January 28 Ilhabela (Sao Sabastiao)
Ilhabela is a charming, small island (130 square miles) off the coast of Brazil. It was the Prinsendam’s maiden call ---in fact, I think, Holland America’s first call. The island’s volcanic origins are evident from the steeply rising peaks covered by a dense tropical jungle. The interior and east coast are virtually unpopulated. The island contains almost 400 waterfalls and 85% of it is designated as a state park. Ilhabela means island of beauty. It is famous for its mosquitoes and sand fleas. Happily, we didn’t encounter either.
Ilhabela is a vacation spot for the wealthy from San Paulo. A few high end shops, very friendly people, and that was about it. We walked along the waterfront, past small fishing boats and marinas and then returned to the ship…..for a lesson in how not to approach a cruise ship with a tender.
We came alongside the Prinsendam and the sailor in the tender door opening was ready to throw the line to the ship. Unfortunately we never got close enough. We made a second try. And a third.
I'm thinking, "this guy won't get the employee of the month award," when we had to made a fourth try. For the fourth attempt, the crewman threw the line to the Prinsendam but the guy on the Prinsendam didn't get a wrap on it or secure it so he had to let it go or have his arm pulled out of the socket.
Fifth try. The sailor goes out onto the bow of the tender and tosses a line to the Prinsendam. Guy on the ship grabs it but ----surprise, it isn't fastened to the tender. Good thing it wasn’t an anchor.
At that point everyone on the tender is having a good laugh. Except the crew. And the guy who had to go to the bathroom.
Sixth try or maybe it was the 7th. Success at last! We didn't see any great current....and there wasn't much wind or seas. Just “ a bad day at the office” for the operator of the tender.
As we sailed away from Ilhabela and headed south, we made our way to the Captain’s Quarters for cocktails with the captain. We were part of the Cruise Critic group invited to meet with captain and drink his liquor. J
For anyone wondering how the master lives on the ship, his quarters are forward on the starboard side, just after t six or seven suites. He has a large living room with several sofas, chairs, tables, a bar, and bookcases filled with pictures of his wife and 10 year old daughter. A door led to his bedroom and sliders to a large balcony. As he explained, the room is also used for small parties and welcoming local dignitaries. Another door led to his office and then the bridge. According to him, he is just 35 seconds from the bridge when in his bedroom.
Our captain is very witty and personable --what else would you expect from a Norwegian.
Unfortunately, it was a tad rocky and I spent more time wondering how long I would last before I had to leave than enjoying the champagne and open bar. I made it to the end of the party but skipped dinner. Alan doesn’t have to worry that I will ever want a suite or the pent house high up forward on the topmost deck.
January 29 and 30. At Sea
Great entertainment….Ken and Casey….a man and his duck. We saw them on the Amsterdam last year and were delighted to see them here. I think it was the best show of the cruise and by the laughs and applause so did many others.
The night before we had a great pianist. I don’t remember his name but I enjoyed him so much I bought his CD.
Our position at 4:10 pm, January 30
34° 49.37S 052° 59.02W
Air temp. 77° F Sea temp 80.6° F
Barometer falling
Humidity 80%
Winds from the south --force 2
Seas confused.
Sunset 8:09 pm
I just looked at the Post of Rio. If you look very carefully at Cordovarda you can just make out the statute on the top. Above the clouds.
Today, the 31st, we're in Montevideo. More later.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
pictures that didn't make it into the last post
Samba float base. Left - Samba school complex. Far left --samba performer on ship. sorry it's so dark.
cathedral outside and inside . inside picture is turned. cross is at apex.
January 26 and 27
Sugar Loaf from Cocordova
Rio from Corcordova
January 26 and 27
We had been advised to be up on deck early in the morning for the sail in to Guanabara Bay. When Portuguese explorers first sailed into the bay on January 1, 1501 they thought they were in the mouth of a large river. Hence the name, Rio de Janeiro, River of January.
As we sailed in we spied Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) above the clouds as well as Sugar Loaf and a hint of the cable car to the top. We were later to find out that the statute of Christ can be seen from almost anywhere in Rio. As can Sugar Loaf.
We approached the terminal with the dock on the port side and just as it appeared that we would run into the dock head-on the Captain swung the ship around and we tided up starboard side to. It was all rather remarkable. And impressive.
With no tour until afternoon, we wandered the streets around the terminal (not a very impressive areas), had lunch and then boarded a bus for the Cruise Specialist tour of the city and Sugar Loaf Mountain.
First stop ---- Catedral Metropolitana. This rather strange looking cathedral was constructed from 1964-1976 . Its radical style (it was called an upside down ice cream cone) was quite unpopular with local Catholics until a pope (maybe John) came to Rio and endorsed the structure. Inside it rises to 248 feet at the center with no interior columns. The cathedral has seating for 5,000 and will accommodate 20,000 standing. About the only ornamentation are four stained-glass windows which form a cross at the apex.
It was then on to Sugar Loaf Mountain. The Portuguese name for the mountain is Pao de Acucar. It is 1,300 feet high. Two separate cable cars are necessary to get to the top. The first ride takes you up 700 feet. You get off there and think the view of Rio is spectacular. Then you take the second cable car to the top and WOW! You can see all of Rio---the beaches, the statue of Cristo Redentor, the harbor, a race track, the soccer stadium, the apartment buildings and the favelas where the poor people live. Of course, there are the obligatory souvenir shops and a restaurant. We were fortunate as we had little rain and a fairly clear day with no sun. With or without sun, it was still pretty warm and steamy. We were told that with the sun it would have been unbearable.
Here’s what I wrote to Alexis’ third grade class about Rio (with a couple of additions.) As usual, I am sure the pictures won’t be in the correct places but I’ll keep trying.
From the top of Sugar Loaf we could look across to Corcovada Mountain. Corcovada is 2296 feet high. Perched on the top is the famous icon of Rio, the Statute of Cristo Redentor or Christ the Redeemer. The statute is 130 feet tall and weighs 700 tons. It is made of concrete and covered with soapstone. The Brazilians started in in 1926 and didn’t finish it until 1931.
This is Christ the Redeemer as we saw it from Sugar Loaf. It was almost hidden in the clouds. The people who went up it the day I took this picture couldn’t see the city or beaches below because of all the clouds. They said it was like being in an airplane above the clouds.
We were lucky when we went because this is what we saw.
To get to the statute we had to take a cog railway trail through a jungle forest. It is the largest forest in the world that is in the middle of a city. As we were going up and down the mountain we saw many strange fruits and plants. This is what is called a jack fruit.
We had it one day on the ship. Yuck (in my opinion).
After we got off the train we had to take two escalators to get to the very top. Again, WOW what a view.
The cable car up Sugar Loaf Mountain and the railway up to the statute were nice but Carnival is fun. The people in Rio pronounce it Car knee val. And they love Carnival!
(remember this was written for 8 year olds)
Carnival is a celebration held in Rio and many other places in the world 40 days before Easter and marks the start of Lent. It started in Rio with groups of poor people who were making fun of how the rich held fancy balls and masquerade parties. That was in the 1800s. The celebration grew and grew and grew and now thousands if not millions of people celebrate carnival in Rio.
Carnival is all about the samba schools and the parade. In Rio today there are twelve samba schools. They are not really schools but are clubs with thousands of people in each one. They are large, well-financed organizations that work about eight months of the year to prepare for Carnival. For the carnival parade each samba school chooses a theme, makes enormous floats, has bands, dancers, beautiful girls (many half or more naked) , drums, and gorgeous costumes. The parade is a contest to see which of the schools is the best. This year’s themes will include evolution, fairy tales, the history of drums plus 9 others I forget.
Each school has about 3,000 people marching in the parade. Each schools parade lasts about 80 minutes. During the entire 80 minutes the performers must keep dancing, playing and smiling all the time. The parade is held two nights with six samba schools performing each night. 6 x 3,000 equals a lot of performers. On top of that, the Sambodroma holds 43,000 people.
And what, you ask, is the Sambodromo? Rio de Janeiro built a huge stadium (in just 120 days) to hold the carnival parade. It is called the Sambodromo and is just like a city street with seats and bleachers on both sides. The cheapest seats are about $30 and the most expensive one in “boxes” with air conditioning, food and drinks can cost $1,000 a person. Because so many people in Rio are very poor and can’t afford to go to the Sambodromo there are many parties and bands all over the city.
Huge traffic jams occurred when the samba schools took their floats and people to the Sambodromo for the parade. In 2006 the city built what they call the Cidade de Samba. There are 12 gargantuan buildings, one for each school. The doors are 12 feet high to get the floats in and out.
We went to the Cidade de Samba and saw costumes and floats from past carnivals. They let us look at some of the floats they are making for this year’s parade but we couldn’t take pictures because everything is supposed to be a secret. Oddly enough, the second tour group of the day was allowed to take pictures but had to promise not to publish them or give them to competing schools. Since the themes of the schools were known to our tour guide I couldn’t understand why all the secrecy.
Here are some pictures of the costumes and things that were on last year’s floats.
The dresses are very beautiful but can you imagine how heavy they are….and how hot they must be.
Oh, forgot I said I would tell you about the favelas. I am not sure if that is how you spell it. The poor people cannot afford houses in the city so they build little houses and shacks on the hillside. In America, the most expensive houses are high on the hills because people want to look out but in Rio the poorest people have the best view. The favelas are dangerous places if you don’t know your way around. There are about 800 favelas in Rio
where 150,000 people live. That’s a lot of people.
In this picture of the Cidade de Samba you can see a favela on the hillside.
End of school report.
Rio is crowded and noisy, and exuberant. After all it is home to 11 million people. The beat of the samba is heard everywhere. People seem to walk to the beat and while waiting for traffic lights to change their feet are moving to the beat. I think everyone wears platform shoes, even little kids in platform flip flops.
The carnival parades have a set order. There is the instrument section, (the Baterie), made up mostly of drums with rattles, tambourines and notched sticks added. The Passista girls dance to the samba beat in front of the instruments. The girls are very scantly dressed but complete nudity is forbidden (and they push the envelope), explicit sexuality is banned but not much else. One year a performer lost her pasties and the school was fined a half point. (We had a samba show on board the ship and I couldn’t believe the incredible bodies on both the men and women dancers. Needless to say, none of the men even noticed their platform shoes.)
Back to the parade order. After the Passitas come the floats. The “Destaques” are on the floats in the most expensive and incredible costumes. A celebrity or famous person may also be on a float.
We drove past Ipanema Beach, the Carmen Miranda Museum, numerous cathedrals and stopped at Copacabana Beach. The beaches were long, sandy, wide but on the cloudy day not covered in bodies and people like you see in the movies. Rio has more than a little bit of everything and a person could spend weeks there and not see it all.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
More pictures, let's hope no duplicates
dock area of village in rain forest
look closely and you'll see the man in the tree
hs feet with vine wrapped around them
fuzzy, friendly tarantula
Top picture----Brazil nut other pictures ---street scenes in Maceio
January 24 Salvador da Bahia…..
Sending this off with pictures I hope. I’ll write up Salvador later.
Now I’m rushing off to lunch (can’t miss a meal) and then down to the internet café so I can get all this sent and not be left behind in Salvador.
Later in the day-------
Okay, the internet café was a waste of a walk in the hot sun, of an hour, and the princely sum of $4 US. I needed help getting online, aol came up in Spanish, I managed to figure out the Spanish, I couldn’t edit, insert pictures, I lost some mail after reading it (Sorry Frank, Lorraine, Kenneth and Alexis) and then my computer shut down. Naturally my laptop plug wouldn’t fit the outlet in the café.
So here I am back in the cabin writing about Salvador da Bahia.
Salvador da Bahia’s full name is Sao Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos, meaning Holy Savior of All Saints’ Bay. The city was named by Amerigo Vespucci when he sailed into the bay on All Saint’s Day in 1501. He was on his way to India, not trying to go east to west but being carried by currents and winds from the Mediterranean to South America and then crossing over to Africa and around the tip of South Africa.
Salvador is one of the oldest cities in Brazil and the country’s third most populous. During the heyday of Portuguese rule it was the most important Portuguese city in the world after Lisbon.
We rarely saw a white face (except for tourists) as the city is made up mostly of descendants of African slaves. The culture is very African but the architecture very Portuguese with the tile work on the buildings reminiscent of Lisbon. The slave trade in Brazil was worse than anywhere else in the world and it is estimated that five or six million slaves from Africa came into the country.
Salvador da Bahia is a city built on the bluffs above the harbor and the two levels are connected by an elevator. A fellow passenger told us the cost of the elevator ride was 2 cents US (each way). We were also told it is a great place to get your pocket picked.
It is also a city of 166 catholic churches which contain 1,700 pounds of gold leaf in their decorations. ( I wonder how they know that.) Prevalent in Salvador is candomble (Kahn DOM blay) a mystic blend of African ritual and animist belief. As in many part of the world the religions and rituals of Africa were hidden in the Catholic religion and icons.
We were on the wait list for a tour but it didn’t pan out so we took the H. Stern’s bus to the upper city. Alan went off in one direction and I in the other and eventually we met up back on board in mid afternoon. And then the fun began….
First, my disastrous attempts at using shore facilities for the computer. Then announcement after announcement from our poor beleaguered cruise director, Thom.
Early in the morning he had to content with busses not being allowed on the pier. It was a fairly lengthy walk over uneven cobblestones for some of the less mobile guests so a H. Sterns van was allowed to run back and forth the length of the pier. It was then cancelled by the authorities. Next the pier authorities brought in an open wagon with wooden planks for seats pulled by a tractor. After about 20 minutes that too disappeared from whence it came. Everyone managed somehow.
We were to have a Savadorian folkloric show at 3:30. At 3:15 Thom came on the PA system and announced that the performers hadn’t arrived but he was making phone calls and hoping. At 3:30, the same message. At 4:00 he said the drums had arrived. At 4:30, a few performers. Finally at 4:45 he said if that if enough performers were here by 5:00 an abbreviated show would go on. At 4:55 the doors opened, the passengers flooded in and the show began at 5:05. All this time the Captain is chewing his nails or whatever up on the bridge because it is a long sail to Rio de Janerio and the ship had to be there early in the morning two days hence.
The performance was worth waiting for. Drums, chanting, colorful costumes and incredible acrobatics. I think the acrobatics, handstands, flips, stick banging and all the rest were representative of a martial arts/dance they practice here. In any event, it was lively, energetic, colorful and as always, loud.
A powerful tug pulled us stern first from the dock and then turned us around so we could leave the fairly small harbor bow first.
As we sailed out we passed a half dozen or so Brazilian navy ships and a sub. All were docked at the pier and we were told they are not usually here in Salvador. We continue to marvel at how few people come out on deck for arrivals and departures. I guess most of the passengers have seen it over and over. There were more people on the dock watching us leave than passengers on deck.
It was full steam ahead as we sailed on toward Rio de Janiero.
January 25 At Sea.
The usual activities plus a morning talk on preserving your favorite photographs on fabrics, a video presentation on Charles Darwin, who in addition to his time on the Galapagos spent three years in South America, and a demonstration of how to make Chocolate Volcano Cake (I will continue to use a mix). Did you know Charles Darwin was born on the same day as Abraham Lincoln? And that today is the birthday of Robbie Burns (Auld Lang Syne)?
Tomorrow and the day after RIO. The Captain told us to be on deck by 7 am for the sail in to the most dramatic harbor arrival in all the world. Greater than Sydney or San Francisco. There will be a commentary on deck as we see get our first glimpse of Corcovado with its 125’Christ the Redeemer statute, Ipenema and Cocacabana beaches, and Sugarloaf Mountain. We have tours morning, noon and night for two days, including a visit to the Ciudade do Samba to see how the artists and performers get ready for Carnival. Carnival isn’t too far off so it should be a lively scene.
Our position at 5:40 pm today is
20° 22.42S 039° 39.47W
Barometer steady
Relative humidity 70.4%
Sea temp. 82 F
Wind from the east, force 3
Seas slight 1.5 - 4 feet
Partially cloudy, still plenty of daylight
.
Sending this off with pictures I hope. I’ll write up Salvador later.
Now I’m rushing off to lunch (can’t miss a meal) and then down to the internet café so I can get all this sent and not be left behind in Salvador.
Later in the day-------
Okay, the internet café was a waste of a walk in the hot sun, of an hour, and the princely sum of $4 US. I needed help getting online, aol came up in Spanish, I managed to figure out the Spanish, I couldn’t edit, insert pictures, I lost some mail after reading it (Sorry Frank, Lorraine, Kenneth and Alexis) and then my computer shut down. Naturally my laptop plug wouldn’t fit the outlet in the café.
So here I am back in the cabin writing about Salvador da Bahia.
Salvador da Bahia’s full name is Sao Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos, meaning Holy Savior of All Saints’ Bay. The city was named by Amerigo Vespucci when he sailed into the bay on All Saint’s Day in 1501. He was on his way to India, not trying to go east to west but being carried by currents and winds from the Mediterranean to South America and then crossing over to Africa and around the tip of South Africa.
Salvador is one of the oldest cities in Brazil and the country’s third most populous. During the heyday of Portuguese rule it was the most important Portuguese city in the world after Lisbon.
We rarely saw a white face (except for tourists) as the city is made up mostly of descendants of African slaves. The culture is very African but the architecture very Portuguese with the tile work on the buildings reminiscent of Lisbon. The slave trade in Brazil was worse than anywhere else in the world and it is estimated that five or six million slaves from Africa came into the country.
Salvador da Bahia is a city built on the bluffs above the harbor and the two levels are connected by an elevator. A fellow passenger told us the cost of the elevator ride was 2 cents US (each way). We were also told it is a great place to get your pocket picked.
It is also a city of 166 catholic churches which contain 1,700 pounds of gold leaf in their decorations. ( I wonder how they know that.) Prevalent in Salvador is candomble (Kahn DOM blay) a mystic blend of African ritual and animist belief. As in many part of the world the religions and rituals of Africa were hidden in the Catholic religion and icons.
We were on the wait list for a tour but it didn’t pan out so we took the H. Stern’s bus to the upper city. Alan went off in one direction and I in the other and eventually we met up back on board in mid afternoon. And then the fun began….
First, my disastrous attempts at using shore facilities for the computer. Then announcement after announcement from our poor beleaguered cruise director, Thom.
Early in the morning he had to content with busses not being allowed on the pier. It was a fairly lengthy walk over uneven cobblestones for some of the less mobile guests so a H. Sterns van was allowed to run back and forth the length of the pier. It was then cancelled by the authorities. Next the pier authorities brought in an open wagon with wooden planks for seats pulled by a tractor. After about 20 minutes that too disappeared from whence it came. Everyone managed somehow.
We were to have a Savadorian folkloric show at 3:30. At 3:15 Thom came on the PA system and announced that the performers hadn’t arrived but he was making phone calls and hoping. At 3:30, the same message. At 4:00 he said the drums had arrived. At 4:30, a few performers. Finally at 4:45 he said if that if enough performers were here by 5:00 an abbreviated show would go on. At 4:55 the doors opened, the passengers flooded in and the show began at 5:05. All this time the Captain is chewing his nails or whatever up on the bridge because it is a long sail to Rio de Janerio and the ship had to be there early in the morning two days hence.
The performance was worth waiting for. Drums, chanting, colorful costumes and incredible acrobatics. I think the acrobatics, handstands, flips, stick banging and all the rest were representative of a martial arts/dance they practice here. In any event, it was lively, energetic, colorful and as always, loud.
A powerful tug pulled us stern first from the dock and then turned us around so we could leave the fairly small harbor bow first.
As we sailed out we passed a half dozen or so Brazilian navy ships and a sub. All were docked at the pier and we were told they are not usually here in Salvador. We continue to marvel at how few people come out on deck for arrivals and departures. I guess most of the passengers have seen it over and over. There were more people on the dock watching us leave than passengers on deck.
It was full steam ahead as we sailed on toward Rio de Janiero.
January 25 At Sea.
The usual activities plus a morning talk on preserving your favorite photographs on fabrics, a video presentation on Charles Darwin, who in addition to his time on the Galapagos spent three years in South America, and a demonstration of how to make Chocolate Volcano Cake (I will continue to use a mix). Did you know Charles Darwin was born on the same day as Abraham Lincoln? And that today is the birthday of Robbie Burns (Auld Lang Syne)?
Tomorrow and the day after RIO. The Captain told us to be on deck by 7 am for the sail in to the most dramatic harbor arrival in all the world. Greater than Sydney or San Francisco. There will be a commentary on deck as we see get our first glimpse of Corcovado with its 125’Christ the Redeemer statute, Ipenema and Cocacabana beaches, and Sugarloaf Mountain. We have tours morning, noon and night for two days, including a visit to the Ciudade do Samba to see how the artists and performers get ready for Carnival. Carnival isn’t too far off so it should be a lively scene.
Our position at 5:40 pm today is
20° 22.42S 039° 39.47W
Barometer steady
Relative humidity 70.4%
Sea temp. 82 F
Wind from the east, force 3
Seas slight 1.5 - 4 feet
Partially cloudy, still plenty of daylight
.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
January 20, 21,23
January 20 Inauguration Day. At Sea
Another sea day with speakers, dance lessons, casino, and more plus an ice carving demonstration and a bbq on deck. The waiters were decked out as Uncle Sam serving hot dogs, hamburgers, shrimp and other goodies.
The Queen’s Lounge was decorated in red, white and blue, had a buffet (even though we had just finished the bbq) and showed all the inauguration celebration on large screens.
The day was pretty rocky so I watched the festivities from the comfort of our cabin.
The wind was across the bow with the waves coming in a different direction. We were in a shallow part of the Atlantic (about 300 feet) and had 12 foot swells. Things were supposed to get better when the depth went to over a mile but I didn’t see any improvement. There is a big difference in motion between this ship and the Amsterdam. The Prinsendam is 669 feet long and 37,848 gross tons and the Amsterdam, 780 feet and 61,000 gross tons. The seas aren't as bad as we had in the Tasman Sea last year but they are more than I like.
I don’t know who planned the Captain’s Black and White Ball for January 20 but you can be sure it received several humorous comments. At dinner the men were all given black or white fedoras and the ladies feather head dresses. It was all great fun and almost everyone was in either black or white or both. In the lounge the Captain lead off with the first dance, most of the officers were present to dance with passengers and several prizes were given out….including a lovely pearl necklace and ear ring set from the jewelry shop on board.
January 21, Fortaleza, Brazil.
As we travel down the coast of Brazil we are beginning to see the white sandy beaches it is famous for. In and around Fortaleza the coast is tropical and beautiful but just inland are the arid interior plains regions where it is very difficult to eke out a living.
Fortaleza has nearly two million people and is the state capital.
We have onboard representatives from H. Stern, a jewelry company with stores in several South American cities. They provide shuttle vans to and from their stores. In Fortaleza the vans also took folks to the market, the Centro Mercado.
You could spend hours in the Mercado, a large metal building of several floors accessed by winding ramps and stairways circling around an open center. It was very, very crowded, noisy and the aisles narrow. This was the market for the people, although the merchants were more than happy to sell to tourists. You can buy leather shoes, lace tablecloths, foods, herbs, pocketbooks, clothing and everything in between. I’ve never seen so many “shops” selling baby clothes as here.
We were heading for the old prison which now houses artisans but it started to rain very haard so when we spied a Sterns’ van we returned to the ship.
Our departure was scheduled for 5 o’clock but about 5:30 our affable captain came on the speakers and announced that because of a medical emergency and the need to take a passenger to the local hospital we would be late leaving. About 45 minutes later the Captain was on again…..another medical emergency, this one involving a crew member. Because the ship had been cleared before the second emergency it had to be cleared again since someone left it. I think it was about 8 o’clock when we finally got underway.
We never found out what the passenger’s problem was but the crew member had broken three or four fingers in his hand either taking in the gangway or when a hydraulic door closed on it. It depends on who tells the story which version you get.
We were supposed to go to a cocktail party in the Captain’s quarters sponsored by our Cruise Critic Group but it was postponed as I guess they needed the Captain on the bridge more than entertaining passengers.
Tomorrow another sea day. And a cocktail party sponsored by Cruise Specialists.
January 22 At Sea
A wonderful relaxing day with a party hosted by Henk and Lucia Barnhoorn our Cruise Specialists (aka CSI) hosts in the early evening. Both the Captain and Cruise Director were in attendance together with most if not all of CSIs passengers. Most were familiar faces as it seems that once someone books with CSI they are with them for life.
January 23 Maceio (Mah say oh)
Another capital city, this one the capital of Alagoas, with a city population in 2006 of over 900,000. Maceio is famous for its beaches and has become a lively seaside resort area for Brazilians and Europeans with many hotels lining the road across the street from the beaches. In this area buildings cannot be more than 9 stories so you do not get the hemmed in feeling of some Florida cities.
This is the first time the Prinsendam has stopped at Maceio but things went smoothly. The night before the Captain announced he didn’t know which side of the ship would be next to the dock but we would be docked.
We took a Highlights tour with only three photo op (read buy local souvenirs) stops but we saw a great deal of the city from the cool, comfort of the bus. One of the stops was at a little neighborhood with only one street. The town/village/neighborhood seemed to consist entirely of tiny shops selling lace work. With the help (and a loan) from another passenger I bought a white blouse with lace inserts. According to the woman whose money I borrowed, the blouse would have cost me three times as much back in the states, and twice as much in a South American city. As we walked along the dusty streets and peered into the little shops we could see women (and a few men) making the lace.
Our final stop was at a national monument on the beach road with the predictable shops next to it. Another blouse. So far I haven’t seen anything that anyone in the family would want or use (or I would dare buy). We haven’t even seen good postcards but we keep looking.
Alan spent the afternoon reading, writing and attending lectures. I took a log nap---not like me at all.
Another sea day with speakers, dance lessons, casino, and more plus an ice carving demonstration and a bbq on deck. The waiters were decked out as Uncle Sam serving hot dogs, hamburgers, shrimp and other goodies.
The Queen’s Lounge was decorated in red, white and blue, had a buffet (even though we had just finished the bbq) and showed all the inauguration celebration on large screens.
The day was pretty rocky so I watched the festivities from the comfort of our cabin.
The wind was across the bow with the waves coming in a different direction. We were in a shallow part of the Atlantic (about 300 feet) and had 12 foot swells. Things were supposed to get better when the depth went to over a mile but I didn’t see any improvement. There is a big difference in motion between this ship and the Amsterdam. The Prinsendam is 669 feet long and 37,848 gross tons and the Amsterdam, 780 feet and 61,000 gross tons. The seas aren't as bad as we had in the Tasman Sea last year but they are more than I like.
I don’t know who planned the Captain’s Black and White Ball for January 20 but you can be sure it received several humorous comments. At dinner the men were all given black or white fedoras and the ladies feather head dresses. It was all great fun and almost everyone was in either black or white or both. In the lounge the Captain lead off with the first dance, most of the officers were present to dance with passengers and several prizes were given out….including a lovely pearl necklace and ear ring set from the jewelry shop on board.
January 21, Fortaleza, Brazil.
As we travel down the coast of Brazil we are beginning to see the white sandy beaches it is famous for. In and around Fortaleza the coast is tropical and beautiful but just inland are the arid interior plains regions where it is very difficult to eke out a living.
Fortaleza has nearly two million people and is the state capital.
We have onboard representatives from H. Stern, a jewelry company with stores in several South American cities. They provide shuttle vans to and from their stores. In Fortaleza the vans also took folks to the market, the Centro Mercado.
You could spend hours in the Mercado, a large metal building of several floors accessed by winding ramps and stairways circling around an open center. It was very, very crowded, noisy and the aisles narrow. This was the market for the people, although the merchants were more than happy to sell to tourists. You can buy leather shoes, lace tablecloths, foods, herbs, pocketbooks, clothing and everything in between. I’ve never seen so many “shops” selling baby clothes as here.
We were heading for the old prison which now houses artisans but it started to rain very haard so when we spied a Sterns’ van we returned to the ship.
Our departure was scheduled for 5 o’clock but about 5:30 our affable captain came on the speakers and announced that because of a medical emergency and the need to take a passenger to the local hospital we would be late leaving. About 45 minutes later the Captain was on again…..another medical emergency, this one involving a crew member. Because the ship had been cleared before the second emergency it had to be cleared again since someone left it. I think it was about 8 o’clock when we finally got underway.
We never found out what the passenger’s problem was but the crew member had broken three or four fingers in his hand either taking in the gangway or when a hydraulic door closed on it. It depends on who tells the story which version you get.
We were supposed to go to a cocktail party in the Captain’s quarters sponsored by our Cruise Critic Group but it was postponed as I guess they needed the Captain on the bridge more than entertaining passengers.
Tomorrow another sea day. And a cocktail party sponsored by Cruise Specialists.
January 22 At Sea
A wonderful relaxing day with a party hosted by Henk and Lucia Barnhoorn our Cruise Specialists (aka CSI) hosts in the early evening. Both the Captain and Cruise Director were in attendance together with most if not all of CSIs passengers. Most were familiar faces as it seems that once someone books with CSI they are with them for life.
January 23 Maceio (Mah say oh)
Another capital city, this one the capital of Alagoas, with a city population in 2006 of over 900,000. Maceio is famous for its beaches and has become a lively seaside resort area for Brazilians and Europeans with many hotels lining the road across the street from the beaches. In this area buildings cannot be more than 9 stories so you do not get the hemmed in feeling of some Florida cities.
This is the first time the Prinsendam has stopped at Maceio but things went smoothly. The night before the Captain announced he didn’t know which side of the ship would be next to the dock but we would be docked.
We took a Highlights tour with only three photo op (read buy local souvenirs) stops but we saw a great deal of the city from the cool, comfort of the bus. One of the stops was at a little neighborhood with only one street. The town/village/neighborhood seemed to consist entirely of tiny shops selling lace work. With the help (and a loan) from another passenger I bought a white blouse with lace inserts. According to the woman whose money I borrowed, the blouse would have cost me three times as much back in the states, and twice as much in a South American city. As we walked along the dusty streets and peered into the little shops we could see women (and a few men) making the lace.
Our final stop was at a national monument on the beach road with the predictable shops next to it. Another blouse. So far I haven’t seen anything that anyone in the family would want or use (or I would dare buy). We haven’t even seen good postcards but we keep looking.
Alan spent the afternoon reading, writing and attending lectures. I took a log nap---not like me at all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)