Brazil...

Thursday, September 18, 2008

So, since the last time I posted, much has happened… For one, we crossed the equator and celebrated Neptune day, and of course, we have already explored one port: Salvador, Brazil.
(Sorry for not posting sooner, but I wanted to wait until I was able to get pix to go along with the postings, and since my camera battery died half way through my Amazon trip, I had to track down the rest of my group and beg them to give me their pictures.)

Neptune Day

Neptune day, a tradition on Semester At Sea, is celebrated when we cross the equator. Basically a bunch of students and a few faculty shaved their heads as part of the seafaring tradition in honor of King Neptune. Neptune day took place on September 5, since we crossed the equator around 8:30pm on September 4th.

Brazil
To describe my first impression of Salvador, Brazil in one word: dirty. I don’t think I ever want to go back there, but I don’t regret going either.


Salvador is split into an upper city and a lower city. In order to get from the lower city to the upper city, by foot, you have to take the elevator, and it cost about 5 cents.

The Amazon
As far as my trip to the Amazon, it was a lot of fun! What I enjoyed even more then seeing one of the 7 wonders of the world, was the group that I went with; Nora, Cat, Jill, Daniel, Kristen, Graham and Matt, I can’t forget Cliff and Jill too! (Cliff and Jill are two other lifelong learners from Semester At Sea, who ended up on the same boat as us. They actually met on this program 40 years ago, and have been on several trips since!).

I am very happy how our trip worked out and went. There were no delays of any sort and our drivers were soo helpful and friendly! (If you ever decide to take a trip to the Amazon, speak with Karolina at Kontiki Tours, she was great!) Our itinerary had us leaving Salvador the afternoon of our arrival and making it to Manaus around 1:30am. Upon arrival in Manaus, we had a guide and driver waiting for us at the airport, who took us to the hotel (We thought it was going to be a hole in the wall kind of place, but nope – we stayed at probably the only 5-star hotel in Manaus! It was amazing!) The guide was great and even assisted with check-in at the hotel. The next morning there was an amazing breakfast which was included in our hotel stay and it was soo good! We had some time to wander around the hotel, check out the pool and the mini-zoo which is on the hotel’s property. While we had a great time at the hotel, we were ready to get into the Amazon.

In the afternoon, after check out, we gathered in the lobby and followed our new guides to the Amazon Clipper (our home for the next few days)! J We were ferried to the Amazon Clipper via canoes and once everyone was on board (a total of about 30 people, including Germans, Australians and us), we had a little orientation and then were able to settle into our cabins. The cabins were so nice and even had showers and flushing toilets (while it was a nice notion, I chose not to use the shower, since the water comes from where the toilet goes – the Amazon River.)

Anyway, in total, it was a 3 day – 2 night trip. I thought it was the perfect amount of time to do and enjoy everything; we had fun fishing for piranhas, going on a jungle trek, learning about rubber trees, bird watching, visiting the meeting of the rivers, observing how Amazonians live and searching for wildlife that was trying to hide from us (including sloths and anacondas).

Last day in Brazil
So, for my last day in Brazil, fellow lifelong learners, Cliff and Jill invited Cat, (a girl from the Amazon trip) and I, to go on a private tour of Salvador with them. I am so happy I did it, because I got to see so much more then I would have wandering around with a guidebook. Their tour guide drove us around and pointed out interesting sites. One of which was a church which had a strong following especially because their was a sailor/captain who is famous for making a “pact with God”, in his journey to Brazil from Europe, that if God saw that he and his crew arrived in Brazil safely, that he would build a church in his honor. Well, the captain and crew arrived safely, and as promised he built a church as a token of appreciation. The church has a room full of stories and pictures and paraphernalia which demonstrate various “miracles”.


When our tour was over, the guide dropped us off at the mall, I know it sounds cheesy – I didn’t come all the way to Brazil to see a mall, but honestly I thought it was very interesting the layout, the advertisements, the stores, etc. it was actually a very informative site, from a business perspective of course. Anyway, we also grabbed lunch there, and Cliff had the great idea to get it family style! We went to a “traditional” Brazilian restaurant and asked their hostess, who luckily spoke some English, to order us the 4 best dishes on the menu; one seafood, one beef, one pork and one chicken. It was delicious!

Crossing the Atlantic
So, the worst part about crossing the Atlantic Ocean is losing time. I think we lost a total of 5 hours, over the course of about 7 days, as we sailed from Brazil to Namibia. The other downside was the weather. It got considerably colder, both on the decks outside the ship and on the inside. You saw fewer people walking around in shorts and more people sporting their Semester At Sea gear.

Classes are going well, and people are settling into different routines, working out, playing games, doing homework, watching movies and of course napping (it’s kind of hard NOT to do since we’re constantly rocking).

Random Stuff
Regional Dinners – Ok, so I definitely have some critiques of the Semester At Sea program, but one of the ideas I do like, is their regional dinner idea. Basically they set up a time and a place for people from the different states to meet up and have dinner together. It was very nice to meet fellow NJ people. I thought it was funny that they put NJ and Florida in the same room, kind of random, but I was able to blend them a bit, since I’ve now lived in both states. (I do think it would have made more sense to have Connecticut and/or NY around the same time since they are soo close, but that’s just me.)

Vicarious Voyage – Prior to leaving for this trip, I had the opportunity to sign up for a program called Vicarious Voyage, during which a classroom from the United States, follows my travels and learns about each of the countries I will be visiting. In exchange, I send them little tokens from the countries. It is optional to visit the classroom upon my completion of the voyage. (Since the classroom I was assigned to is in New York, I definitely hope to visit them upon my return.) I was assigned to a team with two others, Cassie from California and Whit from Connecticut. We recently compiled our token gifts from Salvador and it is making its way back to the states. J For the first package, we sent some ribbons, a coloring book, a map and some postcards. Hopefully they like the gifts!

Documentaries – I have watched more documentaries on this voyage then I ever have in my life, and I love it. I have definitely developed a new appreciation for them and plan on watching more in the future.

Until my next post…
Thanks to everyone for all the comments and e-mails, they truly make my day!

It seems somewhat surreal that for the first time in awhile that when I wake up, I’ll be looking at land - Walvis Bay (pronounced Val-fish Bay), Namibia!

Misc Pictures...

A picture of my cabin from the door... (There are two beds, but I have the room to myself. Also, the door on the right is the private bathroom.)
My cabin from the window... they have closed circuit TV on the ship so they can play movies for the classes and for presentations in the Union, (which is the largest room on the ship but not everyone fits).
Participants waiting on the back of the ship to wave good-bye to the Bahamas and some of their families.
I think it is a sign (and a good one at that), that the Disney Wonder (the one with the navy blue bottom) was in port when we left. :)

Pictures from Nassau, Bahamas...

This was the view from our hotel... Paradise Island Harbour - All Inclusive Resort...

This picture was taken on the check-in line, where we had our bags searched and then tagged and taken to our cabins...

This picture is of the check in desk, where we handed in our passports (for them to hold until the next port) and where we picked up our shipboard ID, which was already printed with our passport photo which we submitted earlier. (Great idea!)

Finally a Post!!!

First, I want to apologize for not posting sooner. The few days/weeks before my departure were a bit busy to say the least. I had a number of things that I needed to take care of before my drive to JFK bound for Nassau, Bahamas. They included: finishing up my summer grad courses (which I’m working on through FDU), I also tried my hand at starting a business this summer, (which turned out to be quite successful and kept me busy most weekends), in addition to those, I was training my cousin to take my spot in my father’s company (where I worked for the summer) and of course, preparing for this trip (from the logistics and malaria prevention, to securing all of the loans I needed pay my way and of course determining what was actually going to go into my suitcase – it was a part time job in itself).

Anyway, as I sit here, on Thursday, September 4th (9:45pm) it’s crazy to think that just one week ago I was took my first steps on this adventure of a lifetime, and a week has already flown by! It definitely makes me realize that this entire trip is going to fly by and I really need to savor every minute and every experience. Well, since I haven’t written, I guess I could argue that I have been doing just that – savoring the experience!

So, for those of you who are just joining my adventure, earlier this year, after I quit the job I moved back to Jersey from Disney/Florida for, I set out in search for a new challenge. In the meantime, my father agreed to hire me until I decided what I wanted my next step to be. So, I decided that grad school was a good place to start, so I applied, was accepted and enrolled at Fairleigh Dickinson University in NJ. It was fun, but I wanted more. I started looking into different study abroad programs for grad students and working abroad programs, where I stumbled upon Semester At Sea. I really liked the experience and decided to somehow, some way to make it happen. I initially thought I would put it off until next year, since it gave me more time to make the money, but after looking at the itineraries for each of the voyages (fall vs. spring), I liked the one in the fall better, because I really wanted to go to South Africa. Plus I figured since I wasn’t really locked into a job, it would be a great time to do it. Needless to say I applied to the program, was accepted and now all I had to do to make it happen, was to find the money to pay for it.

Drumming up the financing this trip was an adventure in itself, and I’m very happy it’s behind me at this point. So for those who are curious about how much this trip is costing me, have a seat. The category I fit into is what is called “Lifelong Learner”, since I’m not an undergraduate student. It cost a bit more, but you got a nicer location on the ship and the option to have your own room. So for room and board for a single lifelong learner is about $25,000. Gulp. Yea, I thought the same thing. I justified it by saying if I tried to go to all of these countries on my own, it would cost much more then that. What I came to realize as the summer went on was that the room and board is only a portion of the expenses. There were other somewhat hidden expenses – Visas ($600), Medications ($400), Vaccinations ($600), Airfare to starting location ($200), airfare from ending location ($200), hotel in starting location ($150), in addition to the excursions in each of the countries ($7,000). I know these seem insane, but I figured if I’m going to do this trip – once in a lifetime, I’m going to make the most of it. I keep reminding myself of the saying “you either have the time and not the money or the money and not the time”, so I’m taking advantage while I have the time and will repay the money later. After exploring almost every route, I was fortunate to secure a $25,000 loan from My Rich Uncle (not my personal uncle, it’s actually a student lending company), as well as a $10,000 loan from Prosper (people to people lending) and of course my parents $5,000. I know it’s a lot, but this is a once in a lifetime experience, and I did not want it to pass me up. If I spend the rest of my life paying for this trip – it will be worth it.

Ok, moving on…
Miscellaneous Information:
- When I signed up for this trip in May 2008, I did not know anyone going, and I was ok with that, since when I did the Disney Program, I did not know anyone going on that either. I think that if you participate in programs such as these, that you are better off doing it alone, since you are putting yourself out there and meeting new people rather then remaining under a security blanket.
- A couple of months before leaving, after doing research online, I found a group on Facebook (a social utility similar to myspace), for the fall 2008/my voyage. The group proved to be a great way to connect with people in the area who were doing the program, as well as discuss various aspects of the trip from what the rooms were like to what trips people wanted to go on and what to see in each of the countries. The NY & NJ people decided to pick a day and meet up – we chose the city, since it’s pretty central. Anyway, it was really cool to meet up with them, and I had the chance to meet the girl I agreed to share a room with in the Bahamas, Juliana. (They wanted us to arrive the night before, so we wouldn’t get left behind if our flight was delayed.)

YAY! I’M FINALLY HERE!!!
So to recap the first week of my trip so far;
On Thursday, August 28, 2008, I got up pretty early (around 5), after a surprisingly good night’s sleep and was ready for all of the excitement that was awaiting me. J I had my two pieces of luggage packed; one pack and one rolling duffel, (2 bags were the limit imposed by the ship) and just had to stuff my final few things into my carryons. (My sister Tracy was a huge help with this!) So after packing my last few things and saying goodbye to my parents; my sisters Tracy and Donna drove me to the airport. I had booked a flight with JetBlue out of JFK, because they offered a direct flight to Nassau, Bahamas. (A couple of days before, I had found out from the Facebook/Semester At Sea (SAS) group, that there was someone that I had met in NYC during our meet up, on my same flight, Samantha.) The flight was smooth flying! It was not only on time leaving, but it actually arrived early, which was great! While on the customs line Samantha and I meet some more people that were going on SAS and chatting with them helped to pass the time on line. We picked up our luggage with no major issues and I caught a cab with an SAS student that was headed in the same direction as my hotel. The cab was a beat up old mini van (they were all like that), and the cab driver was very nice. During our $20 cab ride to the hotel, we chatted about the US economy, and the impact it has on the tourism industry in the Bahamas as well as the upcoming election and his view of the US. It was interesting to say the least. (Many Bahamians are Obama and Clinton fans – or so I’m told.) Upon arrival to the hotel, it was nice, basic and all inclusive! I dropped my bags in the room and headed out to meet Juliana and the rest of the group staying there. Everyone was very nice, and the night was mellow. Many had arrived the night before and got the partying out of their system which was good. The game plan for the next day was that depending on the letter of your last name, you checked in at different times. Since I’m a lifelong learner I was assigned to the first check in time, 8am and Juliana’s last name starts with “A” and so she was assigned the 8am check in as well, so we planned on sharing a cab to the ship.

On Friday, August 29, 2008, we got up early, repacked, grabbed some breakfast, and there was a cab waiting for us. For the most part, the whole check in process was pretty smooth, a little awkward to have a camera person hanging around you (they make a DVD every voyage and offer it for sale at the end), but other then that it was organized. In total there are about 700 individuals that have to check in, (between students and lifelong learners), but as mentioned earlier, the arrivals were staggered throughout the morning. We were responsible for carrying/holding all of our luggage through the line, where we eventually picked up a name tag which had our cabin number on it. We then put color coded tags on our bags according to the floor our cabin was on. (For example, I was on the 5th floor, so I had blue tags with my cabin number on them). At the end of the line, you would escort your bags through security and then they would be taken from you and delivered to your cabin. I thought it was a great idea! Our next stop after handing in our bags was to pick up our IDs, (which were our room keys as well), and handed in our passports (the ship holds them). The next step was getting on the ship! Finally! We were instructed that whenever we board the ship, we have to swipe our ID, so that they know who is on the ship at any time, and then pass through security again with whatever carry-ons we have with us. From there I was able to check out my cabin! I love the location of it! It’s on the 5th floor, right off the purser’s circle, which is essentially the middle of the ship. It is right down the hall from one of the dining halls and right below the computer lab and the Union, which is the auditorium where many of the general meetings are held. Visitors were required to be off the ship by 3pm, and we had our first lifeboat drill around 4pm. We ended up pushing off around 5:30pm. It was soo exciting and surreal at the same time. Many of the students I was standing with couldn’t believe we were actually beginning our journey! We had time to unpack and settle, and to mingle. Our first introduction meeting was that evening and we were given a broad overview of what to expect, but that everything would be addressed in tomorrow’s all day orientation. (P.S. Did I mention that there was a Disney Cruise Line Ship in port at Nassau as well?!)

On Saturday, August 30, 2008, we pretty much had all day orientation sessions, which got pretty boring. They went over safety and talked about the core courses, introduced the staff and professors as well as the captain. There were meal breaks to split up the day, so it went by pretty quick.

Since classes began on Sunday, I have been keeping busy with meeting new people, adjusting to the schedules and life on the ship. Classes are somewhat like block scheduling with A days and B days, and when we are in a port, there are no classes. In total I am auditing about 8 courses. To quickly run through a basic daily schedule: Breakfast time is from 7:00-8:30am, Class Block 1 is from 8:00-9:15, Class Block 2 is from 9:20-10:35, Class Block 3 is from 10:45-12:00, Lunch time is from 11:30-1:30, Class Block 4 is from 1:00-2:15, Class Block 5 is from 2:20-3:35, Class Block 6 is from 3:45-5:00 and Dinner time is from 5:30-7:30. In the evening, there are various meetings and activities. For example, after dinner tonight, I went to a documentary screening (one of the staff members made on oil drilling in South American Countries), and after that, since we crossed the equator at 8:30 this evening, a couple of professors were telling some of their sea stories. Getting back to the topic of classes, I chose to sit in and audit about 8 of them because the topics are interesting and the professors are some of the best I’ve ever had. The courses I’m taking include: Religion, Politics and Society, Philosophy of Love, Sex and Friendship, International Management, Positive Psychology, The Rise of New Great Powers, Women Working in the Global Economy, Anthropology of Tourism and Education around the Globe. (On a quick side note, even though the courses are very interesting, it is extremely difficult for everyone to keep their eyes open because of the movement of the boat, it pretty much rocks you to sleep wherever you are.)

So for now, that’s just about all I think to talk about. We arrive in Salvador, Brazil around 7am on Sunday, and I have a flight to Manaus to go to the Amazon in the late afternoon.

Thanks for reading and I promise to post soon.
Bonnie