We swear the sea days get busier as we head towards French Guiana and infamous Devil's Island. For one thing, it was difficult waking up for one of us this morning after putting the clocks ahead once again. Now we are on UTC – 3/ Brasilia time, which is two hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. We should be on this time zone until we head back from the Amazon River in a week or so.
There were two other guests sitting in the Pinnacle Grill for breakfast this morning, since we think most everyone else slept in late. It was closer to 8:15am when the rest of the regulars appeared. Now we get a full carafe of hot coffee, which saves the waiters from filling the cups so often. When we sailed on the Nieuw Statendam two years ago, each of us had our own insulated carafe. So much better as the coffee stayed hot. We have not ordered the complimentary mimosas, but then, they have not been offered either. Normally, we each have one on Sundays. Why, no special reason…once a week works for us.
We received two notices this morning. One dealt with the security information on Brazil. The letter began stating that we are living in a changing world. HAL decided to go into detail regarding caution while in the upcoming ports. Dress down, leave the jewelry onboard, and don't take a lot of cash or credit cards. Be aware of our surroundings, and take care with purses, wallets, and cameras. One suggestion was to be suspicious of anyone approaching you and speaking good English. We do not expect problems in the Amazon, but it is always good advice to be careful no matter where we go.
The other notice dealt with health info in regions with extreme heat and humidity. They added that up to 50% of travelers develop some sort of gastrointestinal upset. Things to remember is to not drink the local water or have drinks with ice. Bring your own from the ship. You cannot always trust bottled water bought onshore as these can be filled with tap water and resealed to look new. All food should be cooked well and served hot (how about that?) Avoid raw shellfish, cold cuts, salads and watermelon, as well as puddings. Consume only peeled veggies and fruit as they are washed in local water. Wash your hands and use hand sanitizer frequently. Last but not least, do not leave the veranda door opened as it messes with the ship's air conditioning. Also attracts bugs like mosquitoes. Don't need that.
The seas were acting up more today as we sailed off of the northern coast of Suriname. And we noticed that all of the masked and brown boobies that had been following us were gone. There were many flying fish of all sizes, but no hunters. The fish will survive another day. After our morning hike around the promenade deck, we headed up to the Seaview Pool to take in some sun. It was quite windy and cool on our veranda, so the pool area provided some sun. As warm and humid as it was yesterday, today it got almost cool and cloudy in the late afternoon.
Listening to Kimberly's port talk on Devil's Island, Alter de Chao and Boca Da Valeria, we took notes and figured out what we will do in those ports. We have had the pleasure of visiting all of those spots several times in past years. And from the looks of the talk and video, not much has changed, especially Devil's Island. That has to be one of the most haunted places we have ever visited and remains so to this day in our humble opinion. Doing extra research on the history as well as reading the book Papillon, we think that is the clue to getting an in depth feel for the former penal colony. We do hope that the predicted rain showers stay away or else many of us will be dealing with the red-tinged mud from the pathways around the island of Ile Royale. And it is also a tender port, so we think not everyone will wish to go there.
The Linus Project has begun with a large sit, knit & needlework in the Ocean Bar area. It has been fascinating seeing what the ladies (and some fellows) create during this long voyage. And all for a good cause.
A lecturer by the name of Joao Bosco spoke all about the rubber boom as well as the bull festival boom-ba in Brazil. His talk was very informative and well attended. While the lecture was in progress, so were the dance class, pickleball instructions, a poker tournament, and a bridge class. There was coloring for adults, a watercolor painting class, and later after lunch there was arts and crafts. Although we have not checked it out, we guarantee the class was full. The classes are divided up into groups now. We also need to get out and about to watch the ballroom dancing in the Ocean Bar. There were three sessions of trivia as well. Always popular with many passengers.
Also popular with the guests is Happy Hour, which happens from 3:30 to 4:30pm and again from 6 to 7pm. There is a 50% discount on all cocktails, wine, beers and house spirits. As for us, we have been enjoying a cocktail in our room right before dinnertime.
And some good news we think……we got an email from the visa service we used for Brazil, and our visas have been granted. Originally we were informed that the duration was for two years. However, we have been given electronic visas good for 10 years. Although we do not require them for this trip now, they will come in handy the next time we find ourselves in Brazil. All in all, it took 26 days to come through and we never had to produce any extra documents or photos.
Tonight was the first "pop-up" dinner in the Pinnacle Grill with Tamarind, although we did not notice fewer folks in the dining room. Our waiters have been very good in serving us our food nice and hot. For us it really makes a difference and we let them know that we appreciate their efforts. Split pea soup was excellent as were our mains of a pork chop and pork belly, the Club Orange selection. Desserts were a tiny strawberry tart and a scoop of frozen blueberry yogurt. With the entertainment beginning at 9:30pm in the World Stage, most all of the diners leave the room by 9:15pm to get seats. This show this evening was sort of a mystery. It was described as a unique musical visionary with David and Dawn Meyer. We will have to touch base with friends Greg and Heo and get their critique.
Catching up on last night's lost sleep should not be a problem tonight. And while we are thinking of it, we are happy to report that the wifi in our room has been very good. We don't have to open the door to get a better connection on this ship.
Bill & Mary Ann
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