Well, that's how my trip to South America went.
I hope that you found this travel journal informative.
I took a lot of photos on this trip.
Of course, I could not include all of them in this blog.
Some of them, like the shots from Antarctica, are in photo albums.
I will make these albums available for viewing online by the end of the week.
To see these albums, simply logon to my sweeetttoooth3 email address.
It is on yahoo.ca
The password is Shirley.
Just go into the Inbox to view the albums.
Please do not write emails to this address (use the one below).
I only occasionally look back at this blog.
If anyone reading this blog has any questions or comments,
just send an email to me at my sweeetttoooth email address.
It is on yahoo.ca
Ciao,
Shirley
Friday, April 30, 2010
Word to the wise
Be careful what you wish for!
I was upgraded from a windowless room in steerage to a larger room on the 9th floor with a big window. In calm seas, this would have been fantastic. In rough waters, it was a nightmare. Make sure that you know what part of the world you are travelling in. Our ship spent quite a lot of time travelling down the coast of Chile which meant that we spent a good deal of time in the Humboldt current. This stretch of rough water really tossed the ship around. Anyone unlucky enough to have a cabin at the front of the ship or near the top of the ship (like me) was in for a bumpy ride. Even my cast iron stomach was no match for these churning seas. If you do find yourself in such a cabin then consider yourself warned and prepare to be seasick!
Stay away from the forex money exchange in Buenos Aires. Even though it is located in a nice part of town beside some very expensive stores, the place is a ripoff joint. Change your money elsewhere; preferably in a bank.
The crooks at the forex office are located at:
M. T. de Alvear 540
Buenos Aires, Argentina
You will have to change money when you head to this part of the world. Only tour operators and a few taxi drivers were willing to take the US greenback. Perhaps, due to the instability of the US markets, most places refused to take American money. (And don’t even think about using Canadian currency!)
Better yet, save yourself a lot of time and hassle and get your foreign currency here in Canada. You can either get it from your bank or go through one of the foreign currency offices. You can get American money right away, but sometimes it takes the banks about a week to get other currencies like Argentine pesos. Don’t always count on the ship to exchange money for you. On the QE2 you could change money (at a really bad exchange rate), but on the Prinsendam, you could not.
If you do decide to use American money in South America, then for heaven’s sake bring small bills ($1 and $5 only). One idiot on the cruise went into a coffee shop in South America and tried to pay for his coffee with a US $100 bill! The idiot then called the police when the shop keeper swore at him in Spanish and walked out with the bill. The other tourists just laughed at the fool and told him that it was the last time he would ever see that man again. The tourist looked doubly foolish when the clerk showed up later with his change! It turns out that the poor shop keeper had gone to the bank to break the bill. Since bank lines in South America can be really, really long, it took a while to get the fool his change. (Frankly, I wouldn’t count on most clerks to do this.)
If you are travelling to Brazil, then see about getting your visa as soon as you can from the consulate. It will take them weeks, if not months, to process your application, so give them as much time as possible. If you only give them 2 or 3 weeks, then you can forget about visiting Brazil.
It goes without saying, but if you are going to spend a lot of time down in South America, then at least learn some basic Spanish or Portuguese. While many of the young people speak some English, most of the people that you will encounter when travelling (ie. taxi drivers, bus drivers etc) will be middle aged. These people don’t speak English (which is kind of surprising since many of them depend on foreigners to make their living).
No, you can’t speak Spanish when you are in Brazil! You might be able to get by reading Portuguese (because a lot of the spelling is the same), but the words are pronounced differently. For example, the letter d is pronounced like a g in Portuguese. People will just stare at you as if you have two heads if you speak the wrong language.
Watch where you step!
There are a lot stray dogs wandering the streets of South America and nobody is cleaning up after them.
I was upgraded from a windowless room in steerage to a larger room on the 9th floor with a big window. In calm seas, this would have been fantastic. In rough waters, it was a nightmare. Make sure that you know what part of the world you are travelling in. Our ship spent quite a lot of time travelling down the coast of Chile which meant that we spent a good deal of time in the Humboldt current. This stretch of rough water really tossed the ship around. Anyone unlucky enough to have a cabin at the front of the ship or near the top of the ship (like me) was in for a bumpy ride. Even my cast iron stomach was no match for these churning seas. If you do find yourself in such a cabin then consider yourself warned and prepare to be seasick!
Stay away from the forex money exchange in Buenos Aires. Even though it is located in a nice part of town beside some very expensive stores, the place is a ripoff joint. Change your money elsewhere; preferably in a bank.
The crooks at the forex office are located at:
M. T. de Alvear 540
Buenos Aires, Argentina
You will have to change money when you head to this part of the world. Only tour operators and a few taxi drivers were willing to take the US greenback. Perhaps, due to the instability of the US markets, most places refused to take American money. (And don’t even think about using Canadian currency!)
Better yet, save yourself a lot of time and hassle and get your foreign currency here in Canada. You can either get it from your bank or go through one of the foreign currency offices. You can get American money right away, but sometimes it takes the banks about a week to get other currencies like Argentine pesos. Don’t always count on the ship to exchange money for you. On the QE2 you could change money (at a really bad exchange rate), but on the Prinsendam, you could not.
If you do decide to use American money in South America, then for heaven’s sake bring small bills ($1 and $5 only). One idiot on the cruise went into a coffee shop in South America and tried to pay for his coffee with a US $100 bill! The idiot then called the police when the shop keeper swore at him in Spanish and walked out with the bill. The other tourists just laughed at the fool and told him that it was the last time he would ever see that man again. The tourist looked doubly foolish when the clerk showed up later with his change! It turns out that the poor shop keeper had gone to the bank to break the bill. Since bank lines in South America can be really, really long, it took a while to get the fool his change. (Frankly, I wouldn’t count on most clerks to do this.)
If you are travelling to Brazil, then see about getting your visa as soon as you can from the consulate. It will take them weeks, if not months, to process your application, so give them as much time as possible. If you only give them 2 or 3 weeks, then you can forget about visiting Brazil.
It goes without saying, but if you are going to spend a lot of time down in South America, then at least learn some basic Spanish or Portuguese. While many of the young people speak some English, most of the people that you will encounter when travelling (ie. taxi drivers, bus drivers etc) will be middle aged. These people don’t speak English (which is kind of surprising since many of them depend on foreigners to make their living).
No, you can’t speak Spanish when you are in Brazil! You might be able to get by reading Portuguese (because a lot of the spelling is the same), but the words are pronounced differently. For example, the letter d is pronounced like a g in Portuguese. People will just stare at you as if you have two heads if you speak the wrong language.
Watch where you step!
There are a lot stray dogs wandering the streets of South America and nobody is cleaning up after them.
Tour costs
Number of ship tours taken – 13
Cost of ship tours – ranged between $54 and $199 USD
Average cost of other tours - $30 USD
Recommendations:
If you are adventurous, can speak a little of the language and don’t mind going off on your own, then bypass the ship tours and strike out on your own. Some of the places that we visited were so small, that you could easily walk from one attraction to the other. The tours were only offered because most of the passengers were over 65 and many had mobility issues.
As far as safety goes, South America is no more dangerous than Toronto. As long as you use your common sense, then you will not run into any problems. (So skip that night time trip into the slums of Rio to look for drug dealers!) The only incident that I heard of involved a teenager running off with someone’s camera.
If you can find 2 or 3 like minded individuals, then you can share a taxi and visit many of the same sights as the ship tour for about half the price. I did this on several occasions with other passengers. If you don’t have problems walking, then you can also walk to many of the sights. At some of the small towns, I simply walked behind the tour bus and followed the tour groups. I got to see everything that they did and it didn’t cost me a cent. Some places (like Buenos Aires) have hop on, hop off buses. These are a great way to explore the city (if it isn’t raining!)
However, I would recommend taking the ship’s tours if:
- you are visiting a place that is more than an hour away from the ship. Some of the places that I went to were quite remote. Not only would it have cost you a fortune to hire a cab, but you would be out of luck if the cab broke down. If a bus breaks down (like one did), it is up to cruise line to get you back on the ship. They will not leave without you. If your taxi breaks down and you miss the boat, that’s your problem
Cost of ship tours – ranged between $54 and $199 USD
Average cost of other tours - $30 USD
Recommendations:
If you are adventurous, can speak a little of the language and don’t mind going off on your own, then bypass the ship tours and strike out on your own. Some of the places that we visited were so small, that you could easily walk from one attraction to the other. The tours were only offered because most of the passengers were over 65 and many had mobility issues.
As far as safety goes, South America is no more dangerous than Toronto. As long as you use your common sense, then you will not run into any problems. (So skip that night time trip into the slums of Rio to look for drug dealers!) The only incident that I heard of involved a teenager running off with someone’s camera.
If you can find 2 or 3 like minded individuals, then you can share a taxi and visit many of the same sights as the ship tour for about half the price. I did this on several occasions with other passengers. If you don’t have problems walking, then you can also walk to many of the sights. At some of the small towns, I simply walked behind the tour bus and followed the tour groups. I got to see everything that they did and it didn’t cost me a cent. Some places (like Buenos Aires) have hop on, hop off buses. These are a great way to explore the city (if it isn’t raining!)
However, I would recommend taking the ship’s tours if:
- you are visiting a place that is more than an hour away from the ship. Some of the places that I went to were quite remote. Not only would it have cost you a fortune to hire a cab, but you would be out of luck if the cab broke down. If a bus breaks down (like one did), it is up to cruise line to get you back on the ship. They will not leave without you. If your taxi breaks down and you miss the boat, that’s your problem
- you are frail, weak and have mobility issues. Many ship tours were specifically designed to meet the needs of the elderly and the handicapped. Most public transit in South America does not meet these needs and you will be out of luck if you use a wheelchair
- you are worried about your safety. Nothing bad happened to me on the trip, but at 5’ 9”, I towered above nearly every man, woman and child that I encountered in South America. There is safety in numbers, so if you are worried that something might happen to you, then stick with the pack
- you are not fluent in the language and really want to know what is going on in the country. All of the ship tour guides that I met spoke perfect English and were young. They told us all about the corruption and political scandals that were going on in their countries. They talked about the history of South America as well as it’s future prospects. You would not be able to get this kind of information from a taxi driver unless you spoke perfect Spanish or Portuguese
Cruise costs
The ms Prinsendam is run by Holland America Line (HAL), an American corporation, therefore everything on the cruise must be paid for in US currency. One of the reasons that I (and a lot of the Canadians onboard) took this trip was because the Canadian dollar was nearly on par with it’s US counterpart. By the time the credit card company finally got around to posting the entry, the exchange had slipped to approximately $1.06 Cdn to $1 USD. That means my $15,890 trip actually cost me $16,928.97 Cdn (so roughly $17.000). For a 70 day trip, that works out to $242 per day or $1694 per week.
This price included:
- transportation
- accommodation
- breakfast, lunch and dinner in a fine dining restaurant
- tea at 4 pm plus any meals you wanted to sneak in while the Lido
(cafeteria) was open
- nightly entertainment
- use of the fitness area, pool, steam room and sauna
- daily lectures and talks by guest speakers
- daily dance classes, art classes, bridge classes etc
- daily sporting activities with a change to win free HAL merchandise
- daily recent movies in the theatre
Not too bad for $1694 a week.
Please note – this is the SINGLE price.
I would have paid much less if I had shared a room with someone.
So how does this trip compare to my first cruise on the QE2?
Well, for starters, this ship was more relaxed and casual than the QE2.
There were only a few formal nights and half of those got cancelled for one reason or another. As far as I could see, there were no lords or ladies on the passenger manifest and few people were looking down their noses at anybody. Most of the people were working class individuals who were just there to have a good time. Even some of the well heeled people who stayed in the most expensive suites were sociable and mixed with everybody.
Because the ship was only half the size of the QE2, it was easier to find your way around and within a week, I practically knew most of the people. (Just about everyone onboard knew me because I was the only single black person on the entire ship!) Personal service is an HAL trademark and HAL policy requires all employees to greet passengers within 10 feet of them. This means all the crew members are constantly saying hello to you and asking if they can get you anything. This never happened on the QE2.
The food onboard both ships was very good, but the Prinsendam did not have daily midnight buffets (which I’m sure saved me from gaining even more weight).
The lecturers onboard the QE2 were more high profile (ie. former ambassadors and famous people). I had never heard of any of the people who gave talks on the Prinsendam, but nonetheless, I still enjoyed all their lectures.
The nightly entertainment was the same on both ships. In fact, several of the performers that I had seen on the QE2 came onboard the Prinsendam with their shows.
My cabin on the QE2 was not much more than a glorified closet. My cabin on the Prinsendam was much bigger, but that room came with a price (see the section Word to the wise).
Both ships charged ridiculous amounts of money to use their internet services.
This price included:
- transportation
- accommodation
- breakfast, lunch and dinner in a fine dining restaurant
- tea at 4 pm plus any meals you wanted to sneak in while the Lido
(cafeteria) was open
- nightly entertainment
- use of the fitness area, pool, steam room and sauna
- daily lectures and talks by guest speakers
- daily dance classes, art classes, bridge classes etc
- daily sporting activities with a change to win free HAL merchandise
- daily recent movies in the theatre
Not too bad for $1694 a week.
Please note – this is the SINGLE price.
I would have paid much less if I had shared a room with someone.
So how does this trip compare to my first cruise on the QE2?
Well, for starters, this ship was more relaxed and casual than the QE2.
There were only a few formal nights and half of those got cancelled for one reason or another. As far as I could see, there were no lords or ladies on the passenger manifest and few people were looking down their noses at anybody. Most of the people were working class individuals who were just there to have a good time. Even some of the well heeled people who stayed in the most expensive suites were sociable and mixed with everybody.
Because the ship was only half the size of the QE2, it was easier to find your way around and within a week, I practically knew most of the people. (Just about everyone onboard knew me because I was the only single black person on the entire ship!) Personal service is an HAL trademark and HAL policy requires all employees to greet passengers within 10 feet of them. This means all the crew members are constantly saying hello to you and asking if they can get you anything. This never happened on the QE2.
The food onboard both ships was very good, but the Prinsendam did not have daily midnight buffets (which I’m sure saved me from gaining even more weight).
The lecturers onboard the QE2 were more high profile (ie. former ambassadors and famous people). I had never heard of any of the people who gave talks on the Prinsendam, but nonetheless, I still enjoyed all their lectures.
The nightly entertainment was the same on both ships. In fact, several of the performers that I had seen on the QE2 came onboard the Prinsendam with their shows.
My cabin on the QE2 was not much more than a glorified closet. My cabin on the Prinsendam was much bigger, but that room came with a price (see the section Word to the wise).
Both ships charged ridiculous amounts of money to use their internet services.
The facts
Total number of countries visited – 15
Number of times we crossed the equator - 4
Top 5 trip highlights (in no particular order):
- gliding through the treetops in an aerial tram in the Costa Rican rainforest
- canoeing through the Amazon backwaters with a local guide
- visiting the Embera Indian village in Panama
- getting jungle survival tips in Manaus, Brazil
- taking in the gorgeous scenery of Northern Patagonia in Puerto Chacabuco, Chile
Most irritating part of the trip – finding out that we were not going to visit Turks and Caicos
Most overrated tourist attraction – Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio. It is extremely crowded at the top. You can get better views of the city from the top of Sugarloaf mountain. Also, there is more room to move around at Sugarloaf so it doesn’t feel so crowded. If you only have time to visit one attraction, go to Sugarloaf.
Number of photos taken – 3123
Number of whales seen – 6
Number of penguins seen – thousands and thousands
Number of times we crossed the equator - 4
Top 5 trip highlights (in no particular order):
- gliding through the treetops in an aerial tram in the Costa Rican rainforest
- canoeing through the Amazon backwaters with a local guide
- visiting the Embera Indian village in Panama
- getting jungle survival tips in Manaus, Brazil
- taking in the gorgeous scenery of Northern Patagonia in Puerto Chacabuco, Chile
Most irritating part of the trip – finding out that we were not going to visit Turks and Caicos
Most overrated tourist attraction – Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio. It is extremely crowded at the top. You can get better views of the city from the top of Sugarloaf mountain. Also, there is more room to move around at Sugarloaf so it doesn’t feel so crowded. If you only have time to visit one attraction, go to Sugarloaf.
Number of photos taken – 3123
Number of whales seen – 6
Number of penguins seen – thousands and thousands
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
FAQ - frequently asked questions
As always, the first questions that everyone asks me are about costs.
I will update this entry as soon as all the credit card bills come in (I'm not looking forward to that!) So keep checking back here for the updates.
Later,
Shirley
I will update this entry as soon as all the credit card bills come in (I'm not looking forward to that!) So keep checking back here for the updates.
Later,
Shirley
Food, glorious food!
Tomorrow we leave our home for the last 70 days, the ms Prinsendam.
To commemorate the occassion, the kitchen staff, led by the head chef Pedro, created a feast for the eyes and the stomach. Let me assure you, everything tasted as good as it looks!
Yummy!!
To commemorate the occassion, the kitchen staff, led by the head chef Pedro, created a feast for the eyes and the stomach. Let me assure you, everything tasted as good as it looks!
Yummy!!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Ponce, Puerto Rico
This is it!
Our last port of call before we head back to Fort Lauderdale.
Some people are ready to go home, but me, I’ve just started.I would love to continue cruising because the ship is heading off to the Mediterranean and the Black Sea next. Unfortunately, I haven’t won anything in the ship’s casino and no one from home has contacted me about winning the lottery. So, it looks like I will have to disembark with most of the passengers in a couple of days. (A few lucky people are staying onboard and continuing on to Europe.)
Most visitors to Puerto Rico stop in San Juan. (In fact, we have been told that there are 8 cruise ships there right now.) However, the US government has poured millions of dollars into the port of Ponce, 90 minutes south of San Juan. They are trying to develop this side of the island as a tourist destination and from the looks of it, they just might succeed.
As soon as we got off the ship, we were greeted by the community marching band and free rum drinks! (So far, so good!)
Then we hopped on a free shuttle bus that took us from the dock to the newly developed boardwalk area. Tourists and locals could sit down and relax while grabbing a bite or having a drink from one of the numerous kiosks. Even some of the wildlife popped in for a bite to eat!
The beach area is at the end of the boardwalk. While it hardly compares to any of the beaches that we saw in Barbados, it was an ok spot to soak up some rays.
After looking around, my friend and I decided to take a bus into downtown Ponce. At the center of town lies the city’s main attraction, the old fire hall.
This wildly decorated museum is located in the town square next to the cathedral.
Because it was Sunday, most of the buildings were closed, but the vendors in the square were doing a brisk business selling their souvenirs and handicrafts. It was very hot in Puerto Rico and my friend and I were happy to spend some time walking around the air conditioned stores in one of the major shopping malls. As usual, I didn’t buy anything, but it sure felt good to get out of the heat for a while!
Our last port of call before we head back to Fort Lauderdale.
Some people are ready to go home, but me, I’ve just started.I would love to continue cruising because the ship is heading off to the Mediterranean and the Black Sea next. Unfortunately, I haven’t won anything in the ship’s casino and no one from home has contacted me about winning the lottery. So, it looks like I will have to disembark with most of the passengers in a couple of days. (A few lucky people are staying onboard and continuing on to Europe.)
Most visitors to Puerto Rico stop in San Juan. (In fact, we have been told that there are 8 cruise ships there right now.) However, the US government has poured millions of dollars into the port of Ponce, 90 minutes south of San Juan. They are trying to develop this side of the island as a tourist destination and from the looks of it, they just might succeed.
As soon as we got off the ship, we were greeted by the community marching band and free rum drinks! (So far, so good!)
Then we hopped on a free shuttle bus that took us from the dock to the newly developed boardwalk area. Tourists and locals could sit down and relax while grabbing a bite or having a drink from one of the numerous kiosks. Even some of the wildlife popped in for a bite to eat!
The beach area is at the end of the boardwalk. While it hardly compares to any of the beaches that we saw in Barbados, it was an ok spot to soak up some rays.
After looking around, my friend and I decided to take a bus into downtown Ponce. At the center of town lies the city’s main attraction, the old fire hall.
This wildly decorated museum is located in the town square next to the cathedral. 
Because it was Sunday, most of the buildings were closed, but the vendors in the square were doing a brisk business selling their souvenirs and handicrafts. It was very hot in Puerto Rico and my friend and I were happy to spend some time walking around the air conditioned stores in one of the major shopping malls. As usual, I didn’t buy anything, but it sure felt good to get out of the heat for a while!Monday, March 29, 2010
Bridgetown, Barbados
I can't believe it!
There's less than one week to go.
Our next port of call was the island of Barbados. Unlike most of the passengers, I had never been to this place before, so I was interested in visiting as many places as time would allow. Luckily, we were in port all day and most of the night, so I had plenty of time to explore this small island.
Like most of the places that we visited on this cruise, my friends and I hired a taxi to give us a tour around the island. First stop was the Sandy Lane Golf and Country club were Tiger Woods got married. The area surrounding the club is beautifully landscaped and full of million dollar estates.
At the top left you can see the mansion belonging to the singer Rihanna (Chris Brown's former punching bag). American Idol judge, Simon Cowell, also has a home in the area. These fancy homes are all secluded behind the bars of gated communities, but it isn't the people that the residents have to worry about.
Green monkeys (they don't look green to me) can be seen roaming all over the place. Some people keep them as pets, but most consider them to be a nuisance. Since their habitat is being bulldozed to make way for more and more of these mansions, the monkeys are starting to strike back. They will go after anything shiny and have a knack for destroying outdoor patio furniture and equipment. (And God help you if you are stupid enough to leave a door or window open!)
Speaking of God, our next stop was the oldest church on the island, Saint James parish church (1605).
Then we headed up to Mount Hillaby, one of the highest points on the island. Our ship was docked on the Caribbean sea but from this viewpoint we could see the Atlantic ocean (the slightly darker blue below the sky). This sign was on the top of the hill.
The next stop for me was Harrison's cave. This underground cavern had recently gone through some major renovations, so everything looked shiny and new. I guess the upgrades went over budget, because they sure were charging a lot to get into the place $60 BBD (or $30 USD).
Unlike most caves, where you walk in or take an elevator down, this tour involved boarding an electric car for the trip underground.
I have been in caves all over the world, but without a doubt, this is the wettest cave that I have ever been in. Water dripped nonstop on you from the stalactites and you were constantly surrounded by the sound of running water.
Almost everywhere you looked, there were pools of water or small waterfalls. According to the guide, the water down here is the purest on the island and it eventually ends up in the community reservoir.
Once up top, we headed off to the beach for a little rest and relaxation. The beaches down here are beautiful and the water was warm and inviting.
Word to the wise – wear water shoes if plan on going into the water. Rocks tended to be mixed in with the fine sand. They weren't sharp, but they sure hurt when your toes hit one or when the tide washed a bunch of them up against your feet. Ouch!
There's less than one week to go.
Our next port of call was the island of Barbados. Unlike most of the passengers, I had never been to this place before, so I was interested in visiting as many places as time would allow. Luckily, we were in port all day and most of the night, so I had plenty of time to explore this small island.
Like most of the places that we visited on this cruise, my friends and I hired a taxi to give us a tour around the island. First stop was the Sandy Lane Golf and Country club were Tiger Woods got married. The area surrounding the club is beautifully landscaped and full of million dollar estates.
At the top left you can see the mansion belonging to the singer Rihanna (Chris Brown's former punching bag). American Idol judge, Simon Cowell, also has a home in the area. These fancy homes are all secluded behind the bars of gated communities, but it isn't the people that the residents have to worry about.
Green monkeys (they don't look green to me) can be seen roaming all over the place. Some people keep them as pets, but most consider them to be a nuisance. Since their habitat is being bulldozed to make way for more and more of these mansions, the monkeys are starting to strike back. They will go after anything shiny and have a knack for destroying outdoor patio furniture and equipment. (And God help you if you are stupid enough to leave a door or window open!)
Speaking of God, our next stop was the oldest church on the island, Saint James parish church (1605).
Then we headed up to Mount Hillaby, one of the highest points on the island. Our ship was docked on the Caribbean sea but from this viewpoint we could see the Atlantic ocean (the slightly darker blue below the sky). This sign was on the top of the hill.
The next stop for me was Harrison's cave. This underground cavern had recently gone through some major renovations, so everything looked shiny and new. I guess the upgrades went over budget, because they sure were charging a lot to get into the place $60 BBD (or $30 USD).
Unlike most caves, where you walk in or take an elevator down, this tour involved boarding an electric car for the trip underground. 
I have been in caves all over the world, but without a doubt, this is the wettest cave that I have ever been in. Water dripped nonstop on you from the stalactites and you were constantly surrounded by the sound of running water.
Almost everywhere you looked, there were pools of water or small waterfalls. According to the guide, the water down here is the purest on the island and it eventually ends up in the community reservoir.
Once up top, we headed off to the beach for a little rest and relaxation. The beaches down here are beautiful and the water was warm and inviting.
Word to the wise – wear water shoes if plan on going into the water. Rocks tended to be mixed in with the fine sand. They weren't sharp, but they sure hurt when your toes hit one or when the tide washed a bunch of them up against your feet. Ouch! 
Later that night, several Barbadian musicians and dancers came on board to put on a show for us.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Devil's Island, French Guiana
These days, France is trying to play down the notoriety that surrounds the island, but I don't think that it will ever get away from it's prison past. This unbelievably small place is off limits to tourists and is now home to a few goats.
We got dropped off at Royal island, one of two small islands that a stone throw away from Devil's island. All three islands were used as penal colonies by France up until 1953. Most of the inmates were troublemakers, anarchists and political prisoners that were basically sent here to die. And die they did. The sadistic guards, the sharks in the water, disease and the oppressive heat kept the mortality rate at a high 70%.
The inmates weren't the only ones who succumbed to the harsh conditions on the islands. Among the ruins, there is a children's cemetery which served as the final resting place for the kids of the administrators, guards and wardens who worked on the island. 
These islands are so small, that it takes less than an hour to walk around each island. From these pictures, the place looks like a tropical paradise with palm trees swaying gracefully in the breeze. But back in 1852, when the penal colony first opened up, there weren't any trees. The authorities had them all cut down so that prisoners couldn't build rafts or boats.Back then, this place wasn't a paradise. It was a hell on earth for the inmates; several of whom turned out to be totally innocent. Two of it's most famous residents were Captain Alfred Dreyfuss (a Jewish army officer who was falsely accused of treason) and Henri Charriere (a man falsely accused of murder). These two men were lucky because unlike most inmates, they managed to live to tell the tale. Dreyfuss was finally given a pardon when the real spy confessed to treason. Charriere was one of the very few people who managed to escape from the place. He wrote about his escape and the horrible conditions in a book entitled Papillon. This was later made into a popular movie starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman.
Since France is not interested in preserving the place, most of the jail cells are in a state of ruin and decay. What's left of these rundown buildings are found on a hill in the center of the island. 
Only a few buildings, like the warden's home and the church, are kept in good condition. 
These days, the only 'inmates' on Royal island are some parrots, a few kleptomaniac monkeys and lots and lots of agoutis (basically guinea pigs on stilts).
Parintins, Brazil
Almost everywhere we go in Brazil, the dominant thing on everyone's mind is carnival. Rio may grab the spotlight, but lots of other places put on carnivals throughout the year. Parintins is a sleepy little village on the Amazon that is home to about 30,000 residents. But every June, the population swells to over 300,000 as people from all over the world travel here to attend the annual Boi Bumba festival. Considering the fact that the town only has 2 hotels, most revelers have to find accommodation on a riverboat hammock!
We got there on a Sunday so nearly everything was closed and the place looked like a ghost town. The only people around were a few boy scouts, who graciously helped us 'old people' off the boat.
The rest of the town was either relaxing at home or working at the Bumbadrome – a building designed to give visiting cruise passengers a taste of the festival. The actual carnival takes place in a 35,000 seat arena, but visitors can get a small sample of the show at the 1000 seat Bumbadrome. As you can see, the 100 singers, dancers and float organizers put on a wonderful show for us.
We got there on a Sunday so nearly everything was closed and the place looked like a ghost town. The only people around were a few boy scouts, who graciously helped us 'old people' off the boat.
The rest of the town was either relaxing at home or working at the Bumbadrome – a building designed to give visiting cruise passengers a taste of the festival. The actual carnival takes place in a 35,000 seat arena, but visitors can get a small sample of the show at the 1000 seat Bumbadrome. As you can see, the 100 singers, dancers and float organizers put on a wonderful show for us.
Manaus, Brazil
We were supposed to spend 2 full days in this big Amazonian city, but instead we ran into typical Brazilian problems as soon as we entered the harbour. The navy and the harbour master had a dispute (ie. somebody didn't get their share of the bribe money), so we were not allowed to dock or drop anchor. We, along with two other cruise ships, spend hours waiting around for things to get sorted out. No one could go ashore so the tour companies and shop keepers were left staring at us (and our money) from the dock. Eventually the federal government got dragged into the situation and things got sorted out (ie. someone finally got paid).
Manaus is the site of Brazil's largest construction project – a massive bridge spanning the Amazon river. When completed it will connect the city to the rainforest on the other side of the river. As you can guess, the environmentalists aren't too happy about that but the capitalists think that it's great. (Llike everything else in the Amazon, guess who won that battle?) 
One of the most decadent buildings in Brazil is the Teatro Amazonas. Built on the backs of slaves (and costing the lives of many of them during the 15 year construction process), this opulent opera house showcased the wealth of the rubber barons. 
Slave owners used their money to purchase the most expensive building materials from Europe to craft this masterpiece. Top European painters and workmen then designed and molded all the materials before shipping them over to Brazil and then transporting them 1000 miles down the Amazon river to Manaus. The construction process turned out to be extremely laborious and deadly. When the building was finally finished in 1896, the who's who of the theatre and stage world then traveled to Manaus to perform for the few wealthy families in the region. (Talk about a waste of money, materials, manpower, talent and lives.)
The inside of the building is just opulent as the outside. Private boxes line the upper floors and it was the place to be seen if you were among the elite and the idol rich. The interior looks like the one in the scene from the movie 'Amadeus', when Mozart is conducting 'the Magic Flute' in the opera house. Despite it's dark history, if there is only one building that you have time to visit while in Manaus, this is it. 
After getting a glimpse of how the other half entertained themselves in the 19th century, I then headed across the street to the Praca Sao Sebastiao. The beautiful mosaic design on the park's pavement is supposed to represent waves. 
This is appropriate since the center of the park contains the beautiful nautical statue 'Monument to the opening of the ports'. Each side of the statue has a ship and the name of a continent on it.
Across from the park is the Sao Sebastiao church. This church only has one tower (instead of two) in order to save on property taxes.
The interior of the church is slightly more different than other churches. For starters, it has an unusual alter and neon lights are used to line several of the statues!
One of the key things that I wanted to learn on this trip was how to survive in the jungle. So I took a jungle survival course that operated just outside of Manaus. 
After loading up on bug spray, me and my fellow explorers boarded a riverboat and headed off to the nearest jungle location. While quite dense, the trees were not as tall as I expected them to be. Piles of leaves clogged the muddy pathways and giant ants seemed to be on everything. We were warned that our clothes would get dirty and they weren't kidding. We were also told not to expect to see any animals (and they were right about that too). Tourists tend to be quite noisy so any self-respecting animal or reptile would hear us a mile away and take off.
Our tour guide and translator worked for the Amazon Explorers company (highly recommended).
Word to the wise - this company operates many kinds of tours around Manaus at reasonable prices. For example, if you want to stay overnight in the jungle, they will charge you about $85 USD per person. A similar overnight tour from the ship cost $699 USD! Maybe they give you extra bug spray on the ship's trip, but I have no idea why there is such a difference in price. The conclusion – do your homework before booking a tour.
In the jungle, our guide met up with another guide who demonstrated:
- how to make a rope with vines
- how to climb a tree with that rope (see above)
- various ways to start a fire
- how to find water in the jungle
- what to eat and what not to eat in the jungle
- medicinal plants
- how animal traps were used
- and how to build a shelter in the jungle.
All in all, it was a very useful and informative trip. So you're probably thinking, given this information, do I think that I could survive in the jungle? Yes, but not without my bug spray! As if on queue, the mosquitoes seem to come out at 4 pm on the nose down here. Without spray, the flying pests will drive you so crazy that you will probably kill yourself to get away from them.
Warning – do not sit on anything in the jungle. At one of the demonstration sites, we sat on a log bench. I don't know what kind of critters lived in the wood, but they made their presence known to us later that night when we started to itch like crazy on our butts and thighs!
As with some other ports of call, several local singers and dancers came onboard to demonstrate their style of folk dancing. At the conclusion, they ended with the most popular dance of all – the carnival party dance!
Our tour guide and translator worked for the Amazon Explorers company (highly recommended). 
Word to the wise - this company operates many kinds of tours around Manaus at reasonable prices. For example, if you want to stay overnight in the jungle, they will charge you about $85 USD per person. A similar overnight tour from the ship cost $699 USD! Maybe they give you extra bug spray on the ship's trip, but I have no idea why there is such a difference in price. The conclusion – do your homework before booking a tour. 
In the jungle, our guide met up with another guide who demonstrated:- how to make a rope with vines
- how to climb a tree with that rope (see above)
- various ways to start a fire
- how to find water in the jungle
- what to eat and what not to eat in the jungle
- medicinal plants
- how animal traps were used
- and how to build a shelter in the jungle.
All in all, it was a very useful and informative trip. So you're probably thinking, given this information, do I think that I could survive in the jungle? Yes, but not without my bug spray! As if on queue, the mosquitoes seem to come out at 4 pm on the nose down here. Without spray, the flying pests will drive you so crazy that you will probably kill yourself to get away from them.
Warning – do not sit on anything in the jungle. At one of the demonstration sites, we sat on a log bench. I don't know what kind of critters lived in the wood, but they made their presence known to us later that night when we started to itch like crazy on our butts and thighs!
As with some other ports of call, several local singers and dancers came onboard to demonstrate their style of folk dancing. At the conclusion, they ended with the most popular dance of all – the carnival party dance! 
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