RIO DE JANEIRO: WE'RE HERE!

Can you imagine the excitement I felt when I first saw the statue of Christ the Redeemer from the ship as we sailed into Rio de Janeiro harbor? Although it was shrouded  in clouds, I could still see it peeking through! And then Sugar Loaf Mt. appeared - it was surreal!

We started our day with a private guide, a young university student and driver courtesy of H.Stern Jewelry Co. We visited the Botanical Gardens and drove by Copacabana and Ipamena beaches.

We continued on to Corcovado (Hunchback) Mt. taking an old cog train ride with 5 stops to reach the top at 2330 feet where the giant statue of Jesus, known as Christ the Redeemer stands. What an awesome sight! The panoramic views of Rio below us were breathless!

We continued on to Sugar Loaf Mt. (Pao de Acucar) in the Urca district. A cable car transported us in 2 stages to the rounded summit at 1300 feet. It is a spectacular mountain and the views are incredible. We were able to look across the city below us and see Christ the Redeemer standing tall on Corcovado.

The next day we explored Rio on our own. We walked along Copacabana Beach admiring the sleek bodies in skimpy designer bikinis and "moda" sunglasses, pulsating to the beach-side samba beat. Ipanema fashions are typically Brazilian - show off the body! We had lunch at Gorota de Ipanema restaurant, where Vinicius de Moraes penned the bossa nova song "Girl from Ipanema".

That evening on board ship, we were treated to a spectacular samba show performed by a Brazilian samba troup - oh those costumes...what costumes?? And the head-dresses and feathers, feathers everywhere!

We bid a sad adieu to Rio as we sailed out of the harbor at 11 p.m., taking one last look at the Christ statue shining brightly atop Corcovado Mt. Our next stop on the Brazilian coast:  Parati.

 

 

 

 

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ILHEUS, BRAZIL

Our stop here was a first for Holland America Line. Ilheus is a charming town of 250,000 with a mixture of African and European descendants but there are no African colonies like there are in Salvador.

Ilheus was established in 1534 by the Portuguese. Jesuits began cultivating cacao plants in the 1700's and by the next century cacao was Brazil's second most important export.

In the mid 1980's the cacao plantations were devastated by a fungus called "vassoura da bruxa" or "witches' broom" because the fungus left defoliated branches resembling a broom. Exports dropped from 400,000 kilos annually to 90,000. Farmers abandoned or burned their fields, the wealthy cacao barons lost their fortunes. Since 2003 the government has been supporting cacao production by the introduction of cloning or grafting healthy trees to old ones. The economy is improving and Ilheus has also become an important tourist center due to its beautiful beaches.

We saw the home of George Amado, the most popular writer in Brazil. We visited a working cacao plantation. Farmers plant banana trees around the cacao trees to provide shade since vast amounts of rainforests in Brazil have disappeared and therefore natural rain and shade are not available.

Workers pick the pods by hand and place them into baskets carried by mules. What tedious work! Pods are then split open and the seeds are allowed to ferment, then are dried in the sun. Cocoa is extracted from the beans and processed into cocoa butter, cocoa and chocolate.

We indulged our sweet tooth at a German chocolate store. What a wonderful day in Ilheus in the state of Bahia!

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SALVADOR DA BAHIA

Is also known as the "Capital of Happiness". It was the first colonial capital of Brazil before Rio de Janeiro and is s city of huge contrasts.

 

Salvador is the most African of Brazilian cities because it is the closest to the African Continent. As part of the "trade triangle", England sent ships down the west coast of Africa to Senegal where natives from the Indian tribes were sold to the English. The English put them on their ships and took them to Salvador da Bahia in South America where they were sold as slaves in Pillory Square. Six black women equaled one black male. Today, 87% of the population in Salvador have black ancestry.

 

The African influence intertwined with Brazilian culture is evident in Bahia. A popular African ritual is "candomble" sometimes called voodoo by foreigners.

 

Our first stop was a visit to the Farol da Barra, one of the most famous lighthouses in Brazil. From there we continued on to the Pelourinho District (Old Town). There we visited the Church of Sao Francisco, built in the 17th Century. It was built by slave labor and took 28 years to complete. Its opulent baroque interior features cedar wood carvings covered in 600 kilos of gold leaf. It was so over-the-top and dazzling, a sight for sore eyes!

 

We photographed ourselves with the African ladies dressed in colorful native costumes and head-dresses. A truly memorable visit.

 

 

A HUMAN INTEREST STORY ON BOARD THE ms PRINSENDAM

I was surprised to see a fellow passenger pulling a cart with a small dog along the deck. I didn't think you could bring pets with you on a cruise!

 

I introduced myself and was amazed to find out that this cute little dog, an 8 year old bichon-frise, was a hearing service dog! Her name is Gotita (meaning "a drop of love") and is owned by Steve, an Iraqi war vet who has 90% hearing loss.Although Steve wears hearing aids, I knew he was also reading my lips. He told me that Gotita has had special therapy training; she comes to him when the telephone or doorbell rings and pulls him to the source of the ring or noise. Since Steve suffers from severe PTSD and has flashbacks and tremors, Gotita sleeps on his chest to keep him calm and able to sleep at night.

 

The crew has provided a special square of real sod grass on the upper deck so that Gotita can feel right at home!

 

A wonderful heart-warming story!

 

 

MACEIO BEACHES

Another day at the beach...but not just any beach. Women on Brazil beaches don't leave much to the imagination! Eye candy abounds!

Maceio has become a very popular destination for Brazilian as well as international visitors. The sandy beaches are beautiful and the warm ocean is very enticing.

The city began as an old sugar mill and plantation complex in the 19th Century. Today the coastal state of Alagoas exports sugar, tobacco, coconut, leather and spices around the world. We enjoyed our visit to the local market in the center of town and relaxed with a cool drink of fresh coconut milk straight from the coconut. Mmmm very healthy.

FORTALEZA, BRAZIL

We are now 5087 nautical miles from Fort Lauderdale, day 19 of my cruise. We have left the Amazon’s last stop, Belem, and are now sailing into the harbor of Fortaleza on Brazil’s east coast on the Atlantic Ocean. It has beautiful sandy beaches and tropical climate making it a favorite place for tourists from all over the world. There are many high-rise hotels along the white beaches and excellent seafood restaurants. We stopped at the huge market in the center of town, it is Brazil’s third largest market, 3 floors of goods from wood carvings, paintings, clothing and shoes. Unfortunately our time here was marred by a huge rainstorm, flooded streets everywhere, we really got wet and were so happy to get back “home” to our ship.

BLACK AND WHITE BALL

On Sunday evening we were treated to a very special event. It was the Black and White Ball hosted by Captain Halle Gundersen and the crew of the ms Prinsendam. Everyone was dressed in black and white, we had a very special dinner and dancing to the Prinsendam orchestra. A truly memorable evening!

Belem

BELEM

Our last stop in Amazonia was the city of Belem on the delta of the Amazon. It is a city of 2 million, established in the 1900’s by the rubber boom. At one time the rubber latex industry covered 39% of the economy.

Belem is a rough, tough, dirty, third world city. There is much crime, poverty and theft. Our captain instructed us not to wear any jewelry, including watches, and to leave our larger cameras on the ship. The buildings are in a state of decay. Due to the rainforest climate, wood does not last long so structures deteriorate quickly.

Important landmarks include the Ver o Peso market with its fish, fruit, vegetables and live fowl in cages, the Church of Notre Senhora de Nazare and the Emilio Goeldi Museum and botanical garden. There is a modern Hilton Hotel in the center of the city.

ALTER DO CHAO AND HENRY FORD

ALTER DO CHAO AND HENRY FORD

We stopped at another community located on the blue waters and white sand beaches of the Rio Tapajos. It reminded me of being in the Mediterranean. The Tapajos is another river that eventually flows into the Amazon. There are two seasons in Amazonia: the rainy season from November to May and dry season from June to October. We did get a little wet every day, but these are short, tropical rains and 10 minutes later the sun can be shining.

We climbed into our bus (no air conditioning) and drove inland for an hour to an area called Belterra. This is where Henry Ford founded a rubber plantation in the l920’s to produce rubber for the Ford Motor Company. He brought American engineers to Belterra, planted millions of rubber trees, built homes, a school, hospital, machine shop, church for his workers. Unfortunately, climatic conditions undermined the project and Ford had to sell his holdings to the Brazilian government in l945. The rubber groves still stand and the plant is operated under the auspices of the Brazilian government. Who would believe that 90 years ago Americans came and built a community employing 5000 Americans and Amazonians in the middle of the Amazon jungle? This is yet another unbelievable Amazonian history lesson!

MANOUS: PARIS OF THE JUNGLE

On Saturday, January 15^th we celebrated my brother-in-law’s 79^th birthday Indonesian style, with champagne and cake and our waiters singing their traditional “punjang umurnya” (long life and be well song).

900 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest lies a city of 2 million people called Manous. Located at the meeting point of the Rio Negro and Rio Solimoes, which later form the great Amazon River, Manous began as a fort in 1669. Rubber trees grew only in the Amazon and in 1839 when Charles Goodyear patented rubber vulcanization, German immigrants established the rubber industry. Slaves were sent into the jungle to collect latex and rubber barons amassed huge fortunes. By the late 1800’s Amazonia held a firm monopoly on rubber production.. and prosperous Manous became known as the “Paris of the Jungle”. Rubber barons built a lavish Opera House, importing Murano chandeliers and tiles from Italy and celebrities from Europe came to entertain the wealthy families. Today Manous is bustling cosmopolitan city, everyone has a cell phone and a motorcycle, an international airport brings tourists to see the “Meeting of the Waters” and land trips through the surrounding jungle.

We took a river cruise in a 10 seater, motorized canoe for a closer look at the meeting of the black Rio Negro and muddy Rio Solimoes. It was amazing to see the two rivers flow side by side but never mix. Our guide explained why: the Rio Negro is warmer, is acidic and has few fish, the Rio Solimoes is muddier due to high sediment content, is cooler and has many fish. They do meet eventually and form the mighty Amazon. We followed a Brazilian custom and tossed a coin into the rivers and made a wish.

We saw small houses along the banks of the river which were built on huge balsa wood floats so that when the river rises, sometimes 38-40 feet, the houses will float. The only means of transportation for the Amazonians living here is by boat.

We walked through the rainforest jungle to see the huge water lilies in a swamp. The pads are up to 3 feet across and can support the weight of small animals. A truly incredible experience.

Did you know that the Wildlife Conservation Society has a $50,000 reward for any live snake 30 feet or longer? The reward has never been claimed for 100 years. We looked and looked but couldn’t find one!

PARINTINS

Our next stop along the Amazon was the 200-year old village of Parintins. Each year it celebrates its indigenous heritage with the Boi Bumba Festival in June. We were fortunate to be able to see a special show put on for us in the city’s new convention center. This colorful event is the Amazon’s answer to Rio’s Carnival; dancing, music, singing, drums, lavish costumes, floats (it reminded me of our Rose Parade), 100 dancers celebrating the joy of life. I was invited to dance on stage! We were treated to the famous Brazilian drink: a caipirinha, made of sugar-cane rum and lime juice – what a powerful drink! We danced back to the ship to the beat of the drums still resonating in our heads.

CHILDREN OF THE AMAZON

So far we have sailed 3000 miles from Fort Lauderdale and 103 miles from Santarem through the Amazon Rainforest, also known as Amazonia. It covers 1.2 billion acres and is located within nine nations: Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Equador, French Guiana, Guiana, Peru, Surname and Venezuela.

We arrived at a very small Amazon village called “Boca da Valeria". It has about 75 permanent residents. Their homes are built on stilts along the river so that when the rainy season comes each year and the mighty Amazon overflows its banks, the stilts help keep their homes dry.

We were met by an eager group of small children when we disembarked from the tender. Some of them were dressed in colorful costumes with lots of feathers, and some were holding parrots, iguanas, sloths and even a snake. They were not shy about asking for “dollar! dollar!” when we started to photograph them. We were befriended by a young mother, Margarethe, holding her 3 year old daughter Eva. We managed to communicate in Spanish and she acted as our tour guide. She led us through her village where we were invited into the one room schoolhouse. She then led us through a jungle path to her home. It was on stilts, made up of two rooms. She proudly switched on the lights to show us she had electricity! Margarethe then accompanied us back to the tender. Her other 4 children ran to her to give her their day’s earnings (dollar bills, chocolates, pencils, stickers, fish hooks). We waved goodbye to our new friends and returned to the Prinsendam and continued our voyage along the Amazon. Several hours later we heard and felt a big thud and discovered that our propellers had hit a huge log Some parts of the Amazon are very shallow. Fortunately there was no damage and we were able to continue on.

ANOTHER DAY ON THE AMAZON

Continuing along the Amazon west from Macapa, we stopped in Santarem. It is just 2-1/2 degrees south of the Equator and is the Amazon’s 3^rd largest city, about the same size as Belgium. Its economy is based on agriculture, cattle, gold mining, rubber tapping, coffee and soy plantations and piranha fishing. Wait until you see the dried & lacquered piranha we bought as a souvenir!

Santarem is famous for an amazing and unique natural phenomenom: “the marriage of the waters”. This is where the muddy Amazon and the clear, blue Tapajos rivers run alongside one another for hundreds of miles without mixing. The reason for this incredible separation is the difference in the depth, sediment and current of the two rivers.

We said au revoir to Santarem as we continued sailing along the Amazon to our next port.

CROSSING THE EQUATOR

Have you ever crossed the Equator in the middle of the world from the northern to the southern hemisphere within a matter of minutes? We did today as we made our first stop in Brazil in the city of Macapa. It is located on the Amazon River exactly on the Equator, at 0 degrees North. It is accessible only be sea or air and has a tropical climate in which there is no dry season; the rainforest here has an annual rainfall between 67” to 78”.

Another amazing fact we discovered was that the soccer stadium is the only one in the world where one half is in the northern and the other half in the southern hemisphere!

We visited the market in the center of Macapa and the Fortaleza de Sao Jose de Macapa, a fort built in the mid 18^th century to defend the Amazon against French invasions from neighboring Guiana. The weather was hot (87) and very humid (100%). We were instructed to use our insect repellant during the next 7 days as we travel down the Amazon. Amazing day in amazing Brazil!

HALF MOON CAY

Our first stop was Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas. This is a private island owned by Holland America Line. What was planned as a beach day turned out to be marred by rough seas and rainy weather.

After several days at sea, we stopped in Bridgetown which is the capital of the island of Barbados in the West Indies. Founded by the English in 1627, Barbados gained its independence in 1966. Main industries are sugar refining, rum production and tourism. The African heritage and folk culture are evident in the dances a d music of the steel drums; however, cricket is widely played reminding one of Barbados’ British roots.

DEVIL’S ISLAND, FRENCH GU IANA

We continued south in the Atlantic Ocean through 7 to 12 foot swells, rain and high force winds to Iles du Salut, consisting of 3 islands off the coast of French Guiana: Ile du Diable (Devil’s Island), Ile Royale and Ile St. Joseph. They were part of the French penal settlement from 1852 to 1946. It was almost impossible to escape from Devil’s Island. The famous novel and film “Papillon” by Henri Charriere depicts the horrors of the life of the prisoners. We walked around the island taking pictures of the eerie remains of the convict community: the solitary cells, the insane asylum, hospital, convent, chapel and children’s cemetery. It was difficult to resolve the dichotomy between the breathless beauty of the islands and its extreme history.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN…

Hello everyone! Time to leave cold and wet Southern California for warmer climates!

I have embarked on another cruise with my sister and brother-in-law, Svata and Dick Trossen, this time to South America. We are aboard Holland America Line ms Prinsendam.

The voyage will take 66 days, starting in Fort Lauderdale, continuing down the east side of South America, continuing up the west side, through the Panama Canal and back to Fort Lauderdale. Unfortunately I will be leaving the ship in Buenos Aires to rejoin my colleagues at Glendale Community College for the spring semester.

Time to Say Good-bye...

TIME TO SAY GOODBYE…

This has been an incredible journey: I have been to 25 countries across 5 continents in 128 days, I have crossed the equator 4 times and have covered 45,400 miles from Fort Lauderdale, Florida and back. That translates to 1.6 times around the world. I have become accustomed to the daily motion of the ocean, I have set foot on idyllic islands; I have seen and experienced so much and learned a great deal about geography, people, different customs and myself! I feel I have a better understanding of global conditions and people around the world. I was constantly pinching myself to make sure that this was not a dream.

I have sailed through the Panama Canal, I have walked on rope bridges in the rain forest of Costa Rica, I saw kangaroos in Australia, saw the famous Borobudur Temple in Semarang, Indonesia, bargained in the markets of Hong Kong and Shanghai, saw the Terra Cotta soldiers in Xi’an, climbed the Great Wall in China and walked through Tienenman Square. I rode an elephant in Thailand and I marveled at the sight of the Taj Mahal in India. I gasped at the glitz, glitter and glamour of Dubai, and saw men at prayer in a huge mosque in Oman. I swam in the turquoise blue water of the Seychelles and survived the pirate attack on the Maersk Alabama which was docked next to us in the Seychelles. I bargained for wood carvings in Mombasa, Kenya and rode a gondola to the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town. I rode an ostrich in South Africa and saw penguins at the Cape of Good Hope. I rode an ATV on the sand dunes of the Nambid Desert in Namibia and saw Napoleon’s Tomb on St. Helena. I saw the remnants of the prisons on the French penal colony of Devil’s Island and listened to the music of the pan steel drums in Trinidad. I experienced a submarine ride to a depth of 150 feet in Bridgetown, Barbados and I collected shells on the beautiful beaches on the French island of St. Barts. But alas all good things must come to an end, and before I knew it, my amazing odyssey around the world was over. All that is left are treasured memories of new friends and a memorable trip.

I shall now say au revoir and thank those of you who followed my fascinating trip on my blog. See you soon!

Stela

GUSTAVIA, ST. BARTHELEMY
Mother’s Day, May 10, 2009

This is paradise! I spent Mother’s Day on beautiful Shell Beach on St. Barts. The Caribbean was warm (82F), the weather was perfect (82F) and the turquoise water was so refreshing. I collected a bag of St. Barts shells to remind me of this unbelievable day. I made a new friend “Berte” a three year old female Jack Russell just like the one my sister Svata and Dick have. She loved the water, went snorkeling with her master and played fetch the log with me. I was able to practice my French because that’s all Berte understood: viens ici! and va chercher!

St. Barthelemy is an overseas collectivity of France, also known as St. Barth in French or St. Barts in English. It is one of the most chic, civilized and least known parts of France. It is a tiny island of only eight square miles, with a population of 8500 which doubles during the winter months.It is fifteen miles from St. Maarten. It is a perfect playground for the rich and famous with its high-priced boutiques and beautiful resorts When Christopher Columbus discovered the island in 1493, he named it after his brother Bartholomeo. In 1784 St. Barts was taken over by Sweden. The King of France had simply swapped the island for trading rights in the Baltic without consulting the people of St. Barts. In 1878 King Oscar II put sovereignty to a referendum and St. Barts was handed back to France.

Since Gustavia does not have a deep harbor to accommodate the ms Rotterdam, we were taken ashore by tender. It is a lovely town, nestled between the hilly landscape. Many yachts were anchored in the harbor; however, the season is almost over, most visitors are sailing back to cooler locations for the summer months. The red roofs on the houses, the yachts and the hills reminded me of the French Riviera. The tourist industry has grown in the last 30 years, but St. Barts has maintained its exclusive and luxurious style. I was reluctant to leave beautiful Shell Beach but I promised myself that one day I shall return.

Bridgetown, Barbados

BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS

Bridgetown, in southwestern Barbados, is the capital of the island on Carlisle Bay in the West Indies. Sugar refining, rum production, clothing, electrical parts and tourism are important industries. The English founded Bridgetown in 1628 and as the capital of the British dependency of Barbados, it became the capital of independent Barbados in 1966. The island is 166 square miles and has a population of 270,000. It is generally flat along the coast and hilly in the interior. It is not a volcanic island; limestone and coral are found throughout.

In the morning we embarked on an interesting adventure: we boarded the Atlantis Odyssey Submarine and descended to a depth of 150 feet where we saw coral reefs, colorful fish , a sunken shipwreck, a huge sea turtle and many forms of undersea plant life. In the afternoon we took a tour of the island. We passed beautiful beaches and resorts and stopped for photographs at the famous Sandy Lane Golf and Country Club where Tiger Woods plays and where he was married. It is magnificent but very expensive, one night’s stay costs US$1500 and the minimum stay is 5 nights.

On board in the evening we were treated to an exciting Barbados Folkloric Music and Dance Show, performed by local artists. A wonderful ending to a great day in Barbados.

PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD

We continued north-west from Devil’s Island in the Caribbean Sea to Port of Spain, Trinidad. It is located off the coast of Venezuela and is the southern-most point of the Caribbean Islands. The population is approx. 1,047,400. There are 2 islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad being the larger of the two which is 14 miles wide and 18 miles long . It gained its independence from Britain in 1962 and became a republic within the Commonwealth. Trinidad-Tobago is one of the most prosperous and stable democratic nations in the Caribbean. Languages spoken are English, French and Spanish. It is home to two of the largest banks in the Caribbean and a major shipping hub.

We were fortunate to have a very knowledgable tour guide, Harry, of Indian descent to drive us around the island. He and his countrymen are very proud of the fact that the recent “Summit of the Americas” on April 15-18 was held in Port of Spain and they are very fond of U.S. President Obama. His posters can be seen all around the city. Harry told us that the population of Trinidad is 42% East Indian, 38% African and the rest are European, Syrian and American.

We stopped at the Botanical Gardens where we saw a “sausage tree”, a boot strap tree, brazil nut tree and a tree with multi-colored bark called the “rainbow” tree.

Trinidad celebrates Carnival in a big way, murals ahound on city walls and buildings. It is also the home of steel drum pan music. Although our stay here was short, thanks to Harry we saw a good portion of the city and learned a great deal about Trinidad.