January 23, 2020, Buenos Aires. One year ago, my dollar would buy just under 38 Argentine pesos. Today it buys somewhere around 62 at the official rate and 80 on the black market. Argentina has undergone massive inflation and devaluation. … Continue reading Black and Blue Tango
January 22, 2020, Iguassu Falls National Park, Argentina The movie “The Mission” opens with a dramatic scene where a Jesuit missionary priest is tied to a cross by angry Guarani people and sent down a towering waterfall. That fall is … Continue reading All Senses Engaged
January 21, 2020, Iguazu, Argentina. When you check into the Grand Hotel Melia Iguazu on the Argentine side the clerk reminds you to keep the door to your balcony closed. If you don’t, monkeys will come in and rob your … Continue reading Is That a Serbian Flag?
January 21, Iguassu Falls, Brazil Lonely planet describes it as a conga line and they are not far from wrong. The Brazilian side of Iguassu falls is crowded with people walking along catwalks from one scenic point to another, stopping … Continue reading A Conga Line (Iguassu Falls, Brazil)
January 20, 2020 Rio You know you’re in Rio when you stand on the rooftop of a Copacabana hotel. Eyes left you see Sugarloaf. Eyes right, you see Copacabana fort. Eyes forward you have Copacabana Beach. Eyes down the Copa … Continue reading Intermission
January 19. 2020, Rio In San Francisco an earthquake brought down the Embarcadero freeway giving the city a chance to revitalize its waterfront making it more pleasant for pedestrians, streetcars and allowing a vibrant waterfront district to emerge. Seattle is … Continue reading Planned Graffiti
On our way to the “Venice and Brazil” tour the bus took us to the “Cultural Center,” which is an old prison with cells converted into stalls for crafts people. The bus took us past the old fort, through downtown. … Continue reading Stay Safe in Recife.
We are not booking many tours on this trip but are getting off the ship to see what we can see. However, in Recife I wanted to take the “Venice of Brazil” tour, that would take us on a ride … Continue reading Amsterdam in Brazil, Canals and Tolerance
January 13, 2020, Belem Brazil You could say the riverfront of Belem, Brazil has gone to seed but gone to spore is more accurate. Along the river old buildings, some must have been grand in their day, covered with Portuguese … Continue reading Delta Town, Belem, Brazil
January 11, 2020 It was officially called Bange de Cayenne (Cayenne Penal Colony) or Bange. Informally it was tagged “the dry guillotine” because most of the 80,000 people sentenced there died before their sentence was up. Many of the rest … Continue reading Hotel in Hell, Devil’s Island
My last two posts were from Dominica and St. Lucia. On each evening we sailed out of port at about 5 PM and did some scenic cruising along the coast of each island and were treated to beautiful sunsets and … Continue reading Sea Days, Sunsets and iPhones
January 9, 2020 In Dominica the touts were obnoxious. We ran the gauntlet of operators trying to get us into their cab or boat. When I said “no”, politely, I got a somewhat cross “Why?” One driver followed us up … Continue reading Diamonds International. It must be the Caribbean
Getting off Amsterdam in Roseau, Dominica, a steel band played calypso to the counterpoint groaning and rasping of the ship rising and falling against its fenders. Beyond the harborside soundscape you plunge into the real thing. A rich mix of … Continue reading Riding Out the Storm, Dominica
Pop and “Uncle” Ed, one of those honorary uncles who had been one of pop’s army buddies, built a cabin cruiser in Ed’s garage. It was a 16-footer made from a kit. They proudly trailered “The Laurel” to a marina … Continue reading Which Amsterdam?
Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travelers don’t know where they’re going. –Paul Theroux. If that’s the case everyone on the MS Amsterdam’s 2020 world cruise is a confirmed traveler. The first half of the cruise went pretty much as … Continue reading 2020 MS Amsterdam Grand World Voyage.
It is navigational dawn. That means I can just make out the horizon. It’s 6:14 AM and I am too excited to sleep. I am watching a parade of Cruise Ships entering Port Everglades. Right now, I’m watching a Celebrity … Continue reading Too Excited to Sleep