Bon Voyage

Finally!  January 12, 2014

Our cruise blog is off to a late start. But then….that only seems appropriate since we ourselves got off to an unexpectedly late start. We were unable to get out of Boston until 4 days after our scheduled flight to Florida. Holiday traffic, weather in the Northeast and the now infamous “Polar Vortex” were to blame. Delays, delays, cancellations….and more delays. Chuck started fantasizing about coming out of retirement and flying the plane himself!

But yay!! Jet Blue finally managed to deliver us to Fort Lauderdale where we were happy to relax and enjoy our “Welcome Aboard!” champagne on Queen Victoria!

Barbados

Barbados – January 16, 2014

Hey mon! Barbados weather is better than Boston weather!

It must be a little-known fact that there is a Concorde museum here because, with friends Larry and Ruthanne, we had the entire facility to ourselves. Barbados was one of the few places in the world that served Concorde as part of its scheduled service. We enjoyed a fabulous presentation that allowed us to experience the effects of the sound barrier breaking as well as a full tour of the Concorde itself. (Yes! The leather seats still exude that new plane smell!)

Fortaleza

Fortaleza – January 20

This is one of our favorite photos of Fortaleza….but it doesn’t represent the city at all. These were about the only buildings we saw with color….and without barbed wire! One of the first things we noticed upon leaving the cruise terminal was the strong presence of soldiers with automatic weapons. We’re definitely not in Barbados anymore! Yes….I’m saying that the camera lies! This next photo is a lot more representative….

While hiking to the beach with Ginny and Damon we got into some areas where we became extra alert and kept a bit closer together. (Especially since listening to the riveting presentations on board by John McCarthy who was kidnapped and held hostage in Beirut by Islamic Fundamentalists for 1,943 days in the late 80’s.)

Our biggest impressions of Fortaleza? Painted murals and tagging on….well, just about everything….

The highpoints on this VERY hot day all begin with the letter “B”: An open Bistro (seems most of Fortaleza is closed on Mondays) with Brazilian Beer (the coldest ever!!) and Bathrooms (clean!) Ahhhh….Bliss!!

Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro – January 24

There are some places where a picture is worth way more than a thousand words….and Rio is definitely one of those places. We headed to Corcovado mountain to see the giant statue of Christ the Redeemer which has recently been named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. We enjoyed a ride through the Tijucan Rainforest on the quaint cogwheel train to reach the peak. There was a group of locals in our car entertaining us with….what else??....samba music!

After lunch we managed a drive-by of Ipanema and Copacabana beaches. Our guide, Fernando, was kind enough to serenade us with a Portuguese version of “The Girl from Ipanema.”

The other must-see spot in Rio is Sugar Loaf Mountain. The summit is reached by cable car in two separate stages.

Montevideo

 Montevideo, Uruguay – January 27, 2014

 The port presenter on board told us that marijuana is now legal in Uruguay. Our free spirits, Ginny and Damon, decided to do Montevideo on their own to find out if it was true. They found out, unfortunately, that only citizens of Uruguay can buy pot. Who knew that at this stage of life we might have a use for fake IDs??!

Others of us headed out of the city to the famous seaside resort of Punta del Este, A landmark here is the interesting sculpture of a hand rising from the sand on the beach.

Casapueblo is the former home of noted Uruguayan artist Carlos Paez Vilaro. He built it in 1958 with his own hands. (Methinks he could share some DNA with a guy named Gaudi from Barcelona.) The home is now a museum and art gallery.

Located in the Beverly Hills of Punta del Este is the Ralli Museum which hosts a permanent exhibition of contemporary Latin-American art. It boasts significant works by Salvadore Dali....

....as well as some equally surreal images by other artists.

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires, Argentina – January 28, 2014

We had a private tour set up for the 6 of us and were down on Deck 1 as the ship came into port so we could hit the ground running. We then waited….and waited….and waited. There was some grumbling that the Argentine authorities were being obstructionist because Queen Victoria is an English ship and the Falkland Island incident of 1982 is still an open wound in this country. As a ship’s officer passed by, we asked if we had time to run and get a coffee. He responded, “You probably have time to build a house!”

By the time we got off the ship, it was pouring rain.  It seemed that it was going to be a day fit only for ducks…

It did eventually clear up enough for us to appreciate this beautiful European-like city that has been called “the Paris of South America.” Buenos Aires is a colorful and engaging city where it is usual to see people doing the tango on the city streets. That would have made a great photo op….but, because of the rain, the locals seem to have left their dancing shoes at home.  So I guess this sodden group of amigos will have to do instead!

Our excellent guide, Maria, took us to a delightful restaurant for lunch. Buenos Aires is the beef-eating capital of the world and servings are renowned for being hefty. Maria recommended beef de chorizo for us and it arrived true to form with no room on the plate for any other food groups!

We did notice during a later stop at a market place that, in fact, protein is not the only food group available here!

A high point of this day was our last stop at the ornate and splendid Recoleta Cemetery which is an above ground city of marble mausoleums….and the final resting place of Eva Peron.

NEWSFLASH: We now have a new Captain….a female!!! And we’re already noticing the effects. She actually reminds us to wear sunscreen before we go out in the hot sun….something no male Captain has ever done. I guess you could say that we’re now traveling on the “mother ship!”

POSTSCRIPT: I am currently reading Isabel Allende’s book, My Invented Country, in anticipation of our stops in Chile. She says that according to the Inter-American Development Bank, Latin America is one of the most violent areas of the world, second only to Africa! YIKES!!

Cape Horn

Rounding Cape Horn – February 1, 2014

Actually rounding the horn was surreal.  This was the reason most of us booked this cruise. We anticipated the rough seas for which Cape Horn is known….only to be met by a flat sea and no wind. We made a complete circle around Cape Horn, which is actually a large island. We popped the cork on a bottle of champagne here at the bottom of the world and celebrated on Larry and Ruthanne’s balcony with a Tierra del Fuego happy dance. (….and just a little more wine and champagne!!)

Ushuaia

Ushuaia, Argentina – February 2, 2014

Ushuaia is a nature lover’s delight. We spent the day on a catamaran visiting blue-eyed cormorants….

….sea lions (phew….their scent precedes them)….

….and most magical of all, a large colony of Magellan Penguins! I must say that the penguins seemed as curious about us as we did about them!

We convened in the Golden Lion Pub on board that night for the Super Bowl game where “American Fare” was being offered up for the Yanks. Being the food aficionados that we now are, we voted a unanimous two thumbs down on the culinary offerings. The Pub does a fantastic job on fish and chips with mushy peas….but on “American Fare”….not so much!

Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas, Chile – February 3, 2014

Our guide, Oscar, was an exchange student in the US and spoke perfect Michigan english. (For just a moment there I thought I was back in Grosse Pointe.) Our traveling companion, Ruthanne, is allergic to garlic so, of course, a photo op with this fellow selling garlic in the town square of Punta Arenas was a must!

We were already in need of another penguin fix….so we ventured out of town to take even more photos and videos of the charming little creatures. They actually dig burrows in the ground, much like prairie dogs! Who knew!?!

The road we traveled offered up all sorts of wildlife….sheep, flamingos, condors and, my favorite….this mama llama!

At lunch, the 6 of us ordered a calamari appetizer….envisioning the tasty fried morsels we get in the States. Instead we got these whole little creatures served in a bubbling inky black sauce that made it look like the legs were flailing around! (I was one of the few brave enough to try them….and, yes….fried is definitely better.) Ah, well….at least you can always count on the beer!! (It’s lots safer than the water!)

Amalia and Pio XI Glaciers

Amalia and Pio XI Glaciers – February 4-5, 2014

We spent two days cruising the magical fiords of southern Chile. No photograph can adequately capture the mystique of looming rock formations topped with mist and the brilliant blue hue of the glaciers themselves.

Puerto Montt

Puerto Montt, Chile – February 7, 2014

Puerto Montt is the hub of one of the largest salmon aquaculture industries in the world. So, of course, our first stop was the fish market where we could see fresh fish coming right off the fishing boats.

We were driven out to the German-style village of Frutillar in the picturesque Chilean Lake District. The restaurant we went to for lunch was pure bliss….

It was reached by a steep twisting and turning dirt road accessible only by four wheel drive. And then….nothing but fragrant fields of lavender with sailboats off in the distance….

….and even a cute little Westie named Bruce!

Valparaiso

Valparaiso, Chile

Pitcairn Island

Pitcairn Island – February 16, 2014

Pitcairn Island is best known as home to the descendants of the infamous Bounty mutineers. The mutineers, led by Fletcher Christian, landed on remote Pitcairn while seeking a hideaway from Captain Bligh and British naval justice. Our friends, Don and Marilyn, from Arizona and from our 2008 world cruise on Queen Victoria, have been on Pitcairn since Christmas. They are staying with relatives of Fletcher Christian. The ship was scheduled to just do a sail by of Pitcairn. But after a flurry of emails between Don and our ship, it was arranged that the islanders would be able to come out to Queen Victoria and sell their handicrafts. The entire population (all 52 of them!) plus Don and Marilyn came out to the ship in their longboat. They set up tables and sold their wares to the tune of almost $40,000 and also did a presentation on life on Pitcairn. It was a fantastic morning….and, yes….we celebrated by popping the cork on yet another bottle of bubbly!