Back home we worry about poison oak and bee stings in the summer time. Here in the jungle there's a lot of things which can get you... alligators, parasites, pirahna, disease, and monkeys. There were several overnight tours to remote jungle lodges for students and faculty to live like the natives. In one such tour a few monkeys got in on the action and according to my source went beserk and started attacking the gringos. Three different people got attacked and bit by one monkey in particular. They took the people to the hospital and started the dreaded rabies shots. We had to make a special stop today to get more rabies vaccinations as a result of this incident. Everyone is doing fine, but all are sad that they might have to "Put the Monkey Down." To say this ship is full of pacifists would be an understatement, and even though the monkey went bananas there is growing support for the pardoning of the little guy. We are all waiting on pins and needles for the decision to come down.
In other sad news Vivian left her camera at a Zoo we visited on our last day in Manaus. We realized the missing camera when we returned to the port, and Vivian and I headed back in a taxi to look for it. Neither of us know Portugese, and I'm here to say it's hard to pick up anything in this language. We had about 15 people at the Zoo gathered around as I tried to explain that she left her camera. I was playing charades with my camera, and they kept thinking we wanted our pictures taken. New people kept showing up who "Knew English," but it was quickly evident they didn't know enough to communicate. We finally had to leave empty handed to make it back to the ship before it left. Needless to say Vivian was very upset, but I'm going to "share" my camera with her for the rest of the voyage. Tough lesson to learn.
In sporting news I signed up for a 3 on 3 basketball tournament. I wasn't thinking very clearly on this, as all the teams are college kids except ours. The court is about 15 feet wide and 40 feet long, so it's a rugged game with no space. We put up a good fight but fell short 21-15. The wind was blowing at about 25 mph, so any outside shot was an adventure. This hurt our team, since the college team had more height and springs for sure. I did manage to get hot and sink a few threes before I pulled a groin muscle. I'm hoping that ice, heat, and a few days will see me back on the court again. They were really trash talking us, and we owe them a little payback.
I have posted some pictures below of the last day in Brazil. Some alligators in the Zoo, a picture of a plastic bottle island in the Amazon, and a sign found on a restroom which was easy for William and I to understand. William got a big kick out of this sign, as did I. We are just entering the Atlantic and leaving the Amazon. We have eight days to cross this bad boy, so I'll try to work up a Ship Life post later this week. With our schedule the days of the week have become meaningless. A Monday or a Saturday feels no different to us. Our life is broken into two parts: ship life and port time. I hope all is well at home.
Nice Family in Ghana
The Caribbean
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Brazil Nuts
Oh where to begin on this post? We are wrapping up five days in Manaus, and I've put some pictures below of some of the highlights. The first day we went on the Amazon Explorer trip, which I detailed in a previous entry. The second day we had to ourselves, so we decided to go to what we thought was a fun beach with amusement park, etc. When we got dropped off by the taxi and paid our 20 dollars we quickly discovered that the whole place was under construction. It seems that Manaus is going to be home to some world cup soccer games in 2014, and the city is trying to spruce up for this big event. After wandering around for twenty minutes and finding nobody or nothing to do, we got another 20 dollar taxi ride back to the ship. The afternoon we spent walking around the city. We went to a big opera house, bought some groceries, and generally immersed ourselves in the mass of humanity that is the downtown area. As the pictures show Manaus is a busy city, so busy that the government is building a big bridge to encourage people to expand away from the downtown. The city has a mix of poverty and new development, and has more street vendors than I've ever seen.
On day #3 in Manaus we took the kids to a new park in town. The area of the park used to be a slum with stilt houses, but the government demolished them all and put in a beautiful park with play equipment and a half mile running path. The kids had a great time in the morning playing on all the equipment. It was a mile walk to the park and with the heat and humidity it was a challenge but fun. Later on day #3 we went to the Dance Fusion workshop with college students. Jen was the trip leader, and we rode a nice bus about twenty minutes away to a modern dance studio. William didn't shake a leg, but played his DS the entire time, but Jen, Vivian and I did a little dancing and learned some of Brazils dances.
On day #4 , today, we had another trip. This trip involved taking a 2 and a half hour boat ride up the Rio del Negro to a place where you can swim with the dolphins. We arrived to the location and waded onto a platform. The locals feed the dolphins herring and as you stand near you can pet the dolphins. Next you float out in the river and the dolphins bump into you from time to time. William decided to pass on this whole thing, and to explain this, the river is black and has such a low density that it's difficult to swim in. They gave us noodles to help keep us buoyant. The river is so black that you can't see the dolphins below, but can feel them bumping into your legs, etc. I briefed Vivian about this, but unfortunately when she and I got out into the water she ran into some floating grass under the water. She started shrieking and yelling like only she can, and I frantically tried to paddle her back to the dock. She was flailing away and it took all I had to get her back to the dock. Upon reaching the dock I decided to grab a brew and relax for a while.
We left the dolphins and rode about ten minutes to a village along the river for lunch. This village had been remodeled by the Brazilian equivalent to "Home Makeover." As we finished lunch I asked a local about playing a little soccer on their field. After a few minutes a few boys showed up and William and I followed them to the soccer field. The came out of their house with an old soccer ball and the four of us played a little soccer. Soccer is the sacred sport in Brazil, and boy could those boys play. William was going all out and had a great time, and even scored a goal on one of them. This was the highlight of Williams day for sure, and a memory I'm sure he won't soon forget.
We are leaving Manaus tomorrow, and will have nine consecutive days of travel before reaching Ghana in Africa. We have all learned a lot about Brazil, and have had some incredible experiences here.
I have been able to get in three runs. Two with some fellow shipmates, and one on my own. The run on my own was in the heat and humidity of the afternoon. I went six miles around town dodging cars, people, dogs, and the like. I sweated like crazy, and when I returned my face was as red as a beat. It's a different experience to run in this kind of tropical humidity. I am thankful that I was able to get a few miles in, for the next nine days it will be Mr. Treadmill and I. Take Care,
On day #3 in Manaus we took the kids to a new park in town. The area of the park used to be a slum with stilt houses, but the government demolished them all and put in a beautiful park with play equipment and a half mile running path. The kids had a great time in the morning playing on all the equipment. It was a mile walk to the park and with the heat and humidity it was a challenge but fun. Later on day #3 we went to the Dance Fusion workshop with college students. Jen was the trip leader, and we rode a nice bus about twenty minutes away to a modern dance studio. William didn't shake a leg, but played his DS the entire time, but Jen, Vivian and I did a little dancing and learned some of Brazils dances.
On day #4 , today, we had another trip. This trip involved taking a 2 and a half hour boat ride up the Rio del Negro to a place where you can swim with the dolphins. We arrived to the location and waded onto a platform. The locals feed the dolphins herring and as you stand near you can pet the dolphins. Next you float out in the river and the dolphins bump into you from time to time. William decided to pass on this whole thing, and to explain this, the river is black and has such a low density that it's difficult to swim in. They gave us noodles to help keep us buoyant. The river is so black that you can't see the dolphins below, but can feel them bumping into your legs, etc. I briefed Vivian about this, but unfortunately when she and I got out into the water she ran into some floating grass under the water. She started shrieking and yelling like only she can, and I frantically tried to paddle her back to the dock. She was flailing away and it took all I had to get her back to the dock. Upon reaching the dock I decided to grab a brew and relax for a while.
We left the dolphins and rode about ten minutes to a village along the river for lunch. This village had been remodeled by the Brazilian equivalent to "Home Makeover." As we finished lunch I asked a local about playing a little soccer on their field. After a few minutes a few boys showed up and William and I followed them to the soccer field. The came out of their house with an old soccer ball and the four of us played a little soccer. Soccer is the sacred sport in Brazil, and boy could those boys play. William was going all out and had a great time, and even scored a goal on one of them. This was the highlight of Williams day for sure, and a memory I'm sure he won't soon forget.
We are leaving Manaus tomorrow, and will have nine consecutive days of travel before reaching Ghana in Africa. We have all learned a lot about Brazil, and have had some incredible experiences here.
I have been able to get in three runs. Two with some fellow shipmates, and one on my own. The run on my own was in the heat and humidity of the afternoon. I went six miles around town dodging cars, people, dogs, and the like. I sweated like crazy, and when I returned my face was as red as a beat. It's a different experience to run in this kind of tropical humidity. I am thankful that I was able to get a few miles in, for the next nine days it will be Mr. Treadmill and I. Take Care,
Monday, January 24, 2011
Jungle Adventure
We docked in Manaus on Sunday, January 23rd, and quickly got ready for our trip in the Amazon. The trip started with us loading onto a riverboat and traveling one and a half hours to the "Meeting of the Waters." This is where the Rio del Negro (Black Water) meets the Solomoes (Brown Water). The temperatures and thus the density of the two waters is different, which causes them not to mix rapidly. The result is about 4 miles of the Amazon where one side is black and the other is brown. I have yet to see any water here that would be called clear. After the meeting of the waters we proceeded to the Ecological park. This park is located between the two rivers and is a marshy, grassy area alive with wildlife. We had lunch here, fished for pirahna, went for a short hike, viewed the Amazon's largest tree (According the the guide), and went for a motorized canoe ride along this marshy area. While on this trip we saw monkeys, a baby alligator, giant water lillies, pink dolphins, birds, and a lot of people living on stilt houses or floating houses on the water. The entire tour was 8 hours long and very worthwhile.
This morning Jen and I were able to get a 5 mile run in. There is a group that meets for runs now and then, and today there were 4 of us. Manaus is a busy city with street vendors everywhere. We ran along the river and through the cities big "Market." The market is the clearinghouse for fruit, fish, veggies, meat, bread, and all else. The market is huge and the local distributors are bargaining for what they want to buy and transport to their stands and stores. I will say I have never smelled so many different odors at the same time. Imagine pineapple, lemon, orange, meat, fish, vegetable, and sewer all at once. Each breathe and smell was different than the one before. We passed a flavela (slum) and arrived at one of the city parks. The park had about a 1/3rd mile loop and locals where running around it. We took a few laps and then retraced our steps. On the way back a runner Bill wasn't looking and ran into a telephone pole, ricocheted into a local and almost knocked her into the street. Everyone was ok, but it illustrates the challenge of running in a crowded city. Today it's off to the beach (no swimming due to black water), and then tour around town.
This morning Jen and I were able to get a 5 mile run in. There is a group that meets for runs now and then, and today there were 4 of us. Manaus is a busy city with street vendors everywhere. We ran along the river and through the cities big "Market." The market is the clearinghouse for fruit, fish, veggies, meat, bread, and all else. The market is huge and the local distributors are bargaining for what they want to buy and transport to their stands and stores. I will say I have never smelled so many different odors at the same time. Imagine pineapple, lemon, orange, meat, fish, vegetable, and sewer all at once. Each breathe and smell was different than the one before. We passed a flavela (slum) and arrived at one of the city parks. The park had about a 1/3rd mile loop and locals where running around it. We took a few laps and then retraced our steps. On the way back a runner Bill wasn't looking and ran into a telephone pole, ricocheted into a local and almost knocked her into the street. Everyone was ok, but it illustrates the challenge of running in a crowded city. Today it's off to the beach (no swimming due to black water), and then tour around town.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Images of Dominica
Rainforest View Fun at Champagne Beach
The Nice Family plus 1 in Nassau, Dominica
Typical Street in Nassau, Dominica
Typical Street in Nassau, DominicaImages of Dominica
Sign for Restroom - 1 US dollar=2.7 E.Carib. Downtown Nassau , Dominica
William at the Caribbean
Friday, January 21, 2011
Up the Amazon
We are on our way up the Amazon river, presently 500 miles upstream from the mouth. We have another 500 miles to go to our destination - the city of Manaus. As we travel up this river for three days I have noticed a few things. First and foremost this is a big, wide river. It is still 5 miles wide where we presently are. As you look around you see jungle to the edge of the river, with the occasional huts and make-shift buildings about. I watched a few locals fishing with a hand-line as we passed by. All the locals wave at us on their way by. Another observation has to do with the amazing amount of insects which have made their way on board. There are some crazy looking bugs, butterflies, grasshopper type insects, and all kinds of flies- fruit, vegetable, everything. William is amazed at all these insects, so it's fun to go for a walk and look for different type of bugs. So to sum it up the Amazon is absolutely huge, humid, warm, and the color of chocalate milk. I am going to get some pictures of Dominica and the Amazon soon. Hope all is well, later..
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
On The High Seas
The last two days we have been cruising through the Atlantic Ocean to enter the mouth of the Amazon river. January 18th saw us in high seas with wind gusts up to 60 mph. Needless to say most of the ship was sick and the entire day felt like a disneyland ride, like the whirlybird. Today is much calmer, but I must say that you can definately feel all the chop and swells of the ocean. While in transit we are getting on a pretty regular schedule. I try to workout in the morning with the elliptical and other routines. I have hereby suspended all running while on the ship. I have learned that to run on a treadmill while being tossed around by the ocean is not possible. The only way it can be done is by holding on with both hands, but this hardly feels like running. I was able to get in a 5 mile run in Dominica. This was interesting for a few reasons, first the cars drive on opposite sides of the road, and secondly the roads are very narrow. It rained during the run, but at 80 degrees it felt great. Back to our regular shipboard routine- I go to work at 7:30 and meet Jennifer and the kids for breakfast around 8:15. Jen teaches the kids and I work in the AV booth until 11:15. At this time I go help out with the kids school and Jen takes a break to work out and have lunch. I take the kids to lunch and hang out with them until 1pm. At this time the kids go back to their schooling with Jen while I go back to work. We all meet up in our room at around 4:30pm and relax before dinner. After dinner I have a lot of work to do as we do the production of speakers, DVD's, etc. These presentations keep me busy off and on from 7pm until 9pm. I have work study students getting trained however, so I won't have to be at all of these events in the near future. We are finding ourselves real busy on the ship, and this us look forward to getting to ports. I have a new appreciation for the size of the Atlantic Ocean and its power in general, and we still have to cross it later this month. That will end this post. Take Care,
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Greetings from just outside Dominica. We just finished up another day at sea and the Nice family is adjusting well to the sailors life. Little Loco (William) was vomit free today which is a step in the right direction. His eruption of two nights ago took 4 housekeeping workers a half hour to clean up. Switching gears, we are going to port in Dominica tonight and be have two days to explore the island. I have been working long days in the AV department and have been learning a lot from the Ships AV Officers - Ludwig and Igor. We are all excited to dock and explore the island, and this also means a break from the work schedule. I have ran only 5 miles in the last 7 days, and am losing my running edge. My new goal on this trip is not to gain too much weight, as I am certain that running is next to impossible on this ship. Take Care and run a mile for me.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Well, we have started our Journey on Semester at Sea, and I have ran a total of 3 miles in the last five days. I am compensating by taking in a miniscule amount of calories, which is easy to do when you look at the buffet selection on the ship. The trip started with a flight to Nassau Bahamas. We spent three days in Nassau on the Ship going through orientation. I am the Audio/Visual Coordinator and when I got to my assigned area I realized I will have a lot to learn. They have a pretty advanced AV room with all kinds of gadgets and gizmos. I am in charge of helping the professors set up for their classes, and also organizing the many requests people have for presentations in the big "Union." My two co-workers are Ludwig from the Phillipines and Igor from the Ukraine. They are both amazingly smart with AV stuff, so my job is being that critical link between the professors and presenters and their expertise. I have already streamlined some services and am getting very good at figuring things out, and looking really busy. While at Bahamas we were able to go to the Atlantis, which is a 150 acre resort, and simply jaw-dropping. The Bahamas to me is similar to Mexico. Lots of taxis and lots of poverty. The people are very low key, and funny. They don't seem to take worry too much. The beach we went to was beautiful, with white sand and warm water. Coral is found all along the shore. As we sailed away from the Bahamas we all were quickly aware of the ocean. The ship is large, but about 1/3rd the size of the big cruise ships. You definately can feel the motion of the ocean, and being in the Bermuda Triangle the waves and swells are consistently large. Little loco (William) has thrown up three times today, and presently I have just finished cleaning up #3. We hope all adjust in the near future and get our "sea legs." I am having a good time and learning a lot. I learned today that running on the treadmill on a moving ship is not easy. I ran off the thing three times before I figured I had to hold on with both hands. There is a running group here and I am going to join and have a few runs at our next port in Dominica. I hope all is well back home. Later, and happy running....
Monday, January 3, 2011
Preparing for Adventure
Well, in less than a week loco will be sunning his hairy chest on the beaches of the Bahamas. The Bahamas will mark the beginning of an epic 104 day adventure by ship around the world. The loco family applied for and received jobs aboard the "Semester at Sea" program through the University of Virginia. This semester involves 600 college students, 30 professors, 30 staffers, and 200 ship crewmembers. Loco is preparing for this adventure by running as many miles as possible before departure. Loco is a little concerned about being reduced to a treadmill runner on board a moving ship, but will find a way to run. There is a running club on board for when we hit ports. I look forward to trying to get in as many runs as possible, and will post pictures and comments from each port. This blog will morph from a running blog to a running/travel blog for the next 4 months. Thanks to all my blog supporters ( both of you), and happy running.
Loco's Running Tip of the Week
Sometimes a good "anger" run is refreshing to mind and body. The basic idea is to channel your anger about something else to your running. This requires being able to run after being "triggered" by a spouse, sport team, finances, etc. The key is to know when you're triggered and have a sufficient amount of emotional pressure. At this time put on your shoes and shorts and hit the road. A good anger run involves starting off fast and trying to hold the pace as long as you can. Before you know it you'll be so tired, the anger will be released while other thoughts enter your mind. The anger run can be a great tool for your emotional health and well being.
Caution: Loco doesn't recommend picking a fight with your spouse for the sake of an anger run. Sometimes this strategy can backfire and lead to more problems than solutions. Happy Running....
Loco's Running Tip of the Week
Sometimes a good "anger" run is refreshing to mind and body. The basic idea is to channel your anger about something else to your running. This requires being able to run after being "triggered" by a spouse, sport team, finances, etc. The key is to know when you're triggered and have a sufficient amount of emotional pressure. At this time put on your shoes and shorts and hit the road. A good anger run involves starting off fast and trying to hold the pace as long as you can. Before you know it you'll be so tired, the anger will be released while other thoughts enter your mind. The anger run can be a great tool for your emotional health and well being.
Caution: Loco doesn't recommend picking a fight with your spouse for the sake of an anger run. Sometimes this strategy can backfire and lead to more problems than solutions. Happy Running....
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