Tuesday, April 5, 2016, at sea in the Tropics

“With every drop of water you drink, every breath you take, you’re connected to the sea. No matter where on Earth you live. Every time I slip into the ocean, it’s like going home.” -Sylvia Earle, Oceanographer 

Ipanema Beach

Time is going by so quickly. I think I spent the entire day yesterday sewing and chatting in the lounge with the ladies. No, I didn’t bring sewing from home. Sadly, I haven’t figured out how to pack for a trip like this. Oh, I brought the right clothes, but I didn’t bring any crafts. I brought books, but I’ve never been very good at solitude when there’s other people around. Especially people that are fun to talk to. So I’m helping one of the gals with her quilt. I was surprised to find how relaxing it is, I can actually imagine doing it when I get home. You don’t have to pay that much attention, like when knitting or crocheting — there is no counting, stitch change, or pattern to follow. Plus the fabrics are very beautiful (and new cotton smells so good), so there’s a creative element. And you can listen to the lectures, which are fascinating. 
We had a wonderful time in Rio de Janeiro. A few of us ventured out to a market on Saturday afternoon, then after dinner we went to one of the oldest neighborhoods of Rio — Lapa — and heard some samba music. We went to another club and heard some more modern, Brazilian music that was great. Our only regret was having to get back to the ship to get to bed because we had a very early call the next morning. Several of us spent the morning in the national forest hiking. This park is right in the city — a rain forest. It was good to get out and walk, even if it was very hot and humid (at least it wasn’t raining). 

I’m just back from lunch on the back deck. We had a quite a show by 5 masked boobies that were following along fishing. I don’t know if they were attracted by the smell of the barbecues, but for a good hour, they fished right along side our ship.