The Amazon

There is a meeting of many forces at this juncture of the voyage. The days are palpably numbered until we arrive home. Students, and everyone else bemoan the ending of this adventure, and also eagerly anticipate the return to family, familiar routines, favorite meals. Food is the oft repeated theme of so many conversations, partially because we have been exposed to so many savory new flavors, but also because the routine of the shipboard fare is wearing thin. Many of us are particularly craving good Vietnamese Phó as a comfort food on familiar ground.

Manaus is a big city in the middle of the rainforest. First impressions: heat, humidity. Just as in Ghana, I am struck by the scent of the area, and realize it has to do with arriving in communities that burn stuff. It feels sacred, reminiscent of incense in church when I was a child.

The first day we wandered the city, and most interesting were the food markets with rows and rows of meat and fish, and stalls full of fruits and vegetables. I got off the ship with the intention of trying Capuaçú, and was enthralled by the line up of guys tossing watermelons to stack. Bananas too are in abundance.

We has some juice first from a market, Passion Fruit--cold and refreshing. I picked it according to image, and not reading portuguese, just hoped for delicious. This is one of the excellent moments of travel, to taste something completely unfamiliar and to be delighted by it. The second juice was from a vendor, picked by color and this one I did later ascertain was Capuaçú.

Rest in the afternoon and Opera House. The city is famous for this building, an investment from the days of Rubber being big business here. We saw a philharmonic whose arrangements were on par with performances I have seen in Los Angeles.

Day Two was a Waterfall trek and I was group leader with 29 participants, all female students except for Jonathan, one of the RDs. Two hours drive north of the city, then a ten minute walk into the woods, brought us to a waterfall. The girls squealed with delight and took lots of photos of each other under the falls. The guides gave everyone about 45 minutes here to hang out and play. It is always great when the pace slows down.

The next stretch was a rainforest hike and some caves. We then enjoyed a lunch served family style with platters of fish and meat, and side salads. Fruit juice bars for dessert with more new flavors to sample.

We then went to a very local beach where a zip line was set up and each took turns flying over the river back and forth, Three local boys seemed to run the operation, and having set up and run zip lines 20 years ago, I was in awe of both how much easier the set up can be than it was back then, and how they were doing everything right in terms of safety. Not a bad way to bring money into the rural economy. Then, on their own, what great fun to be had!

The next morning was a riverboat ride to see the Meeting of the Waters. This is a confluence that coexists where the black waters of the Rio Negro meet the Solimões River's brown waters, flowing together without mixing for nine kilometers (5.5 miles).

Short walks off our river boat took us to a village where we saw a demonstration of how rubber used to be harvested. The liquid from the trees coagulates quickly. We were told that at the time of birth, this material was used to seal the snipped umbilical cord after a woman gives birth.

Watermarked from floods that lose all the crops in the area.

Rubber sap.

                                                                                                

Thank goodness for tourists in communities like this. The Brazilians go to the beach, but huge touring vessels make the passage down the river to this area, and we saw lots of European tourists in the various sites we stopped.

We were taken to see the lily pads, and some members of our group held a baby sloth. Those fellows earn their name, as evidenced by their extremely slow movements.

Then back on the river again. Twelve days to go. Consolidation of the experiences is big for everyone; reflections and regrets are reviewed. I am mostly enjoying this stage of work, as students find the words to tie this all together. In some ways, the voyage is Semester at Sea “Lite” because of the percentage of time in Europe and the tone that set. For many, the experience of Manaus and the Amazon has been the place where they have tested the limits of what they have learned, and are starting to formulate how they want to be as they go home. This is the personal confluence we all are invited to face.

Rio de Janeiro

“The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land.”

– G. K. Chesterton

We were told that Rio rivals as best port to pull into, and so we set our alarms accordingly. More students, faculty, and staff were on deck than most mornings in anticipation. First, nature, then the beauty of the city and surrounding area satisfied our senses. It was warm and welcoming.

This is a town caught between water and mountains, and it uses the space well. Some favelas climb up to the steepest of hillsides, and I have heard of elevators in some neighborhoods. When we were above the city in Santa Teresa, the steps down reminded me of Cusco, steep but wide, with a healthy population moving up and down them.

Our first cab ride away from the ship was to Ipanema Beach to see a Hippie Crafts Market, It was a mellow place to walk around and see so many artisans’ work, as well as taste Brazilian pastries. Another great town for graffiti.

The beach was gorgeous. I am not sure how this looks barren, as the crowds were thick on this hot Sunday morning. Brazilians are beautiful. There were volleyball games, hands free, with amazing soccer skills in play to help that ball clear the net.

I asked about this later. Orchids are grafted onto trees that appear to be on public streets. It added an extra element of glamour to the neighborhood. We had an incredible lunch here, with the meat eaters indulging in all kinds of treats and I had some really fresh fruit.

We took the cable cars up to Sugar Loaf Mountain. Here are some views below.





On a walk at the top part of the mountain, the monkeys came down out of the trees to say hello.


Sunset came around 6:30, and we opted to go back to the ship. Two more days to enjoy this city, a place I immediately felt like I could spend a year in if given the chance. I don’t feel that way too often because I love Los Angeles and Venice so much. Living as an ex-pat in a country without the primary language would wear me down, but I still hold on to that sense of wonder about “one year”, and have my whole adult life. For those who are younger and less obligated, I challenge you to keep this option in your minds, not necessarily about Rio, but about places that speak to you in some way.


The next morning we bummed a van ride with friends to see Cristo Redentor, the Christ statue on the hill. What a scene!
I spent about an hour milling around, looking at every sort of way people photograph the statue and the vistas below.



Me and my work mate Damian. Below, Lisa taking Annalyn’s photo.



On the way down the hill, five of us hopped out of the van in Santa Teresa, a town Abel from Los Angeles told me to visit. He suggested what I thought was Supernatural Restaurant. I am glad we landed at the right place--Sobrenatural, and we had another fantastic meal. Wiser this time, we ordered 4 dishes for 5 people, and some excellent drinks like Maté Iced Tea and Pineapple Mint fresh juice.



This town is full of artists, similar culturally to Topanga, California, Mádrd, New Mexico, Jerome, Arizona, or Yellow Springs, Ohio, The history is there was a trolley that rode up and down along the aqueduct bringing tourists up to buy art, visit the quirky cafes, and enjoy the view of the basin and coast below. A crash including fatalities has put a hold of the trolley working, and locals hope it is back in service in 2014. We didn’t mind that it was a bit slower in foot traffic. It was a great place for wandering.


There were lots of things for the eyes to feast on, and these installations in someone’s yard were intriguing.



Then, the walk down to the city centre brought this colorful surprises. From the top, there is little evidence of the color to unfold. Turning around and looking up was another visual feast.








This is the kind of place we could have spent hours, because of the intricacies of each tile and the story it told.




Alas, we left this area and moved on to the Catedral, expecting something old and European. We were met instead by a pyramid-inspired building that looked pretty bland on the outslde.


Inside, it was spacious, and the light coming through cast a warm glow.



St. Francis is backlit from a side door, and behind him in the cityscape view is the Cristo statue looking down.



A walk back to the ship then, as some of our party had Samba, and another was going out for a Big Meat fest. I opted out of both evening plans. The next day’s forecast called for rain, and I was the leader for a Rainforest hike to some waterfalls.



With rain of course comes mist, a cloud covering so thick that even though we were standing in the Tijuca Forest at a spot with 360° views, our backdrop was opaque. We altered the hike to follow the rivers, learn about some vegetation, and see the falls.





And that’s it for Rio! I came back to the ship and had an excellent cup of coffee before getting on board. I finished my latest novel before dinner, and am completing this blog entry. We are off for 8 days of sailing, half which will be in the Amazon. I am less than a month from home, and that is a theme with many of the students I am seeing. I am also completing lots of letters for the candidates hoping for doctoral programs next year. The flow of life involves integration of the novel and the necessary. I wish I could have stayed longer in this city. I don’t know if I will be back, but i do know how much I appreciate good food, good company, visual richness, nature, and culture. In many ways Rio makes me grateful for my own city, my own home. Yay!

Argentina and Uruguay

We survived the 10 day crossing.  There are activities that broke up the voyage, like a day of Sea Olympics. Some activities were serious athletic endeavors like basketball, dodgeball, pull-ups and tug of war. Others were more about creativity, like lip syncs, synchronized swimming, and an obstacle course. The Vitamin Sea team, faculty/staff/family/lifelong learners did pretty well. I think they aced the obstacle course when the jigsaw puzzle of Africa was the last event. There was a geography professor on the team. Champions in pull-ups too, which came as a surprise to some of the muscle bound young guys. Lots of cheering for my partner who surpassed them all.
Buenos Aires
This is a beautiful city, vibrant with life, good food, culture, green spaces, and public art. I loved walking from the docks and shanty towns to the streets that felt very much like New York City, with its doormen, shop windows, and well-heeled ladies walking their dogs. I had a plan of two areas I wanted to see.

View from the Law School steps.

Floralis Genérica up close. This is huge and reflective of the park and visitors around it.

B.A. had beautiful art throughout the parks.

Dogs are everywhere in this city and well-loved. We saw numerous dogwalkers with small tribes of various breeds. These guys were chillin’ while we had lunch. I checked in after the trip with a student who has a dog phobia, and yes, it had been a very challenging city for her. For the dog lovers, it was charming.

This is the view of the top of La Recoleta Cemetary, something that exceeds New Orleans in its grandeur and is the final resting place of Eva Perón and many others.

The monuments and tombs range from elaborate to humble. This cemetery holds the remains of many illustrious military generals, presidents, scientists, poets and other affluent Argentinians. There is a saying in Argentina that it costs much more to die than it does to live.

Students populated a grassy knoll, enjoying the afternoon sun, and beyond them were about 5 trees of massive scale.

Iguazú Falls
The guides almost everywhere on arranged trips have been great. The one in Iguazu was 7 months pregnant and usually took tourists on long distance bike rides or birdwatching expeditions, as that is her area a specialization. She was mellow and full of good information about the region.

Bird to greet us as we walked out to see the falls.

This was spectacular.




The second day we went to the Brazilian side which yielded even better views.

I was not disappointed, as the experiences of standing over the falls was stunning. This is a World Heritage Site that regularly flashed on my I-Google start page in a box of “places to see before you die”. Check. Definitely worth the effort.
Then to a Bird Sanctuary where a hour and a half was not enough time to see everything.

A lot of birds were in pairs. This set might work its way into a lecture someday regarding mirroring.

This next bird was puzzling, because from a distance he looked more like a little man in a robin hood outfit, which causes me to reflect on how Robin Hood got his name in the first place.

The female below is called a Harpy Eagle. She is a raptor who hunts for sloth and monkeys. Such an unpleasant face and vicious claws. Majestic in scale.

Although I waited patiently for these darlings to show off their plumage, they never succumbed to the charm of their visitors.

Twice, backs turned to us, they opened in full glory. Add that to my slide show of the backsides of animals.

Another creature to remind me of fictional beasts, great inspirations for Halloween.

We had an amazing dinner out that night, six of us breaking from the crowd. Argentina is known for its steaks, and those who indulged were deeply satisfied. Given my vegetarian preferences, I was also pleased to have an excellent dish, and here is the yummy local dessert we ordered.

Caayucayari (Nuestro Postre de Yerba Mate)

Yerba Mate Creme Brulee, Caramelized Manioc, Toasted Almonds & Yerba and Cointreau Foam

Montevideo, Uruguay

Tall doors, short people. This seemed notable given the tall Europeans and the short ceilings and door frames, especially in more rural areas. I am guessing the spaciousness is more related to heat costs or natural cooling systems rather than physical stature.

Most notable to me walking the business streets were bookstores and pajama displays.
Literacy rates are 99% in this country. I loved sticking my head in bookstores, bemoaning that I cannot read Spanish, perusing titles and oohing over covers. I am excited to have gotten the news that my Uruguayan friend, Monica Tresandes, had her book favorably reviewed in O Magazine. Oprah is good luck for authors, and I hope Monica’s novel gets the attention it deserves. Broken Like This is the title, and I am excited to at least be in her native country since I am not back home for the book release party.

Every stop we’ve made has had graffiti. I have not been posting all of it, but I have been repeatedly charmed.

Down by the green dinosaur is a stamp stating Vision Street War. The “work” below is not mine, but it is always a treat to see my name in unexpected places.

Food is a bit more expensive here than in some other places, but we had a great lunch at Nayné Caffé. While waiting for our meal, it was a pleasure to visually review the local newspaper.

Piriápolis
It was pure luck that a brief paragraph in Lonely Planet guides us to this beach town. While hundreds of SASers were traveling to Punta del Este, we stopped short of there by way of a very comfortable wifi-enabled bus. I am adjusting to reading books on my IPad. Now immersed in Gone Girl, but when I was reading the Murakami, more than 900 pages, I realized the advantages of reading on electronic devices.

The beach we found was ideal, and since we went there while many were at siesta, it was pretty sparse in locals, and seemingly no tourists. Around 5pm. the families came down.

More birds to sit and watch. I am so taken by the way light reflects in our various ports. Uruguay in the city is full of warm colors. The seaside colors are cool, a contrast to the 90 degree temperature. Locals talk about global warming both in the lack of spring they get, and the increase in natural disasters in an area unused to this phenomenon.

Days like this make it manageable to return to ship life with 500+ in residence. Our bus ride home yielded the best sunset.

We have two short days before Rio, and of the next 29 days, only 8 off ship. We are coming into a new chapter of revised convictions, regrets, and hopes. I am enjoying the existential conversations, the
consolidation of new experiences, and the reflections about how this is all meant to fit together. Travel changes people, some more than others, some in a flash and others in a more delayed way.

I keep telling people that there will be brief remarks and stories about the trip to family and friends, but hold on, because the real lessons will come with time and distance. Who we become is in the perspective we’ve gained. One becomes more welcoming of strangers and novelty, more adventurous in travel, more generous in spirit.

The ship historian said, “we enter to learn, we depart to serve”. I do not know that the students get what that means now, but in retrospect, I hope it seeps into their hearts and plays out in their lives by living more intentionally, more conscious of being citizens in a global community.  Time will tell.