WALVIS BAY, NAMIBIA (1/31/2007)

From: Sherman Rootberg (biggiroot)

Date: Feb 1, 2007 1:51 AM

Subject: Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

WALVIS BAY, NAMIBIA

If you want to see something different, this is as different as it gets. The whole place is one big desert full of moving dunes. Some of these dunes are as high as 1,000 feet. That’s like a 100 story building.

The ocean here is cold. That keeps the coastal area cool and often overcast. It is usually foggy from sundown to about 10:00 AM. As you get about 30 miles inland, the clouds break and in the sun it is hot.

This is the most barren desert I have seen. Others deserts have some scrub and other vegetation and at least insects. Much of this land is nothing but sand. No life of any kind. There are some spots where there a few tufts of green scattered about. I was told that the areas where the ground is hard, water can stay on the ground and this is where these green tufts grow. Most of the area however, just lets any liquid sink into the sands. Nothing grows in those areas.

There are giant dunes everywhere. Absolutely gorgeous. There are many different colors in them due to different minerals and metals in the area. Some areas of these dunes are hard and relatively easy to walk up. The soft areas are almost impossible to walk.

We got docked by about 12:30 and our 4 wheel drive tour was the first to get off. We were picked up right at the dock in the vehicles we would use for the tour. There was one big thing that looked like an over land truck. A square box placed on wheels with no fenders or wheel openings. It was custom made for the nut that was the tour director. He was very nice and friendly but had to have a screw or two loose somewhere. He was always barefoot and just seemed a little weird. Like he was trying to be a Crocodile Dundee or something. His strange vehicle was so high you needed a ladder to get in and it had no air conditioning.

We got into a type of Mitsubishi 4 wheel drive van we do not get in the States. It was raised quite a bit as were most of the vehicles we used. I quickly grabbed the front seat. It was the left seat. This is another country that drives on the wrong side of the road. Then the driver guides closed the doors and got in. Big problem. My driver was not a man.

Right off I knew this could not be much of an off road drive. Probably just another one of these hypes and all you really do is drive down a bumpy dirt road you could drive on in a Town Car. Wrong again. We were second in line behind the leader driving the oversized box. After about a 40 minute drive on regular roads and then rough unpaved roads, we went off the road. The drivers got out and let air out of their tires for better traction on the soft stuff. It started out gentle with a few little sand hills and then we climbed way up into some really difficult stuff. Our girl driver was a little better then I thought but surely no expert. I was going to try and keep my mouth shut about her doing all kind of things wrong in driving steep hills on soft stuff until she got us stuck. She just panicked and stopped. We had gotten hung up at the very top ridge of a hill. I could have gently rocked us off dead center and backed down the hill but she had to be pulled down by the big box truck. One thing I am an expert at, is getting stuck. Just ask my son or my brother. I have gotten all kinds of vehicles stuck in all kinds of stuff all over the country.

After getting stuck I did start to tell her how to take a few hills. On one she thought she was stuck again and I told her how to get out. After that she actually started to listen to what I told her. I’d swear I saved our lives on a couple of soft corners and steep down hills. She does this for a living. I have no idea how she stays alive. She did sincerely thank me for showing her how to drive off road.

The things we saw, and some of the places we went, were so remarkable, pictures, let alone words, cannot describe. We got out several times and crawled up and down dunes. Fearless leader found a Sidewinder snake and a rare baby desert chameleon. The Sidewinder is poisonous but very small. I thought Bobbi might not have liked our 4X4 adventure as it did get pretty hairy, but she loved it too. Great fun.

There were people in a couple of spots riding ATVs and off road motor cycles. They were doing hang gliding in another spot. What a great place to go. I love to do all these things. Too bad it’s so far away. It is a truly beautiful country.

Tonight we had dinner on the desert. It was for everyone on the ship. I think every bus and car in the country was put to work transporting us. There were only two busses. Cars lined up for a mile to take us the 35 miles or so out in the desert. There were camel rides when we got there and Africans were greeting us and there was a large bunch singing and others playing drums. Some young men did a native dance. There was a big fire in a pit blazing away. Dinner was in tents. There was also a bar tent. The appetizer was served and the rest was buffet. Portable bathrooms on trailers had been brought in. I don’t mean those lousy plastic crap houses they use on construction sights. These had regular looking toilets and sinks.

I have been told there are people from the ship reading this blog. If Regent people are listening in, the food part was not great. Lines were far too long. Too much ran out. Dinner service started far too late. It was a good idea and it was fun but the dinner in Luxor last year was organized far better.

Again, this has been a great day.

SEA DAY II ENROUTE TO WALVIS BAY, NAMIBIA (1/30/2007)

From: Sherman Rootberg (Biggiroot)
Date: Jan 30, 2007 3:34 PM
Subject: Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

SEA DAY II ENROUTE TO WALVIS BAY, NAMIBIA

It is a little rough today. Make that, it is, rough today. Rocking and rolling, flipping and a flopping. Try to take a drink and you find you have just poured water in your ear. You have to hope you like what the person next to you has chosen to eat. Soon as they place dishes on the table they go flying. If you are lucky, the dish belonging to the person next to you, goes sliding to you, as yours gets flung elsewhere.

I came up with a really helpful idea. At least it would be helpful to me. Seat belts for the toilets. After all, you can be seriously damaged, not to mention besmirched, should you go sliding off when a large wave hits.

They had to go much slower and there is much further to go when you have to go up and down these big hills. We will be getting into Walvis Bay several hours later then anticipated. They are not quite sure when. We could make up some time if the ocean calms down tonight but that looks unlikely. They will probably have to cancel our 4 X 4 trip into the desert tomorrow. There is a dinner tomorrow evening, for the entire ship, in the desert in tents. It is supposed to be very fancy. I guess it must get cold out there at night because they show pictures of tents being closed up and heaters being turned on.

We have to leave to dinner a little earlier tonight. It takes longer to get to the dining room when you have to crawl there. We did try walking but that didn’t work well. We just kept bouncing off things and falling. But you don’t have to worry about me getting hurt. I hold on tightly to Bobbi. She is soft and cushions my falls well as I land on her. Then there are the other cool things that happen while trying to get dressed. You turn on the sink faucet and it totally misses the sink and hits the walls and ceiling. I guess you had to be here, although right now you might not want to be.

The ship was rock and roll and so was this evening’s show in the main theater. One thing I have always complained about, on this cruise line are the shows. While they have always had great entertainers, their choice of songs and shows have always been from the last century or further back yet.

I don’t know if tonight’s show was the beginning of a change into a more recent century or just an odd exception, but it was great. They started with a 40s song. At least it was a 1940s song. Then all the songs and dances went to the 50s on up to Disco. They did some terrific songs and dances including Macho Man from the Village People. It was one of the best shows I have ever seen on Regent. How they did the dancing with the ship jumping all over the place, I don’t know. Once or twice they were all doing something else at the same time but that was the worst that happened. They were all over the theater and up and down the stairs and aisles without falling on their faces. I was amazed that even all the old farts thought it was great. As we were leaving I heard many of the geezers saying this was the best show yet.

Maybe there is still hope the entertainment will all get as good as everything else aboard.

I guess this will have to be all. We have to get up bright and early tomorrow to see the ship dock at about 2:30 in the afternoon.

We have no pictures for today so I’ll send more from St. Helena.

SEA DAY I ENROUTE TO WALVIS BAY, NAMIBIA (1/29/2007)

From: Sherman Rootberg (BiggiRoot)
Date: Jan 29, 2007 3:48 PM
Subject: Monday, January 29, 2007


Monday, January 29, 2007

SEA DAY I ENROUTE TO WALVIS BAY, NAMIBIA

Not one of our more exciting days. Bobbi spent the day getting her hair and nails done. That was as exciting as it got.

We were invited to dinner with the assistant cruise director, Elda Pauluzzi. I think her first name was really Lala. (Lala Pauluzzi) She was very pleasant. She had an English accent with hint of German in it. That was the way she had learned English but was from northern Italy. She had been sick last year and could not be on the world cruise.

There was another couple at the table with us. A know it all ex CPA originally from N.Y. They now live in Palm Beach Gardens in a retirement development. Big mouth, tiny apartment. But of course I didn’t let him get too many words in. Talking is my job.

I’m sending more pictures from St Helena.

JAMESTOWN, ST. HELENA, U.K. (1/28/2007)

From: Sherman Rootberg (BiggiRoot)
Date: Jan 28, 2007 5:10 PM
Subject: Sunday, January 28, 2007


Sunday, January 28, 2007

JAMESTOWN, ST. HELENA, U.K.

We arrived here at about 8:30 this morning. There are no docks large enough for our ship so we have to tender in using the ships tenders/lifeboats. First it had to be checked if we could tender in at all. There were large swells coming in.

Swells are a little different then waves. They are caused by weather or other disturbance, some distance away. While at sea they are hardly noticed. Near shore they are almost like waves. They are less sharp but do cause the water to surge up and down. We could clearly see huge splashes as they hit the rocks onshore. It meant that the tenders would rock and move up and down quite a bit when loading and unloading at the ship and especially at the shore. After some time it was decided we could tender in. Local officials took very little time to clear us, but now we have no donuts left.

That’s all they really do, you know. They come aboard and eat everything in sight. In some places they get really piggy. Bunches in uniforms or suits don’t just eat up all the donuts, they come to the dining rooms and slop down all the food they can stuff into their faces. Then leave with bags and bags full of booze and food.

I thought this was going to be another one of those nothing islands no one had heard of. Just another place with nothing special like many, many other islands I have seen. We would just be stopping to separate days at sea, like some of the islands off Central America. But no. This one was really something to see.

From the ship it looks like one big brown barren rock, full of very sharp ridges and going straight up and down. The straight up and down part is correct. Once ashore this rock has only two real directions to travel. Up or down. We found no really flat areas. There is no airport but they expect one by 2010.

Getting to the island was a little dangerous. As expected, the tenders would really swing up and down. Maybe, as much as four of five feet, up then down. It was very difficult getting some of the older passengers off. They were pretty much lifting them on and off, one at a time.

Once ashore we climbed aboard small busses and vans. We were on a small bus which held about 20 people on padded benches. There was enough leg room but no luxury vehicles, these. None had air conditioning or fancy upholstery. Just bare bones. Ours was a small noisy Diesel, as were all like this one. They did have the power to haul us up the always steep hills.

Once above the shore level we could see many green and beautiful hills and valleys. The farming was very sparse at best. There were houses spread around the island and some new ones being built, but they too were sparse. Maybe sparse is all that grew here? We did see dairy cows and Black Angus beef cattle. All were up and down sides of hills. When we did get up near the top of the island there were outstanding views of this very mountainous island. It was these beautiful and breathtaking views that mostly made the stop very worthwhile.

The roads were also breathtaking. They were all paved but rough. They were almost all about one and a quarter car widths wide. They ran right up to the edge of sharp cliffs and drop offs and had many switchbacks. They did have rock curbs at the very edges. Bobbi said that made them a little less scary then those in Colorado which had none. To make matters even worse, this was a U.K. possession and everyone drove on the wrong side of the road.

We made a few stops for pictures from some great lookouts. Our first point of interest was a two mile walk to Napoleon’s original grave. He was later moved to Paris. You had to walk steeply down a grassy trail. It was pretty but long. The biggest problem was the walk back. It was still pretty but steeply up hill. I did it very wisely. I sent Bobbi to take pictures. Who wants to march up and down a mountain to see a spot where no one now resided? Most never made it to the end before turning back. Bobbi says she did. She did cvetch a lot so maybe she really did. Okay, now I’ve seen the pictures. She has pictures of the little memorial. She must have really walked all the way and back. Or would she have given her camera to someone and asked them to take pictures? Hmmm. Naaaaaaaaa.

Another stop was to take a walk in an open field to see a couple of huge tortoises at the governors mansion. They were walking around quite a bit for turtles and they were very use to people. They let people pet their heads. Wow is this exciting or what? How many tortoises have I seen in zoos. I really needed this, but I suppose there weren’t many attractions on this island and they needed some place to call a point of interest.

We also stopped at what was supposed to be the house where the dead guy that didn’t live here anymore did live when he was alive and living here. Of course the house was not like it originally was. A billiards room was added to where the front of house where the original entrance was or not. Maybe it wasn’t even really his house. Who cares? It stunk from mold and mildew and from stuffing far too many people into a hot un air conditioned old relic.

On the way back we went through Jamestown. It is Sunday so nothing was open. They did open the post office so many were stopping to mail letters that would say ST. HELENA. More whoopee. Just what I wanted to do. I could understand sending letters postmarked from Hell, as we did in Grand Cayman. But ST. HELENA? I don’t think so. At my request or make it my insistence, we continued on to the dock. After all, it was now about 2:00 PM. Two hours past lunch time. I needed to get back to the ship.

As I said, it had been a good day and this place is well worth seeing, once. Another thing we noticed was how clean everything was. Not a piece of paper laying anywhere around the island. There were public washrooms strategically placed around the island. Every one we entered was spotless. The buildings were clean. Even the well worn vehicles we rode in were well cleaned.

We left at about 3:30 PM.

Sea Day IV En Route to St. Helena (1/27/2007)

From: Sherman Rootberg (Biggiroot)

Date: Jan 27, 2007 5:55 PM

Subject: Saturday, January 27, 2007

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Sea Day IV En Route to St. Helena

No pictures today so I sent one from the other day. Okay kids. See the nice new black Sapphire Stern watch Mom is wearing? There is something else to fight over after we die, if she doesn’t loose it or step on it.

Yesterday, I forgot to mention that we got another letter from Pam. That’s the lady that’s taking care of our doggy, Spike. I had told her about Spike’s little trick of sitting up and waving both paws in the air when he wants something. He does it several times a day with us but obviously had never done with Pam. Following is Pam’s note and my reply.

I finally got to see what you were talking about... Spike standing on his hind legs, pawing the air in happiness.

Today, my conure bird, Skylar, was acting up really bad... screaming to just hang out with the dogs. He is a bird, but doesn't know it being around dogs all the time. He thinks he's a dog obviously.

So, I let him out and Spike was enthralled by him. Wanted to play with Skylar. Barking, pawing... like a love affair going on between a dog and his bird! Too cute!

Sincerely, Pamela

Dear Pam,

When Spike sits up and waves both hands (paws) in the air he is not doing this in joy. He is begging. He only begs for food. He wants to eat your bird. Not cute if he gets him and still thinks he is food. He does chase birds in the yards in both Miami and Northbrook. Do not feed him the bird. He could choke on the bones. Probably not real good for the bird either. Just another friendly tip from your friend;

Sherman

What? I thought I was being very helpful.

Kenny Smiles was on again tonight. I laughed so hard I used up three handkerchiefs. He received three separate standing ovations. Fantastic performer.

Tomorrow we have got to get up early to do tours and stuff.

Sea Day III En route to St. Helena (1/26/2007)

From: Sherman Rootberg (BiggiRoot)
Date: Jan 26, 2007 5:18 PM
Subject: Friday, January 26, 2007


Friday, January 26, 2007

Sea Day III En route to St. Helena

When I looked again, at the picture I sent yesterday, I noticed that it looked very blue. I have no filters to color pictures. I had taken others at the same time and they too looked very blue. I’m looking out at the ocean today. It is again fairly smooth and it is again sunny and clear. The Ocean does look that blue. I have no idea why the ocean is so blue here but that really is the color.

Very exciting day. We went out on the balcony and were watching the flying fish. Bobbi fell asleep. We missed lunch. They owe us one. We will have to do two tomorrow. We watched lectures on tours and one on St. Helena, how it was formed and how other volcanic islands were formed. Part of a lecture on South Africa. Slept through the other half. We forgot to run five miles, again.

Our favorite waiter had a late day today and a temporary took our dinner order. The waiters are almost all from the Philippines. All the waiters speak at least pretty good English. Some understand it far better then others.

When our regular guy came in he was laughing so hard we though he might be ill. We found out what the problem was. The Temp was very confused. It seams someone at our table had ordered warm vomit. He could not find it on the menu and when he inquired in the kitchen they threw him out. He still was very seriously looking for it but no one would tell him. I wonder who at our table would have done such a thing. Must have been Bobbi.

Sea Day II En route to St. Helena (1/25/2007)

From: Sherman Rootberg (BiggiRoot)
Date: Jan 25, 2007 5:22 PM
Subject: Thursday, January 25, 2007
Thursday, January 25, 2007

Sea Day II En route to St. Helena

We passed a couple of sets of small islands in the mid South Atlantic today. Very interesting to suddenly see volcanic islands in the middle of the ocean. They were Trinidade, not the Trinidad from the Caribbean and Martin Vaz Archipelago. Owned by Brazil. I sent pictures of one or the other. I think it must be the second one. 10:00 PM our time is now 6:00 PM eastern time or 5:00 PM central time.

Sea Day 1 En route to St. Helena (1/24/2007)

From: Sherman Rootberg (BiggiRoot)
Date: Jan 24, 2007 8:52 PM
Subject: Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Sea Day 1 En route to St. Helena

I sent more pictures from Rio.






The entertainment tonight was Kenny Smiles. He is by far the very best entertainer I have ever seen on any cruise ship. He is a comedian and a very good singer.

He was on last year and they did about two weeks of shtick with him. At one point he was thrown off the ship with a toilet plunger on his head. Mid ocean they traded him to a passing freighter for a sack of fish. This year they kept him locked up so he wouldn’t disturb the passengers. They had a tape of him being forced to shine shoes, and scrub pots and dishes.

He was fantastic. Most of it was adlib with people in the audience. He picked on the captain and his Norwegian accent. (herdy, girdy, verdy,) Some of the best was when he started on two flaming alcoholic gays. He got two standing ovations.

He was selling CDs and DVDs. His wife was with him. We (Bobbi) bought some and we talked with them awhile, after the show.

For those who know him, he was a very sick boy last year. Almost went bye, bye. Had to have bypasses. He claims to be doing fine now.

He bought a ranch in Arkansas. That part is true. One day he is walking in some woods that are on the back end of his property when he comes upon a hillbilly caring a shot gun and a whisky jug. He says hello and the man says howdy back at chew. He then walks up and asks Kenny if he would like a drink from the jug. Kenny asks what it is. The man says Moonshine. Kenny says no he doesn’t want a drink. Then the hillbilly points the shot gun at Kenny and says now drink some. So Kenny does what he is told, he drinks a drop and then says that’s awful. The hillbilly says Yeah, I know. Now I’ll take the jug and you hold the gun on me. That was one I hadn’t heard before.

Rio DE Janeiro, Brazil – Day II (1/23/2007)

From: Sherman Rootberg (BiggiRoot)

Date: Jan 23, 2007 7:55 PM

Subject: Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Rio DE Janeiro, Brazil – Day II

We got up even earlier today. 6:00 AM. Me. Would you believe, 6:00 AM in the morning? We had to order breakfast in bed. Oh, the hardships I must endure. We had a tour that started at 8:00 AM. We were leaving this afternoon so it was hard to find an afternoon tour. This one was to be a pretty through tour of most of Rio.

First we went to Corcovado. That is the mountain that has the huge statue of Jesus on the top. In clear weather you can see it from all over town. We could not see it from anywhere. It was very overcast again. But, we had paid so we went anyhow.

As we drove along, for about 45 minutes, our guide gave us all kinds of very interesting information and showed us many points of interest. Once we got to the base of the mountain we were given tickets to board what they call a cable car. It was in no way attached to anything by cable nor did it have cable TV. It looked like an electric subway train and rode on tracks. The only difference was, instead of a third rail it had a third track running down the center. This third track had regularly spaced square holes. It was really an electric cog train.

We got in line and waited to board the train. Shortly before the train arrived a group of Japanese showed up. Typical to everywhere in the world that I have seen groups of Japanese, from Japan, they try to push and squirm to get in line ahead of you. Several were very unhappy to have tried that on some very heavy Americans. I will give them this though. They are quick learners. After I stepped on the first two that tried to wriggle past me they didn’t try to do that any more. You aught to hear the funny noise that comes out when you squish them. Bobbi followed close behind me but one them suckers kept trying to push past her. Dear sweet gentle goody two shoes bubby Bobbi finally had enough and did a big flying elbow right to the gut. When you hit those little suckers, really hard, in the gut, all the air blows out of them and they make this really funny oof, ugg, sound. But then they don’t bug you anymore. By now all the people in our group got the idea and were working them over.



The train took about 20 minutes to reach the top. Some of the seats faced forward and some back. At several spots it got so steep you would go sliding off the seats if you didn’t hold on tightly. The ride was very interesting. Once to the top end of the train tracks we got off and lined up for elevators to take us about another 10 stories. We now got new Japs to try sneaking in line. These were the ones that had not yet had the experience of getting crushed. Everyone was ready by now and they did not get far. Many were now making those funny grunting sounds but not advancing in line.

After the lift to the top of the elevators, there was now an escalator. And finally we were all the way to the top of the mountain. We had come to see Jesus but I guess he didn’t want to see us. Jesus was hiding. We were told that sometimes he could be shy. All we saw was the black granite base the huge statue stood upon. Then little by little Jesus started to come out of the clouds. We finally got to see all of him. He was really huge standing there with both arms sticking straight out to his sides.

We were told he is sometimes called the Titanic Jesus. Remember, in the movie, where the hero guy, Leonardo DiCaprio, stands out on the very point of the bow of the ship? He puts his arms out as if he is flying. That’s the way this statue looks. Finally we even got a little clearing of the clouds below us too and we were able to see little pieces of the city a short way down the mountain. After we got all the photos we wanted, we went back down the way we had come.

As we got to the train we saw that the Japanese wanted no part of us any longer. They all walked down the tracks a little ways and got into a different car, or maybe they thought they won by getting in a car that would get to the bottom first.

From there we spent the rest of what was a four hour tour, touring. Again we had a fantastic guide. We have almost never gotten a bad guide from any tour we have arranged through Regent (Radisson). Whomever they use may be a littler more expensive but we have always gotten only the best people and equipment available. When it has been a large tour there have been people from the ship accompanying us also. They do a terrific job of making these tours safe and enjoyable. We drove around and had the different points of interest explained to us. Just before the final ride back to the ship we stopped in some very nice park. There was a huge amount of green space overlooking the bay with views of mountains in the distance in many directions.

Again, Rio was a great place. We loved it. I would like to spend a lot more time here. Especially when it’s sunny. I am very glad to have planned to stop again next year.

This evening Latitudes Restaurant became a Brazilian Churrasco. That’s one of their steak houses where they come to your table and slice chunks of meat from skewers onto you plate. The costumes and decorations were very good though not as far out as last years. It is always fun to hear the wait staff trying to be from somewhere they are not. The French waitress filled out her outfit extremely well in all the right places. Bobbi is mean. She wouldn’t let me keep her. The food was not very authentic but served in somewhat the same style. The steak was excellent filet. I doubt you could get near as good at the real thing. We happened to be sitting at a table next to some people from Weston. They too were originally from Chicago. I knew one of their relatives well.

Rio DE Janeiro, Brazil (1/22/2007)

From: Sherman Rootberg (BiggiRoot)
Date: Jan 22, 2007 9:50 PM
Subject: Monday, January 22, 2007

Rio DE Janeiro, Brazil

We got up at 7:00 this morning, our time. That’s 3:00 or 4:00 AM your time. This is supposed to be one of the most beautiful ports to come into. We were supposed to start entering at about 8:00 AM and we didn’t want to miss anything. The scenery was to be on the port side of the ship. That’s the side our suite is on. I wouldn’t even have to get out of bed to see it. Wonderful. What could be better? It would have been much better if we could see anything. It was raining and fog covered. We could hardly see a thing and what we did see was gray. It was like looking at a black and white TV picture that was coming in with a lot of fog. We slowly went by all the land marks and mountains and saw just the lower parts if anything at all.

Rio is the world headquarters of Stern Jewelers and the place where the 84 year old founder lives. Stern has had representatives aboard since Barbados. They have been offering free transportation and tours to their stores and plants at most ports. Since we couldn’t see anything, we decided to take one of their free tours. Another one of the stupidest moves I’ve made. I don’t know what is wrong with mw sometimes. Their headquarters and plant is in Ipanema, the nicest part of the city. We are docked in commercial and industrial part of the city. They call it the downtown section.

The Golden Princess is docked in front of us. Just walking past that ship in the rain is a job. Luckily, there was a tram waiting to go as we left the ship. It took us to the port building entrance where we could walk right in. We had gotten Stern tags before leaving the ship and the Stern people in the terminal recognized us quickly. We were the first to get on a large bus and we took the front seats on the right side. Perfect place to take pictures out the windshield. So of course it continued to rain and the pictures weren’t much.

The town was very interesting and was filled with many old and well kept buildings except everything was covered in hideous paint graffiti. Everywhere you looked was covered with weird painted markings. In the US I would say gang symbols. Maybe it was the same here, except nothing pretty. Only ugly black scribbling.

When we got to Sterns we bypassed the tour of the areas where they fabricate different kinds of stones and jewelry. We just went to the floor where they sell stuff. They make a ladies watch that no one else has. It has a black round or octagon face, and is very thin. It is all made of synthetic Safire and they have leather or titanium bands. I just wanted t look at one close up as long as we had nothing better to do. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Bobbi had forgotten her every day watch at home. As soon as they started selling the $49 watches on the ship, I was going to get her one. Now she takes one look and says, “OH! I REALLY LIKE THAT. IT’S BEAUTIFUL.” So I started looking for something good to hit myself in the head with. I really like that, really means, she will be bugging me 24 /7 until she gets it. They are not $49. Stern watches start in the thousands. Stern is one of the most overpriced jewelers I have ever seen. Too bad. I now am the proud owner of a Black Safire titanium banded Stern ladies watch. I just knew I always wanted one. I wanted to look at men’s ring too but they had only stuff that looked like junk to me. No nice men’s rings. Plenty of great lady’s rings.

I was really aggravated by now and didn’t feel like waiting for a bus to take us back so they got us a van right away. About 14 others joined us for the ride back to the ship. We went a totally different way to get back. It was a longer ride and took us right by Ipanema Beach and Coppa Cabana Beach. Kind of dead due to the weather but a very nice part of town. I would like to spend some time here. It looks great.

Tonight we are doing a Virtuoso dinner party thing. They picked us up in the lobby of the ship at about 6:30 PM and shuttled us and walked us through the terminal to waiting busses. After a long ride through town we turned off on a narrow one lane road the busses did not fit on. We went pretty much straight up a mountain to some very old and ornate buildings. I guess it must have been someone’s old mansion. It was quite medieval and very well kept up. They were serving drinks and Hors D Oeuvres as we entered. Later they walked us to another large room for dinner and a show. The food was good until the Filet. They were all medium well and so salty it just wasn’t good for you. The service however, was impeccable.

The show was excellent. Shirtless men doing various dances and other men playing a lot of unusual musical instruments. Women danced in several different costumes and ended up in some pretty scanty ones. Don’t you just hate it when they do that? Especially when their very large bottoms are completely hanging out there? Somehow I suffered through it and made it back to the ship. It was a great outing and everyone had a very good time.

BEARS WIN!!!! (1/21/2007)

From: Sherman Rootberg (BiggiRoot)

Date: Jan 21, 2007 6:55 PM

Subject: Sunday, January 21, 2007

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Sea Day En Route to Rio.

BEARS WIN

We did nothing today except watch “DA BEARS”. We were able to listen to the last game live on WBBM780.com. This game, they were not allowed to broadcast live, as they had done all season because the NFL was selling those rights at a very high price. So we had to watch the play by play as it was sent in text.

How about those idiots that said the Bears had no chance. The Bears were by far the worst of the four teams. Yeah, right. No chance. No chance to loose, that is. What do those dummies ever know? It was no contest offense or especially defense.

We have also found out that some idiot at Regent thought those aforementioned gifts were a great idea. I would never mention that his name is Darius Mehta, director of land programs. Last year we had great gifts. One was a very nice Timberland parka jacket. Another was binoculars. Even a classy looking leather bag to put our junk in. Upon finding out that a nice jacket and hat had been recommended, but Darius said, “NO”, and that these were real, I went to the reception desk to vent displeasure. Those who know me well are aware that is one of the things I do well. I explained that they should find the genius in charge of thinking up this stupidity and explain to him what an insult it is to send a gift that is totally the wrong size. It infers that the sender did not really give a damn. I must have performed this dissertation well. When I finished I noticed everyone in the lobby and behind the desk was looking at me with an expression of horror on their faces. I guess they must have been afraid that I bite too. Naaa. Not unless I think you are food. At any rate, we get a call this afternoon that they are sending different belts to our room in size huge. They did not have vests aboard in that size but would be getting them for us. The belts did arrive and by golly, they do fit.

That’s all the excitement for today.

Salvador DE Bahia, Brazil (1/20/2007)

From: Sherman Rootberg (BiggiRoot)
Date: Jan 20, 2007 7:16 PM
Subject: Saturday, January 20, 2007

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Salvador DE Bahia, Brazil

This was the first Capital of Brazil and was so for 200 years. The bay it is situated on is humongous. Some originally took it for another ocean. The city is on two levels. The commercial and industrial is on the lower level as are some of the poorest neighborhoods. The better homes, stores and businesses are on the upper level. Right at the entrance to the harbor are two ancient elevators. One is about 120 years old and the other about 80 years old. The older one was powered by African slaves and the second by electric. It costs about 25 cents US to use the electric one now.

We originally had planed to rent a private car to see the area but the other party craped out on us. Too cheap I’m sure. So the other option was a group tour by bus.

Didn’t cost much and wasn’t at all what I wanted. We had a terrific guide that spoke very good English. Problem was the tour itinerary. It was not as expected. Very little driving around and instead, walking for most of the time into nothing but one church after another.

If going to church assures you are going to heaven, then we are a shoe in. We have been in hundreds all over the world. These were some of the most hideous. They were mostly of what they call the baroque style. Walls, ceilings, everything potchkeyed with overdone ornate small silly designs. This all covered in hundreds of pounds of gold while the vast majority of poor people are uncared for. Same as almost all other religions do in other parts of the world. Something I could never understand.

The people can’t get enough food to eat. Health care is primitive if there is any at all. Education unaffordable. But always plenty of money for churches and temples to be extremely ornate.

The first Cardinal of this area made a huge mistake. He had no idea the local Indians ate Sardines. Problem was, his name was Sardine and they did eat him. There are statues and plaques depicting this. Made my day.

The city was something to see. So far different from anything in the States. Narrow winding streets like in Portugal or old Europe. The sidewalks and streets were all paved with uneven stone. In some places they were cut stone in the shape of octagons, some were like paver bricks, and others just non uniform rocks. Very interesting to see the buildings and houses one on top of another and always in different colors like a Mediterranean village. There were many really nice and large public parks.

While the people in the streets were all over you trying to sell you something, they were friendly and you never felt threatened. We were warned that these cities in South America and especially Brazil, were some of the worst in the world for theft and pick pocketing. We were even told stories of recent incidents. No one I heard of had any problem.

I do enjoy seeing these new and strange places. Too many people keep telling me that there is nothing worth seeing. I think that is because it so much different then where they live. Difference does not mean worse or better. It does mean you get to learn of something new. That’s what I came to see. Other wise I might as well go to Milwaukee or Peoria. Come to think of it, I have. I don’t recommend them as a place for a vacation tour. Salvador I do.

Friday, January 19, 2007

From: Sherman Rootberg (BiggiRoot)

Date: Jan 19, 2007 7:11 PM

Subject: Friday, January 19, 2007

Friday, January 19, 2007

Sea Day

The weather is beautiful. Sunny and humid. No chance of snow or ice, ever. The wind is moderate as are the waves. As we cruise along we can see the Brazilian coast far off in the distance, but just barely.

Tonight as we entered our suite when coming back from dinner we found another gift. This time it is a safari vest. A beige cloth vest with lots of pockets and a zipper front. There were two, one for each of us. Just like the belts, it came in one size fits no one. This better be gag gifts just for decoration or there are going to be a lot of people that will be very unhappy after the great gifts of previous years.

Thee, thee, that’s all folks.

Safari Sherm Out

Fortaleza, Brazil (1/18/2007)

From: Sherman Rootberg (BiggiRoot)
Date: Jan 18, 2007 6:26 PM
Subject: Thursday, January 18, 2007


Thursday, January 18, 2007

Fortaleza, Brazil

The Paris of Northern Brazil I don’t think so, but that is what they bill themselves as. We rode down one street where we saw nice new high rises on one side and up a hill on the other side, slums with all sorts of refuse thrown down the hillside.

They admit to two and one half million people in the city. It is supposed to be a laid back city with tourism their main product. There is a beautiful beachfront at least a mile long, where the ship is docked. Here are many of their restaurants and their best hotels. However the beach cannot be used for swimming as it is badly polluted. Beaches for swimming are supposed to be a ten minute ride away.

Almost all of the city is very poor. The rich we saw are not very rich. Everywhere we went we saw poor buildings one on top of another. Most stores were open air. The exceptions being in the wealthy area, and there were not many of those.

We had an event today, provided by the cruise line. It was for all passengers. They took all who wanted to go to see something a little different. This event was held at their exclusive legitimate theater built in 1916. It was fairly small. Seating for about 800. This showing was for our ship only. About 270 showed up. The theater was very nice but nothing spectacular as we were led to believe.

The performance started with a short video presented on a portable home type movie screen that was in disrepair. The narration was in Portuguese and the subtitles in English. The screen could not be seen and the subtitles could not be read. From a pamphlet given us, we ascertained this was a play about the slum dwelling children and their plight. Then the curtain opened.

I’d guess there were about 25 dancers in total. They were doing modern dance. These dancers were all children and teenagers, from the slums. That was what they were portraying on stage. The entire show lasted about an hour I think. It may have been longer because the time went so quickly. This was the finest modern dance performance by a large group that I have ever seen live. The kids were fabulous. Very intricate and difficult moves all done at the same time. The costumes were terrific. The choreography, fantastic. The work and training that had to go into this had to be mind boggling. It could not have been better.

From there we walked just outside to a large courtyard. There were chairs and tables set up for us in the shade from large trees and there was bird doo on the chairs. There were Brazilian dancers doing Brazilian dances while wearing Brazilian outfits. The women’s outfits were very scantly covering their posteriors. As they danced those aforesaid posteriors would stick out quite a bit, as they had quite a bit to stick out. Don’t you just hate when that happens? Don’t you just hate the way those Brazilian women are built. Disgusting, huh? After a while they started to get people from the audience to come up and join in the dancing. While all that disgraceful stuff was going on they were serving soft and hard drinks and a few types of Brazilian food to taste. Not my taste. The food that is. We had a great time as did all we talked to.

The bus ride back took us through the downtown area and then along the beach. Near the beach we saw several of the usual U.S. food chains and what looked like luxury hotels. I don’t know if this is right but the guide said that the medium cost of a 3 bedroom 2 bath apartment, in the best area, would be about $79,000. Sounded like 1,700 to 2,000 square feet. That seems very, very cheap.

We hurried back in time to make it for lunch. I hate room service. Then the ship departed at about 2:30 PM.

I don’t know if you recall, but a few nights ago I wrote that Regent, our cruise ship line, gave us gift one of six. That was a water bottle with an insulated holder and belt. Last night we got gift number two. Really stupid. Heavy ribbed cloth belts. The kind you fasten by threading the plain end between two metal rings attached at the other end. One problem. The size. It was one size fits no one. It I put the two together we could make one. Tonight was gift number three. A small flash light made like the good Mag Lights, out of aluminum tubing. It takes three AAA batteries, included, and the bulbs are several very bright blue/white LEDs. It also came with a holder pouch that attaches to the belt that fits no one. Bobbi says we probably get a safari jacket next. I say it’s going to be a pith helmet. Then there will be somewhere to pith. That was terrible. Actually, what is a pith? Do those helmets look like one or protect from them? Piths that is. Maybe that name was given by some one with a lisp? That just brings more questions.

Fortaleza, Brazil (1/17/2007)

From: Sherman Rootberg (BiggiRoot)

Date: Jan 17, 2007 8:29 PM

Subject: Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Fortaleza, Brazil

We got in at about 6:00 this evening. A quarter of a day early after missing Belem completely. Dinner was starting at 6:30. Can’t miss that. I didn’t, but it was dark by the time we got done so the only picture we got is the one with all the lights. It was pointing toward town. That was about all we could see from the ship except for the windmill farm all around us.

Belem wasn’t supposed to be much but I was reminded there had been a four day trip offered from there. I think it flew around to different cities on the Amazon and went to Manaus and met us back at the next port. I wonder what happened to that.

The big event today was Bobbi had her hair and nails done. The ocean finally calmed down a little. What a novelty to take a shower and not keep bouncing off the walls. There was a shuttle into town but Bobbi was all tired out from her hard day of hair and nails not to mention her onboard shopping. I guess I did mention it. So we just talked to friends we made and went to watch a movie and answer some pest that keeps emailing every two seconds because she cant figure out how to do instant messaging on AOL.