Parintins, Brazil

Tuesday we arrive in Parintins at around noon.

Parintins stands out as the most hospitable cultural city in the region.  The island where Parintins today stands, was reached by Portuguese Captain J. Pedro Cordovil in 1796.  Its people exhibit an artistic expression recognized worldwide due to their folkloric festival.  The city has a population of around 71,500 in an area of about 7,100 km. and is located on the right bank of the Amazon River on the island of Tupinambarana.  The city has a hot and humid climate, with an average temperature of 35 degrees C and 85% humidity.

The Bio Bumba festival is held here the last few days in June.  It is the biggest annual festival in Amazonas.  It's an Amazonian version of bumba-meu-boi, a traditional Brazilian folkloric festivity of mixed African and European origins.  It ids the second largest festival in Brazil after Rio's Carnival.  Since we have seen this twice in the past, we will be some of the only ones on the ship not attending.

We swam early in the morning in the rain.  And lots of bugs on the deck.  Then a late breakfast and then back to the suite to work on the crossword puzzles.   The rest of the day was really quiet.  With most of the passengers getting off to watch the show, the ship was like our own vessel.

I went to the coffee connection while Bob took his nap and I was able to upload the pictures from our tour in Manaus.  The internet connection is pretty slow with everyone checking emails and such but with us being some of the only ones on the ship, it was pretty fast.

We played trivia and did poorly.  None of know British History or Broadway Musicals.  But we enjoy it.  We dressed for dinner and had our cocktails in Mariner Lounge where Tom and Noel joined us.  When we went to go into Compass Rose, Manuel asked if we wanted to eat in Prime 7.  So we ate in there at a nice table for 4.  We had a nice dinner and then returned to the suite and watched the news about the Florida primary.  Lights out and we lost one hour.