Our 4th Cruise: Valparaiso, Chile to Rio, Brazil

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Cruise #4:

Valparaiso, Chile: This was the start of the cruise for us, and not the greatest start for me. I had been experiencing some tooth pain, and so I had the ship book me a dentist appointment, and ended up having a root canal performed! What a day! Afterwards, I met up with Larry and my friend Nicole for a little lunch up at our favorite spot - the top of Ascensor Concepcion. Here we had lunch at Café Turri, which was absolutely delicious. Afterwards we took a walk and did a little grocery shopping before we had to board the ship for a regular emergency drill.

Puerto Montt, Chile: This time around, we hopped in a taxi with friends Nicole and Zoe, and headed out to Puerto Varas - a quaint, yet happening little beachfront town. It was here that we met up with Mike (from the band) and Jayne (our future cruise consultant) for lunch, a stroll around town, and to pose for a few silly pictures in between. We finished off the day by going to this little restaurant for a bread snack (this place seriously had the best bread EVER!), and then taking a local bus back to our ship.

Chilean Fjords: A bit cloudy, but still managed to get some pretty photographs.

Jay Jr.’s Birthday Party: This was a party for one of Jason & Ryan’s “children” - OK, a stuffed animal - named Jay Jr. He turned one today, so the cast grabbed all of their “children” as well (of course LBJ came, in case you were wondering) and attended the party. And before you pass any judgment, just remember, you don’t work on a ship!

Punta Arenas, Chile: Here we had a WONDERFUL lunch at a place known as “Los Ganaderos,” which resembled a rural ‘estancia’ - or a ranch. Here the waiters were all dressed up in authentic gaucho costumes, as they served us their famous spit-roasted lamb.

Ushuaia, Argentina: Unfortunately we couldn’t stop in Ushuaia on this day. There were some shenanigans / picketing going on there involving the Ushuaia pier officials, and so our captain thought it best that we skip this port this time around. Darn it…Larry and I had had a tour there too!

Cape Horn: Not good weather this time around…I really thought I was going to get swept off the deck in a big gust of wind!

Superbowl Sunday: Yes, Superbowl Sunday…and we got to watch the game live in the Queen’s Lounge. Don’t you just love satellite these days??

Antarctica, Days 1-3: This was our final time in Antarctica, and WOW, was our weather nice!! We did most of the regular areas that we had been doing in the previous two Antarctica routes, including Neumayer Channel, Paradise Bay, Palmer Station, LeMaire Channel, Paulette Island, Esperanza Station and Hope Bay. The highlight was probably when Larry and I did the “Penguin Plunge” - where we jump in an outdoor pool while in freezing Antarctica for a lousy certificate! Well, we had a good time…and FROZE…but we still didn’t get the certificate!!

Stanley, Falkland Islands: Today we had an AMAZING tour - where we went out in 4x4s to go see the Rockhopper Penguins that colonize a cliff about an hour away from Stanley. They are really funny penguins, as they are always hopping around as they carry things in their beaks to build nests. They were really fun to watch and we really enjoyed this tour immensely. Afterwards, I got to see the cast from the Prinsendam ship, as they were docked in the same port as us today! Some of these cast members rehearsed with us in Los Angeles, as they perform most of the same shows as we do. It was really nice seeing everyone again! Later on, Nicole, Tripp and I went to the Victory Pub for a local fish ‘n chips lunch.

Dessert Extravaganza: Need I say more? Isn’t Zoe especially lovely tonight??

Buenos Aires, Argentina: Today Larry and I went on a great tour in Buenos Aires! We went to “El Viejo Almacen” -a very popular tango show in the city. The dancers, singers and musicians were all equally fabulous and we really enjoyed ourselves. Later in the day, we met up with friends Drew & Cassie for an early dinner in Palermo Soho, and then briefly walked through a local art market.

The Black & White Ball: This event occurs each & every cruise up in the Crow’s Nest. It’s a very classy ball with free drinks for all! (Wait, does “classy” and “free drinks” go in the same sentence?) Needless to say, we enjoy it very much.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: In Rio, we got our very favorite private driver Walter (thanks again, H. Stern), for a day around the big city! We started the day off with lunch - a famous place actually - it’s where the popular song “Girl from Ipanema” was written. Afterwards, we headed to Corcovado to see Christ the Redeemer! We took the tram up the side of the mountain to get the best views. Once we got up there though, we were only able to snap a few photos before a lot of fog rolled in. Oh well, maybe we can come back next time. Later that evening we went on a tour with Nicole & Gillian to a popular Rio samba show called “Plataforma.” This show was quite interesting and entertaining, as it included samba dancing, gaucho dancing, tap dancing, folk dancing, and even some capoeira. Larry enjoyed the “rump-shakers” most!

Cast Shows: Here are some photos of a few more of my costumes - notably, from the shows TRIBUTE, LOVE BROADWAY and LET US ENTERTAIN YOU! Also included, a few photos of our shows taken by passenger friends.

Well, that’s all for now. Our next blogs will most likely be shorter since we’ll no longer be visiting Antarctica. Enjoy!!

Love,
Larry & Melanie

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