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Live from the 2019 Grand South America and Antarctica Voyage


Scrapnana
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March 6, 2019

At Sea

 

It is winter again as early this morning we crossed the Equator.  We had a relatively cool day but it was very humid.

 

I spent my morning with the Knitters and Stitchers.  We had about ten present.

Patty and I left for lunch around 11:30.

 

We had 17 out of 20 for afternoon trivia and we tied with two other teams for the win.

1) In what year was the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II?

2) What flower’s name comes from a Persian word for “turban”?

3) What sport comes from the Greek “to train or exercise naked”?

4) Mycology is the study of what?

5) William Griffith Wilson and Dr. Robert Holbrook Smith founded what organization in 1935?

 

In arts and crafts we started a dream catcher which we will finish tomorrow.

 

I spent most of the afternoon working on yesterday’s blog.

 

Since the Officers’ Black and Gold Ball was tonight, I decided to eat early.  Paige from the spa joined us at the table.  It was a Gala Night.

 

Evening trivia was at 7:30 due to the altered schedule necessitated by the Ball.  We had 18 out of 23 but three teams tied with 19.

1) What river flows through Baghdad?

2) What is the driest inhabited continent?

3) Of all the mammals, which lives the longest?

4) What is the capital of British Colombia?

5) The Alps are in which countries?

 

At 9:30 the Ball was held in the Showroom.  There were a number of empty seats.  We watched the dancing for about 20 minutes and then left.

 

Our pillow gift was a guide to Amazon wildlife.

 

Afternoon trivia

1) 1953

2) Tulip

3) Gymnastics

4) Fungus

5) Alcoholics Anonymous

 

Evening trivia

1) Tigris

2) Australia

3) Man

4) Victoria

5) Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, Monaco, Germany, Slovenia, and Lichtenstein

 

Smooth sailing until next time!

Edited by Scrapnana
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March 7, 2019

Cruising the Amazon River

 

Summer is back!  We crossed the Equator again early this morning.  One day of winter is plenty for me.

 

The schedule was changed a little today because of our entrance into the Amazon River.  Heather (the EXC guide) started commentary at 10 am but it was pouring rain (it is the rainy season) and the difference of the inside and outside temperatures fogged up the windows in the Crow’s Nest.  A few of the facts she gave us about the river and the Amazon basin:

·       The Amazon discharges more water into the ocean than the next seven rivers put together

·       The headwaters of the river is in Peru

·       The Amazon drainage basin covers about 40% of the South American continent

·       There is some disagreement as to whether the Amazon or Nile is the longest river in the world

 

Knitters and Stitchers was scheduled for 11:00 because of the commentary but most of the group showed up at the usual time.  We had a total of about ten present.

 

Due to a Jewelry and Watch auction in the Ocean Bar at 1:30, we had trivia at 12:30.  We had 12 out of 19 but two teams tied with 13.

1) In boxing, where does a rabbit punch land?

2) What is the name of the narrator of Moby Dick?

3) Stephen Perry patented what organizational device in 1845?

4) What entertainer’s wedding prompted NBC to order 10,000 tulips?

5) What four things did Ernest Hemingway say he had to do to be a man?

 

Pat and I went to lunch in the Lido before going to arts and crafts where we finished our dream catchers.  Afterwards, Pat knitted while I tried to figure out what I wanted to do in port tomorrow.

 

Before getting ready for dinner I spent about a half hour on my deck looking at the muddy waters of the Amazon and the rainforest on each side.

 

We had 13 out of 20 for evening trivia.  Two teams tied for the win with 15.

1) Who was the first actress to demand and receive a million dollars for a role?

2) In mythology, Harpies have the heads of women and the bodies of ___.

3) Howard Hughes’ plane the Spruce Goose was actually made from what kind of wood?

4) Which entertainer has won 2 Oscars, 5 Emmys, 7 Grammys, 7 Golden Globes, and a special Tony?

5) Which came first – jello, Peter Pan peanut butter, Spam, French’s mustard, Good Humor ice cream bar, or Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum?

 

Phillip and I were the only ones at the dinner table.  I had cold blueberry soup (very good), chicken and steak satay (delicious), beef tri-tips (so-so) and a peach crisp for dessert.

 

Ann, Pat, Patty, and I watched the Brazilian Dance Night which was kind of a dud.  I did not go to the comedian’s show.

 

On the way back to my cabin I turned in the pencils I had bought for the school in Boca da Valeria where we go on Saturday.

 

Afternoon trivia

1) Back of the neck

2) Ishmael

3) Rubber band

4) Tiny Tim

5) Fight a bull, father a son, write a book, and plant a tree (this was the bonus question)

 

Evening trivia

1) Elizabeth Taylor

2) Birds

3) Birch

4) Barbra Streisand

5) Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum in 1893 (bonus question)

 

Smooth sailing until next time!

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March 8, 2019

Santarem, Brazil

 

I never could find anything that I wanted to do today.  It was a two-mile (one-way) walk into the city and there was no shuttle.  You could take a taxi (I heard they were charging $10 each way) but there was nothing I really wanted to see so I stayed by the pier where they had a small handicraft fair. 

 

Pat and I left the ship around 10 am and were back by 11.  We knitted in the Crow’s Nest until we had a late lunch.

 

Afternoon trivia was at 4 pm.  Patty was not back from her excursion and Sherita came in towards the end.  We had 15 out of 20.  The winners had 18.

1) From 1815-1821, Longwood House was the involuntary residence of whom?

2) Bathing caps were originally invented to prevent what in pools?

3) Goya was what nationality?

4) Demi Moore was in what soap opera?

5) What pop star’s first and middle names are “Kathryn Dawn”?

 

I spent some time out on my deck after getting ready for dinner.  I was able to see some of the city of Santarem as we sailed away.

 

We had 16 out of 20 in evening trivia.  The winners had 17.

1) What was voted the most popular film of all time in Israel and Sweden in 1990?

2) What country comes last alphabetically?

3) What is the only Arab country without a desert?

4) What fast food franchise has the most locations world-wide?

5) What country administers New Caledonia?

 

All of us were present for dinner but I left before dessert to go to Name That Tune.  I had fruit and ham for dinner.

 

Pat, Patty, Sherita and I won Name That Tune with 16 out of 18.  We stayed and listened to Stevie for awhile so I did not go to the show.

 

Afternoon trivia

1) Napoleon Bonaparte

2) Clogged drains

3) Spanish

4) General Hospital

5) k. d. lang

 

Evening trivia

1) Pretty Woman

2) Zimbabwe

3) Lebanon

4) Subway

5) France

 

Smooth sailing until next time!

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On 2/7/2019 at 11:24 AM, jakkojakko said:

Not just South georgia. All expedition cruises landing passengers ashore in the antarctic have to do this and dissinfect boots after every landing. This is also true for Spitsbergen.

 

Interesting, we stopped at Ny Alesund in 2012 on the former Ocean Princess and didn't have to go through any such inspections or boot washing, so this must have changed for Spitsbergen since then.

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Kathy, I know you're a little beyond Antarctica now, but something was brought up on our roll call for next year in Antarctica that caught me by surprise and I thought to ask you about it.

 

It's been stated by a member of our roll call that an FCC on some 'dam ship said that HAL offers/gives heavy coats to passengers for use on board.  I don't think this was the case in 2010/2011 when we were there on Veendam (we never saw any such thing) and I haven't seen it mentioned by you, Sherita or Roy but thought I'd ask.  Did you see anything like this on this cruise? 

 

Thanks!  Am enjoying your blog.... :classic_biggrin:

Edited by 0bnxshs
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1 hour ago, 0bnxshs said:

 

Interesting, we stopped at Ny Alesund in 2012 on the former Ocean Princess and didn't have to go through any such inspections or boot washing, so this must have changed for Spitsbergen since then.

Correct, we didn't have to either, but that is because it is a small town with a dock.. Anytime you land there in the wildernis with the zodiacs however , disinfection is mandatory.

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2 hours ago, 0bnxshs said:

It's been stated by a member of our roll call that an FCC on some 'dam ship said that HAL offers/gives heavy coats to passengers for use on board.  I don't think this was the case in 2010/2011 when we were there on Veendam (we never saw any such thing) and I haven't seen it mentioned by you, Sherita or Roy but thought I'd ask. 

There were no heavy coats passed out when I was there on HAL in '02, '08, or '13. Nor have I ever heard of such a thing in any year.
I know some cruise lines do issue very heavy coats, but not HAL to my knowledge.

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I'm pretty sure the only cruise lines that issue coats also do landings in Antarctica.  I saw a lot of people from the Fram wearing them in Port Stanley and it probably makes sense to have a distinctive coat to make people stand out in such an isolated location.

 

We did not get them when I went to Antarctica on Crystal although we did for the Northwest Passage.  I think Seabourn (whose ships are just small enough to allow landings) does issue coats.

 

Roy

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41 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

I'm pretty sure the only cruise lines that issue coats also do landings in Antarctica.  I saw a lot of people from the Fram wearing them in Port Stanley and it probably makes sense to have a distinctive coat to make people stand out in such an isolated location.

 

We did not get them when I went to Antarctica on Crystal although we did for the Northwest Passage.  I think Seabourn (whose ships are just small enough to allow landings) does issue coats.

 

Roy

 

Seabourn definitely provides parkas and puffy liner jackets to wear with or without the parka, on their Antarctica cruises.  The Zodiac expeditions in Antarctica are included free of charge, or as I call it "pre-paid".  :classic_smile:

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9 hours ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

Nice looking ferries.

 

Enjoy the pictures that you were able to take from the ship.  The vendors on the pier look busy.

They were doing a fairly brisk business.  A number of us noted that they knew quite a bit of English which made transactions easier.

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March 9, 2019

Boca da Valeria, Brazil

 

Boca da Valeria is a small village (population about 100) at the junction of the Valeria and Amazon Rivers.  Most people make their money from fishing.  A few ships stop here – five are scheduled for this year and nine next year.

 

We were told to go armed with many dollar bills.  People come in from the surrounding area and dress up, bring their sloths, birds, snakes, etc.  and expect (even though I did not hear any directly ask)  $1 for a picture.  Some of the children want to show you around although I did not see many passengers taking advantage of this service.  Crafts are available for purchase – mainly carved wooden items.  The villagers also offer boat rides for $5 per person.

 

Sherita, Pat, and I took the tender over at about 9:30 and walked around, bought a few things, and took lots of pictures.  I met up with some nasty ants that seemed to enjoy bug repellant (I had to spray anti-itch medicine on my feet when I returned.

 

We returned just after 11 and met up shortly later for some knitting in the Crow’s Nest.  Sherita and I went to lunch in the Lido a little after 1 and stayed their and knitted until afternoon trivia. We had 12 out of 18 and the winners had 14 correct.

1) In what country does the Rhine get to the sea?

2) What element has the atomic number of 3?

3) San Diego’s Balboa Park was built to commemorate what?

4) What fictional character lives at 344 Clinton Street, Apartment 3D?

5) In what language was the Magna Carta written?

 

I spent about a half hour on my deck watching life on the Amazon.

 

In evening trivia we tied two other teams with 16 out of 18 but, once again, lost the tie-breaker.

1) Liberty Island (where the Statue of Liberty is) was known as what until 1956?

2) What wiped out Napoleon’s Caribbean troops and ended his plans to colonize in the New World?

3) Which Queen hit did Sylvester Stallone almost use as the theme for Rocky III?

4) What sport is featured in 1985’s Vision Quest?

5) What was the ultimate destination of most people using the Underground Railroad?

 

All of us were present for dinner.  I had scallop ceviche, a spring roll, pot roast, and a strawberry sundae.

 

I sat with Pat and Tom in the Ocean Bar (she was starting her 5th baby sweater and she has only been knitting for about six weeks) before going to the show.  It was the MacDonald Brothers second show and once again they received a standing ovation.  Unfortunately, they get off tomorrow.

 

We have only our second time change for the cruise tonight and we gain an hour of sleep.

 

Afternoon trivia

1) Netherlands

2) Lithium

3) The opening of the Panama Canal

4) Clark Kent (Superman)

5) Latin

 

Evening trivia

1) Bedloe Island

2) Yellow fever

3) Another One Bites the Dust

4) Wrestling

5) Canada

 

Smooth sailing until next time!

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7 hours ago, Scrapnana said:

They were doing a fairly brisk business.  A number of us noted that they knew quite a bit of English which made transactions easier.

 

They are smart to learn English -- attracts more people and people are willing to spend when they can converse with the vendors.

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20 hours ago, RuthC said:

There were no heavy coats passed out when I was there on HAL in '02, '08, or '13. Nor have I ever heard of such a thing in any year.
I know some cruise lines do issue very heavy coats, but not HAL to my knowledge.

 

Thanks Ruth, that's the way I recall as well.

 

19 hours ago, rafinmd said:

I'm pretty sure the only cruise lines that issue coats also do landings in Antarctica.  I saw a lot of people from the Fram wearing them in Port Stanley and it probably makes sense to have a distinctive coat to make people stand out in such an isolated location.

 

We did not get them when I went to Antarctica on Crystal although we did for the Northwest Passage.  I think Seabourn (whose ships are just small enough to allow landings) does issue coats.

 

Roy

 

19 hours ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

Seabourn definitely provides parkas and puffy liner jackets to wear with or without the parka, on their Antarctica cruises.  The Zodiac expeditions in Antarctica are included free of charge, or as I call it "pre-paid".  :classic_smile:

 

Thanks Roy and StLouisCruisers. 

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March 10, 2019

Manaus, Brazil

 

We docked in Manaus just before 10 am.  I will tell more about the history of the city tomorrow because I am taking a half day city tour.  Today we spent on the water.

 

I was on another Do Brazil Right tour, a full day boat tour.  We were to meet at 10:30 but once again most people were there long before that (as a result I had to sit towards the back of the boat).  The guide gave commentary for about the first 45 minutes but, because of the engine noise, those of us in the back could hear nothing.

 

Our first destination was the Meeting of the Waters, the confluence of the Rio Negro (the darker water) and the Amazon (sandy colored).  The distinction was very evident.  As I mentioned before, the waters do not mix because of the differences in temperature, water density and speed.

 

From there we went to the fish feeding.  The write-up for the tour mentioned piranha fishing but instead we went to where some large fish were (using the guide we were given, I think they were Arapaima).  If you wanted you could “fish” by dangling a pole with a small fish on it over the tank and watch the Arapaima (maybe) snap them up.  They were quite fierce and you could hear their jaws snap shut.

 

It was then time for lunch at a restaurant on the water that served Amazonian food.  The watermelon and the pineapple were delicious as were the mini bananas.  I also had rice and beans and some tomatoes and cucumbers.  The main course was different types of fish which I did not try.  We then had time to look at the handicrafts and you could walk into the forest to see some monkeys and giant lily pads.  I opted not to walk into the forest because you had to go up a steep ramp.

 

We then left and passed under the Manaus-Iranduba bridge, headed for the pink dolphins.  These dolphins begin as a gray color but as they mature become more pink.  The males are pinker than the females but still often have some gray. 

 

I had brought along my swimsuit so I could get in the water with the dolphins.  They allowed five people in at a time and the dolphins were fed fish.  We were not supposed to touch them but they had no such restrictions and, at one point, at least three were up against me trying to get to the fish.  The few minutes we spent in the water passed way too quickly.  I opted to stay in my bathing suit and pulled some clothes over it for the rest of the day.

 

Our last stop of the day was at a village of the Dessanos and Tucanos indigenous people.  They performed for us and then we had time to look at their crafts and wander around. I was once again attacked by ants that are Deet-proof (my foot itched most of the way back!).

 

It took about an hour to get back to the pier.  By the time I walked to the shuttle and got back on the ship it was 6:15.  I had just enough time to shower and change for 7:00 trivia.

 

Only Pat, Patty, Sherita, and I played (although Tom sat with us since we did not have a full team.  We had 12 out of 18 with two teams tying with 13.

1) How many stars are on the current logo for Paramount pictures?

2) How many lungs do snakes have?

3) In what country did Venetian blinds originate?

4) What is the collective noun for a group of bears?

5) What is the highest number in the target area of a shuffleboard court?

 

Ann was nice enough to write down the questions and answers from afternoon trivia so I have some to include .

1) What European nation invented the clock pendulum in 1657?

2) Name a literary term from the Greek meaning to “run back again”.

3) What rock star’s 1971 death was kept a secret for 6 days?

4) What is the last sentence of Gone With the Wind?

5) Name the top three countries that have the most Christians.

 

There was a local cultural show at 8 pm (repeated at 10 which is unusual but likely because there was a large number of people going to the opera house for a performance this evening).  It featured three types of traditional dances – Capoeira (combines dance, music, and acrobatics), Carimbo, and Boi Bumba (more about that in a few days).

 

I had room service for dinner and had a roast beef panini (which was very good) and a piece of chocolate layer cake (the good kind was back!).

 

I spent a few minutes looking at the lights of Manaus from my deck after I finished my dinner.

 

Early morning tomorrow!

 

Evening trivia

1) 22

2) 1

3) Japan (go figure!)

4) Sleuth

5) 10

 

Afternoon trivia

1) Netherlands

2) Palindrome

3) Jim Morrison

4) “After all, tomorrow is another day.”

5) US, Brazil, and Mexico

 

Smooth sailing until next time!

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