Floating on a cloud up the Amazon.

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After lunch I sat on the verandah for a while watching the flying fish and sea birds-

I then started to do soduku and once more fell off to sleep.Awoke with time to book our 2014 cruises-Otaru(Sapporo) to Fiji via guam,PNG,Solomons and many smaller islands.Now here is where cruising gets interesting for us points junkies.We get 5% discount as repeat cruisers,5% for booking on board,5% for back to back cruisers and after our next cruise will get a further 5% discount as our day numbers get to 100.

That night was the first formal night.We were on the table of the Human Resources manager,Jessica Lam.A good night shared with a couple from Jersey.I started with crab timbale and mrsdrron with foie gras with risotto and then both had lobster-

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The next morning we awoke and got our first view of the Islands one of which is Devil's Island-

So a pictorial of the islands.We landed on the largest-basically no one gets to land on the actual Devil's Island.However this island contained the main prison.It is still part of provincial France so is part of the EC and uses the Euro.It is also a testament to the fact that Australia would have been a far different place if it was La Perouse who convinced the French Government to set up a prison colony in Australia.60% of those sent here died before their sentence was completed.Women and children were buried on the island but the bodies of male prisoners who died were thrown into the ocean.this had the effect of keeping the sharks around which added to the prisoners misery.

The story of Dreyfus certainly does not put the French in a good light as to human rights.Basically because he was a Jew he was framed as being a German spy.Even when the real spy was caught Dreyfus remained in solitary confinement on Devil's Island.

The Cloud anchored off shore and we were tendered to shore-

 

The French presence was here-

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It is sobering to realise that the roads,walls and buildings were built by hand by the prisoners and this place is just north of the Equator.Just climbing the hill to the main prison was exhausting in the heat.

 

At the top was the welcome presence of shade under huge mango trees-

 

There was also the hospital-

 

But this of course was not for the prisoners-

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For the prisoners at best they got to stay in the cellar.A later day addition to the walls I presume-

The largest Island is Isle De La Royale.Also inhabited is St.Joseph's Island.At the top of the hill with sea views are the houses of government officials and the Post Office-

 

On the other side the prison buildings-

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And then the cells-

 

The heat must have been terrible.

 

Still more to come.

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If you were a naughty boy this is where you ended up-

 

Though now people pay for solitary confinement-

 

But at least they have a view of the real Devil's Island.The prisoners solitary cells had no windows and they spent 23 hours a day there.

 

This sign looks ominous-

 

But I doubt it is relevant now-

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This sign however is very welcome on a hot day-

 

A paucity of animals but at least there was the French rugby mascot-

 

It was extremely hot so after 2 hours it was time to head back.Unfortunately we just missed a tender.The presence of the Pilot's boat was a worry-

 

The only other way out of the place quickly would probably be expensive-

Back on the ship and it was a cold shower and then a snack on the pool deck.A view of the 3 islands-

It seemed that the water was not that deep-

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That night it was dinner with 2 English couples.very good mains I had a Pecan pork chop and mrsdrron lime marinated shrimp in coconut sauce.

Saturday was another sea day.A good lecture on Brazil.Lunch with our Philly friends and then an afternoon nap.That night a function was put on for Cruise Critic posters-some 38 of us or 10% of the passengers.

After that it was dinner in La Champagne-$30 a head supplement but worth it.Start with an amusee bouche-

 

Porcini cappucino,foie gras cone,marinated lobster and a scallop on pumpkin mash.Then I had asparagus with truffle infused hollandaise,delicious-

 

We both then had the lobster thermidor,not as good as on the wind in july,brandy overdone-

 

Finished as usual with a cointreau souffle-

 

And then some petit fours-

 

Sunday and we awoke as we were nearing Belem-our first Brazilian port.That next.

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Belem is south of the major Amazon channels.It is a city of nearly 2 million.We had to anchor off shore as it was low tide.

 

As you can see we were a fair way out and it was a long tender ride to the dock.We went on a tour called the Cultural Highlights of Belem.Basically there are none.Our first stop was a "botanic"garden.A few trees but a butterfly house and many birds.Driving there the impression was of filth and rubbish.

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So a few pictures of the gardens-

 

Not a great variety in the butterfly house-

 

There was a great variety of birds at the gardens.Most were able to fly out if they wished-

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Obviously the supplied food was enough to keep most around.Many were colouful-

 

others though were in an aviary-

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After leaving the gardens we were taken to a gem museum.Unfortunately it was closed as it was Sunday.So they took us to the adjoining craft market.Not at all like the rest of Belem and had tourist trap written all over it.Next to the Cathedral but of course it was Sunday so we went to the museum of Religious art across the road-

 

Well that was another 40 minutes of my life I wont get back.Next door however was the fort with good views over the anchorage-

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So more of the fort and views towards the markets.

 

Those black birds will feature later.Close up of the fish market plus one of the few restored buildings in the old town-

 

More of Belem to come.

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Next to the fort was evidence of the Brazilian security forces-

 

Then those black birds,thick in the sky so you just had to point your camera at the sky and voila a photo-

 

It was next back to the ship.We learnt the lessons of cruise line tours.$99 a head but at the wharf the same company had the same tour at $35.Later on we talked with those on the afternoon tour,a jungle walk.As I expected with 100 people walking down a jungle track the only wildlife seen were ants and a tarantula.We cancelled the rest of our tours.After lunch the tenders were hauled up and the ship made its way to the dock-

 

I decided to go and have a walk around by myself.We were docked at a cargo wharf but close to a renovated area with lots of restaurants,exhibits and even a microbrewery-

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Lots of interesting buildings from the halycon days of the rubber boom over 100 years ago,this one turned out to be the police station-

 

Another church really demonstrated the lack of maintenance-

 

I then made it to the markets-

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Everything was for sale even Brazil nuts-

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I ended up in the restaurant section.Out the back the food was prepared.Chicken was certainly fresh-killed on the spot.I was about to take a photo of the execution when I felt a tap on the shoulder.It was a military policeman telling me something in Portugese.Had no clue but felt it was probably better to turn the camera off say thank you and leave.As I exited I met the black birds close up-

 

Yes vultures which were present in every town and city we visited.I didn't fancy the way they looked at me so decided to head back to the ship.Again some interesting buildings-

On the way back there was this magnificent building-

 

Looked over by this guy-

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To finish a few pics of when we were steaming into Belem-

And there were all forms of transport.

That night was another formal night.It was also the night of the Venetian Society reception(for repeat cruisers).80% of the pax were in the society.We then had dinner with Saskia,the Guest Relations Manager.There were 2 English couples and one from North Carolina.The evening started slowly but one of the Englishmen was a cricket fan

and it turned out Saskia was on board one of the ships in Bridgetown for the World cup of cricket that had a couple of the Aussie groups on board.My son and I were in Bridgetown for the final.We then got talking to the couple from North Carolina so ended up a great night.Rojaan got the biggest veal chop I had ever seen.Fortunately my gnocchi was a very small serve so I was able to help out.

Next-the Breve narrows.

Edited December 25, 2012 by drron29

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When we booked this cruise I had a short list of what I wanted to see.Seeing the animals and birds of the Amazon jungle was not on that list as we had spent a week in the jungle 5 years ago and had seen a lot then.I figured that a hundred or more people in the jungle would scare the wildlife so my aims where just 3.

First I just wanted to see how big the Amazon was.Next was to see the pink dolphins.Third was the meeting of the waters.

So now to the Breves Narrows-a series of smaller channels running south from the Amazon to Belem.We had left Belem at midnight.Awoke late and still in a wide river.Breakfast,a lecture on Brazil and got back to our suite just as we came to a large town that was Breves and the start of the narrows-

 

In every town is a large Catholic church.This was no exception-

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Now the unexpected happened.The locals took to the water in all manner of small craft,many powered by longtails.The Cloud only comes through here once a year and not many cruise ships could handle the narrows.So we still instil wonder in the locals-

 

Of course the river is the main transport artery and every town saw a collection of ferries and commercial vessels-

 

Many were adorned with religious slogans.

One of the sadder things about the day were the number of saw mills we saw.Most were not large concerns-

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The electricity lines and roads are gradually multiplying throughout the Amazon

 

And the waste.

 

 

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This was a fantastic day.We stayed on the verandah the whole time.Even got room service for lunch-spring rolls and pizza with a bottle of sav blanc of course.We saw dolphins on 3 occasions-once grey dolphins,another the pink dolphins and the third time both swimming together.So the first of my wishes had occurred.

However the people are what made this day.Coming out on all sorts of craft even simple bamboo rafts and on a couple of occasions even swimming.Sometimes the family dog was brought along,many had young children.Really tugged at my heart strings but a day I will always remember and the cruise was worthwhile even if no other highlights.So here they are

I took more than a hundred photos so it was hard to choose.

Awe inspiring.

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And still more

So now just a few picture of the river,housing etc-

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Note that even though the houses are ramshackle they usually have satellite receivers.

 

 

 

Edited December 26, 2012 by drron29