SCENES FROM AROUND SOUTH AMERICA IN 49 DAYS- SERIES#1

 

LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION!

 

Hola amigas! This is Ebb broadcasting. I am an eye witness and recent traveler to South America.  This will be a long series of highlights. So stay tune! 

 

January 1, 2013- The new year started busily. After the long 2012 holiday season was over, we jumped start preparing for our long voyage to South America. Packing wasn't easy. Mind bogling! Took tons of tylenols to lessen the stress of planning & coordination.

We waited a year to embark on our 49 days cruise w/ Grand Princess. This ship is a Grand-cruise-ship owned  by Princess cruise. Built in 1998 at a cost of approximately U.S. $450 million. She was the largest and most expensive passenger ship ever built at that time. It was refurbished in 2011.
 

GRAND PRINCESS

 

January 20,2013- We left home. Flew to Key West, Florida for our pre-cruise adventure. Then spent 2 days at Ft. Lauderdale, our embarkation port.

January 26,2013-Embarkation day! Soon it was smooth sailing to 4 Caribbean Islands- St. Thomas, Antigua, Barbados & Trinidad. Days at ports were busy w/ tours & shopping. Days at sea were more idyllic and relaxing. Lots of things to do. Lectures about ports. Jogging on the top deck. Watching old & new movies. Shopping on board. Non-stop food and eating. Chit-chatting w/ new friends. Broadway-type entertainments at night.

For my artistic eyes, it was daily feasting  for my soul and spirit, as I immersed on the beauty & vastness of the Atlantic Ocean.  There were all kinds of blue shades and tints that beautifully coloured our days at sea.  No time for blue mood. No worries! Life on board was like a happy painting.

 

Four days at sea went by like a breeze. Before we knew it, we were in Brazil. We had 3 ports in Brazil. The largest country in South America. Very progressive. It occupied almost half of the continent. The country was colonized by Portugal.Most Brazilians spoke Portuguese. First port was Fortaleza. Second was Salvador. Detouring details of the first 2 ports for now.

Every passing sea days brought us closer to our much awaited destination, Rio de Janeiro. The excitement of seeing this destination face to face grew stronger. I never thought that one day, I will be walking the boulevards of Rio w/ my husband. A distant destination I only knew through DVD's, travel books & mags, & travel channels. WOW, it was like meeting a distant relative for the first  time.

PORT OF RIO DE JANEIRO

February 10,2013- Finally, we arrived. Rio is one one the 10 most beautiful cities in the world. Arrival day was beautifully sunny but funny. What an ocean jungle of 8 cruise ships! Arriving  on the same day. Look like a parade of gigantic ships- Azmara (1), Holland America (1), Costa (3), MSC (1), Princess (1) and an unknown ship (1). Our ship arrived late so we docked at the end of the port.

The Carnival festival happened on the week-end we were in Rio. LUCKY? Yes & No!  Yes, because we got a glimpse of the Carnival festival. Ship tickets to the Carnival got long waiting list. It was extremely expensive but surrprisingly SOLD OUT at 700.00/person. Not lucky because it was too crowded. Too many tourists from all over the world. It was MADHOUSE! WILD!  CRAZY!

HUGE CROWD AT THE CARNIVAL

ELEGANTLY CARNIVAL COSTUMED GUY

We stayed overnight in Rio. Our main tour of Corcovado & Sugarloaf was on Day 2. On day 1, we did our own tour w/ a Filipino couple. We waited for a taxi for an hour. Then on to Copacabana beach. It was mid-day when we got there. Our tummies rambling for Chinese food. Found the only Chino resto in Copa. Tired of cruise food, we devoured the Chinese food w/ gusto. Luckily, the menu was in English. The Portuguese waiter was tri-lingual. He spoke Portuguese, Spanish & English. Muy Bien!

                   Lunch Time at Chon Kou Restaurante  With View of copacabana Beach

 We strolled the Copacabana beach w/ satisfied tummies. It was summer time & heat was too intense, so we didn't walk too long. Not good for my kayumangging kulay (brown color). I liked my color but not a darker one.




 

                                                                        BRAZILIAN BEAUTIES

The beach was full of young sunbathers. Very good entertaining spot to watch those sexy ladies in their eye-popping itsy, bitsy, teenie, weenie, polka-dot bikinis. The guys were fun to look at too. Copacabana beach & blvd. were busy w/ Carnival revelers and tourists.



BEACH BOYS

 

CROWDED COPACABANA BEACH

 We loved the magnificent & artistic sandcastles build along the beach. There were many   competing designs. After bargaining, it cost us $2.00 for posing beside this castle.

 



EBB & RHOD W/ ARTISTIC SANDCASTLE

We liked to watch the city until dark but too tired after lots of walking. Couldn't wait to go back to the ship. Had a nine dinner at the Michaelangelo's. Later we watched a colorful show w/ Brazilian dancers at the Princess Theater.

 



SEXY BRAZILIAN DANCERS

VIVA RIO!  VIVA RIO!



 "At the end of the day, what often inspires us to go is the ectasy of travel, pure & simple. Forget the frustrations, tediums, struggles, challenges along the way. These all fade out when you set off on your journey."