The Amazon

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This trip turned out to be more than I expected. As much as I always enjoy a Crystal Cruise, I have to say that the beginning and ending of this trip were truly memorable. There were some special moments (and people) along the cruise, but exploring the Amazon jungle and ending a busy trip with three glorious days in Barbados were perfect bookends for another adventure.

Pink dolphin, toucans, monkeys, jaguars, sloths, chameleons, great queen heron, macaws and sea turtles were definitely highlights.

Be sure to check out my notes on the hotels & restaurants at the end of the daily journal, along with videos!

Memory Lane -

Day

1

Arrived in Manaus, Amazonas late in the evening, but not too late to cross the street for an ice cold beer and some wonderful live Brazilian music. Cold beer is a MUST in the hot, humid weather that consumes the Amazon region.

Day

2

Walked the streets of Manaus to take in the local culture. While the famous Opera House is a highlight, there is not a lot to regale in Manaus. Because this is a less touristy part of Brazil, most people only speak Portuguese. Thank goodness I always refresh or learn the language. Fortunately, a few people spoke Spanish from exposure to the surrounding countries. Nonetheless, the universal language of beer and music always seemed to work. It was truly relaxing and fun to sit out in the street with the locals sharing beer and attempting to communicate. And, it was directly across the street from the Boutique Hotel Casa Teatro where I was staying! (Watch Video)

Videos

Notes

gallery

Watch the Slideshow

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A remarkable 3-D mural in Manaus, Amazonas

Day

3

This was one of those magical days! My travel partner and I were treated to a private tour of the Amazon jungle. With just our guide and interpreter along with Mr. Pina (who had chartered the channels of the jungle for 45 years), we spent an entire day traversing through the various waterways of the Amazon jungle. We were able to run our hands through the meeting of the waters to experience, first hand, the remarkable difference in temperatures of the Amazon and the Rio Negro. We visited floating villages, observed the unique flora and fauna of the Amazon, had lunch on a floating restaurant out in the middle of nowhere and slowly crept through tiny tributaries looking for special fruit. I especially looked forward to seeing the 4-foot lotus lily pads.

Did you know that the dolphin in the Amazon are pink? It is amazing to see these pink creatures sounding in the vast waters. Also, did you know that the Amazon has 1,200 times more water flowing from it than the Mississippi River? I grew up on the Mississippi River, and I know how impressive that statistic is.

Of course, the day had to end with more ice-cold beer! (Watch Videos)

Day

4

Today is the day we embark on the Crystal Serenity, unpacking for the next 10 days, walking the ship to meet the crew, trying out the drink of the day, enjoying the renown cuisine of Crystal, and smiling a lot! This trip was especially relaxing because there were only 350 passengers. (Watch the Meeting of the Waters Video)

Day

5

The Serenity is still in the Manaus port, so we took a tour of the beautiful Opera House and visited a natural habitat environment to become familiar with more of the colorful creatures that inhabit Amazonas.

(Check out the leopard video.)

Day

6

What an amazing opportunity to visit a village of 75 people nestled on the Amazon. The children of Boca de Valeria adorn themselves with colorful native attire and greet their visitors with open arms (and open hands :-). Since this type of visit is rare, they not only don't seem to mind the intrusion, but they are quite festive. It must provide them with a great economic influx. They offer boat tours and have even built a covered platform to serve...you guessed it...ice cold beers. (Watch Video)

Day

7

A stop in Santarem, one of the Amazon's largest cities, is a unique mix of local water commerce and the industrial advantages the Amazon River offers Brazil. It is evident that this city has learned to cater to tourists with its overabundance of trinket shops (for which I was grateful when I purchased a wide-brimmed hat for sun protection) and small eateries.

Day

11

Another day of cruising and pampering.

Days

8-9

Two days of cruising means 2 days of relaxing. Singing, eating, meeting and being merry are great pastimes on Crystal...and you never know who you will run into. I enjoyed a lovely dinner with Edwin Moses where we discussed the 1984 Olympics and later chatted with Bart Conner and Nadia Comaneci. The cherry on top of this celebrity sundae was Ben Mills, the charming and talented young man who became famous on the UK's X-Factor show. He loved my rendition of Norah Jones.

Day

10

Devil's Island dredges up memories of the movie Papillon. French Guiana has 3 islands that served as penal colonies. When you walk the island, you can hardly imagine the toil that these prisoners endured while carving and placing stone staircases to the top of the island in the sweltering heat. I'm also imagining that they didn't really have the time or mindset to enjoy the beauty of the island. (Watch Video)

Day

12

Grenada today. Can't imagine why the people of Grenada aren't too keen on Americans. I'm sure there are beautiful experiences awaiting, but I made the mistake of just going into town. Every 20 seconds, I was accosted to make a trinket purchase. After a while, it was just too uncomfortable and too exhausting. This was a new experience for me. I returned to the ship knowing that, at least, I met the locals and drank their beer.

Days

13-15

Final stop of the Serenity for me -- Barbados. What a gorgeous country. The people are relaxed and hospitable (always smiling) and our hotel was perfect! I opted for a small (24 rooms) adult-only hotel on the beach. It was all inclusive, and they couldn't wait to introduce me to every rum drink they could think of. The Soco Hotel has that perfect mix of remarkable location, tranquility, pleasant staff, pristine accommodations and a Concierge, Michelle, who is on top of it all. I am including a small gallery just for them. They now rank up there in my top 5 hotels in the world. This was my first experience swimming with sea turtles in the wild!

Videos

videos

Amazon Jungle:

A glimpse of traversing the waterways of the Amazon.

Meeting of the Waters:

The Amazon & the Rio Negro refusing to blend due to water temperatures.

Amazon Squirrel Monkey: I caught this video of a mother grooming her baby.

Brazilian Street Music:

The joy of relaxing in the street with the locals enjoying music.

Boca de Valeria:

High waters isolated this hut from the shore village of 75 people.

Jaguar:

This beautiful cat relaxes in a natural habitat preserve.

Devil's Island Agouti:

A fleeting glimpse of wildlife found on the penal islands of French Guiana.

Amazonas Floating Village: No roads, only boats for transportation & no running water.

Soco Hotel

Special Mention

Soco Hotel, Barbados

Now on my Top 5 List of Hotels in the World

Even my travel agent was impressed when I discovered this hotel online. Of course, they are not always what they seem to be in their own promotional materials. This hotel not only "did not disappoint" but left me in a state of comfort, tranquility and glee. The ambiance hits you the second you walk through the door. The staff are wonderful, the location is perfect and food and beverage abound! Whether I wanted to relax by the pool or sit on the beach or swim with the local sea turtles, this felt like paradise.

With a clean, crisp decor of white and aqua (which seemed to perfectly reflect what you viewed through the vast windows), I immediately felt that I had made a great choice. This hotel is adults only and with only 24 rooms, the peace of the ocean and sunset are not compromised. It is all inclusive, including beverages...which often meant lots of rum!

Michelle, the concierge, is quick to meet with you and share all of the local highlights and opportunities to explore the island. She is omnipresent and always willing to help and answer questions.

It is positioned at the very end of the boardwalk in Bridgetown and offers a perfect view of the sunset. Just a 10 minute walk away is Tapas, Barbados' "Restaurant of the Year" (and for good reason). If you want to venture from the inclusive food of the hotel, you can indulge in great cuisine and spectacular views of the ocean. I cannot wait to return to the Soco!

Please enjoy this small Soco Hotel Gallery...

Notes

notes

Required Vaccinations for Travel:

Since Brazil requires Yellow Fever vaccination or a doctor's waiver, there is much to know. The Yellow Fever vaccine is an active virus, and not everyone is excited about having that injected into their body. I am one of them. You contract this disease only if you are bitten by a mosquito that has also bitten a contaminated monkey. I wanted to take my chances. Not all doctors offer these types of vaccinations. I was extremely pleased to find a travel medicine clinic near me. The Valley Infectious Disease Associates in Los Gatos explained my odds and options. The process took less than 30 minutes and the price was the same for the inoculation or the waiver. It was only around $75.

Boutique Hotel Casa Teatro, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil:

Manaus is the capital of Amazonas and is not really a tourist destination, per se. It conducts a lot of business due to its location on the Amazon River. I arrived 3 days before my cruise was to set sail in order to explore the Amazon jungle. If you are going to take the time and trouble to travel to such a remote location...take the time to explore!

Manaus is not an expensive city. Hotels are quite reasonable, and food is very affordable, and beer is downright cheap by American standards (and all the beer was fabulous).

The Casa Teatro was interesting. It was very inexpensive, very clean and the staff were quite pleasant. However, it is somewhat like a high-end hostel. Many rooms are tiny and share a bathroom. For a reasonable price, you can reserve a suite which easily accommodates your luggage and you have a private bath.

The best thing about the Casa Teatro is its location. It is adjacent to the park where the famous Opera House is located and directly across from a very happening "dive" restaurant that serves up great food, ice cold beers and live Brazilian music.

I was quite happy ending each day by relaxing, listening and smiling with the locals. However, if you are hoping for more high-end accommodations, the Taj Mahal Continental Hotel is right around the corner.

Soco Hotel, Bridgetown, Barbados: (See my comments above.)

I can't say enough good things about the Soco Hotel. This location and hotel are definitely on my list for return trips. I especially enjoyed it because it is an "adults only" hotel. I appreciated the tranquility that offers. However, if you are traveling with children or grandchildren, you may want to check out another hotel that is just down the boardwalk. The Accra Hotel offers pools, waterfall, beach access and accommodations, several dining options and is definitely "kid friendly."