Quizzical Bob goes Round the Horn

[Happydays]

QB, I read every report and looked at every photo! It looked like a fantastic holiday........ Where to next? at the ready ha ha!

[Quizzical Bob]

QB, I read every report and looked at every photo! It looked like a fantastic holiday........ Where to next? at the ready ha ha!

Next? We have just booked on Princess again for the start of next year. Four nights in Long Beach and then fifteen on Emerald Princess (again !) to Hawaii and back calling at four of the Hawaiian Islands and Ensenada in Mexico on the last day.

That should be fun

Anyway, we've been away in the caravan so now let's get back to Brazil...

[Quizzical Bob]

There's a short video of the Devil's Throat here. I took it on my phone whilst getting absolutely drenched from the spray and trying to avoid all the other selfie-snappers.

https://youtu.be/PmWT_2Z_NDA

We get back to our hotel at mid afternoon and it's too hot to do much except find some shade around the pool and some more liquid refreshment.

From the front of the hotel we can just make out the Melia Iguazu (formerly Sheraton) hotel over in Argentina where we had our coffee earlier. I would say that this is a reasonable choice of place to stay. Although it is some way from the big falls it is actually inside the Argentinian Park and so you are free to wander around before the crowds arrive or after they have left. In this view the river is blow us, the falls are to our left and stretch right up to near the hotel. The trees on the cliffs below us are where the toucans roost at night.



When we arrive back at the hotel we finally get a closer view of some coatis rummaging about in the road. They are oblivious of the people all around them. I suppose they are the South American equivalent of raccoons but with longer snouts.



In the evening once the heat subsides we decide to have our meal on the front bar terrace and watch the sun go down over the falls. We have had our olive and nuts starters with the caipirinhas so it's a more simple meal washed down with a bottle of Brazilian sauvignon blanc white wine. No, I didn't know that they made that either.



A very pleasant evening that will live long in our memories

[Quizzical Bob]

And another short video of the coatis on the front lawn. We were very thrilled to see these at last. These are really cute, lovable creatures but there are dire warnings with gruesome photographs on the information boards showing the sort of damage that their bites can cause if you try to feed them.

https://youtu.be/qOWpqqXqoVA

[Quizzical Bob]

21.0 - Iguaçu National Park - Friday 1st February - a day in the park

After the early starts of the previous few days it was a relief to do things at our own pace for a change. We decide to spend the morning on a Macuco Safari boat trip along the Iguazu River up to the falls. They are not too far away being based within our park and will pick you up from the hotel if you have a reservation. After a short wait at their offices we boarded a trailer pulled by a jeep for the trip down to the river itself. Then you get off and walk along a narrow jungle trail and down to the where the boats are waiting. If you don't fancy the walk the jeep will take you all the way down and Mrs QB found the steps very difficult and wished she'd taken the ride.

The changing rooms are about a hundred feet above the river. You have the choice of a dry boat or the very, very wet one. We were the only two oldies and chose the dry option but the other 30 or so youngsters gleefully changed into their swimming gear and we all boarded the funicular cage that dropped us down to river level. The boats are large ribs and we were the only two passengers in ours which had curved plastic windows to protect you from getting wet.

The island and the falls behind are in Argentina and the cliffs on the left are in Brazil. The Devil's Throat is in the distance on the left.


We didn't go right up to the extreme falls and seeing the heaving waters I am rather glad that we didn't. The falls in this picture are a subset of the main ones, about half their height.


This is the wet boat that accompanied us. They went right up to the cataracts and completely disappeared from view for several minutes.




Here are some videos of our trip followed by a promotional video from Macuco Safari.

https://youtu.be/dJVtHKkW7XY

[Quizzical Bob]

21.1 - Iguaçu National Park - Friday 1st February - an afternoon in the bird park

After a great boat trip which wasn't too expensive we were taken back to the hotel for some freshening up. For the afternoon we had decided to go to the bird park or Parque das Aves which was just outside the entrance to the state park. The hotel runs a shuttle bus to the state park entrance where they have a courtesy room with water and coffee and the bird park is only a few hundred metres up the road.

The sun is beating down and it is blistering hot but fortunately the hotel provides some black umbrellas which make welcome parasols. Nevertheless it is wit some relief that we reach the shelter of the Bird Park. This is a modest little affair which manifests itself as a bird rescue centre but I'd still much rather see them in their natural habitat. Everything is well presented and it is clear that the exhibits are well looked after. There is also a fascinating mixture of animals wandering around your feet.

Finally I get to the section that I have been looking forward too, the Toucans, and I have my first close encounter with them. I am really thrilled.

Apparently there are different kinds of Toucans. Who'd 'a thought it? This one with the big yellow and orange bill and the white chest is a Toco Toucan, the largest of their species




This one with the smaller green bill and yellow chest is a Keel Billed Toucan.


I was delighted to see them but they were in captivity and I would really like to see one in the wild.

Back at the hotel we see another coati scavenging near the pool



He nearly ends up in the bin!


Then, in the early evening, my dreams and hopes come true as from my hotel window I spot a Toucan in the trees two hundred metres away. I never ever thought this would happen to me.


The evening meal and drinks on the terrace were just as good as the day before.

[Quizzical Bob]

22.0 - Iguaçu National Park - Saturday 2nd February

Our last day in the park and I don't really feel that I have seen the falls properly yet despite them being 'somewhere over there'. Our flight to Rio is at 13:24 which I had chosen because it would give us time for a lazy morning before checking out by 12:00 ans till get us to Rio in daylight and give us time to settle in and adjust to the new surroundings.

I therefore set the alarm so that I can do the walk up to the falls before the crowds start to arrive once the gates open at 09:00. I only meet two other people on the 15 minute walk to the Devil's Throat and feel that I have the whole falls to myself.





When I get to the far end a worker is pressure washing the viewing walkway ready for the day's masses.



As usual there is wind and water spray everywhere and I get very wet again but I have the whole falls to myself.



It really is an impressive sight.

[Happydays]

That must have been a fantastic experience and something you will never forget!

[Quizzical Bob]

22.1 - Iguaçu National Park - Saturday 2nd February

This walkway is the one that you see in all the advertisements.



I slowly work my way back stopping regularly to enjoy the sight.


Just above the pathway there are some pretty big spiders with a successful haul. They are within reach if you feel brave enough but I have a flight to catch and I don't know if our travel insurance would cover it.


Sadly I have to say goodbye to the spectacular wonder and get back to a hungry wife and breakfast but when I reach the front lawn there is one last treat in store. An extended family of coatis are gobbling up the palm nuts (?) and I run to reception to call Mrs QB who rushes down to see them. They really are cute.

[Quizzical Bob]

That must have been a fantastic experience and something you will never forget!

Indeed it was and I can recommend the whole trip to anybody. To be honest we would do the whole cruise all over again but we would probably spend longer in Chile, more time in Buenos Aires and more time in Patagonia. We are half-seriously thinking about it. All we need is the money!

[Quizzical Bob]

22.2 - Iguaçu National Park - Saturday 2nd February

There's a crude video compilation of my walk here (no editing) and I have added all the still photos at the end. You can skip through the boring bits. I think I shall choose some of the close ups of the falls for my moving PC desktop.

https://youtu.be/UsNrgA77h04

And here are the coatis that I spoke about. The youngsters are particularly cute but have a look at the claws on them!

https://youtu.be/WIeaT0LI4rg

At breakfast around the pool I have another treat. In the tops of the trees behind us are a couple of Toucans. I quickly try to get a long shot with my camera but just as I am about to press the button Mrs QB puts a hand on my shoulder and the shot is gone and the Toucan flies off. Farewell my feathered friends and my thanks go with you.



Before we know it our driver Eric is here to collect us and take us to the local airport. It's just a couple of miles from the park entrance so doesn't take too long but when we get inside the terminal building our hearts sink at the sight of the queue. Apparently because of the drugs problem with Panama so close they X-Ray everything all the luggage before you can go inside.

Fortunately it doesn't take more than about 15 minutes and we are through to the crowded waiting area by the gate. There is a small shop selling some very attractive large cut stones but our flight is called before I am sorely tempted. It's just under two hours to Rio and our last hotel of the trip.

Next stop - Rio de Janeiro but we're off in the caravan again so I'll be back in a couple of weeks.

[Kenmo1]

All I can say is WOW. Amazing pictures and report. Enjoy your couple of weeks in the caravan. Maureen.

[Quizzical Bob]

23.1 - Rio de Janeiro - Belmond Hotel Copacabana Beach

That just leaves Rio...

I had chosen the early afternoon flight time from Iguazu so that we could check out of the hotel late morning and yet still get to Rio not too late in the afternoon. 13:24 from Iguazu arriving 15:20 in Rio and booked direct with Latam at a cost of £71.60 each. Originally I had only intended to spend two nights in Rio but I wanted to fly back direct which meant a BA flight late on the Tuesday evening. We now know that choosing BA was a mistake, but more of that later. That meant three nights in Rio so Sunday for local mooching and Monday for an official tourist tour leaving the whole of Tuesday to be sorted later once we knew at what time we would be chucked out of the hotel.

I had booked a car transfer with the hotel which was not the cheapest but it all went smoothly and our driver Malcolm was waiting for us once we had cleared the terminal. He had lived in San Francisco for many years and spoke good English. The drive to the hotel was not much over 30 minutes and we were thrilled with our first sight of the unmistakeable Sugar Loaf Mountain. We also caught a glimpse of the statue of Christ the Redeemer which is on top of the Corcovado mountain but it didn't look as big as it does in all the publicity photos. It's 38 metres high and looked not much more than a radio mast.

Our hotel was the Belmond Copacabana Palace, part of the same group that operated the one at Iguazu. When this was originally built in 1923 it was virtually the only building on the beach and the main entrance was on the inland side with the seaward side straight onto the sand. Now there is a dual carriageway running along there so the entrance has been changed. It is a good quality hotel but somehow we felt that the one at Iguazu was superior.

Once settled in we had a quick walk outside and it all seemed pleasant enough despite all the trepidations about safety that you always get before you go there. Our meal that night was right next door to the hotel in the Churrascaria Palace. I had finally found my South American meat house! The hotel very kindly found me an escort to walk us round there and arrange a last-minute table for us. The meal was exceptional and this place is obviously a local favourite. Unlimited salad bar to start and then a varied selection of fish and meat dishes brought round on trollies and carved at your table. All washed down with a bottle of Brazilian Sauvignon Blanc, very unexpected. An unforgettable meal and a great evening. we must now try one of the local varieties of these restaurants in Southampton.

Sunday morning and we are greeted by a magnificient spread of all sorts of tropical fruits at the breakfast buffet. The mangoes were the sweetest, juiciest freshest that we had ever tasted. Nothing comes close to them. On our neighbouring table was a young Brazilian footballer and his agent who were meeting some Italian representatives. I don't know what he was doing there since he was under contracty to a French club and still had four years of his contract left to run. I could tell he was a footballer by the skimpy breakfast that he hardly touched and by the diamond earstuds that he wore. They were bigger than Smarties.



We wanted to see Ipanema and on Sunday morning there is an artisan market there but before taking the taxi we spent some time watching and listening to a local girl drum group who were performing on the street outside. I think it was something in support of domestic violence against women, or a protest in support of a campaign against it. All very energetic and great fun.



Copacaban Beach on a Sunday morning. Nothing but families and youngsters having fun.

[Quizzical Bob]

23.2 - Rio de Janeiro - Ipanema Market

The two most famous beaches in Rio are Copacabana and Ipanema. I knew nothing about the geography of Rio before we went there. The coast here lies east-west starting with the entrance to Rio Harbour to the east, then going west there is Sugarloaf, then Copacabana and then on the other side of a headland lies Ipanema. Copacabana is the longer of the two at 4Km whilst Ipanema is about 2km. They are both very nice.

The market at Ipanema is just one block away from the seafront and had a very comfortable atmosphere. This is a market for local tradesmen and craftsmen and was full of vibrant local colours



This stallholder made andd printed his own designs.


I am always interest in local minerals and semi-precious stones and there were plenty to choose from here. I was rather taken by a couple of enormous blue topaz gems at less than a hundred dollars the pair but somehow I was distracted away and missed out.


Of the two famous names Ipanema is reckoned by many to be the classier but they both looked fine to me.


The famous carnival was starting in less than a week and everywhere small groups were starting to get into the spirit.

[Quizzical Bob]

23.3 - Rio de Janeiro - Monday 5th February.

I had time in the morning to do an exploratory walk around the block. Normally on long spectacular beaches I like to walk up to one end and back again but I thought that five miles might be a bit much. We didn't want to spend all day on a tour so I had booked an afternoon one that took in the main highlights and was supposed to pick us up at 13:00 but due to a misunderstanding we had been told to wait in the lobby but the tour guide was expecting to pick us up outside by the road so that was 45 minutes lost. Usually February is the hottest month in Rio. So hot that they fry eggs on the pavement just because they want to show off.

Except when we are there.

The day opened with low grey clouds that draped over the hilltops and kept out the sun but couldn't quite be bothered to drop their rain. In some ways this is a good thing. If it had been too hot then everything would have been a bit of a struggle for Mrs QB but more importantly there would have been huge crowds of pesky tourists and long queues at all the big sites.

Our first call was to the top of the Corcovado mountain for the statue of 'Cristo Redentor' beter known as 'Christ the Redeemer'. The road up to the visitor station is long and winding and very cobbled and very slippery when wet. By this time it was raining steadily and not very pleasant but not surprisingly there was hardly anybody there.



It's not a bad statue but is more significant as an iconic symbol of Rio than the work or art which it undoubtedly is. It's important to remenber than in every photo of Rio that you will see includes the photo the view is foreshortened such that the statue dominates the scene. Up close it is impressive but from a distance it loses its significance but nevertheless we're glad that we went. For some reason the other visitors that were there felt the need to pose for photos with both arms outstretched. Weird.



Initially the view from the platform was a total blank-out but aftr getting drenched in the ten minutes that I had been up there the clouds cleared a litle and I was able to go back up the flights of stairs and at least get a partial view of what we might otherwise have missed.



The Sugarloaf is in the centre, the district of Botafogo is down below and to the left, Copacabana and our hotel are under the clouds to the right.

[Quizzical Bob]

23.4 - Rio de Janeiro - Monday 5th February.

With one last fond farewell to the view from the top of Corcovado we move on to our next city site.


This was the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian near the centre of Rio. Our guide Isabela seemed to be very proud of it but I'm afraid that I couldn't take it too seriously. It reminded me of the inside of some concrete cooling towers that I had visited with in my schooldays. A big concrete concrete structure, a sort of hollow volcano. The full-height stained glass windows were quite effective and I am led to believe that when the sun is out the light inside can be quite spectacular. Pity it was raining when we were there.





Next stop was the Escadaria Selarón. They are the work of Chilean-born artist Jorge Selarón who claimed it as "my tribute to the Brazilian people" They are covered in over 2000 tiles from more than 60 countries.




There are 215 steps and I managed to run up all of them to the very top. I wouldn't have been able to do that before my operation.

[Quizzical Bob]

23.5 - Rio de Janeiro - Monday 5th February.

Our tour included a trip to the top of the Sugarloaf Mountain but since the top was covered in cloud we were given the option of not bothering but we thought that we ought to go since it was unlikely that we would ever be back. The trip up is done by cable cars in two stages. The first stop is at Morro da Urca at 722 feet high and this is where the clouds began.



There is a café there and a couple of tourist shops but the visit was not a complete failure because to our total surprise we saw some of these creatures running around:






They were 'common marmosets' although they can't be all that common because we had never seen any before. They are about the size of small cats but are umistakeable on account of the large white tufts of hair on either side of their heads.

It was worth the trip up if only to see these fascinating creatures.

[Quizzical Bob]

23.6 - Rio de Janeiro - Monday 5th February.

We had paid for the tickets for the cable car and it seemed a pity to waste them so onwards and upwards to the summit. Nobody up there and nothing to seen in the rain and a visibilty of less than 50 yards.



True to her promise our guide Isabela later sent us some emails of photographs that she had taken a few days before. In the famous words of Dusty Bin, 'This is what we could have had'. This is the cable car that was used in the film 'Moonraker' for the fight between James Bond and Jaws.



To be honest we were not too disappointed with the weather on this trip because we have enough imagination to know what the views were like and the rain kept the heat down and more importantly kept the tourists away. Queues for these sights can be over an hour long on a good day. The top of the Sugarloaf mountain is the one place where you can't see the Sugarloaf mountain anyway.

[Quizzical Bob]

23.7 - Rio de Janeiro - Tuesday 6th February.

And here we are at our last day in Rio but the flight is not until 23:00 and we have to find something to do. Checkout time is normally 12:00 and we had intended to hang around by the pool at the hotel. In the event they later gave us a checkout time of 15:00 but when we brought the cases down to reception they offered us the room until 18:30 which was very kind of them so I broght forward our car to the airport. I though that we might as well hang around their as at the hotel and you never know what the traffic is going to be like.

We had a walk around, bought some Brazilian coffee beans to take home and then noticed that the Hans Stern Jewellers shop at the hotel was offering free shuttle trips to see their workshops in Ipanema. This was very interesting with a large collection of Brazilian gemstones and of sourse there was the attempt at a hard-sell at the end of the tour which somehow we resisted.

In their entrance hall they have a full Rio carnival dress outfit on display.



One last glimpse of the Sugarloaf on our way to the airport.

I'm not fond of these late evening flights because the last day is always a bit of a washout. If we had know that we could have had the room for the whole day then perhaps we would have planned things differently.



There was quite a wait until the checkin desk opened which was somewhat tedious but the worst nightmare was when we boarded the aircraft, a British Airways dreamliner. I had paid extra to reserve our two seats in the second row back from the bulkhead. When we boarded the seat in front was already fully reclined with coats dangled over the back into our space. The occupant insisted that he had 'the right' to have his seat fully reclined for the whole flight and then regurarly sneezed into his hands. Because he was reclined he then reached over the back of his seat and grabbed hold of our touch screen to stop himself from sliding forwards. His knuckles where two inches from my wife's face

The cabin steward was not interested in our complaints and was more concerned about 'the rights' of the passenger in front of us despite our seat being unusable. I was offered another seat over by the door but it meant that for the whole twelve hour flight. The food was disgusting and I didn't touch a mouthful of it. I am still in discussion with BA about a refund of the booking fee for our seats and legal action may soon follow.

I cannot stress this strongly enough - avoid BA like the plague and only fly with them if your lives depend upon it. Even then think twice about it.

Then think again.

[Gill W]

There are some truly, selfish people out there, I'd have been seething about that guy's behaviour!

But, overall, what a fantastic trip you had - the sights that you saw you will no doubt remember forever. Thanks for sharing with us - I really enjoyed reading it, and looking at all the photos

[Quizzical Bob]

Conclusions and thoughts.

This was a truly unforgettable and wonderful holiday and we have never stopped thinking about it.

Highlights?

Chile was a revelation. A lovely country with lovely people and only the long flights are putting us off a return. We would seriously consider a holiday there if we can find the money.

The glaciers in the Beagle Channel were a wonderful and unexpected sight. Get a cabin on the north side of the ship for the best views. The cruise brochure publicises the Amalia glacier but to be honest the ship doesn't get very close and quite a few passengers missed it on account of the early call there and a lack of onboard publicity.

I loved the albatrosses. A beautiful bird, the albatross, I could watch them for hours and often did.

These were most prevalent around Cape Horn and I'm really glad that we managed to see it and sail round it.

The Falklands were one of the main reasons for the trip and we never ever thought that we would go there. Stunningly beautiful with some beaches as good as anywhere in the world and enough wildlife to last the rest of your lives. I have seriously considered a longer visit there. Apart from the expensive flights from Brize Norton organised by the RAF there is a weekly service on Saturdays from Punta Arenas in Chile. We would seriously consider a holiday there if we can find the money.

Argentina likewise. Lovely friendly people and lots to see and do. We now wish that we had spent more time in Buenos Aires. We debarked at this port after an overnight stay but in hindsight it would have been better to have gotten off the ship during the first afternoon and then spent a few nights in a hotel. Disembarkation would have been less of a struggle and very little happens on the last evening anyway. Then on the disembarkation morning you have to get up early and vacate your cabin and then sit around in the lounges. And they have great parrillas there which offer nothing much that is not meat. I would like to go back to the Tigre area and see the naval museum.

Patagonia is calling us back. We would seriously consider a holiday there if we can find the money.

The Iguazu Falls lived up to their reputation and the hotel that we chose was one of the best and friendliest that we have ever used.

By this time Mrs QB just wanted to get home but we're glad that we have 'done' Rio. Now we don't have to go there again

I hope that my rambling scribblings have given you some idea of our trip. It has taken me longer than I would have liked to publish them but I got there in the end. If anybody is thinking of doing one of these cruises then we would wholeheartedly recommend it. If anyone wants to contact me to discuss any of the points that I have made or any of the arrangements then I would be only too happy to help.