Amazonia and Neptune Day

FEB 21/23

WE ARE THE ARAWANA’S!!! Yes, that’s right, I just got back from Amazonia this afternoon. Wow, I had an amazing time!

Okay, so where to start...ummm, how about Salvador. We arrived in Salvador, Brazil on Saturday the 17^th. Once again it was a long process to get the ship cleared, so Ivan and I stayed on the ship for a free lunch (yes, free is ALWAYS good). We then walked over to the area where Carnival is held and checked out a few shops, then wandered over to the market (like the Straw Market in Nassau). That night the two of us went to Bahia by Night – a dinner and show hosted by SAS. The show was very cool, with traditional tribal dances and some Capoeira (a martial art created by the black slaves camouflaged as a dance to hide it from the slave-owners). Oh, and the food was also quite excellent. :)

The next morning at 1:10 we met as a group to head over to Amazonia, so I didn’t go out after Bahia by Night. Now, that was an interesting flight schedule…there’s some odd correlation between SAS and flights that leave between midnight and 2am. Needless to say, that night I didn’t sleep very much going between airports and airplanes and busses. We got to the boats around noon, ate lunch and started on our way down the river.

There is also something about SAS and not believing in rest! We sat on the boat for about 90 minutes as we traveled to one of the islands on the Rio Negro, then stopped for a few minutes at this little souvenir shop. Then we went for a hike in the rainforest, headed back in to grab sweaters and more bug spray, went out to catch caimans (in the alligator family), went back to the boat, ate supper, and then went to sleep pretty early. And by ‘pretty early’, I mean at 10. Yeah, that’s extremely early for what I’m used to on this ship! Oh, and our guides – Antonio and Allan were amazing and knew so much medicinal information about the fauna surrounding us. I’m sure it helped they are both natives to the area, but still very impressive. Oh my goodness, it was so hot in there…and of course we couldn’t just shower whenever we wanted to. I felt (and looked) so gross that night.

The next two days were kinda repetitive: woke up at sunrise, walked around various rainforests, fished for piranha, swam and washed in the Rio Negro, toured and talked to the people from a village and a tribe (yes, there is a difference), played soccer against the tribe, stargazed, and ate some really good food (including the fish we caught). Don’t get me wrong…we still had a good time (it’s just easier and less time consuming to list it all off like that).

Our last two nights were pretty fun. The one night they took us out on the little boats they used for going ashore…but instead of doing something, we just drove for 5 minutes and then sat there…in the middle of the river....so we stargazed and talked. We were really confused…why were we just sitting there? And then they FINALLY started going back to the boat…but wait!!! There were fireworks and this whole little party set up on the beach! We ate really good barbecued food, and fresh fruit, and cake (it was one of the workers’ birthday), then played tug-o-war, musical chairs, and of course did the limbo. :D Totally amazing. And yes, talented me, I was dubbed the Canadian Killer that night because I beat out the Life Long Learner AND the professor in a row while playing musical chairs. What can I say??? I didn’t look at who it was…there were just two of us running for a chair! (oops…) Yes, I had fun – can you tell?

And the SECOND night…well, now that one gave the first night a run for its money. We went to this lodge for a tribal dance show. Actually, what they were doing is called the Boybumba, the second largest celebration in Amazonia (first is Carnival), celebrated from June 28-30. Anyway, it was just this really cool show with really elaborate costumes and afterward they had us up there dancing too, following their lead. And OF COURSE there were just two of us up dancing 20 minutes into that – me and Jika (also on SAS, from Mexico, who also happened to be ballet/jazz/etc dancer). We were up until about 1am that night. So fun. :)

Well, when I said we were up…I meant up dancing. Really, we didn’t go to bed until around 3am. “Why?” you ask… “SAS planned flights” I respond. Yep, we went back to the boat, packed our stuff, docked, drove to the airport, sat in the airport, and FINALLY got on to the plane.

After another wonderful night of sleeping in airports and on airplanes and on busses, we finally got back to Salvador around noon for our last day here (Wednesday, Feb 21). I happened to run into Ivan just as I was going to eat lunch on the ship, so we ate, then went back into the city for some last minute souvenirs and then we went out for supper. I have to say, Brazilian food is really good. Oh, and so are their desserts.

Speaking of dessert…I’ve given that up for lent! Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to go to mass (there were none offered when I got back), so I decided to do something. This may seem like an ‘oh, that’s too easy’ sort of thing…but this is extremely hard to do on this ship – it is a serious sacrifice! I’d said before that the food is okay. Yes, it is…but ‘okay’ food every 3 meals a day for 3 weeks…the desserts are tasting really good. The hardest part, is they always have really creative desserts, too…and I don’t get to sample them!!!

I’m back in my room right now, but I just got back from work – aka the library. I’m actually quite happy to have that job right now. I mean, with what other position would I be able to sit, read my textbooks, do my homework, and write out my blog AND get paid ~ $31for it?

Ciao!

Lindsay

P.S. An arawana is a fish that jumps out of the water to eat things off trees. There’s your fun fact for the day. :)

FEB 24

So, today we celebrated Neptune Day. Why didn’t we celebrate it when we ACTUALLY crossed the equator? Something about needing a certain amount of classes before our first Global Studies exam, and they wanted the test to be before Salvador.

Side note: I got 94% on that test. :D

Anyway, because of the celebration we didn’t have any classes today. Wohoo! So, this morning we were all wonderfully woken up by the crew banging pots and pans all throughout the halls at 7:45. Sounds early…but oddly enough, I slept in for an hour!! So, I met everyone up at the 6^th deck dining hall (aka The Garden Lounge) for breakfast, then went back down to my cabin to change – I didn’t want fish guts to be poured all over the shirt I was wearing. Yes, you read that right…fish guts! I guess it’s part of some sort of initiation or something…but we all had to (voluntarily) stand beside the pool and have ‘fish guts’ (or what Wendy says was really chunky sour milk) poured over our heads. Standing beside the pool was definitely NOT a coincidence…we all jumped in after to wipe off the fish. Lucky me, I was somewhere near the end, so I’m not sure if I really got any cleaner or if I just swam in salty sour milk (the pool is filled with salt water). Once out of the pool, we had to kiss two fish, kiss the ring of King Neptune, and then we were welcomed to the other side of the equator. The only other activities of the day were the shaving of peoples’ heads (another supposed tradition – this year we had a record of ~40 girls do it) and a barbecue up on the back of the 7^th deck (The Pool Deck).

Yep, so that was my day today. I didn’t do as much homework as I would have hoped, but it was nice to relax for a little while at sea just this once.

Happy Neptune Day!

Lindsay

Feb 9-16

FEB 9

Well, here I am sitting at the aft of the 7^th deck, and sadly I’m officially finished here at Puerto Rico. I don’t technically have to be on the ship yet, but I figured that I’d rather not have to deal with long lines just before on-ship time, so here I am. On-ship time is two hours before we are set to sail, and as the name suggests, we’re all supposed to be on the ship at that time.

Last night after the internet café, I went out with Roberto (the Puerto Rican) and a bunch of other SASers to a hotel bar where he used to work. I was VIP - yes, I feel special. :) It was another night of dancing salsa and having fun…nothing special, but still a good time. Oh! And there was randomly this percussion band that played local music for about a half hour at the bar, and the main drummer was wonderfully good looking. It made mine and Wendy’s night. Wendy and I even got a picture with him…I’ll have to post it once I get it from Nash. (Nash is from U of Waterloo…his name is actually Dave, but he looks like Steve Nash according to everyone).

On, and on the topic of pictures, I’m extremely happy I bought a new camera just before we left. The memory card holds sooo many pictures that are really good quality. Yes, yes, I’ll post some soon. I’m actually thinking of posting them on an online photo album, so I’ll give you guys the link when I actually set that up. (I WOULD just post a few on here and burn CD’s to hold the rest of them, but my wonderful laptop has a defect somewhere in that drive…no CDs or DVDs will work).

…My laptop died just as I was typing that last sentence and I don’t remember what else I was going to say, so I’ll just end this posting here.

Lindsay

P.S. Oh, and I HAVE to give Kate credit and thank her for being the first person to send me mail while on the ship! :D Now, who wants to try for 2^nd place??? Or, if you’re not up to sending a letter in the mail…and e-mail will suffice. Really. She’s also the first person to write me an e-mail, with Tamera in 2^nd. Now, who wants to try for 3^rd in the e-mail category?

FEB 12

So, I really shouldn’t be updating my blog…there just isn’t time. I was talking to my Women in Music professor and she confirmed that when University of Virginia took over Semester at Sea, they made the courses harder – they wanted to make this “more of an academic program”. WHAT??? Um, so what do they call traveling the world and experiencing a dozen countries? What do they consider the interactions we have between fellow students, professors, staff and other members of the shipboard community, all of us from different areas of the world? (No, I have not yet eaten with Dezzy – aka Archbishop Desmond Tutu.)

Well, whatever UVa was trying to accomplish, they’ve done a good job. On my fourth day of class I’m already overwhelmed, behind on reading, sleep deprived and sick (well, to me a little scratchiness in my throat is a HUGE deal since I’m almost never sick). I believe I’m supposed to be taking part in the shipboard activities…but that’ll have to wait until I finish all the readings for my A1 and B1 classes! I’ve already had to take my name off the list for three social groups because there is no way I can make it. AHHHH!!!!

Have I ever explained the class schedule while on ship? Because the number of days and the days of the week while at sea are totally random with absolutely no structure at all they have set up a class schedule of two days: A and B. A1 was our first day of ‘A’ classes (Feb 6), followed by B1 (after Puerto Rico on Feb 10), and then A2 (Feb 11) was our second day of ‘B’ classes…etc. There are 22 days of each class totaling in 44 grueling sleep deprived and reading filled days of me impatiently waiting until the next port of call - assuming I have time for fun on my ‘weekends’. Actually, scratch that last part…I’ll make sure to have fun - when else will I be in India with the opportunity to stay at a local’s house or have the chance to get totally lost in China with a great group of friends as we try to find our way to a remote part of the Great Wall good ol’ Nash told us about?

Well, this is really all the time I have to write for now. I’m still waiting for the 3^rd place e-mail winner….and I won’t know the recipient of 2^nd place for airmail until Brazil.

***4 more days until Salvador, 4 more days, only two more of each class…and 6 assignments plus 300 pages of reading….***

So much for positive thinking…. : (

Lindsay

FEB 15/16

Hello all!

So, this is me procrastinating from writing my first paper due this semester: a comparative analysis of two female Carnival identities for my Women in Music class.

Oh, I don’t believe I’ve told any of you yet – I changed my courses around. I went to my first Elements of Directing class and changed out of it the first chance I got. Really, the class itself wouldn’t have been so bad, but I just don’t have the time on the ship to be directing a play…not to mention finding actors. So, now I’m in that, Global Studies, Geology: Reading the Natural Landscape, and Macroeconomics.

Ah, and here I am, back to the topic of a total lack of time on this ship. Really, I have yet to experience one hour without having two hours of homework to do. I just catch up on my reading for a class, then go to it…and walk out with another chapter to read (due in two days), plus some stupid time consuming assignment. Wanna know the worst thing assigned to me to date? I have to read about the possible projects for my geology class, choose the top three, and then write an informal paper about why I prefer those three to the others. If for some reason I didn’t like any of those the professor proposed, then I get to create my own project and write a paper explaining the details. Umm…and what does this have to do with rocks, or plate tectonics…or ANYTHING educational!?! Okay, so maybe this would have been useful up until grade 9 when they were teaching us how to think about what we read…but in a class where the majority of students are at least 3^rd year university students?

Ugh, I really should get onto my essay, though I really don’t want to. Anybody feel like writing it for me? Anyone? I’ll pay you. Really.

Oh, and I have my first Global Studies exam tomorrow.

I’ll post this string of blogs soon, promise!

Happy Belated Valentine’s Day!

Muah and lots of chocolate,

Lindsay

P.S. By the way, I just finished my essay…it’s 4:45 am. :)

FEB 16 – at night

Well, I just thought I’d complain for two seconds more: I’m going to my room in two minutes (after I post this) to do another assignment. Are the professors even allowed to have assignments due while in port?? Everybody else is having fun conversing, playing games, watching movies….and I’m reading an article and writing an essay due tomorrow by 2pm – there is no way I’m working on that while in port…I’m going to finish it tonight.

Oh, and the Global Studies test wasn’t all that bad. For having two hours of sleep…I think I did pretty well! (I just quickly went over the answers, I got about an 80% - definitely some stupid mistakes, though).

I won’t have my laptop with me at all for the duration of my stay in Brazil – something tells me there won’t be any internet access amongst the tribes surrounding the Amazon River. Ahh…finally a vacation (yes, for me only one textbook to read is a vacation. In case you didn’t get that, I’m bringing my Econ text with me to read while I’m floating down the Amazon river).

Chao (bye in Portuguese)

Lindsay

P.S. Dad, sorry to inform you, but Portuguese sounds a lot like other languages I have heard before... extremely close to Spanish.

Up 'till Puerto Rico

FEB 4

Hey, so today was our first official day of Semester at Sea…well, official as in everyone was on the ship together and the first day of our calendar. We haven’t really done much so far with the exception of a lifeboat drill and eat supper.

It was fun to watch the ship leave port this afternoon with the surprisingly few parents waving goodbye. Most of the students were at the back of the ship looking over the railings taking way too many photographs and videos. As for the rest…well, some were unpacking, others sleeping.

Oh, and speaking of sleep…that is definitely something I’m not expecting to get much of throughout the voyage; last night and the night before I got 4 hours of sleep because of too much to do and early mornings. For the next few days, things should be pretty slack and sleep should be more abundant, but once classes start and I have to read my many textbooks (at least two for every course) I’m sure I’ll be lucky to get 8 hours a night.

I met my roommate Holly Foresburg today as she went through my station of the check in process. (more below). From the couple short conversations we’ve had, she seems to be a really nice person and I’m sure everything will be fine between the two of us. She’s from Pittsburg (or Pennsylvania….I should really get the two straight), born in 1986, a dancer (we’ve agreed to look for dance pictures when in port so we can put them up), and in general a really reasonable person. I’m happy.

So, for work today we had to help everyone get on deck. They had us work students do everything from telling those coming aboard where to go to get to Student’s Union (where Core will be held) to collecting their passports to checking their forms were all handed in. Me, I was assigned the position of the last thing…making sure all forms were handed in and checking to see if they had cell phone numbers in case of emergency.

Oh! And I don’t think I’d told you yet…but there were 250 applicants for the student grant, and I was one of the 26 chosen! Yeah, I couldn’t believe that number when I heard it. And get this: one of the girls who got it talked to Ryan Roth (one of the guys involved in the decision of who got it) just before he read out our positions and declined the grant. Instead, she wanted to spend one last day with her parents, so she brought a check for 6,200 when she came on the ship next. Yeah, so much for the financial need requirement!


FEB 8


Hello all!

So, today is my second day in Puerto Rico. I love it. Nope, still not homesick, nor have I been seasick. Actually, the only thing I’ve felt so far is a rocking sensation while in port; it’s actually kinda cool.

We docked here yesterday at 8am, but didn’t get off the ship until noon. Why? Well, we had a presentation by the governor of Puerto Rico, then had this horribly long process of all 702 students as well as the 50-ish staff and other faculty members having to go to one room and pick up our passports, get them stamped, and then drop them off again.

So, when we finally got off we walked 35 minutes to Old San Juan, cut our group of 8 into two much more manageable groups (I was with Ivan and Wendy) and then continued for another 20 mintues until we got to San Felippe del Morro. This is a fort that protected the island and worked quite well until the US fianlly beat them (they had just been attacked by another country, or something like that). Anyway, it was a pretty cool place to look around. :)

Last night we went out to a Welcome Reception at the University of Puerto Rico. As soon as we got there they gave us some free (virgin) Pina Coladas and a little gift comprised of a glass, Puerto Rican flag, pencil and a bracelet - nothing spectacular, but a nice gesture. As soon as everyone was seated they served us a buffet supper of the local popular foods, and then taught us salsa. Okay, so really I just went up there to dance and have fun...I'd just learned how to dance this dance at home. Oh! And of course they asked for a volunteer to go up and demonstrate with the lady, so I went up. :) (What can I say...nobody else would go!) This ended at aroudn 10:30, so a bunch of us went out to some local bars with Roberto, a Puerto Rican who is on Semester at Sea.

Today we went out to the El Yunque rainforest and swam under the natural waterfalls. :) I absolutely love rainforests. This totally reminded me of when we were in Costa Rica....

Anyway, I’m at a bookstore with free internet right now, so I’m sending this as it is…I have to add more about my adventures in San Juan the next time.

Take care! (Oh, and I checked the temperature for Regina today…change the – to a + …and that’s what it is here!)

Hasta luego
Lindsay

P.S. The number for the temperature is 30…so make that a -30 for home and a +30 for here...in case I totally confused everyone out there.

I've been on the ship!

JAN 29

So, I’ve officially left home and am on my way! So far, we’re off to a bad start: dad forgot his suitcase at home (we got it to us during our overnight in Calgary), I forgot my foreign currencies in the truck (luckily mom and dad can bring the second half of it when they come to meet me in Vietnam), “a fire alarm activated and [the airport] is investigating” just before we got off the plane in Toronto (which meant waiting a while longer before disembarking the plane), and we found out the hard way that the Toronto airport has no real breakfast food (mmm, eggs from a milk carton). So far we’ve only made it to the Toronto airport! My theory is that all that can be considered ‘bad’ is happening before the real adventure starts, getting it out of the system – so bring it on. (Makes for a better story, too).

Have you ever tried to use the internet in an airport that does not have wireless? Oh, it’s horribly difficult. I’m planning a safari for a group of 9 girls, including myself, and I need to e-mail the girls information about what flights to book and inform them that I’ve reserved space at a hostel (oh, I was supposed to do that, too). Well, it turns out the only place I could access the internet was from a little booth thing where, to type, I had to use a rolly ball and click each letter individually. Well, after trying to book the hostel and find the flight codes, both unsuccessfully because this little booth wouldn’t let me on to booking sites, I decided to send an e-mail and let them know that yes, I’d be giving them the information I’d promised to give the day before. So, I typed them an e-mail, and just as I was about to hit ‘send’, the screen went blank with the exception of a neon green box in the middle informing me that I’d reached the maximum charge possible: $5.35. Needless to say, I’ll be looking for an internet café when we get to Nassau (where this will be sent from – I’m on the plane right now. I love having a laptop.)

I’d have to say, the port I’m looking most forward to is Mauritius. Why? They speak French. That…and I plan on going canyoning while there. If that plan falls through, the beaches are supposedly beautiful – this will be my only beach time with the possible exception of our one day in Honolulu. Really, either way it’s a win-win situation!

A la prochaine! (‘Until next time’ in French)

FEB 2-3

So, I’m on the ship, unpacked (for the most part) and LOVING IT!!! Every time I walk into my room, I have so many emotions running through me: excitement, anticipation, joy, and not a morsel of fear.

My cabin number is 3105.

While on the ship, I’ll be working 200 hours as the librarian’s aid along with four other students. Today was my first day, and so far all I’ve done is go through orientation and scan textbooks so that they can be posted on to the Intranet and read by students. I was really hoping to get a position with Administration, but c’est la vie and I’ll make the best of it!

Everybody on the ship so far is amazing! Yeah, sure, I’ve only so far met 27 students, the faculty and staff, but we all get along incredibly well. There are already a few hostilities toward others, but for the most part, everyone would agree with me. We (the work study students) have decided that we’d be okay with leaving dock and leaving the rest of the students behind. It’s going to be so incredibly crowded when all 702 students are aboard…. Oh, but Wendy and Sam would have to meet us in San Juan…we want them to come with.

Who are Wendy and Sam? They’re Ivan’s friends. Ivan is a fellow work study student and we’re amazing friends. Sam in Ivan’s cousin. Wendy is Ivan and Sam’s friend. How did I meet them? Well, they all three checked into the same hotel the same day as me, my mom and my dad. They walked down the stairs with their laptops, so I ran up to grab my own, sat beside them at the table, and said “Hi, I’m from Semester at Sea”. (SAS)

SAS are the magic words to meet people in Nassau. Yell that out, and at least one person will turn around and act all surprised saying “You’re from SAS too!?”

Ah, I’m having so much fun. There’s too much to tell. We’ve been busy all day every day since I’ve checked into the hotel in Nassau…I still have to finish unpacking my suitcases on the ship (I of course brought way too much), read through information, start writing in my journal…..but I AM taking pictures. J (Yes, Breanna, you’d be proud of me. I’m ACTUALLY using my camera!)

Anyway, I’m off to go back to the ship. Right now I’m using the free internet from the hotel we checked out of two days ago (Wendy and Sam are still staying here at the hotel and we’re allowed of the boat at night…so why not!?), but this will be my last time not paying for it….starting tomorrow when we leave Nassau, I have 250 free minutes and then pay 40 cents per minute. Ugh!

Buenas noches!

Lindsay

P.S. I got the greatest compliment today…I was told I sound like a Canadian. :)