All at sea

Sunday 31st January. Day 26

Last night we decided to give the entertainment people another chance to impress us.
Some authenticity was added to the theme “From Russia with love” as most of the cast are Ukrainian’s. 
It was forty five minutes long, as well as the very good “orchestra”, nine dancers (four male & five female) three lead singers, and a rather attractive solo violinist entertained us. 
Most of the tunes  I associated with the Russian music I’ve heard over the years, and it really was very good. Particularly the dances.

We had a lecture today headed “Pirates of the Caribbean” only interfering with our day of bone idleness for an hour before lunch. 
Quite interesting going through the history and relating that to the Jack Sparrow character of Johnny Depp. 
The Hollywood boys appear to have done some research into the subject and characters. 
Our lecturer Louise Bonner seemed to have Mr Depp’s photo’s on screen too often, for reasons I just can’t understand.

Whilst sitting on the sun deck most of the afternoon, it occurred to me my outburst of grumpiness yesterday was probably withdrawal symptoms. My excuse anyway.
I really do miss proper real ale..
To cap it all, we have a guy on board, a Dutchman, who looks the spitting image of our landlord Mick. 
Ponytail as well!
Although I gave in yesterday with a most needed refreshment of l***r, I will not resort to the canned John Smiths Smooth, Boddingtons or Guinness....I hope. 
No, there’s no way I’ll touch that stuff, if it was in bottles though!

At this time 17:30 we are fast approaching the coasts of Venezuela and Trinidad.
We are travelling at 18.6 knots, and have so far sailed a total of 7222 nautical miles.
By my calculations, we will be in the Caribbean sometime tomorrow morning. 

Dinner tonight is suggested to be formal dress, we dodged the last one, but tonight you may see me donning a tie.

Iles du Salut

Saturday 30th January

Today I was forced ...more later

We arrived this morning at around 07:00 and anchored off the three islands which form the Iles du Salut (Salvation Islands) off French Guiana. Ile Royale, Ile St Joseph and Ile du Diable.
The islands are under the trajectory of space rockets (Ariana) launched from the mainland, ten miles away to the west at Kouro, and are under the control of the Guiana Space Centre. At launch times the islands are evacuated.
We better know the islands for the part they played in the hit novel and film Papallon.
They were part of a penal colony from 1892 to 1948 run by the French.
After breakfast, well about 10.00, we took the tender to the island of Royale, which was the actual Devil’s Island featured in the novel and indeed real life. 
The aim, an exploration of the wildlife and the ruins of the old penal colony, this formed a complete walk up and around the island and was said to take about an hour!
Two and a half hours later we are back on board completely knackered and soaked through with sweat. 
Devil’s Island was like a cauldron with a temperature of around 29c on a low cloudy very muggy day, it was a hell hole.
That aside, the island is quite beautiful, forested, full of bird life including macaws, and animals such as the commonly sighted Agoutis or palm rat, and monkeys of which we saw two varieties.
I won’t tell you any of the details of the penal colony, if you want to, you can find everything on-line.
Oh yes.
I was forced, I had no choice in the matter, it was much needed, honest guv! 
I had to drink a whole bottle of Heineken, this was taken at the bar, with sweat running down my forehead and out of my arms, at the island’s only resuscitation point, a hotel up on the top.
I felt like David Attenborough, or was it David Niven in that film where they built a plane out of a wreck, somewhere in the deserts of Africa.
I even had to refuse Pauline’s offer to finish her bottle off, when I trotted off to get another bottle to share. 
I felt it wasn’t something I should admit to queuing twice for, so I didn‘t get on the queue.

Anyway it’s now 16:30 I‘ve had just one large pilsner and a salad, and we’re on our way for a day at sea to St Georges Granada. 
We arrive on Monday at around 13:00, to have an excursion of four and a half hours to “Discover Grenada”

I hope they have a decent pub.

Out of Amazon

Out of Amazon

07:08 Friday 29th January
Position            02‘16’17 N
                       049’00‘ 68 W
Course           000’
Speed 14.5kts

We’re now in open water of a depth of 30 metres heading due North and due east of a town called Amapa.

As already mentioned today we are at sea, so we are sitting up on deck 10 under the shelter and well away from those on this deck, and the two above toasting themselves to varying shades of pink and black.
We have a full on side wind from the right, so I’m assuming that it’s an Easterly. 
As I sit here and watch the world go by, I see frail ladies and sometimes men fighting to either push the door to the outside deck open, or coming from the deck getting out of the way of the door as it slams back into its jamb.
I like people watching, but I have to say there are many people I don’t like.
Those I don’t like in particular, are those, despite warnings or advice otherwise, seem to think they should be first in the queue, do it anyway, or get impatient when the less mobile are in their way.
After all, we’re on a ship and it’s not as if we’re going anywhere..is it!
Some of the very same people, at least I hope it is, are currently wallowing in their cabins, suffering from drinking some concoction whilst we were at the Boi Bumba.
Despite the warnings not to drink anything that wasn’t in a can or a sealed bottle, I watched them pounce upon the half filled plastic beaker of liquid stuff with a straw stuck in it and go back for seconds.
I suppose it was free!!!!
You may well be coming to the conclusion that I don’t like people, well in the main you are right. Too many have sides that it doesn’t take either of us much to spot.
Pauline has a habit of telling people that, not often in a roundabout way. 
Me? 
I just loose them, or as during my working life, made use of those that could be of some benefit. Either to me or my employers.
We  have very few friends, and those we have, I think are the very best of people. 
It’s just a shame we don’t see each other as often as we perhaps would like to. 
No names no pack drill, I hope they know who they are.
Safe as to say, after 24 days at sea, nobody matches any of them... yet!
What’s that song ?  People who need(s) people! 
Rant over. 

Thoughts of the cruise.
 I think I’ve given most of my thoughts already from day one.
The mighty Amazon is certainly a site to see, none of the towns along it’s banks had a great deal to offer, most, if not all, are very poor.
Animal life spotting, is not as hoped, but I’ve already alluded to that, and with the benefit of hindsight should have guessed that when you have hoards of people stomping around a forest you are not going to see a great deal.
So two sloth, and two iguana is not bad I suppose.
Having left the Amazon we won’t be seeing anymore freshwater (blue) dolphin.
We saw plenty of them really, but they are not as “playful” as their sea cousins appear to be. 
You only see them when they come to the surface for a breath of air and they literally, for the want of a better simile, just porpoise. They are somewhat smaller too, only about a metre long, if that. 
The pink dolphin, I think you only see briefly as they move out of the way of ships and boats, they are somewhat rarer.
So, very much looking forward to the next part of our journey through the Windward Islands.
We will be making daily stop offs and organised tours , just off the top of my head, to the islands of  Grenada, St Lucia, St Vincent and Barbados.

Thursday 28th January 17:00hours

Day 23


Last night we watched the film, mainly because I wasn’t convinced I had seen it, and also because it is a good air conditioned area and we can still get drinks served at our seats.
As it turned out I hadn’t seen it. I thought it was a very good film.
Pauline seemed to think she had seen it, and anyway was falling asleep in her fourth large G&T of the day, and our wine at dinner. 
Much to the annoyance of a lady sitting in front, she asked me what had happened every time her head flopped forward. 
 I eventually  ignored her pleas for updates, so she rolled back to our cabin, and to bed before the end of the film.
This morning we arrived in Santana and the ship berthed at 9am in what looked like an unused container port, with a sand quarry behind it and some warehouses.
I should state now, that somehow we had cocked up the pre booking of this particular trip between us some months back. 
Which with the benefit of hindsight, must have been because of our ability to see into the future, and know that we would lose a day(the hoist failure).
We were due to stop here for two days originally. One day for the organised excursion to Macapa and the second day for an unorganised day.
Anyway, we decided not to go ashore, and we have some honest excuses....honestly.
Pauline’s cough has come back with avengeance.
On top of that, the City was up to 45 minutes away on a bus, with no air conditioning, on poor roads and it was already 36c! 
So we would have been 90 minutes on the road with a trip leaving at 13:30 and getting back for an all aboard at 15.30 for a 16:00 cast off.
Based on past excursions which had left us feeling worse for wear, because of the cramped conditions of the seating we decided, and we could have booked it, that another day of reading was our best option.
So, we missed out on a chance to stand each side of the Equator. We’ve  been there and done that already in Ecuador and Kenya and got the certificates to prove it anyway.
Cast off was on time for a full day at sea tomorrow, due to be arriving in French Guiana on Saturday at 08:00.

Day Twenty Two

Wednesday 27th January

We put the clock forward an hour last night and by co-incidence had our latest night in the bar. Turning the clock to 2 o’clock on our return to our cabin.
On our way home
I was almost tempted to accept Pauline’s offer to put the “Do not disturb” notice on the door this morning, but I thought no.
I didn’t want to miss my occasional morning ritual of trying to get 2 softly boiled eggs.
Having tried the very first time, we opened them to find the slimy mass inside barely clung to the inside of the shell.
Second attempt some days later, we said we wanted  5 minute eggs, they apparently give boiled eggs 4 minutes. 
That mornings pair came back exactly the same as the first attempt.
Now a bit of filling in, as stated earlier in the blog each morning we end up on a different table for breakfast, so I have to go through the request every time with  a different table waiter. 
The first problem to overcome is getting the waiter to understand we don’t want hard boiled eggs “they are on the buffet, Sir” 
Yes we know, we want soft boiled eggs please....puzzled expression, talks to supervisor, “ah right Sir”. 
Boil for 5 minutes PLEASE. “yes Sir I will do”
In the meantime Pauline has given up, and doesn’t want a gamble at breakfast.
So, just two for me PLEASE...... 5 minutes.
Let me end it here, I had 2 fried eggs over medium and watched them being cooked. 
 I’m not going to let the buggers beat me though!

So anyway, at 08:00 we’re fully parked up in a sandy bay just offshore of a town by the name of Alter do Chao (Altar of the Earth), population 2500. Founded in 1692 
It’s already 29c and promises to rise to 41c!
Once again it’s tender time, and we have to be back on board by 13:15.
We decide that we don’t want to be hard boiled on the tender, and then fried on the “rustic beach” and so the books have come out. 
I’m currently reading Strip Jack a Rebus novel by Ian Rankin.

It’s now 14:00 and we’re underway and we’re steaming towards Santana and the city of Macapa. Our last stop in the Amazon.
We’ve now traveled 5945 nautical miles

Tonight, if we really want to, we can watch “the 1973 epic” Papillon in the main show lounge “a must see classic”. You know the one, it’s where Steve McQueen doesn’t escape on a motor bike!
You may ask.. Why? 
Well, we are calling in on Iles du Salut (Devil’s Island) on Saturday for 8 hours.

A special note to our old friends Chris& Derek and anyone else trying to post on the comment section of the blog page.
I think you probably have to sign your life away to the God Google, so an email will get to me.

Tuesday 26th January

Day 21 

Thanks to Janet and cousin Brian for your comments directly on the Blog page.
Talking of food, last night was Burns Night and the chef laid on a fair mix of Scottish related dishes, spoilt for choice really. No haggis, but I had Cullen Skink, Scottish leg of lamb with neeps and tatties and what was a very good vanilla ice cream but somewhat lacking in the splash of whiskey department, but a well made shortbread for scooping.
On to today and we arrived earlier than we expected. The skipper must have put his foot down to make up a bit of time for us.
Anyway, we’re anchored off Paratins which is located on the island of Tupinambarana on the Southbank of The Amazon.
The city is noted for it’s annual popular folklore festival held every June called Boi Bumba. Google it for an explanation,  there may be some of the festival on Youtube, it’ll take me too long to find anything.
Cruise & Maritime organised a show for us (at our expense of course) performed by  the winners of  last June’s festival.  
We witnessed  a really fabulous non stop one hour stage version of what is an annual tournament between two teams of performers.. 
Unbelievable use of the stage, the props and costumes are too good for me to explain.
My guess is that most of the passengers attended.
Once again the tenders operated very efficiently.
It’s 18.00 and we are now underway, the lifting gear got all four tenders safely aboard.

Halfway

I’ll do my best to write this halfway stage of our cruise as an appraisal of how we feel about sea cruising on our first ever attempt.
Nearly everybody we’ve spoken to on board has told us we were brave to take a 42 day cruise as our first venture.
My view is that they are probably right, but we wanted to see the mighty Amazon.
I think that perhaps for me there would have been a better way to do it, and that would have been to fly out, miss out the long sea journey, and quite honestly the in between stops, which didn‘t add anything to my fountain of knowledge.
Having stated that I do like what we are doing, that is to say, cruising.
The ship is not bad, the cabin amidships is still comfortable for us although we mainly sleep in it.
The crew are a real hotchpotch of nationalities, all quite young, mainly eastern European, Indian sub continent, southern Asian/ Philippines. 
I’m not aware of any British staff apart from three or four of the entertainment team
Our table stewards are both from Odessa in the Ukraine, and yes there is a bit of strain showing by sneers at times with their Russian counterparts.
More a case of ignore them, don’t help them out, and they may go away. 
Very difficult, but no doubt they will be friends in 6 months time, when their current contracts expire.
Some personnel manager using a brain may have helped, but cheap labour probably is all they concern themselves with .
The entertainment is at times very good other times amateurish.
Shows put together by the in house team varying in content mainly based on show music like Queen, The Four Seasons etc. 
The “orchestra” is excellent, all Eastern European. They annoyingly point out the soloist on every solo, in every song, seeking applause, as if the audience didn’t know by the first song who was playing what instrument, and who needed the applause if due.
We’ve had two visiting comedians, both Brit’s probably never been seen on tv and unlikely to be so, but good entertainment they each put on two different shows.
There are 3 quizzes and a game of bingo everyday, all of which seem to be quite well attended. 
I sometimes play on my own at the 21:30 quiz, putting my answers on the reverse of the drink receipts and whilst drinking copious amounts of the house red. 
I came second once with ten out of twenty points, the other team of six got twelve points!
The food, is really very good, especially considering they are feeding big numbers.
Two restaurants, two dinner sittings each, plus the bistro running all day.
So, on the whole I think I’d be happy cruising again, perhaps a better class of ship would make up the odd gripes, but as they say, you get what you pay for.

Day Nineteen

Monday 25th January Day 20

We didn’t sail last night!
Something wrong with the “lifting gear” to get the tenders back on board and more importantly to be able to launch some of the lifeboats.
Spares are on board and they were working overnight to fix this and to also build a gangway should we want to go ashore today. 
Gangway in place and we shall be setting sale at around 24 hours late.
In the meantime, it’s 11:00 am as I sit here typing, occasionally viewing the dock area and watching the vultures spiraling around....no doubt awaiting a fallen tourist.

A quiet day on board today, we set sail at 16:30 on our way back down stream to Parintins for a short stay and an afternoon Boi Bumba show.

Sunday 24th January

Reports of several robberies of jewellery in the town yesterday. 
Folk had been warned about showing off their wares, but still they do. 
Only themselves to blame I’m afraid. 
Also talk of a crew member being mugged by a gang of ten for everything he was carrying and wearing after he got separated from his mates whilst out in the bars 
Inhabitants of this city are in the main very poor.
Today we off on a “Jungle Trek”
A forty five minute fastboat trip upstream into the River Negro and an entirely different aspect of the geography. The river is, as it’s called black, but we are now seeing clay cliff faces topped with forest.
Our landing spot is about 100 yards to the cliff face, I say cliff, it’s probably about 300 feet high.
We walk into the jungle and then start our ascent up through the forest stopping off at strategic locations to learn the basic skills of jungle survival by Ray Meares teacher.
So I now know, how to make fire, a one man shelter, animal traps and how to find water.
All very good, but we’ve not seen one animal or a bird, which is not really surprising I suppose, when there are two boat loads of folk on the various tracks around this jungle. No self respecting jaguar, or come to that toucan, is going to accidentally going to bump into us....certainly not in broad daylight.
I tell you what though, I haven’t been so wet for many a year, the sweat is literally dripping from me, shirt and trousers wringing wet and when I bent my elbow, it was like turning the tap on with the amount of fluid dribbling from it.
Back to the meeting point with a well earned chunk of fresh pineapple and a Brazilian canned drink somewhat akin to Red Bull....niiiiice and certainly needed.

Saturday 23rd January : Continued

Saturday 23rd January
Well, we arrived at 9 o’clock, after some faffing around we
eventually tied up at about Noon!
The day trip boats were already standing by for the six organised trips throughout the day.
Our excursion was timed to start at 13:30 but we were up and off about fifteen minutes early.
The first part of our trip is on a double decker water bus. Pretty fast, and we are about an hour from the first part of our five hour tour.
During this time our guide gives us the full works on the Amazon and Manaus.
By the way, if I haven’t already written this, the city is on the River Negro, about four miles from the where the River Solimoes meet it to form the Amazon.
Whilst I remember, the Amazon used to flow into the Pacific before the Andes was formed millions of years ago, and
so we have Pacific sea life in the form of the dolphins, stingray and manatee amongst others similarly stranded.
The actual source of the Amazon is high up in the Andes and so this is the fact that makes the Amazon the longest river in the world, it’s just that it becomes the Brazilian Amazon at the conjunction already mentioned.
Anyway, back on course. We arrive in a backwater about an hour after we started off and pass through a village, most of which is based on homes built on floats, and are therefore able to be moved when the river rises and falls with the annual flood.
Or, if you don’t get on with your neighbours!
The “floats” are in fact the boughs of the huge capoc tree.
As this tree is now fully protected, nobody asked, me included, what they use now, if building a new home.
The are also many homes that are built on stilts for obvious reasons.
As well as a school (they even have school water buses painted yellow, as you see in the US films) and a  hospital.
There are also two restaurants and.....a gift shop. We need to pass through both of these to reach our canoes for out part of the trip into the interior.
The canoe is actually a ten seater boat, with an outboard motor and a steering rod, and they sit, even before loaded, at water level.
So off we set along with four other canoes, not much chance of seeing a great deal of wildlife as we zip through the channels of floating grass, but bird life is there in good numbers.
No sign of caiman as they are nocturnal, we won’t get back in time for the caiman spotting tour.
A couple of hours spent wending our way through the backwaters and it’s back to the gift shop and then off back to the ship via the waters meet.
On our arrival we find that there has been some kind of misplanning or mishap, as we are unable to board direct into the ship as the door is now below the floating deck.
The word is that the water level had dropped. I just don’t believe that, but we don’t get an official explanation.
All boarding must now take place around the other side of the ship. With at least four tours finishing at about the same time we all find we have to disembark our river boats and join a queue for the 105 seater tenders.
Well handled once again, but methinks somebody made a faux pas.

Manaus. Day Eighteen

Saturday 23rd January

I write this not knowing when I will post it on my blog, no wifi at present. I need to top up my time....I think!
A few people felt much the same as me about yesterday’s shore trip, and a good few of them went ashore anyway.
The four tenders made 18 organised journeys at least between them, to the shore, and when the  need to be organised was completed, you could go ashore anytime there was a tender alongside. A very well organised movement of passengers, each tender has a maximum capacity of 151persons.
We stayed on board and read and a had a couple of drinks.
It was as I suspected, some enjoyed it, and some thought they saw embarrassment in the locals who dressed up in the feathers of tribal dress for photo shoots. All the reason to be I suppose as they are not a tribe! 
Anyway, you pay your money and take your choice.
Manaus. 
Today we will be docking in Manaus at around 09.00, it’s now 08:00 and we’ve travelled 5476 nm to find we are at the source of the Amazon, and as far up as we go. 
994 miles from the Atlantic
The city has a population of about 1.5million and was founded by the Portuguese in 1669, and is at the convergence of two rivers the Negro and Solimoes. 
This is where the Amazon starts.
Once again we have a convergence or “Meeting of the waters”, where the two rivers travel side by side for some miles.
This is caused by the difference in temperature, density and the velocity of the two rivers. 
The Negro waters are black, the Solimoes a muddy yellow.
We shall be here for an overnighter, leaving at 17:30 Sunday evening.
This afternoon we shall be on a local riverboat for about an hour to a Lake January an ecological park. 
We then get on a motorised canoe to take us on an unguided ride through small tributaries and creeks into the rain forest.
I’ll report back on that experience when we get back at around 18:00.

Tomorrow we go on a four hour jungle trek!

Day Seventeen

Friday 22nd January

Current temperature (08.00) 29c anticipated to be rising to 38c !
A bit of a dilemma today, we are anchored off Boca da Valeria and to go ashore we need to get on the ships tender.Boca, by the way means mouth, so we are at the mouth of the river  Valeria
In itself not a problem..BUT, this is a tiny fishing village with a population of 75!
The inhabitants Caboclo are descendants of Portuguese sailors, who inter married with the local Indians and  they will all be gathering to “meet us and greet us warmly”.
To me this reads a bit like Mickie and Minnie meeting and greeting you in Disneyland, hence my dilemma.
I’m not certain I want to take part in such a circus, even with a chance to acquire a few small trinkets and even a chance to cuddle a small child’s pet sloth are the highlight of the visit!
Call me miserable if you like....but not my cup of tea.
We cast off at 15.30

Day Sixteen: Santarem

Thursd ay 21st January

We arrived in Santarem at 9am this morning.
The city is located on the confluence of the Tapajos and Amazon Rivers.
The Amazon being coloured and the Tapojos almost crystalline, our first trip was to start where the waters meet, a clear delineation showing on the surface for a good way down stream.

This riverboat trip started at 09.45, it was already 30c so being undercover motoring down stream was a bonus. It really is warm and sticky.
As we reached waters meet, so the wildlife activity started, with loads of bird life, particularly cormorants and egrets fishing, and it wasn’t long before our first views of blue dolphin. 
They look quite small compared to the normal dolphin we are used to seeing around the world, and were not following the boat, but, I think fishing.
I thought I saw the pink dolphins once or twice but they are rare and what I saw just about broke the surface, so I didn’t really count them as sightings. And certainly didn’t have time to alert fellow travellers.
The cruise took us into Lake Maica, a branch of the Amazon, where we spotted, iguana and sloth. 
Birdlife was plentiful, and it was at this point I really wished I had upgraded my lens for the Nikon. 
My “just in case camera“, the Fuji 8000 reminded me that I have a problem with it. Whilst it has a very good long distance lens, and picked out the birds well, once I controlled the shake,
I’m afraid when looking back at the photographs, they gave the impression of being just like a washed out watercolour.
No good at all destined for the bin!
The Sloth were very difficult to see, the first looked like a branch not in the right place, and until it moved it’s head I wasn’t certain I quite believed we had a sighting.
The second was just like a bunch of old dead leaves, and on close up looked like a bit of flood debris. 
I took photo’s, but I’ll need a closure look at each to really convince me of what we‘d seen.
A fellow passenger, on our return, asked me if they were two or three toed sloth. All I can say is, it’s a good job she was an older lady!
We piranha fished off the side of the boat with handlines, the hooks were probably size two and were embedded in a chunk of fish. I had a few good knocks but no hook ups, I think I would have fished it different.
There were 3 fish caught off the front of the boat, all by a crew member....I didn’t get to see his rig!
An hour later we were on our way back to the ship with a running commentary of the Santarem sea front and markets.
I think it was a worthwhile trip, we’ve certainly got a lot more to look forward to.
We stayed on board for the rest of the afternoon, not fancying a two mile stroll in a clammy 33c, to the town centre.
I did learn a bit of history. 
Apparently Henry Ford built two  American cities called Fordlandia and Belterra in the middle of the jungle. Spending $80million doing so, in the late 1920’s and for the creation of huge rubber plantations, so that he didn’t have to rely on Mr Goodyear for his tyres.
The yellow fever and malaria put paid to that, as did the local insect life to the rubber trees. 
Mr Ford didn’t think of checking the depth of the water before jumping in feet first....oops!
I started to falling asleep into my cold draught Bittenburger pilsner, so back to write this in the air conditioned cabin and now perhaps I’ll try to catch up with some of the missed sleep.
The coughing in getting better, and Pauline (I’m being nice here) is flat on her back purring like a cat with sinus trouble!
We weigh anchor at 18.00, it’s now 16.30. and sail to Boca da Valeria overnight. Arriving at 09.00.
I have no idea what to expect on this six and a half hour stopover as there are no excursions. 
We shall see!

Talk later

Wednesday 20th January

07.30 our time (10.30) 

We’re still “at sea”, for another day.
 I think it’s day seventeen!


We both still  have a cold, we’re still having restless nights, but are still visiting the bars, checking out the lectures, and still trying not to eat too much.
I think we’re winning on all counts.
Yesterday we crossed the equator and entered the River Amazon, so not long to go before we test terra firma and the piranha fishing on Thursday.
This morning I awoke to the sight of land and we are not  moving at present, in fact we appear to be holding station in the river proper, having navigated the “estuary“ overnight.
I put estuary in inverted commas, as I understand technically there’s not one....it’s just one of the entrances.
The river is barely moving and is a milky tea colour, as it has been for the last 250 miles or so.
I can see the right hand bank, and it’s probably the town of Macapa just upstream from us. The is a ferry and a few smaller ships docked. 
Behind us and to the right of is a coaster, also holding station. Having not yet dressed I can’t say if we are close to the left bank!

Day Thirteen

Sunday 17th January 

Over the last 2 days, in one hour sessions, we’ve been learning about the Amazon from a Doctor Louise Bonner, the same doom monger who told us of all the tales of the Bay of Biscay and volcanoes.
No doom and gloom now though, she’s really getting into the swing as a Geographist.
We shall be travelling up the Amazon for about 930 miles, yes 930 miles!
It’s a big, or should I say massive river system.
I bet not many of you know that the gallons of freshwater  pouring into the Atlantic Ocean every day is enough to supply  freshwater to New York City for 100 years!
That freshwater travels on the surface of the Atlantic for nearly 250 miles (water density etc between fresh and sea water)
Those were the facts that stuck....I didn’t take notes.
It’s massive, and really unexpected as far as I’m concerned, and just shows how much I don’t know about South America.
We’re both suffering colds now, Pauline’s is still worse than mine. The niggly coughs going on around the theatre show it’s quite wide spread too.
It probably also shows, why we are no longer able to help ourselves around the buffets and drinks areas, all served to us.
And still people whinge that they can’t dive in like pigs at a trough.
I’ve read both Reacher books. 
I attempted a download of a new one, my guess is I could read it quicker than the download takes. So it’s a good job I’ve brought along my copy of a fishing book to read.
 A fool and his eel by Mark Walsingham .
After today we still have 3 more days at sea. 
As at 18.00 hours our time, we’ve travelled 3778 nautical miles from Tilbury. 
Our position is 09o 13,25” N   037o11,36” W 
Travelling at 18.6 knots in a South Westerly direction. 
Course 237 degrees.

Day Ten Cape Verde

Cape Verde Islands

We arrived and docked at 8am this morning after two and a half days at sea, in Porto Grande, Sao Vicente, Cape Verde. 400 miles off the coast of Senegal.
The island of Sao Vicente is a dark barren land, it has no real greenery, no water but it has quite spectacular volcanic scenery.
So our trip out this morning on a twelve seater bus over cobbled roads was uncomfortable to say the least. 
Especially at around 26c.
We toured the town of Mondelo mostly on foot, it has the appearance of being a poor African nation with little for the population to do. 
The exception being the port facilities and some subsistence fishing. 
All fresh fruit and vegetables are imported. 
There is no freshwater on the island, but a desalination plant provides that supply.
Not a great deal to say for this island, but we were one of three cruise ships here, so tourism is on the rise to what, on the face of it, is no more than a stopping off point.
Pauline’s lost voice has developed into a cold!
As I type this at 5pm we’re just setting sail on a five day plus voyage to Santarem, Brazil.
We arrive, all being well, at 9am on Thursday (21st).
We're told the snow has arrived back home....enjoy!

Day Nine and Ten

Two days at sea 

We arrive in Porto Grande Mindelo Cape Verde in the morning at 8 am, 7 am your time.
We have trip organised but will be off again at about 17:00
Today I've finished  The Enemy and will move on to Personal by Lee Childs for the 5 days we have to get to The Amazon..
Pauline has lost her voice to some bug, but we appear,compared to some, to be total pissheads!
Malaria tablets will  need to be taken soon for the river! 

Day Eight

A whistle stop tour of Funchal Madeira today.

I think we arrived sometime around 7am, I say think, because I didn’t wake up until 8am and we were docked and going on our guided tour of the town at 9.30.
We’ve been to Madeira once before and between us can’t remember exactly when that was, perhaps 25/30 years ago. 
A great island for walking if fit. The levada’s we recall were well up in the hills and were a great way to explore.
A wet misty start to the day so a quick guided tour around the town and municipal market, which reminded us that even at young age reminded us of our adventurous ways with food.
If you have a few minutes, take a Google search for the black scabbardfish!
We took the cable car, after a coffee break to the top of the hills, primarily to take the toboggan ride down the very steep road. 
A two kilometre ride which was giving Pauline the sh**s , sorry a fright, before we even started.
I have a photo which was taken as we got on board. 
It will be made public on our return.

Then back to the ship for lunch as we set sail for Cape Verde at around 2pm.
I’ll tell you now, before I forget, we are currently, according to gossip, having “some cases of  the virus“.
The food service has certainly changed, you are no longer able to serve yourself from the buffet, although one idiot was seen literally reaching over and grabbing a handful of cheese off the cheese board because of the queue! 
You certainly see all sorts on a cruise!
We are also receiving extra attention with the antiseptic hand wash procedure being stepped up at the restaurant entrances.

Day Seven .... all I see is sea and no internet!

Life on board
Today we’re at sea so I’ll try and give you our first impressions of cruising.
To be fair, I suppose as most of our time has been afloat, what you will see here is our impressions of the ship and what it has to offer to the captive audience.
To say it reminds me of our Pontins Osmington Bay visit in the early 70’s is probably an understatement.
Food wise, there is the same old choice for breakfast every morning, bacon and eggs and the extra’s. Fruit, cold meats and cheeses.
Whilst everything is fresh, or gives the impression it’s fresh, it is just a nudge under motorway service breakfast standards, and not up to basic good b&b available at say, Premier Inn.
If we were to fully partake of lunch, and we have on one occasion the menu has been good, a different every day selection.
Good flavours, cooked well and waiter served.
Having an  evening meal preference, we do try the salad bar, but that is the same selection every day, so lettuce does become a bit of a bore...even after this short time.
So to our evening main meal, again waiter service and up to a good standard with a fair selection.
The salad bar, if wanted, is still the same old salad selection.
We’re advised that the standard of this ship is not up to the big cruise ships...“you get what you pay for”
Compared to our Viking river cruises, it’s definitely a step down.
As is the entertainment, quite amateur in the main.
The entertainment team tries hard  with just a few “artists” standing out.
The best guest entertainer, gets off the boat in Madeira, so tonight is out last chance to catch his act.
What comes next, we shall have to wait and see.
Having said that 4 of the house team performed 45 minutes of Queen music last night with an excellent backing band. The guitarist was pretty close to Brian May, apart from the hair.
Good entertainment.
The bars all sell the same stuff, being a noted pint drinker and lover of real ale, the G&T’s and wines that I have been forced to drink, go down far too quickly for my safety.
I’m not going anywhere near the cocktails, so I’ve taken to drinking the draught pilsner, it’s just a touch better than canned Guinness, John Smith’s and Bass, and it lasts a bit longer than the shorts, whether it’s good for me or not, well, that remains to be seen.
Pauline’s treats both the wine & G&T in her normal fashion, so she‘s alright!
I asked Pauline if I was being fair with the above, and she is pretty much in agreement with my assessment.
That’s not to say we’re not enjoying our cruise.... so far.

This morning I awoke to the news of David Bowie’s death.
I have to say that I don’t think I have been affected by the loss of other great music masters, but I welled up a bit for Mr Bowie. Many great tracks lodged in my memory.
One of his earliest records I bought, Can’t help thinking about me, when he teamed up with the Lower Third, attracted me to his music before Major Tom.
Rest in Peace Sir.

Day Six

Lisbon
Nobody picked me up on my Friday blog heading, you really must pay more attention. 
Having said that, the only reason I knew I was wrong with the date is because today I remembered, Sunday 10th January, would have been Mum’s 93rd birthday.

As it happens getting the approval to enter Lisbon seven hours early probably saved us an even bumpier night from that  expected, although it was still a bit up and down on the way.
Being amidships probably helps, but there were a few missing for dinner. 
We both appear to be good sailors, note I did say appear, not wanting to be seem over confident, as there is still quite a trek across the Atlantic to come.
We set off tonight for Madeira and the wind is pretty strong sat here in the port.
So, we docked dead on time at Midnight, and despite that, still appear to be walking crab fashion!
Our guided trip today was to familiarise ourselves with the City and also, with the benefit of hindsight, what was probably a mission by the Portuguese travel service to promote Estoril, once a popular resort, we‘re told, but now somewhat jaded.
I’ve managed to take a good few photographs of this part of Portugal and, as with most European cities the dock and immediate area have all seen better days. 
Being cynical, I think they are awaiting another earthquake, or more likely an EU grant, as the most destructive earthquake was in 1755!
The City, despite like climbing Everest in parts, has some interesting sites and history.
I’m only sorry the photo’s take up just too much time to put them  into the blog. In fact waiting for them to download has beaten even my patience, and is like waiting for paint to dry.

Talking of earthquakes, yesterday's lecture was all about that very same subject, the gory details of the 1755 event being given by the same lady who gave us the doom laden details of crossing the Bay of Biscay.
She tells us her future lectures will be more cheery!!
Anyway, the wind’s blowing and the rain is horizontal, so we’re back on board after a very nice lunch, and as can be seen, I’m back on the keyboard in the bar.

Cheers Mum xxx

No signal pick up from Lisbon, it’s 1 am just back from the bar and we’re on our way rolling about in the Atlantic, so I’m trying to post now, rather than hitting the sack as I know I’ll need a pee soon, I’ve been on the Bit Bergen a pilsner, the only draft beer on the boat!

Special note for Marlene & Jim, we haven't found your standby's yet!

Day Five

.......things that go bump in the night

We were both woken with a start at around 3.30 am with all sorts of bangs and crashes going on around us.
The thing I notice, on this ship anyway, is that we seem to move from side to side rather than what I expected, up and down in the big waves.
We’re sailing into a South Westerly so the wind is virtually head on.
Anyway, the bang in our case was a water glass hitting the floor and then bouncing around, I had a cursory look around for broken glass but couldn’t find anything, not even the glass!
The noises around from the nearby cabins continued for a while, mostly bottles and we think bathroom doors we think, we eventually got back to sleep.
As I type this first part of our day, after breakfast, it’s 10.15 and we  have just received a tannoy warning about being careful moving about, and not going out on  the decks.
“Sea sickness pills are available at reception”
So, we’re staying put in the bar (no alcohol ...yet) ,which is a shame because we missed out yesterday on reported whale spottings, with close by sightings, in fact one right under the ship!
Still, I’m sure we have plenty of chances yet to come on our days at sea.
We are currently bouncing around off the coast of  Portugal and the town of Braga.

I'll be back later and maybe I'll do a bit about food on board the good ship Magellan

UPDATE 14.25

I had wrongly assumed we were due in to Lisburn at 7pm when it appears we were due in at 7am Sunday morning.
It's just been announced that the port authorities have allowed us early entrance to the port due to worsening weather and sea conditions, so we will be docking tonight at Midnight, rather than having a slow cruise down.
Talk of 12 meter waves soon, currently around 9 meter's and the lifts have been closed!
So, we're hanging on climbing up and down the staircase....

Day Four (Friday 4th January)

Firstly I'm sorry to say photographs seem to take for ever to down load, even onto Facebook, so it looks unlikely I shall put in any until the end of the cruise. I'll keep trying though.

All day at sea today, it was pretty rocky last night, not too bad though just a few things rolling about.
As the day has worn on we are a bit calmer, winds are still south westerly around Force 6/7.
According to the information on our location (16.20 UTC), we’re about half way across The Bay, (45’52.45N 007’49.28 W. Course 210’
Travelling direct from Brest across the deeps to A Coruna on the Spanish North West Coast at around 16.8 knots.
So, effectively corner to corner.
We are expecting to arrive in Lisbon at 7pm tomorrow.
Today’s lecture was on Tiger’s, what they have to do with our cruise I don’t know.....unless we’re on the wrong ship!
We must be ok though, because I’ve just handed over our passports. Apparently the Brazilians want advance warning about whose turning up!!
The lecture was interesting though. We missed the afternoon lecture on art as we were in the bar taking interest in those who have joined a “learn to play the ukulele” class!
Dinner tonight is at 18.15. Dress recommendation “informal”
By the way,  we are decontaminated on all occasions when entering the dining areas with a hand wash. They are very keen to ensure we don’t go down with Norovirus Gastroenteritis, and H1N1 influenza (swine flu)
Whilst I remember the four other fellow table guests are Blanche and Gordon from a small village in the Gloucester Cotswolds, for the life of me I can’t remember it’s name. The other couple are Ken and Elaine from Preston. 
So far we think they can put up with us, they seem ok to us too.

As I sign off, the boat is beginning to rock

Day three

All day at sea today, a bit rough, we have a Force 7 South Westerly.
I have to admit I expected to be able to feel the rough seas but, it appears being in the centre of the ship and two flights up from sea level we are somewhat protected. We do know however if you are up front it has been a tad uncomfortable.
On the outside of deck 10 it is said to be verging on dangerous.
At the time of writing(8pm) we are off the Cornish coast on our way down to the Bay of Biscay, tomorrow is expected to be rougher!
Our day today has been relatively lazy, we attended two “lectures” one regarding the Bay of Biscay, it’s history of shipwrecks and severe conditions, just what we wanted to hear, and the general geography of the Bay and it’s sea life.
In the afternoon we had a further chat from the husband of the first lecturer on his life as a journalist, starting from his first days as a cub reporter in the early 60’s on the local Stafford weekly papers.
They’ll both be back in a few days to expand upon their subjects, we’re not certain we’ll be back to hear hubbies next set of experiences.
We’ve just had dinner and I’m back in the cabin divesting myself of the “formal” wear (suit and tie) that was suggested for the Captain’s welcome. This formal stuff (dinner suit and dickie bow) appears to accepted by some, but not that many.
My guess is the next formal night will be attended by the more casual of the male shipmates.
 We left the bar a bit later to dodge the mugshot of us and the Captain at the entrance to the dining room.
Food still very good.
So we’re both in our casual wear and we’re off to the bar.

Amazon Cruise 5th January to 16th February 2016

Amazon Cruise aboard the Magellan
5th January  to 16th February 2016

I will do my best to give a succinct daily blog, covering what I remember of each day to the best of my ability. There may of course be some backtracking in the days that follow.
I’ll not trouble my readers at any length about our stay last night and today in the hotel (Orsett Hall) whilst we awaited embarkation, although there is a story about our evening meal that I may well refer back to. Needless to say we didn’t pay for our meals or drinks!
Sorry I'm late posting my first report, it's due to the fact that we left

home without a plug converter, we weren’t aware we wanted one on an “entirely” British ship!!
Anyway, I’ve put the 2nd day on whilst I can grab some space in the wifi lounge.

Day one

Our embarkation time was set for 16.30 our pick up 15.30.
At 17.30 we eventually set of by taxi from the hotel. 
Apparently there had been a medical emergency on our ship, the Magellan, on it’s return from Lisbon. A passenger had suffered a heart attack and needed to be lifted off the ship.
So being delayed, our ship arrived at Tilbury to disembark passengers at about the same time as embarkation was to commence. As a result the approaches to our ship became somewhat jammed with traffic arriving to pick up and to drop off getting on for 3000 folk...total chaos for over an hour with roads blocked in and out.
Anyway, we were very quickly through the boarding process and arrived at our cabin on deck 6, just in time, as it turned out, to be put through the emergency drill procedure two decks up. 
So we don our life jackets and proceeded up the staircase.
Found our muster station, hung around a short while and that was it.
The process over with, we got back to our cabin to find three of our four bags waiting for us.

We had no time to unpack, or even think about where the fourth case, our smallest, was before we were summoned via the tannoy to our dinner allocated time slot and table.
Table 108 was along the left side of , is that port or starboard?....I’ll come back after research. A table in the Kensington restaurant on deck 8, is for 8 persons .It already had only one couple in place, and all surrounding tables of eight fully loaded.
Introducing ourselves to Ian and Sue from Petersfield we awaited our fellow table guests, but none turned up!
So our eastern European waiters introduced themselves and took our orders. 
I can’t remember their names off the top of my head but tomorrow I will clarify all that, and indeed what happened to our four fellow table dwellers...if they turn up.
I should point out perhaps at this stage, for dinner only, passengers are all allocated a set table, in the two restaurants at each end of the ship the other being the Waldorf. 
If preferred in the bistro (canteen) on deck 10 where there is no table allocation. 
This does not apply for lunch and breakfast, you can sit anywhere you like in any of the restaurants 
Back to the meal, this is made up of 5 courses, each course having, I think, a selection of 4 items. 
The food was not bad at all, for mass catering of 1400 souls. 
Our fellow table dwellers appear not to be alcoholics like us pair, so did not partake of the wine, and didn’t go to the bars after.
During the meal we set sail on our way to Amsterdam, to pick up more passengers and as we learned later, to disembark some others who had been on the cruise before ours..
Whilst writing about our alcohol, I should point out that drinks aren’t free, so we lined up the drinks package which works out at £17 each per day for the length of the cruise. Let’s just say, whilst I’m not counting.. we got our monies worth!
Clocks forward an hour tonight, so to bed at around 1o’clock, picking up our 4th bag from the passage outside our cabin.

Day two
Not a bad nights sleep, mine a bit fitful, Pauline’s, whose been known to sleep on a clothes line, very good, in fact I had a job getting her out of bed for breakfast by 10am or 9am your time.
We decided not to disembark in Amsterdam, having arrived at dockside about noon.
The weather was grey and miserable, with a mist and a biting wind .
Not only that, and it’s not whimping out, but we’ve been here a good few times via the KLM Hopper out of Humberside Airport.
So we took the opportunity for Pauline to unpack all the bags, that’s something “we” haven’t done for most of our previous trips, which involved scrabbling around in the cases to find the fresh pair of underpants etc!
There is plenty of hanging and drawer space for the contents of our four cases
We then took the opportunity to get to know our home for the  next 41 days.
The Magellan has four and half decks of cabins, from deck 4 to 7, and the dozen or so posh suites are on deck 11 at the forward end. The sun deck is on deck 12.
Decks 8,9 and 10 are the bars, restaurants and lounges. The main show lounge being up forward split over decks 8 and 9.

All in all a lazy day, the food is really good and so are the cabaret acts...so far.
We sailed out of Amsterdam at around 8pm. Bed tonight just after midnight.
More to drink than yesterday, I’m already thinking we should be steadying ourselves a bit, for our health.... it was a quiet day though!
We now have the start of around four days at sea on our way to Lisbon, Portugal.