Amazon Cruise 2023

Atlanta to Sao Paulo, Brazil on the Way to Rio	Flying out of Sao Paulo, Brazil	The Tiete River in Brazil is 715 miles long	First look at Rio de Janeiro	Ships waiting to enter the Port of Rio
1st Caipirinha at Casa da Cachaca Restaurant at Sheraton Grand Rio Hotel	View from our balcony in Sheraton Grand Rio Hotel & Resort	Morning view from our hotel room In Rio de Janeiro	Morning at the Grand Rio Hotel & Resort	Outside the front entrance of the Sheraton Grand Rio Hotel
Rio Metropolitan Cathedral (1979) is 246 feet tall	Rio Metropolitan Cathedral is officially 'Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian'	Stained glass in Rio Metropolitan Cathedral	Rio Metropolitan Cathedral prepared for Easter	Inside Rio Metropolitan Cathedral
Dome of Rio Metropolitan Cathedral	Carriage for Festival of Saint Sebastian	Statue of St. Francis in Rio Cathedral	Rio Metropolitan Cathedral Bell Tower	The Copacabana Palace Hotel is 100 years old
Santa Luzia Church in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was built in 1752	Protests in front of the Regional Labor Court in Rio	Rio City Hall (1923) on Cinelândia Square in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	On the street in Rio	Selena Lapa is a hotel in downtown Rio de Janeiro
Above Museu do Amanha (Tomorrow's Museum) in Rio	Flower on the 'Cannonball Tree'	Individual Air Conditioners in Hi-rise units in Rio	The Candelária Church in Rio was built and decorated during a period from 1775 to the late 19th century	Rio de Janeiro's Metro System
Saint Bento Monastery (founded in 1590) in Rio de Janeiro	St. Bento Monastery was completed in 1671	'Sao Bento' in English is Saint Benedict	Doors to Sao Bento Monastery in Rio	Entering Sao Bento Monastery
Inside Sao Bento Monastery	Burial crypt in the main isle of the Sao Bento Monastery	Side Chapel in Sao Bento Monastery	Statue in side chapel of Sao Bento Monastery	Stained glass in Sao Bento Monastery
Bust of Zumbi who went from slave to warrior leader in Brazil	Leblon Beach in Rio	Pool & Beach at Sheraton Rio Hotel & Resort	View of Praia do Vidigal (Vidigal Beach) from our hotel balcony	Up at sunrise in Rio for today's tour
Sunrise on the hillside neighborhood behind our hotel	Tuesday morning on Ipanema Beach in Rio	Outdoor cafe on Ipanema Beach in Rio	Copacabana Beach in Rio	Grand Rio is one of 70 'Samba Schools' in Rio
One of Grande Rio's floats from 2023 Carnival	Another float from 2023 Samba Parade	Samba Schools have 3,000 or more members	Inside the Grande Rio Samba School facility	Float has a working carousel with riders on the horses
Samba Schools create more than 3,000 costumes each year	Samba costume from 2023 Grande Rio School	Samba Costumes are detailed & elaborate	Headpieces are very heavy & worn for several hours on competition day of Carnival	Preparation for Carnival is a year-long process
Each float has a number of costumes associated with it	Trying on Samba Costumes from prior years	Costumes are very heavy for people who dance for 80-90 minutes at Sambadromo	The Grande Rio Medallion	Our group in Grande Rio Samba School Costumes
Time for Samba Lessons	Samba instructors at Grande Rio Samba School	1st District of Brazil Navy (1764)	RSSC Voyager docked in Rio de Janeiro	Visiting Tomorrow''s Museum in Rio
3d rotating LED globe in Tomorrow's Museum	Colorful buildings in old Rio	Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (1886) in Rio	Lunch at Braziliam Churrascaia	1st round of meat at Churrascaria
Meat just keeps on coming	Sugarloaf Mountain viewed from the Churrascaria	Monument to the Heroes of Laguna and Dourados at the foot of Sugarloaf Mountain	Sugarloaf Cable Car arriving at base level	Sugarloaf cable cars in James Bond Moonraker
1st & 2nd cable car stops to Sugarloaf summit	View of Rio from Sugarloaf Cable Car	Waiting at 1st stop for cable car to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain	Beaches of Rio & Guanabara Bay from Sugarloaf Mountain	On top of Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio
Santos Dumont Airport (1936) on Guanabara Bay in Rio	Another view from Sugarloaf Mountain	View of Guanabara Bay from Sugarloaf Mountain	Seeing Christ the Redeemer Statue on Corcavado from Sugarloaf	Christ the Redeemer statue on a cloudy day
4q - 1st pina colada aboard the Navigator.jpg	Suite 838 on RSSC Navigator	Sailing out of Rio at dusk	Sailing past Fortaleza de Santa Cruz (1612)	Champagne breakfast on Day 1 of Cruise
Wine tasting on the RSSC Navigator	St. Patrick's Day on the RSSC Navigator	St. Paddy's Day Rainbow with pot of gold under 40K feet of water	Dressed to meet the Captain of the vessel	Compass Rose Dining Room China
1st Production show on RSSC Navigator	RSSC Navigator Singers & Dancers	Arriving in Maceio, Brazil	Replica of the Statue of Liberty in Maceio	Museum of Commerce of Algaoa in Maceio, Brazil
Fresh fish for sale in Maceio, Brazil	Soccer on the beach at Maceio, Brazil	Scenic overlook in Maceio, Brazil with our ship in the background	Maceio is capital of the state of Alagoas in Brazil	Flowers in Maceio, Brazil
Bom Jesus dos Martirios Church in Maceio is covered with blue and white Portuguese tiles	Street Market in Maceio, Brazil	Museum in a 19th Century house in Maceio	Don Pedro I was founder of the Brazilian empire and first Emperor of Brazil	Maceio Cathedral (1840)
Inside Maceio Cathedral	Ceiling mural in Maceio Cathedral	Altar in Maceio Cathedral	Mural of Holy Family in Maceio Cathedral	Mary & Jesus statues in Maceio Cathedral
Christ statue in Maceio Cathedral	RSSC Voyager docked in Maceio, Brazil	Artisan Market in Maceio, Brazil	Pajucara Beach in Maceio, Brazil	Leaving Maceio, Brazil
'Block Party' on Deck 8 of RSSC Voyager	Docked in Fortaleza, Brazil (Population 2.8 Million)	Fortaleza beachront street	Sanitation worker cleaning city center street in downtown Fortaleza, Brazil	Fortaleza suburb versus downtown street
Church of the Latter-day Saints in Fortaleza	One of many high rises in Fortaleza	Older, poor neighborhood in Fortaleza, Brazil	House in poorer neighborhoods in Fortaleza	Billboard for school says 'Choose First World'
Unique mausoleum of former Brazil President appears to be floating	Iracema Beach in Fortaleza, Brazil	Resort Hotels line Iracema Beach in Fortaleza	Art on Iracema Beach in Fortaleza	'The Statue of Iracema' sculpture on Iracema Beach in Fortaleza
'Guardian of Iracema Statue' is actually on Mucuripe Beach in Fortaleza	Statue on the Beach at Fortaleza, Brazil	Finance ministry for state of Ceara in Fortaleza, Brazil	Ministry of Finance building for state of Ceara, Brazil was built in 1926	Gate to former Fortaleza prison which is now an artisan market
Walls of 19th Century Prison turned artisan market	Artwork in Centro de Turismo (artisan market) in Fortaleza	Shopping at a market in the former Fotaleza Prison	Fortaleza Cathedral architecture borrows from the Cologne Cathedral in Germany and is similar to the Chartres Cathedral in Franc	Fortaleza Cathedral took 40 years to complete (1938-1978)
Fortaleza Cathedral is known for its Swiss stained glass	Rose window in Fortaleza Cathedral	Stained glass of St. Peter in Fortaleza Cathedral	Interesting stained glass in Fortaleza Cathedral	Front of sanctuary in Fortaleza Cathedral
Jose de Alencar Theater (1910) in Fortaleza, Brazil	Jose de Alencar Theater is a Brazil national landmark	Spiral staircase at the Jose de Alencar Theater	Jose de Alencar Theater concert hall seats 800 people	Fruit vendor in Fortaleza, Brazil
Not all of Fortaleza is well-maintained	Grafitti-covered Christ the Redeemer Monument (erected in 1922)	Mucuripe Lighthouse (1872) covered with grafitti in Fortaleza, Brazil	Wine glasses in Chartreuse French Specialty Restaurant on the RSSC Navigator	Dessert Wine that Susan liked
King Neptune at crossing the Equator Ceremony	Two 'polywogs' (sailors' who have not crossed the Equator) must pass a test to become 'shellbacks'	'Polywogs' kiss the fish to become 'Shellbacks'	'Polywog' guests line up to kiss the fish	King Neptune allows ship to cross the Equator
We crossed the Equator twice in one day--south to north, then north to south	The mouth of the Amazon River is 235 miles wide	A rainbow welcomes us to the Amazon River	First signs of life along the Amazon River	House on the Amazon River
Life along the Amazon River	Open-air hut with Solar Panels on the Amazon	Small boat on the Amazon River	Man outside a dry-docked houseboat on the Amazon River	Small hut on the Amazon River
Anchored on the Amazon River near Boca da Valeria, Brazil	Tender disembarkation is on the beach of Alter do Chao, Brazil	Along the Tapajos River in Alter do Chao	Boats on Rio Tapaajos at Alter do Chao, Brazil	High water levels of Tapajos River in Alter do Chao
Alter do Chao was founded in 1626	Dancer in the park at Alter do Chao, Brazil	Susan & Pink Dolphin Statue in Alter do Chao Park	Our Lady of Health Parish in Alter do Chao	Black Vultures on windmill in Alter do Chao
Bill's new mask is made with fish scales & Piranha teeth	'Carimbo' is traditional Amazon Music	'Carimbo' Amazon dancer on Alter do Chao Beach	RSSC Voyager Anchored near Boca da Valeria	RSSC Voyager Lifeboats provide tender service
Approaching Boca da Valeria, Brazil	Boca da Valeria is village of about 150 people	Welcoming party at Boca da Valeria	Young entrepreneurs in Boca da Valeria, Brazil	Amazonian girl posing with young Caiman for tips
Lady feeding baby sloth	Young girl in native Amazonian costume	Colorful Amazonian costume	Residents of Boca da Valeria, Brazil	Boca da Valeria Church
Inside the Boca da Valeria Church	View of Boca da Valeria from the church steps	Houses on the single street of Boca da Valeria	Plants hanging on a house in Boca da Valeri	House with fishing nets hanging under it in Boca da Valeria
Tender in shallow water around Boca da Valeria	Colorful Amazonian Coatume	School in Boca da Valeria	Kids are off from school when ship's visit Boca da Valeria	Flower growing on a rock in the Amazon Jungle
Outdoor wash basin in Boca da Valeria	Ducks in Boca da Valeria	Boca da Valeria kid with talking parrot & Marvel comics T-shirt	More RSSC guests arriving in Boca da Valeria	Local boat & German Cruise ship viewed from our tender
Cattle running home on the banks of the Amazon River	Family life on the Amazon River	Horses grazing on the banks of the Amazon River	Small settlement on the Amazon River	Sun setting behind clouds on the Amazon
View from our balcony of the city of Manaus, Brazil	Manaus is the 7th largest city in Brazil	Manaus was founded in 1669	Manaus is the 2nd largest city in the Amazon Rainforest	Boarding a sightseeing boat in Manaus
7n2 - At the back of a sighseeing boat.jpg	Lots of debris in this part of the Rio Negro	Watching ship's tender operations in the rain	Village on stilts on Rio Negro (Black River)	High water marks are clear on houses on stilts on Rio Negro
Church in the village on stilts on Rio Negro	Great Egret on the shore of Lake January	Entering January Lake in Brazil	Floating houses on January Lake on a rainy day	Hanging out in a floating house on Lake January
Floating gift shop on Lake January	Boarding 'canoes' in the rain on Lake January	Floating Restaurant on Lake January	Snowy Egret on the shore of Lake January	Black bark on trees is the high water mark of Lake January
Strange birds nest on January Lake	Rice growing along January Lake	Giant water lilies on January Lake	Victoria Amazonia lilies up to 6' across	Small bloom on Victoria Amazonica Water Lily
On January Lake with Victoria Amazonica Lilies	Remote houses at the end of January Lake	Back to the floating dock on January Lake	Rio Negro & the Solimoes River flow side by side for miles before converging	These 2 rivers eventually converge to form the Amazon River
Tugboat on Rio Negro below the Amazon Headquarters of the Brazilian Navy	Amazon Brazil Navy Headquarters is in Manaus on Rio Negro	Tug sailing past Brazilian Navy ships on Rio Negro	Manaus exports nuts, rubber, jute, rosewood	Port of Manaus on Rio Negro
Disembarking sightseeing boat in Manaus	View of RSSC Navigator from night tour boat	View of Manaus bridge from night tour boat	Making caipirinhas on night tour boat	Starting Night Caiman Spotting Tour with caipirinhas
Arriving at floating dock on Rio Negro	Our Caiman spotter on front of the canoe	Night sky on the Rio Negro	Our spotter caught a Caiman	Caiman can grow to be 9 feet long
Caiman are momentarily hypnotized by light	Caiman in 'tonic immobility' after 15 seconds on its back	Bill has boots made of Caiman underbelly	Onboard fast boat for today's tour	Rainbow in wake of our tour boat
Private home on Rio Negro (Black River)	Nice boat on private beach on Rio Negro	Basic Amazon beach resort on Rio Negro	Speeding past a local boat on Rio Negro	Life along the Rio Negro
Arriving at location of Pink Dolphin Encounter on Lake Acajatuba	Interacting with a Freshwater Pink Dolphin	These Pink Dolphins live in Lake Acajatuba in the wild	Wild dolphins come for free fish	Susan getting friendly with pink dolphin
Pink dolphins are locally called 'botos'	Dolphin showing his blowhole	Pink Dolphin showing his teeth	It's illegal to use hooks to catch the Pirarucu (endangered species)	Seeing how high I can pull a Pirarucu without a hook
Pirarucu have been reported to grow up to 15 ft and 440 lbs	Village church on Lake Acajatuba	Dock in village of Nossa sra Perpetuo Socorrow, Brazil	Lake Acajatuba sign in village of Nossa sra Perpetuo Socorrow	Dark line is high water mark in the rainy season
Nossa sra Perpetuo Socorrow has 228 residents	Local beer cost $1 per small can	Small village -- big souvenir store	Hand-made map of Nossa sra Perpetuo Socorrow	Village restaurant
Yellow-breasted bird & satellite dish in Nossa sra Perpetuo Socorrow	Houses around the village soccer field	Soccer field bleachers and back of church	Purple house with artistic shutters	Susan relaxing while Bill explores the village of Nossa sra Perpetuo Socorrow
Interesting tree in the village of Nossa sra Perpetuo Socorrow	Assembly of God Evangelical Church in the Amazon	Interesting small white church in Nossa sra Perpetuo Socorrow	Village school seems to be one of a few buildings with air conditioners	Breeding farm to save endangered turtle species
Baby endangered species turtles on an Amazon River tributary	Head of turtle conservation effort in small Amazon village	Phone booth has been replaced by cell phones -- even in this small, remote village	Boy watching cartoons in small Amazon village	Last look at Rio Negro Bridge leaving Manaus, Brazil
Arriving in Parintins, Brazil by tender	Vendor stalls in Parintins, Brazil	Attending Boi Bumba Folk Show	Boi Bumba is Brazil's 2nd biggest festival after Carnival	Boi Bumba originated in 18th Century
We are seeing a 1 hr snapshot of a the 3-day Boi Bumba Festival	Boi Bmba is held every June in Parintins, Brazil	The ox is part of the legend of Boi Bumba	New characters in the festival arrive on floats	The 'Bumbodromo' in Parintins seats 35,000
A new dancer arrives by float	Team Caprichoso competes wth team Garantido	Boi Bumba dancers use lots of feathers	Teams are judged on costumes, songs, & dances	Another float with another dancer
Dancer from the Parrot Float in Boi Bumba Festival	Male dancers at Boi Bumba	Maybe my favorite costume in Boi Bumba	Cast members make numerous costume changes during the Boi Bumba Folk Show	The Shaman is an important character in the Boi Bumba Festival
Time to meet the Boi Bumba performers	So many feathers in this costume	Susan with Boi Bumba performers	Name of one of two Boi Bumba clubs is Whimsical Ox	Posing with dancer after the Boi Bumba Folk Show
Susan with Boi Bumba dancers	Bill has the bulls by the tails in Parintins, Brazil	I Love Parintins Sign	Statues in Parintins pay tribute to the Amazon culture	Monument to the Black Presence in Parintins
Small park in Parintins, Brazil	Official store of Boi Bumba Team Caprichoso in Parinitns	Parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Parintins	Mural on the wall around Parish of Sacred Heart	Street market in Parintins on the Amazon River
View of Parintins from our balcony on ship	Tower of Parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Parintins, Brazil	Our Lady of Carmen in front of the 'Bumbodromo'	Sunset on the Amazon	Compass Rose Dining Room with Joe & Vicki
Anchored near Santarem on the Amazon	The Amazon joins the Rio Tapajos at Santarem, Brazil	Rivers joining is called 'Wedding of the Waters'	Ferry boats docked in Santarem, Brazil	Santarem is a city of 306,500 in Amazon state of Parantins
Santarem was founded by the Portuguese in 1661	Interesting phone booth in Santarem, Brazil	Hammocks for sale at an outdoor market in Santarem	Metropolitan Cathedral of Santarem (1819)	Stained glass in Santarem Cathedral
Stained glass in Santarem Cathedral	Park in Santarem, Brazil	Cardboard on motorcycles to protect the seats from the sun	Fisherman's Square in Santarem	First Baptist Church in Santarem
Santarem street leads down to the Tajapos River	Fish Statue along the Santarem boardwalk	Country Fair Day onboard RSSC Navigator	RSSC band performing at Country Fair	Each department has a unique game to play
Housekeeping Department Booth	Tony at Boutique staff booth	Wait Staff game booth	Kitchen Staff game booth	Deck Staff game booth
Bill getting ready at Entertainment Staff Booth of Country Fair	Bill's swinging at Country Fair	Only one bottle left standing	7v1l - We have a winner.jpg	Post-game drink at the Pool Bar
Mark Preston (from the Lettermen) and his wife,Michelle Murlin (Broadway star)	Best Production Show of the cruise	On the pier at Martinique with Fort Saint Louis behind them	On the pier at Martinique with Fort St. Louis in the background	Driving through the Martinique countryside
Martinique is considered a region of France	Touring the island of Martinique	Visiting DePaz Rum Distillery in Martinique	DePaz Castle with Mount Pelee (active volcano) in the background	'Depaz Castle' (1920) is replica of a 1651 home on the Depaz Rhum Distillery property
Old Waterwheel at Depaz Rum Distillery	Depaz Rum is distilled from Sugar Cane	'Dore' Depaz Rum is aged for a year in oak barrels	Sugar Cane field at Depaz Rhum Distillery	Martinique is a mountainous island
Sheep outside Le Bambou Restaurant	Curious 'kid' at our lunch stop	Flower arrangement in Le Bambou Restaurant	Costus plant in Le Bambou garden	Flamingo Flower in Le Bambou garden
Large snail in Le Bambou Restaurant Garden	Hiking trail and bathing stream Martinique	In Balata Gardens in Martinique	Watching hummingbirds in Balata Gardens	Hummingbird on feeder in Balata Gardens
Nile Tilapia in Lily Pond in Balata Gardens	Flamingo flowers in Balata Gardens in Martinique	On the suspension bridge over Balata Gardens	Suspension Bridge around Balata Gardens has 8 sections	View of Balata Gardens from suspension bridge
View of Caribbean Sea from Balata Garden suspension bridge	Susan chose not to go on the suspension bridge	Leaving Balata Gardens	Balata Church is a miniature version of the Sacre-Coeur in Paris	Balata Church was built in 1923
Balata Church prepared for Palm Sunday	Balata Church Altar	Under the Dome in Balata Church in Martinique	View from outside of Balata Church in Martinique	Hillside homes in Martinique
Fort-de-France is the capital city of Martinique	Fort Saint Louis was rebuilt in 1669	First look at the island of St. Maarten from our balcony on the cruise ship	Docked in Philipsburg--capital of (Dutch) St. Maarten	Damage still remains from 2017 Hurrican Irma on St. Martin
Entering the French side of St. Martin	Methodist Church on French st. Martin	Driving around St. Martin	Cactus & Salt Pond on St. Martin	Iguana on cactus in St. Martin
Nice homes and apartments on St. Martin	House for rent on St. Martin	Yachts in the Marina of Marigot (capital of French St. Martin)	Marigot is the French capital on nothern side of St. Martin	Shopping at the Sunday Market in Marigot, St. Martin
Nice apartments in the shadow of 1789 Fort St. Louis in Marigo	Bill found a peg-leg pirate in Marigot, St. Martin	Turquoise waters of the Caribbean	4 flags of St. Maarten at Dutch Border	Returning to the Dutch side of St. Maarten
Car rental on St. Maarten	Drawbridge opens 3 times per day for boats	Boarding tour boat to ride around Simpson Bay Lagoon	Boat includes open bar and calypso music	Life on the Dutch side Simpson Bay Lagoon
Sailboats on the Dutch side of Simpson Bay Lagoon	Susan on back of top deck of our tour boat	Coast Guard boat on Simpson Bay Lagoon	Yacht named Baton Rouge on Simpson Bay Lagoon	Yachts anchored in Simpson Bay Lagoon
Simpson Bay Bridge separates Dutch St. Maarten from French St. Martin	Passing under Simpson Bay Bridge to the French side	Boats on the French side of Simpson Bay Lagoon	Boats on Simpson Bay Lagoon with Marigot in the background	Many boats anchor permanently on French side of St. Martin for tax purposes
Les jardins de Bellevue is a hotel on the French side of St. Martin	Doing the YMCA on the party boat	Iguanas on the dock at Simpson Bay Lagoon	Back in Philipsburg, St. Maarten	First time I've seen a Cheese and Liquor Store
Ships docked in Dutch St. Maarten	Theater prepared for Palm Sunday Worship Service aboard the RSSC Navigator	Palm Sunday Service on RSSC Navigator	Crew member singing "Splish Splash" on Crew Talent Night	Crew Talent Night parody of "tacky tourists"
Crew talent night	"Tinikling" is the traditional Filipino stick dance	Crew member doing a really good Santana	YMCA at Crew Talent Night	Getting the audience involved in the YMCA
Grand finale of the Crew Talent Show	Farewell to the crew of the RSSC Navigator	Early Morning arrival in Miami, FL	Last look at Miami before leaving for the airport