14 Feb 2014 - Valentine's Day in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Getting ready for 2014 Carnival Season

Long pier in Rio to accommodate hundreds of cruise ships arriving in Rio each year...

Arriving from latitude 63 degrees south to latitude 23 degrees south, needless to say that 40 degrees further north the temperatures rise inversely to the number of latitudes lost. Rio was hot, steamy and – luckily – without rain.

The steamy and hot attributes not only apply to temperatures, but to the general ambiance as well. From bikini clad crowds on the world famous beaches, Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon to the equally steamy night life with all night bars and hot blooded samba shows.

Corcovado - Christ the Redeemer

Trams on Corcovado

It being my second time here, I needed a quick re-familiarization with the lay of the city and took a morning tour to Corcovado, the huge monument of Christ the Redeemer on one of the many spectacular conical mountains within and around Rio. It definitely gave plenty of time to see the streetscape of Rio, as traffic on a Friday afternoon was even slower than normal walking pace, thus leaving extensive opportunities to observe Cariocans (name for Rio’s citizens) at work and on the beach.

A cog-wheeled tram took visitors from city level to the summit of Corcovado, a peak which allows an impressive 360 degree panorama of the huge city, its lagoon, the many green spaces, high-rises and favelas (slums) and a long row of crescent shaped beaches amongst rows of sugar loaf shaped peaks. Sugar Loaf itself almost looked dwarfed from the summit of Corcovado, where the monument rose another 30 meters above the peak itself. Christ is so large, that door in his shoulders give way to a little path that end on the figure’s massive outstretched hands. One daring visitor once took the plunge via parachute into the deep from Christ’s palms.

Sugar Loaf Mountain

The Lagoon of Rio, with Ipanema and Leblon Beaches in the background

Corcovado Tour Guide

 

 

 The summit platforms were teeming with tourists, many of them took it into their heads that the best way to photograph Christ was by laying on their backs and pointing the camera skywards. One had to be careful not to step on ponytails, pointed tows and prone bodies.

Ipanema boardwalk by night

Samba Show dancers

 

We stayed overnight in Rio, so a Samba Show visit was in the cards. Off I went to a forgettable dinner – followed by a memorable show. Although actual Samba rhythms were almost absent, the performance combined African drumming, the karate style local dancing, and an overwhelming display of spectacular carnival costumes in all colours of the rainbow, and defying gravity with their towering construction.

Colourful costumes...

African Drumming

Wild head gear...

Not too much clothing...after all - it's hot here...

Feathers and glitter

 

Midnight in Rio, and people were still playing beach volley ball on Copacabana Beach…

 

 

Buenos Aires - Twentyfour Hours

Twentyfour hours in Buenos Aires, enough to get ‘homesick’ for the city again, and not enough to dance at more than one Milonga.

Buenos Aires had recovered from torrential rains a few days ago, the subways were running and most of the traffic lights were in working order again. With that, atrocious traffic conditions had returned as well.

The ‘dolar blue’ has now reached 11.30 pesos to a dollar, whereas the ‘dolar verte’ – the official rate – hovers around 6.80 pesos to a dollar. I visited my trusted ‘consultorio’ and exchanged money to be armed for various taxi rides and a fee for the Milonga, to round up my SUBE card access to public transport. Comes in handy, even for a 24 hour visit.

Off to the Milonga of El Obelisco, where I was welcomed like a long lost family member, and I danced tango to my heart’s content with all my tried and true tango buddies for almost 5 hours.

Back at the ship, we were treated to an evening performance by the Navarro Family, whose business is arranged by an US expatriate, who manages the family’s show performances and sings along with songs, and counts out the rhythm of the zamba, chamame, milonga and tango.

Afternoon Milonga, the rain held a few people off from attending, but the regular dancers were around....

Not quite the authentic folkloric nor Tango experience, but hugely appreciated by the mostly US audience, as announcements were in English. The repertoire stuck to well recognized pieces such as the Cumparsita and The Condor. Costumes represented the Gaucho gear – without the obligatory knife stuck in their belts. Security would have frowned upon bringing ‘weapons’ aboard. Andean music – pan pipes and miniature guitars – prevailed.  Chacarera, the most widespread and popular folkloric  singing and dancing was surprisingly absent.

Family Navarro doing the Zamba

A version of Argentine Tango

The youngest family members 1 2/ and 3 years old appeared with their parents and grandparents to the ooohh and aahhh of the audiences, mostly grandparents themselves, and added immensely to the cute -factor.

The patriarch of solid proportions and his wife danced a Chamame, after which the whole family bowed to a standing ovation of a full house in the ‘Showroom at Sea’.

Grandma and Grandpa dancing Chamame

Today – we are leaving Buenos Aires around midday – all board by 11.30 a.m. when the city usually opens its eyes. No sense even venturing off the ship, as all but the most obscure ‘kioskos’ and a couple of coffee shops would be open for business before 11:30 a.m.

The Star and youngest member of the family cast....

Buenos Aires put on the Thunder Stormy Good Bye for us, and we left an hour late due to a couple of passengers not quite making the all aboard dead 

line....

Off to Rio de Janeiro, just in time for Valentine’s Day…

9 Feb 2014 Montevideo, Uruguay

Overcast, humid, steamy warm, with a slight drizzle - Montevideo received us at around 9 a.m. Not much wind to speak of, ergo docking the ship this morning did not involve ‘stitching her to the dock’, meaning using every mooring line aboard to secure her ashore.

On our arrival in Puerto Madryn, stitching was de rigeur, as off shore winds of 50 knots made docking a bit of a challenge.

No tour for me today, so I wandered off into the deserted Sunday morning city of Montevideo.  Just like Buenos Aires, the city has a wealth of Belle Époque Architecture and just like in Buenos Aires – it is all more or less in the process of slow deterioration. A shame indeed, to let so much of these historic buildings, who still glory in faded beauty, fall to pieces.

For the last few days, Uruguay and Montevideo have been suffering from punishing rain, with flooding in the country side, and puddles and fallen trees all over the city. Mosquitos are out in droves…

By midday, the city awakes from her Saturday night sleep, and the food market near the Port springs to life. Clouds of blue smoke rise from its wrought iron roof, indicating that a few dozen indoor parillas are starting to prepare Uruguayan beef – all imaginable bits of it from tenderloin to innards – for the great Sunday Lunch Out for locals and tourists alike.

I visited a couple of art galleries, which are still around, albeit in lesser numbers and with fewer serious artists being presented, but still inspiring and interesting.

 

Off into the indoor hustle and bustle of the market to garner a seat at one of the food counters, preferably a bit away from the open fires – too hot – and awaiting the obligatory Uruguayan meat treats. I had a salchito, a sausage, which did not particularly delight my taste buds, beside me a blond haired tourist was digging into a huge blood pudding, others were working their way through mini mountains of chopped up steak and ribs – all washed down with some Uruguayan wine of beer. An expensive pleasure, but worth experiencing the local ambiance.

Tomorrow – Buenos Aires and milonga, probably dancing to some piece of music made famous by Carlos Gardel, who is claimed by Uruguayans as one of their own, although he is revered like and Argentinian deity of Tango.

Juan y Karla, Tango Instructors of World champion niveau, hailing from Colombia, are teaching aboard Prinsendam - unfortunately they are leaving the ship in Buenos Aires

Montevideo Balcony - most are a little on the decrepit side

Metropolitan Cathedral at Plaza Constitucion

Montevideo Landmark Building

Puddles on Plaza Independencia - heaven for swarms of mosquitos

Montevideo Doorway

One of many Parilla restaurants at the Port Market

Urugayan Felines enjoying Sunday morning people watching

Fast food....

Port Buildings in Montevideo

Montevideo claims to be the original inventor of tango....

Montevideo also claims Famous Tango icon Carlos Gardel as one of its own

Exchange rates for the Uruguayan Peso

Wooden clock in the historic Port Market

Street artists

7 Feb 2014 - Post Antarctic Tango in Puerto Madryn

Sleeping Sea Lions on Puerto Madryn Pier fenders

Back in Argentina...

 

Arriving back on the South American Continent, in Puerto Madryn in Argentina. It is a small town, which boasts an aluminum smelter and a compact ‘downtown’ area. Its claim to fame is the Valdez Peninsular, a protected area which teems with wildlife, such as Magellan Penguins (the largest colony in existence), Sea Lions, Guanacos by the hundreds, Patagonian hare, Sea Elephants and many more.

I stayed ‘around town’ and strolled around until time for lunch of fresh merluzca (local catch of the day) and a swimming pool sized glass of vino blanco.

A leisurely paseo along the malecon (beach promenade) took me to a small plaza, where tango music filled the air, and a good number of people were dancing. I joined in of course, after depositing my ‘mochila’ (back back) in a little hut, where people signed up for ‘something’, which turned out to be the beginning of the Puerto Madryn Tango Festival.  I danced a quick milonga and a lovely tango right there, on the sunny and warm Promenade – what a drastic change from silent, chill and majestic Antarctica.

Tango on the Beach

Tango Ashore

Tango in the Sea

 

Tango was spilling over onto the beach, and not only that, but right into the shallow waters, where couples were lost in their private tango world.

Aboard ship, we ‘wrapped up’ the Antarctic Experience with an Open Forum with Captain Robinson, Chief Engineer, the Ice Pilot, who joined the ship for the duration of the ‘expedition’, and one of the Lecturers, who kept us informed about biology, geography, political and geological of Antarctica.

Our Antarctic Sound route

Creative art added to the charts

Una of the famous peaks in Lemaire Channel

British Admiralty Charts plus...

f.l.t.r.: Captain T. Robinson, our Chief Engineer, who kept our four engines running and the cooling systems clean of krill,
the ice pilot who guided us around and through heavy and light ice, and one of our PhD lecturers in conference.

Our very rarely completed passage through Lemaire Channel

The Master of M.V. Prinsendam

Ex Icebreaker captain from the US...

We saw dozens of these tails rising above the waters and then disappearing into the crystalline sea of Antarctica

 

Their talk made it clear again, what an unusual moment of luck we experienced during this voyage. None of them had EVER seen Antarctica in such glorious and overwhelming total beauty and clearness.

One of them had only made it through Lemaire Channel three times in 27 tries. Visibility most times is best on a radar screen – as the eye cannot penetrate thick fog, snow storms and at times heavy sleet.

Even wild life appeared more abundant than ever, such as Wilhelmina Bay filled with about 15 whales, who played and fed just beside the ship (which was stopped dead in the still mirroring waters), but hundreds of seals inhabited most of the ice flows, and thousands of penguins entertained us with their antics.

The actual charts used for planning and recording positions during the three day ‘expedition’ were put up for auction – proceeds to benefit a reputable agency for aid to underprivileged children in the Caribic (interesting combination, but I guess there are not too many underprivileged children in the Antarctic). A staff artist had enhanced the British Admiralty charts with vignettes of wildlife and portraits of historic people of the Antarctic. Captain, Pilot and a few other notables aboard signed the charts – a great souvenir for the highest bidder.

Capricious Antarctic Weather

Snow flurries, strong winds, scarce visibility - but the sea ice floating by Prinsendam when transiting Antarctic Sound into attempt to access the Weddell Sea is crowded with Adeli and Gentoo Penguins.

Getting ready for the communal dive into the icy waters

Approaching a giant tabular iceberg, a piece of solid ice that broke of a huge ice field in the Weddell Sea. This one measured about 6400 feet in length and 140 feet in height. Remember, the other 1000 feet of depth and volume are below sea level and out of sight.

Looking up from Prinsendam's deck past the Dutch Flag to the top of the tabular iceberg raising way up high.

Disappearing into the distance...we approached this behemoth within 200 feet.

As proof that temperature rise on occasion above freezing point, here are a few giant icicles decorating a small part of the giant iceberg. These icicles are gigantic, more than 10 feet in length, and only form when there is enough warmth to melt some of the surface water of the berg.

Sharp edges mark the sides of the iceberg, some of the overhanging cliffs 'calve' into the sea...

Penguins, penguins, penguins...

Loose sea ice crowding close together, forming vast expanses of impenetrable barriers. It was the first time for me, that the ship could actually pass part way into the Weddel Sea through Antarctic Sound. Hope Base, which is the only Antarctic 'village' with a school, a hospital and families with babies born on this continent, was out of reach. Between stacked sea ice and almost zero visibility, an approach was out of the question.

A little snow on the Lido deck inspired one passenger to 'eternalize' himself at least for the duration of the snow cover

Getting out of Antarctic Sound offered a glimpse of 'normal' Antarctic travel: ice, fog, blizzard, wind, white outs etc etc. Our departure took three hours longer than expected, as during our short time within the sound, sea ice had massed together in a formidable expanse, and it took us three extra hours to carefully navigate around the edges of it, to reach the open sea. Our hoped for glimpse of Elephant Island, one of the Shetlands, dissolved into nothingness - too late, nothing to see.

Steaming swimming pool on Prinsendam. A few days from now, when cruising up the East Coast and Amazon we will be 'suffering' from tropical heat. Snowflakes will be a thing of the past.