2009 01 31 Montevideo, Uruguay

Early this morning we noticed the sea water changing from blue to muddy brown. We thought for a minute we were back in the Amazon. We enjoyed the improvement in the weather from the rain we’ve had the past couple of days – it is breezy, cool and the sunshine and blue skies are lovely. Montevideo sits in the mouth or delta of the Rio de la Plata, a huge river system. Montevideo is a very old, highly populated, city home to a busy commercial port. High rise apartments and office towers dominate and it has a beautiful shoreline of dark rocks and deep gold sand. We took the free shuttle from the dock to a leather goods factory in the square, an visited a few of the souvenir shops along the way. It was relatively early in the day and the square was empty, but it quickly began to fill with shop owners and tourists from 2 other cruise ships in port (Celebrity and Norwegian.) We joined 4 other folks and took a van tour from the square. They took us to a park to visit a flea market, then a spin around the city pointing out Montevideo’s important governmental buildings, embassies, hospitals and universities. Soon we were off to a viewpoint to take photos of water’s edge and beaches. There was a pit stop at the football (soccer) stadium where Uruguay hosted the World Cup and another opportunity to purchase souvenirs. Finally there was a spin around a former prison that has been converted to a shopping mall – it was really a beautiful building to have been a prison. Our tour guide mentioned that the square was a safe place to be during the day, but we really shouldn’t be there at night. She also informed us that the area around the port wasn’t safe either (we haven’t visited a port area yet where they encourage milling around.) A police presence was clearly evident all throughout the city and we never felt unsafe. We returned to the port to check-out the internet café. It was our first visit to Uruguay and we would probably describe it best as another big city in South America. It is a nice place to visit and our guide and driver were very nice people.

2009 01 28 Ilhabela, Brazil

Ilhabela is our final port-of-call in Brazil and today we visited Ilhabela, one of Brazil’s largest coastal islands near Sao Sebastiao (San Sebastian.) The island is volcanic in origin, clearly evident from steeply risking peaks, beautifully covered by dense tropical jungle. The hilly interior and east coast are virtually unpopulated and there are over 360 waterfalls on the island and flatlands are filled with sugarcane plantations. In the early 19th century coffee barons chopped plantations out of the forest, then prices declined and the island was largely abandoned. Paulistas now use the island as a vacation destination. In 1980 far-sighted planners protected 85% of the island is protected as a state park. Ilhabela’s forest and the gorgeous beaches that form it’s shores are now permanently protected.

This is an incredibly beautiful island – the only negative is the sand flies in the jungle. They are just awful and inflict a terrible bite. Far worse than a mosquito bite. The whelps last for days with pain, itching and swelling. Use Deet before you tour here!

2009 01 27 Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

An early start this morning took us to Corcovado – the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer perched on the highest peak in Rio. It is an amazing sculpture and appears to be cement. Upon closer inspection, however, there are small tiles covering the entire statue that were placed by hand, all by women.

Next we were off to Sugarloaf Mountain and the cable car ride and incredible 360 degree views of the mountains, the sea, the beaches and the city. There is a trail that you can walk up to the first stage of Sugarloaf but we took the cable car. Small monkeys live in the trees and are a big hit with folks who enjoy feeding them.

We took a short stroll on Red Sand Beach near Sugarloaf before we embarked on the beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana and lunch. We’ve all heard about these famous beaches all our lives, and the girl from Ipanema now lives in Sao Paulo! The beaches here go on forever and they are gorgeous. They draw thousands of locals every day. Brazilians must have their sun! No one would dare carry a chair or umbrella to the beach as there are numerous vendors who supply them. Volleyball, wind surfing, body surfing, surfing – every water sport imaginable.

We enjoyed a nice lunch at Le Coin II, a small café in Lebon that is frequented by the locals. The food was very good and portions were huge. After lunch we enjoyed walking in Lebon and sampled coconut water from a street vendor. Marcio tells us everyone here consumes it, it has zero calories, is high in potassium and is very refreshing.

Next we were off to Two Brothers Mountain Park for more spectacular views of the city and Samba City where they construct the floats used in Carnival. We took a factory tour and got to see the floats being constructed for Carnival 2009 that is coming up in about a month.

Lastly we were on our way to visit to a historic Baroque Church from the 16th century where the Monks chant and pray every day at 6:00 p.m.

Our Visit to Rio was brought to a close and we were pleased that we were able to take in as much of the city as possibly in 2 days. We enjoyed every aspect of our time here and thanked Marcio for the experience. We bid him goodbye with the hope we would see him again someday.

2009 01 26 Rio De Janeiro, Brazil - Tour Day 1

48 Hours in Rio! Where to begin…..Before we left the states we did a bit of research on Rio and knew we wanted an extensive tour. We hired local guide, Marcio Guedes, who we found on Trip Advisor.com. The cost of hiring Marcio was significantly less than the cost of guides offered by the cruise line. Marcio provided a car (yes, it had air conditioning!) and he did all the driving (even better.) A native of Brazil, Marcio grew up in Rio. He spent a year in the US as an Exchange Student and attended an American University. An English teacher, Marcio is fluent, but recently changed his profession to tourism (the pay is much better.) Clearly knowledgeable about Brazil, and especially Rio, Marcio is the complete package (thorough background in history, art, architecture, culture, food, music and politics.) We would certainly use him again and recommend his services.

Day one started at the Port and soon we were off for an overview of the city. Weather conditions were not ideal; it is the rainy season after all. After making our way out of the business district we toured a residential area and visited a local museum high on a hill (it happened to be closed, it was a Monday) but offered a panoramic view of the city. Our next stop was the famous Selaron Stairway of Rio De Janeiro “The Great Madness”. The area is now home to a few homes, bars, and the ‘arts’ scene. Previously, however, it was a derelict part of the city – basically a slum. Selaron, an eccentric artist from Chile arrived in Brazil in 1983. In 1990 he started his major masterpiece, which has turned into the most original stairway in the world. Initially he installed bathtubs along the sides of a stairway (125 meter high), one of many that intertwine in the city. In the tubs he planted trees, flowering plants and vines. When that phase was complete he used pieces of broken tile and decorated the face of the steps as they rose from street level. At first he used blue, green and yellow – colors of the Brazilian Flag - as a tribute to the people of Brazil. As the years continued and he earned money selling paintings and sculptures he became more creative and incorporated his own signature work into the staircase, paintings on tiles of pregnant African women with his own face. The work now includes tiles sent to him by people who have visited the work (over 2,000 from 60 different countries.) Selaron has been interviewed and the work is often featured in commercials, video clips and portrayed in publications around the globe. It was great fun to get to meet Selaron, visit his one-room studio (once his home) and purchase a piece of his work. Selaron had never met anyone from Indiana, so he was pleased and is planning to incorporate a tile from Nancy as soon as she can get one to him. The project is a work in progress, and Selaron declares “This crazy and unique dream will only end on the day of my death.”We drove through the cobblestone streets of the residential neighborhood and Convent of St.Teresa. Enjoyed lunch at Confeiteria Colombo, a restaurant established in 1894 offering an extensive buffet of regional favorites and traditional deserts. The desert bar was fabulous – chocolate cake, coconut puddings, custards and banana deserts too. They were fantastic! Mmmmmm!Following lunch we walked through Mercado Popular Uruguaina. This mercado provides home improvement items, electronics, refrigerators and the like. The retailers are nothing like the mega boxes we have back home. The business district was much like any city in the US, complete with the giant petroleum producer, Petrobras. Later on we visited a beautiful private library of Portuguese Biblical reference materials, the Real Cabinete Portuguez De Leitura, Marcelo was eager to point out the Yellow Newspaper Café – a very old establishment that got it’s name long ago because locals read newspapers brought to Rio by ship from Europe. By the time the papers arrived they were yellowed. He pointed out the famous Rio Opera House (under renovation and covered with scaffolding); and the Catdral de Sao Sebastiao (the Cathedral of San Sebastian) as well as the Palacio Guanabara (Governor’s Palace).Later in the afternoon we were taken on an eye-opening Favela Tour. A favela is a neighborhood we would classify as a slum in the US – which it is a big misconception. These residential districts are home to hundreds, if not thousands of people. There are more than 700 Favelas in Rio and Marcio took us to one of the better ones. They continue to expand and are encroaching into the protected forest areas.

Marcio did let us know about Favelas ruled by drug dealers, and some are at war with each other. He wouldn’t take us there and we were perfectly happy with that. As with any neighborhood, some are worse than others and they are policed by their local gangs. If there is activity by the Federal Police, the criminals are long gone before they arrive. The Favelas are mini cities within themselves and the narrow streets wind up the sides of the mountains. Generations of families reside here and are perfectly happy – this is their home, this is where their friends live, and it would be too costly to commute into the city – so they stay. They simply add another story to the top of their houses. Electric and telephone lines hang in a tangled web outside homes and businesses. All have electricity and most have phones and/or cable and satellite TV.

The rain persisted throughout the day, so we decided to head back to the ship, with an early start tomorrow morning with hopes the weather would improve. As we returned to the port we drove by the Sambadrome where Rio’s famous Carnival is held.

2009 01 26 Rio De Janeiro, Brazil - We're Here

Wow – we’re in Rio de Janeiro! Cloudy skies and scattered showers prevailed, but even raindrops couldn’t dampen the excitement of being here.

Rio is surely on everyone’s list of one of the most magnificent ports to sail in and out of in the entire world. It is home to a spectacular natural harbor ringed by the beautiful and famous beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema. Views are stunning, amazing, fantastic and gorgeous – no they’re indescribable. As we approached the city from the sea, distant mountains came into view - the blue water, the fabulous beaches and the glorious mountains welcomed us us. An amazing, awe-inspiring city that goes on and on and on, winding it’s way from the sea, up the mountains and into the valleys. We cannot wait to get off this ship!

Rio is surely on everyone’s list of one of the most magnificent ports to sail in and out of in the entire world. It is home to a spectacular natural harbor ringed by the beautiful and famous beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema. Views are stunning, amazing, fantastic and gorgeous – no they’re indescribable. As we approached the city from the sea, distant mountains came into view - the blue water, the fabulous beaches and the glorious mountains welcomed us us. An amazing, awe-inspiring city that goes on and on and on, winding it’s way from the sea, up the mountains and into the valleys. We cannot wait to get off this ship!

2009 01 24 Salvador da Bahia, Brazil

We cruised into Salvador da Bahia, Brazil early Saturday morning. Salvador is Brazil’s third most populated city, formerly the capital, and is one of the oldest in Brazil and the majority population is of Black African origin. The city has quite a unique historical center, home to monuments dating from the 17th through the 19th centuries. It is a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site and is filled with colorful old houses and winding cobblestone streets. Salvador was the center of Brazilian slave trade, and greater numbers of slaves were brought to Salvador than were ever taken to North America. Salvador da Bahia is clearly the most African city of Brazil. Bright, colorful buildings, vibrant music and African traditions are very much alive here. The city was preparing for an evening of music and entertainment, lots of prep going on, stages being erected - lots of activity.

We had no tour scheduled today, so we were hoping to arrange one on our own. Local guides are typically available at the ports, so we thought surely we could negotiate a fair price with at least one of them.

As soon as we entered the terminal we were offered a description of where we would go and what the tour would provide. We were passed from agent to agent in an attempt to close the deal. At first they offered a simple van ride, no guide, $20 per person. If we wanted a guide, it would be more. If you wanted an English speaking guide it would be more. How much? “Maybe $10 per person - but we need a few more people to go – please wait.” In a few minutes another couple from the ship agreed to go, but the price again changed. It would be $30 per person, plus more for the guide. “How much more”? The fellow shrugged and I knew we weren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Our inability to speak Portuguese was presenting a few challenges so we left the terminal and headed out onto the sidewalk where a hoard of tour guides were promoting their tours. It looked pretty dicey out there and one guide offered a tour - $50 per person. We turned on our heel and went back into the terminal. We were leery of a shake-down, and since the price kept changing (up, up, up) we opted to take the free shuttle provided by H. Stern into the city square. They provide good drivers, the busses are clean, air conditioned and in good repair – oh, and did I add, they’re free!

Well folks, our saga continued. As soon as we were “stickered” for the free shuttle, our rep took us out onto the street, pointed to a fellow, and told us to go down to “that man” - which we did. It appears we were looking at the wrong man and climbed into what we later discovered was a city taxi. We asked the driver “are you with H. Stern????” He replied “yes, yes.” As soon as he pulled away he hit the meter and we knew we were in the wrong vehicle. We used lots of words in an attempt to get him to stop, but he just kept on going. I guess he thought we’d change our mind. Traffic was congested and we thought – now we’ve done it. Joe kept telling him to pull over, that we wanted out, everything we could think of – but he kept going. About a block later I remembered “Pare” from the stop signs. At the next red light he stopped and we hopped out. I am surprised he didn’t harass us for a fare. We didn’t hang around long waiting to settle-up. Of course he dumped us out at the ferry terminal where hoards of locals are queued for their boat. The place and the people didn’t look particularly friendly (I am sure we stood out like sore thumbs) so we picked up our walk to a brisk pace and made our way back to the port terminal. As we neared the entrance of the terminal we saw a group from our ship with the H. Stern driver, so we jumped on board and away we went.

Our driver made his way through the busy business district, climbed the narrow streets up the hillside and entered the historical city center. Once there we embarked on our own walking tour. We explored the square and surrounding areas. There were of course churches, monuments, shops and galleries. Vendors were strategically positioned throughout the center. Women were dressed in hoop dresses from the old days, encouraging us to take their photo as they posed for photos – for a Dollar. Jewelry, trinkets, t-shirts, paintings, and other handicrafts were readily available. This is a really unique old city that has seen a lot of change. Architecture is amazing however, and we enjoyed being there

2009 01 23 Maceio, Brazil

Today we cruised into Maceio, Brazil for a “sailing tour”. It is another boat tour on a motorized schooner, typical mode of travel in Brazil. The city of Maceio is lovely, with numerous beaches that are so polluted they are closed to the public.

We took our sailing tour on the schooner “Scorpio” to a fresh water lagoon. The lagoon does have a sea opening where it mixes with saltwater during high tide. There are 9 small islands in the lagoon and it could be quite nice. We were told we could swim in the lagoon and that the water was clean. I wasn’t buying it though as it was only 10 minutes from the polluted water we just passed by and it didn’t look any cleaner to me. Another thing that strikes me as odd is there wais hardly any bird life visible. The only creatures we saw were jelly fish, and a few sea gulls. The mangroves appeared to be dying – so I am sure it is the cause and effect of the pollution. Sad, but this could be a simply gorgeous place. The beaches could be fantastic.

While on the beach portion of our boat tour I visited with a local family out enjoying a day at the beach. I really enjoyed the conversation and interaction and it was a good opportunity for the young Brazilians to practice their English. The young man told me his profession was as a fireman (sounds familiar) with 9 years on the job. He is really a Paramedic, but also does fire fighting. He was with his wife (a teacher), twin brother and sisters (seniors in high school), his mother and a couple of smaller children. It was a brief conversation with limited dialogue, but I still enjoyed the exchange. They’re just an average family, like us, enjoying life and raising a family.

2009 01 21 Fortaleza, Brazil

The MS Prinsendam docked at the port here in Fortaleza. The weather is playing tricks on us – it is very rainy and overcast. One distinctive feature at the port are the large wind turbines near the waters edge used for electricity generation in the port area. From outward appearances, this is another huge city in Brazil. We took the free H. Stern shuttle into town and walked along the beach. There were no appealing tours so we are off on our own. The language barrier is real, not many folks speak English here – only Portuguese. There are numerous tall buildings and the city is highly populated. We didn’t have any success finding internet so we made our way back to the ship. Well – they can’t all be diamonds……

2009 01 19 Belem, Brazil

Belem is a large, highly populated city. There are some very poor people here and we are advised to walk in groups and to be aware of gangs and pick-pockets. Of course I left my jewelry on the ship and took very little cash. We are not as great a target as many of the older folks, but we made every attempt to be aware of our surroundings and exercise caution. The police presence was noticeable.

Belem has a most interesting market just a block away from the port. An abundance of fragrant herbs and spices, colorful and exotic fruits and vegetables, stalls stacked tall with burlap bags of manioc flour and other staples, fresh fish and cured meats and fragrant spices were all around. The market was a frenzy of activity, filled with colorful sights, sounds and fragrances. Art, handicrafts, baskets and cookware were readily available. Clothes, shoes and leather goods were plentiful. Food stalls were busy feeding the locals and there were numerous stalls with cures for every ailment – even Natural Viagra! We had to take a photo of the bottle. As we were pointing it out to each other the merchant assured us that it really works! Gee – it’s everywhere, you can’t get away from it! I guess you could there was a Kodak opportunity at every turn!

2009 01 16 Alter do Chao, Brazil

Alter do Chao, Brazil is a sleepy little resort town in the Amazon delta. It is a lovely place and locals visit here for a relaxing day at the beach. Our ship tendered us to the dock and we walked the streets of the village and explored the shops in square. There were no tours at this port, and the Portuguese language presented a challenge - not much English is spoken here! Local artists and vendors sold their works and musicians entertained us with sultry Brazilian music. The weather gave us a few scattered showers which caused the humidity to skyrocket, but in all we enjoyed the day. As we walked around the village we couldn’t help but photograph the little children. They are very poor but enjoy having their pictures taken and looking at themselves on the camera screen. We bought a package of cookies at the local shop and gave it to the kids. They enjoyed the treat, especially the baby!

2009 01 16 Amazon River & Alter do Chao, Brazil

2009 01 15 Amazon River & Parintins, Brazil

Parintins is another small city on the Amazon. There are few cruise ships that come here and the locals were excited that we were here. The city put on a special Boi Bumba show – it is festival that is a local competition between schools. Elaborate dances and costumes are a big part of the culture. We enjoyed walking around town and took a tricycle tour from a local tricycle taxi. Laborers driving mules are common, as are motorbikes and bicycles. The weather was incredibly hot and humid and it didn’t take long to sap any energy we had. We enjoyed a short visit but there wasn’t a lot to do or see here, so we made a short day of it and headed back to the ship for a cool shower and something safe to drink!

2009 01 14 Manaus, Brazil

Manaus is a huge city, crowded, not especially easy to get around. Busy commercial port that was very interesting. Greenpeace ship, Arctic Sun was in port at the same time we were. We took a boat tour and were able to see the huge water lilies and Indian children kids hawking photos with their alligators, monkeys, sloths, snakes and other exotic creatures. Amazing to see how these families live on the Amazon.

2009 01 12 Amazon River and Boca da Valeria

Boca da Valeria, Brazil – Our visit to this village on the Amazon required transport by tender. Once on shore we arrived to a festival environment. Holland America started providing much needed school supplies here a couple of years ago, and when the ship is in port it’s a party. The community has seen a bit of progress - they are building a new school. Local families put up temporary stalls and sell their arts and handicrafts. Adults and children alike display their pets. Lizards and tarantulas on strings, parrots perched on sticks, monkeys, toucans, even snakes. It is thrilling to see all this up close, but our enthusiasm is dampened when they ask for “a dollar” once you’ve snapped a photo. All the children flock around you wanting to walk with you and hold your hand – some ask for money. We bought a bag of candy and passed it out as we went along. Some visitors on the tour took children to the “café” and bought soda pop. In one sense we’re not sure if we’re helping the community or destroying it. What we really wanted to see was how the Indians live and get a sense of their culture. One part of the visit we especially enjoyed was a motorized canoe ride up the river. The locals charge $5 and it lasts about an hour. There was no life jacket, just the driver and us in this narrow wooden canoe scooting up the Amazon. There are no cars here, only boats, and they have steered them their entire lives. It was exciting and we were so happy to finally be seeing the real Amazon. He took us up the tributaries and showed us his home. Children wave from the shores. We even pulled up to one shack and motioned for the little ones to come down to the water line. Joe gave the little fella a handful of bubble gum and the driver told him to share it with the other kids playing under a tree. There is no comparison to our standard of living, it is very primitive here – they wash their laundry in the muddy river, no windows on their homes, no soft-upholstery anywhere. They sleep in hammocks their entire lives. They even have 2 person hammocks. The joke is 2 people go to sleep, 3 climb out in the morning. But they are healthy and happy – so maybe we’re the ones who have the difficult life. Our feelings are mixed - on one hand we loved it, loved seeing the people, especially the children and their pets. But it made us a little uncomfortable that some of the parents were forcing their children to wear costumes and stand “posed” in the heat for so long. There was something sad about the whole thing.

2009 01 11 Amazon River and Santarem, Brazil

Scenic Cruising the Amazon River – Santarem, Brazil – We took a wonderful boat tour today and did a bit of Piranha fishing off the boat. We didn’t catch any Piranha, but one fellow did – it was about 2 inches long! Oooh – scary. We saw a lot of the Amazon and it is lush, green and very beautiful. This is the rainy season and the water will soon rise to an incredible level. You can see water lines on the trees from last year and it is hard to imagine water levels that high in a season. Farmers on the river will go live with family in the city when they can no longer remain in their homes. Some will rent barges, put their cattle on them, and float them on the river. They will live on the barge above the cattle. As they cruise up and down the river, they’ll feed the cattle from the large patches of grass that pass by. I thought that was pretty interesting – pretty ingenious! We especially enjoyed seeing the elusive pink dolphins that inhabit the Amazon. They prefer the muddy water and unlike their cousins, they gray dolphin, they are quite shy. They don’t hang around long – up for air – and in a split second they’re gone. You have to be quick to get a glimpse of them. They are a protected species, but they are not endangered. We wrapped up our tour at a beach on the river. Nancy waded up to her knees in the dark brown water – but didn’t stay in too long. You can’t see what’s around you and from some of the descriptions we’ve heard I wouldn’t want to swim in it.

2009 01 10 - Scenic Cruising the Amazon

Scenic Cruising the Amazon River – Macapa, Brazil. The Amazon Basin is one of Earth’s most fascinating regions – and it is HUGE! Eight South American nations depend on the massive ecosystem which supplies a fifth of the planet’s freshwater. The Amazon rainforest is habitat for the world’s most diverse array of birds and freshwater fish and more than 1/3 of the world’s species live in the basin.

Struggles between conservationists and developers continue and scientific evidence of the detrimental effect of rainforest destruction on the planet is clear. The ecosystem has been subjected to illegal logging, slash-and-burn agriculture, and other degrading effects that consume the forest at a rate of more than 9,000 square miles each year. As human population in the area continues to increase the struggle for conservation is nearly as delicate as the region itself.
The Amazon River delta is littered with islands, the largest the size of Switzerland. Our ship, the Prinsendam will cruise up the Amazon as far West as Manaus, then we will reverse course and make stops through the region until we again enter the Atlantic Ocean.

When we reach Manaus we will pick-up Amazon River Pilots who will come on board and guide us over the coming days. We are being asked to conserve water while we are in the Amazon. You see, the ship makes freshwater from saltwater and we are not able to use the water from the Amazon as it contains too much silt and other organisms that cannot be “cooked” out of the ship’s system.


We’ve also been advised that due to the occasional burning in the forests that we may notice a burning smell in and around the ship – they want us to know that it’s not the ship!

The city of Macapa, the “Middle of the World” is capital of the State of Amapa on the Amazon River. Located only 214 miles from Belem, it is accessible only by boat or plane. The city lies exactly on the Equator, at zero degrees North and has a monument to this known as Marco Zero. The City boasts that half of it is located in the Northern Hemisphere and the other half is in the Southern Hemisphere. Macapa has a equatorial climate, a type of tropical climate in which there is no dry season. Macapa has a Tropical Rainforest, but the soil is poor because the high rainfall (between 67 to 78 inches annually) tends to leach out the soluble nutrients. An old fortress is now a regional museum and nearby there is a market for artisans to sell crafts.

2009 01 10 - Scenic Cruising the Amazon

Scenic Cruising the Amazon River – Macapa, Brazil. The Amazon Basin is one of Earth’s most fascinating regions – and it is HUGE! Eight South American nations depend on the massive ecosystem which supplies a fifth of the planet’s freshwater. The Amazon rainforest is habitat for the world’s most diverse array of birds and freshwater fish and more than 1/3 of the world’s species live in the basin.

Struggles between conservationists and developers continue and scientific evidence of the detrimental effect of rainforest destruction on the planet is clear. The ecosystem has been subjected to illegal logging, slash-and-burn agriculture, and other degrading effects that consume the forest at a rate of more than 9,000 square miles each year. As human population in the area continues to increase the struggle for conservation is nearly as delicate as the region itself.
The Amazon River delta is littered with islands, the largest the size of Switzerland. Our ship, the Prinsendam will cruise up the Amazon as far West as Manaus, then we will reverse course and make stops through the region until we again enter the Atlantic Ocean.

When we reach Manaus we will pick-up Amazon River Pilots who will come on board and guide us over the coming days. We are being asked to conserve water while we are in the Amazon. You see, the ship makes freshwater from saltwater and we are not able to use the water from the Amazon as it contains too much silt and other organisms that cannot be “cooked” out of the ship’s system.


We’ve also been advised that due to the occasional burning in the forests that we may notice a burning smell in and around the ship – they want us to know that it’s not the ship!

The city of Macapa, the “Middle of the World” is capital of the State of Amapa on the Amazon River. Located only 214 miles from Belem, it is accessible only by boat or plane. The city lies exactly on the Equator, at zero degrees North and has a monument to this known as Marco Zero. The City boasts that half of it is located in the Northern Hemisphere and the other half is in the Southern Hemisphere. Macapa has a equatorial climate, a type of tropical climate in which there is no dry season. Macapa has a Tropical Rainforest, but the soil is poor because the high rainfall (between 67 to 78 inches annually) tends to leach out the soluble nutrients. An old fortress is now a regional museum and nearby there is a market for artisans to sell crafts.

2009 01 10 The Amazon River and Macapa, Brazil

Scenic Cruising the Amazon River – Macapa, Brazil. The Amazon Basin is one of Earth’s most fascinating regions – and it is HUGE! Eight South American nations depend on the massive ecosystem which supplies a fifth of the planet’s freshwater. The Amazon rainforest is habitat for the world’s most diverse array of birds and freshwater fish and more than 1/3 of the world’s species live in the basin.

Struggles between conservationists and developers continue and scientific evidence of the detrimental effect of rainforest destruction on the planet is clear. The ecosystem has been subjected to illegal logging, slash-and-burn agriculture, and other degrading effects that consume the forest at a rate of more than 9,000 square miles each year. As human population in the area continues to increase the struggle for conservation is nearly as delicate as the region itself.
The Amazon River delta is littered with islands, the largest the size of Switzerland. Our ship, the Prinsendam will cruise up the Amazon as far West as Manaus, then we will reverse course and make stops through the region until we again enter the Atlantic Ocean.

When we reach Manaus we will pick-up Amazon River Pilots who will come on board and guide us over the coming days. We are being asked to conserve water while we are in the Amazon. You see, the ship makes freshwater from saltwater and we are not able to use the water from the Amazon as it contains too much silt and other organisms that cannot be “cooked” out of the ship’s system.

We’ve also been advised that due to the occasional burning in the forests that we may notice a burning smell in and around the ship – they want us to know that it’s not the ship!

The city of Macapa, the “Middle of the World” is capital of the State of Amapa on the Amazon River. Located only 214 miles from Belem, it is accessible only by boat or plane. The city lies exactly on the Equator, at zero degrees North and has a monument to this known as Marco Zero. The City boasts that half of it is located in the Northern Hemisphere and the other half is in the Southern Hemisphere. Macapa has a equatorial climate, a type of tropical climate in which there is no dry season. Macapa has a Tropical Rainforest, but the soil is poor because the high rainfall (between 67 to 78 inches annually) tends to leach out the soluble nutrients. An old fortress is now a regional museum and nearby there is a market for artisans to sell crafts.

2009 01 08 Devil's Island, French Guiana

Thursday, January 8, 2009
Devil’s Island, French Guiana. Located in the Atlantic Ocean in northern French Guiana, Devil’s Island is comprised of three small rocky islets. From 1852 to 1946 it was used as a French penal settlement. Prisoners were either habitual criminals who were permitted to work at hard labor – or political prisoners who were sometimes permitted liberty. Felons were sentenced to hard labor and if you were sentenced to more than 8 years for a crime, you remained for life. The climate is so unhealthy many prisoners died. Few managed to escape the island as waters surrounding the islands are shark infested and have strong currents. Poor living conditions, lack of food and Malaria were other issues. After 1885 only criminals with sentences of more than eight years were sent to Devil’s Island, and in 1938 the government phased out the settlement. It is no longer inhabited.

The island is very interesting and it is very beautiful. There is a hotel frequented by tourists who want to get away (they must really enjoy isolation). The terrain is rocky, and is covered with lush palms and banana trees. Monkeys and Lizards inhabit the island, and Toucans, Parrots and Macaws are among the tropical birds that live here.

2009 01 06 Malibu Beach, Bridgetown, Barbados

Barbados is the Easternmost of the Caribbean Islands, discovered in 1536 by the Portuguese. The island covers 166 square miles.

After breakfast on the ship we took a short bus ride to Malibu Beach in Barbados. The weather was sunny and clear, with a nice breeze. Malibu Beach is also home to the Malibu Rum Company. You can tour the distillery or simply enjoy the soft golden sand and blue water at the beach just beyond the distillery. A complimentary sample of rum is of course optional – we enjoyed ours.

The area wasn’t crowded even though there was another cruise ship in port. This ship catered more to families, but it was still nice to see the little ones enjoy the sand and water.

There were jet-skis and catamarans and other sorts of watercraft all around. Locals offered a sample “foot rub” – one hour $20. We pulled down our hat and adjusted our sunglasses pretending to sleep, but they persisted. Finally we said “no money” “we left all our money on the ship” and soon they moved on to the next group of targets.

We lounged in the sun and walked on the beach. Nancy got hit-on by one of the local young fellas. “Where you from?” he asked. “Texas” she replied. “They have nice girls there?” he questions. I reply – “some nice, some not so nice”. He begins to follow me down the beach and within a minute or so asks “you wanna boyfriend?” He couldn’t have been more than 17 – and I pick up the pace. “No, no, no – I have a husband…..I’m married, I’m a grandma”….. He started making me nervous, so I bent down and picked up a big chunk of coral. I looked at him and said “isn’t this lovely?” but thought to my self, if he keeps this up it might just land upside his head. I turned around and started walking back to the lounge chairs looking for Joe. Pretty soon he wandered off. I wasn’t afraid, but it was a little creepy.

Before long, the day was over. We stopped at the Port Terminal and for a couple of 6 packs of Coke to take back onboard. It was time to wash off the salt and sand and nap.

2009 01 05 - Sea Day

Sea day #2 - Gentle breezes, partly cloudy and smooth seas. Temps were 28 degrees Celcius / 77 degrees Farenheight. Our location at noon was 16 18.8 N. 064 36 2 degrees West. We will be in Bridgetown Barbados tomorrow.... Should be lots of fun.

2009 01 04 - At Sea

Today was our first day at sea. We enjoyed warm, moderate breezes, and the sky was slightly overcast. The seas were moderate, all the rocking is making us sleepy.

Our location at noon was 20 21.3 degrees North and 070 51 0 degrees West (in nautical terms - if you follow that sort of stuff).

2009 01 03 Half Moon Cay, Bahamas

Wow - looks familiar. No, just kidding - we've been here before....We tendered to Half Moon Cay, a private island owned by Holland America, and enjoyed a second day at this beach. There was a bit of rain in the area, but we enjoyed warm temperatures, water of turquoise blue and gorgeous sand that was pure white and soft as talc. We spent the day walking along the beach, lounging in the sun under our clamshell and eating BBQ. Before we could blink the day was over – a two o’clock departure back to the ship as we spend the next two days at sea.

2009 01 02 South America - We're on our Way!

We are continuing our travels - this is what's referred to as back-to-back cruises. We were only required to get off and re-board the vessel for US Customs and Port Security purposes. We spent part of the day in the terminal saying goodbye to a few of the folks we met during the holidays.

During the night we cruised in the Atlantic on a Southerly course from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas. We'll be left Ft. Lauderdale at 5 o'clock and we'll this portion is for 68 days.

Please send us email as we'll be checking frequently onboard the ship and when we are in port. Let us know how you're doing. All for now!

Our Photo Gallery

To view the ENTIRE photo gallery CLICK HERE

2007/2008 New Zealand Land Tour Photo Collection

To view pics from our 2007/2008 New Zealand travels (12/11/08 thru 03/02/08 CLICK HERE

2008/2009 Our South America, Amazon, Antarctica and Panama Canal Photo Collection

To view photos from our South America cruise to the Amazon, the Antarctic Peninsula and the Panama Canal CLICK HERE

2007/2008 Australia Land Tour Photo Collection

To view pics from our 2007 Australia travels (10/23/07 thru 12/09/07)CLICK HERE

2007 South Pacific Cruise Photo Collection

To view a collection of photos from our 2007 Cruise through the South Pacific to New Zealand & Australia on the Sun Princess(09/23/07 thru 10/23/07) CLICK HERE

2007 Alaska Inside Passage Cruise Photo Collection

To view pics from our 2007 Cruise through Alaska's Inside Passage (07/22/07 thru 07/28/07) on Holland America CLICK HERE

2009 01 01 Half Moon Cay, The Bahamas

Have you ever wanted to own your own Island? Well - the folks at Holland America have done just that! This island is amazing. The sand is so fine it is like talc and the water is pristine. We enjoyed amazing weather, a wonderful BBQ lunch and the time here was too short! The sign says it all - I wish I could stay here forever. I know we heard it said dozens of times throughout the day.