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
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
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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