Anticipation

The whole ship is buzzing with excitement in anticipation of the two days in Rio for Carnival. The city will be crowded and guests have been warned that any travel will potentially be delayed because of congestion. But everyone is expecting an amazing experience, although not much sleep will be involved.

In the meantime, the sail in to Paraty was scenic, mountainous and similar to a fjord. The coast along this part of Brazil is beautiful, and although it is overcast, visibility is sufficient to have a good view.

The experience in Paraty was not an unqualified success. Silver Spirit was due to anchor there at 14:00, arrived late and did not have a tender available for independent passengers (including TSH and Diva) until almost 16:00. The tender took over 30 minutes to reach the shore and it was a bit of a scramble to get out of it at the other end. Paraty is a world heritage site because of its colonial buildings – not grand ones, but single storey white buildings with brightly coloured doors and shutters. It is also a beach resort, with lots of small boats. An alternative Carnival was in full swing, with lots of local young people ready to join in the dancing. Diva hoped that Rio would not be as noisy or as busy. (!!)