Welcome to The Gambia!
We heard drumming outside our sliding door. We were getting ready for breakfast to be sure we arrived on time for our 8:45 pickup. We had booked a car for the day (you will read more about that in future … Continue reading Welcome to The Gambia!
Praia Gallery
I wrote about Palm Sunday and music in Paria 202in an earlier post. I don’t have much to add except that the city has spruced up a lot in the last 7 years, with new paint and continued restoration of … Continue reading Praia Gallery
“I Could Live Here”
When we were in Cabo Verde seven years ago I fell in love. I thought “I could live here.” I have agreed to live in places that I had never visited. I visited here, albeit for only a day, but … Continue reading “I Could Live Here”
Africa Starters’ Kit, Cabo Verde
In a strange way Cabo Verde reminds me of Singapore. Singapore is a good place for Americans who think Southeast Asia is outside their comfort zone to begin their exploration. It eases you in. It’s clean, orderly and feels safe. … Continue reading Africa Starters’ Kit, Cabo Verde
A Day Too Early…A Day Too Late. Cabo Verde
The Kriol Jazz Festival in Praia ended last night (Saturday, April 12) and I wasn’t there. Last night we were on Volendam heading from Mindelo on Sao Vincente Island in Cabo Verde to Praia, the capital. Missed it by a … Continue reading A Day Too Early…A Day Too Late. Cabo Verde
Brazilian Memories
Brazil casts a long shadow. I am sitting in the stateroom listening to “Brazilian Memories” from David Amram’s “No More Walls” album. When we first started KAXE it was a real ear opener, with music from different genres and lands … Continue reading Brazilian Memories
The Isles of Salvation
Îles du Salut in Fr2025ench. So called because missionaries from the mainland of South America sought refuge from disease on these three islands, just 11 km (6 nautical miles) from the coast. The three islands are named Isle Royale, St. … Continue reading The Isles of Salvation
Gil Serique Redux. Alter do Chão
Normally Gil Serique’s tour in his hometown of Alter do Chão, about a 40 minute drive from Santarėm, is a little over 5 hours and includes a drive through Henry Ford’s town of Belterra and a walk in the Tapajós … Continue reading Gil Serique Redux. Alter do Chão
Life Along the Big River
We left the Amazon about a week ago but I am still sorting pictures and sifting through my thoughts. This is a photo gallery will remind me of an area where the river rises annually and people build houses to … Continue reading Life Along the Big River
With Gil in Santarėm
Going on an Amazon Adventure with Gil Sirique is kind of like going to Catholic mass. It is a multi-sensory experience that, at sometime during the event, engages each and all your senses. Of course it’s different from the mass, … Continue reading With Gil in Santarėm
Crossing the Line
Are Poseidon, Neptune, Njördr, and Manannán mac Lir separate sea gods for the Greeks, Romans, Norse and Celts or are they manifestations of the same being? Certainly, they are manifestations of the same spirit of the sea. I am particularly … Continue reading Crossing the Line
Halfway, Manaus
Sometimes going to museums is sobering. The Manaus the Provincial Palace started as a home for a rubber baron who went broke when the Brazilian rubber market crashed. The Englishman Mr. Henry Wickham (you will hear more of him in … Continue reading Halfway, Manaus
A Gallery of Riverboats.
As far as I can tell Viking River Cruises has not yet discovered the Amazon. It is a pity because there is so much to see. Fortunately, for us, Holland America does cruise the Amazon and on three cruises we … Continue reading A Gallery of Riverboats.
Red and Blue, Boi Bomba Redux
Americans are used to the divide between red and blue, as in red state, blue state. But in Parintins, Brazil, on the Amazon, it has a whole different meaning. Every year at the end of June, Brazil’s third largest party, … Continue reading Red and Blue, Boi Bomba Redux
Meetings of the Waters
(Plural Intentional) Along the Amazon there are places where rivers join but because of differences in qualities of the water they do not mix for miles. The most famous in at Manaus where the Rio Negro meet the Amazon. The … Continue reading Meetings of the Waters
Too Thick to Navigate, Too Thin to Plow
John Hartford included those words in a song about the Ohio River. A version of the line was originally attributed to Mark Twain as “Too thick to drink, too thin to plow” about the Missouri. As we rode in a … Continue reading Too Thick to Navigate, Too Thin to Plow
River Day (Not a Sea Day.)
Today our ocean cruise became a river cruise. Last night we crossed the bar and we woke up this morning in the Amazon River. The river runs west-southwest from its mouth, which is just above the equator. So, we crossed … Continue reading River Day (Not a Sea Day.)
The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
It’s sea day just short of halfway through the cruise and I am stringing together a group of little notes that I made to describe things that didn’t make it into the main blog posts. The Good, the Bad and … Continue reading The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
Fortaleza
The forecast called for thunderstorms but the only rain we encountered was at sail-in which granted us a full rainbow as we pulled into the city. Many of the Fortaleza tours centered around the beaches and it was tempting. But … Continue reading Fortaleza
A 21st Century Tardis, Recife
This is our third visit to Recife but the first time we were able to walk from the spiffy modern cruise terminal to the old town. In the past we were given dire warnings about the dangers of the street … Continue reading A 21st Century Tardis, Recife
Lower Town, Salvador, Bahia
When we visited Salvador Bahia, I wanted to go back to the Sao Francisco Jesuit church. The baroque interior is completely covered in gold leaf. St. Francis would be appalled, and I hope, so would Pope Francis. I wanted to … Continue reading Lower Town, Salvador, Bahia
A Dance, A Game or a Martial Art?
On the ship we have a Brazilin interpretive team, cultural ambassadors, “Oi Brasil” Hello Brazil. The 10-member team has lecturers, dancers, musicians, and arts and crafts experts. I enjoyed lectures, dance demonstrations (although I am not a participant) and drumming … Continue reading A Dance, A Game or a Martial Art?
A Walk through Buenos Aires
Another Photo Gallery. On Day two in Buenos Aires we actually hopped off the bus at an area that was originally supposed to be the port area for the city. It had canals and docks for ships that were cut … Continue reading A Walk through Buenos Aires
No Time to Hop Off.
A photo gallery. The Gray Line Hop on Hop Off bus is a good way to get around this sprawling city with a 15 million metro population. The tour shows off this city of monuments, broad boulevards, green and leafy … Continue reading No Time to Hop Off.