Two Days in Rio

Wow, Rio is a new entry on my "most beautiful cities I've ever visited" and may well take over Sydney, Australia as my new favorite.  There are not only the famous beaches of Copacobana and Ipanema, but many others within the limits in this city of 8 million.  It has a rep for being dangerous but that wasn't my experience at all.  Of course, I kept my distance from the Favelas, those areas where houses are crammed on the side of many of Rio's many surrounding hills and mountains as these areas are famous for their drug gangs and lots of violence.  If you want to get an idea of what I'm talking about, rent a great movie called the "City of God" that is a true story of life there.  It was one of the movies that the professors had the students watch to learn about this side of Rio.

I've included some pics of our adventures there (I was leading a group of 30 students in my group).  We completed a "ropes course" where we walk along tightropes and other cable-type walkways far up in the trees, rode in the gondola up to Sugarloaf mountain, and of course trekked up the mountain to see the famous Christ the Redeemer statue (Rio's most famous landmark).  The beaches were awesome and it was fun to realize that not ALL the people in Rio are slim and beautiful.  In fact, I decided that there should be both an age, and a weight limit for wearing Speedos on the beaches there !

This is a place I definitely want to come back to and spend some more time (maybe this time without the responsibility of watching over 30 youngsters with fun on their minds).

We are now headed back up the Amazon River where we will exit Brazil this Sunday and begin our one-week sojourn across the Atlantic toward Ghana (I have my Dramamine ready;)

Huntin' and Fishin' down the Amazon

We just returned to our port in Manaus from our hammock adventure on the riverboat (thank god we only slept on things for one night).  We had a great time hunting the small crocs from our canoe last night (of course we caught one).  It was unbelievable being out on the river at night with more stars than I can ever remember seeing.  We got up and went fishing for Pirhannas this morning at 5:30am and caught a few.  And yes, those things really do have razor-sharp teeth!

Now its on to Rio on a 1:30am flight tonight for some fun in the sun!  Ipanema Beach and the big Jesus statue are both on our itinerary!

Headed down the Amazon River

We are headed down the Amazon River in the center of Brazil now and are expected to reach Manaus, Brazil Sunday morning at 8am.   When we arrive, I will be the trip leader for taking a group of 81 SAS students on an overnight tour of parts of the Amazon aboard a riverboat.  We will taking side tours in kayaks to see plants and animals in the Brazilian rainforest, then sleeping aboard the riverboat in hammocks!!  Then, its on to spend a few days touring the famous city of Rio de Janerio.  We take a bicycle tour and the climb the mountain to see the huge Christ the Redeemer statue along with the other tourist sites.  I will let you know what the Rio nightlife is like after I return, but I am expecting that experience to be a "10" :>>

Fun in Dominca

Our official first stop on the voyage was on the small island of Dominca in the West Indies, 35 miles North of Trinidad and Tobago.  It was lush, green and covered by volcanic mountains.  Typical of the the Carribean area, the houses in the small town of Rosseau where we docked were a splash of color.  As some of the pics show, many of the houses and buildings were hundreds of years old and had weathered the average annual rainfall there of 350-375 inches. For the mathematically challenged, that means they average around one inch of rain per day!! I guess that's why we saw so many rainbows, including one double rainbow that I quickly snapped a photo of through the window of the ship's lounge.  I hope that's a good omen for the rest of our trip!

My favorite things there were all the great fresh fruits that were grown there (especially my new favorite, the Passion Fruit) and listening to the laughs and accents of the local people.  Lots of comments like the typical "Hey Mon" and "no worries".   The guides on our open air 4X4 vehicle tour of the rainforest and waterfalls laughed and joked constantly and seemed very happy to be there and be sharing their country with us.

Training now for the arrival of students this week

I made it to Nassau in one piece January 9th and am quickly learning all the important sailing lingo they insist upon before the students arrive this Wednesday (January 12, 2011):

[1] We are on a "educational voyage" (with emphasis on education) not a "cruise",
[2] We are aboard a "ship" not a "boat",
[3] We each stay in a "cabin" not a "room"
[4] The "back" and the "front" of the boat are the "aft" and the "fore"

There are some amazing professors teaching the other classes with lots of global experience (I am humbled).  My room is larger than I thought and I actually have room to store ALL the stuff I brought with me!!