In Brazil? Visit Florianópolis!

436.5 km², two lagoons, over 40 beaches plus sand dunes to explore. This is Florianópolis: an island located only 50 minutes by flight from São Paulo and the capital city of the state of Santa Catarina.  It is the hot spot in South of Brazil for those that enjoy adventure, gastronomy and water sports.

All started centuries ago where nowadays the downtown of Florianópolis is. There you find the historical center, which you can explore in a couple of hours. The highlights are the Cathedral, the main plaza: XV of November where you find some monuments like the one in honor for those men that gave their lifes in the Great Paraguay War (1864-1870) and the amazing Figtree that is over 100 years old. Right next to the main Plaza is the Museum of History, this building was the former residence and office of the Governador of Santa Catarina. 
The exploration continues along the first pedestrian street of the city: Felipe Schmidt to observe the local arquitecture, commerce and people. After two blocks turn left and you reach the Customs House that nowadays houses the artisans.  Then just some feet away is the Market (Mercado Público), one section is the Fish market and the 2nd is local businesses.  In the center hall you find the local gastronomy. Take some time here to sit down and to enjoy the atmosphere, have a local brewed bier from the nearby town of Santo Amaro da Imperatriz. The small pub "Vai quem que" has a good selection of those artesanal beers. There is also another local bar, which is a classical to taste seafood and have local drinks, called Box 32. 
The next stop should be at the view point just by the "Parque da Luz"  of the Hercilio Luz Bridge, the first bridge to link in 1926 the Island to the mainland. A symbol of progress, innovation, union and also of resistance.  It is under renovation and shall be operating again by the end of this year after decades of restauration.
Driving along the North Bay, on the left you have the view of the sea and on the right the parade of high risers, exclusive hotels, restaurants, condos and a shopping mall. In approximately 20 minutes drive to the east side of the Island you reach Lagoa da Conceição, my favorite spot os the Island. The panoramic view point on the Lagoa Hill offers you the best vantage point to see the neighborhood of Lagoa, the lagoon itself, the dunes and in the horizon the Atlantic Ocean. 
The lagoon  offers a great variety of sports: kitsurf, paddle board, kayaking or just relaxing under the shade of a tree with your friends and family.
A few minutes away are two of the most espetacular beaches for surfing: Joaquina and Mole beach.  If you choose Joaquina Beach you have the option to practise Sandboard and then you go for a swim  to Joaquina to get rid of all the sand!
Before getting ready for a nightclub,  have dinner at one of the restaurants along the Rendeiras Avenue, the specialliaty is seafood.
If you like a calmer sea, you have the option to proceed to the northern part of the Island.  There you have options like Daniela,  Forte andJurere International beaches. They are ideal for swimming or just relaxing and basking in the sun. The neighborhood Jurerê International has lounge bars along the beach and an open shopping. There is also the Nightclub called P12 which is on of the most exclusive clubs on the Island.
Before leaving the Island, you should have a "caiprinha" at the bar Armazém Vieira which produces it's  own cane sugar rum. In the back of the bar are some barrels of "cachaça" where the aging process happens. Take a bottle with you, it is a great gift!

Pictures by Iria Sponholz 

Model: Patricia Kreutz 

Up in the air: Juneau, Alaska

The visibility is amazing. It is a white magic world under us with blue crevasses breaking the infinity of the white of the Juneau Ice field. The helicopter ride takes you up to the dogsledding camp, where another adventure awaits you.
As soon as the helicopter lands and you step on this frozen world, you hear all the excitement of the dogs crazy to take you for a ride.
I feel in my face the ice flakes, the dogs are digging in the ice and it ends up on those in the front of the Sled.  It just adds to the adventure.At the end you can even play with young puppies before going back. But wait there are more options.

Walking or hiking on the ice field? Either  option also includes an helicopter flight up to the ice field. At the base, safery instructions and equipment are provided. Then it is up to the air, to enjoy the views of the frozen world.   Once   the helicopter lands at the ice field, the exploration starts. Following a guide who  will give you details of this unique environment, formation and hidden dangers in the surface to be observed.  There is even an opportunity on the hike to experience to climb a small mountain.

Another adventure not to be missed is to take the flight to the Taku lodge. Actually, in my opinion,  this is the best combination to include the most if you have only one day in Juneau. You will have the best of three activities in one: an amazing  flightseeing  in a floatplane  designed  for 10 people maximum and all with window seats; view of the Taku Glacier and a feast of wild king salmon.
The flight is over the Taku Glacier that is actually one of the few glaciers advancing, growing, is remarkable.  It is so much beauty to be taken in while the pilot narrates what you are observing from your private window view.
The landing is on the Taku River and from there is just a few yards to the lodge where all is set for the salmon feast. The salmon is on the grill being prepared which gives a bit of time to explore the surroundings of the lodge.
As soon as the Salmon is ready, all tourist are invited to enter the lodge for lunch. There is a fireplace and some mobilia from the first owners. Once all are served, it is a buffet style and seated, one of the guides will tell the story of the lodge and their owners. Quite amazing.
After lunch there is time for a walk on the property at one of the trails and if you are there in July, there is an opportunity to pick your own berries during the trail. Just keep in mind to leave some to the black bears. Sometimes they pop out of the bushes!
After the walk, there is a bit of free time to enjoy at leisure or to take a look at the souvenir shop.
Then is time to flight back to the town of Juneau.  Before the ship leaves, there is some time to explore the shops that are all in walking distance from the pier.
In sum, Juneau, is an unique capital city remarkable and so remote that you can only acess it by boat or plane. The roads lead to nowhere, it is a landlocked city but one of the most popular port cities in Alaska.  Time to explore it: up in the air

Take a break, have a glass of wine.

Young and intense, full of body, swirling it around to catchmore air, to open up to all senses and aromas...to leaf it up, to analyze against the light the color, to give a last swirl  to see the size of the legs..to take the first sip and swirl it in your mouth; The last moment before the final act.

Observing the ritual of wine tasting brings me back to Ensenada, Mexico where I discovered that this coutry is much more than tequila and bier.

To arrive at the cruise port Ensenada, Mexico gives you the opportunity to unveil a wine region that recently is being noticed and valued as a great wine route to be explored.

It is only 40 minutes drive north  from Ensenada to reach the Guadalupe Valley. You may think that it is a new wine region, then Mexico is about tequila and bier, however wine is being produced for centuries here. The area had a turbulent colonisation period with the influence of Russians, Italians, French that started growing some varieties of grapes that they brough with them and to produce wines. You still see their traces in name of the farms that belong to traditional families.

To explore this region you can add a bit  more of adventure to it. There is the option  of the tour if you come by cruise line  via jeeps that take you a bit of road after the visit of the winery. The jeeps go in convoy, all in contact via radio and the driver guide fills you in with information of the region while guiding the way to the winery.

Some wineries have lodges, boutique hotels for those that want to experience the wine farm, the culinary and enjoy the piece and relaxing atmosphere with a glass of wine.

The winery Monte Xanic  that we visited offers a tour of the Cellar, the wine tasting and if you up for a meal to pair with the wine, it is also available.  You learn that this winery is adapt of the process of picking the white grapes during the night when is cooler and this important to control the fermentation of the grapes for the production of crisp and light whites. It you pick them during the day at temperatures of 27 to 30 degrees, it will afect the fermentation due to the sugar level. In order to keep it under control a cold bath has to be applied.  However with the night pick you have already this control. Actually,  this process started after 1070s when the mechanization was introduced to pick the grapes. It could be done very fast with machines during the night.

Now it is time to continue our wine tasting. Would you like to join us? Come to Ensenada from where you can explore this precious wine region: Baja California  that is responsible for 90% of the production of wines in Mexico. You will be surprised by the beauty of the area and of the quality of the wines.

Coming Up?

The black water running down the drain with some white foam topping it from the soap, little by little I wash off the ash and black sand of Cerro Negro Volcano from my body.
After a good half an hour under the shower, I feel fresh and clean.  Then coming out of the bathroom, I see my shoes and my socks; you cannot tell anymore that they were once white,  they are black now.  This brings me back to the morning when the adventure started. 
We arrived at 9am in Corinto, Nicaragua.  The largest cargo port in Nicaragua.  To leave the port with our tour coaster bus is an opportunity to see all the trucks coming in and out with the goods. Corinto port town is simple, with some local business but no real tourist attractions. However, a good way to explore it is to take an eco-taxi.  The locals adapted bikes that look like a tuk tuk and are used to transport people to their destinations.
During the 2 hours’ drive to reach Cerro Negro, you pass by many sugar fields, some small properties, you see some cattle along the road and chickens, which remains me of the famous local transportation: the chicken buses. That is right, they transport still more than people! And you know how many people fit in this buses? Always one more!
Reaching closer to the volcano, there are some sparse small properties. The kids are running around in the yard, waving to us. It seems a happy and piece full life.  People are content with what they have and seem to make the most of it.
The main economic source of income is the agriculture and tourism is starting to play an important role. The minimum wage approx. $300 per month, which gives a good picture of the reality in Nicaragua.  Just Haiti is poorer than this country in Latin America.
The closer to Cerro Negro the more remote is the area, the less habitats, the dirt road is narrow, only small vehicles can come through. In the horizon, the volcanos are getting more impotent. Nicaragua has more than 25 volcanos from those seven are active. Cerro Negro’s last e eruption was in 1999. He has been quite for the last decades, there is just some steam coming out of the crater.
Upon arrival, there is an entrance gate to the park where they to a check in control and restroom facilities. Thereafter it is just a few minutes’ drive and there you are, at the foot of the mountain. It is very important to have at least two bottles of water with you, hat and sun lotion. It gets very hot during the day.

The hike up is kind of around the mountain and up. The trail goes over rocky terrain, loose gravel. It can be quite challenging.  It takes over an hour to reach the top, the mountain is over 600 meters and what an amazing feeling it is: the breeze, the view, the power of nature, the celebration of the achievement.

After appreciating the stay at the top of Cerro Negro is time to make the way down. The route is not the same as the one that you came up. The trail is down the sandy side of the mountain and it takes less than half an hour down, then you slide down. It is a lot of fun. Next time, I will do the Sandboarding; it is a speed ride down the mountain.

Once you reach the bottom, it is time to take off shoes and take out all the sand and look back amazed to the power of this mountain.

Our trip continued to the  colonial city of Leon, where we had lunch and some free time. Leon is another amazing destination not to be missed.

My thoughts get interrupted by the phone, duty is calling. Until a next adventure!

Up to Alaska: Wrangell

WRANGELL

July 2016

Curious to learn more about a little town that was  under 4 poweres? Than lets talk more about the port of Wrangell.
Sailing in is an attraction that shouldn’t be missed. The special here is the meeting of the waters from the Skitriver with the ocean. You observe the colors, special tones of turquoise, of the river running alongside for miles to the ocean water.
Wrangell has space for one cruise ship to come alongside and you will have to look on companies with small ships, luxury lines, that have this very authentic Alaskan town included in their itinerary. The place has kept is identity. The shops are local, the cuisine, the businesses. It is a very peaceful place that brings you back to the past.
The luxury lines that have Wrangell in their itinerary stay normally the whole day in port. Actually, this is a very important information when choosing your itinerary: how long does the ship stays in port? With a whole day you can do a shore excursions in the morning and enjoy independently the place in the afternoon, for example.  In the case of Wrangell two hours on your own gives you already a great impression of the town. What you should not miss during this walk is the museum, which is 10 minutes walking from the pier. All the town attractions in this quaint town are reached on foot.
The shore excursion program offers excellent options:
•Cultural- this option of tour will most probably include the museum, the clan house to learn about the natives, the petroglyph beach and the full story of how this small place was under the rule of the Natives, Russian, British and Americans.
• Hiking – some great trails available. The closest one from ttree pier is on Denver Mountain. The name of the trail is in honor to John Muir. While going up the guide will explAIN tthe presence of the naturalist John Muir iin Wrangell in 1889 and about the local history. It is approximately 1 hr in duration and once at the top offers great views of the town aand do port. Another amazing hike is up the …however this one is for professional hikers. It is really strenuous.
•up for more adventure?
oThere is the option to kayak;
o to canoe;
o to play golf and
o to go fishing.
•Is this all? No! The best adventurers are on  a jetboat. The jetboats are very comfortable, heated if necessary   and they take you up the Skitriver. You learn the stories, enjoy the nature, you may see seals, Eagles and even deers. In July there is the option to go to Anan to see black bears. This was for me the best place in Alaska to see them very close.
By Jetboat, going up the Skitriver you reach the Shakes Glacier.  To see the deep shades of blue of the glacier, to feel the cold, the silence of nature, the cracking of ice... life is precious.  Come and enjoy this wonderful place.

Gustavia, St Barts

I love this Island: the ambiance, the design, the architecture, the harmony between the development and the nature and friendliness of  the local people.
The ships anchor at St Barts and take guests ashore to Gustavia, the main town.   The ride is already an spectacle: you can observe all the yachts anchored at the bay. Today we could observe one yacht where the helicopter landed and was doing some training, taking off and landing again on the yacht. 
Once you arrive at he pier, you see many yachts parked, one more beautiful than the other.  You get off the tender and there is a small welcome center that you walk through and you are at the main street.

Right in front of the small welcome center is one of my favorite Gelato places Le Petit Deauville.  Really good home made ice cream with excellent sorbet. When you are working the whole day in the heat,  on the pier, a Gelato is just a wonder!

Then walking a few steps is Le Repaire... there I have sometimes a Pinacolada when I have finished worked! Continuing the walk you come along so.e of the famous boutiques in the world like Prada, Hermes, Valentino, just to name a few. This is St Barts: developed as a playground for the rich and famous.

Walking a few steps further is the supermarket. I love to go there, you get some very high end products and we always like to have on-board some snacks. 

A close by beach is also in walking distance: Shell beach! Or you can walk over the hill to St Jean Beach. 

My favorite tour here is Sailing the Leeward Coast.  The sailing boat is amazing and to have a opportunity to have a swim in this blue turquoise sea is a must! 

Cruising Alaska: Ketchikan

Planning to cruise to Alaska? I will share my experience to inspire you to explore some of the ports of calls. Let’s start with Ketchikan and soon we will be coming alongside the next ports of call.
Ketchikan is normally the first stop for most of the cruise lines that do the Alaskan season. The city has actually the nickname “The first city” due to it, however is also know as the Salmon city, which will take us back to the history of the fishing Industry which was the most important economic product in the first decades of the last century.

The cruise ships dock right alongside the city. There are four berths and no mater at which your ship is, all are in walking distance from the city. Of course berth 1 and 2 are right in front of the main street, the shopping street. In front of berth 2 is also the information Center where independent information is abailable in case you would like to explore the place on your own.

The city is actually very small and easy to be explored. You will not need much time and it is easily coordinated with a shore excursion to experience some of the highlights of the place. The town offers great shopping options: from souvenirs, Christmas decoration, local art galleries, canned salmon shops.
Hungry? An excellent option is the Fish House next to the  Lumberjack Show, in front of berth one. There, my favorite dish is Halibut with french fries. They have also draft beers. There are also some nice options for lunch or snacks at the creek street which is 5 to 8 minutes walking from the Fish House.

The Creek Street is one of major attractions in the town. It is one of the most photographed places and during the salmon run it is possible to observe the fish finish their circle up this Creek.  Actually this Creek has a very famous phrase which reveals her foundation and history: “only place where fish and man went up the stream to spawn, man more than once”! Curious? There is a Museum to learn more: Dolly’s House.

To experience more, organized shore excursions are availed on-board your ship. Some great suggestions to combine with the independent exploration of the town are:
•Adventure – strenuous in the physical activity level: kayaking, canoeing, fishing and hiking. These options offer the opportunity to learn more about the local flora: typical vegetation and fauna: eagles, bears, dears, for example.  There are available  different options of fishing tours that offer even lunch specially prepared with the fresh fish that you just caught.
•Cultural – easy to moderate in the physical activity level – Totem Park to learn about the culture of the natives. You may find this tour combined with the Lumberjack Show which is recommended for all ages. This show is very entertaining and in a ludicrous Form shows the skills required by the workers in the lumber industry that was very important in the first decades of the XX century.
•Top Adventures – easy to moderate in the physical activity level. Here you can choose different seaplane flights. My favorite is the combination of a flight over the town towards George Inlet with great views of the Tongass National Park  and surrounding small islands and inlets with the crab feast. You can eat as much as you can but don’t forget there is cheesecake for desert. Another option is a seaplane flight without food, which offers amazing views.  The flights are narrated and all have a window seat. If you are there in July and August, there are seaplane flights to see bears, like to Neats Bay and to Prince of Wales.

Now it is time to board “ all onboard” and our next port of call will be Wrangell.