Reset search
Circumnavigating South AmericaCircumnavigating South America
SatelliteEdit route

Circumnavigating South America

January 2018 - April 2024
An open-ended adventure by Ali and Jeff Read more
Currently traveling
+4
  • 38footprints
  • 12countries
  • 2,298days
  • 179photos
  • 0videos
  • 25.1kkilometers
  • 13.9kkilometers
Follow Calendar Share Bucket list
Date descending
  • Ali and Jeff CarithersCircumnavigating South America
    1
    Day 66

    San Juan, Puerto Rico

    March 10, 2018 in Puerto Rico ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F

    I write this with a bit of melancholy because it is the last port on this incredible adventure around South America. I feel fortunate that we have a home we love going back to, but the 60+ days we have spent on this trip have become a very special home-away-from-home. Nancy and Jim have been great traveling compadres and I’m sure that I have been working my “core” with all the laughing. We have all developed close relationships with many of the staff, some of whom we met when they were working on the Silver Whisper when we did the World Cruise 3 years ago.
    But, after visiting San Juan 3 years ago, we were looking forward to our visit here. Old San Juan is a lovely, colorful town with beautiful blue pavers on the narrow streets and alleyways. The terrible tragedy this island suffered 6 months ago when Hurricane Maria struck has not broken the spirit here. We saw many indications of the damage that was was inflicted here. I know a good portion of the island is still without electricity, but the locals are working hard to regain their tourism business.
    Jeff and I stopped into a little restaurant called “Istanbul” when we were here 3 years ago. Their Turkish food was outstanding and I have craved it ever since. I thought it was a stretch to think it survived time and the hurricane, but there was our tiny restaurant! Jim and Nancy were curious since I had been talking about it for so long. It did not disappoint. Fabulous hummus with fresh-baked pita,
    Imam Bayildi, Greek salad, Kofte, and their signature dish, Ottoman casserole. Paired with sangria, it was an unbeatable meal. We fell on our lunch so fast, we forgot to even take a photo to share! A great top-off to our wonderful trip.
    Two days at sea lay ahead of us, which will include packing, working on some projects we brought along, reading and getting ready to live real life again.
    Signing off for this journey!    Read more

  • Ali and Jeff CarithersCircumnavigating South America
    21
    Day 60

    Alter do Chao, Brazil, The Amazon

    March 4, 2018 in Brazil ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    This is our last stop both in Brazil and the Amazon. This is a very small village is located on a very small river off the Amazon and is unusual because the waters are very clear and it draws many tourists and locals for swimming.
    It is difficult to imagine we could be any hotter than we had been in the past couple of days, but it definitely was possible. It took just a few minutes for our clothes to be completely soaked and the unforgiving sun mercilessly beating down on us did nothing to dry them - hhmmmm... maybe it was the 95% humidity.
    In any case, a quick stop tomorrow to allow the pilot to disembark and we will be on our way to the Barbados. We are looking forward to 3 full days at sea so we can begin to process all we have seen in the various countries in South America and start to ease into life off the ship.    Read more

  • Ali and Jeff CarithersCircumnavigating South America
    Day 59

    Parintins, Brazil, The Amazon

    March 3, 2018 in Brazil ⋅ ⛅ 28 °F

    Parintins is a small village on the Amazon that was settled by Native Indians 200 years ago. The village is very rich in Indigenous culture and this is celebrated annually with the Boi-Bumba festival which is a ritual of magic, mystery, passion and faith. This small village has a stadium (the Bumbodromo) that accommodates the 40,000 spectators that come to see this festival each June. There was a special show for our group that was quite spectacular. The stage pieces, floats and costuming were very complex and beautiful, not to mention the music and choreography.Read more

  • Ali and Jeff CarithersCircumnavigating South America
    11
    Day 58

    Manaus, Brazil, The Amazon

    March 2, 2018 in Brazil ⋅ ⛅ 91 °F

    After an overnight in Manaus, we set off on a cute, old double-decker boat named the “Amazon Explorer” to see the meeting of the waters. It is where the Amazon River (coffee with cream color) runs next to the Rio Negro (black water that is quite acidic) without mixing. It is quite a remarkable sight. I had no idea that the contrast would be so startlingly dramatic! The “non-mixing” has to do with differences in the temperature, speed and water density.
    Our next stop was a small settlement where we transferred into small motorized canoes that held about 10 people each. This mode of transportation gave us a chance to be quite intimate with the tributaries in this part of the jungle. As the waterways became narrower and darker and the birds began squawking at our intrusion, we truly felt a part of a totally different world that was very peaceful and rich.
    All too soon we were back in our reality, but the memory of gliding through the small tributaries of the Amazon will stay with me forever.    Read more

  • Ali and Jeff CarithersCircumnavigating South America
    Day 57

    Manaus, Brazil, The Amazon

    March 1, 2018 in Brazil ⋅ ⛅ 88 °F

    Manaus, Brazil is a city that is 800 miles up the Amazon. The city has a population of2,000,000 people and is at the junction of the Amazon River and the Rio Negro.
    The first day here brought us deep into the jungle again for a trek. Whereas our previous jungle hike focused on some of the natural things you can find in the jungle, this trek showed more of how indigenous, tribal people live in the jungle. Procuring water and food, as well as building shelter were the primary things we saw here. Our guides along the way have been born and raised in the Amazonian jungle so we have gotten some real insights into the lives here.
    We are at the beginning of the rainy season, so the river waters are beginning to rise. In another couple of months, the waters will have risen about 50’!
    This is why homes are on stilts and there are “floating” villages. The areas that are tributaries now will be completely dry by June.
    It was spectacularly hot and humid on our trek (especially when you are completely covered against mosquitos). Our clothing was completely wet and we were feeling quite drained until the caipirinha’s were passed around with a pineapple that was one of the best things I have ever tasted.    Read more

  • Ali and Jeff CarithersCircumnavigating South America
    Day 55

    Santarem, Brazil on the Amazon River

    February 27, 2018 in Brazil ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F

    So yesterday we turned from the South Atlantic Ocean into the Amazon River. To aid me in my inability to describe the scale of this river, picture this: the Amazon River basin covers an area the same size as the continental United States. Inconceivable. The flow is more than 12x the Mississippi River and the mouth is over 200 miles wide.
    The four of us had an excursion planned for today that was a hike through the jungle in a 2,000,000 acre National Park. As I looked out our window this morning shortly before we were to leave, I was dismayed to se that a good portion of the window was covered with mosquitoes. Those who know me well recognize that I am bait - the mosquitoes will always bite me first before snacking on anyone I am with. So even though I had on bug-proof pants and long-sleeved shirt, a hat sprayed with bug spray, boots and socks doused in bug spray and I had 100% deet on my face and hands, I went back for a second spray-over.
    So we are sitting on the bus in the pouring rain and I am forced to contemplate the wisdom of this outing. A hike through the Amazon rain forest during the rainy season wearing at least a full pound of mosquito repellent. Why not? I feel good that they have not given the lecture yet about the bugs of the Amazon because that just might keep me locked in the bathroom on the ship. Speaking of bugs, check out the photo of the water bug that was near our dining table last night.
    The hike was incredible. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and managed the 12 of us with the help of a young Brazilian guide who went along ahead of us with a big machete. We saw multiple fruit trees, the Brazil nut tree, rubber trees and a tree that I can’t remember the name of that grows to 300’ tall. There are 238 different types of termites here. If the bullet ant bites you, it causes pain that is much like being shot with a gun - definitely want to avoid that one.
    We have 4 more stops on the Amazon before heading into the Caribbean Sea. Stay tuned.    Read more

  • Ali and Jeff CarithersCircumnavigating South America
    Day 51

    Forteleza, Brazil

    February 23, 2018 in Brazil ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    Forteleza is our last stop before entering the Amazon River in a few days. We had intentions of going in and at least taking a walk despite the fact that it is oppressively hot and humid. There is often a local person on board to offer assistance and answer questions. When we asked if there was somewhere we could walk, he said “no”. Apparently crime here is too high to allow a “gringo” to go anywhere safely. He suggested we ride the shuttle to the mall. When we got there (a very nice mall) we were escorted inside. We used the opportunity to pick up some necessities and walk a bit in the air conditioning.
    We were escorted back to the ship and decided to indulge in a nice lunch since we felt a little shorted on our stop.    Read more

  • Ali and Jeff CarithersCircumnavigating South America
    Day 49

    Maceio, Brazil

    February 21, 2018 in Brazil ⋅ ⛅ 84 °F

    We are headed around the “nose” of South America and this lovely city provided us with the restfulness of lovely beaches, turquoise water and warm breezes as we strolled along the pedestrian walkway that runs the full length of the beach.
    There are some rather unusual sailboats (see photos) that take people out for rides. They are very casual, with wooden benches on the deck of the boat and beautifully shaped sails. Coconut water and ice cream seem to be the refreshment of choice here.
    We met and visited with a charming young Brazilian woman who is a construction engineering student and is here on vacation for a few weeks.
    One more stop before we head into the Amazon!    Read more

  • Ali and Jeff CarithersCircumnavigating South America
    1
    Day 48

    Salvador, Bahia

    February 20, 2018 in Brazil ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

    Salvador is an interesting city that is primarily influenced by Africa in everything from the food preparation, the handicrafts and the music.
    We had a fascinating excursion today that was a percussion workshop. It was located in one of the favelas (Salvador has a population of 2 million with half living in favelas). We were in a small recording studio that was owned by a gentleman named Peta who had been playing percussion instruments since he was 5 - he is now 47.
    He was an incredibly patient man and entrusted each of the 12 of us with one of his special instruments. He taught us various samba rhythms and gave us each a chance to play something. He gave us an idea of his musical history and life in Brazil. He is extremely talented and explained that as a child he would practice one particular beat for 3 hours at a time. He just completed Carnival here where he played for 8 hours each day.
    And, bless his heart, at the end he encouraged us all to take up an instrument and try to play with his background beat. Instead of plugging his ears, he smiled a wide smile and made us feel pretty good about ourselves.    Read more

  • 2024© FindPenguins
  • Home
  • About us
  • Blog
  • Group Tracking
  • Press
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy & Cookies
  • Support
  • Legal notice
  • English