Thursday, November 13, 2008
33 Days til we leave
Well, not planned but what a day. Barbara is having a minor surgical procedure on her toe today.... YUG In April she had an ingrown toe nail cut out. The toe has been a bit sore lately and low and behold it has grown back by growning in!!! So here we go again but at least it will be healed before we leave. This time Dr Keefeer is going to cauterize that part of the nail bed so the nail will not grow on that side. No sore feet on our adventure, Please!!!!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
A preview of what is planned.
Well, got email from Ray and he wondered why no new posts yet. There is not too much to say. We are making lists... what to do before we leave, what we need to buy, what to take! Goofy me did not even think about the fact that we are going to be on or very near the equator so SUN SCREEN is very important. Got it!! #15 and #30. Jack already has the bug repellent for any jungle excursions. We haven't gotten the list of lectures while at sea yet.
The "field trips" on this cruise are so varied that we had trouble paring them down to manageable. Our first port after leaving the port in Nassau and being at sea 2 days is St Barts. We have been there and tried the topless beach, which was a hoot, and Jack really liked it last time. The island is not so big, and definitely caters to the wealthy, so we decided to just go ashore on our own or maybe even just stay on board, so don't expect of a post from there.
Next stop will be Barbados... we are into a Wildlife reserve and along the "untamed" East Coast. that's a quote from the description.
Next after entering the Amazon River on 12/24 we stop at Manaus, Brazil and will be all set for a river cruise in a "local riverboat". Jungle here we come!!! Oh, Jack is planning to go Alligator spotting that night. Barbara will find something a little less exciting to do.
Santarem, Brazil is next and here Barbara gets her wish to meet with the people and see how they live and survive in this HOT HOT climate and jungle environment. We exit the Amazon on 12/30 and head for Trinidad. Here Jack gets his wish to explore for the bird population and, of course the next day, steel drums are on the agenda along with a traditional "Trini" lunch. From here we head for Dominica and a chance to experience the Carib Indian Tribes.
St Kitts will find us once again "birding". St Croix, finally, just a day at the beach for snorkeling and being lazy. The last stop before heading back to USA is on the Dominican Republic and believe it or not they are offering a caving experience so you can guess where we will be headed.
So that is what we have planned so far.
The "field trips" on this cruise are so varied that we had trouble paring them down to manageable. Our first port after leaving the port in Nassau and being at sea 2 days is St Barts. We have been there and tried the topless beach, which was a hoot, and Jack really liked it last time. The island is not so big, and definitely caters to the wealthy, so we decided to just go ashore on our own or maybe even just stay on board, so don't expect of a post from there.
Next stop will be Barbados... we are into a Wildlife reserve and along the "untamed" East Coast. that's a quote from the description.
Next after entering the Amazon River on 12/24 we stop at Manaus, Brazil and will be all set for a river cruise in a "local riverboat". Jungle here we come!!! Oh, Jack is planning to go Alligator spotting that night. Barbara will find something a little less exciting to do.
Santarem, Brazil is next and here Barbara gets her wish to meet with the people and see how they live and survive in this HOT HOT climate and jungle environment. We exit the Amazon on 12/30 and head for Trinidad. Here Jack gets his wish to explore for the bird population and, of course the next day, steel drums are on the agenda along with a traditional "Trini" lunch. From here we head for Dominica and a chance to experience the Carib Indian Tribes.
St Kitts will find us once again "birding". St Croix, finally, just a day at the beach for snorkeling and being lazy. The last stop before heading back to USA is on the Dominican Republic and believe it or not they are offering a caving experience so you can guess where we will be headed.
So that is what we have planned so far.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Pre-adventure
58 days before we leave home:
Well, preparing for this adventure is an adventure in itself. Preparations began in September.
Since we are entering Brazil at 2 ports we need to have a Brazilian Visa. Not so easy to get, as you must go to the Brazilian Embassy, which for us is, in Atlanta, Ga. To make it a easier??? There is a Visa service out of Florida so we have to compile a list of documentation to send to them. First is go get a shot of Yellow Fever vaccine and send the proof along with our passports and some other paperwork.
The doctor does not give it so we had to find the Board of Health. As it turned out it is only about 45 minutes from home. OK, we are vaccinated! It is highly suggested to get your tetanus shots up to date. I am beginning to wonder about this "relaxing" cruise? OK, that got done, but the CDC recommends that you take Malaria pills. Now, I am worried!!! Do I really want to go to the jungle and up the Amazon River?
As it turns out the pills are a form of tetracycline, which I believe is for bacterial infection or in this case to prevent it. I learned more about Malaria than I ever thought I needed to know. hmmmm... one pill a day starting 1-2 days before leaving then 1 a day on trip and 1 a day 4 weeks after returning. Are we making the right decision????
New to Blogging
Jack and I thought it might be fun to have a blog and add to it as we go on this remarkable journey up the Amazon River. So you are seeing our first attempt.
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