Sunday we toured the city of Manaus and were supposed to go by bus. Our local Guide, however, wanted to surprise us and do a tour of the fish market before we met the buses on the other side of the fish market. There were 70 of us trying to make our way down crowded sidewalks, stepping past stalls selling everything imaginable. When we entered the market, the first thing we saw were the knives chopping off heads of fish with guts flying everywhere and we had just had breakfast. Zigzagged our way through the fruit, vegetables
and lost half of the group which didn't make a turn in the market. By the time we got to the buses, it was a welcome relief to be in airconditioning.
We drove to the " wealthy" part of Manaus. The only wealthy-looking homes were condos. We did see a small favela (hillside slums) although nothing like Rio's favelas. The government is little-by-little removing the slums, building housing with running water and electricity and fixing the infrastructure in time for the World Cup in 2014. Then the buses stopped in a small town for a photo op, which I found very intrusive. Picture two buses and 70 people taking photos of your house.
We then drove to the center of town to the Opera House which is Manaus' pride and joy. Built in 1868, the Opera House was built by a slave population and over 1000 were killed in the construction. The indigenous Indian population was not used to working for hours on end, and many died from exhaustion and disease contracted from outsiders. Marble from Brazil was sent to England for cutting, Brazilian lumber was sent to France to make Louis XIV chairs and the House is beautiful. We just missed a concert and if we had not gone through the fish market, we would have seen it!
On Tuesday, Rick and I were sitting on a bench in the square in front of the Opera House and a very nattily dressed man stopped and asked: "Italiano?" We shook our heads and he said: "Espanol?' We shook our heads and finally he said "Anglaise?" When we said yes, he warned us to watch our valuables!
The greatest day so far was yesterday when we left early (0800) hours for an Amazon Adventure on the rivers on a large ferry. We rode past the industrial part of Manaus where thousands of containers were prepared to put on barges to push up the river by tugboats. We passed 4 gasoline stations anchored in the river for the horrendous river traffic, which is almost as bad as the automobile traffice in Manaus.
Although Brazil used to be famous for its rubber plantations, since synthetic rubber was invented, electronics is its main industry. Our ship is docked on the Rio Negra (black river), which is black because of the decomposition of matter on the floor of the river, and which is very acidic (tannic aciid) and therefore Manaus doesn't have mosquitoes because of the acidic water (or so they say).
Then we arrived at the meeting of the Rio Negra and the Amazon (which has another Indian name also). It is incredible to see the black river run alongside the brown, muddy Amazon! The Amazon flows from the Andes and carries water and sediments which makes it milky brown. The 2 rivers run side by side for 18 miles before they merge into one: the Amazon. The Rio Negra because it is black absorbs more sunlight than the Amazon, hence is warmer, and runs slower than the Amazon. The contrast between the two colors is very distinct and we'll probably never see anything like it again in our lifetimes.
Then we headed for the jungle, going through water with tall grasses that look like they were floating. This is just the beginning of the wet season which lasts through June and this area will get 6 feet or more of water. Lots of white herons and another colorful bird whose name I can't remember. It's not really a swamp because it is very clean. The village houses are either on stilts or are floating. The ferry docked at a restaurant and we all got into canoes, 12 to a canoe, two on each bench. There were 4 canoes and off we went. They are motorized and have a canopy, but it wasn't hot so it was fun, whizzing through the channels. We stopped to go see the oldest tree in the Amazon.
We landed on a dock and first we were given a look at the owner's pool where they keep fish. For a few rial he would bring the fish up. The first was a large catfish, and then he brought up two huge shark-like fish, called Pirarucu. They raise them until they're 6' long and then they eat it and get new babies to raise.
The lunch they served was delicious and huge. Bananas, pineapple, watermelon (everyday on the ship), lots of different salads, (which I didn't eat), chicken, beef and the kind of fish we saw in that pool! It was delicious. After lunch, the students were given bamboo poles with beef as bait and fished for piranha. The first fish caught was a baby catfish but several others caught pinranha which the Guides took off the hooks. The re-bellied is the most dangerous and Marshall caught one! Then we toured the huge lilypads.
The trip back on the ferry which was parked at the restaurant took an hour and we stood in the front of the boat trying vainly to dry our clothes. As soon as we got back to the ship, we showered and washed everything we had on, including our shoes which were very muddy. There has been no laundry since we entered the Amazon (no clean water to take on) and won't be until be get back into the Atlantic.
All in all, a very satisfying trip and day. The ship is like a ghost ship, hundreds flew to Rio and others are on overnight trips into the jungle! Sleeping in hammocks in mosquito-infested areas is not my idea of fun
Just came from briefing by American Embassy personnel (Ambassador couldn't make it), Brazilian college professor and the wife of the American Ambassador. Emphasis on continuation of good relations between US and Brazil. Brazil now 8th wealthiest nation in the world, soon to be 5th. One big problem in Brazil is racial bias. 50% of citizens are white, 40% brown, 5%, black and 2% yellow and something else. Funny, because Americans don't exactly use these terms. However, the government is providing health benefits, trying to improve education and has no debt. There's a concept! Another little problem is reforesting. Trying to educate owners of land that it isn't in anyone's best interests to destroy trees which provide much of the oxygen in the world and shouldn't be destroyed to plant corn, although corn is a huge portion of production, as 40% of automobiles are ethanol driven. Also found out that Portugal once had Rio de Janiero as its capital.
After this briefing (there were probably 50 people attending), there was a talent show by the students. Absolutely hilarious. Obviously thrown together at last minute, but these students thought it was the best thing they've ever seen. One girl did Ga Ga, another was a fiddle player, duets, ukelele player, rap, etc., with a finale of a rendition of Titanic, lyrics about SAS ship. The applause was constant, hooting and hollering! Been a long time since I've been around 600 students and their music. Glad I couldn't understand the lyrics! Now they are down there dancing and rocking the ship. We're only doing 11 knots (did 26 knots on the roughest day) Time for the oldtimers to hit the sack. Tomorrow is Reading day and no classes. Joan
After 2 days of rough sailing (probably 50% of the passengers were seasick), we arrived at the mouth of the Amazon Wed. night about 8 pm. The Captain had warned us that he was pulling in the stabilizers about 100 miles before the entrance to the Amazon because the entrance was too shallow. We were told to batten down the hatches because it could be rough. We secured everything in the cabin and went to bed. Never felt a thing. It will take us 3 days (1000 miles) to sail down the Amazon to Maneuse. We woke to fog and rain and couldn't see a thing. However, when it cleared it was incredible to see this river that looked like huge lake, brown water, green shores and today we even saw cattle and horses on the banks. Plenty of boats of every shape and size up and down the river. One man in an outboard circled the ship, videoing the entire time. Must have been plenty of passengers waving to him because he waved back the entire time.
We anchored yesterday afternoon in the middle of the river channel to pick up some diplomats (including the wife of the U.S. Ambassador), Brazilian officials and banking exchange personnel. I watched the crew put together a small dock and steps for them to board, using the same steps that we disembarked on from the 5th deck. But the amazing thing was that oil tankers, container ships and cruise ships were passing us on both sides!
The diplomats are lecturing tonight so I'm anxious to hear what they have to say. We are not flying to Rio de Janeiro like many passengers are but will stay on the ship and take day trips. We still have the extra bed and there is an airport in Maneuse! The humidity is high but will get higher in the rain forests obviously. On some of these trips inland, you sleep outside on the deck of the boat in hammocks, inches apart and we decided that that was not our cup of tea.
We finally got the computer fixed after a frustrating 4 days, and Rick will try to put photos on. Access to broad band is very limited as 600 students, faculty and staff are on computers all the time. The students have to pay for internet, but LLLs do not, which is great, if you can get on! If not, we'll try an internet cafe in Maneuse. Joan
Leaving port at Domenica, the seas were very rough and really rough all night. Didn't sleep all night, (Note: don't get a cabin near bow of ship) so we've been napping all afternoon, on our way to the Amazon. We'll pass over the equator before we enter the Amazon and it will take 2 days to get to Maneus, where we're going to be for 5 days. I'm now going to try to get on FB. I'm using the ship's computer and hate to use up time the students could be using, but....Jim: We can't send photos yet. Joan
We arrived in Dominicao this morning at 8 am amidst clouds, rain and fog in the mountains. We prepared for our trip ashore, whale & dolphin watching, with ponchos and cover-ups and by the time we had breakfast and it was time to disembark, it was sunny and hot. But that's the Caribbean. We went on a catamaran about 3 miles off shore and waited along with another boat. The 4 crewmen were hilarious and we did see several sperm whales. It was just great to be outside and off the ship for 4 hours. As soon as we couldn't see any whales, however, the girls mostly clad in itty-bitty bikinis, lay down on the net and sunbathed. I think Rick has more photos of them than of whales.
Dominica is located in the circle of islands which include Barbados in the south to Monserrate in the north. We sailed outside the circle where the ocean is very deep, 7000 meters.
The night before we dock in any port, there is a mandatory pre-port meeting in the Union with about 800 students, facultly, staff and LLLs. One speaker, an architect/ historian was especially interesting as he asked us to note how similar the architecture is in Dominica as it will be in Ghana, one of the centers of the slave trade selling slaves to the Caribbean countries. And it is.
But the funniest presentation was Dr. Bill, who is a hoot anyway, and his nurse, whose power point presentation didn't work so they wrote on big signs. Their advice to students always includes warnings while in port about excessive drinking, drugs and of course on a ship full of 20-year-olds, sex. (If you're too young. or too conservative to read about protected sex, STOP HERE. The first thing he said was that he had invented a "total body condom, and proceeded to show us how it worked. He first put a mask and snorkle on the nurse's face and then covered her from head to toe in a clear plastic bag. Needless to say, the entire auditorium was in stitches. But he made his point, that the only way to have safe sex was to use a condom, which by the way, are given away free outside the Health Center.
Then they had signs of things not to do: Don't get BIT; don't get HIT; don't do IT; don't get LIT and don't eat SHIT! (Fecal matter on food). The students got it all which was his intent.
Have to clear up some things. The noise at the rear of the ship the other night was due to reducing speed[ and releasing the clutch on the drive shaft. That's from Rick after talking to the Captain. We successfully refueled last night in San Juan, P.R. and took off the man with the bad knee and another student, whose father had died. Was still able to call Peta, Kylie, Marlene and Jana last night from P.R. The decks were filled with students calling home, I presume. Started our Global Studies class this morning which is going to be great but we don't have to be involved in the research groups, thank God. Everyone on board has to take the class. Today's lecture was on how maps lie! Tomorrow we land in Domenica and plan on a whale-watching trip. From now on, on Kylie's suggestion, we will sign off by name. If you have any questions, ask away. Joan
Just met a girl in the hallway who asked "Where's the nearest bathroom?" I didn't know because I was on my way to our cabin for the same thing, and NO I didn't invite her to use ours. Last night about 2000 hours, during a discussion of a book the entire ship is reading, it sounded as if the back of the ship was falling off and the noise scared all of us. Then we slowed to 13 knots, were told that we were refueling tonigy at 2000 hours, but it's really to drop off a passenger who hurt his knee. Now we're doing 19 knots in heavy swell and I'm not feeling so hot. Supposed to go to a class at 1335 but don't think I'll make it. Love interacting with the students. They are so bright, shy at first, but get them discussing some of the global issues we're studying, and they are very articulate, and of course, idealistic.
If our leaving Phoenix and arriving in Nassau is any indication of what lies ahead, we are going to have to be very patient and very flexible. The car picked us up at 9 pm after Delta told us that we could leave at 1 am instead of 4 am. We arrived at 10 pm with our 4 rolling duffle bags (so they could fit under our bed), got through security, went to the gate. About midnight, the gate advised us that we shouldn't go to Atlanta because the plane to Nassau wouldn't be able to leave Atlanta because of the weather, ice and snow. So we changed to another flight to Atlanta later in the morning. Had to switch our bags. Then we were advised that no planes were landing in Atlanta and Delta booked us through Detroit, Fort Lauderdale to Nassau. Had to make sure our bags got on that flight. Slept ? in the airport all night. Everything went well until we got to Fort Lauderdale when the ticket agent wouldn't approve our entering Nassau because we had one-way tickets! Had to produce letter from SAS declaring that we were "in transit", plus another student, and finally we were allowed to walk up steps to a twin-engine prop Bahamian plane. Our departure from Nassau this evening, Wednesday, was delayed because several other students could not get here because of bad weather.
We stayed Monday night at the Wyndham Resort in Nassau which is gorgeous. I was going to watch the Auburn/Oregon game but fell asleep (with my glasses on) until 8 am the next morning.
Boarding was hot and humid and we were finally on the MV Explorer. Our cabin is great, has a balcony, a hide-a-bed for visitors and a bathtub. Tuesday was spent unpacking and going to meetings. You know universities! Today was more meetings of the Life Long Learners (LLLs) the group we belong to and group meetings to meet faculty, ship captain, etc.There are 600 students, 60 LLLs, crew of 200 plus faculty and staff. Students are from 120 different universities, 60% female, 40% male - which means they have it made I guess.
I think my phone no longer works without paying so please log on here or e-mail us at Rick's address 1schlieb@gmail.com or me at rschlieb@juno.com. It's getting a little rough and we just advanced our clocks an hour so it's time for bed! We are excited to sail to Domenica.
Well, the first of many changes has occurred. Due to ice/snow storms in south, our flight out of Atlanta to Nassau tomorrow was cancelled, so instead of leaving at 7 a.m. tomorrow, we're leaving at midnight tonight and hope we aren't cancelled again to Nassau. We have to board the ship at noon on Tuesday and I assume many passengers are having the same problem. I wonder if they'll hold the ship for us? Ha!
Our bags are packed - 2 rolling duffles each plus carry-ons. Bags have to fit under the bed, hence duffles that collapse. Very difficult to pack - tropical for Brazil, Agra, India, Singapore and Vietnam, warm clothing for Hong Kong ,Beijing and Japan, then back to tropical for Hawaii. But I'm sure we'll manage.
