Homeward bound

The Azores dawned wet and windy, and there was a question mark as to whether we would be able to dock, because of the wind speed and direction. But we made it. Since we were last here, the authorities have put up a purpose built cruise liner terminal. It has been done very wel, as it is effectively two stories high, but is no high the the sea front. This means that no-one has had their view spoilt.
Last time we were here we did the island tour, and very interseting and enjoyable it was. From Ponta Delgado, we went north to the other coast, and then slowly to the south. On the way, we passed a tea plantation(very enjoyable tea to drink), and some marvellous vistas. One of the items the Azores are most proud of are their pineapples, which they claim to be the sweetest around. They are much darker than we are used to seeing in the UK, and are certainly tasty. The trip ends at the botannical gardens, in the crater of a dormant volcano. Lunch and a tasting of the waters follows-if one is into that sort of thing!.
On this occasion, we decided to explore the town, and very relaxing it was too. Firstly to the market, where we found some unusual fish for sale, including one brilliant red one which I was assured was quite tasty. Next a stroll through relatively traffic free streets and some interesting churches. We had a sit and a coffee/beer in one of the squares, to watch the world go by. It did, but mostly fellow passengers! The wind started to pick up, and it became a little uncomfortable, so we set off to find some lunch (one must respect ones stomach!!). At the start of our jaunt, we had sought advice from the local tourist office on this subject, and were told that one of the best fish places in town was in fact next to the cruise terminal. So we sauntered back and found it.
They were right! We had a really good fishy lunch with a bottle of Azores wine, all whilst watching the rest of the worlsd pass by.
All too soon, it was time to return to the ship. Whilst we had been ashore, the crew had been having an official sports day, and our waiters were taking part. Fortunately the dining room one the Basketball, with both of them scoring, and one of the assistants the pool. There were some very happy guys serving us at dinner!!
Before then, we had a different sort of entertainment, in the shape of setting sail. The wind speed had risen, and we needed the assistance of two tugs, as well as all the ships power, it was still something of a struggle to get us off the berth. It was only when the Pilot cutter joined in, assisting the front tug by pushing on the bow whilst it pulled, that we got clear. It took half an hour, and it was good thing that the captain had turned Black Watch, on arrival, to be bow on to the entrance. Had the winds been as they were when we sailed when we arrived, we would not have managed to get in!
Since then it has been a bit of a lumpy bumpy roller coaster as we head towards the UK. Yesterday was gale, to day a bit less but still plenty of rock and roll! The forecast is to remain the same until we are in the Channel late on Tuesday
This will be the last posting until the photographs are added. Hopefully this will be in the next 10 days or so, but we have around 1,000 or more to process.

So, to Antigua. We had been here before, in 1998, and had seen what the island could offer during that trip
On this occasion we had planned to do seperate things. Sue was to go on a trip to a private island for swimming, sunbathing and lunch. It all worked out very well, and she had a great time, and did not get back to the ship until 4.30
Ian was to go sailing.
That did not work out, because of an error made by the handling agents on the island. They had got their timings wrong, and the sailors were still on Black Watch when they should have been afloat under canvas. C'est la vie! Instead he was offered a Jeep safari at no cost to himself, with the fee paid to go sailing being refunded. It was quite enjoyable, but it finished up on a beach!! No real consolation, but it did fill in some time. Ian then returned to the ship, and successfully took part in shipboard activities, winning the quoits and the quiz.
Next stop was Phillipsburg, on St Maarten. This is a curious island, in that half is run by the French, and half by the Dutch. It is said that they split the island many, many years ago by a very simple method. Two officials met at a given spot, and then set off walking in opposite directions until they met up again. That decided what was french, and what was dutch. The dutch side is the busy one, where the main port and cruise liner berths are. Whilst we were there, two very large cruise boats came in, and also one of the sailing clippers. In addition, a largish Dutch Navy ship arrived.
One of the options here was to go sailing in a former Americas Cup 12 metre yacht. Ian had jumped at the chance, and found it to be an exhilarating experience. He said that given a chance, he would do it again. Everyone who went had to work for their seat, as the only paid crew were the skipper and two deckhands. Everything, except the helming, had to be done by the guests. It is amazing how time flies when one is enjoying oneself, and two hours on the water just whizzed by.
Whilst Ian was doing this, Sue went shopping. This island is shoppers paradise, and she found herself bumping into as many crew members as fellow travellers whilst doing her walk about. Those in need of retail therapy are in heaven in this town.
Unfortunately (or maybe for some, fortunately) we had an early departure for our Atlantic crossing (six days at sea) to our last port of call, Ponta Delgado in the Azores.
Both of us have picked up colds. Sue was first, and she has a right stinker. Now Ian has got it as well, though he is just in the early stages. Not man flu yet! Thank goodness we only have the ships entertainment to miss, rather than some interesting excursion or port of call.
We are due into the Azores on Sunday, so the signs are there that things are drawing to an end. To day is Monday, the skies have gone a bit grey, and the sea rather lumpy. At present the temperature is holding up, but that cannot last!

Today is catch-up time, as a lot seems to have happened in a short while.
Tuesday was Barbados, and we had a great day out. We went on a cataraman cruise, sailing and swimming with turtles!
Having motored out of Bridgetown on the cat. the sails were hoisted and off we went. After about an hour, we dropped anchor, donned goggles and a life vest, and went over the side to swim with a group of turtles. It was amazing fun, and to be recommended.
About 80 people on board, some 30 off the Black Watch, a group off a large American cruise boat, and a handful of Spanish girls from a hotel. All mixed in together and had a good time.
Half an hour or so later, it was up anchor and a sail further up the coast. This time we moored just off a beach, when the pre-lunch options were to swim in the sea, walk on the beach, or put the snorkel gear back on and swim to a reef to view the wild life. After this came the important part of the day- a rum punch or two, and lunch. A bit of a rest, and it was, regrettably time to sail back to port.
In the evening, the famous Barbados Police Band came on board to give a concert. This was held outside, at the stern of the ship, under the stars. Magical.
Wednesday dawned dull and rainy, and it was another port. This time castries in St Lucia. We had not planned anything, except to do our own thing.
After the rain had cleared, around 1030, we left the ship, and walked round the harbour to the town. It was a bit busy, as there were four ships in. On our side was Black Watch, and the very large (4,500 passenger) Adventure of the Seas. On the other side, nearer the town were Serenade of the Seas (3,500 pass.) and Thomsons Destiny (900 pass.) ahving strolled, and done the sights and a bit of retail therapy, we sought advice re lunch from the tourist information desk. Their recommendation was to take the water taxi back to just behind where we were parked, and to ask the boat handler for the 'Coal Hole'. This turned out to be an excellent restaurant tucked away in a cove, right on the shore. It was far enough away from everything to be lovely and peaceful, with really good food. The dining area was on a roofed verandah, right at the waters edge. It was very popular with particularly the local business community, if the number of BMWs parked outside gave a clue. They managed to fit in the two of us, and gave us a great time. All too soon, it was time to catch the taxi back. Black Watch then had to join the queue of ships to leave Castries, with only Destiny remaining.
A hard nights steaming lay ahead, to allow us to arrive on time, on Thursday, at Basseterre, St. Kitts. (Which we duly did) Here our trip was to be an 'around the island' tour, using, for most of the journey, a train. This train rauns on tracks originally laid to haul sugar cane from the fields to the factory(which closed in 2005). Special carriages have been built, with two decks. The downstairs is all enclosed and air conditioned, the upstairs is roofed, but otherwise open to the elements.
The track follows the coast, with detours inland, and proved to be wonderful way to seeing just about everything. It does not go all the way round, only 18miles. The other 10 have to be done by road. The on-board guide was very good, and also there was enterainment by a group of singers. An excellent time was had by all, and we were sad to leave such a marvellous form of transport after two hours on board (though the rum punches and banana daiquiris might have had something to do with that!).
We had did a bit of strolling after we got back to the pier, but as it was then around 33C we went back to the ship to cool down. In the afternoon, we went back into Basseterre, and walked around the town, to see what we could see. A little retail therapy followed, for Ian this time!, plus a local beer each.
On reflection, we enjoyed Barbados, and the locals seemed pleased to see us. Castries was real laid back Caribbean, though some of the shop prices were a bit excessive. St Kitts, away from the town was friendly, but some of the shopkeepers put people off.
Next stop Antigua, so let us see what that brings.

Following our excursion to Costa Rica, and some time at sea, we arrived in Aruba in the Dutch Antilles. Technically, as we discovered, this is a desert island, as its average rainfal is 20 inches a year. It is 20 miles long by 6miles wide, and the capital is Orajestadt, which is also its main port(and popular with cruise liners!)
The rainy season ending April 2010 produced some 80 inches, and so far in this season it has been 120inches!! So much for a desert island!. One side effect is that the all the cactii, and there are plenty of them, are rotting whilst growing, as they cannot offload the water they take up.
In the morning we took a tour of the island, which included a trip on a submersible out to the reef and well preserved second world war wreck. By doing this, we saw most of the northern part of the island. The rweck is a German cargo ship that came into Oranjestadt in September 1939, as it had been instructed to seek a neutral port. It joind three others. After sitting around for a few months, one of them made a break for Germany, and managed to get back. Emboldened by this two others made a break for it, but a British was waiting and they were both sunk before getting into the Atlantic. The final one tried to sit it out, but the authorities ordered it to leave. The captain decided to scuttle the ship and surrender his crew for internment. She stayed inact until a violent storm in 2004 broke the ship into two parts. It sits in about 50ft of water. Whilst driving to get on the sub., we passeda small wreck on the shore. Our guide explained that this had been sunk as an artificial reef in 2005, well offshore in 60ft of water. Another big storm occured in 2006, and when it was over, thye found the wreck where it is now, back on shore!
During the trip, the guide mentioned that in the afternoon, in the town off San Nicholas, at the southern end of the island, there was to be a carnival She siad it was second only to Rio, though we have heard that before. We decided to go for a look-see, and took the local bus. A very helpful driver dropped us off as near as he could, at about 2pm, and showed us where to get the return bus from. We walked the rest of the way.
It was obvious from the crowds that something was going to happen, so we found a good vantage point in the shade, and waited (patiently!). Nothing seemed to be happening, and all the locals around us were obviously set for the long haul. By now we had been waiting about an hour, enjoying the atmosphere, so we sought advice. The most sober! said she expected the parade to pass around 5pm, but pointed out the direction it was coming from. We walked to towards it, and found it after about a mile, moving at the proverbial snails pace. (A snail would actually have moved faster!). Having found another shady place-someones sunshade!- we started to enjoy it, and was it colourful-and NOISY! Everyone was having a fantastic time, and liquid, both hard and soft, was flowing freely. It was also very hot.
WE saw the first six or seven floats pass, and that took an hour. One that did pass had a portaloo on wheels being towed behind for the use of the dancers, and it was being used, judging by the dancing queue!
Being a little concerned as to getting back the ship, we walked slowly back to our starting point, overtaking everything that had passed us. By the time we reached our original vantage point, so had the head of the parade. After blagging a beer each of the Budweiser stand, we set off to find our return transport.
That was an excitement in its self. The driver must have been practising for some grand prix, as we do not think we ever before gone round a corner in a service bus with all four wheels scrubing for traction, and the tyres screaming. We survived! though it was an unforgetable experience.
Next stop was Willemtstradt on Curacao. Unfortunately it was Sunday. Not only was it Sunday, but apparently there was carnival somehwere on the island, though nobody found it. The whole place was shut!. We did not chose to do a trip, as none really looked interesting, so we wandered and enjoyed the wildly coloured buildings. It was though very hot, with no wind, and the temperature was well over 30C. After a bit of shopping and a beer, we sought the airconditioned sancturary of the ship(as did most others.
Next stop Bridgetown, Barbados and swimming with turtles.

Since the last entry, we have managed three ports of call.
Costa Rica came first, at Puerto Limon. This is a combined port, in that it has a small container quay, capable of taking one good sized or two smaller container ships, and a jetty which can handle two cruise boats. About five miles further up the coast is Puerto Moins, which is a container port with four berths.
Costa Rica's principal exports are still coffee and bananas, closely followed by pineapples. They also make quite a lot of high tec' goods. Costa Rica is not a very large country, sited at the southern end of Central America, north of Panama. It has two coast lines, on the west the Pacific, on the east the Caribbean.
We saw quite a bit of the Caribbean coast as our trip started by going south to a banana plantation and processing plant. We then changed to a train, and went north along the sea front. Most of this coast is empty, as there are no roads. Our coaches were restored originals, with bench seats and no windows. The trees between us and the beaches were mostly coconut palms, but the fruit is left to rot. There is no way to harvest the nuts, and get them to market. The balance of the coast is rain forest. What properties we did see were squatter shacks. After about an hour on the train came a transfer via the coaches to the natural waterways and canals to see what we could find in the way of wildlife. Mostly birds and iguanas, plus the occasional howler monkey ( and they are very noisy!). Towards the end of our trip, a terrible row broke out somewhere on shore. Our guides searched hard for the source, which turned out to be two packs of howler monkeys having a verbal go at each other from either side of the river. We were in the middle, and it was deafening. All too soon it came to an end, and, after an exhilarating high speed run down the river, it was onto the coaches and back to the ship. We had, in fact, done more than we should have, as we were over an hour late back. We had a great time.

The Panama Canal is 49 miles long, including the entrance and exit channels.
It took 34 years to build, from 1880 and being completed in 1914. Originally started by Ferdinand de Lessops, who built the Suez Canal, it was completed by the Americans. De Lessops went bust, and ruined his health in trying. Over 20,000 people died in the attempts, mainly from maleria, yellow fever, and of course accidents.
The maximum size of vessels the Canal can handle at present is around 100,000 tons. However the Canal Company (wholly owned by the Panamanian Govt.) is building two new super locks, one at each end, to handle the largest boats imagined. Each of these new locks will lift a vessel the full 84 feet in one go.
When entering a lock, a ship is moved forward by its own power. It is held in the center by 'mules'. These are electrically powered locomotives, each weighing 50 tons. These move in time with the ship, under the command of the Canal Pilot on the bridge of the transittee. This transit is the only time that a ship's master hands control of his ship to an outside body. Everywhere else in the world, the master is in charge, taking advice from the pilot.
Approaching from the Pacific side, the first locks are the Miraflores. Two locks, which each raise a ship 28 feet. Next is the Miraflores lake, 1.2 miles long, and then the Pedro Miguel lock, which takes ships up another 28 feet. This is the highest water level, and the ships move through the 8 mile long Gaillard Cut into the Gatun lake. Like the Miraflores lake, this is man-made.
having crossed the lake, the Gatun locks take ships back to sea-level in a flight of three successive locks. The last section of the canal is the channel taking the ship into the Caribbean, passing the port of Colon.
We made a fast transit, entering at about 7.15, and exiting at just after 2pm. The normal time is 8 to 12 hours. The best parts are the locking up and down, particularly the down if one is following another vessel. On this occasion, we were at the head of the west bound convoy, so had the locks to ourselves.
Having left the Canal, Black Watch turned north, destination Puerto Limon in Costa Rica.

As thought, Manta was something of a non event. We have been there before, and did the only reasonable excursion then, which is a ride to the nearby town of Montechristi in open sided buses. A band sits on the roof, playing as one goes. Montechristi is the principal producer of Panama hats. They do not come from Panama!
We took ourselves of to the local craft market, just to get off the ship for a spell. It was very hot, at 35C, with high humidity. We did a little to support the local economy, and then returned to the snactuary which is air-conditioned. For enertainment, being such sad people, along with many others we watched the unloading of the next door ship. Apparently it was a mother ship to the huge fishing fleet based in Manta, and had been at sea for five months. The antics of the dockworkers was the source of our amusement.
Next stop was Balboa. This is the port at the Pacific end of the Panama Canal. For us it was a tender port, as the only berths are for conatiner ships.. A huge number of container ships transit the canal, but only those up to 100,000 tons. Bigger ones, and much smaller ones, off load in Balboa, and the containers make the transit by train.
Our trip ashore was to the viewing platform by the Miraflores Lock, to see the workings and the history, and then to the old Spanish Colonal part of Panama City, via the old American base from the days of the Canal Zone. The Americans finally left in 1999, on 31st December. The Panamanians have put the redundant facilities to very good use. The housing stock was sold off, and is now a sought after neighbourhood. The barrac, and office blocks have been turned over to either commercial or educational purposes. There are two universities on the site, along with six private schools which were persuaded to move out of the city centre. Their old schools are now state schools, a win win situation all round.
We had just over an hour at the visitor centre, which was not really enough time, but was adequate, and it gave us a good understanding of how things work. There was quite a lot on background to the building of the canal, and what goes into its daily operations.
The old part of the city was fascinating. Many of the buildings are in a poor state of repair, and many others are undergoing refurbishment. The Panama City authorities have given every building owner seven years from 2009 to sort out the property. If they do not, then the building will be confiscated without redress!! This ruling seems to be having the desired effect. The finished articles have commercial opportunities at street level, and residential above. These are sought after, as they are quite large, and in a good area of the city, near the sea. The owners, so we were told, usually keep the top flat for themselves.
It was another very hot, humid day. Even our guide was please to get into the air-conditioned sanctuary of the bus. She was very interesting, as she is a Mexican, married to a Panamanian, and who learnt her english as a child at school in Southampton, when her father was working at the hospital there! Her only complaint now is that she does not really get enough opportunities to practise it. Some of her words came out a little strangely, and needed a bit of work. One of the hardest for us to get to grips with was 'noons', until we worked out she meant 'nuns'.
Overall, it was a very good outing, and we were sorry it came to an end . However, we were pleased to get back to the ship, as the humidity was hitting 85% and the temperature well over 30C. Very hot and sticky.
Next is the Panama Canal itself. We are due to up anchor at around 6am, and enter the canal at about 7.45. However, knowing this Captain, it is very possible that we will be early. Let us wait and see!

Having left Callao/Lima at about 7pm, the ship sailed over night to Salaverry. This is the port for Trujillo in the northern part of Peru, and we arrived at 11am on Thursday. It is a working port, and our arrival meant that one of the ships had to stop discharging her cargo until we left, for safety reasons. She was moored on the other side of our quay, which was not very wide!!
We had initially decided not to do a trip here, but our own thing. However, having done some research, we change our minds and were able to join an excursion to some ruins connected to the peoples in the area pre the Incas. The Chimu had built an enormous city between 900AD and 1500AD called Chan Chan. The Incas conquered them around that time, and then the Spanish arrived. It was built of mud brick and has only recently been discovered. It has been estimated as covering some 20 square kilometres. Our visit started at one of the nine palaces found so far, one of the smallest! We could only see three of the five parts, and that took nearly an hour. It is estimated that the largest palace is about two and half times bigger than the one we were at. After this, we moved on to the seaside, to where the fishermen still use reed boats, and fish in the same manner as they would have done all those years ago. We were given a demonstration of how they did it, and dealt with the surf.
The final part of the tour was to a temple mound. To give an idea of just how big this city was, we had started at the palace some five kilomtres outside Trujillo, and the temple was inside the city, surrounded by modern buildings. Everone was surprised it had survived, though the guide explained it was luck rather than good judgement. Most of the foreign tourits who come to this part of Peru do so for the surfing, though the occasional cruise liners are calling. It is a holiday area for Lima, which is why there are places such as we saw available. (There was another tout, to two much larger temples on the other side of Trujillo and included the old part of the city. One of the difficulties the arrangers had faced was getting enough English speaking guides. Ours was a school teacher, and on the other coach a young man on his first guiding trip who was in the city administration. They both did very well. They were from Trujillo, but other guides, along with some of the coaches had been brought in specially from Lima. We were pleased we had done it, and having talked to those who did their own thing, found we had made the right decision
We sailed out of Salaverry at 6pm, next stop Manta in Ecuador

Tuesday was another day. It started for us at 5am, and it was raining. Neither of us had slept that well, and Ian was suffering from the altitude. So much so that he did not want any breakfast, and those that know him will realise things were bad. However, after a five minute spell on oxygen, he felt much better. He was not the worst off though, as two of the party had had to be taken to hospital during the night, though they were able to jion us in time to leave.
The hotel was left at 6.00 in minibuses, as the strat of the journey to Machu Piccu (MP) was by road. This part of the trip took a couple of hours, until we arrived in the town of Olyantambo. This is where we began the train journey to Aguas Calientes, the nearest town to MP. Aguas Calientes can only be accessed by rail. It has no road access at all.Much of the railway is alongside a river, and it was in full spate. Apparently, on the day before, the trains could not run, because the river level was some five feet higher. To say it was a raging torrent was an understatement.
Two hours later, and we reached the terminus and transfered to midibuses was the last part, up to MP. Initially following the river vally, the road crossed the river and started the zigzag climb up the mountainside. The climb took about half an hour.
MP is on a finger of land, at a height of 9,000ft. The river, some 1,000ft below, runs around three of the sides. A climb on foot of about ten minutes takes one to the highest point of the city, to a natural view point. Nether Ian or Sue were having any difficulty with any of this, as MP is some 2,000ft lower than Cusco.
The tour of the best bits of the city lasted about two hours, and done in pouring rain. Despite this, it was fascinating. MP is unique in that it was never discovered by the Spanish, and effectively disappeared from view in the late 1500s. It was accidently rediscovered in 1902 by an Andean farmer looking for more land, but nothing more happened until 1911 when an American explorer, Hiram Bingham was shown it by a local headman. He was actually looking for the Lost City of the Incas, which in fact is much further east, practically in Brazil (and had been found by the Spanish around 1580). He returned with a much larger expedition in 1912, and started to map and clear the site.
The railway was built by the Peruvian government in the 1930s, to allow the transport of goods and foodstuffs from the fertile interior to Cusco and then to the arid coastal areas. It actually runs from Cusco, but appalling weather in late December 2010 has closed in parts. It is not due to reopen until late March/early April 2011. It is narrow guage, and during the tourist season runs passenger trains during the day. At night it becomes a freight line, carrying everything for the area of Aguas Caliente and MP, from food to souvenirs, fuel and vehicles. Even construction plant and machinery has to go this way.
After having lunch, there was an option to revisit MP if one wanted, but by now it was raining even harder, so we took a shuttle bus back down the mountain, to explore something of the town, and to await our train (1730) back to Olyantambo. There were a few problems on the way back. it should have taken one and half hours, but took two and half. The track is singler line with passing loops. The uphill train has to wait for the downhill one at each of these, and sometimes it was a long wait. The train crew were very goods. We had a costumed dancer at one point, and a fashion show of beautiful alpaca wool clothes at another. The models were two of the train crew, and the dancer another member.
At the teminus, we transferred back to buses for the return to Cusco, getting back at 10.00pm. Dinner was waiting for those of us who could face it. It had been a long tiring but most enjoyable day. Had the weather been kinder it would have been fantastic.
Following a good nights sleep, departure from the hotel to the airport was at 11.30am, finally getting back to the ship at about four o'clock.
We are so glad we did the trip. It was tiring but an experience not to be missed.

So much seems to have happened in the last few days, that there will have to be more than one blog.
After a very early start on Monday, at 5am!! we left for Lima airport and the flight to Cusco. Lima near the coast, where it is very dry, hardly any rainfall. The water has to be brouhgt in by pipeline and the river from the Andes.
Flying to Cusco, initially it is over barren, desert type country, including the foothills of the Andes. Next come the snow capped area, and finallyit is green and lush, even though we are talking about being over 11000ft above sea level. The flight is about an hour, and we arrived to warm sunshine. This was, we found, not to last. A short bus journey took us to our very comfortable hotel in the middle of the city. Having checked in, we were advise to rest until lunchtime, to start the acclimatisation to the high altitude. No-one knows who will get altitude sickness, until it happens.
Following a light lunch, we were due to start exploring this ancient Inca city, and the very first stop was right outside our hotel, on the other side of the road. This was the monastery of the Dominicans, established by the Spanish on their arrival in Cisco, and it is built on top of a number of Inaca temples, much of which from the foundations of parts of the monastery.
The Inacs had no written language, they did not discover the wheel, and yet thye could work very hard stone to an amazing degree of perfection. They did not use mortar, as all the surfaces were exact. The stones are not cut exactly square, but are designed to interlock. The largest pieces found in this site are in doorways, and have as many as 14 faces, with each one weighing about two tons!!
When we finished with the monastery, and went outside the weather had changed, and it had started to rain. All it did for the rest of the day was get heavier and colder. This meant a change in the programme, and visits cut short. After an attempt to see one of the out of town sites, the guide gave up and a visit to the cathedral took its place. at this point the first of our number was really suffering, and had to be given oxygen. The cathedral was very interesting, but the visit was spoilt by a number in the party, who were not properly dressed, getting silly and being rather obnoxious. Eventually, we returned to the hotel to drink more of the coca tea( one of the remedies for altitude sickness), and rest before dinner.
Early bed was called for, as on Tuesday we were in for another 5am start.

Arica was as expected, hot and dusty. Apart from the shopping, there are really only two things of note in the city; the cathedral and the old Customs House.
Both were designed by Gustave Eiffel of Eiffel Tower, Paris, fame. Both were first assembled in France and then broken down and shipped to Arica for reassembly. This was in the 1860s! MFI eat your heart out-flat pack is not new!!
The cathedral is very interesting, because of its construction. Very simple, but with real character. The Customs House looks like a proper building, until one gets inside and it is then easy to spot its antecedents.
Arica itself is a bit of an anomaly. It is the port for Bolivia, which is landlocked, even though it is in Chile. Literally at the end of the line, as there is a railway from Arica to La Paz, Bolivia's capital. The streets are bustling as it is a working city. Lots of small shops and market stalls. Around the port entrance are a few 'souvenir' stalls, but just a handful. We used one of the supermarketrs (supermercado in this part of the world) to buy a few things like bottled water, crisps, nuts etc. We were looking round and this young man stopped and spoke to us in Chilean. Ian asked if he spoke english and he replied in perfect english that he did, and the store was owned by Walmart(ASDA) He was most helpful.
We tried to find a couple of the retaurants mentioned in the guide book that Amanda and Esther gave us for Xmas. Unfortunately, they had both closed down! We sought advice from the tourist office, as it was lunchtime, and were advised that Friday was not a good day for lunching, only Saturday and Sunday were, but the evenings were OK. We returned to the ship for the luxury of its really excellent fish and chips served al fresco at the stern on deck 9.
In the evening, there was a BBQ on the aft deck, and we were fortunate to get tickets. We had a table for two, tucked away under the stairway beside the rail. It was great. Some amusement was had by the water in the swimming pool. As the ship was moving, it was slopping over the edges, and going to get food became a bit of a game, dodging the wave. The crew spoilt it by draining the pool.
After a day at sea, we arrived in General San Martin. It is a port but does not appear on any maps. It consists of two quays, one for containers and one for the outloading of minerals in bulk. The nearest habitation is some 20 minutes by coach from the port. We are moored in the bay, and have had to tender in. Our trip out was by coach, about one and half hours inland to Tomba Colorado. This is an Inca settlement, dating from the late 1400s, and well preserved. The place itself gave one food for thought, situated right on the edge of a river valley, with the desert immediately behind its rear wall. This is one of the strange things about this part of the world. The Attacama Desert is vast, but punctuated by the occasional river valley. The one we were following actually ran to the sea, but many rivers dry up before getting that far.
It gave us a chance to see something of the interior, in some ways a little like the Nile Valley in Egypt, green backing up to high sand-dunes and a lunar landscape.
The Incas ran a huge part of South America from their capital, Cusco, and did so very efficiently even though they did not have a written language, nor had they discovered the wheel. They developed a road system with Cusco as its hub, which spread out to Brazil, Argentina, southern Chile, Bolivia and Ecuador. Fortified settlements, such as Tomba Colorado, were key to their system of government, as they housed the local prefect. According to our guide, the nearest next prefects were about 55 kilometres away, north and south. At Tomba, as well as the settlement, part of their road system could be clearly seen. The modern road follows the line of it in parts.
This evening we sail for Callao, and our excursion to Macchu Pichu.

Funny place, Valpairiso. The ship was moored right beside the harbour and the dock gate, yet the port authorities insisted on bussing us to the other end of the port area(about 2 miles!) for the cruise terminal. We then had to make our own way back to the same area.
We decided to walk, as that way passed through all the squares. You can imagine Ian's comments on the subject, but nevertheless, it was done-slowly!! Fortunately the weather was kind.
Some of the city is on the flat, the bit we walked, but the rest is built on a number of hills. To access these on foot is done by 'ascenseurs' or funicular railways. Very old and very quaint. The newest was built around 1913. At the top of the one we took were great views over the port and beyond. They do not run to the very tops of the hills, only to where the city reached at the time they were built.
After a stroll, we descended and enjoyed the harbour area. when it was time to go back to the ship, we took a trolleybus. When we first left the terminal, we had passed the terminus, so we applied dead reckoning and got back safely. Don't know how old they are, but the design shape implied that the buses were probably around 50 to 60 years old!!
On the way bck through the terminal there was a wine tasting going on-for free!! Never people to pass such a thing up, we took part. Most enjoyable, and we discovered a very nice Chilean wine made from a grape named Carmenere. More about this wine later.
Wednesday was a good day. Having had a good golf put, Ian won the shuffleboard and his team the morning quiz. This was followed by a Rounders lunch. If one is going the whole way round, ie Southampton to Southampton, one is known as a Rounder,and each sector there is a special lunch just for the Rounders. A good time was had by all-though it does take up a bit of the day !!
Thursday was different. Not so successful at golf, but spent the rest of the morning wine tasting. They had three different Carmeneres among the 15 wines on offer. Two were very good, and have gone onto our dinner drinking stock. After a quick lunch we went to dancing class at 1.15pm. Our teacher, Lorraine, really put us through it, learning three active dances for tomorrows 'tropical' night (more practice to come!). We were all 'perspiring hard' at the end!
On each sector, a number of passengers get together to write and put on some sort of play; last sector was a pantomime and quite funny. This time it was an attempt at a comedy, and fell rather flat. We went to support someone in it. After that was a tea dance, and then Ian went off to the quiz. This afternoon, his team scored 20 out of 20, which meant that the quizmaster had to do 20 press-ups. (if it is a lady, then it is either those or 20 high kicks) Doesn't happen often.
Tomorrow, Friday, is Arica. We have nothing planned, except to do our ususal and explore the place as best we can. It is getting warmer, 25C today, and that might curtail us a little bit, but we shall see. This part of Chile is close to the Attacama desert, so sees virtually no rain at all, but can, so we are told, be dusty.
Probably one more post before Lima, and our jaunt to Macchu Pichu.

Just to put minds at rest, the epicentre of the earthquake in Chile on Monday 14th was 70 miles from us, and there was no tsunami.
Updates are usually done every couple of days, unless events conspire to prhibit. On 21st February we leave at 7am lovcal for Macchu Picchu, and will not get back until late on 23rd, so the update for that event will most likely be on 24th.
After the drearyness of Castro, what a change.
Puerto Montt dawned bright and clear, at around 15C. Both Sue and Ian were doing things, but they were very different.
Sue's trip was by coach into the hinterland, to do some exploring. Thyus were out for the whole day, leaving at 8am and getting back around 4.45pm. It would seem that a great time was had by all. After a coach trip of about one and a half hours, they joined a lake cruise and had a great time admiring the spectacular scenery and the local fauna. Next came lunch with time to walk and explore where they were, before moving by coach to another location and the llamas. Finally, back on the coach for the return journey.
At this juncture, one should comment on the Chilean way of doing road repairs, as these affected both Sue and Ian's trips. Not being content to dig up and resurface, they dig up kilometres at a time, and make it one way traffic over what is left. This does lead to seriously long delays!!
Ian managed to do one of the things that he has always wanted to try, namely white water rafting.
Twelve intrepid souls decided to have ago at this, nine passengers(five men and four ladies) two members of the show dance troupe, and a crew member.
Following a drive of just over an hour in a minibus(would have been shorter but for the aforementioned roadworks), the destination was reached. Having disentangled ourselves from each other, we dismounted to be met by our guides and given wetsuits(yes, there was one big enough for me!!), jackets and boots. We changed and then were driven down to the rafts. Following an extensive safety briefing, lifejackets and helmets were fitted, photographs taken and it was down to the water.
Six to a boat, plus a guide, and we were off. One does not sit in the boat, but on the sides, with ones feet wedged under the cross piece in front. Steering is done pricipally by the guide, assisted by the passengers paddling hard in the rquired direction when told to do so.
Now to the rapids, and this is where it becomes exhilarating, and impossible to describe. It is an enormous adrenalin rush, and terrific fun, if a little scary at times. We were on the water for virtually one and half hours, most of negotiating rapids or the slacker water inbetween. Only the last ten minutes or so was in calmer water. About 15 minutes from the ned, with one slight waterfall ahead, the guide invited us to go into the water and sail down the last bit in the recovery position we had been shown. This is lying back in the water, with ones feet ahead of one, knees slightly bent. Exhilarating!!! To get back into the boat was a bit undignifying though. Hang on the side with ones feet trailing in the water. Be grasped by the life jacket by the guide. A big heave by him, and one is lying face down in the bottom of the boat.
At the end of the journey, dry clothes were waiting, as was a snack lunch. All too soon, it was back into the bus for the run back to the port and the waiting Black Watch.
Valentines Day is glorious, though the sea is a bit bumpy. We are on our way to Valpairiso. No cards to open, by agreement, though a bottle of pink champagne is in the fridge for this evening (remembered and brought specially from home for the purpose!!!)

The last two days have been magical. The ship has been running up through the fjords in glorious sunshine, so shorts and short sleeves have been the order of the day. This is not withstanding the glaciers that have been seen, running down to the shoreline. Yesterday, we passed a stranded ship!
Apparently, it was a Greek cargo-liner. About 40 years ago, she was transitting the fjords, and on this particular day, the captain left the bridge with the pilot, to have lunch. The officer of the watch did not know that in this particular fjord there was a bank to one side of the centreline, about one hundred metres wide and a kilometre long. The ship ran aground!!. Everyone got off safely, but it was not possible(probablynot worth!!) salvaging her, and so she has been there ever since. A few holes are noticeable on her hull and superstructure. It seems that the Chilean navy use her for target practice, if they are passing by.
At one point, it was necessary to leave the fjords for a while. Whilst outside, on the Pacific ocean, a small pod of whales went by, about six of them. All in all, a magical day
Today is no different. We are at anchor outside a place called Puerto Chacabuco. It is a nowhere place, consisiting of jetties and wharves. The jetties are used by container ships, outloading the principal output of the area, fruit and vegetables. The main town is about 15kms, called Puerto Aysen. It was a port, on the river, until the river silted up.
We took the local public service bus, which was a bit of an experience in itself. The town is mostly single story buildings, and has that 'frontier town' look. Built on the grid system, the main street is one way, and everything goes down it. Every where we went, we felt alittle like being in Gullivers travels, as the locals are not the tallest people in the world.
There is not a lot in the town, except a most unususal church. It is very modern and angular, and finished in 1990, if we read the sign correctly. Up to the first story is concrete. Everything there after is a latticework of timber, covered in what appears to be plywood. The roof is tiled. It is very difficult to describe, though fascinating to visit. Hopefully, after our return, and we can post photographs, it will appear.
It did seem strange to be walking around in shorts and short sleeeves, when all the hills around were covered in snow. Apparently, we have a hit a temperature bounce, and tomorrow is forecast as 12C, and rain, as against todays 24C!!
Black Watch is at anchor in a corner of the fjord, and we have been using the tenders to get to and fro. From the shore, there is a super picture of her against the backdrop of snow capped hills. We are due to sail at 5pm our time(8pm UK time), so will get more splendid vistas for some hours yet.

After all the excitement of Cape Horn, the last few days have, in a way, been quite humdrum.
The journey to Punta Arenas has been up through the fjords of Chilean Tierra del Fuego, with glaciers and waterfalls all over the place. Spectacular scenery. At one point the ship entered a side fjord, to take us up close to a very large glacier. Its runabout was launched, to collect some ice for whisky on the rocks. The ice is thought to be thousands of years old, possibly up to a million. No-one was absolutely sure, as different ages were bandied about. Nevertheless, it went very well with the lowland single malt whisky it was served with!
Nearing Punta Arenas, great excitement was to be had as we stopped by an island with penguins. It was a small island, and they were small penguins. Though they could be seen clearly through binoculars, the distance made photographing them(even on maximum zoom) difficult. Close examination of those shots that were taken and then blown up, do show that we captured them for posterity!
Punta Arenas is a bit of a ghost town. Originally a coaling and resupply point, the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914 rather killed that trade and it has not really recovered. There is a free port area, to try to boast matters, and it is the 'capital' of Chilean Patagonia. Because Ian was not one hundred percent, we did not do much, apart from a general stroll into the city, admire the principal buildings, take photo of Christ surrounded by icebergs, which can be found in the cathedral, and change some money. It was not very pleasant weather, very windy, cold and with occasional rain showers. The best trip seems to have been to a penguin colony, but even then most of the comments were half hearted. The most excited person was our cabin stewardess. Two of her passengers, discovering that she had never seen a penguin in its real habitat, got permission for her to go with them on this excursion. When she came back, to say she was ecstatic was to say the least. She is tiny, and everyone, including crewmates, helped to kit her out with cold wet weather clthing and a suitable camera. We could not help with the clothing, as we are bit! larger than her. It was so nice to see her positive happy reaction.
Having left Punta Arenas, we are now working our way north. We started in the Magellan straits, ansd should have gone out into the Pacific early this morning, around 5 o'clock. However, the wind has picked up again, to about 60 knots, so we are now cruising the fjords, where it is only about 30 knots!. Still outstanding screnery, with more glaciers and waterfalls all around.
Next stop is Puerto Chacabuca, weather permitting. It is a tender port, and if the swell is too much, we cannpot land. We have three of these tender port5s coming up so it will be interesting to see what happens.
Watch this space.

After a good run down from the Falklands, we arrived in Shuaia, the most southerly city in the world.
It statrted life as a prison colony, so basice that the first convicts, back in the 1800s, had to build their own jail, and the accomodation for the warders. The prison finally closed in 1947, and is now a museum. The city has a frontier town feel to it, though it does have full employment thanks to some industry, the docks and tourism. It is the jumping off place for those going to Antartica.
We saw something of the countryside, as we tookan all day trip. It started with a cruise down the Beagle Cahnnel, to look at the wildlife. Bit of a quiet day as it was mostly bird colonies, with a group of sea lions, It was cold when we started, at 5C, and stayed that way whilst we were on the boat(about 3 hours). Diembarcation was in the Tierra del Fuego National Park, some 30kms north of Ushaia. After a short drive we stopped at a lake which is part in Argentina, and part in Chile. The surroundings are magnificent, as this is the end of the Andes chain, and the tops are snow capped. The wind meant it was still a bit chilly. The road is part of the Pan Americas highway, which starts in Alaska, and ends just south of Ushaia.
The final part of our day out was by train. To build the goal, and then to provide lumber to build other properties, a lot of trees neede to be cut down. Once the supplies near the city had been exhausted, the wood had to come from furthjer afield. The only way to move it was by rail, so the prisoners had to build one. Initially with wooden rails and hauled by mules, it got converted to metal rails and then to steam power. To extend it one gang built forward,as they cut down the available trees beside the tracks. Working on the railway, and the logging, was keenly saught after by the inmates, as it meant getting outside for the day, even though conditions were very arduous. Noone realy escaped, though one or two tried. There was nowhere to escape to, and the terrain was hostile.
The journey lasted an hour, including a rest stop, and we returned to Ushaia. We stayed in town for a stroll round, but there really was nothing to see.
Today is Sunday, and we have been to Cape Horn. The weather was wild, with winds touching 70 knots(about 85 mph). Fortunately the wind was from the north, with the land providing some protection. This means that the seas could not build quite as much as they might have, but the ship still had a serious lean to one side. Had it been from the south, from the Antartic one thousand kilometres away, the sea state would have been a different question!! Passengers who have done this trip before say they have always had good weather, with calm seas!! Standing up to take photos became a bit of an issue, as did catching ones breath if one inadvertently stuck ones head outside the screens at the wrong moment. Still, we did it, have seen it, photographed it to prove it and survived. Going round today would not have been possible in safety, because of the wind direction. We could see the seas round the other side, and discretion was certainly better than valour.
Now we are retracing our route back into the Beagle Channel. It is still wild, with a severe lean to starboard caused by the wind. The plan is to sail up the channel, pass Ushaia, and continue through the fjords until we get into the Magellan Straits. Once there we turn right, to get to our next port of Punta Arenas in Chile. We are due there on Tuesday morning.

A wonderful day was had by all in the Falklands
The weather stayed kind until the end, when it started raining hard. Unfortubnately, the forecast for Friday was not good, and we would have been in an exposed anchorage, so the captain decided to make an amendment, and the ship is on the way to Ushaia, at the bottom end of Argentina. If all goes to plan, we will do on Saturday what we should be doing on Sunday. On Sunady, the plan is to leave port, go round Cape Horn, and return to Ushaia. This is because the forecast is for severe gales. All being well, we are due to move via the inside waterways to Punta Arenas overnight on Sunday.
But, back to the Falklands.
The capital is Stanley, not the largest place, but it dooes have a cathedral, so it must be classified as a city! About 3,000 people live on the fifteen islands which are inhabited. Except in Stanley, the roads! are basically 'all weather roads' i.e. graded and passable by wheeled vehicles. Most of the residents drive Landrovers.
Outside Stanley, there are virtually no trees, the land being rough, rocky and with tufty grass. One of the big difficulties, are the number of uncleared minefields left by the Argentinians after 1982. They are being cleared slowly (they managed four in 2010), but it will be many years before they will all be gone. The problem is the cost, as they cannot be cleared mechanically, it has to be done by hand. Virtually all the mines are plastic, so it means hands and knees, with prodders.
After the EU insisted that the Falklands hed an up to date abbatoir, the dependence on sheep farming has reduced. Ten years ago, there were about one million sheep. Now it is reckoned that there about six hundred thousand. There place has been taken by cattle, as the meat can be properly certified to EU rules and be exported.
Everything has to be imported, except main crop fresh vegetables. The supermarket in Stanley is just like a smaller one in England. The difference is the labels. Most of the stock on the shelves is either from Waitrose! or NISA.
Ian did a trip about the 1982 Falkands war. The guide was excellent, and he thoroughly enjoyed it.
Sue stayed in Stanley and explored it. We met up at lunchtime and went into the pub for fish and chips! No draught beer, though, only cans and a good selection. After lunch it was walked off by Ian being accompanied by Sue for a tour of the city.
We got back on board around 4pm, just in time to avoid the rain.
To day is cold but bright outside, about 9C, with a southerly wind from the Antartic. Dancing this pm, followed by a wine tasting for one of us. Life is hectic!

Just after the last entry closed, things changed dramatically.
No-one was allowed to leave the ship, all excursions that had not started were cancelled, and the gangway was taken away, marooning those ashore on the quayside. The cause was increased wind speed. So much so, to allow the gangway to be reconnected, a tug and the pilot boat had to join the ship's bowthruster in holding the ship by the pier.
All the mooring ropes were stretched taught, and the wind kept on increasing. It steadied at 55mph, with occasional gusts of over 60mph. Because of the direction, it was fully onto the side of the ship, and it was this windage that was causing the difficulties.
We had a grandstand view of that was happening (or not for some time), as the quayside was directly below us. It steadily filled up with rather bemused people, as the tours returned, who had to stand and wait in the sun, with this wind blasting them.
Eventually, after about an hour, around 1.30pm, the gangway was re-rigged and people were slowly allowed aboard (two at a time).
When it came time to sail i.e once everyone was back on board, there was a further difficulty. The quay at Puerto Madryn is not that long. To moor ships, there is an artificial island off the end of the jetty, to take the stern ropes. Because of the waves, it proved not possible to land a man there to cast the hawsers off. The captain had the three of them cut, thus freeing the ship, and allowing us to sail.
Puerto Madryn is at the inside end of a very large bay, and it took some hours for us to get out into the Atlantic. Once we reached open water, we knew all about it. It was certainly lumpy!!
Things moved around during the night, though we were not affected, as we had taken some precautions, and made sure anything movable was secured. By this morning, the weather had calmed down, and it has been quite a pleasant day
The weather is still affecting us, as there has been a change of itinerary, and we are going into Port Stanley tomorrow, Thursday, rather than Friday. This is because the forecast is for westerlies on Thursday, and northerlies on Friday. Port Stanley is a sheltered achorage if the wind is from the west or south.

Though the River Plate is 200km wide at its mouth, and 300km long, it has avery narrow channel for shipping on its way to Buenos Aires. Actually, the trip from Montevideo to BA took 6 hours to cover 130km.
When we arrived, we were not alone. there were four other, much larger cruise liners already moored up. No smart cruise terminal, just a quay in the port, surrounded by containers.
Black Watch always moors starboard side to, as that is where the security equipment is mounted. This has meant that we often get a lousy view, as that is oiur side of the ship. This time, it was not so bad, as we are high up ,and were able to see over the top of the containers, and had quite a nice view. All the other side had was containers and more containers. It also meant we had a grandstand view of all the goings on. At the end of our stay we were entertained by the port staff, as they tried to sort out a little accident caused by one of the container handling trucks pulling down part of a building and damaging itself in the process. Nothing much in one way, but unfortunately it was right were our gangway was, and sorting it out did cause a few difficulties!
So, Buenos Aires. It was hot, at 35C, though not quite so humid as Rio. On our first day we did the ships organised city tour, which took in the cathedral and the grave of Eva Peron. We have found in the past that this is a good way to learn somethimng about a city. Our guide was excellent, and it was a good trip. In the afternoon, or what was left of it, we took it easy. We did a trip into the main port terminal, to change currency. A very simple thing to do, one might think. It took us an hour!! First was the queue for the exchange itself. then the actual transaction. According to the miles of paper we were given, Ian was a US citizen, and Sue, though from the UK, was from Manchester. Neither of us could work out how the clerk managed that, but we got our currency. The came the return trip.
By now, the queue to leave the terminal, which had to be done on shuttle buses (definitely no walking!) was out the otherside of the building. As we had no hand bags for screening, we joined about halfway down. One of the ships was readying to sail, and a few passengers were getting a bit panicky, because of the queueing. We then had 'terminal rage' as those trying to jump ahead were blocked by those already in the queue. Fists were raised. (Yes, dear readers, these were british passengers off P&Os Aurora!! Must be a low caste ship!). Eventually, we boarded our shuttle a got safely back to the ship.
The next day dawned hot and sunny, and we left early for the city. Shuttle bus to the terminal, and then following a tip, a free shuttle bus provided by a firm of jewellers to the edge of the shopping area, Florida street. A slow stroll for a kilometre, with a few diversions found us in the principal sqaure, and we headed for a famous place, Cafe Tortoni,. A beer and a coffee later, plus a few photos, and we walked back to where we could catch an open topped bus for a tour giving us a different view of BA. This included La Boca, and the revitalised old port area, a bit like Docklands n London. But was it hot!! YES. We threw the towel in about two thirds of the way round, it was a bit too much, even for Sue. Back to the jewellers via a small supermarket, and our trip back to the terminal and the port shuttle bus.
After a slow start on our last day, we joined a ship excursion to Tigre , for a cruise in the river delta. This was most enjoyable, as, instead of hurtling down some motorway, the guide took us the slow way, through various towns and villages. Our destination was some 40km from Buenos Aires. At tigre, we borded a boat, mercifully with a roof, for our trip through the waterways that make uo one third of the delta.
Very definitely, this is a holiday/loacl tourist area. P{eople live and stay in houses on the various islands. Some have electricity, but drinking water, gas for cooking and all foodstuffs have to be brought in. There are floating supermarkets which go round the islands, as do the water buses. When these go past, on the roofs are all sorts of things, from prams to gas bottles, to water bottles, to items of furniture. All in all, a most pleasant afternoon, which was only spoilt by the need for us to return to the ship which was sailing at 6pm.
Two day at sea, which was bit bumpy at times, have brought us to Puerto Madryn. A pleasant, small seaside town, with a nice beach. We strolled the prom this morning, and did a little supporting of the local economy. This area was settled by many who left Wales 150 years ago. They did not fight, or drive out, the then local inhabitants, but got on peacably with them. This means that many are of the origional stock, as well as those from european type stock. Quite a contrast.
This afternoon, we are going out into the countryside, to a village that is supposed to be very welsh. That is if the winds allow us. It is very windy here, and the ship is have some difficulty, despite its mooring ropes, holding its position on the quay.

Rio was HOT. On Saturday, the temperature reached 35C, on Sunday it got to 40C (104F)!! Ouch.
Add to that the very high humidity, and one can realise that it was uncomfortable!
Nevertheless, we ventured forth.
Saturday saw us taking the cable car up Sugar Loaf Mountain, or should one say two cable cars. The journey is split, and one needs to change at the halfway point. The first section is relatively gentle, rising up over the woods and si in woods. The second car rises very steeply up to the top. Once there, the views are spaectacular, with all of Rio laid out in front of you. Below is the domestic airport,. the planes take off towards Sugar Loaf, and then break away sharply as they climb, so as to miss the mountain. It is possible to buy a nd drink, and do limited shopping, but very expensive. The sights are the thing. Coming back down, the halfway stage makes a bette4r stop, and to have a drink. it is shaded whereas the top is not.
After leaving Sugar Loaf, the coach went to the Cocacabana beach, and there was time for a brief walk on these famous sands, before we had to return to the ship. After lunch, we went out on our own, but the heat got to us, and we gave in and returned tothe sanctuary of the airconditioning. During our tour of Rio, we visited the route of its famous carnival. Contrary to popular opinion, it does not parade through the streets, but through a purpose built road lined by permanent grandstands
In the evening, the floor show was from a Rio carnival group; noisy and exciting.
The following day dawned hot and the heat just kept on going. Fortunately, we were out early for our trip tp the top of the Cococavado, and the statue of Christ the Redeemer. The access is by funicular railway. It takes about hal;f an hour to make the trip. As one can imagine, it is very popular. To illustrate this, we were joined in the queue for the train by two locals, who were thaen refused access to the train. From what I understood, they had bought tickets at 9am, but had not realised they were for a train at 11.40. They were a little upset, but it got them nowhere. The statue stands at 710m above seas level, on a base 8m high. Itself is 34m high. Inside the base is a chapel, and on our train was priest who was going to conduct a service in it. The project began in 1922, and was finished in 1931. Once again, there were amazing views, but to get a decent photo, one has to be patient with the crowds of other people trying top do the same thing in a relatively small space. After our descent (we were on top for about 30 mins), were had a tour of the rest of Rio. It was fortunate that we had seen Cococabana on Saturday, because on Sundays, the promenade road is closed top traffic, and used just for that. So we visited Ipanima, and the rest of the beaches. We did not go out after getting back to the ship, as it really was unpleasant by then.
As can be imagined, Rio is a popular destination for European and locally based cruise ships. On Saturady, there were four in including us and P&Os Aurora. On Sunday, the other three had gone and were replaced by five different ones. All bar one of these had sailed by the time we got ready to leave
We sailed out of Rio at 5pm, reversing past the only reamining cruise ship. We were having a deck party (with rum punch) around the stern swimming pool, with the band. As we went past the other boat, all her side nearest to us became lined with passengers, many of whom could be clearly seen dancing to our band. She followed us out, as we sailed past Sugar Loaf and the Cococabana beach.
Unless, dear readers, you think we are enjoying ourselves to much, we should state hear that we are doing our bit to keep healthy. Sue does a mile round the deck every morning that we are at sea, though until it gets a little cooler Ian is excused 'cos he is ancient! We always walk up and down the stairways, and it is a long way from deck 3 to deck 9 when coming back on board. We now go for a swim every evening after 6pm, as the pool is virtually empty by then, though the water recently has been a little on the warm side. Yesterday, the jacuzzi was cooler then the main pool!
Tonight is the last black tie diner of this first leg. After the cabaret, which is the Crew Show, is the Gala Buffet, when the chefs do a cold buffet which is for photographing rather than eating ( that comes after the photocall).
It has been a little cooler today, and is much pleasanter. This afternoon we have an hour and a quarter of dancing, trying to remember all the dances and steps we have been taught, should be quite funny. Stll, after BA we can start again, and relearn them.
Montevideo tomorrow, and new adventures.
One samll point for all our readers. For some reason, the system does not sem to like AOL or YAHOO, and though we can read emails on occasions, it is proving very difficult top send them

Another sunny day at sea, and it is hot.
Salvador was hot too, on Wednesday, at 29C, though not as hot as Tuesday, when it was 39C apparently!! Initially, we thought we were going to get very wet, as at about 0800 it poured with rain. So hard, that it was difficult to see the ship moored behind us. The rain, however, added to the humidity.
Interesting city, the original capital of Brazil. As a result there are some very impressive buildings, and some prettty shabby ones. The city is built in two parts. The old part, which is up on the hill, and the new part which is on the low lying ground. It lies on huge bay, apparently the largest in South America, and has a population of some 3 million. To get between the upper and lower towns, there are three cliff railways and a huge lift system. The alternative is a long uphill climb, which even coaches seem to find hard.
The highight of the visit had to be the 'golden church'. Originally a Franciscan facility, the outside is relatively plain. The inside though is very very different. After passing through the attractive cloisters, the decoration comes as a complete shock. The carvings are elaborate, and every surface, unless it is a painted face, is covered in gold. As a result, the whole place 'glows'. It is almost impossible to describe, except to say that it is startling and rather beautiful.
By comparison, the cathedral is rather drab, and surprisingly small.
Walking along what would have been the old ramparts, one comes acros a large empty space, which seems strange(bearing in mind this is an old settlement dating from the beginning of the 1500s). In this space stood another church, which was torn down to make way for a street railway. That does not exist any more, though some of the tracks are clearly visible.
We started our tour at about 0830, and were very glad to finish at around 1230, as by then the temperature was soarinhg, and the humidity was getting unbearable. The sanctuary of the ship and its air conditioning certainly beckonned. How we are going to cope with Rio will be interesting.
There were three cruise ships in Salvador at the same time. The city had so much space, that one was not really aware of this unless one was on the waterfront, where they were parked line astern. Black Watch was the smallest.
Salvador was enjoyable, though maybe that was down to it being the most interesting place so far. Rio is next, and we are there for two days.
It seems strange that we have been away for two weeks, yet only made landfall four times. After Rio we have a spell of more land days than sea days, which will make a change, but that is some days away. Two days at sea before we get to Rio.
We have been sleeping well, so we are going to have to set our alarm clocks etc, if we want to be up and about fo the sail in.
Dressing up night tonight, ie black tie and all the frills. Bit different to last night, when 'caribbean' shirts were the order of the evening. Stiil maybe we will go dancing for the third time today, after the show. Dancing class after lunch, Tea Dance this afternoon, life is hectic!

Fortaleza is a city of some 2 million inhabitants, and is Brazils 4th largest metropolis. The sea front looks more like somewhere in America, being lined by tower blocks. However, behind them is not so salubrious.
It was hot when we arrived there, at some 30 degrees C, with high humidity. Not very comfortable. We had decided not to do a tour, but to take the shuttle bus into the centre. Its terminus was at the central market. If one imagines an old fashioned outdoor market in England, and then transposed into a three story building, then that is the place. Food stalls on the first floor, then two floors of textiles. All arranged around the outside of the building, with walkways. It is definitely aimed at the Brazilian tourists, as this is Fortalezas raison d'etre. It is principally a holiday city for Brazilians who live inland in this vast country. We bought four tins of local lemonade(big spenders!) to miz with the Pimms we brought on board with us. (and very good it was too.
After we had strolled around the market (which is not airconditioned), but because of its construction was not unpleasantly hot, we moved on to walk up to the cathedral. That move was unpleasant. The cathedral is large and airy,and unlike a roman catholic cathyedral we have seen anywhere else. It was built some 80 years ago, and the outside is reminiscent of such structures in FRance and elsewhere, built in the heyday of cathedral building. It is builtof concrete though. Inside is very different, being very plain and painted white. the most remarkable part is the wonderful stain glass, which really glowed with the sun coming through. There was a service going on, but even the participants were coming and going. The music was almost pop like and very enjoyable, as the accoustics were excellent.
We wanted to go to the beach, but unless we took a taxi, the police would not let us. They were turning people who tried to walk there back. Apparently, the route lay through a very poor and possibly dangerous part of the town.
By now, though, the heat and humidity was beginning to take its toll, and we decided to take the shuttle bus back to the ship(in time for lunch!). Fortunately, we did get to see some of the seaside, as the route back was different to the route in, and we drove along the coast back to the ship.
Fortaleza was certainly a better port of call than Mindelo. Arriving on a Sunday meant that many places were closed, such as shops and museums, but the heat and humidity was oppressive.
Since leaving Fortaleza, the sea has gone calm. Today no white caps at all. It is though, very hot outside, with the temperature at 9am being 29degrees C (the sea temperature apparently is 32C)
Salvador is the next stop, in two days time

After a fairly eventful time previously reported, we arrived safely in Madeira on Sunday. Madeira was a nice, gentle stop for us, because we had been there before. Some years ago, we spent a most enjoyable week on the island. This time, we had a leisurely start, taking the shuttle bus from the ship into town. We then strolled the waterfront and the streets of the old town, before finding a cafe for a coffee and beer. A bit more strolling, until it was lunch time. During this meander, we managed to rediscover a restaurant we had used in our last visit. It was very pleasant sitting outside, overlooking the harbour and having a leisurely lunch.
Strolling back through Funchal, back to the ship, we made a detour to a small supermarket for supplies of lemonade, bottled water and crisps. The cost on land is much, much lower than it is at sea! The lemonade (well 7UP, it was the nearest thing) is to make Pimms as we sit on our balcony, enjoying the sunset. The crisps are to go with it, if we wish. The bottled water is to drink if we are thirsty. (58p on the island, £1.50 on the ship)
We sailed at 6pm, in the company of Balmoral, another Osen boat. Those who recall our world cruise of 2009 will remember that we were aboard her from Dover to Vancouver. She sailed from Southampton at the same time as us on 5th January, but turns out to be not such a good sea boat in rough weather, and had to proceed at a slower speed This meant we had the best berth in Funchal.
Once clear of the harbour, amid much blowing of sirens and waving, we parted; them to sail west to Barbados and on round the world, us south to Cape Verde Islands and beyond.
Today, Monday is a different day. The sea state is moderate; there is a bit of wind creating white caps, but it is warm and sunny.
Drinks on the house before lunch (well OK we probably paid for them in the ticket!!), because we are a Gold Card memeber of the Olsens cruising fraternity. This means we have spent more than 101 days at sea on Fred Olsen boats. To put that in perspective, the award for the highest number of points on this first leg to Buenos Aires went to a couple with 1203 points! Apparently, there is someone on board with even more, but she declined the award (which is rather nice crystal) as she had enough already! That was followed by a very good curry lunch and one hour 15 mins of dancing.
Later, it will be a mile or so round the deck, to get ready for Dinner.
Two more days at sea until Cape Verde Islands, where the air temperature is about 24 degrees Celsius.

We have been at sea for three days. It being Saturday. The weather started of being quite kind, but has progressively got worse
Off Cap Finisterre, at the north western corner of Spain, we ran into a Force 8/9 gale, and the sea became very lumpy. That has stayed with us for two nights, but is beginning to go down a bit this morning. It was so bad last night, that our bed moved about six inches sideways( with both of us in it!!)
As you can imagine, we are a little short of sleep!
Exercise has been limited to walking up and down stairs as often as possible, because the decks have been closed off. Hopefully later today we can get out and about.
The ship is due into Funchal Madeira at 9am on Sunday, and there should be more to report then