Christmas in the South Atlantic is hot! That’s only if you consider temps in the 85- to 95-degree category “hot,” but no way is it a white Christmas – unless you’re talking white hot. Christmas in the South Atlantic – especially on board a lovely ship like Azamara Quest – is absolutely delightful. Boarding in Rio de Janeiro, calling in Uruguay and disembarking in Buenos Aires was chuck full of Christmas spirit, yet everyone thanked God for …
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — The cruise is over, Azamara Quest is on its way back to Rio and tomorrow I head for home. Buenos Aires has been absolutely a wonderful adventure. It is a beautiful city with lovely architecture, charming parks ranging from small to sprawling throughout the city and delightful shops and cafes everywhere. BA has several outstanding museums. I chose to visit the exhibit of Latin American Art of the 20th century at Malba. The collections include …
ABOARD THE AZAMARA QUEST — Our nine-day cruise aboard the Azamara Quest has come to an end. After a night in port, we will disembark in the morning and move to a hotel for a few days of sightseeing in BA. This morning we did a shore excursion that was a city sightseeing trip and got an overview of this historic – and quite beautiful – Argentinean capital. As a fan of the Broadway and West End …
ABOARD THE AMAZARA QUEST — Remember that old film? I think it starred Harrison Ford. Or was it a book by Paul Theroux? Our version, on Christmas Eve Day here along the end of the Brazilian coast before we sail into Uruguay, starred the 400+ passengers and officers and crew aboard Azamara Quest. It began early this morning when we opened our sliding door onto the verandah. We were thrilled with a beautiful baby blue summer sky, …
Read moreMosquito Coast…an unusual beginning to the holidays
ABOARD THE AZAMARA QUEST — So what do passengers aboard Azamara Quest do in Brazilian waters (for the fourth day) as the ship visits – and tenders passengers to the shore – one quaint fishing village/resort town after another? Azamara Quest is not RCCL’s Allure of the Seas — no zip-lining, no FlowRider, no climbing walls — just a lot of great places to relax, play bridge, trivia games, read that best seller you’ve been trying to …
Read moreStill in Brazil with Azamara, one small fishing village after another
ABOARD THE AZAMARA QUEST — Today Azamara Quest visits another historic and coastal town in Brazil: Parati. Established in the mid 1600s, Parati is an Indian word for “river of fish” and the name eventually covered the entire region. The area was home to the Guaianas Indians long before the arrival of the Portuguese. The Gold Trail led from gold mines deep in the interior of the country to the port of Parati. Indigenous slave labor — …
Read moreOur Azamara journey begins, but we are still in Brazil
ABOARD THE AZAMARA QUEST —About 15 years ago my husband and I sailed on a Renaissance ship through the Baltic regions. We loved the ship, its size and décor and the comfortable English country house feel noticeable the second you enter the vessel. Flash forward to Tuesday, December 18, 2012. Our embarkation of Azamara Quest worked like clockwork and our stateroom, all the way aft, was ready within an hour of boarding. The cabin, 7121, is long …
RIO DE JANEIRO-Today we got a little more up close and personal with Rio de Janeiro. It is a sprawling metropolis of about 11 million people. We fully intended to visit the Carmen Miranda museum along with a few other cultural sites because so many are closed on Monday. After a chat with the concierge – and the fact we board the ship before noon on Tuesday – we hired a guide and driver for the afternoon, …
My first day in Rio de Janeiro was great: My eight-hour American Airlines flight was comfortable, getting in about 10 minutes early. Comfort came from the fact I had a seat on the side of the plane – one of two – with no one in the second seat. I stretched out over both seats and slept the better part of four to five hours. Security, customs, luggage went easily and with a prepaid cab (about 105 …
Read moreMarcia Levin arrives in Rio for the beginning of her Azamara cruise
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