USHUAIA AND THE BEAGLE CHANNEL

Wednesday Feb 25 – Our visit to Ushuaia was uneventful.  We elected not to do a tour and instead, walked downtown and enjoyed the hospitality of the folks.  Passengers were on alert to be back aboard ship by 330PM for a 4PM departure.  However, the wind came up very strong, reaching a high of 40 mph and the Captain delayed our departure until nearly midnight.  Our late departure forced cancellation of our planned stop at Punta Arenas, Chile, which was a disappointment to many of those passengers who prefer to shop as opposed to sight seeing.  Ken's theory was that the high wind made our pulling away from the dock against the wind unsafe.  However, there also appeared to be a medical emergency aboard that may have had some impact on our delay.  No one ever tells us anything but it is rumored among the passengers that there have been several such emergencies – some of which were removed via body bags!  There are a lot of passengers who are not only aged, but frail.  I am surprised at the courage of many of those who appear to be far more infirmed than I would choose to be on such a trip.  Mind you, we are a small city so "gossip" and "rumors" do flow among the passengers.  But one thing is for sure, a large percentage of the passengers are over 70 and counting!   Ken and I did a little window shopping for a couple of hours.  I returned to the ship while he visited two museums to complete his "shore expedition".  Ushuaia is a quaint, picturesque city with an estimated population of 64,000 located on the Beagle Channel, named for the HMS Beagle, the ship that brought naturalist Charles Darwin to the region.  This is our second visit to this port and, in my view it is the most picturesque and enchanting port on this leg of our journey.  According to the shipboard's daily blurb "Ushuaia calls itself the world's southernmost 'city' a title that varies depending on the size it takes to be defined as a city.  Ushuaia doesn't have the population of Chile's Punta Arenas  (population of 146,000) which lies more northerly and it doesn't have the absolute southernmost location of the much smaller Puerto Williams, Chile.  Whether or not this is the southernmost "city" one thing is for certain.  Ushuaia is the capital of Tierra del Fuego, a land that has captivated the imagination of travelers since it was spotted and named by Ferdinand Magellan."  We watched with interest as a ship unloaded its returning passengers from a trip to the Antarctic and loaded its next group of explorers who seemed excited to be headed for  the Antarctic.      Once we departed Ushuaia we cruised through the Straits of Magellan and enjoyed the scenery en route to Punta Arenas where three of our entertainers disembarked the ship along with our Argentine Captains.  We arrived too late for 3,000 passengers to be tendered ashore and thus, we anchored out only long enough to disembark and embark those leaving and arriving.  Chilean Captains boarded the ship for our travel through the Chilean Fjords and new entertainers came aboard.  Our travel through the Straits as well as the Beagle Channel requires Argentine Captains aboard the ship and as we enter the Chilean Fjords, Chilean Captains are aboard and will accompany our travel presumably, into Buenos Aires or at least into Port Mont, our last Port of Call before Buenos Aires.    The entertainment aboard ship has been superb with a wide variety of talent entertaining us along with the ships very talented and outstanding dancers and orchestra.   Our comedian, Tom Sutton, entertained us with several reminders of shipboard travel on Sunday night.  He drew a loud round of applause with his observation "that no one aboard ship knows what day it is but everyone knows exactly what time the next meal will be served."      It turns out that either I or one of the many other passengers similarly blessed, passed along a cold to Marvis.  I feel guilty but in my own defense, there are others who could have been just as generous.  I tried to avoid passing my cold to anyone but alas, Marvis is now afflicted.   Fortunately, so far, the rest of our party seem to be "dodging the bullet" of the shipboard cold.   Tomorrow we will cruise the beautiful Chilean Fjords with their breathtaking beauty of mountains and glaciers reaching above us on either side of the ship.  The scenery will be phenomenal and in our view, second only to the adventure of experiencing Cape Horn itself.    I am very pleased with my "seaworthiness" to date.  A couple of slight waves of "something is not right" prompted me to take a Dramamine on two occasions and beyond tha,t there has been nary a sign of sea sickness.  My cup runneth over.      .   Ken and Pat Burns from the road and/or the sea just as happy as can be

Monday Feb 23.  Our day began with an air of expectation.  Our estimated arrival time at Cape Horn was 2PM in the afternoon.  The day started out cruising Tierra Del Fuego and the islands approaching Cape Horn.  As scheduled at 2 PM in the afternoon we began our circumnavigation of Cape Horn.  Ken was as excited as a kid with a new train and truly in his element.    The day was cloudy and foreboding until the weather peaked mid our Cape Horn "caper" when we experienced 17 foot swells and 56 knots of wind.  Visibility was low but that did nothing to quell the enthusiastic appreciation of the 3,000 passengers aboard this ship.  It was an awesome occasion, even for people like ourselves who have done it before.  Our last trip provided a bright sunny day and seas as glassy as a lake.  What a difference!  On our prior trip, our view of the islands and Cape Horn were spectacular and we could easily see the Chilean flag waving in a distance as the statute of the albatross stood magically above the sea on the shores of Cape Horn.    This trip the weather was a mixture of rain, sleet and some even swore there were flakes of snow at its height. Waves crushed against our cabin windows and the ship gently rolled from side to side.  It was an adventure made to order for Ken, who felt somewhat cheated with our prior adventure.  After many years of hearing the folklore of "rounding the horn" handed down by fellow sailors, Ken has finally experienced a "bit" of the real thing.    The day provided anticipation, exhilaration and fulfillment of many a sailor's dream.  A visit to Cape Horn provides a rare trek into the ultimate adventure, sans the white sails of an actual sailing vessel. To commemorate our accomplishment, a tender was launched from the ship for a shore visit to Cape Horn by our ship's professional staff" which we hope will provide us with a commemorative stamp of the occasion.  Whether that will happen is not yet clear.    Our next port of call is Ushuaia, where we will visit and explore the Beagle Channel by land and sea.  It has been an interesting and exciting day on this our 24th day of this 49 day excursion.  (We are disembarking in Long Beach so it will be 47 days for us.)  Until again we meet via Patsgazette, may the wind be to your back and the sun shine bright on your face.    Ken and Pat Burns from the road and/or the sea just as happy as can be

SUNDAY FEB 22

Quick note for Sunday Feb. 22.  Our weather has cooled and today, fewer shorts (and legs) are on display.    Yesterday (Saturday) we visited Puerto Madryn "on our way to the Horn".  Puerto Madryn is a predominately Welsh community in the Argentina Patagonia.  We were told that the city has grown from a "sleepy" community of 10,000 ten years ago to over 86,000 today.   According to the "on board" daily guide published by our cruise line, a new mall in he city center has helped tourism significantly making Puerto Madryn a more attractive place for both international and domestic tourists visiting Patagonia.  For cruising tourists, tours to the Punta Tombo Penguin rookery, the UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site  at Peninsula Valdes and to the sea lion colony at Punta Loma as well as drives through the countryside for a view of the Patagonia lifestyle.  For this trip, we chose to visit the town itself and thus, we confined our visit to this port to a brief look around the city which seemed growing and industrious.  The primary products of this area are aluminum, leather and alpaca wool.    There you have it for our report from another "Port of Call" of this "trek around South America".  Tomorrow we cruise "scenic Cape Horn" and excitement builds as we draw nigh to this adventure that permeates our enthusiasm with a sort of "mysticism for sea loving people".  Although Ken has "been here, done this", he is just as excited the second time around as he was the first.    Ken and Pat Burns from the road and/or the sea just as happy as can be

Feb 19

Montevideo – It was a beautiful hot day for going ashore and seeing Uruguay from the streets of Montevideo, the only city in Uruguay with a population in excess of one million.  According to our ship's Daily Guide to Fun which is distributed daily to the passengers aboard, "Montevideo is the largest city, the capital and chief port of Uruguay.  According to Mercer Human Resources Consulting, Montevideo provides the highest quality of life in Latin America.  It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montevideo."   Ken did a walk through the streets of the city which he estimated as 8 miles and returned via cab.  My cold still kept me somewhat under the weather though it is much better and beyond jags of coughing and feeling a little "drained", I am fine.  I did feel like going down to dinner, the first time since Sunday. I do not feel I am any longer "hazardous" to the health of others, thus I am not so reluctant to "stick my head out of the cabin".   I gathered from listening to those who had been ashore and enjoyed the tours and the tourist "line" of communication, Montevideo specifically and Uruguay in general has a social service orientation and is predominately secular.  This led to a discussion between Ken and Bob as to how the government pays for what appears to be a generous government supported lifestyle?  As far as I could tell, the answer to this question must have been above their comprehension level inasmuch as neither put forth a clear theory let alone answer.   Notwithstanding my "nit picking" with Carnival and its lack of proficiency on this voyage, our trip thus far through South America has been interesting.  In my view, South America is truly a "sleeping giant" awaiting the entrepreneurship of truly motivated, enthusiastic and talented capitalists.  Unfortunately, its countries have been corrupt and without vision or direction for too long.  It is ripe for greatness but it takes great dedication and pride to do great things.  I believe South America has been short changed by its own failure to provide its citizens with opportunity. EOS (End of Speech).   To add a note of discussion aboard our ship, one couple in our group is in a stateroom on a floor where a young couple with three children (approximate ages of one, two and four) reside.  The children are very loud and distracting to the neighbors on the floor. The parents do not exercise any attempt to control the children and two of the children are constantly causing the youngest to cry by pulling its hair, pinching it and in general engaging in mistreatment.  Carnival is dealing with the complaints generated by the noisy screaming kids (which applies even in the dining rooms and other areas of the ship).  Security has been to the stateroom of the couple several times and attempts at getting the kids settled down have all failed thus far.  Yesterday, during a conversation between Security and the father of the children, the father was heard to say, "These old people are going to be dead soon.  We are the passengers of the future".  His point is well taken and there may be some truth in his comments and thus I am compelled to warn those of you who are on the younger side of 70.  If the likes of that family reflect the future of cruising,  GIVE IT UP AS AN ALTERNATIVE FOR TRAVELl!!!!    Ken and Pat Burns from the road and/or the sea just as happy as can be

Feb 18 BUENOS AIRES

Buenos Aires – We arrived in this beautiful city of "Evita" early on the 17th.  Passengers who were leaving the cruise were permitted to disembark first while the rest of us were free to go ashore and enjoy the sights and sounds of Buenos Aires.  It is a beautiful city.  We caught a shuttle down town and visited the Galleria and Florida Street which is a walking street of great interest.  I had looked forward to this stop with great anticipation but alas, a cold flu by and I caught it.  I thought I felt well enough to do the shopping that I wanted to do but alas, I soon faded on the "vine" and Ken and I returned to the ship.   Some of our traveling group enjoyed the many sights and sounds of the city via tour.  The street exhibitions of the tango were a hit as well.  I was disappointed that I did not feel up to full enjoyment of this our second visit to Buenos Aires.    On Tuesday, Ken and two couples traveling with us took a combination train ride and delta river tour which they enjoyed immensely.  I stayed on board and nursed my malady.  I am beginning to feel like the proverbial "wet blanket" after my problem with the foot and now a cold of vast proportions but I am happy to report that I am definitely feeling better and my cough is loose, a sign of wellness on the horizon.  I do promise everyone that I will report only my good health from now on.  Enough is enough.  One of our group said the other day that he thought he had a dark cloud over his head.  I should have told him that it was the shadow from the one I am casting.  Nevertheless, our trip continues to be pleasant though I do believe that our shipboard experience leaves a great deal unsaid but we aren't being mistreated. I have not been enamored with the Carnival experience thus far.  We are not "seasoned" cruisers – this is our 5th  and there are people on board who have had as many as 50 cruises.  However, it seems to me that the basic experience should be a fundamental.   I will post again from Montevideo which is our next stop in the scheme of things.         Ken and Pat Burns from the road and/or the sea just as happy as can be

sunday feb 15

We had a nice day in Rio de Janiero commemorating Valentine's day.  Ken was up at the crack of dawn for a scenic view of Rio as we entered the harbor.  Rio has a population of 10 million and it is a beautiful cosmopolitan city. Indeed, I find that Rio de Janeiro has a spirit similar to that which I feel when I visit San Francisco, London, Chicago and New York.  Perhaps I shall never know whether that "spirit" which I find so unique is a reflection of my attitude with the air or whether the air shares its attitude with me.  Nevertheless, I feel a kinship with these cities and as I leave each of them I quietly vow to return if permitted.  Our visit to this lovely city was just one week prior to their very special celebration of Carnaval.  Signs of their "state of readiness" were apparent everywhere and the city seemed to be bubbling with the enthusiasm of celebration.  A down side to a visit in Rio is the crime that seems to be rampant and uncontrolled.  If I were to be so rude as to dare make a suggestion to its politicos, I would suggest that they devote much time and effort into that single problem.  Crime is a major problem in Brazil and it is a great deterrent to its desirability as a tourist destination.   We had selected a visit to the H Stern factory and labs so off we went for our day of excursion.  Inasmuch as it was Valentines Day perhaps I should inform our family that we did not buy them jewelry as a substitute for the valentines we did not give.    In fact – we hope you all had a wonderful valentines day and that each of you extended wonderful loving thoughts to your loved ones as a reminder of how special they are.   After our visit to the Stern labs, we had lunch downtown at a restaurant recommended by our guide and then did a drive past the beaches of Ipanema  and Copacabana and up to a hilltop that provides a wonderful overview of the city and its signature sights.  On a clear day the view is awesome and provides a spectacular photo op for the Christ the Redeemer Statute and Sugarloaf.  Alas, the weather was rainy and cloudy all day so all views of the marvels of Rio were "cloud covered" but still striking.  We returned to the ship for what was billed as a 6PM departure but several of our tour buses ran into unexpected delays and our departure was similarly delayed.  Nevertheless, it was another good day and a suiting finale to our shore experiences for this leg of our South America excursion.   We have two days at sea and are scheduled to arrive in Buenos Aires Tuesday morning.  Our next leg commences Wednesday at 5PM and our first stop on that leg will be Montevideo on Thursday.  This is the leg which features the "real beauty" of this trip and the most varied of weather.  Until meaningful eventsagain cross our paths, we send our love and best wishes from beautiful South America where the ocean is calm and the weather beautiful.  Wish you were here!!!             Ken and Pat Burns from the road and/or the sea just as happy as can be

FRIDAY

Friday Feb 13 – We are enjoying another day at sea after a beautiful and pleasant day in Salvador.  Salvador is the 3rd largest city in Brazil (Sao Paulo is the largest, Rio 2nd and Salvador). According to Carnival's "press" release Salvador is the oldest and most historic city in Brazil.  Salvador has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.  Certainly, a tour through the city enforced validity of the word "OLD".    In spite of its years Salvador,(like yours truly) wears its age with dignity. Ahem.   Today I need an attitude adjustment.  We booked our cruise through ON LINE VACATIONS over two years ago.  In November we upgraded to a window cabin with specific instructions that we should have the same cabin for all three legs of the trip.  We were not advised of our cabin assignment until early January and then we learned that we would have the same cabin for the first two legs but would have to change cabins for the 3rd leg.  Today I approached the front desk and requested that we be permitted to remain in our original cabin and was told that they have a full ship and that it is impossible.  Based on the level of service, concern and the customer relations that we have received for this trip from both Carnival and On Line Vacations,  I will not be quick to either book my travel through On Line Vacations or cruise on Carnival again.    There are a lot of previous travelers aboard Carnival on this cruise and they have received much VIP and special treatment.  That is laudable but right now I tend to feel that it is those people who should pick up the gratuities for the crew inasmuch as they have received all of the special treatment at perhaps, a much cheaper price than we poor souls who have booked our first cruise with Carnival and so far find it far less competent than either Celebrity, Viking River or Norwgan Crujise lines.  Yes –we do have a choice for our future cruises and based on our experience after two weeks, Carnival may not make the cut when next we take to the seas.   Ken and Pat Burns from the road and/or the sea just as happy as can be

RECIFE ON TUESDAY

Tuesday, Feb 10 – Recife. – We arrived in port at 7A.   After some missteps thanks to a stint of temporarily misplaced memory on my part our group of 10 boarded a shuttle to  the terminal where Ken's sister, Barbara was awaiting our arrival.  From there, we walked 4 blocks to where her car was parked and did a brief stop at the Jewish synagogue.  Inasmuch as we needed two cabs in addition to Barbara's car, she negotiated a better price than she was able to secure at the terminal where the shuttle was offloading guests from the cruise ship.    We drove into Olinda, did a bit of touristing and enjoyed some refreshments.  Part of us the proceeded downtown Recife for lunch with Barbara at a churchera while others elected to skip this Brazilian custom.  It is a lot of food and we are not "starving" on this cruise ship.  We missed them but managed to enjoy our lunch, did a quick look at the beach from downtown and then drove to the old Prison that has been converted into a shopping area and did some shopping.  Our day concluded with some musical enjoyment of "carnaveral" performances by a group outside the prison and a ride back to the ships shuttle with a brief stop off to view a beautiful park and ornate tree in front of the Governor's mansion.   Ken and I particularly enjoyed the day and visit with Barbara. We appreciated the opportunity to introduce her to our travel friends and sharing with them this special reunion and visit.   We wish we had more time ashore with Barbara and more time to share her with our friends but alas, the ship sailed at 6 and sadly, we said goodbye, returned to the ship and sailed off into the sunset for our next port which will be Salvador on Thursday.    Tomorrow, Wednesday, is a day at sea and assuming there are no crises of note, I will post after our shore visit on  Thursday.  To those who know Barbara, we are happy to report that she looks great, seems to feel good and she sends her love to all.   . Ken and Pat Burns from the road and/or the sea just as happy as can be

sunday from the sea

Sat Feb 7 – Shortly after 12 noon, we crossed the proverbial line commonly referred to as the equator in these parts.   We understand that this is the first ever crossing of the equator by a Carnival ship.  A celebration and acknowledgment of our safe crossing was made to King Neptune and his court by special ceremony on the Lido Deck.  Finding a place to sit was impossible and a place to stand hard to come by.  Inasmuch as I am not a person tolerant of crowds I ignored the celebration, found a quiet place and read my book.   Today, Sunday, we were in Fortaleza, our first stop in Brazil.  It has been a good week though my foot has continued to plague me off.  The ships Doctor has prescribed an anti inflammatory and suggested that I wear old comfortable shoe in lieu of some newer shoes that I have been wearing.   The medicines seem to be working and my foot is much more comfortable.    After three days at sea, we were glad for a tour on dry land.  After Fortaleza our next stop will be Recife and a visit with Ken's sister, Barbara.  We are looking forward to seeing her and sharing the day,  Until then – obrigado for checking on us.         Ken and Pat Burns from the road and/or the sea just as happy as can be

Thursday Feb 5

Wednesday Feb 4 Barbados.  We arrived on schedule at 7AM and joined our friends Bill and Diane Herbert for an excursion around the island to old haunts that they visited 20 years ago.  Our driver was knowledgeable, helpful and pleasant as he drove us up the gentle Caribbean sea coast and inland to the Atlantic coast where the wind and sea were mighty haughty in their vim and vigor.  Signs pronounced the danger of swimming and surfing thereabouts, not that any of us were interested in challenging the veracity of the signs.   It was an interesting day.  Barbados is a beautiful, but crowded island. We have three days at sea to recoup and prepare for Brazil.  We are adjusting to the ship and the ship may be adjusting to us.   That is still to be determined, mind you.  We have a large travel group aboard who seems to be getting the VIP treatment leaving the rest of us to sort of fend for ourselves.  I am threatening to remove one of the signs on the doors that say VIP GUEST but so far, I have resisted.          Ken and Pat Burns from the road and/or the sea just as happy as can be

TUESDAY FROM THE SEA

Tuesday Feb 3, 2009 – Our scheduled 7AM arrival at our first port stop at Dominica was delayed as a result of our delayed departure out of Ft. Lauderdale.  We arrived at 12 noon, amid typical Caribbean weather conditions of clear skies and warm muggy weather.   Ken and Marvis rushed ashore while Bob and I waited with Bill and Diane for a more "shore friendly" debarkation.  Those of us who stayed behind decided that we had made the better decision inasmuch as debarkation with 3,000 "scurrying passengers" is not very desirable.  Bill decided to stay aboard and another couple (former fellow travelers of Diane and Bill from Colorado) joined us for our "trek" ashore.    According to our daily "blurb" from the ships staff, "Dominica is halfway between Guadeloupe and Martinque and is the most mountaineous of the Windward Islands.  Abundant with rushing rivers, cascading waterfalls and lush rainforests.  Dominica is a treasure test of hidden natural wonders. "  I am afraid I will have to take their word all this because as we departed the ship, my foot acted up and my big toe began to hurt leading Bob to suggest that I might be experiencing the beginnings of "gout".  I assured Bob that was not possible because "gout" is supposedly a rich person's dilemma and "rich I ain't:".  Nevertheless, we returned to the ship, watched for the return of our respective spouses and had a nice visit.    Ken and Marvis returned after their venture downtown and "out and about" and pronounced their afternoon a success insofar as exercise and common exploration.  Oh – Ken bought another "cheap" island painting for his collection of art that serves to remind him where he has been and what he has seen.    In the meantime, I am "cooling my heels (or toes as the case may be) in the stateroom awaiting a quick recovery from a "peeved" toe.  For the record, I am fairly confident that the foot malady is a result of some shoes that may not meet the comfort level of my feet.  Time will tell.   Our stop tomorrow is Barbados.  Will let you know how it goes.     Ken and Pat Burns from the road and/or the sea just as happy as can be

SUPERBOWL SUNDAY

It is Sunday on the high seas after an unbelievable day of events leading to our embarkation.     We (Bill and Diane, Ken and Pat Burns) left Sarasota Florida at 8A and stopped for breakfast at the Cracker Barrel Restaurant near Naples.  We arrived at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale a little after 12 noon and checked our luggage.  Ken and Bill returned the rental car to Alamo while Diane and I stood in line to board the ship.  By the time we reached the boarding area, Ken and Bill should have been back but alas, they got lost, forgot to gas up the car and had to go back to the station to "top off" the tank so we had to wait approximately 20 minutes for them.  Our boarding process was delayed approximately 20 minutes as a result of these events.  This is important because by the time we got to the registration desk, another couple had cut in between us and separated Ken and I from Bill and Diane.    As we were completing the registration process, everyone was ordered to evacuate the building.  Bill and Diane and the couple who had cut in front of us were able to board the ship but we were about 30 seconds short of completing the registration process and had to evacuate the terminal.  Diane saw the couple who cut in between us this morning and sometime during this trip, I intend to have a drink on them.  My misery, thanks to their "pushy" bad manners, shall not go unrewarded.    We do not know the details but we understand that a suspicious item of luggage was found during the check in process which brought the FBI, the police and the Coast Guard on a full scale search of the terminal.  We understand that two passengers may have been removed from the ship as a result and you may in fact know more about the details than we do aboard ship.  At any rate, approximately 1,000 passengers were assembled in a terminal across the street until an all clear was ordered at 7PM (approximately 6 hours later and 3 hours past our departure time). Needless to say, we were not happy campers but alas, what can one do?    Our friends, Bob and Marvis Gersten were also caught in the melee but the other two couples who are among our "group", along with Bill and Diane, escaped our challenge.  As we boarded the ship, I refused to pose for the usual "photo op" on the grounds that I did not have a smile left to give.    We are still exploring our home at sea and the ancillary amenities.  As the days come and go I will try to keep you abreast of our "fun" ship experiences aboard the Carnival Splendor.   .     Ken and Pat Burns from the road and/or the sea just as happy as can be