Grand Voyages - 2009 - (Page 34) Grand South America & Antarctica Voyage A C O MPLETE 68-DAY CIRCUMNAVIGATION Once again in 2009, privileged guests aboard the ms Prinsendam will experience the ultimate view of South America in all its dazzling diversity, as well as unforgettable days of surreal cruising in Antarctica in summer. Please join us for a voyage of breathtaking scope. TAsTe O f T h e p l Ac e into the Amazon Best of Brazil Holland America Line brings the complex flavors of South America to life, both on board and off. In Lima you’ll have the chance to shop local markets, then head to a fine colonial mansion to prepare and cook delicious Peruvian fare. Throughout your cruise cooking demonstrations in our onboard Culinary Arts Center will focus on Latin American specialties and tips for re-creating menu highlights at home. As for wine, Chile’s blockbuster reds, from vines originally planted by Catholic missionaries for communion wine, are world renowned. On January 2, 2009, the ms Prinsendam sails out of Ft. Lauderdale en route to Brazil calling first on Holland America’s own private island in the Bahamas, half moon cay. Next is beach-blessed Barbados and peaceful Devil’s island, once a formidable French prison. Crossing the equator, the drama of the Amazon experience begins. For the next eight days you will voyage to the heart of the Brazilian rain forest, passing jungles that are home to one-fifth of the planet’s plant and animal species, many yet to be named. At macapá, the gateway to the Amazon River, the incoming ocean tide and the outflowing waters of the Amazon meet with thunderous intensity. santarém, our first significant stop upriver, offers opportunities to take a scenic boat trip up the clear Tapajós River or a forest walk through tropical hardwoods. Boca da Valeria is home to legions of En route to Rio — a trio of Brazilian beauties: Belém, at the mouth of the Amazon River, wearing its rubber-boom glory on its sleeve; fortaleza, renowned for lace; and the port of maceió, where beautiful beaches await. In rio de janeiro you will have two full days to sample the city’s famed beaches, enjoy an evening dinner and samba show, and admire panoramic views from the top of Sugarloaf Mountain. Two maiden ports are next — ilhabela, just off the coast of Brazil, and itajaí — each offering wild natural beauty, shimmering waterfalls and unspoiled beaches. Sailing ever southward, we arrive in Uruguay, where you may stroll the gracious streets of montevideo, shop for leather goods, or tour to the vineyards of Juanicó for wine tasting. Coolly elegant Buenos Aires is so rich in sights that we will extend our stay here, giving you two full days to explore this fashionable city. Tango in the city where it was born? — not to be missed. The Antarctica experience butterflies, birds and monkeys, while manaus, our farthest navigable point, merits an overnight stay to tour its amazing Opera House, brought piece by piece upriver from Europe, and to experience the famed “meeting of the waters,” where two rivers meet to create the mightiest river in the world. Also in the Amazon: small Brazilian villages like parintins and Alter do chão which afford glimpses of simple daily life in this remote basin. En route to the White Continent lie two coups for destination collectors: remote cumberland Bay, once a major whaling station, and stanley, in the Falkland Islands, where penguins reign but royals ruled as recently as 1982. The mood turns dramatic as we enter the ice realm of Antarctica and begin days of the most spectacular scenic cruising on earth. Expect to see hundreds of penguins waddling to the sea, eerie peaks sculpted by ice and time, pods of killer whales hunting dinner, and colossal floating icebergs. Highlights: remote elephant island, where 34 e-brochures available online
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