Around the World - Week 2 Wrap Up

Compared to Week 1’s Wrap-Up, this summary is significantly longer in length and in details, specifically on Day 10. Word of warning - if you mind creative description of a horrendous health condition, you may want to skip over that section… Other than that, I feel more settled into the Ship Life during Week 2 as a daily rhythm is starting to emerge.

Schedule

• Day 8 / Jan 13: Devil’s Island

• Day 9 / Jan 14: At Sea

• Day 10 / Jan 15: Belem, Brazil

• Day 11 / Jan 16: At Sea

• Day 12 / Jan 17: Fortaleza, Brazil

• Day 13 / Jan 18: At Sea

• Day 14 / Jan 19: At Sea

Day 8

Until this trip, I did not know the history of Devil’s Island, nor can I confidently tell you that I will remember all of the details. With that said, it was a French penal colony that operated for 100 years, from 1852 to 1952, since the only “escape” path was through shark-infested waters. As you can imagine, with a name like Devil’s Island, it wasn’t Heaven for those sent there; more so the complete opposite. The prisoners were not allowed to talk during portions of the day. They were required to stand most of the time. There were just rails that they were all chained to in a large room. The guards would walk around in slippered feet to sneak up and catch the prisoners whispering or sitting down, which as you could imagine didn’t result in happy hugs or Christmas presents.

Even though it’s known as Devil’s Island, there is actually a set of three islands close together off the northeastern coast of South America. Île Royale was the reception centre for the general population of the penal colony; they were housed in moderate freedom due to the difficulty of escape from the island. Saint-Joseph Island was the Reclusion, where inmates were sent to be punished by solitary confinement in silence and darkness, for attempted escapes or offenses committed in the penal colony. Devil's Island was for political prisoners. (REF: wikipedia.org)

Here’s the Wiki link for those who are more curious: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil's_Island

In the end, we didn’t end up stepping foot on any land because this was supposed to be a Tendering port, meaning transferring the guests from the cruise ship to the smaller lifeboats to take us to shore since the large ship cannot fit in the dock. However, storms were moving through the area, creating waves that were too high to safely transfer the folks from point A to point B. Imagine when you are trying to get onto a boat from a dock and a wake comes into the shore at the same time, how rocky the boat gets compared to the dock. Now imagine the dock is also moving, but at a different height and frequency since it’s much larger and heavier. That’s what we’re dealing with when we are moved from the cruise ships to the lifeboats. Normally there are some coves or harbors that have break walls that help with this evolution of events, but at Devil’s island, there were none. Again, that’s kind of the point of that location in order to deter prison escapes. So we looked at the islands from the ship instead of from Île Royale. I was able to get a few photos of the historic buildings before we headed away towards calmer seas.

This meant it Day 8 turned out to be a Sea Day! I still really enjoy the sea days. I have yet to tire of being out in the open ocean with the wind creating hair styles unknown to a trained beautician; the sun warming you the instant you step out on the outer decks from the frigid, air-conditioned interior spaces, and plenty of time to read and meet fellow passengers.

Day 9

Day 9 started out like just any other sea day, lounging by pool, reading another Cozy Mystery novel, but then - I kissed a fish! Okay, there were a few details that I skipped between those two events, which did result in coming lips to lips with a very large fish.

According to the “legend”, as new sailors crossed the equator for the very first time, they were required to perform some absurd task in order to appease King Neptune - basically initiation week for Fraternities. For those of us who have never crossed the equator on a ship were required to bow to King Neptune and his beautiful Queen, get dowsed with freezing cold water, and kiss a fish. Yes, we all willingly lined up to perform such an obnoxious series of events. There was such a line up that the Show Band delayed starting to allow for more people to clear the area.

Did I do this as well? Yep. Yep I did indeed. I wasn’t one of the first as I decided to take photos and videos as my lounge chair had a good view point of the proceedings. Once the line started moving, I took my place at the end, chatting in excitement with the other passengers. Finally it was my turn, so I (un)gracefully bowed / curtsied to the King and Queen, pausing to have a photo taken for proof. Following the others, I prepared for the ceremonial blessing, not quite expecting it to be so very cold as I instantly straighten up and pulled my shoulder blades together as if that would help warm up, and finally, let peer pressure take the final hold as only God knows why I would ever willingly bring my own lips to a fish’s. But then it was over. I was officially inducted as a Shellback. It was life changing! (Not really, but there must be a reason as to why I would do such things.)

Looking at the map that they gave us all at the beginning of the trip, I’m realizing that we will cross the Equator a total of four times on this journey. Luckily, you only have to be initiated once and I look forward to just being a spectator on the future segments.

Day 10

Today we are able to get off the ship after a few days at sea, arriving at our first Brazilian port. There are nine scheduled Brazilian ports on this journey, so we will be in this country for over two weeks, bouncing our way along the coast headed south towards Uruguay.

While the itinerary promotes Belem, Brazil, we actually dock in Icoaraci, Brazil, having to take another tender boat to get to shore. Once back on land, we were then sorted into buses to be taken over to the port in Belem to begin our Amazon adventure. From what I understood, the Belem port, while is larger in size, it is not suitable for tendering and cannot support the size of the ship at the docks. The bus ride from Icoaraci to Belem is about 30 minutes with no traffic; it took us about an hour.

Once at the port, we were divided even further to get onto the boats. Expecting pontoon like boats, I was happily surprised that we were being loaded onto speed boats that required us to wear life jackets for the duration of our ride. The boat ride started a bit slow as the guide explained where we were and where we were going, but once he was done, the captain hit the throttle as we sped across the river. Arriving at a smaller tributary, we slowed way down and meandered along as the guide pointed out various trees and flowers. Since I chose to sit at the very back of the boat expecting the better photography opportunities, I didn’t quite hear everything he said, but that’s okay since I have some fun videos from the ride.

After about an hour, we arrived at our next destination, which was advertised as a “hike” through the Amazon jungle. We were even briefed that we had to wear helmets because there is a chance that a Brazilian Nut will fall on our heads and would hurt. He even showed us one to make the point that they are about the size and weight of a baseball. Imagining getting hit on the head with one of those, we all dutifully donned the helmets. Then off we went as a grouping of obvious tourists. The guide explained that the plot of land we were going to transverse is actually a preserve owned by a single family who did not participate when they were expected to cut down the trees to support the logging industry. Again, my listening skills need some work, but I think he told us the owner was called Lazy or something like that. Anyway, the result is there are still some massive Brazilian Nut trees and Acai trees that support the local ecosystem.

Now about the “hike” itself - yes, I keep putting “hike” in quotations on purpose. It was like being in a tree museum with a very knowledgeable guide. We walked from one tree to the next to the next, sometimes standing in one area for 20 minutes as he looked around to ensure he’s named and explained all of the vegetation in that spot before moving to the next. It was very painful for my wandering mind as I lack any real interest in that many details. Hence, I will continue to call it a tree and not give the scientific names since, let’s be honest, I have zero recollection of the specifics. There’s also a chance that I wasn’t listening most the time and more focused on finding a parrot or monkey in the trees. Someone did ask him about wildlife, but he confirmed that they only come out at dusk and dawn, meaning I can stop looking for them. I resorted to looking for large ants and butterflies instead.

Let me also help you understand the weather conditions during this “hike.” It’s Brazil. It’s January (summer). We are enclosed by trees (no wind). The humidity is very high. There are bugs (it’s still the Amazon after all) - bugs being mosquitos and biting flies to make it worse. There’s a possible chance of malaria from these bugs, and here we are, basically standing still for tens of minutes at a time, trying to pretend to be interested in another tree, while also hoping my malaria pills and bug spray will protect me. (Time will only tell now…) [More to come on the malaria pills]

Back to the story, finally we make our way back to the boats, get loaded, and troll another hour along the little water ways until we find ourselves back in Belem, to board the buses, get back to the tenders, and ultimately, get back on the cruise ship.

The highlights for me - the boat rides. I really did enjoy seeing the different houses that lined the rivers and how families lived in those areas. Also, on the bus journey, I was able to take advantage of the city cell service and updates all the social media sites that I couldn’t do onboard.

OH! Almost forgot another side story - Being a solo traveler, I am pretty observant to the things happening around me, while being able to look completely uninterested or distracted. While on the boat ride out, I noticed one of the guides taking a selfie, but he had it framed so that I was perfectly in the background. At first, I decided to create a positive mental story that he just wanted to be able to show his friends about this beautiful American woman he met that day, but shortly thereafter, a Brazilian police boat came up next to us, not stopping us, but cruising just next for a bit. There were four officers on board: one driving, one with a visible machine gun, one just observing, and one video recording our boat! My positive mental story has now vanished and is replaced with the assumption that I’m on some list somewhere and they’ve caught me! The selfie was just to identify me to the local authorities, with the recording to further confirm. Now, please keep in mind, there is absolutely zero reason for me to be on a list or to have these worries, but there I was, trying to act oblivious or unconcerned, while others on my boat flocked to take photos of the police ship. Eventually, the police boat sped away and I was able to breathe again. Whew!

Now, you may be thinking, wow, what a day already, but I haven’t even told you the most dramatic part of this 24-hour period! Yeah, I found myself in a real life-or-death situation; not just one that I conjured up in my mind… It all started the night before. After going to Toscana (an Italian restaurant onboard), we were enjoying the evening entertainment when my stomach started feeling a bit queasy. Knowing I had tried some new and some might consider adventurous dishes (squid ink risotto and octopus carpaccio), I wasn’t too concerned, but decided to head to my cabin after the show and hope it settled quickly, as I had my strenuous Amazon “hike” the next day and wanted to be rested. About an hour or so later, the internal summersaults were still occurring, but were quickly threatening to catapult one way or the other to become external sludge. Unfortunately, without being too graphic, my body violently expelled my stomach contents in both directions, thankfully not simultaneously, although, that was a continued probability. After a bit, I thought there was nothing left to give to the porcelain gods, so I dragged myself back to bed. An hour later, there was a rerun of that episode. An hour after that, it got worse. This time included chills, sweating, and possible loss of conscienceless; hence the life-or-death situation. For those of you who need it spelled out in a bit more detail, if you pass out while, ummm, expelling contents upward, there’s potential to choke or drown. At this point, I should have called for help; should have. I did not. My silly brain was so focused on surviving and assuming that the worse was surely past at this point. It was not. An hour late, another rerun of that episode; chills, sweats, fainting, etc. You may be thinking, “LeAnne, please tell me you called for help at this point.” No. I did not. Again, I reasoned that it would pass, while also wondering how many days the Cabin Steward would wait to check on me since my Do Not Disturb light was selected. I went back to bed. An hour later…At this time, it’s about 4:30am and the excursion is set to leave at 8:30am. I’ve surrendered. Deciding that there is no chance that I will be able to go on this excursion, which is crushing because it is one I was really looking forward to, but finally, finally, the realistic and practical side of my brain kicked in. Luckily the 4:30am episode was a milder version than all the others and I was back asleep by 5am with an alarm still set for 7:15am, holding out hope that I would miraculously recover enough to go on a strenuous Amazon hike in high humidity and temperature. (I promise I am very intelligent in other ways; but have proved time and time again, I don’t make the best decisions when it comes to health). As you’ve already read about the “hiking adventure,” you must have realized that when my alarm went off, I actually felt much better. I attribute this to not having anything left in the tank, per say. Whatever my body determined was “poison” had been successfully expelled and normal function returned. I cautiously drank some water. That didn’t result in any negative side effects, so I went to get some bread. That didn’t result in any negative side effects, so I packed up my day bag and headed towards the tenders! The rest, is, well, already written above. I survived.

To continue this already very long story, the next bit is about the “investigation of the cause.” Now, admittedly, I assumed it was food poisoning. Had to be as I tried those unique dishes and from the Italian restaurant no less (by the way, Italian is one of my least favorite foods, so it was easy to blame). When I got back from the excursion, I went to the Reception desk to report my case, expecting that to be the end of it since I was feeling much recovered, albeit very tired, so off to my cabin to shower and nap! A bit later, awaking me from my slumber (yes, please imagine the tiger head from the Aladdin Cave of Wonders proclaiming “Who dare disturb me?”) was my cabin phone thrilling in the darkness. Seeing “Senior Executive Chef” on the caller ID, I am instantly awake and clear my throat to remove any residual sleepiness before I answer. The conversation was brief, but in further summary - I was the only one to report food poisoning. Huh… well, that’s odd. I doubt I was targeted, even though that was literally the premise of one of the Cozy Mystery books I was reading, so there must be another cause. Letting my mind detail out the day before and not stopping to blame the Italian food, I realized that I had taken my first malaria prevention pill at lunch. Aha! But I had taken it hours before the first episode had taken place that night, so still may be an unlikely candidate. Finally a smart thought was generated in my brain, I should go ask the professionals as there is a full Medical team onboard. Off I go with my little prescription box to medical. They are closed. Harrumph. Being influenced by those same mystery novels, I had started considering this as an investigation, now facing a road block to reaching the conclusion. Keep in mind, I’m summarizing this whole story (oh gosh, right?! it’s already very long!) and this “investigation” took place over two full days - this whole time, I’m not eating much; both because I don’t trust my stomach nor trust the food on board. I also participated in a cooking class during this time of uncertainty (more to come on that activity shortly). To wrap up this saga, I did eventually get to Medical during their open hours to confirm my suspicions about the side effects. After review with the staff, I am happy (and really I was thrilled) to report that the food was not the cause! Blame the medication! So yay! Can eat again!! but boo! Am going to be further exposed to possibly getting malaria as I refuse to take that pill ever again!

Yeah, you knew when I started this trip, there would be dramatic days like this and boy oh boy, I hope NEVER to repeat this episode again. And yes, I promise next time (if there is one), that I will call medical and not go it alone.

Day 11

Hopefully you’re still with me after reading Day 10… That should have been enough for a full week! But alas, there are still a few more days to summarize for Week 2. On Day 11, while also still recovering from Day 10, as noted above, I participated in a Culinary Class aboard the ship! It really was fun! (Ya know, apart from that other thing)

Chef Stephano expertly demonstrated the different steps and techniques as we created the various courses. For each course, he took the time to show various methods for cutting or preparing, while also explaining the significance of the ingredient or the reasoning behind process. The Culinary Center itself was a masterpiece as well, given there were spaces, including separate stove tops for each of us to cook our own meals following the instructions. As this was an hour long class, a lot of the prep work was done the day before by Chef’s team, who were on hand to help us as we had further questions or needing confirmation of the tasks. Given my heart wasn’t really into the taste of the food, I didn’t take many mental notes on the flavors, but I will simply state that I am truly looking forward to future cooking classes and the Chef-Led excursions coming up in the coming weeks.

Day 12

Back in Brazil! This time at Fortaleza. However, when I was researching all the ports, this one didn’t have a whole lot that interested me, so I decided to take advantage of a mostly empty ship and booked myself a Spa Day! Yes, onboard there is a full spa, including massages, body treatments, salon / barber, and nail technician. I started off with a Hot Stone massage and it was glorious! Notwithstanding all of the built up tension from the past few months of packing and leaving Canada, but also from the events of two nights past. Realizing how overdue I was for this service, I started giggling when I felt all of the snapping and popping as her thumbs kneaded their way around my shoulder blades into my neck. Over an hour later and in a state of bliss, I was smiling again as she (obvious to me) shared her recommendations for additional treatments to help treat my sore and poor back muscles. (Ha! Just realized that I never once identified my “strenuous Amazon hike” as a cause of my knot conditions… until now.)

Following a quick lunch, I returned to the spa for my Fire & Ice Mani / Pedi. Some of you may be shocked to find out that I used to bite my nails down to seemingly the cuticle while others may be shocked to find out that after all these years, I have finally quick the habit and have to use nail clippers and files to maintain them now! Anyway, she still commented on the condition of my cuticles since I haven’t quite kicked the habit in full, still picking away whenever I’m deep in thought or reading a mystery novel…. A few hours later, I was walking out of there in much better condition than when I went in.

That evening, as part of the Oceania club, I was invited to a private cocktail party, hosted by the Captain and crew. Since I just had my nails done, I decided to dress all fancy like. So fancy in fact that apparently other guests think that I’m part of the Entertainment and Cruise Staff; I’m told that may also be because of my age in comparison to other guests. At this point, I’m debating if I should just play the part or conspire with the Cruise Director on how to set the record straight. Likely, I’ll just correct the rumor whenever it’s brought up.

Day 13

At sea once more, I decided to use this day to catch up on journaling, but was quickly distracted by Sunday Brunch! I had seen photos of Oceania Brunch on social media, but it was entirely a different experience to behold. I have some photos and videos of the various culinary displays, but words and pictures are not enough to quite explain how grand this event is. Each aspect is a though-through work of art, creating a more grandeur environment than I’ve ever been privy to before. AND I’m told they do one of these each segment of the cruise - so I’ll get to experience it ten more times! (P.S. The gym is on Deck 15. Required as I have a limited amount of clothing brought onboard…)

After brunch, I set my sights back on finding a spot to start journaling out Week 2 Wrap Up, when I stumbled (not literally) on the Guest Singers currently on board (yes, I still need to story out the entertainment experiences, but I’ll continue to procrastinate on that topic). For today, I’ll share that I had met Josh and Lisa in one of the lounges a few days back, generally chatting about Josh’s upcoming show, which was on Day 12, so this morning, I was keen to follow up to share some of the photos I took during his show and convey that I proudly knew the words to at least one of the songs he sang (We are the Champions). Well, an hour or so later, after transitioning to a booth with them to continue the conversation, I found a spot to continue to journal.

Within a few minutes of settling in, another solo traveler stopped by to chat about his day in Fortaleza, sharing that they were able to find (and enjoy) some beaches that weren’t completely packed and share a photo of the shopping mall that I missed. After some time, he returned to the pool, while I returned to my laptop screen, although tempted to join in the sunning.

To summarize, I did write most of this Week 2 Wrap Up on Day 13 (yes, over achiever and getting ahead of schedule), but in my defense, today and tomorrow are sea days, so I don’t expect too much more to document on Day 14.

Tonight I have a reservation at Red Ginger that I am looking forward to, although, I’m still not entirely back to being excited about eating. However, I hear the Sea Bass is phenomenal and a must-have. I’ll report back on this experience when I finish the Wrap Up officially tomorrow.

PS - I had the Sea Bass. It was indeed phenomenal and I will likely have it again. The miso glaze was just the perfect level of sweetness to highlight the fish, paired with broccoli and mushrooms. Yum!

Day 14

Stayed up way too late (past midnight) to try to upload videos and photos to this blog, hoping that maybe the internet would work better when less people were using it. Given how unsuccessful that was, I woke up at 4am to finish that task. Not on purpose of course, but a bad dream stirred me up and what else what I going to do at that time? Well, let me tell you something - I saw the most amazing sunrise this morning because I was awake at such a ridiculous hour! I kid you not, dawn was around 4:30am, with the sun clearing the horizon shortly after 5am. (Sorry to those of you still in the dark north who only know the Sun for a few hours a day)

The rest of Day 14 was like any other sea days - reading, napping, and enjoying company at the pool. Great way to wrap up a fairly eventful Week 2!