Blog No.4 - Sorry No photos yet!!!

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Blog No.4
From 19 January 2011
At sea on 19 January with very sunny but windy weather. Only wildlife seen was a flying fish. Keep looking for more exciting wildlife but nothing so far. Will keep looking. Uneventful trip down to Salvador where we arrived on 23 January. Good weather.
Took a 2 hour tour of the city which was the first capital of Brazil before Brasilia.
Saw both sides of the city - the poor and rich areas. Some very interesting architecture but a lot needs restoration work doing to improve the look of what were very beautiful buildings. Taken along some beautiful beaches which are very popular indeed. Whilst many buildings have graffiti the roads are generally very clean. Shown where the carnivals take place and preparations already underway for the next one. Many from Salvador go to Rio and other areas at carnival times. Well worth the visit. Excellent courier and driver and coach immaculate.
Several more days at sea and then arrived in Rio de Janeiro on 25th January, Barry got up at 5.00am to watch our arrival in Rio. He was able to see the full arrival from pitch black to sunrise and beyond. Magnificent experience and able to take lots of video of the whole area and arrival. He was quite moved by the experience. Has always been one of the places he wanted to visit.
We had a full 8 hour tour booked. Excellent coach fully air conditioned and immaculate again. Good driver and courier was perfect in his English.
We first of all did a part tour of the city before driving out to take the train up Corcovado to the base of that amazing statue of Christ the Redeemer. Very moving experience to look up at that smiling face and open arms. Having spent some time there admiring the views from the top and taking lots of video and photos we came down in the train again and drove for lunch. Wow! What a lunch - as much beef sausages, beef steaks, beef barbecued, pork, pork ribs chicken and more all served on huge skewers and carved at the table to your liking - as much or as little as you want from whatever area on the skewer - well, medium or rare. Salads served at the table or at a buffet, chips and other vegetables for as long as you wanted. Ice cream and coffee followed. Churrascaria Oasis was the restaurant. After that we had a drive down along all the famous beaches, Leblon, Ipanema, Copacabana, Leme up to Sugar Loaf Mountain where we took two cable cars to the top. Phew, what an experience and what views. Absolutely spectacular and loads more video and photos. Picking up the coach again we drove into the city again to look at the heart of the city with its great old and modern buildings and stadia which are now being prepared for the Olympics in 2016. Eventually back to the Queen Mary 2 absolutely exhausted but thrilled to have seen so much is such a short time. The city is so alive and vibrant.
We then set sail later in the evening for Montevideo and will arrive there on 28th January where we have another tour booked.
Arrived in Montevideo early Friday morning and took tour. On the coach for about 30 seconds before we all got off again around the corner from where we started to get on 1912 steam train for part of the tour. Went through the docks which are very large and full of containers and then towards the country passing various types of dwellings from those for the poorer families to the very rich. There is not supposed to be poverty in Uruguay as the minimum wage is $300. We alighted in Colon and got back onto the coach. Very interesting tour visiting lots of places of interest including the State Legislature, sports stadia various beaches and back into the city passed the main shopping malls etc.
Well worth the tour. Back on board Queen Mary 2 when in the evening we set sail for Capetown. A six day journey so no blog until after we arrive in South Africa.

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Comments

[Simon]

Hi Baz and Niki.......... Sounds like you are deffinately living the dream,,,,,,,,,,,,, hope the trip to Capetown goes without a hitch and I look forward to the next entry... Take care Simon

[Jenkins family]

No Photos
Does that men we have to see them all with videos when you get back? i feel a headache coming on xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx