On March 21, 2008 departed on American Airlines flight 324 for Santiago, Chile via Dallas. As it is happening so frequently now the flight was delayed by an hour. Since our layover time to change planes was an hour we started our beautifully planned cruise/vacation wondering if our connecting flight would wait for us. Indeed it did as there were an additional 50 passengers besides us going there. On arrival in Santiago the next day we were bused to Valparaiso were we boarded the Splendour of the Seas.
The Ship owned and operated by Royal Caribbean Inc. had her Maiden Voyage on March 31, 1996. It has a Passenger Capacity of 2,076 not including crew members a Gross Tonnage of 70,000 tons. Length: 867' Beam: 105' Draft: 24' Cruising Speed: 24 knots. The Ship Highlights some of which you can see below are: Glass-walled dining rooms. Themed bars and lounges. Casino Royale with Stunning Centrum. An open atrium featuring shopping. 18-hole miniature golf course. Indoor/outdoor pool in a Solarium with a sliding roof. Outdoor pool. 4 whirlpools.
We had lunch, unpacked, toured the ship, attended the ship's muster safety exercise, watched the ship leave and took a needed nap.
At dinner we met Ron and Maddy from England. Dinner was excellent and adjourning to ship's theater we were treated to the Welcome Aboard Show. The main attraction was Los Pampas Gauchos from Argentina with folkloric drum beat, music and dance.
Sunday March 23, 2008 (Day 2) At Sea. Sea was choppy and even on this big liner we had difficulty keeping our balance. We felt like drunken sailors. Slept late, had lunch and toured the ship and it's facilities. That evening we were invited to the Captain's Reception. Over drinks we were introduced to the Captain and his officers. After dinner had some cocktails, danced past midnight and called it a night.
Monday March 24, 2008 (Day 3) Puerto Montt. We had hoped to tour Petrohue Falls and Puerto Varas a charming city with an impressive view of the Osorno Volcano. Unfortunately the tour was sold out. Instead we spent a few hours in a handicraft market looking at the items and enhancing our Spanish vocabulary with local vendors. That evening Hanna Starosta starred in an evening of great music and stories. After the show we had cocktails with friends and danced to the wee hours.
Tuesday March 25, 2008 (Day 4) At Sea. Spent a relaxing day talking to Cecilia's many new friends, checked the Store sales and made sure we did not miss a meal. In the afternoon we joined Champion Ballroom Dancers Noel & Victoria in a Swing lesson. After dinner we were entertained by Elaine Lesley who sang beautifully and finished the evening dancing.
Wednesday March 26, 2008 (Day 5) At Sea. A relaxing day enjoying the inland passage of the most breathtaking Strait of Magellan waterway. We got spectacular views of the Glaciers and the Tierra Del Fuego Island. Stopped at the Pursers desk to make sure that we were on the disembarkation list for Rio de Janeiro. Tonight's entertainment starred Luis Dalton singing popular songs and ended the evening dancing and sipping cordials.
Thursday March 27, 2008 (Day 6) Punta Arenas, Chile was founded 150 years ago as Chile's first settlement in Patagonia. The city is not particularly attractive but serves as the launching point for boat trips to the island named Isla Magdelena. The island houses 120,000 Magellanic penguins at the Monumento Natural Los Pinguinos a fascinating sight for first time viewers.
Friday March 28, 2008 (Day 7) Ushuaia, Argentina located on the southern coast of the island of Tiera Del Fuego. For most of the 20th century, the city was centered around a prison for serious criminals following the example of the British with Australia or the French with Devil's Island. We visited the Island's main tourist attraction Parque National Tierra Del Fuego a pristine park with rich flora and wildlife refuge.
Saturday March 29, 2008 (Day 8) At Sea sailing through the Cape Horn region. Located at the tip of South America it is often referred to as the end of the earth. This Antartic strait connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and prior to the opening of the Panama Canal was the preferred route for sail ships carrying goods around the world. That evening we were entertained by a trio singing songs performed by the Temptations.
Sunday March 30, 2008 (Day 9) At Sea. Relaxed enjoying the views, talking to friends. Attended "The War over the Falklands" lecture. Took a swim, jacuzzi, wet sauna and indulged in the 5 o'clock tea, scones and all. That evening we watched Carlos Barracan a world champion magician perform his unbelievable magic.
Monday March 31, 2008 (Day 10) Puerto Madryn, Argentina was founded in 1865 when the first white inhabitants, the Welsh, arrived to this area. Its growth was boosted by the ALUAR aluminum plant in 1971, when the population of approximately 6,500 inhabitants grew to about 50,000 currently. We walked the main streets and shopped at the handicraft market. We were fascinated by a local painter that used his fingernail to create his paintings as seen below. That evening we were treated by the Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers to a fast paced, romantic and memorable show. The program characterized it as: The fire of Latin Dance, the passion of the Tango and the joy of high flying Swing. It was indeed very nicely done.
Tuesday April 1, 2008 (Day11) At Sea. During the night our ship collided with a huge iceberg and started to take water. The emergency siren went ....just kidding. We were indeed subjected to a few April Fool jokes during the day. Tonight's entertainment starred Jean Claude & Gaby in an amazing array of aerial acrobatics. Under beautiful weather we enjoyed the night dancing under the stars with music played by SP3-Showband.
Wednesday April 2, 2008 (Day 12) Buenos Aires, Argentina. With Ron and Maddy we hired a car with an English speaking driver. We drove the 9th of Mayo Boulevard past the Obelisk. At El Centro we walked some streets and enjoyed several sidewalk shows of serious tango dancers. Cecilia stopped the flow of pedestrians by dancing with one of the pros. We visited the remarkable Recoleta Cemetery stopping by Evita Peron's tomb and a city park featuring the towering mechanical Tulip. That evening we enjoyed an appetizing South American dinner with a traditional Argentinean tango show in San Telmo's La Ventana.
Thursday April 3, 2008 (Day 13) At Sea. Spent the morning visiting with friends, store shopping and enjoying the weather. In the afternoon we attended an interesting lecture about Tutankhamun - the discovery, treasure and curse. After dinner we enjoyed Tango Buenos Aires a show of music, dance and songs.
Friday April 4, 2008 (Day 14) At Sea. At breakfast we witnessed that the restrictions imposed during the outbreak of Norovirus (a flu or gastrointestinal virus) last week were lifted. Mostly we could now help ourselves to the buffet as opposed to being served by staff. Made all the last minute arrangements for disembarking at Rio de Janeiro. At dinner we toasted over champagne our goodbyes with our table friends. For entertainment that evening we listened to the amazing voice of Mark O'Malley from London's West End.
Saturday April 5, 2008 (Day 15) Rio de Janeiro. On leaving the ship we were met by a guide which took us the Orla Hotel in Copacabana. We registered and after taking our luggage to our room were ready for our first stop Sugar Loaf, the most commonly recognized and sought after tourist attraction. Reaching the top of Sugar Loaf is done by a trolley car in two stages. The first car takes you about 700 feet up Urca Hill affording fantastic views of Corcovado Mountain, the Niteroi Bridge and Guanabara Bay. A second car then elevates you an additional 1300 feet to the top where we can enjoy spectacular views of Copacabana and other beaches. It was unfortunately a cloudy day as you can see from the pictures taken and we agreed we would come back on a sunny day time permitting. We then drove to Porcão for dinner. The following description was taken from their brochure. " The ultimate in Brazilian churascaria experiences. Bow-tied waiters wielding giant skewers slicing you portions of sizzling barbecued beef, pork and chicken." Huge buffet including all types of feijoada. In addition the floor to ceiling windows overlooking Guanabara Bay made this a fabulous experience.
Sunday April 6, 2008 (Day16) Walking Ipanema Beach. Copacabana may be more famous but Ipanema seemed to us much classier. Popularized by the song "The Girl from Ipanema," this beach gave us a little sense of carnival Rio. We sat sipping at a little kiosk selling caipirnhas and serveza, watching the guys play beach volley ball and staring unobtrusively as I could at the gals in skimpy bikinis. That evening we had a lovely dinner at a Copacabana restaurant right on the beach.
Monday April 7, 2008 (Day 17) Drove with Rudy through Rio's South Zone and got a closer view of a Favela. Because of the high land values and the enormous demand for space, poor people are forced into these squatter settlements. A sore view for the eyes in addition to being a source for crime and drugs in this beautiful city. We stopped for a beer in a restaurant that brewed their own delicious beer and later had a fantastic lunch in another, frequented by the locals. That evening we had fabulous dinner with Marcio and girlfriend at the Real Astoria Restaurant with a spectacular night view of the bay.
Tuesday April 8, 2008 (Day 18) Corcovado mountain is about 2,400 feet tall. The Statue of Christ itself stands 100 feet high and is covered in a mosaic of soapstone. This is maybe Rio's most famous postcard: Christ blessing the city with open arms. The views from the top are absolutely magnificent. The statue can be seen from most of the South Side and on a cloudy day protrudes over the clouds. An incredible effect since the mountain is covered by clouds and only Jesus with outstretched arms is seen in the sky. That evening we had tickets to Platforma a show which its brochure describes as " The effervescent rhythms of Samba come to life in this energetic dance performance." Indeed the dancing, and costumes made it a memorable experience. Stopped at the Sofitel Bar for a nightcap and quite tired were happy to turn in.
Wednesday April 9, 2008 (Day 19) Petropolis was a two hour drive. On the way there we enjoyed beautiful views of the mountains. Arriving at the Imperial city, we passed Palacio Quitandinha, the ancient Hotel Cassino and driving through downtown reached the Imperial Museum. The museum used to be the summer residence of Dom Pedro II and is exquisitely decorated. This pink neoclassical palace offered a glimpse of what everyday life was like for the family. Artifacts on view contain jewelry, crowns including the imperial crown, paintings including the portrait of Princess Isabel by famous Brazilian painter Victor Meirelles and personal effects. We had to wear one size fits all felt slippers when touring the museum. It was kind of funny watching visitors dragging their feet so as not to lose the slippers. Our next stop was the Cristal Palace, a structure of metal and glass components manufactured in 1879 in France. It was now raining heavily so we drove by the Sao Pedro de Alcantara’s Cathedral passing by the house where the inventor of the plane, Santos Dummont lived. Stopped for dinner and headed back to our hotel.
Thursday April 10, 2008 (Day 20)A travel brochure describes Búzios as follows: "Settled by European pirates and slave traders, this happy mixture of many bloods prospered and became a picturesque fishing village. With more than 26 beaches that have a diversity of beauty never seen before, this small peninsula resembles a small island. It is today a sophisticated beach resort with very active night life. Off season Búzios becomes a paradise for those who appreciate fine restaurants, arts and ecology. Búzios began its up scale resort with Brigitte Bardot in the 60's" . We walked the streets, window shopped, took a dip in the blue clear waters and ended the day with a nice dinner at Patio Havana which is beautifully decorated adding to the splendor of the local.
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Friday April 11, 2008 (Day 21) The drive to Sao Paulo took seven hours. We checked in, showered, had dinner and went dancing with our friends. We were the only gringos in the place and I'd like to think the stares we got were due to our dancing prowess.
Saturday April 12, 2008 (Day 22) Early breakfast with Marcio and my cousin Mery who resides in Sao Paulo. We walked down Paulista Avenue and came across a religious parade with the participants donning beautiful traditional attire. We stopped at a local farmer's market and were especially impressed by the fresh fruit. We then took a cab to the Museum of the Portuguese Language. It is an interactive museum about the Portuguese Language and the first of its kind in the world. It was designed to foster a broader understanding of the origins, the history and the evolution of the language.
Returned to the hotel packed, showered and had a scrumptious buffet dinner at Fidel. Thanked Marcio effusively for being a friend, guide and driver and headed to the airport for our 10.45 pm return flight..