Our senses awaken as we leave the Atlantic Ocean and begin our two day journey up the Amazon River to the town of Manaus. The intense smell of campfires and smoke fill the jungle as Brazilians prepare their breakfast and perhaps clear land for cultivation. The air is a steamy haze of smoke and humidity…
Category: SAS
Brazil – Rio de Janeiro
As we sailed into Rio de Janeiro, it was obvious why the view from the harbor is considered one of the modern wonders of the world. Christ the Redeemer sits at the top of one of the many forested peaks that encircle the sprawling white beaches and modern city. Copacabana and Ipanema beaches are right…
Argentina – Big City and Cowboys
As we sailed across the Atlantic from South Africa, we were exposed to three sides of Argentina. The old: the still beloved Evita, who served as first lady and worked on behalf of the poorest Argentines; and the history of what once was among the richest countries on Earth, with European influences and South American…
South Africa – A Magical Complicated Country
The lucky Orris clan returned to picturesque Cape Town, South Africa. Our second visit allowed us to dig deeper and discover a layer of South Africa that we didn’t see in 2009. We added to our knowledge of South Africa’s history through our classes on the ship and our inter-port lectures, Bob and Alice Evans. …
San Diego – The Last Leg
As we made our delayed departure from Honolulu, we expected to hit some big waves, and maybe do a little cruise ship surfing. However, we encountered nothing but smooth waters on our 6 day crossing to San Diego. The last few days on ship were filled with final papers and exams (for the students) and…
Coming to America – kind of – Hawaii!
During our uneventful 10 day crossing from Japan, we re-entered tropical waters on our way to Hawaii. The warmer temperatures allowed the boys to burn off some energy on the ball court and get back into the ship pool again. The return of nicer weather was tempered by the knowledge that our voyage was coming…
Land of the Rising Sun
Well, we have left the final foreign port on our voyage around the world. We now have 10 days at sea to look forward to as we cross the Pacific to Hawaii. We spent our last five days in Japan, porting first in Yokohama (outside Tokyo) and then in Kobe. Jay had been looking forward…
Shanghai, China
In Shanghai, our ship was docked in the heart of the city of 12 million people. The city has grown at an amazing pace over the past 15 years and is now one of the largest in the world. We were perfectly located to watch the nightly light show displayed on the downtown buildings and…
Hong Kong
Pulling into Hong Kong harbor, we were astounded by the row upon row of tall apartment and commercial buildings. For a city of 7 million people, HK is surprisingly livable city with manageable traffic and an abundance of green space. We understand why Jay’s brother, Loron, has made it his home for the last 15…
Vietnam
After two weeks of intense traveling in India and Cambodia, we took a needed “vacation” in Vietnam and headed to a fancy resort. Reverting back to our “traveler” days, we arrived in Ho Chi Minh City with no flights or hotel reservations but some ideas that we wanted to head to a beach resort either…