One of the things that has impressed me most about the Amazon is its sheer size. Both width and length. The other thing that struck me is how it changes. Like the intracoastal in Florida (except exponentially bigger), the river is filled with tributaries, islands, sandbars, etc. We cruised over 300+ nautical miles yesterday, up the river and it was fascinating to watch the river, shore and sky.
Today we're in Altar do Chao, known as the Caribbean of the Amazon because of the beautiful white fresh-water beaches.
I'd planned to go on shore but a combination of factors, including weather and laziness, changed my mind. Instead, I read, relaxed and took a 2 1/2 hour nap. It gets even better - we change our clocks and gain an hour tonight. Life is good.
Here's the day in photos.
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| The Amazon is famous for its unusual animals. Here's my first sighting: a small, dead bug on my deck. About an inch in length. |
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| Sunrise |
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| This is one wide river |
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| I don't like to brag but I consider myself to be a bit of nature photographer. This is an example of my skill. That's a bug on the window of my cabin, not something floating in the water. I'm waiting for a job offer as a photographer for National Geographic |
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| Navigating the river requires skill and current maps. Although this is the rainy season, water levels are low. |
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| The Amazon carries a lot of sediment, giving it it's distinctive brown color |
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| Want to get away from it all? |
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| I like that HAL provides a quick facts sheet for every port |
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| HAL is famous for its bread pudding, a favorite of mine since I was a kid. Creative use of leftover bread pudding. But who ever has leftover bread pudding at home? |
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| I wanted the bread pudding French toast but got oatmeal. Again. |
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| I take a two mile stroll after breakfast each day (six times around the ship) so snapped a couple photos of the main theater as I walked through |
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| Kimberly the Cruise Director, just announced that the tenders are ready (an hour and a half ahead of schedule). It will take at least 30 minutes, each way, to get to shore. Those with mobility issues have been advised to use caution and perhaps remain on the ship |
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| I've seen very few beaches as we cruised the River. These are famous in Brazil and attract a lot of Brazilian tourists |
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| We were at anchor all day. Depth is 38 feet. Ship's draft is 26 feet |
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| Have I mentioned it is rainy season? |
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| A couple of temporarily empty tables in the MDR |
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| Appetizers didn't appeal so I got two small mains - duck with soy and a mango salsa and pasta Alfredo. The duck was my first choice but was actually just ok. The Alfredo was excellent |
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| We passed Santarem, Brazil but will be coming back for a day soon |
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| I love that when I ask for a small portion, they listen. This is my hot fudge Sunday for dessert |
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| Jolanda, my dinner companion who I met on the 2020 World Cruise, is Dutch but grew up in Indonesia. The crew love that she speaks their language. Last night, Jodi hung out with us, talking about his home in Bali and making decorative napkin shapes. |
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| Seriously, raised by wolves? Leave your trash in your cabin. Or take it to a bar or restaurant so it can be dealt with. Don't just put it on a bench near the elevator |
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| On the 2001 World Cruise, they had a dessert extravaganza. The MDR was set up as a giant bakery with all manner of desserts displayed. HAL stopped doing that as a cost-cutting measure. As a nod to the past, we're having a cake party for tea in the Lido tomorrow. I can't wait |
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| Lunch was a salad on the balcony |
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| Dessert was a very tasty Pavlova in a jar. Layers of fruit, crispy meringue and a sort of cheesecake goodness |
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| Some people love all the activities on the ship. So many opportunities to socialize. I paid extra to read and relax on my balcony instead |
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| As I've watched the river go by, thinking of piranha, crocodiles, etc., I've had 0 desire to be actually in the water |
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