Day 34 - February 6, 2008 - Montevideo, Uruguay

Montevideo, Uruguay photos
All we had to do was cross the Rio de la Plata between 10pm and 7am. We arrived an hour late this morning. Fortunately, it did not end up mattering to us because Debbie's private guide had informed us that she would not be there before 9:30am. Good. Marta was the name of the guide Debbie had been emailing. In her last message, she told us she would be waiting by the green path with a sign with our name. You always worry about how you will find the red roof or the blue building or the green path. In this case, there was no worry. The green path was not to be missed. There were a few ships docked here in a very compact area. Captain Delavault had a tricky parking job this morning. So, we followed the green path past our ship to the intersection with the next ship's green path and there was Debbie's name on a sign. The woman introduced herself as Noemi, Marta's sister. Marta had an emergency with her daughter and could not come. We hope that everyone is all right now. But, Noemi did a fine job filling in and she teaches English, so we had no problems. Luis was our driver and he met us with an air conditioned van outside the port entrance. Marta did fine by us and we can recommend her services to anyone. Marta Marquez, tour organizer, msmtaiz@hotmail.com
We had the guide and driver for 5 1/2 hours for US$165. We spent a little more time than that with them because we invited them to join us for a parillada lunch in the Mercado del Puerto after the tour finished. The Mercado del Puerto is an amazing old building that is now full of meat grilling restaurants and some shops. We ordered 2 mixed grills for 2, 2 orders of french fries and one of mashed potatoes with 2 waters, 1 big Pilsen beer and 1 bottle of medio medio (half still white wine-half sparkling white wine) and the bill was US$151. There were a number of places both up and downstairs to eat there, but we ate upstairs at LaPosada Don Tiburon. Each grill came with 2 cuts of beef and grilled pork and lamb chops. It was much more than even 5 people could eat. The beef was really good.
Earlier in the day, we requested a stop for ice cream as a comparative study of course. Mercedes, yesterday, told us that the Argentines had improved on the gelato that the Italians brought over with them. We did really like the BA ice cream and wanted to see how the Uruguayan compared. Noemi told us that she did not know if it was that good, but that she had a favorite place, La Cigale. So, we went. Well, it was really very good ice cream. In point of fact, we all agreed that it was even better than the Freddo ice cream we had in Buenos Aires. Sorry, but Uruguay wins.
So, we drove around Montevideo and we walked around the downtown area some. We went to the Plaza Matriz and visited the flea market and the Cathedral. We walked down a pedestrian street to the Plaza de la Independencia and the mauseoleum of Artigas. We visited Museo Torres Garcia and the Museos del Gaucho y de la Moneda. The first was a local modern artist who died in 1949. The second was in a beautiful old house now owned by a bank that had one floor as a Mint Museum and the top floor about gauchos. It was full of old and fancy spurs, knives, bolladeras, whips, tack, mate cups, etc. along with some dioramas. It was quite interesting, but nearly all the signage is in Spanish only. On the floor with the Mint Museum, which is quite small, there was a photo exhibit by Geographic Study and Recognition Group of Uruguay. The thing we found most interesting here was a mud nest like the one that Clay saw at the Estancia yesterday. Noemi told us this small bird does build a large mud nest and the bird is called hornero. We drove to the hill overlooking the city which has a military museum on it, but which we did not visit. To get there you have to drive through an impoverished area that was once the center of the corned beef industry. Very interesting. We drove past the bronze sculptures of Belloni, which are very realistic and represent the colonial period of Uruguay. Sadly, they have suffered a lot of vandalism and theft. We also drove past some of their beautiful beaches. It was very hot here. We passed thermometers that said from 32C to 36C this afternoon. But, there was a constant breeze that kept things on the pleasant side and also we spent a lot of time in the air-conditioned van. We noticed a lot more mate drinkers here than we had in Buenos Aires. Noemi told us that most of the people in BA are in Uruguay on vacation right now anyway.
All aboard was at 5pm today for 6pm sailing. We have a new Captain now and apparently now we have to be back on board a full hour before sailing when it was only 30 minutes during the previous 2 segments. We hope that this is only for today since the new arrivals had to have a muster drill at 5:15pm today and not going to be a full hour for all aboard for the rest of our cruise. We'll see. At 6pm, after the last tour bus returned we sailed right on time. Capt. Delavault came on to announce that all were aboard and we were leaving, then he told us that he would not be attending the Block Party, but would be with us in spirit. We did not attend the Block Party either. Everyone in our section of hall is on the entire Circle and we had met everyone at the previous 2 Block Parties except the couple directly next to Margie. we were so stuffed from our late, meaty lunch and the heat that we didn't even really want to think about going to dinner or anything. The good news is that we now have 2 sea days before Rio de Janeiro. We have a private tour there scheduled through the courtesy of our H. Stern friends onboard Nessim and Fabian. We overnight in Rio and the next day we fly out to Iguazu Falls for to see both sides and then we spend a 2nd night in a hotel in Salvador de Bahia to wait to rejoin the Mariner.
Pasted below is the tour description for Iguazu Falls.
Iguazu Falls Spectacular
Duration: 2½ Days.
Hiking.
Price: $1425
This optional tour has to be pre-purchased and is not included in the regular tour program. If you have not already pre-booked this optional shore excursion you may contact Regent Seven Seas Cruises' Reservations at 1 (800) 285-1835 to verify the current status of this program. Limited space may be available and should be booked via reservations. You may also check with the Travel Concierge Manager upon embarkation to verify if this tour is still available. RSSC reserves the right to withdraw this program if minimum participation requirements are not met. A 100% cancellation penalty applies to overland programs cancelled within 60 days of departure. Experience the extraordinary natural beauty and wildlife of South America during this memorable journey to Iguazu Falls. The Iguazu, or Iguassu, River Delta is located in the center of a sub-tropical forest spanning 457,000 acres, and possesses unique characteristics that have made it an important economic and ecological reserve for all of its neighboring countries. Your adventure begins with an unforgettable guided walking tour through Iguazu National Park. Here, one of the world's most awesome series of waterfalls combine to create the Iguazu Falls, located on the border between Brazil and Argentina. Iguazu Falls are over two miles wide with 275 jumps, and a total height of 216 feet - taller than Niagra Falls. The catwalk you will walk across will tremble under the roar of the deafening torrents, and the awesome power of the falls. Next, you will embark on a jungle riverboat ride at Macuco Falls. This combination off-road vehicle tour and boat cruise through the park will enable you to get close enough to feel the spray and energy created by this great mass of falling water.
After an overnight stay at the Das Cataratas Hotel, located next to the falls, you will venture to the Argentinean side of Iguazu Falls for a half-day walking tour that penetrates deeper inside the falls than on the Brazilian side. You will hear the thunder of the rushing water and feel the spray from the falls before returning to the Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls. After lunch and a flight to Salvador, you will enjoy an overnight stay at the Sol Marina Hotel before transferring to your ship the next morning. Day 1 - Sunday, February 10, 2008 Disembark the ship for the transfer to Rio Airport, and your 2-hour flight to Iguazu. Snacks and refreshments will be served en route. Upon arrival at Foz do Iguaçu Airport, you will be met by your local guide, then transferred to Brazil's Falls National Park. Check-in at the Das Cataratas Hotel, located next to the falls.
After a buffet lunch at the hotel, your guide will meet you in the lobby and take you on a 1.5-hour introductory walking tour through the enchanted park at Iguazu Falls. This vast forest is comprised of sub-tropical wood species that include Brazilian walnut, cedar and peroba. Iguazu National Park is also home to several hundred species of butterflies, a wide array of macaus, toucans, parrots and other rare birds, and wildlife that includes the monkey, quati, anta, pacu, capybara, and jaguar. Featured in the motion picture, The Mission, the catwalk you will walk through will tremble under the roar of the deafening torrents as you take in one of the world's most incredible sights. Along the way, your guide will explain all about the trees, birds, falls and more.
The name Iguazu means Great Waters in Guarani. This natural wonder is taller than Niagara Falls, twice as wide and combines 275 falls in a massive, magnificent cascade that stretches for nearly 1.7 miles. Situated on the border between Argentina and Brazil, its waters pass over lush, sub-tropical greenery. One of the most breathtaking sights you may see during your walking tour is the fluttering of more than 700 species of butterflies that make this area their home.
Next, you will proceed to Macuco Falls for a jungle riverboat ride. This excursion combines an off-road vehicle tour through the National Park with a motorized boat cruise that allows you to view the falls from water level, and get close enough to them to feel the spray and energy created by this great mass of falling water.
Following this scenic adventure, you will be transferred back to your hotel for a buffet dinner. Overnight at the Das Cataratas Hotel - Iguazu. Day 2 - Monday, February 11, 2008 After a Brazilian-style buffet breakfast at the hotel, you will check-out and depart for the 1-hour drive to the Argentinean side of Iguazu Falls. En route, a stop will be made to clear customs. Upon arrival, youwill begin your 3.5-hour walking tour. While walking along catwalks that penetrate deeper inside the falls than on the Brazilian side, you will hear the thunder of the rushing water and feel the spray from the falls. On your return to the Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls, a stop will be made for lunch at the Porto Canoas Restaurant. After lunch, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Salvador, with snacks and refreshments served on the plane. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel for check-in. Overnight at the Sol Marina Hotel - Salvador. Day 3 - Tuesday, February 12, 2008 After breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred to the pier and your ship. Please note: Pack one small suitcase for the journey. Bring a light rain jacket to protect your clothing from the spray of the falls. Wear cotton attire and comfortable, rubber-soled shoes, as there is some strenuous walking involved in the falls area. A passport is absolutely necessary for check-in at the airports, both in Rio and Foz do Iguaçu, even though it is a domestic flight. The order of sites visited and included may be altered according to availability of venues.
Program Includes: • 1-night at the Das Cataratas Hotel - Iguassu in a deluxe room. • 1-night at the Sol Marina Hotel - Salvador. • Brazilian-style buffet breakfast at the Das Cataratas Hotel Restaurant. • Buffet lunch and dinner at Das Cataratas Hotel Restaurant, with beverage (local beer, soft drinks and mineral water). • Tour to the Brazilian side of the Falls, and Macuco Safari Boat Tour. • Tour to the Argentinean side of the Falls. • Lunch at local restaurant with beverage (local beer, soft drinks and mineral water). • Transfers between the pier, airports and hotel for flights Rio/Iguassu/Salvador. • Privately-chartered deluxe air-conditioned vehicles and English-speaking guides. • Luggage handling and porterage at the airport and hotel. • Service charges, handling fees and local taxes. • Mineral water on-board the vehicles during the excursions.

Some shipboard notes here. We are in cabins 736 and 738. The Internet signal in 738 is extremely low and unstable. It is better in 736, but the best place on this deck seems to be the chairs in front of the Main Atrium elevators before the spa and gym. Go figure. We cannot imagine the reason for the difference in signal quality just between the two cabins. But, if we only had 738 and basically no Internet access in suite, we would be very disappointed. Since we can walk across the opened balconies and get the signal in 736 it is not too bad, but it is bad. A new problem in the whole information sharing issues onboard Mariner is the TV has lost some categories. There is a channel that always displays navigational and meterological statistics. Today we starting losing categories, like temperature was gone in the morning, by afternoon there was no humidity or barometric pressure or wind speed. (Updated the next day to note, 24 hours later there is no ship's speed and the map locating the ship is not being updated.) It was bad when we were getting conflicting information from the ship's staff, but a complete information blackout is ridiculous.
Today at breakfast in LaVeranda, Pat of Ray and Pat from LCT came over and they introduced themselves. Hello Pat & Ray!
So, our evening. We did finally go to dinner in Compass Rose. We went much later than usual. We ate much later than normal. Ludovich found us as normal. He came up to the table and huffed, and said Finally, I have looked everywhere for you, but my spies finally reported that I could find you here. Debbie told him it was a little creepy that he could always find us and asked how he knew to find us at the jigsaw puzzle the other morning. He said that we always go up there to Coffee Corner to eat croissants after we have a big breakfast. WHAT?!? Ludovich just cracks himself up. He warned us that he was inviting us to dinner on the 2nd formal night with the new F&B manager, Franck. Forgot to tell about ourlast previous encounter. We actually missed a day of Ludovich. We last saw him when we ate in Latitudes. He asked us about our Tango Tango experience. We told him all about it and that we really enjoyed it. He asked us how long it lasted. A 1 hour 45 minutes long show. He wondered if that was too long. No, it wasn't really. He asked how much we paid. $69pp. He waved his hand and as before walking off told us that he would put on a show for us for that kind of money. He didn't hear Debbie wonder aloud if he could go for an hour and forty-five.
Debbie and Margie went to the show. It was a comedian named Don Gavin. He was very funny. He says he will be onboard until Rio. That's not long. Wonder if he will have another show in that amount of time.
Montevideo, Uruguay photos