Becky and Dick

Becky and Dick

Becky and Dick

We are departing December 20, 2009 on an 86 day trip that will take us from Los Angeles, around South America and back to Ft Lauderdale aboard an old friend, The Regent Mariner.




We are at the end of this amazihng journey. We have stops in the Caribbean ports of St. John, Antigua and St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands on March 12 & 13. Then two seas to get packed, say good bye to new friends and prepare for return to the “real world” and we will be home on March 16, 2010. ... read more


Thursday, March 11, 2010 - Bridgetown, Barbados Before it quit flying in 2003, the Concorde had four places on its regular route: Paris, London, New York and Barbados. Barbados bid for and won possession of one of the planes which today is housed in a dedicated hangar and museum. We had tickets to fly the Concorde at the time of the 2003 crash... …unfortunately the Concorde ceased commercial operation after the crash so we never got our supersconic ride. Today Regent hosted an event at the Concorde Experience for passengers on the full South America trip. We were impressed with the aircraft display and some of the exhibits, Dick “flew” the simulator and we got to sit in the passenger cabin. Not quite the Concorde adventure we had anticipated in 2003 but a wonderful day nonetheless! ... read more
Ready to Go

South America » French Guiana March 13th 2010

Tuesday, March 9, 2010 - Devil’s Island is one of three islands called the Salvation Islands. We went ashore on Ile Royale which was home to the prison administration buildings and several cell blocks. The island has not been a prison for 60-70 years but one can still “feel” the darkness of this place….even though today it is a lush and peaceful place. Devils Island looks to be about 200 yards from Ile Royale (I never got the exact distance) but its rocky shore line and shark infested waters precluded successful escape. Only the most dangerous prisoners went to Devils Island and today tourists do not visit there. ... read more
Across to Devil's Island
Yesterday

South America » Brazil » Amazonas » Manaus March 13th 2010

Tuesday, March 2 to Monday, March 8, 2010 Day 1 - We begin our 900 mile from the Atlantic Ocean to the town of Manaus. The current in the Amazon moves so fast that at the shore line the river acts like a vacuum sucking the vegetation and shore line into its flow. Consequently the river is the color of pale chocolate milk and we’ve seen lots of logs and bushes flowing down the river. It is the rainy season here and it is HOT - 90+ degrees with 90+ humidity Day 2 - Alter do Chao The village of Alter do Chao enjoys a lovely location amid lush vegetation above the Tapajós River. The small settlement consists of rustic native cottages dotting the fringe of a tropical forest. Thanks to its beautiful sandy beach and ... read more
Boca Da Valeria Resident
Costumed in Boca Da Valeria
Downtown Boca Da Valeria

South America » Brazil March 3rd 2010

Salvador de Bahia, Brazil and Fortaleza, Brazil February 25 and 28, 2010 There was great similarity between these two Brazilian cities. Both are coastal commercial cities with between two and three million people. Both were colonized by the Portuguese who were in search of the sugar cane, rubber and gems in the area. Today both struggle with the challenges of any big city in the world. The African influence is evident in the faces of the people, the music, the art and food. Not surprising when one remembers that the Portuguese were big slave traders and a check of the world map reminds one of the proximity of Brazil to West Africa. Or as our “English speaking guide” explained: The Portuguese came here; the Indians killed the Portuguese so the Portuguese brought in slave to do ... read more
Old Town
View of the Atlantic
Africian Influence

South America » Argentina » Buenos Aires » Buenos Aires February 26th 2010

Montevideo, Uruguay Sunday, February 14, 2010 Our visit to Montevideo was on a Sunday and during carnival…kind of a double whammy for tourism in a Catholic country. Fortunately the ship was docked right at the Old Town…an area rich in wonderful architecture and quaint streets developed in the 19th century. The weather was perfect for leisure strolling. Buenos Aires, Argentina Wednesday & Thursday, February 17 & 18, 2010 Argentina had a near total economic collapse in 2000. Today, that topic is a prevalent part of the narrative offered by our guide. The country is become more fiscally secure but they are not out of the woods yet. Buenos Aires is a busy city where most people travel by bus; there are some cars but many households still do not consider car ownership economically viable. The town ... read more
Refurbishing Opera House
The Days Catch
Punta Del Este

Antarctica » Antarctica » South Shetland Islands February 16th 2010

Ushuaia, Argentina Saturday, February 5, 2010 Most of the tour activity in Ushuaia focuses on visiting Tierra Del Fuego National Park or visiting penguins. (Penguins are a really big thing in this corner of the world). We visited this area in 2003 so opted to pass on organized touring. The Ushuaia cruise ship dock is right in town so a stroll through the tourist area was the order of the day. We depart here for our time in Antarctica. There was a Celebrity ship in port with us; they have been waiting two days for weather to clear so they can get to Antarctica. Hopefully, we will have better luck. Antarctica, Sunday, Monday & Tuesday, February 7, 8 and 9, 2010 Taking a cruise ship to Antarctic is no small endeavor. It includes complex application and ... read more
Iceberg in Antarctica
Impossible to Describe
Falkland Island

South America » Chile » Los Lagos » Puerto Montt February 8th 2010

January 30 to February 6, 2010 What a difference a week makes. I returned to ship from the “Machu Picchu Experience “ and woke Saturday morning cruising the Chilean coast en route to the Lake District and Chilean fjords. This part of the World is abundant in European influence…quite logical when one remembers that before the Panama Canal opened, this was the shipping lane for goods and people moving between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. It makes sense that many of these travellers would opt to remain in this gentle, abundant part of the world. First stop was Puerto Monte, Chile where we made a City tour before traveling about thirty miles to visit the village of Fruitiliar located on Lake Llanquihue, South America’s third-largest lake. We visited an open air museum which depicted the early ... read more
Ushuaia, Argentina
Fashion Statement
Punta Arenas

South America » Peru » Cusco » Machu Picchu February 3rd 2010

Bright and early on Saturday morning, January 23, I departed the ship in Lima, Peru with 68 other optimistic travelers. We were off on a two night trip to the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, located at 9500 feet in the Andes. Initially the journey went as planned. We flew one hour from Lima to the city of Cusco, located at 11,000 feet and considered the gateway to Machu Picchu. We visited some minor Inca sites in the beautiful Urubamba Valley, the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Life for Peruvians living here is simple but rich with agriculture and beauty --- rather like stepping back 100 years in time. Having, theoretically, now adjusted to the altitude we settled into our Saturday hotel. It had rained much of the day Saturday and our guide said that ... read more
I Made It
Evacuation Begins
At the Soccar Field

South America » Ecuador » West » Manta January 22nd 2010

Manta Ecuador, Wednesday, January 20, 2010 Manta, Ecuador is a commercial fishing town which appeals to cruise ships because it is near Monte Cristo (home to Panama hat production) and because passengers can make a day trip (including a flight) to Quito, Ecuador. Quito is 16 miles south of equator at 9200 ft. which places it “directly under the sun all year”. Besides being a UNESCO World Heritage site it is agriculture heaven. I visited Quito in 2000. Today I opted for a tour to some of the Manta sites including nearby Monte Cristo which I expect to be the highlight but was in for a surprise. Manta hosts six or seven cruise ships each season (January - March) and several of them are small ships. Visitors are still unique in this fishing village. As our ... read more
Starkist by Tomorrow
Fresh Frozen




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