From December 21, 2011 through January 12, 2012, one hundred lucky participants traveled aboard the MV Explorer, a Semester at Sea ship, on a journey through the Amazon.
It was the trip of a lifetime.
Trained group leaders from Road Scholar led the group as they traveled 6800 miles on the MV Explorer and visited eight countries, including a 1,000-mile journey down the Amazon with an overnight stay at the Eco Lodge.
Since 1975 Road Scholar has led adventures through all of the 50 states and 150 countries.
Top-notch group leaders Helena Baltazar, Rui Veiga, Rebecca Picard, Erin Greene, Alex Toth and Emma Rivers were constantly available to make sure all travelers arrived safely and on time at each destination, where local guides took over. Group leaders stayed with the Road Scholar participants to assure that everything ran smoothly and head counts took place before leaving the ship, upon arriving at the destination and before the trip back at the end of the day.
The adventure began in Nassau, and continued to San Juan Puerto Rico, St. George’s Grenada, Port of Spain Trinidad, Bridgetown Barbados and Roseau Dominica, with three exciting days right smack in the middle of the trip spent on the Amazon River.
On Day 10, as the MV Explorer entered the Amazon, travelers attended enrichment sessions led by an incredible staff of educators who lectured on the history, culture, indigenous people, literature, music and much more. These lectures took place every day the Explorer was at Sea and were extremely popular with travelers.
On New Year’s Day Road Scholar participants boarded a boat in Santarem, Brazil, the second largest city in Para, located on the southern bank of the Tapajos River, a tributary of the Amazon. Once aboard they traveled to the Maica area and viewed the Amazon’s milky colored water and the Tapajos’s water, which is warmer and has a deep-blue tone, and saw first hand the phenomenon called “The Meeting of the Waters.”
The following two days were spent on the Amazon River.
The Road Scholar group boarded motorized canoes in the pitch dark of the Amazon night where guides, armed only with a flashlight, hunted caimans (alligators). The next day they walked through the Amazon Jungle with a guide and made a stop in Manaus, Brazil, the Amazon’s largest city.
Back on board, travelers continued to take part in lectures and classes.
Zen Browne, an art teacher on the MV Explorer who led a lively and interested full class through ten days of watercolor instruction, gave participants some great advice before leaving the ship for their Amazon adventure.
“The Amazon,” said Browne, “is the main artery on the planet. Enjoy! Who knows when you’ll be in the neighborhood again!”
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