Brazil - Corcovado and Sugar Loaf Mountain

In true tourist style via Uber, shank's pony, funicular train and cable car we have been to the dizzy heights and concluded that Rio has lots of well maintained parks, off shore islands and that the rainforest spills into the city at every opportunity. This gives it a very outdoorsy feel.

Funicular to Corcovado

Crowds at the statue

Sugar Loaf and the city from Corcovado

Cable car to Sugar Loaf Mountain

Across to Copacabana from the top

The bay from Sugar Loaf

Brazil - Rio de Janeiro

OK so it's a month from the Olympics and here we are in 'hostile' Rio. We took the view - don't go down empty streets. Brazilians could not have been more caring and helpful.  Our hotel - Arene de Leme, much recommended - was right at the northern end of Copacabana Beach, with an excellent view along it to the volley ball stadium ( washed away once - now with a sand barrage to the Atlantic) and Ipanema beyond.  This is mid winter very pleasant for walking - not many dental floss bikinis on the beach.

Copacabana beach from the hotel roof bar

Steps leading to the Santa Theresa area

Interior of Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Monte do Carmo

Praca XV square

Jacare - Solstice and Saints days

A week ago was the winter solstice. Yes - we know that it was the summer solstice in the UK but we're in the southern hemisphere here.

In the Vila do Pescadores (fishermen's village) in Jacaré (at the end of the pontoon) this is taken seriously. The street is decked out in bunting and large stacks of wood are arranged along the road, to be lighted at dusk.

Before viewing this spectacle it is necessary to get in the mood. This involves imbibing some of the local cocktail - caparinha. (Take a limes and crush it with sugar. Add a liberal dose of cachaca - a distilled spirit from a sugarcane juice base, so a sort of white rum.) Top up with ice and drink. Very refreshing and moreish but quite hangover inducing.

The fires are big. Some of the bits of timber would make a Tudor Yule log look like a twig and were still smoldering a week later. Fortunately the road is cobbled, not tarmac.

The next day was the feast of São João. We're not sure if some of the decoration was due to this - certainly the local supermarket was working reduced hours.

This week we had the feast of São Pedro. As this is a fishing village this was an important event. We realised that something was up as the potholes in the dirt road were filled in with rubble and earth (not much of an improvement as neither a grader nor a roller were used) and a tent was installed (next to the pontoon) for a mass, In the afternoon a statue of the saint in a flower-decked model boat was brought from the local church and loaded on to a fishing boat at the end of the fishermen's pier.

The boat then set off in convoy down the river. This was accompanied by large quantities of thunder flashes, some of which could have doubled as mortar shells.
The massive party in the tent, now relinquished by the priest, went on into the night - at full volume.

UK visit Cambridge reunion and family catch-up

How do you choose your friends?  Will they stand the test of time? Well the girls that Susan met 50 years ago when she trained as a nurse at Addenbrooke's hospital in Cambridge certainly have!

This is the first time that we had actually all been together since ? our wedding day.

The reunion was a true walk down the Cambridge memory lane, the local pub on the Cam, punting, passing the spot where Susan met Richard, tea in Fitzbillies.

We were even invited in to the house that we all shared. Wonderful - roll on the next occasion!

As usual on our UK visits, it is time to catch up with family

The run on boys in the next generation but one  has come to a halt. This visit coincided with the christening of the first female in the family for a while - Emily Grace - in Birmingham. it was a glorious day.

It is touch and go as to which of Joshua (16) and Jake (13) is the taller. Looks as if the competition may be decided by our next visit!

Archie had a cub camp while we were in Scotland. The necker had to be perfect!

Max remains as photogenic as ever.

Rapha is pretty good in a photo too!

Olinda

Contrary to what might be assumed from the lack of recent entries here, we have not disappeared down a hole in the ocean, just been a bit busy.

In April shortly after our arrival in Brazil a side trip to the city of Olinda, founded in 1535 and a World Heritage site. It is just north of the more modern centre of Recifé and a two-hour taxi ride from our marina location at Jacaré.

We went with Phil and Norma (Minnie B), who were our guides and the trusted driver Benardo. There are numerous churches, convents, monasteries and ancient buildings some in a sad state of repair, which could take days to explore.

 Our initial visit was to the Church and Monastery of Sao Bento (presuambly not the inventor of Japanese bento boxes). Originally built in 1582, it was destroyed by the Dutch and rebuilt in the 18th century.
Presumably the Dutch, along with the British, took a dim view of the Pope's splitting of newly discovered lands between the Portuguese and Spanish.

The baroque interior of  the church is sumptuously ornate.
Brazilians are renowned as intricate wood carvers which in
ecclesiastical settings  are covered with gold leaf.

Around the city there is a lot of street art, some would call this graffiti, but it certainly brightens the walls up.

True fans of carnival have gravitated towards cities like Olinda which has striven to remain loyal to the values of the original pagan festival. Here the music is not the samba. Raucous street parades feature giant papier-mache puppets that caricature local or national celebrities. The leading creator of puppets, Silvio Botelho de Almeid, has his work exhibited in museums outside Brazil.

The cathedral is up a quite long steep hill. Some people find it a challenge requiring a sit down.

Or maybe it's just somewhere to admire the view over the city and across to Recifé.

Susan sometimes goes under the nickname Gertrude. We hadn't realised that one could be taught to be a Gertrude - we thought it came naturally.

The Cathedral enjoys a commanding position above the town. Unfortunately it was closed by the time we got there - unlike the stalls on the square in front of it - time for the first caparinha (drink based on crushed limes, sugar and a local spirit - very alcoholic).
Thus fortified we headed to the recommended restaurant - Oficina do Sabor for a sublime signature dish - lobster in cheese sauce served in pumpkin - simply delicious.
Taxi Bernado!

St Helena

Approaching James' Bay at dawn

After an easy two week passage, where the only known item that broke was a Harken block on the kicker; the first approach round the NW of the island in the dawn gave the impression a forbidding and uninhabited area of steep and fairly arid cliffs. On entering James Bay you see buildings on the top of the cliffs and the 699 steep steps of Jacob’s Ladder leading to them.

The town of Jamestown is almost completely hidden in its valley behind the port area. With its relative isolation from the rest of the world landing in St Helena requires a step back in time. It has a three-weekly supply ship from Cape Town. There are no ATMs, a mobile phone system that appears to be accessible only with local SIM cards, expensive WiFi in a couple of locations and currency which, although equivalent to pounds sterling, comes in banknotes that are apparently not exchangeable off the island. The bank, where you have to queue, does not even exchange US dollars!

Jamestown 

We took an island tour with Robert, an octogenarian who runs tours. His minibus was off the road so 8 of us were in the back of his 4WD, with two in the front.

Longwood House

The main tourist attractions on the island are related to Napoleon’s enforced stay there after Waterloo up to his death there in 1821.  It’s amazing to realise that the risk of Napoleon’s escape was so high that the British acquired Tristen de Cunha and Ascension Islands to further isolate him.  Longwood House in which he lived has been kept largely as it was. At our time of visit some of the furniture and artifacts have been sent to Paris for restoration.

Napoleon's empty tomb

The tomb in which he was buried until he was removed to Paris sixteen years later was unmarked because the British and French could not agree on the inscription.

The new airport site

St Helena's isolation will soon be broken. A new airport, to be opened by Prince Edward, is in the final stages of construction – a test flight by a 737 landed on 12 April.

Green interior

The interior of the island is fairly green, but with barren areas clearly showing it's volcanic origin. Agriculture, although formerly extensive, has declined. An attempt was made to establish a flax industry but now the flax covers the hills. Dairy industry declined when farmers were no longer allowed to sell their own milk.

With barren volcanic peaks

Jacob's ladder from the top

The easiest way to get to the top of Jacob's ladder is by road from the valley bottom.

James Bay anchorage

There is a good bird's eye view of the anchorage.

Consulate Hotel

The Consulate Hotel in the main street of Jamestown was the preferred watering hole with the best WiFi and reasonably priced snacks for lunch.

Minnie B at sunset

Being on the western side of the anchorage the anchorage was the scene for some excellent sunset shots of the boats.

Sea Bunny at anchor (Photo: Phil Heaton)

Cape Town - Robben Island

When in Cape Town it is almost mandatory to take the ferry over to the former prison island of Robben Island. We went on a Saturday which meant that there were vast crowds and it was impossible to view the information boards while waiting in the queue for the ferry, which passed through strict airport-style security checks.

Mandela's cell

Large numbers of political prisoners, almost all black or coloured, were imprisoned here during the apartheid years including, of course, for 16 years, Nelson Mandela.
Cells were Spartan with just a sleeping mat and pot.

Exercise yard

Our guide around the prison block had himself been a prisoner here for around 11 years. His crimes – sabotage, belonging to a banned organization and attempting to leave the country. Being pedantic one could consider that sabotage would be a criminal, rather than a political act. He did briefly describe the types of torture.

The quarry

Life was harsh – one hour in the exercise yard, hard labour in the quarry

All in all, perhaps not as horrific as the Cellular Jail in Port Blair, Andamans, built by the British to house Indian political prisoners.

Photo stop

The bus trip round the island only had one stop - queue up to take a "selfie".