright purple dress with hand sewn sequins, lace trimmed bloomers, and Mary Jane type shoes. Her hair was neatly twisted in rows on top of her head clipped at the end while her long dark hair flowed freely down her back.
We were lead inside by the family matriarch and invited to enjoy a Pisco sour, the national drink (everyone seems to drink alcohol here). We have learned to appreciate this refreshing beverage and most people accepted one gratefully after our long drive (I stuck with water since I still wasn't feeling well). We walked down the hill to the huge barbecue pit where an entire lamb was splayed and roasting over the open flame. I'm not a fan of lamb but it did smell quite good. We enjoyed our drink and homemade sopaipillas while we waited for the lamb to finish cooking. When it was ready we all marched back up to a lovely wooden agin type room filled with local art and pictures of famous Chileans.
The food was plentiful and delicious. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to eat more than a couple of bites. There were vegetable trays filled with their family grown produce, boiled potatoes which are an important staple of the diet in Chile, lamb, flan with caramel sauce, a specialty prepared lovingly by the grandmother, and of course wine produced on the property. Family members continued to circle the table, encouraging everyone to keep eating! Once dessert was served the dancing started. The young people stood up, waving their handkerchiefs, stomping their feet, capturing the essence of the traditional dance with their movements and facial expressions. Soon the rest of the family joined the dance and the party was on! Even grandpa and grandma joined the dancers and were absolutely adorable. Afterward, grandpa gave grandma a kiss on the cheek and melted our hearts. So sweet.
After lunch the matriarch suggested we go for a walk to explore the grounds and "digest our food!" We spent the remainder of the afternoon enjoying the tranquil surroundings. I enjoyed some alone time sitting on a log near a river saying a prayer to thank God for allowing me to enjoy such a lovely journey to a different area of the world. It was finally time to leave and, once again, there were family hugs and kisses for everyone. Little did we know that another adventure was just ahead of us!
As we returned to the paved road we were about to cross the only road that leads back to the port. Suddenly the bus came to a screeching halt and paused for a few minutes. Our guide explained that the road ahead was being blocked by rioters. The city of Port Aysen was celebrating their 87th anniversary so the rioters felt it would be a good day to bring traffic to a halt since many local people would be coming into town to enjoy the evening fireworks and community festivities. City workers were unable to get home to their families and no one could get into town. Perhaps the rioters didn't anticipate having a ship in port, but when our official tried to talk with them to allow us to cross the line the cruise officials were told "we don't care WHO you are, you're NOT crossing this line." They had tires lined up on the road and had set them on fire so black smoke filled the air and the protestors were chanting. Unfortunately for us, it was in Spanish so we couldn't understand why they were protesting. Our guide was also confused about their issues The police were there, as was the military, but neither group appeared to have the crowd under control We had no idea how long we were going to be stranded. It was not a good day for me to be stuck since I continued to have symptoms of my illness. I was losing energy fast.
At this moment we started to become concerned. There was an angry group of people starting fires ahead of us and we were told there was no other way to reach our ship. Our escort contacted our cruise ship who contacted the local authorities immediately and informed them of our situation. After a lengthy delay the police demanded that our bus move a few blocks away to a side street since they were going to use force to disperse the crowd and they wanted us to remain at a safe distance. Unfortunately, whatever methods they attempted to use didn't remedy the situation. The road continued to be blocked and rioters were only getting angrier.
At this point some of our fellow passengers were getting agitated (remember, this is a group of old people who are not always terribly tolerant or patient). Our poor guide was suffering some unkind comments from some of the more vocal people. People were starting to throw out their own ideas like "bring in helicopters, sail the ships' tenders down the river to pick us up and sail back to the ship, ram the protesters, etc." It would have been laughable if these people weren't serious but unfortunately that wasn't the case. People thought that these were good solutions!!!
This story does have a happy ending. After talking with the local police, our group obtained permission to take a lengthy detour to a new, unfinished, gravel road that is being built so that there will be two roads that lead back to the port. It might have not been the best, nor safest road at this point, but it served our purpose quite well. Our driver quickly whisked us along the road to a new location which took us as far as the second, and final, roadblock of protesters and fire. We sat at this location, waiting for assistance. Finally, the local woman who runs the tour company which provided our bus transportation came to negotiate with the group leaders. Eventually they agreed to let our passengers pass through the rioters in small group. Little by little we told by until it was our turn to pass. When we began to pass through the crowd there were sneers, shouts, and laughter. I'm sure they were trying to intimidate us. Luckily, we couldn't understand what they said! We passed by the fires carefully, in a single file line, carefully watching our step as we made our way through the crowd slowly. Once we were on the other side safely we were able to take a bus that had come from the port to take us the rest of the way.
FINALLY, we rebounded our beautiful ship, thankful to be back "home." My outing was a bit longer than I had anticipated and I was tired and still not feeling well but extremely relieved that we were able to continue our amazing journey. Tomorrow we reach the middle of the Patagonia area and the Chilean fjords. It has been on my bucket list to visit this area so I'm quite exited. See you tomorrow. Goodnight all!
After staying in bed all day yesterday, I decided to attempt the excursion today since it was only a
4½ hour trip and didn't involve too much physical activity. I was feeling better but not certainly not completely recovered. I just didn't want to miss out on any more fun experiences so I decided to chance it!
We boarded a small bus and headed out to a local family's home for a barbecue and dancing. We drove for nearly an hour through landscape that we had not seen previously in South America. This area is the beginning of the beautiful Patagonia region in Chile. There were high, jagged mountain peaks topped with snow, green trees and grass forming forests teeming with life. Delicate waterfalls tumbled gracefully from the upper elevations creating quickly flowing rivers in the valleys below. The water was clear and the air was clean. The scents of the forests permeated the air and confirmed to our senses that we had left the coast behind and entered a completely different region.
Although when we left the port the road was paved, soon the pavement turned to gravel and our guide told us that this type of road is normal throughout this rural area. Our bus bumped and slid along the road as we made our way deeper into the luscious countryside. The dust created by our vehicle clouded the air behind us. After meandering through this enchanting area we arrived at our destination and we turned into the long dirt driveway down a gentle decline until we reached the house.
Upon our arrival the entire extended family came running out to greet us with huge smiles, hugs and kisses for each of us There was a mother, father, multiple grandparents, aunts, uncles, grandchildren, cousins, nieces, nephews and family friends. All of the young people under the age of 21 years were wearing vibrant traditional costumes. The youngest, a two-year old girl was absolutely adorable in her bright purple dress with hand sewn sequins, lace trimmed bloomers, and Mary Jane type shoes. Her hair was neatly twisted in rows on top of her head clipped at the end while her long dark hair flowed freely down her back.
We were lead inside by the family matriarch and invited to enjoy a Pisco sour, the national drink (everyone seems to drink alcohol here). We have learned to appreciate this refreshing beverage and most people accepted one gratefully after our long drive (I stuck with water since I still wasn't feeling well). We walked down the hill to the huge barbecue pit where an entire lamb was splayed and roasting over the open flame. I'm not a fan of lamb but it did smell quite good. We enjoyed our drink and homemade sopaipillas while we waited for the lamb to finish cooking. When it was ready we all marched back up to a lovely wooden agin type room filled with local art and pictures of famous Chileans.
The food was plentiful and delicious. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to eat more than a couple of bites. There were vegetable trays filled with their family grown produce, boiled potatoes which are an important staple of the diet in Chile, lamb, flan with caramel sauce, a specialty prepared lovingly by the grandmother, and of course wine produced on the property. Family members continued to circle the table, encouraging everyone to keep eating! Once dessert was served the dancing started. The young people stood up, waving their handkerchiefs, stomping their feet, capturing the essence of the traditional dance with their movements and facial expressions. Soon the rest of the family joined the dance and the party was on! Even grandpa and grandma joined the dancers and were absolutely adorable. Afterward, grandpa gave grandma a kiss on the cheek and melted our hearts. So sweet.
After lunch the matriarch suggested we go for a walk to explore the grounds and "digest our food!" We spent the remainder of the afternoon enjoying the tranquil surroundings. I enjoyed some alone time sitting on a log near a river saying a prayer to thank God for allowing me to enjoy such a lovely journey to a different area of the world. It was finally time to leave and, once again, there were family hugs and kisses for everyone. Little did we know that another adventure was just ahead of us!
As we returned to the paved road we were about to cross the only road that leads back to the port. Suddenly the bus came to a screeching halt and paused for a few minutes. Our guide explained that the road ahead was being blocked by rioters. The city of Port Aysen was celebrating their 87th anniversary so the rioters felt it would be a good day to bring traffic to a halt since many local people would be coming into town to enjoy the evening fireworks and community festivities. City workers were unable to get home to their families and no one could get into town. Perhaps the rioters didn't anticipate having a ship in port, but when our official tried to talk with them to allow us to cross the line the cruise officials were told "we don't care WHO you are, you're NOT crossing this line." They had tires lined up on the road and had set them on fire so black smoke filled the air and the protestors were chanting. Unfortunately for us, it was in Spanish so we couldn't understand why they were protesting. Our guide was also confused about their issues The police were there, as was the military, but neither group appeared to have the crowd under control We had no idea how long we were going to be stranded. It was not a good day for me to be stuck since I continued to have symptoms of my illness. I was losing energy fast.
At this moment we started to become concerned. There was an angry group of people starting fires ahead of us and we were told there was no other way to reach our ship. Our escort contacted our cruise ship who contacted the local authorities immediately and informed them of our situation. After a lengthy delay the police demanded that our bus move a few blocks away to a side street since they were going to use force to disperse the crowd and they wanted us to remain at a safe distance. Unfortunately, whatever methods they attempted to use didn't remedy the situation. The road continued to be blocked and rioters were only getting angrier.
At this point some of our fellow passengers were getting agitated (remember, this is a group of old people who are not always terribly tolerant or patient). Our poor guide was suffering some unkind comments from some of the more vocal people. People were starting to throw out their own ideas like "bring in helicopters, sail the ships' tenders down the river to pick us up and sail back to the ship, ram the protesters, etc." It would have been laughable if these people weren't serious but unfortunately that wasn't the case. People thought that these were good solutions!!!
This story does have a happy ending. After talking with the local police, our group obtained permission to take a lengthy detour to a new, unfinished, gravel road that is being built so that there will be two roads that lead back to the port. It might have not been the best, nor safest road at this point, but it served our purpose quite well. Our driver quickly whisked us along the road to a new location which took us as far as the second, and final, roadblock of protesters and fire. We sat at this location, waiting for assistance. Finally, the local woman who runs the tour company which provided our bus transportation came to negotiate with the group leaders. Eventually they agreed to let our passengers pass through the rioters in small group. Little by little we told by until it was our turn to pass. When we began to pass through the crowd there were sneers, shouts, and laughter. I'm sure they were trying to intimidate us. Luckily, we couldn't understand what they said! We passed by the fires carefully, in a single file line, carefully watching our step as we made our way through the crowd slowly. Once we were on the other side safely we were able to take a bus that had come from the port to take us the rest of the way.
FINALLY, we rebounded our beautiful ship, thankful to be back "home." My outing was a bit longer than I had anticipated and I was tired and still not feeling well but extremely relieved that we were able to continue our amazing journey. Tomorrow we reach the middle of the Patagonia area and the Chilean fjords. It has been on my bucket list to visit this area so I'm quite exited. See you tomorrow. Goodnight all!
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