Back to Barbados

TSH and Diva had booked a day room at the Radisson – 10:00 til 18:00. The reservations manager appeared and explained that they had overbooked and all the nearby hotels are full on a busy weekend. He said all the ‘facilities’ would be made available free of charge. But this is not the same as a room to shower and change and reorganise the suitcases. Eventually he found a room where the guests were arriving later and TSH and Diva had the complementary use of it from 12:45 til 16:00. Better than nothing but clearly the best that was going to happen.

The hotel is not like a Radisson – if it was in somewhere like Spain it would be a 3 star. The room was OK and clean but a long way from luxury. Just after a cruise is always a disappointing time but this experience was really bad. The reservations manager was charming and did his best but this is not what is expected from an international chain with a normally good reputation.

Radisson barbados

People

As expected, most of the people encountered on Caribbean islands were of African descent but some are of Asian descent, as some slaves were brought from India. TSH and Diva were shocked to discover that their history education was mostly the same as a British history education and contained little or nothing about their own antecedents. Most do not know where their ancestors came from. One woman told us she thought hers were from Nigeria, because of similarity in the way she pronounces words and the way some Nigerians pronounce them. This is very flimsy linguistic evidence, as accents are rarely preserved over hundreds of years between people in different locations. (Think of the USA accent, where many of the people’s ancestors originated in Britain)  It certainly seems that there are many chapters of this history to be written.

On a tour in Becquia, one of the guides explained that she was one of the indigenous people. Her facial features were different and her cultural attitude (favourable) towards whaling were different from those of the Afro-Caribbean guides, who were pretty much disgusted by it.

In Brazil, the people appear to be a mixture of indigenous South American Indians and descendants of the Portuguese colonisers. Guides informed guests that there were African slaves here as well, but TSH and Diva have seen no signs so far. One surprise is that the largest Japanese community outside Japan is here is Brazil. Hence the sighting of a sushi bar.

Unusually, 80% of the passengers on this voyage are British. Maybe because it includes the US Thanksgiving holiday.

There have been times on the cruise when its been ‘all about the butler’.  TSH and Diva had a visit from the butler manager to check they were happy and actually they are now, as he is remembering most things. But there is a suggestion that he could be doing more and that TSH and Diva are not using him properly. They have no idea what else a butler could do for them, although he did offer to run Diva a bubble bath one night. This is a totally ludicrous suggestion and TSH and Diva would rather not have a butler. One day TSH and Diva returned to the suite to find a note that he had run ‘a muscle relaxing bubble bath’. The bath had no bubbles, no apparent smell from any product and it had already gone cold. One night, forgetting he had made them a restaurant reservation, he suggested that TSH and Diva dine in the suite – he had already chosen his recommended dishes. Polite refusal followed.

On board

Another irrelevant lecture about explorers and pirates. One of the lunch-time options, to take place at about the same time as the equator is re-crossed - is the British pub lunch. TSH and Diva heard the rehearsal – none of the singers seemed to have heard most of the songs before and they were often flat. ‘I’m getting married in the morning’, ‘Pack up your troubles’, ‘Knees up mother Brown’ and ‘Oompahpah’ (is that how you spell it?) from ‘Oliver’. Has anybody British ever been to a pub where this happens? And how old do they think we are? We are the ‘We want it all and we want it now’ generation. But they are trying hard to appeal to the Brits.

One intriguing thing is happening on board. There is a boat building competition. Now Diva, being a born and bred Lancashire lass, keeps thinking of Sam, supplier of wood to Noah, who ‘not liking the look of the weather, was thinking of building an Ark’ (http://monologues.co.uk/3Hapence.shtml). So do they know something we don’t? Do we need new lifeboats? Are there enough life boats? Due to lack of interest, the judging never took place.

It turns out that back at Devil’s Island, one woman refused help transferring between ship and tender, fell down the gap and was injured, requiring a helicopter transfer.

The lecture on Wednesday was on Tristan da Cunha, which continues the madness of inappropriateness.  The lecturer has a CV which seemed over-egged to the point of disbelief. A US naval captain, author of a book about the polar regions, several university degrees, explorer leader etc etc etc.

Last stop

The last place where Silver Whisper guests could go ashore was Alter do Chão. As this was likely to be another ‘authentic’ village with ‘cute’ kids with dollar signs in their eyes. Diva decided to stay on board and TSH ventured forth alone. He had full instructions – ‘don’t go off the beaten track alone’, don’t touch animals or people’  ‘if you touch the Amazon water, shower in anti-bac immediately’.

TSH was on the first tender ashore and thought for a while he might be the only person on the tender – in fact it sailed with seven guests on. There was no repeat of the behaviour encountered at Boca de Valeria earlier in the cruise. It was essentially a holiday resort with sandy beaches and TSH was able to test the water temperature despite earlier instructions from Diva. There was not a lot to see at Alter do Chão but there were some interesting birds including parrots - at last.

And he got back safely!! And headed straight for the shower and a change of clothes as it had become very hot whilst ashore. Then it was to the bar for a cold beer which turned out to be the first of three consumed during the day.

Parintins

The day started with great excitement. Christmas trees and decorations appeared overnight in the public areas.

A waiter at breakfast said that some of the grassier areas look from a distance just like England, a thought that had already occurred to TSH and Diva. A second waiter walked past muttering in gloomy fashion ‘we are in the middle of nowhere’.

The deck was not as wet as just after yesterday’s torrential rain when in some parts there were several inches to wade through. There were lots of small moths and insects but no big ones. The scariest landed on Diva’s lip and almost into her mouth.

The excursion was to a show in an air-conditioned centre. It covered traditional music and dance with fantastic costumes – a pale imitation of Rio’s Carnivale, but still very enjoyable. Until half way through when the lights went out at a dramatic part which seemed to be some kind of death rite. Everyone thought it was part of the drama but it turned out to be a power cut which might be fixed in five minutes ‘or tomorrow’. So everyone returned to the ship early, disappointed but impressed with the enthusiasm of the dancers.

Moving back towards the northern hemisphere and the Amazon mouth.

No new animals today (especially tigers) – just more vultures.

Manaus

Manaus is a crazy concept– a major city, partly European-style in a large jungle clearing. It was all about the rubber industry, which barely exists in Brazil anymore. It went into decline when an Englishman stole some seeds and took them to Malaysia to set up more economically successful plantations. The newly restored Teatro Amazonas is impressive and just like you would expect to find in any European capital city. In fact, the marble is Italian, the ironwork French and the pillars engineered in the UK. The square outside has a marble pavement, just like you might find in Italy or Spain. But there are still areas which they describe as ‘part of the culture of the area’, which look like slums to Europeans. And the floors in the opera house, the palace and the marble square are striped to symbolise the meeting of the waters.

There was also a visit to the central market, which had a variety of stalls, with many selling herbs, oils, spices and local remedies. Tourist police were much in evidence. To protect locals from tourists or tourists from locals? Some Silver Whisper guests have been mugged but TSH and Diva are being very careful.

Another boat tour to another ecological park provided sightings of some more unusual birds including hoatzin and a whole colony of egrets, with many of them sitting right at the top of the trees. Two small children in a canoe held up a caiman and a monkey. Monkeys were also seen at the village where TSH and Diva boarded the canoe – attracted by food put out by people in the village. The promised area of water-lilies – vast in the advertising literature - consists of a few square feet and a sad story about flooding, climate change and it being the wrong season. This was the main reason for Diva venturing onto a ten person canoe which (for her) was incredibly difficult to get in and out of.  There was also another visit to the ‘Meeting of the Waters’, which really is impressive. It was this tour that made TSH and Diva understand properly that the Amazon is a region with a number of large rivers, and which one is ‘the Amazon’ at any particular point is not always clear. One of the guides on this tour was the same guide who took David Beckham into the Amazon to film his recent TV documentary.

Because all themorning tours were late back and it was too rainy for lunch on deck, everyone descended on La Terrazza at once, so that TSH and Diva queued for food for the first time on this voyage. When the rain happens, it is extremely heavy but mostly of short duration and warm. One afternoon, a bedraggled small black and white bird with a long forked tail sheltered on the deck of the Silver Whisper for a while. One night, TSH and Diva went on deck after dinner and saw a distant storm, with plenty of lightning.

The Seven Seas Navigator was also docked in Manaus but Silver Whisper had a better berth closer to the city. Other features of the riverside include large numbers of vultures and a range of local ferries, which are heavily laden with people and goods. These ferries can be seen to contain large numbers of hammocks on open-sided decks. This is where people sleep on journeys which can take many days. The free wifi in the cruise terminal does not appear to work, or at least it is not compatible with any device owned by anyone from the Silver Whisper.

TSH turned barista and worked out how to make himself a coffee at the DIY station in the Observation Lounge – a lot of effort for a drink that would fit in a thimble.

Getting to the furthest point

After dinner with the International Hostess, TSH and Diva made a rare after-dinner visit to the bar for whisky and port. The barman took the microphone and hammed up ‘Delilah’ in a unique way that made Tom Jones sound restrained.

Silver Whisper sailed past Manaus, providing a sight of a large populated area along the waterside, with a lot of industry as well as a city centre. This area has the first bridge across the Amazon, which is so important to road communications (most people use the river) that Silver Whisper had tugs as well as a special pilot to prevent any collision. Words from the captain suggested he was more than a  little insulted. The bridge is mostly conventional, with a beautiful suspension section in the middle. It seems to carry very little traffic.

The afternoon tour was to an area (Anavilhanas, and Acajatuba Village) which is nationally protected. The village was much more authentic than experienced a couple of days ago. The ‘see the pink dolphins’ experience was OK and some people swam with them but the sightings were no better than already experienced. For the first time ever, Diva saw a rainbow in the water other than in waterfalls. No unusual animals were sighted, in spite of the guide talking about anaconda, cayman and jaguar. Ancondas have been found under beds in the rainy season, whilst caymon and jaguar have an appetite for pet dogs.  A very large beetle was seen but an Australian said it was very small by Australian standards.   After being told not to stand under the Brazil nut tree because of the damage falling Brazil nuts can do, the guide had everyone stand in the shade under the tree whilst he delivered his talk. (see earlier reference to size of Brazil nut shells to appreciate potential danger) Diva kept a sharp eye out for jaguar but the most scary part was scrambling on and off the small boat. Getting back onto Silver Whisper for cold towels and Prosecco was the best bit.

The overall impression of the Amazon is the sheer scale of it. Hundreds of miles from the ocean and there are still places where the water stretches as far as the eye can see. Very little habitation, lots of forest and communication restricted to the water. If Brazil is experiencing an economic boom, it is not happening in this area, with the possible exception of Manaus. The biodiversity of the region is not accessible on this type of holiday – presumably you need jungle treks (and not the kind offered by Silversea) and expert guides. The only disappointing aspect of the cruise itself is the lecturer, who was yesterday talking about the Falkland Islands. TSH and Diva think that there should have been a specialist such as a zoologist to talk about this  special area so that everyone could get the most out of it.

On board: 15:55. Sail away 16:00. Essential to get back under the bridge to Manaus in daylight.

The fingernails were looking worse every time DEET was applied so eventually Diva paid the money to have the shellac removed.  The spa was lovely and the foot bath (bronze, with all kind of taps and jets) was amazing and worthy of being in pride of place in any home.

Boca da Valeria

This was a ‘self-guided exploration’ of an ‘authentic’ Amazon village and Diva had rock-bottom expectations. The reality was worse. It started on the tender, with small boats coming alongside and a small boy thrusting a sloth at people so they could photograph it in return for money. On arrival in the village, there was a reception line of children with dollar signs in their eyes, two of whom grabbed Diva’s hands to escort her onwards. TSH wisely raised his hands so that they could not reach.

The promised monkeys, macaw, capybara, iguana, toucan and cayman were all seen but they were all tethered, some possibly dead and one possibly plastic. One crazy English woman had to be stopped by her husband from stroking the capybara. Some people were dressed in ‘Indian’ costumes which probably owed more to Disney than to native culture. Any photograph involved an expectation of payment. Why not a camera fee at the start to cover it all? TSH paid for one photograph by donating his pencil.

One woman was heard teaching a group of children to count in English. Not exactly the transfer of cultural information expected. The colonial instinct is alive, well and living on the Silver Whisper.

Diva thought nothing was authentic, nothing was enjoyable and the experience diminished both sides. If the people enjoy their simple life so much, as guides have been telling us, why are they allowing themselves to be turned into a zoo selling unwanted souvenirs to voyeuristic tourists? TSH enjoyed the trip but shared the view that it was somewhat artificial.

The only good bit was a few more pink dolphin sightings. TSH also got some better photos of vultures.

Santarem

This is one of the two large cities to be visited but despite this, neither TSH nor Diva has a phone signal. It is odd to see Christmas decorations and trees in temperatures which reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. Huge insects came to the deck of the Silver Whisper in the morning providing TSH with photo opportunities.

The morning tour included a short walk through the forest to a production facility for tapioca. Well, a covered area in a woodland glade. There are two kinds of fruit and the best tapioca flour is made from the poisonous variety. (Just stay with me). And by poisonous, they mean ‘induces internal haemorrhage and you die’.  To render it harmless involves squeezing out the poisonous liquid and then heating it to drive out any remaining liquid. The guide handled the product at all stages but did eventually wash her hands. Diva stayed well away and did not inhale at any point. Or take advantage of the snacks. And in view of the level of peril, TSH was not allowed to do any of this either.  Diva will never eat tapioca again.

TSH and Diva also saw a local man slash a rubber tree to allow the latex to seep out – it dries very quickly so it soon turns into a long string like an elastic band. Brazil nut shells usually have over 20 nuts crammed into them and are very difficult to get at.

Slight contradiction: One guide said that yellow fever is endemic in the squirrel monkeys and another said that there has been no case of yellow fever or malaria in humans in the Amazon basin for years. So have TSH and Diva wasted a great deal of money on vaccinations and malarone?

Another visit was to the church where people were celebrating the feast of the Immaculate Conception. This takes one day in the UK but two weeks here, with much exuberant music, singing and waving.

The afternoon boat tour provided sightings of pink dolphins, but these are more difficult to see than whales or ocean dolphins because they only come to the surface very briefly. And Diva was very excited to see a large (4-5 ft??) iguana up a tree.

The ‘Meeting of the Waters’ is amazing with a definite line between the muddy brown Amazon and the blue Tapajos.

The piranha fishing was a disappointment as hardly anyone caught anything. TSH tried hard but just lost 6 lots of bait. Diva had expected it to take place at a fish farm but it happened at a random place along the river. The local fishermen did much better and held up a number of examples of large fish they had caught.

 There was compensation in sightings of many raptors (including many black vultures and a caracara), egrets, heron, cormorants, terns.

Crossing

For two people who have never been anywhere near the equator before, it has been very exciting to see the ‘degrees north’ on the Silver Whisper position steadily decreasing. And then came the morning when it was 0.06. Nearly there.

The sail into the mouth of the Amazon happened at night so it was not possible to see anything of the many islands there. The first stop was in Macapa, a very small Brazilian town where the Silver Whisper anchored for several hours to carry out Brazilian clearance.  Passengers were not allowed ashore but they could see forest and small riverside settlements. The water looks very muddy.

TSH and Diva did some Tai Chi on deck and Diva eyed a large insect very warily. Like a dragonfly but much chunkier and with a venomous way of flying. A couple of small black and white birds were glimpsed briefly. A moth the colour of an autumn leaf rested on the deck.

Late morning, Neptune appeared for the ceremony of the crossing of the line. Diva is convinced it was not the real Neptune, as the ceremony was very tacky and nothing like a God would organise. But the equator has been crossed!! The direction of flow down the bathroom basins has been observed but there seems to be no difference. So maybe all that school science stuff was just made up.

There is a new addition to the suite. TSH and Diva pointed out in the interim questionnaire that the light level in the suites has diminished and reading at night whilst sitting on the sofa is now impossible for them. So a reading light has been delivered!! Diva is wondering if Eclipse kitchens will be as helpful if the new light levels in the kitchen are similarly inadequate.  All modern lighting is designed by 25 year olds with perfect vision and no care for even slightly older people (like TSH and Diva). May they grow old and feeble sighted at a fast rate!!

Devil’s Islands, French Guiana

This is a group of three islands, which formed the French penal colony featured in the film ‘Papillon’. Confusingly, one of the islands is known as Devil's Island and this is the one on which the famous political prisoner Dreyfus was imprisoned in the late nineteenth century. All of the islands are covered with ruins because all penal facilities in French Guiana were finally shut down in the 1940s. The inmates were often left without guards, since strong currents and sharks made a getaway virtually impossible. Certainly there was quite a swell as Silver Whisper passengers got in and out of the tenders for the visit was to Ile Royale, the largest island

As well as the ruins of the prison, the islands are covered with dense vegetation, in which a variety wild animals lurk. At one point, many monkeys assembled in the trees around a group of tourists and Diva feared an organised attack. Fortunately this did not happen and the reputed shark infested waters showed no sign of any sharks today.

During the visit, there was a warm rain shower but overall it was very hot and very humid. One guest must have had a really bad day as a stretcher party was required to meet one of the tenders to deal with a case of heat stroke. TSH and Diva were quite well but on return to Silver Whisper needed immediate showers and TSH drank two cold beers in quick succession.

Diva’s shellac nail varnish has chipped a bit and she vaguely remembers that Deet insect repellent is not recommended with this product. Its OK (ish) if it doesn’t get worse but it can’t be removed on the ship as the spa charge for removal is more than her local nail salon charged to apply it.

Only 5 degrees north of the equator now!!

Animals spotted during the walking safari: Large pig , peacocks, hens, monkeys including  small common squirrel monkeys and the larger woolly monkeys, several agouti, small bright blue birds, leaf cutter ants. Terrifying in spite of the lack of tigers.