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2020 Around the World on HAL
  • Sonia Gelman
  • Sonia Gelman

2020 Around the World on HAL

A 81-day adventure by Sonia Read more
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  • Trip start
    January 3, 2020
    Sonia Gelman2020 Around the World on HALSonia Gelman

    Itinerary

    December 22, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    Our Itinerary for the upcoming cruise.

    Saturday, January 4_____Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US Departs 5 PM
    Sunday, January 5 ______At Sea
    Monday, January 6 ______At Sea
    Tuesday, January 7______At Sea
    Wednesday, January 8___Roseau, Dominica
    Thursday, January 9 _____Castries, Saint Lucia
    Friday, January 10_______At Sea
    Saturday, January 11______Devils Island, French Guiana
    Sunday, January 12_______Crossing the Equator
    Monday, January 13______Icoaraci (Belem), Brazil
    Tuesday, January 14______At Sea
    Wednesday, January 15____At Sea
    Thursday, January 16______Recife, Brazil
    Friday, January 17________At Sea
    Saturday, January 18______At Sea
    Sunday, January 19_______Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
    Monday, January 20______Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
    Tuesday, January 21______At Sea
    Wednesday, January 22____At Sea
    Thursday, January 23______Punta del Este, Uruguay
    Punta del Este, Uruguay____Buenos Aires, Argentina
    Saturday, January 25______Montevideo, Uruguay
    Sunday, January 26_______At Ses
    Monday, January 27_______At Sea
    Tuesday, January 28_______Stanley/Falkland Is/Islas Malvinas
    Wednesday, January 29____At Sea
    Thursday, January 30______Antarctic Experience
    Friday, January 31_________Antarctic Experience
    Saturday, February 1_______Antarctic Experience
    Sunday, February 2________Antarctic Experience
    Monday, February 3________At Sea
    Tuesday, February 4________Drake Passage and Cape Horn
    Wednesday, February 5______Wednesday, February 5
    Thursday, February 6________Punta Arenas, Chile
    Friday, February 7__________Scenic cruising Amalia or Brujo Glacier
    Scenic cruising Sarmiento Channel
    Saturday, February 8________Cruising Chilean Fjords
    Sunday, February 9_________Puerto Montt, Chile
    Monday, February 10________At Sea
    Tuesday, February 11________San Antonio (Santiago), Chile
    Wednesday, February 12 to Saturday, February 15__At Sea
    Sunday, February 16_________Easter Island, Chile
    Monday, February 17_________At Sea
    Tuesday, February 18_________At Sea
    Wednesday, February 19______Scenic Cruising Pitcairn Island
    Thursday, February 20________At Sea
    Friday, February 21___________At Sea
    Saturday, February 22_________Papeete, French Polynesia
    Sunday, February 23__________At Sea
    Monday, February 24_________Rarotonga, Cook Islands
    Tuesday, February 25_________At Sea
    Wednesday, February 26_______Cross International Dateline
    Friday, February 28___________Nuku alofa, Tonga
    Saturday, February 29_________At Sea
    Sunday, March 1_____________At Sea
    Sunday, March 2_____________Auckland, New Zealand
    Tuesday, March 3____________Auckland, New Zealand
    Wednesday, March 4__________Waitangi (Bay of Islands), New Zealand
    Thursday, March 5____________At Sea
    Friday, March 6______________At Sea
    Saturday, March 7____________Sydney, Australia
    Sunday, March 8____________Sydney, Australia
    Monday, March 9____________At Sea
    Tuesday, March 10___________At Sea
    Wednesday, March 11_________Townsville, Australia
    Friday, March 13_____________At Sea (Great Barrier Reef)
    Saturday, March 14___________Scenic Cruising Torres Strait
    Sunday, March 15____________At Sea
    Monday, March 16____________Darwin, Australia
    Tuesday, March 17____________At Sea
    Wednesday, March 18__________At Sea
    Thursday, March 19____________Komodo Island, Indonesia
    Friday, March 20______________Benoa (Denpasar), Bali, Indonesia
    Saturday, March 21____________At Sea
    Sunday, March 22_____________Surabaya, Indonesia
    Monday, March 23____________Semarang, Java, Indonesia
    Tuesday, March 24____________At Sea
    Wednesday, March 25__________Singapore
    Thursday, March 26____________Singapore
    Friday, March 27 to Sunday, March 29___At Sea
    Monday, March 30_____________Colombo, Sri Lanka
    Wednesday, April 1_____________Male, Maldives
    Thursday, April 2_______________At Sea
    Friday, April 3_________________At Sea
    Saturday, April 4_______________Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles
    Sunday, April 5________________Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles
    Monday, April 6_______________At Sea
    Tuesday, April 7_______________At Sea
    Thursday, April 9______________Mombasa, Kenya
    Friday, April 10________________Zanzibar, Tanzania
    Saturday, April 11_______________At Sea
    Sunday, April 12_______________Mamoudzou, Mayotte
    Monday, April 13______________Andoany (Hell-Ville), Nosy-Be, Madagascar
    Tuesday, April 14______________At Sea
    Wednesday, April 15____________At Sea
    Thursday, April 16______________Maputo, Mozambique
    We will be in Kruger National Park from April 16 to April 21
    Tuesday, April 21_______________Cape Town, South Africa
    Wednesday, April 22____________Cape Town, South Africa
    Thursday, April 23______________At Sea
    Friday, April 24________________Luderitz, Namibia
    Saturday, April 25______________Walvis Bay, Namibia
    Sunday, April 26_______________At Sea
    Monday, April 27_______________At Sea
    Tuesday, April 28_______________Jamestown, Saint Helena
    Wednesday, April 29____________At Sea
    Thursday, April 30______________Georgetown, Ascension Island
    Friday, May 1 to Wednesday, May 6___At Sea
    Thursday, May 7________________Bridgetown, Barbados
    Friday, May 8__________________Point-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe
    Saturday, May 9________________San Juan, Puerto Rico
    Sunday, May 10________________At Sea
    Monday, May 11________________At Sea
    Tuesday, May 12________________Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US    Read more

  • Sonia Gelman2020 Around the World on HALSonia Gelman

    Eight days before...

    December 27, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 30 °F

    Just got our cabin number. We booked guarantee Lanai cabin. It is the cabin with a french glass door that opens to the deck. No private balcony, but good for Boris. He can get out of the room from both sides. Also this cabin has shower stoll and not a bathtub which is better for him. Safety first!
    Our luggage was delivered to Fort Lauderdale. HAL includes 2 suitcases under 75lb each per person in the price of the cruise.
    So far, so good.
    All visas are done, except Sri Lanka, which has to be applied for less then 90 days before visit.
    Have to pack small things like make up, chargers and all electronics.    Read more

  • Sonia Gelman2020 Around the World on HALSonia Gelman

    Visas

    December 30, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 36 °F

    For the 2020 ATW cruise we need lots of visa.
    1. New Zealand - done
    2. Australia -done
    3. Sri Lanka - done
    4. Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique - we decided to let cruise company to do it when we get on the ship.

    All vaccinations are done. All packed. We are ready!    Read more

  • Sonia Gelman2020 Around the World on HALSonia Gelman

    One more day.

    January 2, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 36 °F

    It fills like our days are divided in two categories – traveling or preparing to travel. The former is relaxing, but the latter can be stressful.
    And now we are ready for the stress of preparation to end when we board the MS
    Amsterdam on Saturday.
    It was a busy day today. It started with my dentist appointment to remove stitches after extraction of the tooth, haircut and then manicure and pedicure. After that cleaning our apartment, empty fridge and washing it.
    And now it is all done and we are ready to fly to FLL tomorrow.    Read more

  • Sonia Gelman2020 Around the World on HALSonia Gelman

    Fort Lauterdale at last

    January 3, 2020 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 75 °F

    Originally I booked a direct flight from DIA to FLL on Southwest, but being lucky, SW changed our flight with connection in Houston. Both flights were to the max capacity. We arrived in FLL only 20 minutes late, but then it took another 40 minutes to get our suitcase and another 25 minutes for the shuttle from the hotel to pick us up.
    With all these we arrived at the hotel after 9:00 pm and very hungry. We decided to walk few block to a restaurant and had a great seafood dinner.
    For now.... good night.    Read more

  • Sonia Gelman2020 Around the World on HALSonia Gelman
    Our cabin

    Embarcation

    January 4, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    At noon we took a shuttle from the hotel to the port. Then spent 2.5 hours checking in. The whole process was so poorly organized plus since we do not sail on HAL that often, our status is only 3 stats mariner. Most passengers are 5 stars, so they all went ahead of us.
    Finally on the ship, went for a lunch and started to unpack our suitcases.
    At 5 pm there was a party on the upper deck with music and booze. That was a lot of fun.
    After that we unpacked a little more, had a light dinner on Lido deck and went to sleep.
    Tomorrow is a sea day with lots of activities.
    I took more pictures with Boris's phone, can't load then here yet.    Read more

  • Sonia Gelman2020 Around the World on HALSonia Gelman

    Day 2. Sea Day

    January 6, 2020, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    It was usually day at sea. Food, lectures, walking on the deck, walking around the ship to get familiar with it. It is a beautiful ship, not too big.
    Most people we talked to are taking full 128 days cruise.
    Tomorrow is another sea day, so I will be posting next footprint on the port day which is January 8.    Read more

  • Sonia Gelman2020 Around the World on HALSonia Gelman
    Surf and turf dinner
    Our deck with reserved chairs

    Day 3. At Sea

    January 7, 2020, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    Second day at sea.
    It was a very nice day at sea. We woke up really late at 8:15. By the time we finished breakfast, it was too late for Boris to go to art class. So instead of that we went for a long walk around the ship. Then at 10:30 we went to bridge class. It was packed with people. We were not very impressed with the instructor, but will give him another chance tomorrow.
    Then it was time for a lunch. Both of us had a salad and then Boris went for the afternoon art class and I was listening to a book until I felt asleep on the deck.
    In the evening we attended captains party and then very nice dinner and a show. And now, after hard day of work, we will go to sleep.( ꈍᴗꈍ)    Read more

  • Sonia Gelman2020 Around the World on HALSonia Gelman

    Dominica

    January 8, 2020 in Dominica ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    Dominica is a mountainous Caribbean island nation with natural hot springs and tropical rainforests. Morne Trois Pitons National Park is home to the volcanically heated, steam-covered Boiling Lake. This lake is the second largest hot lake in the world. The park also encompasses sulphur vents, the 65m-tall Trafalgar Falls and narrow Titou Gorge.

    There are 365 rivers on this island. Agriculture was their prime source of income, but now it becomes more and more tourism. The island is not very developed yet. There are no highrise hotels and restaurants.

    Our tour started at 9:30. We got out of the ship at 9:00AM, met our guide Alvin and another couple.
    Our first stop was Champagne beach. This beach was named "Champagne Beach" because of small gas bubbles continuously rise from the volcanic sea floor. The beach itself is not very attractive, but the underwater suppose to be amazing. Unfortunately, the waves were very strong, so the water was milky. We decided that it is not wise for Boris to snorkel in this condition, but I went.

    There was a long swim until we reached bubbles and it was very interesting. Looked like big pieces of crystal are rising from the ocean floor. And the water in that area was much warmer. We saw some fish, barracuda and corals.
    Our second stop was Titou Gorge.

    Titou Gorge means “Little Throat” and this special attraction was formed by volcanic lava which cooled and split open, leaving this natural cave. The water is much cooler then in the sea.
    First plunge was very refreshing, then you get use to it. Then we had to swim may be 100 years to reach the end of the gorge. The at the end of the gorge there is an opening with a small pool and the waterfall. It was totally worth the hard work. Boris gave me an underwater camera, but the battery was very low and I could not take pictures.

    Our third stop was Trafalgar waterfall. There is some hike to get to it, but Boris did it. The place is so lush and the weather was so good. The best part was that there were no tourists.

    Our last stop of the day was high point in the island where we could see a panaramic view of the shore and our ship.

    It was a very good tour.

    The internet is working very poorly, so no pictures.    Read more

  • Sonia Gelman2020 Around the World on HALSonia Gelman

    Castries, St. Lucia

    January 9, 2020 in Saint Lucia ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F

    We will not be as lucky today as we were in Dominica. There are three big ships in the port, but our wonderful captain arrived way ahead of the other ship. We were scheduled to arrive at 8:00 AM, but when we woke up at 6:30 we were in the port already.

    I forgot to mention that on January 7 big news was the mild vibration that many people felt on the ship around 7:15 a.m. It was Tuesday’s 6.4-magnitude
    earthquake on the southwest coast of Puerto Rico. And we were just 90 miles
    from its epicenter. Our captain said it was only the second time in 50 years that he witness it in the sea.

    Saint Lucia is an Eastern Caribbean island nation with a pair of dramatically tapered mountains, the Pitons, on its west coast. Its coast is home to volcanic beaches, reef-diving sites, luxury resorts and fishing villages. This island gain an independence in 1979. It is much more developed than Dominica.

    We met with another couple at 9:15 AM and proceeded to the shore to meet out guide.

    Our first stop was rum tasting place. We started with local 🍌 and continue with tasting all kind of local sauces and local rum. That was quite interesting.
    We also stop at some observation points to take pictures.

    Then after long drive on the winding roads we stop at the beautiful botanical garden with waterfall with sulphur water. The waterfall is changing color depending on how much iron is in the water.

    After that we stopped on the black beach for some snorkeling. To our luck it was raining just before we came so again the water was not very clear. Boris and I went snorkeling, but the other couple decided to use this time to have a coffee.
    We did not want them to wait for us too long, so we cut our snorkeling short. The water was nice, but the snorkeling was not very good.
    We had close to two hours drive back to the ship and with three ships in the port we were concerned about the traffic. We made back to ship with planty of time to spare.

    The island is very beautiful, but overrun by tourism.    Read more

  • Sonia Gelman2020 Around the World on HALSonia Gelman

    Somewhere in the sea

    January 10, 2020, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    It is nice to have sea day after two active shore days. After breakfast I went for a walk outside. It was very windy but warm. Was hard to walk, but I enjoyed the challenge walking against the wind and seeing a rainbow.

    The afternoon was slow, reading and enjoying the day. Then we had Gala Night good dinner. The food is very good on this cruise.

    After dinner we went to see a show, then there was Gala party and chocolate extravaganza.    Read more

  • Sonia Gelman2020 Around the World on HALSonia Gelman

    Devil's Island, French Guiana

    January 11, 2020 in French Guiana ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    The penal colony of Cayenne, commonly known as Devil's Island, was a French penal colony that operated in the 19th and 20th century in the Salvation's Islands of French Guiana. The prison opened in 1852 and closed in 1953 was infamous for its harsh treatment of detainees, with a death rate of 75%. It is located approximately 14 km (9 mi) off the coast of French Guiana.
    Devil's Island was notorious for being used for the exile of French political prisoners, with the most famous being Captain Alfred Dreyfus. He was a French artillery officer of Jewish faith and ancestry whose trial and conviction in 1894 on charges of treason became one of the most controversial and polarizing political dramas in modern French history.

    We arrived at 11:30 AM. It is a tender port. The Crue lowered tender boats on the port side, but the swell was too high and they had to abandon that and reverse the process to the other side of the ship.

    Knowing that there is no reason to rush to see this small island, we proceeded to get tender tickets after 12:00 PM. The sea was pretty rough, so it took a long time to board people on the tender boat. By 1:15 PM we were on tender boat and headed to the island.

    There were some monkeys right when we disembark. Then there was a long rocky road to the small museum and even further up to prison. One can just imagine the horrible condition people were kept in. It is a very sad place.

    On the way back we decided to take a short cut and use stairs. I did not take a picture of Boris navigating this stairs...it was scary.

    We were hot, sweaty and tired. Back on the tender boat and our ship.    Read more

  • Sonia Gelman2020 Around the World on HALSonia Gelman

    Another Lazy Day at Sea

    January 12, 2020, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ 🌧 79 °F

    There not much to write about sea day. They are all about the same. Boris is attending water painting class at 9:00 AM. I am walking few miles around the ship, reading, listening to an audio book, eating, going to a lecture.

    At 12:30 AM tomorrow we will be crossing the equator and pretty much all our travel will be in southern hemisphere. We will cross equator into northern hemisphere back in May.

    Tomorrow we will be in Belem, Brazil. I booked 5 hours tour. Unfortunately, all museums are closed on Monday in Brazil, so I am not sure what we will see.    Read more

  • Sonia Gelman2020 Around the World on HALSonia Gelman
    On the tender boat
    1

    Belem, Brazil

    January 13, 2020 in Brazil ⋅ 🌧 82 °F

    What an adventure today was. Belem is a tender port. Actually, we tender in the city of Icoaraci, which is one hour from Belem by shuttle. We were first to board the tender boat at 9:00 AM. Our tour was suppose to start at 10:AM. Brazilian authority did not allow HAL to run their tender boats. Instead we had to use local very "rustic" boats. When we got to the shore, there we lots of people: locals that came from the ferry or were going on the ferry, tourists, vendors and just people hanging around. Somebody told us to get on the shuttle to go to the main port. That is exactly what we did.
    In about 5 minutes I suspected we made a mistake. We should have looked for our private tour bus. Oh well. It was too late.
    After riding for one hour on that shuttle, we arrived at the center of the city. There was a mall and some restaurants. Since we are not interested in this stuff, we had an option to go back on the ship.
    I decided to call the main office of the tour company. The gentleman answered the phone and after I explained what happened, told me to call him back in 5 min. Thank you T-Mobile!
    After calling back, he told us to get taxi or Uber and go to Emilio Goeldi Museum and the tour bus will be waiting for us. Since we did not have local currency, we took Uber.
    After riding for 15 min we arrived at the museum. Unfortunately, it was closed. What a surprise! Now what should we do? Nobody around spoke English. After few minutes our tour bus arrived. We we so happy to see it.

    We proceeded to a different entrance of the museum. They open it for tour groups. Since it is Monday the museum is closed for everyone else.
    Actually it is very different kind of museum. It is combination of batanical garden and a zoo. It was founded in 1866 and is pretty interesting.

    Our second stop was Republica Square with Opera Theater. We could not go inside, but the building is beautiful. The building and the whole city have seen better days.

    The next stop was Catholic Church, Basilica of Our Lady of Nazareth, a copy of St. Paul’s church in Rome built during the rubber boom era at the
    beginning of the 20th century beautiful inside and outside and in a very good shape.

    The next stop was the same place as the shuttle bus dropped us off. We walked a little, had an 🍨. We decided on two flavors: chocolate and something else. Something else was very delicious but the chocolate was not chocolate. It was Acai ice wecream. It tasted like fish.

    After that we got on our bus and one hour later were back on the tender boat.

    Belem use to be very rich city during rubber boom, but now it is crumbling. Roads are bad, buildings are in horrible shape, unemployment is very high and crime is high too.
    Belem is located in the delta of Amazon river. It is always very hot and raining every day in the afternoon.
    It is a big city of 1.5 mil people. People are very nice.
    After visiting place like this , we appreciate the place we live. You realize how lucky we are.    Read more

  • Sonia Gelman2020 Around the World on HALSonia Gelman
    My lunch

    January 15. Another day at sea

    January 15, 2020, South Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F

    I was up at 6:00AM today and went for two miles walk around the ship. 2 miles - 7 loops around the ship. Then we had breakfast and at 8:30 AM Boris went to his painting class and I went fo 9:00 AM Zumba class. Zumba class was outside on the deck and it was hot.
    After the class I had enough time to rest before lunch. During lunch I took some pictures of the food and gorgeous flower arrangements on the ship.
    As I mentioned before the ship is beautiful.
    In the afternoon we are planning to see a movie and then dinner. Tomorrow is Recifi, Brazil.    Read more

  • Sonia Gelman2020 Around the World on HALSonia Gelman

    Recife, Brazil

    January 16, 2020 in Brazil ⋅ ⛅ 86 °F

    Today we spent most of the day in Recife, Brazil.
    Another big city of 1.6 mil and 4 mil with surrounding areas.
    Day prior to the tour in Recife, I sent an email to tour guide asking if we can bring a wheelchair. The answer was "Yes", but also he wrote that he was giving a tour in Amazon river and will not be able to return to Recife on time for our tour. But not to worry, there will be another guide.
    So today we met with our group at 8:00 AM and proceeded to the shuttle bus to take us to the terminal. Unfortunately our guide came late and there were no room in the mini bus to put a wheelchair. I took wheels off from the wheelchair and then it could fit on the front seat next to the driver. Now, no room for the guide to sit, so he was standing on the side of the van the whole time. Soon we figured our that he speaks very little English and does not understand us. He just memorized some words and explanations without understanding.

    Our first stop was Basilica de Sao Bento. It dates back to 1582 and was restored in 1761. It is the only Church in Olinda with a mezzanine level. During Colonial times, the rich people would attend the Mass in the mezzanine, the other "free" people would attend on the ground floor of the Church and the slaves were forced to stand outside. It is stunningly beautiful inside. it has gilded altar and if we understood correctly was suppose to be on display in NYC for two weeks, bus was there for 6 months due to the 9/11.
    We visited another church and another church.... We walk the steep cobblestone streets that not allowing traffic during rain. Too dangerous. We saw many bright colored houses and murals.
    By that time, people started to get tired and hungry, but we still had to see few places before lunch.
    Our next stop was building where it use to be a jail, but now it is a tourist trap with little stores in every cell. Not interesting.
    Our next stop was Governor Palace. We were suppose to have a tour of the Palace, but instead of this we witness an interview with Minister of Justice. He was with a young woman in a turban that covered her head. We did not understand anything, but were told that it is a campaign to help this woman who lost her hair due to the accident.
    After lunch we visited few more places with beautiful architectural buildings, took some pictures and then the last stop was a synagogue. It was established in 1636 by Portuguese and Spanish Sephardic Jews that had taken refuge in the Netherlands fleeing forced conversion and were joined by New Christians, who possibly helped to build the structure and were already living in the colony. It was the first synagogue erected in the Americas. Unfortunately we did not have time to go inside. We stopped into the lobby, which was so well air-conditioned. After a little cooling, back on our bus and to our ship. The shower felt so good.

    There are more pictures:
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/KENMXyCvtUfeS7SLA    Read more

  • Sonia Gelman2020 Around the World on HALSonia Gelman

    Much Needed Day of Rest

    January 17, 2020, South Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    After yesterday's day in Recife we needed to cool down.
    The day started at 6:30 AM with 2 miles of walk, the breakfast. After breakfast fight with the internet that does not work. Then 30 minutes of Zumba. After Boris came back from painting class, we went to the pool. Then lunch. At 2:00pm we attended a lecture about Rio, then at 3:00 PM Brazilian show, Came back from the show, and at 5:30 dinner. Right after dinner to the concert at 7:30 PM. Finally after concert we can rest. 🤣 Day of hard work.Read more

  • Sonia Gelman2020 Around the World on HALSonia Gelman

    Rio de Janeiro, Day 1.

    January 19, 2020 in Brazil ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F

    We started our day at 6:00 AM today. Got all the way to the top of the ship and watched the sailing toward the city. The view was fantastic: Sugarloaf Mountain, panorama of the city. It was a little overcast, but still very pretty.
    After breakfast we met our group and got out of the ship. We have been in Rio two years ago, but spent there less then a day.
    The weather promised to be good today. Around 80F. We were told that last week was 120F. I guess, we are very lucky.
    At 8:30AM we met out guide Rafi and proceeded to the van. Again, there was no room for a wheelchair. I managed to take wheelchair apart in small pieces and stuff it in the van. Rafi promised to have bigger van for tomorrow. We will see.

    We stopped at the Mirante do Leblon, it is a popular lookout of Rio where we could see the ocean-side, the beaches of Leblon and Ipanema and Cagarras Islands. There were a stands and cafes where people were having drinks mainly the hydrating COCONUT WATER.

    Then we headed west to reach the wetlands of Marapendi.  It is just a curious neighborhood of Rio, very green and with quiet alleys, no cars there and it has some wildlife. We boarded a little boat that local people using as a buses. In that part of the mangrove the smell is horrendous but at least we could take good pictures and for your surprise, we did realize that there are some animals so close to the city. In one of its seven islands called Gigoia we stopped for some drinks and snacks. The name of the restaurant is CAIS BAR. We had some typical Brazilian Empanadas filled with cheese, shrimp, beef and crabs. Some people in our group had beer.

    We continued our day and we drove to Tijuca Forest, it is one of our oldest National Parks, it was created by our Emperor in the 1800s. It is a great area, sadly with almost all the roads closed because of the last storms and the city is doing anything to fix it, so our driver had to use a lot of improvisation. But we managed to see the small Tounay Falls which provides a gorgeous scenario.

    And finally, we arrived at the Botanical Gardens which in Portuguese we say JARDIM BOTANICO DO RIO DE JANEIRO. It is also part of the Tijuca National Park, it is the starting point of many trails to explore the Forest, and also the home of many Brazilian Seeds to replant any species that might disappear, the place also preserves very old trees of the flora from many different parts of Brazil, such as the Samaumas, and the Amazon Palm trees. There we could learn more about Nature Preservation and the importance to keep it untouched. We also had a brief of History as the complex was imagined by the Portuguese King Don João VI and designed by very famous naturalists in that time Saint Hilaire and Von Martius. This place has very high importance to Brazil, because it was part of Charles Darwin's studies and it is one of the top 10 Botanical Gardens in the world.

    That was the end of our tour for the first day in Rio.

    More pictures in the link:
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/7zXLp4BwZFq7rJEw6    Read more

  • Sonia Gelman2020 Around the World on HALSonia Gelman

    Rio de Janeiro, Day 2

    January 20, 2020 in Brazil ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F

    The second day in Rio we started at 6:00 AM again. After breakfast we met with our group and proceeded outside to meet our guide. He came to meet us at 8:30 and this time he had a big bus. There were plenty of room for everybody and huge trunk space for the wheelchair. The to go weather promised to be very good. No rain and the temperature again around 80F.

    Our first stop was Sugar Loaf.

    SUGAR LOAF: An iconic spot in Rio, places right on the other side of the bay, this huge landmark lies on the edge with  the gorgeous Vermelha Beach, surrounded by the Mata Atlantica Forest. 
    To get to the top of the mountain we had to take two cable cars. The attraction is fully wheelchair accessible. The view from the top was magnificent. You could see the whole city. We spent at least two hours on top of the Sugar Loaf. There are numerous observation levels and every one of them present different view of the city.

    Our second stop was lunch. Out tour guide thought that local food is very important part of the tour and also he told us he loves the restaurant we stopped to eat. It is a buffet. You take a plate, pile up the food, then they weigh it, give you a check and after you finish the food you pay. It was pretty good.
    In Brazil everyday meal has rice and beans. The Portuguese brought the rice from Asia and the beans always have been popular in Africa. Brazil has a strong root and influence with Portugal and Africa. So that was a very local and traditional restaurant. They call it "kilo restaurant".

    After lunch we went to SELARON STAIRS It is one of the symbols of the city, The artist Jorge Selaron came to Brazil 30 years ago as a political refugee from Chili
    during Pinochet regime. He first got a little room there and in that abandoned stairways he started placing red tiles everywhere. people loved his work so much that he received tiles from different countries in the World and he always found a space to place in the walls those colorful tiles and suddenly it became a tradition. This work continued for26 years and the stairs became one of the symbolic spots of Rio. When he died, the tradition stopped.
     But the city do not take good care of the place...it is packed with homeless and drug addicts.

     SAO BENTO MONASTERY - Our last place before going to the port was one spot that most of Rio's visitors never go because they simply do not know that this place exists. When people come to Rio they always think about beach, Carnival, the Christ and the Sugar Loaf. People hardly come to Rio seeking for culture and have no idea that we have a small trace with other European Cultures. It is the oldest constructions in Brazil, a baroque Church very Portuguese, one Monastery, a Benedict Monastery, and the Baroque Architecture are typically simple from the outside and very ornate and luxurious inside. The church was built in 1596.

    The abbey was founded by Benedictine monks who came from the state of Bahia in 1590. It is still operational today, along with the Colégio de São Bento (St. Benedict College) nearby. The college, established in 1858, is one of the most important traditional educational establishments in Brazil and claims many famous alumni. The abbey includes the St. Benedict Seminary, with courses in theology and philosophy that are recognized by the Ministry of Education.
    It is very simple outside, but incredibly beautiful inside. All with wooden carvings that covered with gold.

    That was our last stop in Rio. Now back to the ship.

    Next two days are sea days.
    For more pictures use link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/vgNXUcMyCrRG5Uqv9    Read more

  • Sonia Gelman2020 Around the World on HALSonia Gelman
    Sun rise

    Punta del Este, Uruguay

    January 23, 2020 in Uruguay ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    It is a tender port. Two years ago when we took a cruise around South America, the weather was pretty rough and be could not visit this port. This time it is calm, sunny and warm. We got on the first tender boat at 7:00 AM and by 7:30 were on the shore.
    Since it is a resort town we decided just to walk.

    The city has been referred to as "the Monaco of the South", "The Pearl of the Atlantic", "the Hampton's of South America", and "the St. Tropez of South America", being also compared to Miami and Cannes.

    So, at 7:30 in the morning was very pleasant and we went for a stroll by the ocean. Beautiful beaches, lots of restaurants. Then we turn on the shopping street. No people, every store and restaurant is closed. Nice.

    So we walked and we walked. Then we decided to go to a very plush resedential neighborhood. Expensive big houses. We crossed peninsula and walked toward Atlantic side of the land. The beach was as beautiful as on the other side, but with big waves.

    We stopped at the Light House restaurant on the beach and had a delicious lunch. Boris had a huge burger and I had garlic shrimp.

    We rested a little and kept going along the coast toward symbol of the city: a hand sticking out of the sand. Unfortunately by that time there were lots of people on the beach and tourist taking pictures.

    It was 1:00 PM and we had to go back to the pier to take tender boat. The last boat was at 2:30PM.

    We crossed the peninsula again and by 2:00 PM were on the tender boat. I walked 20,000 steps from 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

    For more pictures see link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/C55pUjXRwsKBfRdHA    Read more

  • Sonia Gelman2020 Around the World on HALSonia Gelman

    Buenos Aires

    January 24, 2020 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

    Ok, today is going to be hot. We do not have any tours planned , except few days ago I managed to buy English tour to theatre Colon.
    At 9:00 AM we got to cruise ship terminal, and were planning to take Uber to the theater. To our surprise, our phones did not work. No Uber. We had to take taxi. First taxi driver asked for $20, second $10 and the third $7. So we took it.

    The construction of the present Teatro Colón started in 1889 under the direction of architect Francesco Tamburini and his pupil, Vittorio Meano , who designed a theatre in the Italian style on a scale and with amenities which matched those in Europe. However, delays followed due to financial difficulties, arguments regarding the location, the death of Tamburini at age 44 in 1891, the murder of Meano in 1904, age 44 and the death of Angelo Ferrari , an Italian businessman who was financing the new theatre. The building was finally completed in 1908 under the direction of the Belgian architect Julio Dormal who made some changes in the structure and left his mark in the French style of the decoration.
    It is considered one of the ten best opera houses in the world, and is acoustically considered to be amongst the five best concert venues in the world.
    We had 45 minutes very good tour. The theater is absolutely magnificent.
    We were done with the theater by 10:30 AM, but the museum we were planning to go next was opening at noon. Too hot to walk in the city. So we opted for another museum that opens at 11:00 AM.
    One of very nice young lady that worked at the theater offered us to call Uber on her phone (no WIFI in the theater). There is an option in Argentina to pay cash for Uber. She even made sure we are fine and in the car.
    So, we went to Museo National de Bella's Artes.
    This museum was established in 1895. Unfortunately, nothing is in English, but museum is very good.
    The ground floor of the museum holds exhibit halls housing a fine international collection of paintings from the Middle Ages up to the 20th century, together with the museum's art history library. The first floor's eight halls contain a collection of paintings by some of the most important 20th-century Argentine painters, including.The second floor's two halls, completed in 1984, hold an exhibition of photographs and two sculpture terraces. We spent a little over an hour in this museum. By that time the MALBA (Latin America Art Museum of Buenos Aires) museum that we wonted to go was already open.
    We decided to walk. It was really hot, but we made it. We were a little hungry and needed rest, we found a restaurant near MALBA museum and had a delicious small lunch with lots of water.
    With new anergy we went to the museum. The first floor is dedicated to the very impressive Latin American art of XIX and XX century and the second level is contemporary art.
    Very impressive museum.
    By the time we finished with this museum it was 2;30 PM. We still had time and energy for something else. About half a mile was a Japanese Garden and we walk to it. Very beautiful Oasis in the middle of the city. We enjoyed waking around the park, taking pictures. If not for the heat, we could spend more time there.
    We took a taxi back to the port. Time to rest. Tomorrow is another port.
    For more photos see link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/LsLmVvK5h9vNbrS97    Read more

  • Sonia Gelman2020 Around the World on HALSonia Gelman

    Montevideo, Uruguay

    January 25, 2020 in Uruguay ⋅ ☁️ 81 °F

    Let's start with this...we spent four days in Montevideo in 2018. The weather was very rough and instead of Punta del Este we were in Montevideo. This city is not very big on attractions, so last time we covered pretty much everything. We even had haircuts, manicure and pedicure here.
    This time we decided just walk around the city. We got out of the port and met crazy Israeli guy. He wanted to go to synagogue. Montevideo used to be heavy populated Jewish city. Not anymore, but there are still few synagogues.
    We decided to keep him a company and walk with him. The guy was lots of fun. We found this synagogue, but the gates were closed. The guard would not let us in and he did not speak English. That Israeli guy was insisting, telling him "I am a Jew". Even was trying to show that he can take his pans off and proof that he is Jewish. We were laughing so hard, but still no way to get into synagogue.
    After that, I managed to get a WIFI for few minutes and call Uber.
    There is a beach and a beautiful promenade along the ocean. The driver dropped us there and we took a long walk. Very peaceful and it wasn't very hot in the morning.
    We walked all the way back to the city, then turned inland. By 12:00 PM we found a restaurant with lots of good reviews. We ordered tapas sampler for 2 and a bottle of beer. Tapas were absolutely delicious.
    After lunch we walked and walked some more. Got a soccer t-shirt for Joshua and came back on the ship.

    To see more pictures go to the link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/cQa96rsdiE6Nqrst6    Read more

  • Sonia Gelman2020 Around the World on HALSonia Gelman

    On a way to Falkland Islands (we hope)

    January 27, 2020, South Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    The weather changed dramatically. It is windy, cold, and the Sea is rough. Tomorrow we suppose to tender near Stanley, Falkland Islands.
    We have been there two years ago and had a wonderful tour to see king penguins. It was very expensive tour, so tomorrow we are planning to take a shuttle and go see Magellanic penguins or just walk around the town (all depends on the weather).

    There are three naturalists on board of the ship, so we are getting three very interesting lectures a day.

    We had a Chinese New Year celebration buffet two days ago. Lido was converted to China Town with all decorations and stuff dressed in Chinese national costumes. And yesterday we had Gala dinner. You can see some pictures at this link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Pm6RwRFh7ZW3yxdM7    Read more

  • Sonia Gelman2020 Around the World on HALSonia Gelman

    Falkland Islands, we will not come.

    January 28, 2020 in Falkland Islands ⋅ 🌧 52 °F

    We got up at 6:30 AM. The weather forecast for today was light drizzle all day. Our ship was already near islands. There was another huge ship nearby. All looked good. We went to eat breakfast and then I got in line for tender tickets and Boris went to our cabin to get ready. In about 20 minutes he came to change me so I could get ready. At that time captain announced that the wind is 35-40 miles per hour and he does not suggest for people with physical challenges to go ashore.
    I went to our cabin and in about 15 minutes Boris came back with tender tickets. The tender boats were lowered in the water and everything looked good.
    We were dressed and ready to go. At that time captain announced the whole thing is aborted. The other ship had already 200 people on the island. The condition is not safe.
    The other ship returned all passengers back to ship and left by 9:00 AM. Our ship lifted all tender boats and left right after.
    Goodbye Falklands.    Read more

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