Brazil

Rio de Janeiro

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Well this has been a long time coming and let me say right up front it was worth the wait. Rio de Janeiro couldn’t have been settled in a more beautiful landscape, nestled between the hills and the ocean. They made a definite point of saying that they were hills as they were not tall enough to classify as mountains.

The skyline is dominated by two main peaks that rise from Guanabara Bay. The first is sugarloaf mountain (not a mountain at 396 meters but hey) and the other is Corcovado (still not a mountain at 710 meters) which is the site of Christ the Redeemer.

Our day was mostly grey and overcast, but on occasion the sun peaked out from behind the clouds but then quickly disappeared again.

Getting around in Rio de Janeiro proved to be really simple. Our movement was dominated by our tour bus, but a clean and efficient metro system, cheap Ubers and yellow taxis make Rio pretty straightforward to navigate. During daylight hours the streets are safe to walk around on and the beaches have hire bikes that link in with a local mobile app (about $7 for 2 days).

Sugarloaf Mountain (known as Pao de Acucar) is one of the most iconic and sought-after landmarks and top attractions of Rio de Janeiro.

The peak is known worldwide for its cable car, the panoramic views of the city and the infamous Rio beaches (more about these later). It is a huge lump of granite and quartz rising straight out of the water and offers 360 degree views of Rio. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

You have the option of hiking (yeah right) or taking the modern cable car all the way to the top. The hike takes you half way with another cable car taking you the rest of the way.

The obvious next place was to climb the Corcovado mountain to see the Christ the Redeemer statue.

This is possibly one of the most famous views on the planet. You’ve probably seen the picture million times – a giant white concrete statue of Christ the Redeemer overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro.

The sight is impressive in photos, but the reality is even better. The statue was first conceived in 1920, after World War I, when representatives of the Brazilian republic felt that the country needed a symbol to strengthen their faith again.

To get here we got a bus to the foot of the hill, where you meet up with the funicular railway, which takes you by cog tram, through the forest to the foot of the statue. The tram/train leaves every 30 minutes, and the ride up takes 20 minutes.

The statue is 30 meters tall, standing on an 8 meter pedestal and weighs in at 635 tons and was finished in 1931. The arms of Christ the Redeemer stretch 28 meters wide and the surrounding area has been designated as the Tijuca Forest National Park.

Lets be serious here. You will be but one of thousands visiting here. At any time of day. The place is packed. If your photo editing skills are good or if your framing is perfect or you are super lucky, you may get a nice photo. Otherwise expect there to be a ton of other people. We gave up on the getting to the Sugarloaf lookout from the Corcovado as the number of people was just mind boggling.

Coming down the mountain (hill) we did the beach loop. Rio de Janeiro is home to some of the most famous beaches on the planet. The main ones are Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon (broken up only by Arpoador rock..

Copacabana is one of the most famous beaches in the world. The boulevard was designed by Brazilian architect Roberto Burle Marx and is depicted in postcards – mainly due to the beautiful wide beach and striking patterned pavement. As we were in town on New Year’s Eve, the beaches were more packed than usual and the local authorities were setting up for the New Year’s Celebration. The sheer volume of portaloos being set up was a sight to behold.

Ipanema beach is the next most famous of the Rio beaches popularised by the famous 1960’s bossa nova song the ‘Girl from Ipanema’. If you think that you can visit this beach without hearing this song in either English or Portuguese then you are kidding yourself. The song was written about a real person (Helô Pinheiro) who at the age of 17 inspired the songwriters (Antônio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes) by simply walking to the beach.

Leblon Beach flows directly on from Ipanema Beach separated only by a canal and park known as Jardim de Alá or thew garden of Allah. The Canal links the lagoon to the Atlantic Ocean.

Barra da Tijuca is a bit more off the beaten path but is a suburban beach. It is more American in style with condo’s and shopping malls everywhere you look and was the site of many events during the 2016 Olympics.

Since the Portuguese colonised Brazil in the 16th century, it has been overwhelmingly Catholic. Today Brazil has more Roman Catholics than any other country in the world with an estimated 123 million of them. This translates to a ton of fairly impressive churches dotting the city.

The first and main one is the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian.

The church of São Francisco da Penitência was built in 1726 and is a Baroque colonial church in the center of the city.  

Rio also has four major football (soccer) teams and if you think you can go anywhere in town without somebody mentioning one or more of these then you are also kidding yourself. The teams are Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo and Vasco.

Rio is probably equally as famous for its Carnival. Usually in February, it begins on the Friday preceding lent and ends on Ash Wednesday, but the Winners’ Parade happens on the Saturday after carnival ends. Up until the mid 1980s, the Samba Parades of Rio Carnival were held along the main street of Avenida Presidente Vargas.

But 1984 saw the building of the permanent structure and stands that have come to be known as the Sambadrome Marquês de Sapucaí. This is a purpose-built stadium, designed specifically to host the annual parade and able to accommodate about 75,000 people.

The focus of Carnival is for the local Samba Schools to compete. The blurb says that the parades are an amalgamation of dance, fashion, music, narrative, spectacle, and competition in which thousands of performers process in the early morning hours through the Sambadrome.

Coming through in December we got to see the Sambadrome but obviously missed out on the February celebrations. The other thing that has tended to become a thing of ours is the taking in of local street art.

Due to the fact that it was New Year’s Eve and it was a cruise ship full of older people, the decision was made that the night would be more safely spent on the ship, rather than on the beaches of Brazil. So we all got ourselves back to the ship before dark and moved around to park in front of Copacabana Beach where we waited for the midnight fireworks show.

Everywhere we went in Brazil we constantly read about the safety situation. Even the Australian smart traveller website suggests that you exercise a high degree of caution in Brazil due to the threat of violent crime. This has not been our experience, everywhere we have been has been friendly and welcoming and has felt safe (granted we were not out and about in the evenings).

Brazil has been fun, friendly, incredibly well priced and will absolutely be somewhere that we will return to.

Brazil

Recife, Brazil

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Recife (The Reef) is a major (just under 2 million) Brazilian city on the Atlantic coast, at the estuary of three rivers (Capibaribe, Beberibe and Jordão). Due to the abundance of waterways in the area, it has become known as the Venice of Brazil (Veneza Brasileira). Having been to both, I think that the Venice reference is a bit of a stretch.

Brazil has a terrible reputation when it comes to violent crime. The US Department of State claims that violent crimes, such as murder, armed robbery, and carjacking, are common in urban areas, day and night. Gang activity and organised crime is widespread. Assaults, including with sedatives and drugs placed in drinks, are common.

Our experience after the first two cities has been quite different. It must be noted however that the military and police presence on every street corner has been extreme. Whether they put on a blitz when a boat arrives or if it is standard is unclear. But we have walked around freely and un-harassed and at no point even felt insecure or uneasy.

We do tend to be alert and aware travellers, we watch our surroundings and do not take unnecessary risks. But so far there has been no point where we have felt threatened or uncomfortable. For those who have been reading along the feeling that we got in the Canary Islands was much more troubling than anything in Brazil so far.

But Recife is a major city. It is famous for its beaches, history, Carnival, arts, the cuisine and of course the cheeky bikinis.

Boa Viagem is by far the most famous of the beaches, stretching for 8 kilometers it is the longest urbanised seafront in Brazil. The nearby coastal reef calms the waves and helps keep the water at 25 °C.

While the beach is amazing, since the mid 1990’s it has been plagued by bull and tiger shark attacks. This started after the building of a new port facility (about 50kms away) that changed the sharks pattern. Between 1992 and 2021, there were 62 shark attacks with 25 fatalities. Some were attacked while swimming in water barely up to their waist. Boa Viagem is so dangerous that lifeguards no longer train on the beach itself.

National Geographic photographer Daniel Botelho managed to get a split-level image that showed the shark beneath the surface and the nearby skyline above the surface.

The photo was taken only 50 meters from the shore.

Having read all of this, we chose not to swim. So instead we wandered the streets of town and took in the colonial architecture that was on offer. There were police and military everywhere you looked but at no point was it uncomfortable.

We wandered along the waterfront and broke right, to take in some of the waterways and parks near the ports. We found bridges, statues and a massively cheap way of living. All of the restaurants that we passed had menus showing that the major price was about 22 Brazilian real (about $7).

Not really sure why, but we kept coming across a bunch of 3 meter tall chickens.

Our wander about was possibly not reflective of the others on the boat. We told a group from the boat where we had been and what we had seen and when they tried to replicate, they were turned around and sent back by the police who told them that it was unsafe. My ability to look like a local almost everywhere I go coupled with my size allows me to walk virtually anywhere I want without being approached. Jill just kind of tags along and is also left alone.

Our meanderings saw us running into the Basílica e Convento de Nossa Senhora do Carmo. This is a church and a convent.

The Basilica started in 1580 by Carmelite friars and in 1654 the Our Lady of Mount Carmel nuns arrived.

The Kahal Zur Israel Synagogue doesn’t look like much from the outside but is OK once you pop your head in.

It is the oldest Synagogue in South America (established in 1636).

We found the local markets and got to experience life in real neighbourhoods. There were large American Style shopping malls that others on the ship had gone to, but ours was more like the local neighbourhood shops and even included a wet market.

While we never felt threatened or in peril, there was a great deal of overt poverty all through the place. There were lots of people sleeping on the streets, bathing in fountains and using the local parks as their own private laundries.

Recife had a really nice feel to it and we look forward to coming back when time is not so much a factor.

Brazil

Fortaleza, Brazil

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Fortaleza (or fortress) is Brazil’s 4th largest city (with about 4 million people) that sits in the Northeast of the country. The main claim to fame of Fortaleza is as a major domestic tourist destination hub. At this stage, it does not draw large numbers of international tourists but is a Mecca for the locals.

Hopping off the boat we got sick of the idea of haggling with the overpriced taxis that infested the port. The taxis were trying to charge $20-30USD (96-144 Brazilian real) to get a lift to town. So we did our usual and walked out of the port area to get an Uber.

Jill’s map showed that there was a lighthouse just outside the gate so we aimed for that.

At this point, we were met with a police blockade telling us that the nearby neighbourhood was too dangerous to walk through and that they would only let us leave in a vehicle.

We met another couple who wanted to walk along the nearby beach but they were also discouraged due to the perceived danger. We also met a Canadian couple who were equally as eager to explore but equally oblivious as to where to go.

So we perched on the side of the road and ordered our Uber. Having no idea where to go we aimed for the Cathedral, figuring it would be pretty central and we could roam about from there. So a 37 real ($7.70) Uber ride and we were delivered direct to St. Joseph’s Cathedral.

This is the main Cathedral in town and can fit up to 5000 inside. The main towers reach 75 meters. Perched on the top of the hill it is a mere block or so from the circular Fortaleza Central Market (Mercado Central de Fortaleza). Originally a meat and fish market, it has now been converted to a crafts market with about 500 shops.

The streets around the markets were full of pop-up market stalls with virtually anything you could imagine on offer.

But the main thing about Fortaleza is the foreshore. To the north of the city is a long, scenic and highly accessible Atlantic Ocean. Leaving the Central market I led the way and marched down the road, around the corner and through some pretty dodgy areas until we eventually turned left and found ourselves at the suspect end of the Avenida Beira Mar.

The Avenida Beira Mar is a wide beachfront promenade that runs along the oceanfront. Our entry point was closest to town which was pretty sketchy at best. While the beaches offer emerald green seas, the neighbourhoods were not quite as salubrious. Not quite favelas , but certainly not very tourist friendly.

But the more we walked, the nicer it got. The dodginess eased and the tourist staples started to appear. The Avenida Beira-Mar sidewalk kicked in revealing the expected cafe’s, restaurants, Japanese garden, beach volleyball courts and the rest of the tourist elements. In fact, the range of shoreline activities are almost unending.

We (including the Canadian couple that we met) found ourselves at a funky little beachside cafe that offered good (if tough to understand and communicate with) and cheap service. Really nice, cold, big beers, by the beach and surrounded by cheeky bikinis made for a tough afternoon. Even more so when the bill came back at under $10 for 4 really large beers. Add to this the random lobster and prawn salesman who was offering 3 for $10.

Futuro Beach is one of the most famous beaches in Fortaleza. Stretching for 8km along the city foreshore it is a great beach and the local touts offer fresh lobster, shrimp, crab and fish.

As we walked away from town the beach kept getting better and better. They were obviously setting up for the upcoming New Year’s celebrations and stages, generators and makeshift toilets were all finding their way to the foreshore. We were due back to the boat before 5pm which sadly saw us having to leave the area early.

I got the sense that the area that we were in would be absolutely amazing for sundowner drinks and into the early evening. I would probably stick more to the tourist end rather than the town end but the beach promenade would certainly be the place to be.

The Uber back to the ship was even cheaper and we ended up getting transport in both directions and 4 big beers for less than the cab drivers were charging for a one way fare.

Caribbean

Grenada

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Grenada is an island country in the West Indies. It lies about 100 miles north of the coast of Venezuela.

It consists of the main island of Grenada and two smaller islands (Carriacou and Petite Martinique) along with several smaller islands which lie to the north and are a part of the Grenadines. 

Grenada is also known as the “Island of Spice” due to its production of nutmeg, allspice, clove and cinnamon and mace crops.

The first thing that strikes you is that it is built on the side of a mountain. From the port, everything that there is to see is basically vertically straight up. Jill being Jill meant that we (of course) had to walk everywhere. My calves were screaming at me for three days after walking up and down that damn mountain.

Grenada is one of the smallest independent countries in the western hemisphere and you can drive around the whole island in 5 hours. The blurb says that Grenada is an island where you can find spectacular waterfalls and beaches, lush botanical gardens, mystic rainforests, and friendly people at every turn.

It is described as the perfect mix. It is not off the beaten path but neither is it considered as a mainstream tourist haunt. The mountainous interior remains unspoilt and the white sandy beaches are still relatively uncrowded. But there is a good range of hotels on offer along with the usual mix of cafe’s, restaurants and nightlife on offer.

St Georges

The first thing that we did upon arrival was to cut through the Sendall Tunnel to head towards the Carenage. Using the tunnel cuts out at least one arduous hike up and over the damn mountain that splits the centre of town.

The Carenage is the lively waterfront promenade in St. George. It is more of an active and functioning fishing dock than it is a promenade but here you will find great views of the boats, shorefront, blokes preparing the boats to leave for other islands, or welcoming them in, cleaning fish and of course…tons of cats.

Sadly, there was only one way to go from the Carenage, and that was up. There was a hugely overpriced tourist train to take you up the hill but this was left to the fat or immobile oldies on the cruise and we did the hike. In reality, the distances were not that great but the steepness was brutal. The town was relatively compact so it was only about 350-500m between sights, but every move was either up one side or down the other of a damn mountain. And of course, the things to see while up there were churches.

Sadly we were unable to make it to Fort Matthew, an 18th century fort and the the largest of its kind on the island. It was named after the then governor. It offers amazing views of St. George and the Cruise Port.

While we did not make Fort Matthew, we did climb the hill to Fort George. Perched high above the town the fort is now the police headquarters. The only real remnants of the fort are the odd wall and a pair of cannons. Hardly worth the huge uphill trek to find.

fort Frederick was another that we missed. Quite a way out of town, and on a grey and murky day we had to settle for the images of others.

On arrival the weather was pretty crappy, but as the day progressed it did make an attempt to clear up. This meant that our photos were not as grey as the original ones from the port or the Carenage.

Concord Waterfall is made up of 3 different falls at various altitudes. The lowest one is relatively easy to get to but the other two call for a bit more walking and hiking (45 minutes or more).

Black Bay Beach is actually black due to the volcanic sand. It is considered one of the most stunning beaches in the Caribbean. There is a cave to explore but you have to do a 20-minute trek from Concord to get there.

The Grenada Underwater Sculpture Park was created in 2004 in the wake of Hurricane Ivan. It was the world’s first underwater gallery and is an attempt to attract divers away from fragile coral reefs. The statues are made with high-grade stainless steel and pH-neutral marine cement. they are designed to act as artificial coral reefs, with holes and shelters to attract marine life such as octopuses and lobsters, creating a rather spectacular looking habitat.

In 1651 the last of the native Carib Indians fiercely resisted French colonisation by committing a collective act of sacrifice: mass suicide. Together, they all jumped off the cliff and into the ocean. The area where they jumped to their deaths is now known as Carib’s Leap.

Grenada was ok, without being amazing. The prices asked for items were a bit over the top for what they were and the weather was not really our friend on the day we came. The people were friendly and the town was nice, but I think that hiking up and down that mountain all of the time would keep me away from spending too long here (maybe we should have paid for the damn train).

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Bonaire

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I made it. Bonaire is the 100th place on the official territory list that I have been to. I still have quite a way to go on the official country list, but in terms of nations, I have made the 100. I am about 2 ahead of Jill but she should tick up her 100 in the next week or two.

Kralendijk

Kralendijk is the capital of Bonaire, a Dutch island in the Caribbean Sea. The place is typical of most Dutch territories with colourful architecture dominating most of the buildings.

The main shopping area is Kaya Grandi and the Bonaire Museum has archaeological finds, shells and old photos.

Importantly off the coast is the Bonaire National Marine Park which is a protected area for coral reef and tropical fish.

This Marine park stretches west to Klein Bonaire Island, where the sandy beaches provide a nesting ground for sea turtles. Klein Bonaire was our first port of call as we hopped off the ship and onto a water taxi for a 4-hour snorkel and laze on the beach. Talking to the lounge dude on the boat he told me about the current.

So when you get dropped off on the beach you get set up on the shite fine sandy beach. Once established you walk to the left for about 10 minutes until you get to a yellow pole that says enter here. At this point there is a break in the coral and you can wade out to the other side of the reef. From here you keep the reef to your left and the current will let you float and just drift all the way back to the beach where you started.

The other thing that you notice is that the beach is full of lizards. Officially they are the Bonaire Whiptail but they are these electrically coloured lizards that dart around relentlessly. They were added to when we went across into town and saw a 2 foot long iguana just cruising the streets of town.

The water is crystal clear and warm, the reef is a bit trodden on but is still in pretty good condition. There is plenty of fish life to see and still lots of live coral. While it is no Great Barrier Reef, it is still a lovely spot to loll about on the beach and experience some nature. Sadly we didn’t see any of the turtles.

Once we got back from the swimming we had some lunch on the ship and changed before hitting Bonaire proper. We had landed in the capital Kralendijk. The main town centre was pretty small but was well appointed.

Added to town was a really nice and usable waterfront area with actual footpaths (often a rarity) and the usual mix of bars and restaurants.

Ad we even got to check out some pretty cool street art. There wasn’t tons, but for such a small place it all added up to create a really nice feel to the place.

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Curacao

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Curaçao is an island nation in the Caribbean (64km long and 16km wide) that is actually a territory of the Netherlands. Curaçao and the neighbouring islands are considered to constitute the southwestern arc of the Lesser Antilles.

The lesser Antilles are usually referred to as the ABC-islands (Aruba, Bonaire & Curacao) as they sit side-by-side (although not alphabetically). Curacao consists of two islands (Cuaracao and Klein Curacao) with the main island having the majority of its 160,000 population. The territory sits about 60 km north of Venezuela and the capital is Willemstad. Unlike Aruba the day before, Willemstad has retained much more of the Dutch characteristics.

The north coast of the island is characterised by a rough coastline with many limestone cliffs, while the southern coast is full of small bays, beaches and inlets. 

We landed in the capital, Willemstadt and fell back into our usual pattern of getting up early and hitting the tourist highlights.

The first thing that strikes you is the Dutchness of it all. From the clogs on the street to the narrow houses and colourful facades, the place just screams as to its roots.

The Queen Emma Bridge is a pontoon bridge across St. Anna Bay in Curaçao. The bridge sits on pontoons and is hinged at one end, opening regularly to allow vessels through. An operator controls two diesel engines that turn propellers that are mounted perpendicular to the length of the bridge and allow it to swing open.

The bridge was named after Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, who was queen consort of the Netherlands during its construction. Due to the importance of the function of the bridge, the people of Curacao have found a good way of overcoming the ubiquitous Love Locks issue.

Love Locks are a ridiculous phenomenon that has been making their way around the world for decades. This is where people put a padlock with both people’s names on it and attach it to a local bridge, fence, gate, or monument and throw the key into the water…to symbolise their love.

Originally thought to have begun on the Paris’ Pont des Arts it has now spread globally. The issue is that the combined weight of so many locks compromise the structural integrity of the bridge, which is a risk for the bridge and anyone who walks across it. The practice has been banned in many places for this reason. The people of Curacao have built love heart shaped frames on the banks of the river that keep the heavy locks off the functioning bridge.

The main thing that gets you about Curacao is the brightly coloured narrow houses lining the waterfront. True to their dutch roots it is very reminiscent of the Amsterdam canals. The main heart of town is relatively unremarkable with the usual tourist and jewellery shops dominating. That said, it feels safe, is clean and everybody is very friendly.

Curaçao is the home of the oldest continuously inhabited Jewish community originally formed in the 1500 by emigrants from Portugal. The Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue in Willemstad was completed in 1674.

The Chichi is a colourfully painted, vibrant female figure. She represents the eldest daughter of the family, who binds the family together in a loving and caring way. She is a much-appreciated female role model in the Caribbean community of today and a very live part of its colourful heritage.

If you are brave enough to venture beyond the usual tourist blocks you will find yourself in some of the back blocks where the local street art scene tends to kick in.

Curacao was nice. Our ship stayed here overnight which gave us two full days in port which, based on what we saw was probably a little long. But we did not venture out to find or explore some of the beaches. By all accounts the snorkelling and diving around Curacao is amazing and if that is the case then maybe the extra day should have been spent exploring those sort of options.

What was clear to us, was the water. On our second day we did some computer work on the 6th floor of the boat. From up here Jill was still able to get footage of this turtle swimming in the crystal clear waters 6+ floors below.

Curacao Mark II

The second time on Curacao we decided to bum around on the beach so for the post we decided to summarise some of the beaches that are around. The first thing that you must realise is that many of the beaches are private and therefore come at a cost. They have all of the cool things that you would expect if you were paying for the service. But my Australian sensibilities remain offended at the thought of private beaches.

Avila Beach is one of the closest to town but is privately owned. The palm trees offer plenty of shade and parasols and palapas are available (for a price).

Bluebay Beach is the other way from town and for another fee you can avail yourself of the palm trees, lounge chairs, umbrellas, bar, restaurant, water sports center (diving and sea kayaking!), playground, pool, and showers.

Caracasbaai Beach is not as nice as the first two but it is free. The beach is made of coarse sand and pebbles and is popular for snorkeling and diving because its part of the underwater park.

Daaibooi Beach is again close to town (with a fee), but this beach has good snorkeling along. Pergolas provide shade and there is a snack bar. To the west of the beach, a small trail leads into the countryside.

Klein Curacao is another island about 2 hrs away with white sandy beaches and diving. While it is free, you will have to pay for a boat to get there and back.

Mambo Beach is the most popular and most equipped beach on the island. While there are fees here they are reasonable with it only being around $4 for entry with chairs etc extra.

There are many more beaches on the Island but they involve going much further afield and would be best explored with your own vehicle as the public transportation is infrequent and unreliable.

Mexico

A Mexican adventure

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Our ship stopped at Cozumel in Mexico, but due to the proximity to the UNESCO listed Chichen Itza, we decided to skip Cozumel almost entirely. This may have been a bit of a shame as by all accounts, Cozumel is a beautiful place to kick back and hang.

More accurately, Isla Cozumel is Mexico’s 3rd largest island and is with countless activities both below and above the waves. It is about 30 miles long and 9 miles wide. The name in Mayan translates to “Island of the Swallows” due to the birdlife. The place has been a long time dive Mecca and has white sand beaches, coral reefs, modern amenities and lots of wild areas.

But given that this was not our goal, we had a 7 am start that saw us hopping on a very bumpy 45-minute ferry ride.

The ferry took us from Cozumel over to the mainland Mexican town of Playa del Carmen.

This is a coastal resort town, along the Yucatán Peninsula.

Playa del Carmen is known for its palm-lined beaches and coral reefs. The Quinta Avenida pedestrian thoroughfare runs parallel to the beach, with shops, restaurants and nightspots ranging from bars to dance clubs. 

But this wasn’t our goal either, so from here we hopped a bus (well more of a mini-van) for a 2 hour drive through the Mexican countryside. And sure enough, we arrived at our intended destination, Chichen Itza. Chichen Itza is one of the 7 wonders of the world and is a former Mayan city dating back to as early as 250AD. At its peak around 35,000 people would have called it home. It was one of the most important Mayan cities in Latin America. 

Chi means “mouths” and chen means “wells” and Itzá is the name of the Maya tribe that settled there. Chichen Itza means “At the mouth of the well of the Itza.” Chichén Itzá is the Spanish spelling and Chichʼen Itzaʼ is the Mayan spelling.

Possibly the most notable thing about the city is the ancient temple Pyramid of El Castillo (Kukulcan Temple). It is the most famous and recognisable of Mexico’s monuments but it was not built by the Mayans but rather in the 10th century by foreign invaders.

The Pyramid of El Castillo rises 24 metres above the Main Plaza area. Each of its four sides has 91 stairs that face north, east, south, and west. Including the step on the top platform, there is a total of 365 steps. This is the same number of days in the solar year.

Beyond the pyramid at the centre, the site contains the remains of the entire city. The site of Chichen Itza occupies an area of around 10 sq/km. And everywhere you go there is more to see. Carved walls pyramids, buildings, sports courts, virtually everything you would expect to find in a major (ancient) city.

The earliest structures built include the Akabtzib (“House of the Dark Writing”), the Chichanchob (“Red House”), the Iglesia (“Church”), the Casa de las Monjas (“Nunnery”), and the observatory El Caracol (“The Snail”).

On the site are caves and sinkholes in limestone formations, known as cenotes. These are natural wells that form when limestone surfaces collapse and expose water underneath.

Tlachtli was a Mayan game that involved keeping a grapefruit-sized rubber ball in the air with the use of thighs, hips, and chest.

It was known by various other names including pok-a-tok, pitz, tlacho, and ulama. In some variations, the goal became knocking the ball through hoop-like stone rings.

And the losers were often sacrificed to the gods.

The most revered beast in the Mayan world was the jaguar.

It was thought that at night the sun slipped into the underworld and would transform into a jaguar.

The animal was linked with warriors and hunters, and became a symbol of the might and authority of the rulers.

The kings and rulers desired the power and spirit of the jaguar.

During the spring and autumn equinoxes (around March 20/21 and September 20/21), the light hits the earth on the equator. When this happens, the shadows cast by the setting sun give the appearance of Quetzalcóatl (a feathered serpent) slithering down the steps.

The Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) is a Mayan Tradition going back to 1800BC that celebrates life with food, dances, and skull masks.

It is believed that the souls of the spirit realm can visit the land of the living, not to haunt people, but to lovingly reconnect with their family and friends.

Chichen Itza was good and we were both glad that we made it here. But it was impossible not to compare this experience with other major places that we have seen around the world, most notably Siem Reap in the Khmer Empire. The two experiences were remarkably similar but the concept of comparison sits poorly with me.

Having looked around the site we had some time to look at some of the trinkets that were available for purchase. I must admit that I actually enjoyed them and would have liked to have got some. There was an amazing carved Mayan Calendar that I loved but the weight and bulk just did not lend itself to ongoing travel.

As we traveled around we were dodging a weather front virtually the whole time. As we arrive the weather clears (to give us a nice experience) before closing back in again. It got so bad that the day after our trip to Coco Cay other boats could not dock and the day after Cozumel, the seas were so rough that the ferries could not run.

Caribbean

Bahamas

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The Bahamas are a chain of more than 3000 islands, cays and islets in the Atlantic Ocean. They are part of the West Indies and sit just north of Cuba.  

The Bahamas boasts some of the Caribbean’s most beautiful, clear blue water, white and pink sand beaches, warm temperatures and attractions galore. For these reasons, the Bahamas is one of the industry’s leading cruise port destinations, with the capital city of Nassau being one of the world’s busiest ports of call.

According to the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, in 2024, the Bahamas is expected to host 5.6 million cruise passengers. This figure exceeds the 5.4 million the port hosted in prepandemic 2019. Nassau’s cruise port capacity increased from 20,000 passengers per day to more than 30,000 in May 2023, thanks to a $300 million renovation. The project expanded and revitalized the Prince George Wharf port and added a new berth, allowing it to accommodate six ships per day.

Nassau

Our first foray into the Bahamas was part of our 50th cruise with Jimmy and Claudia, where we set down in the capital Nassau on the island of New Providence. We were just one of several cruise ships to arrive on that day.

Nassau’s history is closely tied to the Caribbean pirate era of the 17th and 18th centuries. The town served as a pirate sanctuary until 1718 when British Governor (Woodes Rogers) expelled the buccaneers. Today, the downtown district offers 20 square blocks featuring architecture and monuments dating to this era, most within walking distance of the cruise pier.

The islands of the Bahamas were mostly deserted between 1513 and 1648 after almost all of the native residents were forcibly removed and enslaved or died from diseases brought from Europe. In 1649, English colonists arrived establishing settlements.

During the day, Nassau is incredibly safe with thousands of tourists, high police presence and hundreds of tour operators. You are safe to walk about uninterrupted and (apart from a few overzealous touts) unmolested. Sadly this situation does not continue once the sun goes down. Gang-on-gang violence has resulted in a high homicide rate primarily amongst the local population. But violent crime (burglaries, armed robberies, and sexual assaults), occurs in both tourist and non-tourist areas. 

We hit the streets, chased the tourist things, climbed the Queens Staircase up to the fort and then wandered along to the other fort. We even had time to stop and sample some of the local brews.

The Queen’s Staircase, commonly referred to as the 66 steps, is a major landmark that is located in the Fort Fincastle Historic Complex in Nassau.

It was carved out of solid limestone rock by slaves between 1793 and 1794

Fort Fincastle was built in around 1793 and was constructed of cut limestone.

It was placed on Bennet’s Hill to protect the Nassau town and its harbour from pirates.

Fort Charlotte is the largest battlement at 100 acres in size. It is so large that within the grounds are three different forts: Fort Charlotte in the east, Fort D’Arcy in the west, and Fort Stanley in the center. These massive stone structures feature cannons, moats, bridges, and other elements that make them fascinating to explore. 

Fort Charlotte, It sits on a hill overlooking the west end of the harbour a mile west of downtown Nassau. From the fort you get an impressive view of Paradise Island, Nassau, and the harbour.

Fort Charlotte was built in 1788 and was named after the wife of King George III, Queen Saharia Charlotte. The middle bastion, Ft. Stanley and the western portion, Fort D’Arcy were added later. The fort has a moat, dungeons, underground passageways, and 42 cannons, which have never been fired in an act of aggression.  

Nassau Mark II

Being a go-to port for the Caribbean, Nassau pops up frequently on many of the itineraries. Once you have done the big blitz (like we did on the first foray) there really isn’t much left to see or do in the main arrival part of town.

That said, beach lovers and travellers who enjoy water sports, diving or snorkelling will find any number of excursions and activities to suit their tastes. These tours can include glass-bottom and jet boat excursions, catamaran sailings, reef snorkelling, deep-sea fishing, scuba diving, encounters with sea lions, dolphins, stingrays and even swimming pigs. And of course, exclusive beach days with private cabanas.

Our second foray saw us arriving after the (Prince George Wharf) port redevelopment. $300 million had been invested into 11 acres of waterfront land reimagining the waterfront. This meant that the once dingy port had been significantly upgraded.

Guests to the new port are now welcomed by a modern arrivals plaza, theatre, entertainment venues, a museum, art gallery and new green spaces. Importantly there is an organised ground transportation area, and state-of-the-art security. Oh and don’t forget the retail, food and beverage outlets.

Junkanoo Beach is the closest walk (about a 15-minutes) from the cruise port and

The Nassau Straw Market was once an authentic market selling plaited, braided, and woven items synonymous with the subsistence lifestyle. Now it is a tourist trap selling straw craft souvenirs(hats, bags, mats, dolls etc) along with conch shell jewellery, and wood carvings.

Coco Cay

This time around we found ourselves being delivered at a place called Coco Cay. It is an entirely manufactured island that is owned and operated by the Royal Caribbean company solely for the use of their ships. It is advertised as Perfect Day at Coco Cay, and surprise surprise, that is the first thing that you see.

Looking back from the pier we saw our ship next to one of the newest and biggest ships of the Royal Caribbean fleet. The difference was incredible, especially when you think that our (little) one is 13 floors high. But the new one is about twice the width too.

From here you enter into the world of waterparks, theme parks, shopping and beach walks where the tourist is king. Everything on the island has been put there to amuse, entertain or fleece the clientele from a cruise ship.

Being a company island, the food and drinks kick in on the company coin. So unless you are after something extra, everything else is free. There are some individual, over the water, cabanas for rent at a price of around $2000 USD per day. But a beach chair ranged from free to $20 depending on where it was. The trinket shops were extra but the food and drink (mostly) went on your cruise card.

The calm side of the island had a kid’s paddle beach sheltered on all sides. In the centre lives the largest pool in the Caribbean. This has the obligatory swim up bar and places to sit. But the private DJ playing tunes was the bit that did us in. Our beach time is preferred quiet and not with somebody else’s choice of music doing our heads in.

Coco Cay was a nice touch and a very clever commercial decision by the company. They have found a way to build a whole tourism network that purely feeds funds into the corporate machine. They feed the machine with at least one cruise ship arriving every day and more often than not two.

Not something that you would want every day, but as a change it was quite nice.

Royal Beach Club Paradise Island

Cleverly, our most recent foray into Nassau revealed that the company (Royal Caribbean) had also bought the (17 acres) strip of land (on Paradise Island) opposite the port.

The intent is to develop the ultimate beach day – The Royal Beach Club Paradise Island. Like Coco Cay, the area will offer private beaches taking in the turquoise-blue waters and white sand beaches, cabanas, pools, activities, live music, and local artisans.

The resort is due to open in the summer of 2025.

America, USA

Florida

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Miami and Fort Lauderdale

The last time we came to Miami (with Jimmy for our 50th) we had the opportunity to catch up with a long-time friend of mine (Brad) from back in the late 1980’s and beyond.

We were idiots together back in the day when there was no photographic evidence of the stupidity that we got up to.

This sort of relationship has a solid and unrelenting basis and when we have come together several times before, after long periods, and time had stood still. This is the way for many of my long-term relationships with the boys. So over time Brad had turned himself into a superyacht captain and has been running his world from Fort Lauderdale (with the odd stints in the Mediterranean) for the last 20-plus years.

Upon arrival, he picked us up and took us for a tour around his office for the last 7 or so years. The ship was in dry dock and was undergoing a full refit, but it was clear that he had truly been doing it tough.

Other than just catching up with an old mate was the pure envy of being able to hear about his recent holiday.

Brad and his wife Keri had spent the preceding month or so touring around South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

They bounced around the Okavango Delta, various Game Preserves and National Parks, even taking in the Zambezi River and Victoria Falls.

So the opportunity to hear first hand about this trip was to be amazing.

The idea of doing a South African safari has been a long-time bucket list item that keeps getting benched due to the extreme prices charged. I have friends who have done this and the prices have been in the $35,000 range for a couple of weeks holiday. Needless to say, this is way beyond a grotty backpacker’s budget. The extreme prices pay for a good and reputable operator, and having heard some of the stories, it is better to pay than go with a cheaper cowboy-style operator.

Add to this the fact that Brad had spent the last decade or two teaching himself to be an amazing photographer. We got to see his Rolls Royce shots and not just the snapshot sample that I poached from his and Keri’s Facebook posts. It truly was an amazing trip and by all accounts was worth the money, as a once in a lifetime experience.

OK so back to our bit, our first port of call (after our boat tour) was to Pompano Beach, a trendy beachside area of Fort Lauderdale. We sampled the local beers from a little microbrewery that will be burned into my taste buds. I have never been a fan of fruity microbrewery beers made by hipsters with man buns…and it seems I am still not.

Sadly, this is where the wheels fell off the plans that Brad and Kerry had for us.

We had a good catch-up on the first night where we sampled a fine Nicaraguan sugar free rum.

Waking up a little dusty Brad and I had a quiet sort of day until he took a COVID test and set the thing off like an alarm.

They had planned all of this stuff for us to see and do but it all went out the window with that one positive test result. This did not upset us at all as we were happy to just chill and catch-up, and do our domestics (the dreaded travellers laundry curse). Add to this that they both cook very well so we kicked back and ate at home rather than hitting the town. But they had concert tickets to people they really wanted to see and had been planning trips to show off Fort Lauderdale and surrounds.

That said, we still managed to get out and about and see things, just not to the level that they had hoped. We got to the beach, walked along the pier, checked out some local artworks, sampled some restaurants and bars. We just did it in a masked up and avoiding all others, COVID safe sort of way.

We headed into downtown fort Lauderdale and checked out the riverfront walk while generally just soaking up the beauty of a town built on the water. On one of our drives I asked how far Boca Raton was (mainly from hearing about it in TV shows), so we drove up there and bounced around too.

As we were on the leadup to Christmas, the town lighting displays had started. There was one home that had taken this to the extreme. So while nobody was in good shape, we made the short hop to see the most ridiculous house in the area.

While our time in Fort Lauderdale was not what Brad and Keri had planned, a good time was still had and it was fantastic to catch-up with a mate. We will be transiting Miami a few more times before we leave, so maybe we can get another catch-up when everyone is healthy.

Florida’s Space Coast

Florida’s Space Coast is a stretch of land that runs almost 120 km (72 miles) taking in a range of beach communities. All American space launches carrying NASA astronauts have departed from here.

For us, it felt almost exactly like a carbon copy of what the Gold Coast of Queensland looked like back in the 1970’s and 80’s (before the wall of high rises took over.

We stayed at a place called Cocoa Beach, about 24 km south of the space centre. It had been a small town since the 1920’s but had its major population growth during the 1950s-60s when it spiked 1000% as a result of the US space program. Cocoa Beach was the setting for the 1960s sitcom ‘I Dream of Jeannie’, although no episodes were actually filmed there.

There is a main highway running along the middle with a couple of blocks of 1-4 storey buildings fronting the beach. The larger buildings are the start of major tourist developments, but thus far have been staved off, meaning the place has kept an old-world charm.

On one of our cruises, we met a couple of sisters (Iris and Lee) from Florida, who we stayed in touch with over Facebook. When I posted that we were headed that way, Iris reached out and the next day they came and picked us up from our hotel and amused us thoroughly over the afternoon.

The first stop was to the infamous Walmart, for a shopping experience of a lifetime. Jill bought a huge (50oz) sippy cup and I got a couple of stupid logo shirts.

From here we were off on a local’s tour of the area. This saw us having lunch on the docks, cruising the beaches, sipping beers at some local beachside bars and getting key lime pie from a famous venue. Apparently, the key lime pie place has a 5 foot 11 inch, blind alligator (Sweetie) out front on the weekends (we were there midweek). Sweetie was sworn in on August 22nd, 2020 by Brevard County Sheriff Sheriff as a Deputy Sheriff.

Port Canaveral

Port Canaveral is a deep water port in central Florida that tries to serve as the Central Florida maritime gateway for the import and export of consumer goods. Despite this, 80% of the Port’s revenue is generated from the cruise business. This ensures that it has state-of-the-art facilities to service even the largest and most sophisticated cruise ships. that now homeport or make a port call for the day.

Entry to the port is past the Exploration Tower. This is a 7 storey structure with educational setups on each floor. These are both marine life and space-related (go figure).

The top storeys are viewing decks for both the port facilities and also the space launches when they are on.

Five different cruise lines use this area as either a base or a port.

Port Canaveral also has fishing charters and one-of-a-kind, waterfront dining that serves some of the freshest seafood in Florida.

Space launches

The earth rotates west to east and is at its fastest at the equator. To launch a vessel into space takes a lot of energy, so if you launch in an easterly direction from near the equator, you can use this rotation to gain speed, thereby increasing the fuel efficiency of the rocket. Add to this that not all launches are successful, launching from an empty area and into the ocean minimises the danger to people. For all of these reasons, this area was chosen and has served as the primary launching site for NASA since 1961.

Cape Canaveral

Cape Canaveral is a beachside community on Florida’s ‘Space Coast‘. The city lies between family vacationers and cutting-edge space travel technology. It has warm weather (hot and humid) almost all year round, beautiful scenery, outdoor amenities, and one of the largest deepwater ports in the world.

The main attraction for the area is obviously the Kennedy Space Centre Visitor Complex. The complex is organised chronologically using mission names for the various zones – Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Space Shuttle, and beyond. The centre started in 1963 when NASA allowed self-guided tours and later funding was approved for a full-scale visitor centre.

Today the Complex sits on 42 acres and is America’s front-row view of space travel and its evolution. The centre offers historic artifacts, tours, astronaut encounters, rocket launches, models and simulations of future space travel.

Needless to say, the experience does not come cheaply ($75 USD per person admission), especially if you want to tack on any of the additional goodies. The add-ons are on top of the entry and may include:

  • $70 for a launch ticket viewing
  • $50 (plus tax) to chat with an astronaut
  • $30 Walk on Mars through VR
  • $30 weightlessness spacewalk in the Microgravity Simulator
  • $150 live and work on Mars (simulator)

Being so close to Cape Canaveral, the first thing we did was to google a launch schedule, only to find that the official NASA site listed no launches in the time we were there. Enter our saviours, Lee and Iris. They pulled up the Space Monkey site which lists all launches and not just the NASA ones. Lee pulled it up on her phone and found a launch taking place at 4:52am the following morning. We would have missed this all together.

Just as importantly as finding the launch, she talked us through what to expect. This proved critical as we would have left after the initial launch and would have missed the best bits.

For anyone reading along, this was a truly amazing experience, and both Jill and I want to come back to see more.

We wandered out of our hotel and walked down to the beach, before the scheduled launch time. From a totally free ($$$) spot on the shoreline, we stared at some flashing lights that we guessed would be the launch site.

All of a sudden the entire sky lit up as a ball of flames slowly rose from the earth.

It disappeared behind some clouds, reappeared and then disappeared out of the atmosphere.

At this point I would have thought that it was all over, but Lee and Iris told us to wait.

About 3 minutes after the light show ended, this low rumbling noise started to grow until your entire chest was rattling at the noise of the rocket (physics in action – light moving faster than sound etc).

After this you would think it was done, but no, keep waiting.

After about 7 minutes the booster rocket detaches from the rocket and reenters the atmosphere as a flaming, plummeting fireball.

Once again, it was time to go, but no. About a minute later the sonic boom from the booster rocket shook you to your very core.

Oh my, what an experience.

Having done all of this, the show was finally over and it was safe (without missing out) to go.

I cannot express just how good an experience this was.

I want to come back and do it again, and again.

From June to October, the waters of the Mosquito Lagoon, Banana River, and Indian River Lagoon come alive with bioluminescence – light produced by chemical reactions in the bodies of living things.

Glittering dinoflagellates and pulsing Comb Jellies, create mystical light shows that you can see for yourself via kayak excursion. Structures within these algae ignite with light when disturbed. This acts as both a shield against predators and a lure for prey. But as kayakers slice through the night water, their movements spur the dinoflagellates to burst into light.

Orlando

Only 45 minutes away is the major city of Orlando. Cited in the heart of central Florida it is mostly known as the home of the theme parks (there are over a dozen here). There are four theme park resorts in Orlando over a dozen different theme parks and sub variations.

  • Walt Disney World Resort Theme Parks is the largest theme park resort in America. It has four theme parks (Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom), includes 22 hotels, and two water parks.
  • Universal Studios features four theme parks (Universal Studios, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay) along with a Water Park and eight hotels.
  • SeaWorld has the usual marine attractions, rollercoasters and other theme park rides.
  • Aquatica – another water based zoo
  • Fun Spot America – all rides
  • Icon Park (including the SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium)
  • Magical Midway Thrill Park – rides
  • Gatorland – 3 guesses
  • Dinosaur World – 3 guesses
  • Safari Wilderness – and about 4 other zoo style parks as well
  • Legoland
  • Peppa Pig Theme Park
  • Tank America – drive in a tank and run over cars.

We looked at attending one of the theme parks but on closer examination, it would have cost us the better part of $1000 Australian for a one day pass to one of the major theme parks. Neither of us really being that much into rides, and having seen so much of the world already, we chose to keep our cash and pass on the parks.

I am certain that they would have been entertaining, but in your 50’s the idea of seeing Mickey Mouse is not as interesting as it may have once been.

Caribbean

Aruba

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Aruba is officially known as the Country of Aruba but is captured within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It sits in the south Caribbean about 29 km north of Venezuela and 80 km northwest of Curaçao.

The first people to settle on Aruba were the Arawak Caquetío, who arrived around 850 to 1000 AD. The Spanish arrived in the 16th century enslaving the Caquetío for use in their other colonies. But the Dutch seized Aruba during the Thirty Years War.

Unlike the Spanish the Dutch had a relatively hands-off approach to colonialism and used the island to raise livestock, a job they delegated to the Caquetío already living there. This allowed the native Arawak culture to survive through the colonial era and leading to a hybrid culture with Spanish, Dutch, and Arawak characteristics.

The first thing that really needs to be known is that there is no ‘bad’ time to visit Aruba as it sits outside of the hurricane belt and is protected from the major storms. The island itself is relatively flat with the highest point on the island being Jamanota Hill with a massive elevation of 189 meters. The Southside of the island is typically for swimming and the North side of the island is for scenic views.

Our entry was into the capital city of Oranjestad named after ‘Huis van Oranje’ (Orange House), the name of the Dutch Royal Family in 1824 during the Dutch colonisation.

The town features some Dutch Colonial architecture but has mostly been Americanised with the usual suspect chain junk food stores ubiquitous. Oranjestad is most famous for its historical landmarks, which have been carefully restored to give visitors a sense of what the city looked like during its colonial-era past. 

Our usual plan is to check out the town and get all of our tourist photos out of the way before hitting the other things (the problem of being a slave to this blog). But this time we did it a bit differently. Hooking up with Patrick and Anna (from dinner and Cartagena fame) we hopped in a cab and headed straight to the beach.

Now as Australians we usually are greatly disappointed by overseas beaches as they seldom even come close to what we are used to. But Aruba is an exception. These beaches have the fine white sand, long stretches and even have some of the beach umbrella amenities that we generally don’t have. Yes they are for hire or are part of a resort, but there is so much beach that it really doesn’t matter as there is plenty of room for everyone.

Along the beaches are a steady stream of resorts and hotels that (typically) offer all-inclusive drink packages. This meant for us blow-ins buying a beer in the heat was not as easy as you would have thought. But being the dedicated and persistent souls that we are, we were able to find a venue that could sate our needs.

Cold local beers and cocktails, in a nice venue, right on the sand were not entirely terrible. As the timing would have it, after our first round the 5pm bell rang for happy hour making every subsequent drink two-for-one. So our cocktails and beers continued as we watched a relatively impressive sunset over the Aruban sand and sea.

Fort Zoutman is the oldest building on the island, originally built in 1798 by African slaves. It is regarded by UNESCO as a ‘Place of Memory of the Slave Trade Route in the Latin Caribbean’. The Willem III Tower was added in 1868 and the whole place was restored and re-opened in 1983 as the Historical Museum of Aruba.

Having taxied to the beach we had wandered our way back to town and the ship (admittedly pausing briefly). At this point, we did the tourist shopping run and looked around the area. As we knew we would be coming back (in about 2 weeks) we didn’t exactly bust a boiler to see everything, leaving some things for our next visit.

Aruba Part II

Having only been in Aruba a few weeks ago this trip was just a pop-in for us. Last time we got off in Oranjestad and turned left to head up to Eagle Beach. So this time we decided to turn right. This saw us wandering along the shoreline, through the city centre and checking out the statues, shops and stores.

We walked for a fair way coming across very little of note but did find a city with a generally nice feel. There was no aggression or angst, just a really nice place to kick back and have a beachside holiday.

Clearly, going left and taking in the beaches is the option. But from everything that have experienced in Aruba it confirms that it is just a great spot to visit.

Travelling the world in a pre and post COVID state