The Brazilians have nailed bacon! Take the meat from three of our slices and combine it into one thick slice, cook off all the fat and you have it. It now rivals English for my favorite. Besides bacon I tried just about everything on the breakfast buffet. The papaya was fabulous, coffee great, and to look as bodacious as posible I went out on a limb and had the ‘cellulite reduction’ fruit drink. For real.

I digress. Anyway, we were up at 6:00, breakfast at 6:30, rallied in the lobby at 7:15 for the 7:30 airport shuttle. The purpose of returning to the airport was to catch our two+ hour transfer (a bus) to Santos, the port we cruised from. The ride took us through town and then up and over some densely vegetated mountains to the sea. We passed through what looked like the jungle but I don’t know if it technically was. It was a beautiful, rich green peppered with vibrant fuchsia blossoms. The roads were great and the traffic was steady but did not delay our trip. We took care of checking in and then proceeded to the ship where we headed straight for lunch.

The afternoon was relaxing and passed quickly as we settled in, unpacked, and explored the ship. After a delicious dinner we enjoyed the evening’s entertainment which was a French juggler of some renown: Jaz Danion. Hard to believe but while balancing on one foot, he placed a tea spoon on his other foot and flipped it into the air so that it balanced (on the handle) on his forehead. I know! Another crowd pleaser was when he used a springboard to flip a wine glass into the air. It landed, you guessed it, on a metal rod sticking out of his mouth. Who thinks this stuff up? OK, I’ll share his claim to fame: lifting ten tiers of wine glasses balanced on plexiglass panes. With one hand (and forearm) mind you. Four glasses per tier, one on each corner of a pane, stacked 10 high. That’s 40 glasses and ten panes of plexi with an 11th pane on top to support an ice bucket. 35 kilos (2 pounds per kilo … do I remember correctly?) balanced on one hand and forearm on a moving ship. All to rousing, anticipation building music. All that talent and a sexy French accent to boot.

Hettie and Ronnie did not join us for the entertainment. Sadly Hettie has suffered with shingles for five weeks and was not feeling too great. Cleone and Walter, who finally made it to the hotel at 2:30 this morning, stayed strong and lasted through the show and even joined us for tea and cookies before heading to bed.

It all made for a memorable Valentine’s Day. Plus, Dan surprised me with two funny cards, concert tickets, and candy that he had secretly squirrel away in his suitcase; Walter had cards and little stuffed animals for me and Hettie; and Hettie gave me a gorgeous, purple knit scarf she made especially for me.

We had a great first day, all things considered, and are happy to head to bed all settled in. There was rain and lightening as we turned out the lights, so we munched on a Dramamine for good measure.