Don't Cry for Me

 

If things had gone as planned with the 3-year cruise I signed up for in March 2023 (all my money was refunded), I would have spent four days this month in Argentina. The first city we would have visited is Buenos Aires, the capital of the country. Two days isn’t enough for this big, cosmopolitan city. However, the weather cooperated, was only 81 degrees, with pleasant humidity. It’s summer there, and these conditions would have been a welcome relief from the tropics.

It's yet another coastal city with gorgeous neoclassical architecture. I would have taken an organized half day city tour first ($55/adult), since it’s so large. I have done this in every large city I have visited over the years. It gives me an overview and lets me know where I want to spend more time.

I’ve heard about Recoleta in Buenos Aires before. It consists of a series of palaces and mansions designed by French architects. It resembles parts of Paris because of this. It’s one of the places I would spend extra time, perhaps wandering the streets and then having lunch with the locals in a restaurant there. I always enjoy breaking away from the tourist spots and finding where the locals dine. Never had a bad experience doing so.

The last place I would enjoy spending some time is the Bosques de Palermo. It’s the largest park in Buenos Aires, and well maintained. There are lakes with geese and ducks, as well as manicured lawns and rose gardens. Roses have a special place in my heart, as I once had a garden of twenty-four bushes. Since I lived in Southern California, they bloomed all year. My house was full of their scent. I miss that.

After a full day at sea, my favorite place, we would have visited the port city of Bahia Blanca. There’s more stunning architecture here, like what can be found in Buenos Aires. There are also many gorgeous parks, some near the coast. Honestly, I would probably stay onboard the ship instead of going ashore to explore. The city so much like Buenos Aires, although smaller, I would relax on the ship, enjoying the peace and quiet after most passengers left for the day. It would be a great time to have a pedicure and manicure, maybe even a haircut.

The final city we would have visited in Argentina is Puerto Madryn, which is on the northern edge of Patagonia. I was excited to visit here, sadly it was not to be. The coastline is the draw for me. There are wide sandy beaches and stunning cliffs. Add to this a vibrant city and the interesting addition of the Welsh language, and it would have been fascinating to stay for the day (or more). 

I would have spent the one day allowed by the itinerary on a small boat seeking out wildlife such as orcas and right whales. I'm sure we would have spotted Magellanic penguins too, since there are over 1,500,000 of them in the area. I understand no cruise, even one three years long, can stay several days in each port, but Patagonia deserves more than one day. I would have been sad to leave after such a short stop. 

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See How Brazilians Live

 

If things had gone as planned with the 3-year cruise I signed up for in March 2023 (didn’t happen), I would be in Belem, Brazil right now. Belem is the capital and largest city in the state of Para, in the north of Brazil. Another hot day in the tropics, 90 degrees, 73% humidity, but as with the last few cities on our itinerary, thunder and lightning happened before our arrival date, and will happen after. Love having good weather luck. It’s important to take the right kind of clothing when traveling to the tropics, CLICK HERE (ad). 

Belem is the educational and cultural center of the north. Since these are my two favorite things, I’m sure to enjoy visiting. It has a very modern appearance and is not a typical tourist destination. The sights I would visit here are those enjoyed by the inhabitants. This would give me insight into the way Brazilians live today. However, it’s not a safe place to wander around by yourself. I would probably plan my day with another passenger or two, and just visit these places during daylight hours.

My first visit would be near the port, Guajara Bay, and the riverfront district of Cidade Velha, with is the old town. I usually prefer seeing old towns, probably because there aren’t any left where I grew up in SoCal. This area has Portuguese-colonial architecture and colorful azulejo-tile houses. There’s also a fort here, named Forte do Presepio. In addition to enjoying the architecture, one of my favorite things to do in new places, I’d stroll through the Ver-o-Peso, open-air market. If I wanted to buy handicrafts, this would be the place to do so.

There are several museums, cathedrals and cultural centers in Belem. If time permits, it would be easy to visit several. If, however, the outdoors is your preference, there are just as many parks and botanical gardens. Remember, this isn't the safest place to wander around alone. Life Lesson: Participating in a guided excursion might be best. I would wait to visit such places while in a safer (and cooler) environment. 

For more information about the customs of Brazil, CLICK HERE (ad).

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Change of Pace, Manaus, Brazil

 

If things had gone as planned with the 3-year cruise I signed up for in March 2023 (no such luck), I would be in Manaus, Brazil right now. My luck with weather is holding. It’s partly sunny, high of 88 degrees today, humidity down to 66%, with rain forecast for tomorrow. Being in the center of a rainforest, rain is fairly common here.

Manaus is the seventh largest city in the Brazilian state of Amazonas, so my hope for a larger city has come true. It’s very built up, complete with highways, an airport, skyscrapers, and other modern buildings. It’s on the coast, of course. Surprisingly ships dock directly downtown, which is also on the banks of the river Negro. This river is much cleaner than the Amazon, which is mostly brown. It’s interesting to see where the two rivers meet. I would definitely schedule a tour boat excursion to see the fascinating Meeting of the Waters. I'd certainly take a hat for protection from the sun, CLICK HERE (ad). 

The zoo and orchid greenhouse are open to the public. Not sure I would visit the zoo, but the orchid greenhouse would be something I would certainly enjoy. I would also stroll through the Mercado Adolpho Lisboa, which is modeled after Les Halles in Paris, which I have visited in the past. If there’s a guided tour of the Adolpho Ducke Botanical Garden, I would sign up for that too.

There are lots of shopping areas in the city, complete with food courts and movie theaters. Seeing a movie in Brazil would be fun. I’m pretty sure many English-speaking movies would be dubbed into Portuguese, or maybe they would have subtitles. No matter, I would find it interesting, since I am a polyglot.

After stopping in one small town after another, this city would be a refreshing change of pace. I’m not usually into big cities, however, it would be nice to see how people live in a big city in Brazil, and to spend a few days there taking advantage of all it has to offer. to learn more about Manaus, Brazil, CLICK HERE (ad). 

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Parintins, Brazil: Better in June

 

If things had gone as planned with the 3-year cruise I signed up for in March 2023 (The cruise was cancelled; I hear some people are stranded in Istanbul), I would be in Parintins, in the far eastern portion of Brazil. Since we would have traveled farther away from the Equator by now, the high temperature should be lower. It hit a high of 81 degrees today. That was lucky since the forecast for yesterday and tomorrow was for temperatures in the nineties. The humidity is still high, however, since this city lies in a tropical rainforest.

The city is on an island named Tupinambarana, which lies in the Amazon River. It’s known for a colorful folk festival held there each June, so it looks like we missed it by several months. It was hit hard by the recent pandemic. The festival went virtual for two years. It came back live in 2022. The city was given a facelift and street art was added. The festival is helping overcome the lack of infrastructure and isolation. Tourism is helping financially.

There isn’t much to do here, although it is rather pretty. I would have taken a pedi cab for a tour of the town. There’s a nearby Indian Village in Boca da Valeria. If I felt it was safe, and if there was time, I might go on a tour to visit it. Everything I read would make me want to take lots of dollar bills, to give as tips to those living there.

Overall, I’m not sure why our cruise had this port on our itinerary. Perhaps it was so passengers could participate in eco-tourism. I know that was a desire on the part of some passengers. My age and health conditions would keep me from participating in physical labor, especially in the heat and humidity. The humidity might even have kept me on the ship. Asthma cramps your style at times. This is why I made sure to pack my nebulizer and lots of medication. I even bought a portable nebulizer, CLICK HERE (ad) just in case. Life Lesson: Planning for all possibilities can stave off medical disasters.

Off to another small town on the Brazilian coast. Fingers crossed it's larger than Parintins. 

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Standing in Two Hemispheres

If things had gone as planned with the 3-year cruise I signed up for in March 2023 (The cruise was cancelled), I would be beginning a month log exploration of various ports in Brazil today. We would be landing in Macapa, Brazil, which is a major population center and the capital of the state of Amapa, in the northern part of Brazil.

Speaking of location, the equator passes through the center of the town of Macapa. I never expected to be this close to the equator, let alone be able to stand on both sides of it at the same time. This is definitely on my to-do list. 

The temperature today is expected to be 91 degrees, 70% humidity and partly cloudy. Although this doesn’t sound great, the forecast for the days before and after was for more heat. Later in the week thunderstorms are expected. So, all in all, not bad for the tropics.

An interesting thing about this town, it’s on a peninsula, and is only accessible by sea or by air. You cannot drive to Macapa from anywhere. This affects everything here. There’s so much water, not only because it’s on the coast, but it’s also at the mouth of the Amazon. I’d wear the mosquito retarding clothing I bought for the trip, light colors, a hat, and gloves, despite the heat, CLICK HERE (ad).

My must-see list is very short due to the weather and the bugs. I’d visit the Fortaleza de Sao Jose de Macapa, since I understand it’s beautiful, well-kept, and directly on the coast. It’s the largest Portuguese fort outside of Portugal. Lunch would be at one of the riverside restaurants.

Although I don’t speak Portuguese, both English and French are taught in the schools here, so I shouldn’t have any trouble communicating. Since I have food allergies, I’d take a laminated 3x5 card with me with a list of foods I must avoid translated into Portugues. I’ve taken such cards with me when I’ve dined in foreign countries in the past. It eliminated problems. A real Life Lesson.

The Centro de Pesquisas Museologicas Museum would be an interesting destination, but I’ve been warned about standing water there, and lots of mosquitos. Since the number of plants and animals it contains is limited, for me, it’s not worth the risk.

Marco Zero is a landmark showing the Equator line, where the Northern and Southern Hemispheres meet. There’s really nothing to do there, except marvel that you’re there. However, experiences is why I decided to sign up for a 3-year cruise in the first place, so I would visit, bask in the novelty of the moment, and take way too many photographs. There’s a gift shop that’s receives great reviews, so although I probably wouldn’t buy anything there, I’d visit, nonetheless.

Although there are several other things to do in Macapa, none of them outweighs the tropical weather and all that comes with it for me. For the more adventurous, however, there are other museums and attractions.  I'd spend the rest of the day onboard, taking full advantage of the air conditioning. 

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Paramaribo, Suriname, What a Surprise

If things had gone as planned with the cruise I signed up for in March 2023 (The 3-year cruise was cancelled by the cruise line late last week), I would be in Paramaribo, Suriname right now. I was both surprised and delighted that their national language is Dutch. While I don't speak the language, I did teach German for most of my teaching career. It's fairly close to Dutch, so I can make out signs and menus pretty easily.

The climate is once again tropical, not my favorite. It's 90 degrees today, partly cloudy with a chance of rain and lightning late in the afternoon. Still, not too bad, considering it could have poured down rain all day, and ruined my plans. 

I'm a culture junky and enjoy seeing the architecture, food, music, and languages of the places we're visiting. I also adore nature, especially flowers, butterflies and birds. This location has all of my favorite things. 

My first goal is to take a tour of the Historic City. The architecture is Dutch Colonial. The buildings were mostly built of wood, and painted white. This works with the tropical climate here, of course, but is also very Dutch. 

Next on my to-do list is a visit to the Neotropical Butterfly Park, no surprise there. I go to every butterfly park, garden and conservatory I can find, both back in the U.S., and when traveling. Although there are organized tours, at about $90 (which includes Colakreek), I would do it myself. If we were staying longer, I might visit more areas, but on a short stay, nope. 

If there's time, I would like to visit Fort Zeelandia. Out front, there's a statue of Dutch Queen Wilhelmina, who was also the monarch of Suriname at the time of her reign. I enjoy seeing statues and paintings of historical figures. They bring history to life for me. I'd be surprise if I make this tour, however, with the stay in Paramaribo being short, and the weather threatening. 

No doubt I'd enjoy the Dutch architecture and the butterfly garden. That's enough for one day. No reason to push myself. After all, although this is now a "virtual" 3-year cruise, there's still lots to see elsewhere. 

For more information on traveling to Suriname, CLICK HERE (ad).

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Georgetown, Guyana, Virtual Cruise

If things had gone as planned with the cruise I signed up for in March 2023 (Sadly, the 3-year cruise was cancelled by the cruise line a few days ago), I would be in Georgetown, Guyana. It's hot and partly cloudy today, and may storm late in the day, but I can handle 81 degrees. 

Since the national language of Guyana is English, and during the last few stops I would have visited botanical gardens, my plan for this short stay would be shopping, or at least browsing the shops in the Stabroek Market.

There's lots of British colonial architecture in the city, so taking a short excursion by bus would be fun for me. I'm not into visiting jungle and savannahs due to my asthma, but for those who enjoy such pursuits, there is plenty of both to explore. I wouldn't suggest solo women set out by themselves here, however, as I've read warnings about abusive language and harassment.

After wandering in the shopping area, I might explore the Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology. I find this subject fascinating, and it would be less physically taxing, since it would be cool inside.  

The next few stops on our virtual 3-year cruise will be short like this one. I'll pick and choose what to do selectively, and not try to cram in lots of activities. I might just stay onboard, and read a good book. Speaking of books, if you want to learn more about Guyana, CLICK HERE (ad).

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