An Amazing Adventure and Memories for a Lifetime

Welcome to the last entry of our trip blog.  We welcome you to scroll down to the very first entry and enjoy our day by day journal of our great adventure.  Pictures are being loaded a few at a time and should all be completed by the end of January.

Enjoy!

January 14th - The Final Leg Home

Each of us according to our individually arranged flights left the hotel in the morning and headed home.  Most left very early in the morning.  Tom and Bobbie, along with Andrea and Kathryn met up with Bobbie's sister and enjoyed a half day of free time in South Beach and the Art Deco Festival before meeting up with their late afternoon flights. 

Tom and Bobbie stayed one more night in Miami and then headed home the next day.

January 13th - Homeward Bound

We rose very early, packed, checked out of our hotel and were ready for our 5AM transfer to the internatoinal airport. Angela guided us through a very quick and simply immigration and customs process and we found ourselves bit early for our flight to Sao Paolo.  At the mere mention of the city's name we all kringed as what we might expect from our prevous four visits there.

Our plan was on time and our transfer in Sao Paolo was uneventful except for the usual discussion of our carryon times.  This time we almost - almost - lost our blowguns!

The flight form Sao Paolo to Miami was eight hours and quite enjoyable with two meals, a really great free entertainment package of movies, TV, and games.  We landed in Miami at 6:PM and after clearning customs and immigration took the shuttle to the La Quinta of our last night together.

After checking in we enjoyed some down time before meeting once agian at Bennigan's for our last meal and our goodbyes.  Bobbie's two sisters met us for dinner, brought in Frenchy's car and the baggage and things we had left with Becky.  We enjoyed a great meals, lots, LOTS of Margaritas and lots of laughs as we shared some stories with our two guests.

The group got together during the trip and collectivley purchased a beautiful gemstone carved parrot and presented to Tom and Bobbie as a thankyou for the hard work in putting together such an trip.

We all said our goodbyes and retired to our hotel rooms for the night.

January 12th - A Free Day in Rio!

Today was a completely free day to explore Rio on our own and each of us took full advantage of the opporutnity.  Several of the group shared cabs and went to the botanical gardens.  Frenchy crashed a local five star hotel and enjoyed an full day on the 16th floor and the pool.  Sara caught up on her sleep and email.  John and Amelia met friends recently moved to Rio and spent the whole day with them.  Tom and Bobbie visited the gardens, then had lunch at the famous "Girl from Ipanema" bar, then enjoyed a couple of hours in the surf of Ipanema Beach.  In the late afternoon many of us took advantage of the tour of the gemcutting exhibition at H. Stern jewerlers.

That night we enjoyed our last dinner in Rio at a Mexican Restuarnat with lots of margaritas and the Brazilian method of cooking Mexican food...quite amusing actually and nothing we got was what we had expected to order.

After dinner many of the girls went to a theatrical Samba show while the rest enjoyed the cool night air and a last walk on the beach.  It was a great day.

January 11th - Rio - A Full Day Tour

We woke to a mild rain and lots of fog.  Not what we expected for a full day of sightseeing to include Sugarloaf and the Christ the Redeemer statue on the top of the mountain.  We were met by a Grayline Bus and guide.  This was the first true disappointment of our trip as we had specifically asked that we not be booked on any group tours with other tourists.  Reluctantly we got on the bus and began the tedious wandering around the city stopping at various hotels to pick up other guests.  An hour and a half later we started the city tour.  We were surprised at the guide who, although spoke great English, was giving a much more elaborate and detailed tour to the Spanish and Portuguese guests, and leaving out a considerable amount to the better than half bus full of English speakers. 

We visited the downtown area quickly passing by local landmarks and historic buildings.  By the time the guide got around to the English portion of the narrations we were long past that which had been described in the other languages.  The pinnacle of our dissatisfaction came when one of our group asked about a synagogue that had been passed and the guide simply said that Jews did not matter in the town and that the building was of no interest.  Needless to say that set a negative tone for the balance of the whirlwind "city tour."

We reached the tram station for Sugarloaf mountain and the fog was so thick you could not see the top.  We got our tickets and got in line for the tram...after all, we only had one day and fog or not we were going to the top.  At the top of the first mountain - Sugarloaf is actually two peaks separated by two tram systems, the clouds began to part and we were rewarded with amazing views and a stunning landscape.  What had transpired earlier quickly left our minds as we were overcome by the spectacale below and before us.

The second tram ride was even more dramatic as we rode to the top of the second mountain peak, the one most commonly referred to as "the Sugarloaf" and from there the views were even more amazing.  Our visit to the this landmark lasted about 90 minutes before we headed back town the trams to our bus and were taken back to our hotel. 

We all had lunch at the corner restaurant and enjoyed a great executive buffet prepared of the local business crowd.  The price was great and the selection was terrific.  At 2 PM we were one again met by another Grayline Tour and this time an amazingly charming fellow who was a 180 degree turn from that of the morning.  Even though we still have to deal with an hour of additional pick ups he filled the time with some great narration and lots of local information that kept us entertained.

Our afternoon tour would include a ride to the top of Corovado Mountain to visit the Christ the Redeemer statue and newly established 7th Wonder fo the Modern World.  The tram ride this time was by train using a sprocket drive to climb the 4000 foot mountain.  At the top a series of elevators and stairways led us tot he top for an even more spectacular view than earlier in the morning.  The cloud cover was compleely gone and the day was spectacular.  The 360 degree views of Rio and the surrounding mountains and water was outstanding.  We enjoyed a two hour visit with time to really soak in how truly grand and HUGE Rio de Janiero really is.  At the end of the day we took the unique train ride back down the mountain and back to the hotel by bus.

This evening we enjoyed our group dinner at an upscale Italian restaurant where we were given the upstairs private dining room to ourselves.  The food and service were wonderful and we all had a great meal.

January 10th - Flying Down to Rio - Carmen Miranda - Here We Come!

Checking in and security was a breeze and we even got our blowguns through the checkpoint. Once on board the first ON TIME flight of the trip we began our four hour flight to Rio. Landing in Rio at 6AM - we crossed two time zones - we were met at the airport by Angela, the representative of the Rio Company who would guide us through our last four days in South America. We boarded our tour bus for the 30 minute transfer from the airport through downtown Rio, under Corcovado Mountain, and into the south side of the city and the neighborhood of Ipanema.

We checked into our hotel at 7AM with a slight snafu that was quickly resolved and found our modern, upscale rooms quite accommodating. The rest of the day was free time for everyone to do as they pleased. It was already quite hot and even though is was a Monday, the streets were unusually quiet. That would change around 3PM.

Some of our our group went straight to one of the most famous beaches in the world, Ipanema, just two blocks from the hotel. Others ventured out into the heat to explore the city. Some simply went to bed and caught up on some sleep and had the first real shower in six days...smile.

We gathered at 8PM for a late dinner at a really nice local restaurant called Gula Gula where we enjoyed some really great Portuguese favorites and some terrific wine.

January 9th - The End of An Amazing Adventure on the Amazon

We slept in today! Our ship started its return to Manaus around 4AM and after our late breakfast we all took time to pack our bags and get ready for our disembarkation. Unbeknownst to everyone Tom and Wayne had planned one last surprise and as we neared Manaus we suddenly made a course change and headed up yet another tributary of the Rio Negro. We were instructed to transfer to the canoe and were taken to the dock of an historic rubber estate. There we wandered the grounds of this mid 1840 beautifully restored estate and enjoyed a very good narration of the lifestyle and rubber industry of the times. Two hours later we were back on the boat, back at the beach in front of the Hotel Tropical, and saying goodbye to the crew and our new friend, Wayne. As is the custom of Leopard Trax, VERY generous tips were given to the staff and our guide as we hugged and said goodbye to an amazing adventure on the river.

Back at the hotel we had about an hour to relax, change money, and catch up on some email before meeting our day tour driver. The small private van and driver took us into the city of Manaus. It being Sunday and amazingly hot, over 104 degrees, the air conditioning had a tough time keeping up. We visited the waterfront and historic downtown. We got out for a short visit to the world famous opera house in the middle of the jungle and the nearby cathedral. Up the street was a synagogue that some of us actually had a change to enter...their first one so far on our entire trip that allowed visitors.

Following our two hour city drive we were dropped off at a local shopping center for some afternoon shopping. We were expecting this center to be a tourist mall of sorts. What we found was an ultramodern shopping mall right out of upscale America complete with Cartier and the like and an assortment of high end and middle shops, department stores, movie theaters, and food courts. We had lunch and wandered around the air-conditioned mall for several hours. Later that afternoon we settled into one of the courts and enjoyed conversation and drinks before having dinner at one of the many restaurants in the mall. At 8:30 PM our drive promptly met us for our return to the hotel were we gathered our checked luggage and met our transfer to the Manaus airport for our midnight flight.

Janaury 8th - OMG! Part 5

This morning several of us opted to sleep in and skip the early morning fishing adventure for more piranhas. When the fishing crew returned the announced and displayed the best catch yet along with the promise that these beauties would be on the lunch menu today. We all enjoyed a great breakfast and then headed upriver to a spot along the riverbank where we had been promised we would see and maybe even meet some of the famous pink river dolphins.

We arrive mid morning at a floating house. There were a couple of other small tour boats already there and several people in the water. The owner of the business had established a relationship with the local dolphins and in exchange for the fish she fed them they agreed to swim with her guests…smile. We were all excited and got out of our clothes and into our swimsuits. There was an underwater platform attached to the house the projecting into the river. From it one could stand or swim out and meet the beautiful creatures. The pink dolphins are indeed pink and the large fresh water dolphins in the world. After a bit of bribing slowly the approached and within moments we are surrounded by these playful critters, curious about us and even more directed at the free meal beginning handed them. We got to touch and experience these animals in this unique way for about an hour.
After our encounter we dressed and prepared for a canoe trip up the river to visit a local native family who live in the traditional jungle way. There we would enjoy a tour of their home and gardens as well as a demonstration of how they harvest the manioc roots and process them into the food staple they all need for survival. As we left the dolphin lady and headed upriver it began to rain…not just a light rain, but a torrential rain that ended up lasted for hours.
By the time we reached the native family’s home we were drenched, the canoe was full of water, and there was no relief in site. We were all amused at how much water had come down and was still coming down and were all welcomed the covered area where a warm fire and the local family was beginning to show us their lifestyle. We stayed with the native family for about two hours were we watched as manioc and Brazil nuts were processed. We got to each fresh tapioca pancakes and fresh huts. And we stood around and simply were amazed at the rainstorm that still have not ended or even subsided in the least amount.
Finally we simply gathered our things and headed out into the rain and back to our canoe. By the time we got back to the boat we were laughing and still drenched. We dried off and had lunch as the rain eventually ended and the sun came out to dry things up a bit. After lunch we enjoyed our usual siesta before boarding our canoe once more for a late afternoon river safari up into another part of the national forest.
We headed upriver past a large and historic jungle tower hotel. Past the hotel we suddenly pulled over to the riverbank as we had spotted a large group of tree monkeys. As soon as we landed we were overcome by dozens of the little guys as they climbed over us, sat on our heads, and searched for what we soon discovered was a hidden supply of bananas that Wayne has brought aboard. We all thoroughly enjoyed the "bribe" and the opportunity to get some great photos and video. We all especially laughed as Sara screamed through her first up close and personal "wild" animal experience...smile.

Back to the boat just as it turned dark, we witnessed yet another amazing yellow to red sunset. Tonight was costume night and we each appeared about an hour later in costumes we had invented from what we had brought with us and from what we had gathered during our walks and adventures. The picture will tell the read story and John and Amelia easily walked away with first prize!

January 7th - OMG! Part 4

During the night our boat had moved farther upriver and we awoke to find ourselves anchored in the middle of quiet little tributary with birds flying and singing overhead.  We enjoyed a quiet and peaceful canoe trip further upstream sighting many new species of birds, parrots and macaws, as well as a few turtles and more small mammals.  We returned to the boat for breakfast.

After breakfast we were briefed on our next adventure, a jungle walk deep into the forest and through both the low and high jungle areas.  Around 10AM we were joined by our jungle guide Fernando and his son Isaac.  Local natives of the area, they were both charming and interesting.  Neither spoke English but their smiles and the light in their eyes was disarming.  We suited up for our hikes, inset repellent, sunscreen, long pants, long sleeves, and CLOSED toed shoes.

On shore we were once again told to walk in each other foot prints, not to venture from the trail, and to stay in a straight line.  We would soon understand why this time the warnings were even more serious and for good reason.

We begin following Fernando as he lead the way with machete in hand, occasionally cutting through overgrowth on the path.  During our hike we encountered a giant tarantula hole and its inhabitant, although hesitant to show itself fully, we could see its front arms and that was enough.  There were tree frogs and termite mounds, giant hand hills and the biggest and deadliest black ants we'd every seen.  A found a nest of huge red carpenter ants and were warned to stay well back.  

We were introduced to rubber trees, cinnamon trees, clove vines and other spices plants, flowers, birds, and the traces of larger land animals.  The jungle was hot and VERY HUMID and as we were melting in the heat one more new thing and the story behind it kept our minds off of the sweat dripping from every pore and what was undoubtedly laying the leaves and forest litter just feet from where we each stood!

Our forest walk lasted about two hours and when we returned to the boat we were told we could swim for awhile.  Without hesitation we jumped into the dark water once again clothes and all and took advantage of the swim to not only refresh ourselves but also "wash" our clothes.  On deck Isaac and Fernando quickly set up a beautiful display of the jungle jewelry and artifacts they make and we all enjoyed a truly unusual and not at all "touristy" opportunity to admire the quality of work and make purchase.

Lunch followed our morning adventure and then the moving of the boat to yet another anchorage with a lot of free time to relax and marvel at the ever-changing Amazonian landscape.  Every turn in the river had a different look and occasionally a native hut or floating river village gave us another pea, into a way of life so foreign to us.  We eventually found our anchorage on the border of a national park territory and set off on a late afternoon canoe cruise into the park.  The cruise was once again an opportunity to see birds of all kinds and more of the river.
Upon our return we enjoyed some free time before dinner and a special celebration Amelia’s 60^th birthday.  Gifts and cards were offered and we all had a great time welcoming this pretty lady into a new decade of her life.  The rest of the evening was spent enjoying each other’s company and the spectaclar star filled sky.

January 6th - OMG! Part 3

Another early rising was complimented by a canoe cruise at dawn to spot wildlife. It is amazing how many animals and birds that are that you can only see at night. What looks like a deserted sky and riverbank during the day is teaming with birds, frogs, and critters at night. The morning cruise took us up yet another tributary of the Amazon well into the jungle. We ended a few hours later back at the boat for breakfast and a short briefing.

During breakfast we headed back down the Amazon toward Manaus. Around 10 Am we stopped at a dock and were told we would be taking a walk through the jungle-to wear closed toed shoes and be ready for some amazing sights. We landed and disembarked walking a long suspended walkway from the boat to the shore. Once on shore we passed a traditional meeting shed that was supplied with a small gift shop and quickly into the forest. It was raining steadily and the path was quite muddy. It did not take long to be in the depth of the jungle and we were warned to look where we placed our feet and stay in a uniform line behind Wayne. Was this part of the mystic he was building or was he serious? We would soon discover just how serious.

We past several small ponds before coming into sight of huge, REALLY HUGE, lily pads. These were at least five to six feet across and the blooms were both white and red. Truly beautiful and unspoiled we took several turns at venturing to the ponds edge to take photos under the watchful eye of our guide. Then it was further into the forest where Tom almost stepped on a vine crossing the path that was moving…yikes!

We were introduced to several species of plants and trees and discovered a huge tree whose name escapes me that was several hundred feet tall with buttressed roots that fanned out at the base. It was amazing. We had to bushwhack through some grown over parts of the trail. That was a bit unnerving however since the canopy was so dense there was not that much ground cover so we could at least see where we were walking! We ended our jungle walk once again wet and exhilarated, visiting the gift shop where many of us bought some native crafts and such, and then returned to the boat.

We continued to cruise back toward and past Manaus and had lunch during the process. Lunch was interrupted as we crossed over the meeting of the waters once again and left the table to take more photos and marvel at the phenomenon. This time we passed very close to the port of Manaus and were close enough to see the huge boat yards where dozens of barges the size of football fields were being built. It was easy to see why the main industry of this city is transport of goods.

Once past the city were again on the Rio Negro and its mysterious black water. A bit more up river and we pulled over and anchored on a beautiful white sand beach. There we were told we could swim and one by one we dove into the black water and enjoyed two hours of frolicking in the water and walking on the sand. Several of the ladies opted to shampoo their hair and we all had a great bath with lots of soap in the interestingly dark tea colored water. A few of us took turns driving from the decks of the boats and mysteriously a few swimsuits were lost in the effort and thus we added a short skinny-dipping element to our swim day…smile. Keep in mind that the average age of the group is 64 so none were too impressed one way or the other…laugh.

During our visit to the beach and our swim a local lady, quite elderly came up the beach yelling and screaming at the captain and crew. You see, this was “her” beach and she was very angry that were enjoying “her” river and moored to “her” beach. We were all amused at the spectacle as the crew and Wayne tried to reason, and even pay her, simply to set her on her way, but she would have nothing of bribes. Eventually Wayne “waive” her off with a familiar hand gesture and off we went further upstream.

The afternoon was filled with plenty of time to relax and enjoy the views as we ventured further up the Rio Negro and further away from any signs of civilization. We eventually entered another tributary about 100 miles east of Manaus and anchored. We enjoyed an early dinner this evening and then boarded our canoe once again for a night safari to look for SNAKES!

Well, we didn’t find any snakes but plenty of everything else including more Cayman. The night cruise was comfortable and the day’s heat was gone and so was the rain. We returned late to the boat and into bed for a great night’s sleep.

January 5th - OMG! Part 2

We awoke this morning to a not so gentle banging on your door at 5AM - not that we weren’t warned.  After stumbling out of our bunks and getting a quick cup of Brazilian coffee (thick and rich) we grabbed our life vests and headed to the waiting canoe.  The expedition canoe is about 25 feet long with seven rows of seats, each holding two people.  A 50 horse-power outboard and driver sat on the back and our guide on the prow.  Off we headed from our anchorage into a small tributary of the Amazon, across the gig river to the other side, and then up the river bank to what we soon realized was a floating gas station and a small floating village.

 

The village was a collection of houseboats - some homes, others restaurants and services.  We passed by the small collection watching grey dolphins jumping around and chasing our boat.  As we entered the tributary we sighted a tree sloth, many birds, and watched at the jungle once more encroaching onto the river.  This area is known as Lake January and was full of birds and wildlife.  We spotted skunk and possum.  We wandered through the waterway several miles from the Amazon River and took hundreds of photos.

Eventually we worked out way back to the Amazon River and headed back across and past our anchorage.  Traveling further up the small tributary where we had spent the night we eventually pulled over to the riverbank, Wayne tied us off to a tree branch, and we were each handed a drop line with hook and a cup of red meat.  It was time to fish for piranha!  We snagged and tossed and caught ourselves a handsome array of river fish included a whole bunch of the little guys with the REALLY big teeth.

After our fishing adventure we headed back to the boat to show off our catch and get ready for lunch.  Following lunch we enjoyed our “siesta time.”  Around 3PM we all got back into the canoe for a visit to a local river village.  The little town sat high above the river with a long stairway and landing dock.  There to greet us were an assortment of children from the village and to our surprise none begged for money or trinkets.  We have been warned by Wayne to not start that tradition and we were pleased to see smiling faces that were curious about us and not what might be in our pockets.

We were escorted up the stairs and into the village where we stopped at the local meeting place, a large canopy covered cement area where the villagers held there meetings and celebrations.  We sang a terrible rendition of “You Are My Sunshine” and the kids returned the gesture with one of their own.  We then wandered through the quaint village past many small houses with children and adults peering out of windrows.  At the top of the hill we worked our way down to the banks of a neighboring tributary of the Amazon and through the boat works of the village – their principle source of income.   It had started to sprinkle and that cooled things off a bit.  Our canoe has navigated to this meeting place and was waiting for us.  What was in store next was a huge surprise.

We motored up the river a bit further sighting more birds and another sloth before tying off next to a couple of teenagers who were checking their nets.  Once again we were handed fishing lines and this time we started catching catfish - one species of which we were told not to handle as it was poisonous!  Yikes.  We fished for about an hour until it started to get dark.  We were all wondering how we were going to find the clipper since we were so far inland.  We pulled in our lines and much to our surprise headed further upstream as it grew darker and darker.  How Calico maneuvered that boat without light to this point was both a mystery and amazement.

Soon it was pitch black, so dark you could not see your hand in front of your face.  Suddenly Wayne pulled out a spotlight and started shining it at the riverbanks...ah; this is how we would find our way back to the big river.  He would stop occasionally and focus on one spot and then move on to another.  Occasionally he would mention the name of a bird.  Eventually we say a possum foraging along the bank and many birds.  At one point he motioned to our driver to head toward shore.  Once we were in the reeds that bordered the river bank he suddenly stood up with a long pole in his hand, reached over, and with  a jerk pulled up a five foot long Cayman - the Amazon's version of the crocodile.

He handled the Cayman, now illuminated by the spot light and gave it to Calico who carried it along the gunwale of the canoe and allowed each of us to touch and handle it.  It was both exhilarating and scary as this guy was none to happy to be out of the water.  After a short time it was released back into the river and we continued our search.  At this point we all later admitted we were concerned that the next thing coming out of the water would be a snake.  This did not happen, at least not on this night!

We were all so excited by this surprise night safari that we had forgotten that it had been raining the whole time and we were all thoroughly soaked.  We laughed at our wetness as we traveled the small river back in the darkness, quiet so that we could hear the hundreds of unique sounds around us.  We eventually worked out way back to the Amazon and to our boat were we changed clothes and met later for a great dinner buffet of local foods including some amazing fish!

January 4th – OMG! The Amazon!

We began to gather around noon in the hotel bar.  Some of us had slept in while others had gotten up early to explore the grounds of the hotel.  We were all stunned to learn that the hotel was barely 33 years old.  We were all sure that it was at least 60 to 100 and full of history.  The jungle, humidity, and weather certainly ages buildings around here!  Around 1PM we were met by the staff of Amazon Clipper Cruises.  Fritz was the first to appear on scene.  He was a pleasant handsome young man of Swiss decent and spoke with a heavy accent.  That certainly got Verena and Hans excited.  We chatted for about a half hour while waiting for other staff members to appear.  Next was Wayne Augusto, our guide for the next seven days.  Wayne is a native Amazonian, born and raised about 400 miles north of Manuas on the banks of the Rio Negro.  He served in the Brazilian army for 10 years (he does not talk about his service) but spoke excellent English and did share that he had traveled all over the Europe and had been to New York City many times.  This of course led many of us to assume he was in special services with a dark past of espionage and intrique.  Well, we’re on vacation and we have a right to fantasize!  A large man, dark skinned, with a sly grin, Wayne was charming and direct.

We were escorted down to the river’s edge where we saw our boat for the first time.  The Amazon Clipper, right out of the pages of every jungle movie you ever saw.  Tall and narrow riding high in the water the ship had three decks.  We were given a quick tour of the boat.  Six cabins on the first deck along with the kitchen and crew quarters.  Dining area open to the water and three more cabins on the second deck along with the bar and the wheel house.  The third deck was actually the top of the boat surrounded by a full railing and a canopy.  We knew instantly where we would be spending a lot of our time since from the top of the boat the views were terrific.

We were served a welcome cocktail and a bowl of a wonderful chicken and vegetable soup.  Our cook, Conception, would prove to have significant talent as the days past.  We met our barman and cabin stewart, Hernandez, soft spoken and a bit shy.  Our enginerr Calico would also prove to be a skilled canoe driver and then of course our Captain, de Matteo.

After our light lunch we were assigned our cabins and gven some time to get acquatined with the boat.  Clothes came off and swimsuits came on…it was 100 degrees and humid.  Each cabin had a set of built in bunks – narrow with white sheets, and a private bath with toilet and sink and showerhead over the toilet.  Sitting on the can and taken a shower would be come a more than once daily event.  The boat was only 25 years old but you could see how the humidity and harshness of the jungle had taken it’s toll.  Charm and a bit of mystery came out of each and every crack in the paint and wood.  We were wll like a bunch of kids and the boat was all ours for the next six days,.

We left the river bank and headed south on the Amazon River to the meeting of the waters.  The place where the Amazon and Rio Nego rivers meet and join.  The Amazon was the color of dark caramel and the Rio Negro black from the tannens.  The Amazon moves so fast that the mud that runs off the land cannot settle.  The Rio Nego is slower and the leaves and such settle to the bottom and turn black.  Where the rivers meet is a distinct line in the water.  It was so cool to wind back and forth over the meeting place as we headed up stream for our first night on the river and in the jungle.

As we sailed Wayne brought out the maps and the books and set up the shipboard library.  He then gave us a detailed day bv day overview of what was to come.  Afterward we all settled in on the various decks and watched a civilization and the city passed by and disappeard and the jungle took over the river banks.  As the sun set we found our resting place for the night, set our anchor and enjoed and amazing buffet of traditional foods.  After dinner we went upstairs and counted stars for what seemed like hours.  Tomorrow will be a long day full of adventure and it’s just started!

January 3rd - Well - It was Another One of those Days . . . . . . .

After breakfast we were met in the lobby by Jose Luis and our driver for the day.  Our transfer to the airport in Paraguay was to be about two hours.  We gave ourselves four hours just to be safe...don´t want to miss that plane.  We left promptly at 8:30 AM and headed for the first border crossing - Argentina/Brazil.  There we sat in the bus for 45 minutes while our guide processed our paperwork and got our passports stamped.  Next it was off to the Brazil side of the border.  There we waiting another 30 minutes before being asked to appear before the immigration officer, one at a time, to view our passports and match our photos, answer a few questions, and get passed.  We are beginning to understand that the rules change from one day to the next.

Now two hours into our commute we headed for the Brazilian/Paraquay border.  The Brazilians this time simply waived us through.  However when we got the Paraquay side it was another story.  Everyone immediately appreciated the was had gone to the extra effort to get that Paraguayan visa.  The lines were long, they wanted each of us to do a face-to-face appearance.  An hour later we were back on the bus and into the city of Cuidad de Este in Paraguay and facing a 40 minute drive to the airport on the outskirts of town.  We´d have twenty minutes to check-in and get on the plane.

We arrived at the airport at 11:15 AM for our 11:45 AM flight.  The new airport was modern, clean, and oddly empty.  There were only a handful of passengers in the terminal and no planes!  At the desk we were informed that our flight has been canceled.  Not good news.  However, TAM airlines would send us on to Ascencion, Paraguay for the night, put us up in a hotel with included transfers and dinner, and in the morning we could fly to Sao Paolo and get a connecting flight to Manuas...unfortunately well past the time our Amazon cruise had set sail....bummer.

And thus began the game....

12:30 PM - Tom met with the TAM official and was informed that there were no options.  The TAM flight to Sao Paolo that had been purchased one year ago was canceled as only 18 seats had been sold.  There had been no advance notice.  Tom informed them of our Amazon committment and this was the fifth time TAM had changed or canceled flights.  He demanded some resolution that would save our cruise.  We are confirmed for the 2:30 PM flight to Ascencion.  At least we are in movement.

1:30 PM - We are informed that there are no seats avaiable on the Ascencion flight.  Suddenly noone in the TAM office is availabel to talk so we wait.

2:00 PM - We are infomred that we are confirmed with seats to Ascencion on the 5:00 PM flight but will still have to stay overnight as the flight from Ascencion to Sao Paolo is oversold and there are no seats to get us that far.  Tom asks to speak with the American Embassy.  The TAM officials tell him to wait.  He makes a call to the Amazon to inform the cruise company of the problem.  They inform him that we have a private cruise with no other pasengers (good news) and that the boat will sail whenever we arrive.  He asks them to cancel our hotel in Mauaus for the night and that we will arrive sometime tomorrow evening hopefully.

4:00 PM - The Paraguay airport is filling up with lots of locals and tourists.  Bags are being checked and boarding passes are being issued to everyone except us.  We are told to wait - no word from the US Embassy.  Tom´s language skills in both Spanish and Portuguese are improving by the minute...smile.

4:45 PM - We are informed that they are ready to check us onto our flight to Ascencion.  We get in line and decide to check bags.  They start putting on tags to Manaus.  We inform them that we will need our bags for the night stay in Ascension.  They inform us that we are flying through with a connection to Sao Paolo today and then on to Manaus.  When Tom asks them what changed and how a flight that had been canceled is now suddenly available they simply smile and tell hime that ´´things have changed.´´

5:30 PM - We arrive in Ascencion and proceed to our Sao Paolo gate.  There Tom is informed that 14 Brazilians were somehow bumped off of the sold out flight to make seats for us.  They will now say why or how.  We don´t ask and decide to keep a low profile in case some of them are in the airport...smile.

9:15 PM - We land in Sao Paolo and once again go through Brazilian immigration.  It´t getting easier.  They seem to remember our faces...smile.  Tom calls the Amazon and reestablishes our hotel and transfer reservations.

10:45 PM - We are in the disembarkation lounge.  It is unbelievable crowded and hot.  The chaos is amazing yet somehow people are getting to the busses and to their flights.  We wait.  Sara is tired and asks for a chair.  They bring here a wheelchair to sit on.

11:00 PM - Tom walks up to an official and informs them that we are group of 14 with a lady in a wheelchair and that we will need some extra time to get to the Manaus plane.  A few minutes later an official appears and directs all of us past the rest of the waiting passengers and on to a private van that takes us to our plane.  The only problem is that it is the wrong plane.  So there we are in the middle of the tarmac at and the wrong plane.  A few ground crew  conversations and we are then taken to the correct plane.  We board.

2:00 AM - We land in Manaus - heart of the Amazon - tired, happy, and with an air-conditioned coach waiting to take us the hotel.  

It was simply one of those days.....

January 2nd - Iguazu from the Brazilian Side of the Falls

A leisurely morning was enjoyed sleeping a bit late and having a nice breakfast at the hotel.  At 10AM our guide, Juan Luis, and driver showed and we headed off to the Brazilian side of the falls.  Two border checkpoints were crossed for the first time without delay and we found ourselves in Brazil.  You could tell immediately that things were different.  The Brazilian ecomomy is excellent and has been stable for a long time.  The roads were perfect and buildings were in great condition.  We entered the national park and drove to the visitor center.  The huge, modern facility was well managed and as we stood in line to get on the double decker busses we could not beleive the number of people visiting the park!

The bus ride from the center to the trails was terrific as we wound through 15 minutes of jungle with birds and small critters crossing the road.  At the trailhead we walked down to the several lookouts and once again marveled at the magesty of the falls.  We were all glad that we had opted to do this becuase the falls offered a totally different perspective from the Brazilian side.

Our four hour visit ended with a short gift shop rampage and time for a drink.  With t-shirts and other things in hand we once again took the busses back to the visitor center and then on to our own bus for the ride back to Argentina.  Back at the hotel we wandered a bit around the shops and relaxed at the pool before dinner.

As penance for our behavior the night before, we opted to go to the restaurant where our boys had done their table dancing.  To our amazement the staff actually remembered the crowd from Alaska and STILL LET US IN.  Dinner was terrific, the steaks awesome, and the service by our watier Roberto excellent.  A good night´s sleep followed another amazing day.

January 1st - A New Year - A Free Day

Today we all enjoyed a full free day to do whatever we wanted.  Many chose to sleep in and have a late breakfast.  Others did not get out of bed until after noon.  Some booked a massage.  A few of us took a leisurely two hour walk to the park of the three borders where from a vantage point we could see the boundary markers of Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay.  John, Amelia, Frenchy, and Rita went back to the National Park and walk more trails and took more pictures.  They got caught in the afternoon torrential rain storm and came back soaked to the bare skin.  That evening we all gathered for a group meal in the hotel dining room and enjoyed once again a huge buffet of many local recipes.

New Year Eve and the Party of the Year

We gathered in the lobby at 9PM for our dinner party.  When we reached the dining room of the hotel we found a private table beautifullyh set with four wine glasses per person and the most elaborate buffet of appetizers and salads, entrees, and a grill off to the side.  Thus began the food orgy of amazing recipes and too much wine.  We celebrated both John and Bobbies birthdays, both on January 1 and gave them a small assortment of gifts and cards.  The dining room and outside terrace were full of tourists and locals all enjoying the dinner and music.  After we ate we were surprised that no one was dancing and after a half hour Tom and Verena got up and started the party.  For the next thirty minutes the rest of the room watched as only the Americans from Alaska enjoyed the dance floor.  Then one by one they began to join us and for the next two hours we danced and danced and danced. 

Shortly before midnight the staff began handing out silly hats and other odd party favors.  The music got louder and by this time our ENTIRE group was on the floor leading conga lines and enjoying the 70s and 80s music.  It was amusing that they were only playing American titles.

At midnight we all celebrated with a champagne toast and then decided to walk across the street and crash the party at the neighboring bar.  Johh, Hans, and Tom entertained the crowd as each took their turn dancing on the sidewalk and then ON THE TABLES of the bar below.  The amount of wine consummed so far was certainly a help!  The party contined for another hour before we all started to disappear to our rooms, all knowing and believing that this was the best New Years Eve we had every experienced.  

What would tommorrow bring us!

December 31th - The Falls!

We woke to find the Hotel St. George in the center of the city, Puerto Iquazu, and on the shared border with both Paraguary and Brazil.  The hotel was lovely and large with gardens and a nice pool.  Our tour company who had assumed we were a no show still arrived at 8AM hoping to find us and they did.  Still a bit sleepy from only five hours of sleep, we had a chance to get breakfast and be ready for their arrival.

We met our guide Juan Luis, a Brazilian/Argentinian fellow with five languages under his belt.  His English was perfect and he was quite quite charming.  We once again boarded a private tour bus for the short ride out of town and into the jungle and the national park.  We reached the park in 15 minutes and suddenly we were aware that this was going to be an amazing day.  We still had no idea of what was in store for us even though we had seen countless picutres before hand.

We wandered the main entrance getting acquatined with what was going to be our îtinerary and then got on the park train to take us to the Devils Throat.  We got off the small HO train and walked to the beginning of the catwalks.  We could hear the thunder in the background.  All of a sudden we were on top of the water weaving on catwalks from one small cement pillar to another until reaching the edge of the falls and the most amazing display of falling water we had ever seen.  The sound and the grandeur were overwelming as was the welcomed spray on what was already a VERY hot morning.

This began our full day of walking the platforms both above and below the falls.  AMAZING.  The pictures we took we only tell a small part of the story today.  Just before lunch we decided to board the boat ride that would take us to the bottom fo the falls.  We were given waterproof bags and lifejackets, then got into the large zodiacs and were taken literally to the face of sevearl waterfalls.  We were drenched as was the boat.  It was a thrill that is a once in a a lifetime experience.  Afterwards it was back up over 100 steps and through the series of catwalks and trails to get back to the center and a very nice lunch buffet.

After lunch we wandered the upper catwalks and again were amazed at what we saw.  We left the park shortly before 4PM and headed back to the hotel for a short rest before dinner.

December 30th - The 1200 Mile Drive

Yes, 1200 miles!  We left Colonia at 2AM.  The hotel staff got up with us and prepared a lovely light breakfast to set us off right.  What amazing service!  Spiros, our driver and a relief driver by the name of Javier arrived promptly at 1:45 AM and after loading up we were on our way to parts north.  We all quickly went back to sleep as Uruguay passed by in the darkness.   We reached the Argentine border at dawn and after surrendering our passports to Spiros went back to sleep.  Most of us slept through what was to be almost a two hour border experience.  Spiros returned with only an apology and the statement, "buearacracy!"

Now with sunlight we were once gain in Argentina and passing planted forest after forest.  We were amazed at the number of acres devoted to growing trees, both eucaliptas and pine.  Among the forests was pasture land and thousands of cows.  We made a short fuel stop and had some coffee and pastry.  Small farms dotted the landscape and the drive continued north through small town after small town.  The traffic was mild but the narrow two lane highways were under constant repair and the gravel sections were bouncy.  At noon, now 10 hours into our journey we stopped at a small gas station and decided to chance the local restaurant.  The area was so local that even the driver has a hard time with the language!  The meal was fine and we were on  the road once again about an hour later.

Contuing north Spiros shared the road map with us and for the first time we all realized it was going to be a VERY, VERY LONG day.  We continue north weaving from one higway to another, passing through more towns and villages than we could count.  At midafternoon we reached the rolling hills and grass becam green and the trees changed to a more tropical nature.  It was now a bit cooler, only 95 instead of the over 100 we had been enduring so far today.  Our goal was to reach San Ignacio and the famous Jesuit Ruins in time to visit the sight, however becuase of the border delay it was doubtful. 

The drivers kept changing on and off and it was apparant that they were getting very tired, even though each was taking turns sleeping.  It was now starting to get dark and at 7:30 PM, now 19 hours into our drive we realized we would miss what we had been planning to see for the entire day, AND the reason for the long drive.  At 8PM we reached the ruins, now dark and a bit sad.  We were grateful that our driver had done their best to get us there but alas, it was too late.

We decided to look for a restaurant and get our evening meal instead.  As we passsed the entrance to the ruins Spiros noticed a small group of people gathering at the entrance gate and decided to check it out.  He promptly returned and announced that we had five minutes to join and evening walk through the lighted ruins.  We were tired and now truly understanding what was happening but with the excitment of at least being able to see something we got in line.  We were each handed an IPOD, yes, an IPOD and headphones and we joined the group.  As we entered the grounds, expecting to see a few lighted up remnants of the historic sight, a full scale theatrical production with lights, music, and video projections on water mist screens began before our lives.  For the next hour we watched in amazement at the entire sight came alive with the history of the site, how it was founded, and how they lived.  We were in utter amazement as our IPODs were perfectly synched to the music and the Spanish comentary. 

Following the surprise that not even our drive was aware, we found a small restuarant still open and enjoyed a light supper.  Then it was back on the road for our continuing journey to our final destination, the falls of Iquazu.  We arrived at our hotel at 2:30 AM.  It had taken 25 hours and over 1200 miles to reach our destination.

We quickly checked in and went fast asleep.

December 29th - North to Colonia

This morning we enjoyed a very nice full breakfast buffet in the Hotel Balmoral dining room and then met our guide, Mirta, and began our drive north to the colonial town of Colonia, site for the first settlement in Uruguay.  As we traveled north the countryside got a bit greener and the hills were dotted with small farms and a few villages.  As we departed Montevideo we saw some of the really poor neighborhoods that had been discussed earlier.

We reached Colonia on the banks of the Rio del Plata once again and were surprised to be able to see Buenos Aires far off in the distance.  Colonia is only one hour by ferry from Buenos Aires however we were glad we had a chance to visit Montevideo, even if for just one day.

Colonia is a small city of about 100,000 people and we spent our entire visit in the historic section.  Mirta gave us a very nice overview walking tour before introducing us to our upscale hotel, Hotel La Mision.  With only twelve rooms we took over the place and the rooms and staff were absoltuley delightful.  After checking in we went to a local cafe on the main square for a great lunch and chat with the owner, an Italian fellow who was quite animated and full of great spirit.  Afterwards we wandered the historic sector on our own and visited museums, shops, and climbed the watch tower. 

We gathered once again in the late evening for dinner on the beach at a small cafe with amazing views of the water and the sunset.  Then it was off to bed for four hours of sleep.  Tomorrow will be a VERY LONG day.

December 28th - Off to Uruguay

This morning we rose early and were transported to the ferry depot.  There we said goodbye to Valeria and Daniel and then headed into immigration and customs.  The ferry was ultra-modern and a hydrofoil.  Over 900 passengers and cars and trucks, it took us three hours to cross the Rio del Plata...yes, THREE HOURS to cross the world's wides river.

We landed in Montevideo, Uruguay around noon and were met by our guide Mirta.  She spoke broken, but understandable English.  Very pleasant and world traveled, she escorted us to our hotel for check in, lunch at a local restaurant, and a chance to freshen up.  Then it was off on a whirlwind three hour city tour.

The city is old, dusty, and HOT.  Even in the air-conditioned bus it was sweltering.  We saw some amasing architecture and some lovely, yet very dry and flowerless parks.  The day tour ended with a drive along the river coast....we all still swear it's an ocean.

Dinner was again at the same very nice restaurnt where we enjoyed baby beef, fish, and some great wine.

December 27th - Our First Full Free Day

Today was our first full free day of the trip.  The first day that nothing was planned except to sleep in and enjoy Buenos Aires on our own.  The hotel breakfast buffet was available until 11AM and many of us chose to sleep late and enjoy a leisurely breakfast.  Today was also to the day to mail home any unwannted heavier clothing.  With temps already nearing the 100 mark and promising to get hotter there would be no need for jackets and long pants.  Many of us headed off for the international post office with boxes and cash in hand.  After a couple of hours of dealing with Argentine bureacacy the task was completed.

At dinner tonight we each shared our stories of what we had done and where we had gone.  Some had returned to La Boca for more street tango, others went to the botanical gardens.  The gardens were dry and free of flowers.  A few simply wandered the city and looked at shops and more landmarks and amazing buildings.

Later that evening we headed to the Galleria Pacifco Mall and their extensive international food court for a progressive dinner of some great "not so fast food" choices.

We

December 26th - A Full Day City Tour and TANGO!

We started out early with our wonderful guide, Valeria, arriving bright and cheerful and full of information.  We visited eight neighborhoods of the city today starting out with the the government buildings, the presidential mansion, and the govenmnet house with the famous ¨¨Evita¨balcony.  We took a subway ride on one of the oldest subway systems in the world.  The line we took was over 100 years old as was the car we rode.  While on the subway train we experienced a sighting of Saint Bobbie, patron saint of the subway!  Next was San Telmo and their famous Sunday Antique Market. All of the garage sale junkies were in pig heaven.  The streets were crowded and the heat was amazing.  There was music in the air and the city was alive.  From there we traveled through some of the older parts of the city and then into La Boca, home of the TANGO!  With the colorful buildings painted in so many bright colors, the music filled the air and the tourists filled the streets.  Sidewalk cafes were full of people eating and watching couples doing the tango on the small performance stages in each restaurant.  We ate at one and enjoyed local empanadas, pastas, and sandwiches.  Nex t up with Puerto Madera and the new harbor and extremely upscale living and shopping.  The modern hi-rises and stunning architeture were a stark diversion from the old town just a few blocks away.  We ended the tour portion of our day six hours later at Ricoleta cemetery where we visited the tomb of Evita and desperately tried to get out of the scorching 100 degree day.  With not a breeze to be felt and high humidity we all were feeling the weather.

A shower, swim, and nap in our air-conditioned rooms was the final reward for the afternoon.  That evening we were picked up at 8:30 and taken to a local tango club deep in the city´s neighborhood.  There we mixed wiht the locals, had a meal, and enjoyed the tango lessons and dancing with the people of the city.  There is lots of video to share when we all get home.  We got back to the hotel just after 11PM and off to bed in anticipation of our free day tomorrow and the list of everything we all have been planning.

December 25th - Christmas in Buenos Airies

We woke to a beautiful and already warm day with temperatures heading toward 95.  The hotel restaurant has an amazing breakfast buffet of fruits, cheeses, meats, egg dishes, and pastries of all sorts.  We enjoyed a really great breakfast.  Afterward a few of us attended Christmas service at St. Nichols church.  The church dated back to the mid 1800's and was really quite beautiful  We were surporsed to find the church only 1/4 full for a holiday service.  There were no children and it was a good guess that there was noone under 40 in the congregation. After breakfast we walked back to the hotel and enjoyed some free time before meeting in the lobby for Tom and Bobbie's Christmas surprise.

At 12:30 PM we met in the lobby and were informed of our surprise tour to Tigre and the river delta.  We would be leaving the city and heading north and out of town to the river delta.  Our tour along the way was guided by Valeria who graciously left her family at home and opted to lead us.  We stopped in San Yisidro for a short walk, a visit to the cathedral, and some ice cream.  Then it was off to Tigre to board a river boat for a cruise of the river delta and the tributaires and canals of the Parana River.

The boat was quide luxurious and we had the entire yacht to ourselves.  We road the delta looking the summer homes and docks.  Families were enjoyed picnics and swimming.  It was unbearably hot and the somewhat cool breeze standing on the back of the boat was a welcome.  The river curise lasted about 90 minutes followed by a drive back into the city and to our hotel.

After several hours of rest, swimming in the hotel's fabulous pool.and simply relaxing, we all met in the restaurant at 8::30 PM for our Christmas Dinner and gift exchange.  Andrea and Denise arrived in the afternoon just after we had left for the day trip and were excited to join the group.  We had the hotel dining room to ourselves and with a beautiful table and lovely dinner, we enjoyed the evening and the great company.

After dinner we had our silly gift exchange and wild switching of presents.  In the end most everyone got what they wanted....although that darn Penquin shaped pitcher made it around the table a few dozen times...smile.  It was a great evening and lasted well past 11PM.

December 24th - Last Day to Shop before Christmas

We all got a chance to sleep in and enjoy a nice bed, some TV, and a bath in a REAL tub!  Breakfast was at our own time followed by a free morning to get some last minute shopping done and to mail our winter clothing back home.

We packed up our jackets, parkas, long underwear, and other cold weather gear and headed off to the post office.  The banks were closed by the currency exchange was open so we got some additional pesos.  Once at the post office we were informed that only letter service was avaialble...so back to the hotel we went to repack our luggage and absorb all that we thought we were going to get rid of today.  

We only a few hours left before heading to the airport for our flight to Buenos Aires we all hit the streets and got into the holiday spirit.  In addition to souveniers there was that special exchange gift for Christmas Day dinner.  Tom and John were busy looking for ballcap pins in their contest to outdo each other.  When we met back at the hotel at 1PM we all laughed at how many of us had bags from the same stores!

We headed off to the airport for our LAN flight.  It was only 30 minutes late.  Things are improving!  The three hour flight was pleasant, the plane fully sold out.  We landed at 6:30 PM and were met by our guide for the next four days, Valeria.  What a charming and beautiful young woman!  She introduced us to Daniel, our driver, and our 25 passenger private AIR-CONDITIONED touring bus.  The temperature in Buenos Aires at 7PM was now 89 and with the humidity felt like 95.

We checked in to the Pestana Hotel to find an absolutely lovely 4/5 star accommodation.  Lobby, bar, restaurant, pool, gym, business center, and beautifully appointed rooms and marble bathrooms!  Yippee, no more tents and windy nights.  With the changes in our schedule due to the switching around of the Antarctic cruise, Tom has forgotten to make reservations in Buenos Aires for dinner.  We weren't supposed to be here until Christmas Day.  Oooops.  The conceirge attempted to find a restaurant that could handle 12 of us with no notice and eventually found one a few blocks away that was willing to make an accommodation.

We relaxed and met for dinner in the lobby at 8:30 PM.  The walk was short and the temperature had dropped a bit.  It was just starting to get dark.  We arrive at Chacko Restaurante.  A beautiful upscale restaurant with an amazing menu...only there was a slight surprisze.  The entirees started at $75 and were ala carte.  The side dishes like potatos were $30 and the desserts started at $25.  $1000 later we were well fed and bled.  Burger and chips from here on out...smile!

After dinner we opted for a late night walk.  Buenos Aires on Christmas Eve was very quiet but the famous oblisque was a short walk and the night was pleasant.  As we wandered the streets we noticed that the only people out were the homeless and things were not looking too safe.  We reached the landmark and quickly turned around and headed back to the hotel.  We had been warned about the crime and muggings to tourists.

Soon fairys and visions of sugarplums danced in our heads as we slept into Christmas morning.

December 23rd - Back to the End of the World

This morning we had a not so early breakfast followed by a short bus ride from the Valley of Terra Mejor and into the Ushuaia.  Our third time back we felt like natives.  Once in the city center we picked up our guide for the park tour.  His name is Mingo and he has been in Ushuaia for 27 years.  He spoke perfect English.  We were taken directly to our hotel, the Los Lagos Hosteria were we left our bags.  Next we drove further south to Tierra Del Fuego National Park were we got out of the van and started our hike for the day.  Bright blue skies, warm breeze.  A perfect day.  We walked though two different ego systems looking at the various trees, shrubs and flowers.  Four varieties of orchids...yes, orchids in Antarctic Argentina...truly beautiful.  We had our picnic lunch on the beach of Bahia Encenada and got our passports stamped from the world's farthest south post office.  What a hoot.

Then it was back to town where we boarded a four hour cruise of Beagle Channel and the channel islands,  We saw cormorants, seals, and lots of birds.  We landed on one of the small islands and visited a couple of archeological digs.  Very interesting.  Then back to port.

At about 7:30 we walked to dinner at the only Chinese restaurant in Ushuaia were we were treated to not only a full Asian style buffet with octopus, squid, fish, and mussels along with the usual sweet and sour this and that but also a full Patagonian grill with meats, lamb, and sausages.  Yikes, another huge meal.
 

Tonight we said goodbye to our guide Nicholas at dinner.  Even though we would see him again at the airport we wanted our last evening to be special.  He was given a huge tip which he appreciated very much and it was cute to see how big his eyes got when he saw the amount.  He was a special young man and he took VERY good care of us all.

Then off to bed and one more day of shopping before Christmas.

December 22nd – A Quiet Day Getting Further South

Today we slept in and had a lovely breakfast with Carol and Richard.  They served the traditional Patagonian breakfast of cereal and toasts along with coffee, tea, and juice.  Before breakfast Judy, Tom and Bobbie went for a morning walk in the quiet countryside and made friends with the herd of horses.  After breakfast we met their son Patrick who showed us around the farm with a tour of some of the outer building and the sheep shearing hall or barn.  We were to have had a demonstration of how dogs work and herd sheep but the horses had trampled down one of the fences during the night and the sheep had escaped.  Being at this comfortable farm was both relaxing and charming and a nice way to end four days of intense hiking.  After our tour we loaded up the bus and headed further south toward Ushuaia and Terra Mejor Valley.  Today’s drive was only three hours and we reached Solar del Bosque, a cozy mountain refuge just after 1:00 PM.  We were met by the owners, Alex and Marianne and here is where we said goodbye to our driver and our lovely clean bus.  Arnoldo was such a nice guy and was so proud of his personally owned vehicle.  Tomorrow morning a local bus will come to take us the rest of the way into Ushuaia.

The refuge has several buildings and five stayed in a small cabin and the rest slept in the loft of the main building.  The loft above the dining area sleeps a15 and we had the entire area to ourselves…in fact we hade the entire refuge to ourselves.  Nestled in the valley floor surrounded by a dense lenga forest, there were countless beaver ponds in all directions, each with working beavers, lodges, and dams.  Truly a peaceful and restful location.

For lunch we were served an assortment of homemade empanadas as well as fresh fruit.  The empanadas were heavenly with light and flaky dough and heavenly feelings of various meats, cheeses, and veggies.  After lunch most of us opted to enjoy the quiet setting, take a nap, and wander the immediate grounds.  Bobbie, John, and  Nicholas went on a aggressive hike up into the mountains to see Lake Esmeralda and more beaver ponds.  They returned a couple of hours later soaked and muddy up to the knees.

For dinner Marianna made us homemade spinach and cheese ravioli, lots of french bread, and a lovely terramisu parfait.  A few MORE bottles of Malbec and we were once again happy and ready for bed.  Climbing the stairs into the loft, there was no time for Tom's foolishness tonight...he was already asleep!

December 21st - An Amazingly Long Drive and a Stay at the Farm

Another early morning, breakfast at 7:30 AM, packed and on the road.  We had a 12 hour day ahead of us.  We traveled through the last part of Chile through pastures, steppes, and desert.  We saw countless guanaco, rheas, and lots of flamingos on the quickly drying ponds.  Once in the high plateaus we traveled through sheep and cattle ranches.  Around 11AM we stopped at a nice roadside cafe for a bathroon break and cup of coffee, gassed up the bus and were back on the road in a few minutes.  We did however had a chance to get a few photos of some local highway patroalmen and their cruiser and also introduced a few gauchos to Kathryn...smile.

We reached the Strait of Magellan around 2PM and boarded our ferry.  It was quite a ride with high winds and high waves.  Once on board we left the bus and ventured up the ladders to the small lounge where we rocked and rolled.  The crossing took about 40 minutes.  We saw several dolphins chasing the boat.  Once on the other side it was another three hours to the Chilean/Argentine border where we waited for almot 90 minutes to get our papers processed and granted passage.  Over the border another two hours brought us the town or Rio Grande and the Atlantic coast.  Here we stopped for more fuel and a short bathroom and coffee break.  Rio Grande is a large town of aobut 100,000 people with lots of industry.. 

Another two hours drive through some higher ground and now a lenga/beech forest and we turned off of the highway onto a gravel road.  Within minutes we were deep inside of a very heavily wooded area wtih guanco, eagles, and geese.  We drove and wandered through the forest for about 30 minutes getting further and further away from the main road.  

Suddenly and quite to our surprise we were at the gate to the Estancia del Hijas (ranch of the daughters).  Sevearl buildings were scatted across the hillside.  We stopped at the first cottage where a man was tending a fire surrounded by three sides of lamb.  A lady came out to the bus and in English (with an Australian accent) welcomed us to her ranch.  We were shown around the grounds and then taken to the bunkhouse where beautifully clean toliets and showers awaited us.  We each had a small double bunk and sleeping bags.  Not as rustic as the last several days and the hot showers were very inviting.

After a nice rest and shower we were invited to the dining hall where we found a beatuifully set table, a huge salad buffet and more BBQ'd lamb than we could all possible eat.  A few bottles of wine, followed by possibly the best flan any of us had ever eaten and were we very happy "campers"

A bit of silliness back at the bunkhouse with Tom's bodycase fashion show and we all went to sleep.

December 20th - The Third Part of the “The W” and then out of the Mountains and to Puerto Natales

We woke very early today after had a windy night with gusts up to 90 kph.  Often the tent felt as if it was going lift off the ground.  An early breakfast was followed by the gang splitting up into two groups – one that would hike and one that would relax and enjoy a quiet morning in the lodge.  We had a very nice mountain breakfast and then stepped off in the windy valley – a VERY windy valley.  The hikers this morning were Tom, Bobbie, John, Amelia, Hans, Rita, Carol and Verena.  Five went with Maurie and three with Nicholas.  The winds were amazing and it was raining so hard that the raindrops were driving horizontally.  After an hour of hiking Tom and Rita had fallen behind and after a rest in a shelter of lenga trees decided to turn back.  The winds and rain were so hard.  Carol and Verena made it to the top of the ridge and then turned around and headed back to the lodge.  The rest went on to the Grey Glacier overlook where the winds were so strong they were nearly blown into the lake far below.

Back at the lodge we surrounded to wood stove and watched the rain fall.  After drying off getting a bit of respite, we had our box lunches and waited for the afternoon catamaran to take us back across Lake Pehoe.  It was cold and wet waiting in line for the boat.  Once on board we enjoyed hot cocoa and rocked and rolled with the waves as we once again crossed the lake and back to our waiting bus.  Arnold met us on the other side where we began our four hour drive to the small ocean port town of Puerto Natales, Mauricio’s’ hometown.  The countryside was mostly steppe with sharp canyons cut into the mesas as we descended a 1000 feet to the seacoast.  The four hour drive was greeted with most everyone napping.  We reached Puerto Natales in late afternoon and checked into our hotel, the Francis Drake.  The hotel is a very old one with about 12 rooms and a dining area.  The rooms were small but there were comfortable beds and clean and hot showers.  We each dove into the showers for the first bath we’d had in FOUR DAYS.  You can only imagine how that bus ride must have smelled….fifteen wet dogs huddled in one small bus…smile!  The hotel was so old that Mr. Drake had not been knighted yet!  The staff were very, very pleasant and accommodating. 

We gathered our laundry from the last four days and with maps in hand set off to find the local tourist laundry and enjoy some free time.  The town was small and clean, but with an imporverished look as many small South American towns.  We wandered the streets listened to Christmas Carols coming from the bell tower of the local church.  The laundry was a drop off service and all of us deposited our loads for a late night delivery.  We then took off in many directions to so a bit of shopping and exchange money before dinner.  On the main street some of us discovered a small neatly signed shop advertising handmade local artisan craft.  The name of the artist is Merriam Parra and the shop we both exquisite and reasonably priced.  The first shopping foray ended in adding roughly $1000 to her familiies’ income…smile.  There would be later visit to add more to the local economy.  Tom and Bobbie headed off the local mountain outfitter to purchase a special gift for later that night.

We met Mauricio and Nicholas at a quaint local restaurant named El Rincon del Tata (Grandpa’s Hangout).  Surrounded by rustic décor and many local antiques and old photographs of the region, we enjoyed a terrific dinner of king crab, lovely fresh salads, fish and steak.  Several bottles of local Chilean wine complimented the meal and we were well satisfied after many days in the mountains.

During dinner we gave Maurice a very generous tip that brought tears to the young man’s eyes.  We would later learn that he is seldom tipped by his mountain groups and had never received one as large as ours.  He promised to put the money to good use repairing a home he had just purchased on the outskirts of town.  Nicholas was then surprised with a new pair of hiking boots.  The surprise on his face was picture worthy.

After dinner we all wandered back to the hotel, some for yet another hot shower, some internet time and a bit of CNN.

December 19th – The Second Part of “The W”

As is mountain tradition, we woke this morning very, very early and packed up our packs for a trip across the lake.  After breakfast we drove as short way to the lake landing and boarded a catamaran for the half hour ride across Lake Pehoe.  The catamaran was quite modern and nicely equipped with sharply unfimred crew.  Capable of holding about 100 passengers it was full this moring with eager hikers looking forward to another great day in the park.  The winds had calmed and the sky was a bright and irresistible blue.  It was going to be a great day.  The ride was pleansant and we landed on the other side of the lake at the resort.  A modern facility with large cafeteria and bar along with wood boardwalks throughout the large camping area.  We quickly set up one tent to hold our bags and then broke into two hiking groups to assault the middle of “The W.”  Today would be an awesome day as the weather continued to break.  We traversed over small hills and valleys walking under the towers of Paine Grande, the tallest mountain in the range.  We skirted Lake Sarmiento with its amazing deep cobalt blue color.  After two hours we reached the banks of the French
River and the entrance ot the French Valley.  After crossed the swinging suspension bridge we rested and had lunch at the  French Camp site.  At this point half of us turned back for a return hike to the lodge.  The rest of us continued up the trail to the top of the glacial moraine and a closer view of the back of the horns, the shield, and the spear – names for the granite peaks that surrounded us.  After another two hours of climbing over rocks and boulders and up very steep trails over roots and tree trunks, we reached the top of the moraine and a spectacular view of the peaks.  The sky had cleared, the cloud cover had dissapted, and the day was spectacular.

We took many, many photos and then slowly headed down the mountain.  Five hours later we returned to camp and straight up the stairs of the lodge to the bar for a well deserved Pisco Sour and a few beers.  Dinner tonight was in the cafeteria and we were treated to a great dinner of fresh veggie salads, braised chicken and potatoes, and white chocolate mouse.  Yummy!

Some more conversation was followed by retiring to our tents and warm down sleeping bags.  It didn’t take long for us to fall asleep.