Days 7-10 - At Sea

11/30/14 – Today we are at sea, off the coast of South America.  We've passed Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana and are now sailing off the northeast coast of Brazil.  Brazil sticks so far out into the Atlantic that we've jumped two time zones in the past two days.  Now we’re two hours ahead of Miami time, and I think we've got another hour to jump before we head west again.

There are two lecturers aboard who give talks on each of our days at sea.  One is an anthropologist who is an expert on South America.  She is our “port lecturer” who tells us about the things to see and do in each port.  The other is an astronomer who talks about the planets and stars and also leads “star gazing” sessions every few days, weather permitting.  Both are very interesting and informative, but the anthropologist talks about our destinations and therefore draws a larger audience.

A couple of days ago we ate dinner with John and Judy in the onboard Italian restaurant, Setté Mari.  While the food was very good, the service was less than ideal.  Dishes were not cleared between courses, glasses were not refilled, and the wait staff seemed confused or unsure of what to do.  We were given the opportunity to evaluate the cruise so far, and our friend, John, mentioned the uneven level of service at Setté Mari.  The next day he got a call from the Maître D, apologizing for the service and asking if we’d be willing to give them another chance.  We said OK, and we had dinner there for a second time.  The service was AMAZING!  The food was just as good, but the service was as good as it could possibly be.  Quite the turnaround.   We had a great time and will go back again.

Day 8 – Amazon River

12/2/14 – Today we entered the mouth of the Amazon River and sailed upstream to the town of Macapá where we anchored for Brazilian Customs officials to come aboard to check all passports for the required Brazilian Visa.  Also at this stop, three river pilots came aboard for the journey up and down the river. Although like all navigable water, there are electronic charts aboard that aid the navigator, the river rises and falls with the upstream rains and also sandbars are formed and destroyed on a regular basis, requiring the assistance of a knowledgeable pilot on the bridge whenever the ship is moving.

The Amazon is the 2^nd longest river in the world at about 4,000 miles, and with by far the largest water flow, with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined.  It is approximately one-fifth of the world’s total river flow.  The headwaters are in the Andes mountain range in Bolivia, Peru, Columbia and Ecuador, as well as Brazil.  At its Atlantic Ocean mouth, the river estuary is about 150 miles wide, with many islands.  Its main stem is 50 miles wide at the mouth, and the average river width varies between one and six miles wide during the dry season, but expands to thirty miles or more during the rainy season.  We are entering the river at the very beginning of the six-month rainy season.  For much of its length the river rises more than 30 feet during the rainy season, flooding the surrounding forests.

The main stream of the Amazon is a milky brown color with a lot of suspended matter in the water.  There are actually two other categories of river water in the basin; clear water and black water.  Milky water and clear water are slightly alkaline and their waters mix easily; black water rivers are slightly acidic and their water mixes with the other two very slowly.  Black water and milky water travel side-by-side for several miles before they actually begin mixing.  We expect to see several examples of that while on the river.

In one of the most interesting discoveries in recent years, scientists have identified an aquifer that runs far below the Amazon for as long as 3,700 miles from the Andes to the Atlantic.  The underground river is roughly 13,000 feet below the Amazon and is notable as the first such twin river feature in Brazil.  Measuring up to 250 miles wide, the underground river actually has far greater width than the Amazon, but it holds far, far less volume.

The rain forest that surrounds the river stretches across more than 2 million square miles and is credited with harboring roughly one-third of all species of living creatures found on the earth, making it the largest and most bio-diverse rain forest on the planet.  There are at least 2,000 species of fish alone, from piranhas to sharks.

As we travel up the river, in some areas it’s almost like being at sea; the river banks are so far in the distance that they are hard to see.  In other areas we are fairly close to the bank, and the lush rain forest and occasional small house or two can be seen.  Travel on the river is by boat, ranging from what look like dugout canoes powered by strange looking outboard motors, and two-to-three deck riverboats, most with rows and rows of hammocks for passengers, to tugboat-pushed barges and ocean-going freighters.

Day 9 – Crossing the Equator

12/2/14 – Today we crossed from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere.  Actually, we cross that line about three times during our journey up the river.  It has been common on ships since the 1500’s to celebrate the equator crossing. 

In a traditional ceremony King Neptune, Master of the Deep (or in our case, Queen Neptuna, played by our Cruise Director, Margaret) baptizes those who have not been across the equator with raw eggs, spaghetti noodles, whipped jello and other messy stuff.  Shellbacks, those who have previously crossed the equator, watch as the Pollywogs are baptized.  About 15 of the ship’s crew and several passenger volunteers went through the ceremony while the rest of us laughed and took pictures of the mayhem.

Day 10 – Santarem

12/3/14 – Santarem, in the state of Pará, is the third largest city in the Brazilian Amazon, with a population over 200,000 people. It lies 500 miles upriver from the mouth of the Amazon, near the confluence of the clear blue waters of the Rio Tapajos.  Santarem has been a major river port since the rubber boom days of the 19^th century.  In the 1920’s, Henry Ford carved the immense rubber plantations of Fordlandia and Belterra out of the nearby jungle.  Those projects were short-lived, primarily because of the eventual bust of the Amazon rubber industry as plantations in Indonesia grew in size and efficiency.  Santarem lies in the heart of a region rich in timber, mining and cattle.

Shortly after docking, we boarded a small river boat and set out for a river tour along the Amazon and Tapajos.  We could clearly see the “meeting of the waters” as the muddy brown of the Amazon and the clear dark blue of the Tapajos flowed side-by-side without mixing.  We traveled along fairly narrow channels that reminded us of the California Delta.  The rain forest was thick on both sides and we passed a number of small settlements and individual residences, accessible only by boat.  We saw lots of birds, a couple of iguanas and some on our boat saw a sloth in a tree.  We stopped and everyone was given a small board wrapped with fishing line and a hook baited with meat. 

We were going Piranha fishing!  They bit ferociously, but were almost impossible to hook; I think the chunk of meat was too large for their mouths.  After a few minutes, one of the passengers hooked one and landed it.  Shortly after that, Tom did the same; it was probably 4 inches long, but it did have some impressive teeth. 
After everyone got a look at the fish, they were thrown back into the river to be caught another day.  A little while later, we headed back to the city and our ship.  After arriving at the pier, we spent some time wandering among a number of stalls selling local crafts, art and souvenirs, as well as stopping for a local beer before re-boarding.

Cruise 2014

11/23/14 - Our cruise is a 23-day trip from Miami, through the eastern Caribbean to Brazil, traveling up the Amazon River to Manaus, the capital of Amazonas state.  We will then return to Miami, stopping at several more islands in the Caribbean.

We began with an overnight flight to Miami, changing planes in Chicago.  I was concerned because the upper mid-west had had horrible weather for several days before our flight.  There was nothing to worry about, though, since Chicago had warmed up to above freezing temperatures by the time we left.  Our flights were uneventful, although not much sleep was to be had, despite our best efforts to get some shut-eye.

Miami Harbor

We arrived in Miami about noon, and a bus was waiting to deliver us to the ship.  We are sailing on Regent Seven Seas Navigator, which carries 490 passengers and 350 crew, a pretty good ratio in my opinion.  We boarded the ship and had lunch while waiting for them to finish preparing the staterooms.  About 2:30 the “all clear” was sounded and we ventured down to our room.  The Navigator is a fairly old ship, but it’s been renovated and updated on a regular basis.  Our room is wonderful, a king size bed, a living area with couch and chairs, a desk, a small beverage refrigerator, a walk-in closet and a bathroom big enough for both a shower and tub.  The ship sailed from Miami at 5 PM.  After settling in, we joined our friends, Judy and John for a drink before dinner.  The dining room is open for three hours each evening, and you can choose to dine whenever you want.  We really liked our waiter, so we asked for his name and will ask for seating in his section from now on.  After dinner and a reasonable time to let our food settle, we headed for bed with our good friend, Ambien.

At Sea – Days 1 & 2

11/24/14 Day 1 – Rest and relaxation while the ship traveled southeast off the coast of Cuba.  The sea is a bit rough and the wind is pretty strong so some of the outside areas were closed, as was the pool.  Reading was our major undertaking; we both are reading “River of Doubt”, the story of Theodore Roosevelt’s harrowing expedition through the Amazon basin after his presidential days were over.

Regent Seven Seas Navigator 

11/25/14 Day 2 – Same as above, as the ship passed north of Puerto Rico.  Maybe the sea is a little rougher, but it doesn’t seem to be affecting those aboard.  We still haven’t made it to breakfast, which closes at 9:30, but Tom found a coffee bar where he can get espresso and other coffee drinks.  Excellent!  We tried lunch in the buffet which was OK, but I think we’ll eat more often in the main dining room.  They have hamburgers, hot dogs, etc. on the pool deck, along with ice cream.  Yum!  For dinner, the buffet turns into a sit-down Italian restaurant, and there is also a steakhouse that is so popular that reservations are required for dinner.  No extra cost, just reservations.

The Navigator held a shipwide block party!  At 5:30pm everyone came out of their cabins with a wine glass, the stewards passed red and white wines, and appetizers, and we met out neighbors!  Our end of our deck has Swedish, Danish, American and German guests.  As we went around meeting everyone, some familiar faces appeared…Pete & Mari, whom we met our first day onboard, are directly across the hall!  It’s a very small world!!

John and Judy had invited Peter and Mary to join us for dinner in the Compass Rose, so beforehand we had everyone over for champagne and cocktails (thanks Lu and Joe for the great Veuve Clicquot champagne)…we had a very nice visit and lots of laughs!

Day 3 – Gustavia, St. Barts

11/26/14  Saint Barthélemy (bar tá la me) is usually called St Barts or St Barths.  According to some historians, Christopher Columbus discovered the island and named it for his brother.  It didn’t attract much attention for over a hundred years when, in 1637, the British explored the island.  The first colonials were probably pirates, since islands like St. Barts were attractive to the outlaws for their lack of fortification and military attention.  During the era, the French government first noticed the island, but Louis XVI traded it to Sweden for a warehouse.  By the mid-1800s, tropical storms, fires and piracy had ravaged Gustavia, the capital, and caused the Swedes to trade the island back to the French in 1878.  St. Barts, with a population of about 9,000, is a dependency of the French overseas department of Guadeloupe.

Inner Harbor, Gustavia, St. Barts

Because it is a part of France, the currency is the Euro and the first language is French, although dollars are OK if you want your change in Euros.  English is also spoken and also ‘patois’, which is a blend of French and English.

There is no dock on St. Barts that is suitable for a cruise ship, even one as small as ours, so we anchored in the bay along with a number of huge yachts, and took the ship’s tenders or life boats to the dock. St. Barts is known as a ‘playground’ for the rich and famous.  It is said that the large yachts completely fill the inner harbor during high season.

 We took a mini-bus tour of most of the eight-square-mile island, which claims no fresh water and little workable land.  It is a rocky volcanic island, and fresh water is obtained from rain runoff collected in cisterns and from a de-salinization plant.  As is our custom in every port, we found a local bar in which we enjoyed a local beer.  Then, since it was very hot and humid, we journeyed back to the air-conditioned comfort of our ship.

Day 4 – Castries, St. Lucia

Inner Harbor, Castries, St. Lucia

11/27/14 – Thanksgiving Day - Castries is the capital city of St. Lucia and has a population of about 65,000 people.   The island, which spans 240 square miles, was first settled by the Arawak and then the Carib Indians, but for 150 years, ending in 1814, the French and the British fought for control.  It was passed back and forth 14 times before the British finally took possession for good.  It remained a British territory until 1979, when it became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations.

We took a sightseeing tour of the area around Castries, including a large hill-top home built in the late 1800s and still occupied by one of the original family.  Magnificent views of Castries harbor can be seen from every window.  We also stopped at an old British fort which is being reclaimed from the tropical jungle by a US expat woman who was delighted to tell us the history of the fort.  From there we traveled to Marigot Bay, with its azure blue water and small boat harbor before returning to Castries where we spent some time in the 100 year-old market and adjacent craft market.

Rib Eye Steak

Upon returning to the ship, we enjoyed cocktails with our friends, John and Judy, then headed off to the “reservation only” Prime 7 Steakhouse for Thanksgiving dinner.  Well, not exactly a traditional turkey dinner, although that was on the menu, but why go to a steakhouse for turkey?  And wow, what a meal it was!  Delicious appetizers, soup, salad, and wonderful steaks, cooked perfectly.  Tom had a 16 oz. rib steak while Debbie was very satisfied with the small (6 oz) filet.  We could have topped the steaks with a lobster tail, but we’ll save that for another occasion, like maybe after fasting for a couple of days.

Day 5 –St. Georges, Grenada

11/28/14 – Grenada was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1498, but it was relatively neglected until the mid-1600s when it was purchased by the governor of Martinique for the French.  St. Georges was built by the French, but as was the situation in St. Lucia, the French and British fought more than 50 battles for control of the island.  In the mid-1880s became the capital of the British Windward Islands.  St. George’s is the capital of Grenada and is home to St. George’s University School of Medicine.

St. George's, Grenada

For many, Grenada is better known for its political history – US troops intervened in a coup during President Reagan’s administration, at the time a controversial volley in the Cold War- than it is for being a vacation paradise.  Grenada has a moderate tropical climate that ensures the success of spice production.  Nutmeg is the most plentiful crop, followed by an array of such spices as cocoa, mace, cloves, vanilla, cinnamon and ginger.

In 2004, St. George’s and the rest of Grenada were severely battered by Hurricane Ivan.  The hurricane left significant destruction across the island and crippled much of the island’s infrastructure.  It was estimated that about 90% of the homes sustained damage, and the nutmeg trees, which are key to Grenada’s economy, were devastated.  The trees take between seven and fifteen years to mature enough to bear fruit.  The newly planted trees are of a hardy variety that will hopefully survive the next big storm.

Cocoa Pod

We took a tour of the southern part of the island, which included stops at a spice processing factory and a spice and herb garden.  We also stopped at a rum factory and sampled a number of rums, from 140 proof (white lightning) to aged vintage rums (very smooth).  Returning from the tour, we made a beer stop at a bar just across from the port.

Tonight was the night we celebrated our Thanksgiving.  Our waiter, Dony, was more than happy to put in our order for a full turkey dinner.  Every night the ship selects a white and a red wine to serve with the meals.  Each night is different, and it’s fun to explore wines we’ve never tried before!  Our sommelier is very helpful and explains a little bit about each wine.  He is also very interested in the fact that we come from Sonoma Wine Country.

Day 6 – Port of Spain, Trinidad

11/29/14 - This is the first port that we have previously visited on a past cruise.  It is the capital city of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.  It was a Spanish colony from the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1498 to its takeover by British forces in 1797.  The country obtained independence in 1962, becoming a republic in 1976.  Its economy is primarily industrial, with an emphasis on petroleum and petrochemicals.  As a member of the British Commonwealth, the official language is English, but as with other locations that went through periods of French colonialism, ‘patois’, or French slang is widely spoken.

Cruise Terminal, Port-Of-Spain, Trinidad

On our previous visit we took a tour of the island, but this time the weather was HOT, HOT, HOT!  We decided to stay in the air conditioned comfort on board the ship.  We caught up on our rest as well as our laundry. 

We’ve developed a pattern in our evening activities; we get together with friends for cocktails, then dinner, usually around 7:30 PM.  There is entertainment throughout the ship with an orchestra, a couple of pianists, a company of singers and dancers, and occasionally a movie shown in the main show lounge.  All of the entertainers are very good and we have thoroughly enjoyed it all.

This was our last port until we get into the Amazon River.  We have a couple of sea days, then a brief stop at the port of Macapá, Brazil to clear customs and immigration.  We won’t be leaving the ship, but the Brazilian officials will be coming aboard to complete their paperwork.