Brazil Continued

After returning from Acajatuba we went out to dinner in Manaus at a restaurant called Canto da Paixada which means song of the fish in Portuguese. We sampled several types of fish and desserts. The next day I headed out with my family to a place called Galleria Amazonas where we purchased several crafts such as baskets and jewlery made by Indians from the area. We also walked through several markets in the city where we looked at crafts and talked to the people working there. We also stopped by a grocery store where it was interesting to see items that I was used to such as cheetos or oreos being sold in Portuguese packages. I got dinner in the city again that night with several friends and was able to try even more kinds of fish. The next day was our last in Manaus so we visited the local cathedral which was called Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception and visited the square in front of the beautiful opera house in Manaus before heading back to the ship so we could begin our trip back up the Amazon to reach the Atlantic Ocean.

The MV Explorer - My new home!

Brazil!

Brazil was so amazing! We docked in the city of Manaus after sailing up the Amazon River. On the first day in port I got to know the city and visited the opera house and walked through the local fish, vegetable and banana markets. Later that night we went dancing at a place called School of Samba with Professor Lina from the university in Manaus and several hundred Semester at Sea students. The people of Manaus were practicing for Carnival if June and they allowed us to dance and celebrate with them. The next day I set out early with a group from the ship for our homestay in a village called Acajatuba on the Rio Negro. We split up into pairs and met the families that we would be staying with for the next two days. I was staying with a young couple and there 1 and ½ year old daughter Maria Clara. They live in a small, beautiful house that was very open with a small yard surrounded by trees. They lived right next to the local school that provides free education up to high school. They showed us their home and where we would be sleeping in hammocks as well as teaching us about the plants around their home and the kinds of fruits that these plants produced. After lunch and a siesta we played futbol or soccer with the local kids and after several hours were defeated 4-3. We then headed out on small boats to go fishing. We caught 6 pirannahs and 2 catfish which we brought back to the village so our host families could eat them. We then watched the sun set over the Rio Negro before beginning to search for Caymen. A Cayman is similar to an alligator or crocodile but besides the difference in location they also have different jaw structures. We then returned to the village for dinner with our families before a dance presentation from the children of Acajatuba. They then taught several traditional dances. My partner, Gabriel was very patient and helpful as I learned the steps. After playing with the smaller children we went to sleep in our gently swaying hammocks. We woke up early the next morning, around 5:15 am to watch the sun rise over the river and look at the gray dolphins who live in the Amazon and its tributaries. We returned for a breakfast of tapioca pancakes and fried bananas. After helping with the dishes, cleaning the house and preparing to make lunch we set off for a hike in the jungle. We examined many trees and their uses for food and medicine. The forest was beautiful and lush. We then made our way back to Acajatuba by boat to eat lunch and say goodbye to our new friends. Although there was a language barrier (They only spoke Portuguese and I only speak English and a little Spanish) we were able to communicate and make a connection. My new family wrote me the sweetest note in Portuguese (which I will hopefully be able to provide a rough translation of later). We left later that day to return to Manaus and our ship.

My new Brazilian family in Acajatuba

Thursday, Jan. 20

Today was fairly uneventful on the ship but it was our first day on the Amazon. The river is enormous; the riverbanks seem far away on both sides of the deck. I didn’t know a river could be this huge! We are beginning preparations for arriving in Manaus as several members of the American Embassy in Brazil boarded so that they could talk to the students before we docked.  The water in the river is muddy brown and the water is almost completely flat. We watched Fitzcarraldo in the evening while enjoying popcorn. I can’t wait to arrive in Manaus on the 23^rd. 

Tuesday, Jan. 18 and Wednesday, Jan. 19

These two days were tough. As the ship headed out into the Atlantic Ocean we hit some waves, which caused the boat to rock and roll. Almost everyone on the boat was sick, including me and Kiri, my roommate. Besides classes I spent most of these two days sleeping off nausea or sitting on deck trying to avoid to worst motion of the ship. Wednesday night, however, we entered the Amazon River and the boat settled down for smoother passage. 

Monday, Jan. 17

 Our second day in Dominica started with a 6:15 am run along the shoreline and then back through Roseau. We then headed off to visit Trafalgar Falls. As we headed up into the rainforest it began to rain and it poured on and off for the rest of the morning. Trafalgar Falls were completely gorgeous. The falls were overwhelmingly beautiful and we spent a while admiring them before returning to the ship. The sun came out in the afternoon and my sister, Alison, and I met up with Emma and walked around Roseau, stopping to eat lunch, buy local fruit juices or poke our heads in markets and shops. We walked to the beach next to our ship and swam in the beautiful clear Caribbean water before drying in the sun as we continued to explore the city. We reboarded the ship in the afternoon and set sail from Dominica that night.

Sunday, Jan. 16th

Today we arrived in port! I woke up to see the beautiful island of Dominica right next to the ship. After clearing customs we left on our first adventure. We visited the Emerald Pool to swim. The Emerald Pool is a beautiful sea-green pool fed by a gorgeous waterfall. To get to the pool we had to take a short walk through the rainforest in which we were able to admire all the plants and flowers along the trail. The water at the pool was cool and refreshing and the waterfall was stunning. After that we drove to the Layou River where we got to go tubing through the rapids for about an hour and a half. The rainforest on either side was gorgeous and floating down the river was the perfect thing to do on a sunny morning. After returning to Roseau we left for a snorkeling trip. We drove to a beach where we were able to swim out to a reef not far from shore. This reef is called Champagne Reef because of the bubbles that rise from it to the surface. The bubbles are formed from gas buildup on the ocean floor. There were so many types of fish and coral – it was an amazing experience! After returning back to the ship I went to dinner with some friends and some faculty from the ship. We went to a local restaurant where we ordered roti with chutney. This was a delicious dish made of chicken, potatoes, vegetables and spices surrounded by a type of doughy bread. It was almost similar to an Indian samosa.  I can’t wait for my next day in Dominica!

Saturday, Jan. 15

Today I had my first Global Studies class, which is required for all students on the ship. it was very interesting! After looking at the geology of some of the ocean and Dominica (our next port) we had a lecture on maps. I also attended Oceanography after lunch and then spent the afternoon going to the gym, practicing the violin and getting some schoolwork done while enjoying the beautiful scenery from the deck. There are hundreds of beautiful sea birds that fly past and we also sailed past several islands today on our way to Dominica. One island in particular was fascinating. It was a volcano rising out of the ocean and it is inhabited even though it is an active volcano - it could erupt! After Dinner everyone attended a pre-port lecture that gave general information about Dominica as well as a general cultural overview. I can't wait to wake up tomorrow morning and be in port.

Friday, Jan. 14th

Today was the first day of classes. I attended travel writing and intermediate Spanish. These classes seem like they’re going to be challenging but overall aren’t much different from high school. The scenery from the deck is beautiful, even if it is pretty windy! We have one more full day at sea and one more day of classes before we pull into port at Dominica. Today has been pretty uneventful, Ive just been trying to catch up on my CHS work as well as begin my UVa assignments! I can’t wait to reach Dominica so I can explore a whole new place!  After dinner Mr. Nelson, one of our inter-port lecturer, gave a lecture on identity and architecture especially focusing on the architecture of the slave trade on the west coast of Africa and the Caribbean.

Pictures and Classes

Because of the limited internet bandwidth I'll upload my photos in ports where I can find an internet cafe. I'll post pictures as often as I can but it might take a little while so please be patient! On a different note, classes start today so I can go to my first official college class in about 45 minutes. I hope everyone is okay back at home! I miss you all!

Thursday, Jan. 13th

I’ve finally caught up to today! Because we lost an hour of sleep due to the clock changes, Kiri and I woke up late and missed breakfast. We then had to spend all day until lunchtime in Orientation and after a short break resumed meetings in the Union (a large auditorium-like classroom). Beatrix, Kiri, Haley, Amelia and I caught up on email and postcards while watching a movie before moving to deck 7 to enjoy the wind, waves and sun. After dinner we heard from our first guest speaker, Andrew Briggs who is the founder of Freedom and Creation. Then we had small discussion groups for the common reading, Three Cups of Tea about Greg Mortenson.

Wednesday, Jan. 12th

On Wednesday morning we finally got the internet up and running so I could say hi to everyone back home. We also went back into Nassau and tried fresh coconut milk and meat before getting our last meal of conch fritters at the café. The students were boarding all day so orientation began in the evening. We pulled out of port and began our journey at 8 pm. A tugboat pulled us out of the harbor and sent us on our way.  We had a few more meetings and and despite feeling slightly seasick went to bed later.

Tuesday, Jan. 11th

At 6:30 we went for a run to Paradise Island and then across the Island to the beach on the other side. After breakfast a few faculty, Haley, Emma, Amelia, Kiri, Alison and I caught a bus out to Fort Montegu to look around and then walked a mile to a nature reserve where we walked through the botanical gardens filled with bohemian flora and fauna. We then caught a bus back into town and reboarded the ship for lunch. Then Amelia, Kiri, Alison and I went into town to do a little shopping and then stopped at the same little café for conch fritters. That night, before the students boarded. Haley, Amelia and I slept on the top deck in sleeping bags – the weather was beautiful but we were woken up at 4 am by a crew member hosing down the decks.

Monday, Jan. 10th

On monday a bunch of the Faculty kids: Kiri, Emma, Alison, Amelia, Haley, Ben and I went to the beach and went swimming and walked around town. We came back to the ship for lunch and after lunch I went back to shore with Alison, Kiri, Amelia and her mom. We went to the Pompey museum of Slavery and Emancipation and then walked to Fort Charlotte to look around. On our way back Amelia, Kiri, Alison and I stopped at a little out-of-the-way cafe and had conch fritters, which are a local staple in the Bahamas. After dinner several faculty and several faculty children went to a nearby hotel, Atlantis, on Paradise Island to see the aquarium of tropical fish that they have there

Sunday, Jan. 9th

After waking up at 4 am and flying to Charlotte, NC from Richmond, VA we finally made it to Nassau, Bahamas. We moved into our cabins on the ship and had lunch on shore in Nassau and walked around before returning to the ship. We explored the decks and I met the other faculty kids. I unpacked with my roommate, Kiri, and hung out on the deck that night with Haley and Amelia and Kiri, some of the other faculty kids.

On the Ship!

Sorry for the delay, the internet isn't great so its been tough to keep up! We've had a great three days in the Bahamas and we've been on lots of adventures already that I'll tell you all about later! We leave port tonight at five and sail to Dominica. I'll post more about our experiences so far a little later on but we've been to the beach, eaten conch fritters and visited colonial forts!

Waiting to Leave!

I'm currently in the Richmond Airport waiting to fly to the Bahamas... I can't wait to finally be on Semester at Sea but I'll miss everyone back at home!

Semester at Sea is just around the corner!

Only four days until I leave for the Bahamas!