Below is our ship the Prisendam - Holland America. It's one of the smaller ships in the Line with only 744 passengers. It averaged 60,000 Liters of fuel a day and 350,000 Liters of Water consumed each day.
The Prinsendam is the smaller of the two ships
ahh... the sunsets
November 28 - our first stop was Santo Domingo, Dominican. A very pretty and clean island.
We clean up pretty nicely!
November 28 - our first stop was Santo Domingo, Dominican. A very pretty and clean island.
the Botanical Gardens
Nov 30 - Aruba. this was the most disappointing island of all our stops. We went on a tour and saw the beaches (which were beautiful), the 1 cow of 4 that they have on the island, a lot of cactus and rocks. We did get over to the rough side of the island which was very pretty.
Rob took a picture of our shadows
down town Oranjestad, Aruba
Rob took a picture of our shadows
down town Oranjestad, Aruba
Dec 2 St. Georges Grenada ...another very beautiful Island
Dec 4 - Devil's Island, French Guiana. This was the hottest place I have ever been. It is the island that held a prison and is now a tourist stop. It is where Henri Charriere - Papillon - was sentenced to spend his time.
the current residents of the island
Dec 4 - Devil's Island, French Guiana. This was the hottest place I have ever been. It is the island that held a prison and is now a tourist stop. It is where Henri Charriere - Papillon - was sentenced to spend his time.
the current residents of the island
just visiting....
along the banks of the river
Dec 5, 2009. We are 140 nautical mile from the Amazon River. We are sailing over a sand barge from all of the silt pushed out to sea from the River and can only go about 10 knots. You can clearly see the ocean's blue water and the mucky Amazon River. We won't see clear blue water again for 8 days!
The river is 4,195 miles in length, has 15,000 known tributaries (4 are over 1000 mi long) pumps 46,000 gallons PER SECOND at the rivers mouth and can be 1 to 35 miles wide in places.
along the banks of the river
Dec 6 Macapa Brazil. The EQUATOR......
photo of "Monumento Marco Zero"
photo of "Monumento Marco Zero"
Now the real thing. One foot in the Northern Hemisphere and 1 foot in the Southern Hemisphere.
we went on a tour and saw these Burial Chambers which are anatomically correct
we went on a tour and saw these Burial Chambers which are anatomically correct
now thats a car flag! - Brazil was playing in the finals the day we arrived.
Artisian center
along the River
We are travelling in the middle of the river. Look how wide it is!
along the River
We are travelling in the middle of the river. Look how wide it is!
Look closely inside of this boat and see all the hammocks. The locals use these ferries to travel the river, some trips as long as 7 days
Taken beside our ship .... you can see the muddy Amazon and the Rio Tapajos meeting.
Dec 9, 2009 Manaus, Brazil. This is as far up the river a large freighter or cruise ship can go. Manaus has over 1 million people. The Amazon and Rio Negro meet here and the contrast is stiking with the mud of the Amazon and the black of the Rio Negro.
Manaus Opera House - built 1896, all of the material was shipped from Europe to build this during the Rubber Boom.
the ceiling
the square in front of the Opera House
the market
These homes are in the city on the rivers edge and are build on stilts. When the rains come the river can rise and flood the first floor of the houses
the market