DAY 10---ENTERING THE AMAZON

 

        Our position at noon today is entering the Amazon River.  It is overcast skies, light wind, and 82 degrees.  Occasional passing rain showers.  Due to the 2 hour delay for fueling at Trinidad and the rough seas for 2 days the Captain said will be delayed arriving at Macapa.

BACKGROUND INFO FOR MACAPA

        We are just making a brief stop here so the ship can clear customs and pick up the two Amazon River pilots who will be with us while on the river to help our bridge team safely navigate it.  Brazilian officials will come on board to clear the ship.  I believe they will be stamping everyone's passports.  When we checked in at the cruise terminal in Miami, Regent kept our passports for this purpose.  Passengers are not allowed to go ashore.  Macapa is a city with population of approximately 400,000 and is located on the northern channel of the Amazon River near where the river flows into the Atlantic Ocean.  The Equator runs through the middle of the city so you can bet it is always hot and humid here.  Unfortunately, Macapa is also the 45th most violent city in the world.  Good reason not to be allowed to go ashore here today.  It has few roads to other Brazilian cities so is mainly connected to the rest of Brazil by sea or air.

LAST EVENING

        We will be crossing the Equator early tomorrow morning.  At 6pm this evening on the pool deck there will be a ceremony to initiate all those who will be crossing the Equator for the very first time.  King Neptune, God of the Sea, and his court will preside over the ceremony.  This time honored tradition dates back to 1529.  On Regent ship's it is really a funny ceremony and "Pollywogs", those who are crossing for the first time, will pledge their allegiance to King Neptune.  And to seal the deal, they will have to kiss a real fish on its lips.  Usually they end up being thrown in the pool but the pool is closed due to the rough seas.  "Shellbacks" are those who have already crossed.  So we are Shellbacks as have crossed the Equator many times. 

                                           Crossing the Equator ceremony by King Neptune.

                                                    Crew cleans the ship day and night.

                                                   Boogey and Kasia in Stars Lounge.

                                                            Dinner in Compass Rose

                                                                          Floramae 

                                           Reynaldo was the head waiter in our section.

                                                      Criss Cross zinfandel again tonight.

                                                       Chicken & vegetable spring rolls.

                                                            Beef bourguignon on pasta.

                                                                 Profiteroles for dessert

                                                                 Marilyn and Floramae

                                                       Jeri Sager's show was very good.

TODAY

        We crossed the "bar" entering the Amazon River at 3am this morning.  We had to time our bar crossing during high tide in order to get over it.  There was only 15 feet of water under the keel when we crossed it.  The river is 200 miles wide at its mouth where it flows into the Atlantic.  In contrast to the beautiful deep blue color of the ocean, the river water looks like hot chocolate due to all the sediment it's carrying.

                         Brown water due to sediment flowing out of the river into the ocean.

        When in the ocean the ship has a desalinating plant to make potable water but in the silty Amazon they cannot use it as the sediment plugs up the intakes.  So they ask we try to conserve water.  We will fill our tanks in Manaus again.

        Rebecca got to do her 40 minutes on the treadmill this morning as we are in the smooth waters entering the Amazon.  At 10:00 I went to hear Brian Unger's lecture on lost civilizations in the theater.

        Lunch up in La Veranda but I went out to the pool grill and ordered a hamburger and fries.  They were serving Indian food on today's buffet.  Don't care for Indian food. 

                                               Chef is preparing some kind of Indian food. 

        I spent the afternoon in our suite watching the river flow by and Rebecca is reading a Daniel Steele book.

                              At 4pm we passed by Macapa.  Two hours later than planned.

  

        Here you can see we just crossed the Equator.  The top photo shows us at 00.33 degrees North latitude and the bottom shows us at 00.26 degrees South latitude.  So now we are in the Southern Hemisphere.

        After passing Macapa we dropped anchor and are waiting for the river pilots and immigration authorities to arrive by boat.

        We're anchored abeam Santana.  This appears to be a boat port.  Just waiting for the Brazilians to show up.  

                                                 This yucky mess is below our balcony.

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        Shortly after 5pm here came the pilot boat to deliver 2 river pilots.  They will be on until Manaus.  Then probably 2 different pilots will take us out of the river.

        A second boat follow the pilot boat and had 5 immigration officials.  They will be returning ashore after checking our passports and the ship's papers.  

        The plan for this evening is about the same.  Cocktails at 6pm followed by dinner in Compass Rose at 7:00.

        Here is tonight's Compass Rose menu.  We will be having the marinated hearts of palm with lettuce & tomatoes.  Green Goddess dressing.  One of our favorite starters.  I think Rebecca is having the salmon entree.  I'm undecided.

        Great show tonight at 9:30 by the ship's production cast.  "World Rhythms" will feature songs and dances from around the world.  We have seen this show several times on other Regent ships.

        We are scheduled to arrive at our first Amazon port, Alter Do Chao, by 9am tomorrow but will be later.  Maybe noon.  Let ya know in tomorrow's post.