Monthly Archives: January 2024

Manaus, Brazil JAN 14, 2024

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Yesterday we visited a remote village deep in the Amazon rainforest. Today we visited Manaus, the capital of the state of Amazonas or the Brazilian Amazon.  Located in the center of the largest rainforest in the world, it is the most populous city in the Brazilian Amazon (pop two million). The two locations yesterday and today could not have been more different. After several days in remote areas of the Amazon rainforest, Manaus provided us with culture shock. It was strange to look out and suddenly see tall buildings and bustling traffic. 

Perhaps the biggest shock was to realize we suddenly had to worry about crime and safety. Several days ago when the cruise director gave her port talk on Manaus, she mentioned taking safety measures common when visiting large cities. We have heard it many times and didn’t think too much about it. Today we took our time getting off the ship since we planned to just walk around. Too many people rush to get off so we like to take our time and let the herd off first. About an hour later as we were preparing to leave, the cruise director came on with a special announcement from the captain. “People should walk around the town in groups. Do not walk through parks or down isolated streets. If you are approached and demanded to give money or valuables, do not resist. Give them what they want. Those items can be replaced. Watch out closely for pickpockets. Keep your phone close so it will not be snatched.” Wow! We had never heard those specific warnings before. Had something happened to someone who had already left the ship? Suddenly walking around did not sound so inviting. 

Since the ship had docked unexpectedly at a different dock, we took the ship’s complimentary shuttle to the central dock/terminal close to the city center just to get a feel for the area.  The tour buses and shuttles had a difficult time entering the dock because of a low clearance ramp.

This Dock Is Where We Would Normally Dock

One large vehicle became stuck entering the dock, slowing down traffic.  What a mess! The end of the ramp had sprung up and caused many vehicles to scrape their bottoms.

When we reached the central area, outside the port terminal we met one couple from the ship headed back. They said to stay on the main sidewalk and we should be fine. We were heading up the street and ran into another couple. They said it was very steep and hilly but when they told us the streets had just been closed off for a street festival and it was very crowded, we turned around and headed back. We snapped a few pictures and took the shuttle back to the ship.

As someone on the ship later commented, Manaus is a rough town, a blue collar town. A town with many social and economic challenges.

Bill entertained himself for quite awhile during the afternoon watching workers emptying all the trash off the ship onto a large barge. He had a bird’s eye view from our balcony. Tons of trash including many pallets of cardboard and some old appliances.

As the ship sailed away later that afternoon we sat on the top deck and enjoyed the last views of the city.

At this point we had reached the furthest point we were going up the Amazon River. The ship turned around and headed back down the Amazon River towards the Atlantic Ocean. We have two more ports of call in Brazil.

The Bridge Too Far

Next up :Parintins, Brazil

 

Boca da Valeria, Brazil JAN 13, 2024

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Boca da Valeria is a tiny, remote village of indigenous people on the Amazon River in north central Brazil. The village of 75 people is typical of the hundreds of villages scattered across the Brazilian Rainforest. These villagers still live much as their ancestors did for thousands of years before Europeans arrived at the beginning of the 16th century. The people here are Caboclo Indians which means copper colored skin. They are a mix of indigenous Brazilian and European people, mainly Portuguese.

All transportation is by boats only. Riverboats are used to go twenty miles to the closest cities for supplies. 

Only about a dozen cruise ships visit this village every year. It is among the smallest ports of call in the world. A visiting cruise ship is such a big event, they close the school on cruise ship days.

We took a tender boat for the short ride to a dock in the center of the village. The makeshift dock was lined with villagers welcoming us.

Many of the children were dressed in native clothing and had pets to show us including birds, sloths, iguana and even a baby crocodile.

A rutted, uneven dirt path led to the center of the village, a block long. Several wooden houses were perched on stilts. During the rainy season the Amazon River can rise 30 or more feet. The windows had no glass or coverings except for occasional wooden boards.

There were power lines between some of the houses in the center of the village with the electricity supplied by a communal generator.

Drinking water is stored in large plastic tubs on small towers. There are no paved roads, no cars, no bikes. People survive by fishing and farming.

The largest building is the Roman Catholic church, founded in 2008 and honoring Paul the Apostle.

There is a one room schoolhouse.

While the women and children welcomed us to the village, the men were offering 30 minute river boat rides for $5 a person.

Holland America crew members, officers and passengers brought many boxes of gifts to give the children and their parents. These included books, school supplies, toiletries and toys. Bill and I had not anticipated this happening and were not prepared with gifts, so instead we made monetary donations to the church and school. 

The dirt path became steep and even more rutted and we assume it led to more homes deeper in the rainforest. It was sweltering hot and we felt like we had spent enough time there so we headed back to the ship.

It was a very interesting experience deep in the Amazon. People around the world can be wealthy in many different ways. These friendly, kind, welcoming people are wealthy in many ways others are not.

The ship’s crew is always looking for ways to wow us. So this afternoon in the buffet area, the ship’s pastry chefs had a cake extravaganza of over 100 cakes they made and beautifully decorated. After some time for everyone to walk around and admire all the amazing artistry, they cut the cakes. They had every type of cake you could imagine. Bill and I both went for the five layer carrot cake with cream cheese icing. They also had complimentary chocolate martinis. 

Next up: A completely different experience in Manaus, Brazil

 

Alter do Chao, Brazil JAN 10, 2024

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On January 10th we crossed the sand bar separating the Atlantic Ocean and the Amazon River. During this time the ship slowed down, and since the water was only a depth of 26 feet, the captain needed to raise the ship’s stabilizers. We thought the ship might rock and roll some, but we didn’t feel a thing. The color of the water changed from the deep ocean blue to a light green color and then muddy water. The Amazon River travels over 4,000 miles across South America into the Atlantic Ocean. It is the second longest river in the world, with only the Nile being longer. The water discharged by the Amazon is greater than the world’s next seven biggest rivers combined.

Around 5:00 A.M. on the morning of January 11th we crossed the equator. At 6:00 A.M. we arrived at Macapa, Brazil. This was not a port of call for us but a service call with the Brazilian authorities who boarded the ship. This was all handled by the captain and ship’s officers.  We slept right through it. The Brazilian authorities did a health review, mainly of the galley, and a Brazilian pilot came onboard to help the captain maneuver down the river safely. There are some places where the river becomes narrow and shallow and great care needs to be taken. A rotation of various Brazilian pilots will remain onboard for the next eight days while we are on the Amazon River.

By 10:30 A.M. we were once again on our way. The previous night all the passengers received a written message to conserve water during these eight days so the ship would not need to take on additional water. This was for our own health and safety. We were also warned not to drink any water or have drinks with ice while in various ports in Brazil. There were also warnings about not eating certain fruit, vegetables and other food off the ship. They even mentioned not eating pudding. We were told to keep our balcony drapes closed at night to keep mosquitoes and moths away. And it goes without saying to not leave your balcony doors open! We have been warned, the bugs on the Amazon are BIG! We have not noticed any mosquitoes so far. But plenty of large beetles on the upper decks at night and the largest moths I have ever seen. They are particularly bad around bright lights so they are dimming the outside lights for the next several days. We were also told there are many beautiful wood souvenirs that can be bought in Brazil. However, when people come back on board with these purchases, they will be taken by security and put in cold storage for 48 to 72 hours to get rid of any bugs in the wood. This is to protect the passengers as well as the ship. I think we will stick to our usual refrigerator magnets.

In the evening the ship had a party on the pool deck with a performance by Brazilian singers and dancers. It was festive and loud.

On Friday, January 12th we reached the port of Alter do Chao, Brazil. Fortunately it was a cloudy day which somewhat helped keep down the temperatures. Due to the shallowness of the water, the ship had to dock further offshore. It was a 30 minute ride on the tender boat to shore. Fortunately the river water was calm.

Alter do Chao is known as the Brazilian Caribbean and is known for one of the most beautiful freshwater beaches in the world. 

In the early 20th century it was one of the transportation routes of latex extracted from rubber trees. By 1950 the extraction of latex declined in this area. Today the area focuses on tourism. 

After getting off the tender boat we had to walk on platform boards across some water to a sandy beach. We then trudged through sand to a well worn bridge that took us to the road leading to town. It was about a half mile walk to the town plaza with a church, a couple small markets and some open air vendors.

The beautiful, yet simple Catholic church was built between 1876 and 1896.

Across the water is beautiful Ilha do Amor, or Love Island, accessible by rowboat or wading across depending on the season of the year and water levels.

The Amazon river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) is also known as the pink river dolphin, boto, or bufeo. It is the largest freshwater dolphin in the world, with the ability to grow up to nine feet long and weigh up to 400 pounds. They are born gray and turn pinker as they age, as their skin becomes more translucent and allows blood to show through.

After about 90 minutes of walking around we were sweltering from the heat and humidity. While waiting for the next tender boat, Holland America crew provided a tent with chairs, cold water and cold washcloths. Much appreciated. 

We were more than happy to get back to our cool cabin on the ship. 

Next up: the tiny, remote village of Boca da Valeria, Brazil 

Devil’s Island, French Guiana JAN 9, 2024

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After a nice day at sea, we arrived at Devil’s Island, French Guiana. It was raining hard with deep swells. By the time we finished breakfast, the sun was out and it was hot with high humidity. I get seasick easily so the thought of being in a rocking tender boat was not a good idea. There was also the promise of mosquitoes along with the heat and humidity. So, I chickened out and Bill went alone. He was able to get an early tender boat so hopefully the heat would be more tolerable. 

Lots of hard work for the ship’s crew to unload the tender boats and then reload them later in the afternoon.

Bill’s on his way with the French Guiana Navy standing guard.

Getting off the tender boat and heading on the island.

Devil’s Island was a French penal colony during the 19th and 20th centuries. It was created by order of Napoleon III to empty prisons in France. There are actually three islands where prisoners were kept. The prisoners were some of the worst offenders of heinous crimes, but also political prisoners were sent here. One of the most famous political prisoners was Captain Alfred Dreyfus who was accused of spying for Germany.

Steep Trails

Final Stairs to the Hilltop

In operation for 100 years, it officially opened in 1852 and was notorious for the hot tropical climate, disease, and harsh treatment of criminals. The penal colony had a death rate of 75%. It is said that the few survivors who made it home described the horrendous conditions which scared some criminals into going straight. Most of the estimated 80,000 prisoners never returned home. Most prisoners were allowed to walk freely around the island since there was almost no chance of escaping. Any prisoners who tried to escape or misbehaved were put on one of the three designated islands and were put in solitary confinement of silence and darkness. One of the other three islands, Ile Du Diable, or Devil’s Island, was reserved for political prisoners. The prisons were closed in 1953 and the islands’ ownership were transferred to the Guiana Space Center. Devil’s Island is closed to the public. Iles Du Salut, also called Ile Royale, is the island Bill visited. It was once the reception area for arriving prisoners and held the general prison population. 

The Guard Quarters buildings.

The remnants of the prisoner cells.

Hospital constructed in 1895.

The chapel was built in 1894.  Prisoners were required to attend mass until 1887.

Current lighthouse was built in 1934 with electricity added in 1982.

This is the semaphore building for island communications.

The 1973 movie, “Papillon”2, starring Steve McQueen was based on the Devil’s Island penal colony. Over the years, Devil’s Island has been mentioned in various movies and television shows.

After two hours on the island, Bill returned with his clothes wringing wet. He said the mosquitoes were not bad but the heat was horrible. The Cruise Director told us later that evening that several people had passed out from the heat. She cautioned everyone to drink lots of water and stay hydrated. And we haven’t even crossed the Equator yet!

Next up: Cruising the Amazon River, Crossing the Equator, and visiting Brazil

Scarborough, Tobago JAN 7, 2024

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After 3 days at sea, our first port of call was the tiny town of Scarborough on the island of Tobago. The island of Tobago, population 53,000, lies south of the hurricane belt, just off the coast of South America. At 116 square miles, it is a mass of coral and volcanic rock. Tobago is  surrounded by the Caribbean Sea on the north coast and the Atlantic Ocean on the southern and western sides.   The island has white sandy beaches and dense tropical forests.

Scarborough, population around 1,000, is located on the southeastern side, is the capital of Tobago. Scarborough’s historic roots date back to 1654. It became the capital in 1769, exporting rum, cotton, indigo and sugar. Today its major source of income is tourism.

Rather than taking an excursion, we decided to use the map conveniently provided by the cruise ship and walk around on our own. Interestingly, the cruise director came over the ship’s speakers and said the port authorities in Tobago said no camouflage or military looking clothing was allowed on the island. At the port entrance we were approached by many locals offering us taxis and day tours. They were close to being very annoying with their persistence. Since it was Sunday AND a holiday, many stores were closed. We didn’t mind because we are not shoppers. Unlike many Caribbean towns, we didn’t see bars and restaurants located near the port advertising tropical drinks. We saw a KFC, a Church’s Chicken and a Subway. Rather strange, actually. We noticed two supermarkets and a hardware store listed on the map. We walked about three miles, taking pictures of the town.

A Government Office Building

Frankly there wasn’t much of interest. There are various popular dive spots around the island so perhaps there are more restaurants, stores and things to see at those areas. With no buses running and since we were not interested in diving, it didn’t seem worth it to pay for the high priced excursions to those areas.

We first walked to the Love Tobago sign. Everyone has to go to those signs, right?

We saw two churches. One was St Andrew’s Church, built in 1819.  The church was destroyed in a hurricane in 1964 and rebuilt.

Another church was Saint Joseph Roman Catholic Church.

It was a really hot day and since much of Scarborough is hilly and we were hot and tired, we headed back to the ship. The AC was very welcoming and cold soft drinks really hit the spot.

Next up: Devil’s Island, New Guinea  This is a tender port and the captain is expecting deep swells which could make for difficult and potentially dangerous tendering conditions, so we will see.

A new adventure begins, JAN 03, 2024

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In December our travel agent emailed us a cruise opportunity that was too good to pass up. Only problem was it was an 84 day trip leaving January 3rd.  To prepare for departure we had two items that needed to be done quickly. We needed a yellow fever vaccine and a Brazilian visa. 

We called several pharmacies around The Villages and none of them gave the yellow fever shot. Fortunately I thought of calling the Costco pharmacy and they had the vaccine. And they were happy to help even though we are not Costco members. While talking with the very nice and helpful pharmacist he mentioned if you are 60 or over you can get a waiver to not get the vaccine. Apparently research has shown that the potential side effects from the shot in older people are greater than the possibility of getting yellow fever. Through Costco we were able to get a waiver signed by a doctor which we picked up at the Costco pharmacy. It was a lot cheaper than a yellow fever vaccine and much less painful. 

The second important thing to accomplish was getting a Brazil visa. Beginning January 10th, all citizens of the United States, Canada and Australia need a visa to enter Brazil. I could write a novel on how frustrating it has been trying to get the visa. Believe me, you can’t imagine. The company hired by Brazil to process the applications were overwhelmed by the volume of requests by travelers entering by plane and cruise ship, etc and did not have computer software to handle the overload. It was, somewhat comforting to find out from Cruise Critic and Holland America that everyone else was having the same problem. In the end, after many tense days, we were able to board the ship with our visas still being processed.  As it turned out, Bill received his visa by email the third day on the ship and I received mine on the fourth day. Ironically that was the same day Holland America announced that Brazil had waived the visa requirement until April 10th. Our visas are good for ten years so perhaps we will need them on another visit to Brazil in the future. 

On January 3rd, we left home with a sunrise promising a beautiful day, and drove a rental car to Fort Lauderdale to board the ship. We had a folder full of documentation to provide and were apprehensive about what to expect. There is always the worry on these international cruises that there will be some form or document we forgot. As it turned out, embarkation was very easy and fast.

Our Holland America ship, the Zuiderdam, is smaller than the Royal Caribbean and MSC ships from our travels last summer. We prefer the Holland America ships. They don’t have the glitz and glamor of the other cruise lines with zip lines, putt putt, simulated surfing and water slides. But the smaller Holland America ships means less walking and definitely less people. While the other ships had capacities of 3,000 + passengers, the Zuiderdam has a capacity of 1,900. We have 1,270 passengers on this voyage. Older passengers with no children, crying babies at dinner, crowded elevators and dining rooms.  Without all the glitz, we still have plenty to do. Guest lecturers on the history and culture of upcoming countries, port talks on upcoming ports, great evening shows, several music venues, and plenty of friendly passengers to meet.

On the first night in the dining room, each lady was given a long stem red rose.

Our First Sunset

On our second day, Holland America had a block party. At 4:00 pm everyone went outside their cabin door to meet their neighbors. Waiters came around with champagne, red and white wine as well as little bowls of snacks. For a hour we got to know our “neighbors”. The lady in the cabin next door is a single lady who sold her house in California and now lives on the cruise ship full time. We also met neighbors from Canada as well as a couple who lived on a 35 foot boat full time for nine years, circumnavigating the world. 

The Holland America crew is friendly, attentive and eager to please.

One evening when we returned to our cabin after dinner, we found gifts left for us. We each received a tote bag, backpack, battery for charging our phone or tablet, a wallet and a hat which will come in handy in the hot days ahead. Nice touch, Holland America!

After three days at sea, on January 7th we reached our first port of call, the island of Tobago and the small town of Scarborough. 

Next: A day in Scarborough, Tobago