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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Trinidad and Tobago, Lots of Sunshine

If things had gone as planned with the 3-year cruise I signed up for in March 2023 (they still don’t have a ship), I would be arriving in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago today. As I mentioned when blogging about Puerto Rico, I’ve been to the southern Caribbean, but not the northern islands.

So, this is my first trip to Trinidad and Tobago. It rains a great deal in the tropics, and it’s usually rather hot for my taste. It rained on Thursday, and is forecast to rain again tomorrow, but we would be in luck. The temperature predicted for today is 89° and partly sunny.

I always take sun protection when I travel, especially when visiting the tropics. I have a few sun hats from which to choose. My favorites are wide brimmed hats made from ribbon, CLICK HERE (ad). The company I buy from the most is Coolibar, which makes sun protective gear. I also bring sunblock, but not just any brand. I use one that does not damage wildlife or coral reefs. It wasn’t easy to find, but this is what I bought, CLICK HERE (ad).

I looked over the large number of tours available. They range from about $50 - $100+, but most of them are far too long for a one-day stopover, which is what this was planned to be. There are plenty of excursions for athletic types, but that’s not me. I don’t have the level of fitness I once had, so I’m careful what I select. I decided I wouldn’t buy a tour or excursion but would go it alone.

I looked over Queens Park Savannah but ruled it out. It looks beautiful, which I enjoy, but may have far too many fine particles in the air for anyone with asthma. My lungs rarely limit what I do, but going where the humidity is already high means I must pick and choose wisely or pay the price.

The Royal Botanic Gardens ais a definite number one pick for me. I love seeing beautiful plants and flowers. I would take lots of photographs. Photography is a hobby of mine, and I bought the iPhone 14 Pro specifically for the camera.

If there was enough time and if I wasn't not too tired after visiting the gardens, I’d visit the Emperor Valley Zoo. I’m usually able to find a great deal of shade in zoos. They plant many trees to create the right ambiance for the animals, we humans benefit from them too. This is why I’d visit the gardens in the morning, and the zoo in the afternoon, even though I know I risk the animals napping. That’s why, weather permitting, visiting zoos in the morning is a far better idea. For me, however, weather trumps pretty much everything else. I admit it. I’m a weather wimp.

Back onboard the ship, there would be calypso music and tasty seafood. Great place to relax after a warm day exploring the island. 

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