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Hi,

Cruising is promoted as being restful, but we've been going day and night. We've already been to Buenos Aires, Montevideo, smaller stops, and are now in Rio. Here are some scenes around Buenos Aires.

Surprised to read that Argentina's economy is one of the lowest in the continent--Brazil rates high. All the cities we've seen have huge trees lining most streets, even in business districts and downtown areas, with full leaf canopies often shading the sidewalks and four lanes of traffic.

Tour guides are a challenge. For instance, Buenos Aires has three or eleven million people, depending on the guide.

We found English widely spoken in Europe and the Far East. Not so down here. Many people, even those with shops that cater to tourism, speak 'no Eenglese'.

Although Rio is tourist oriented, we found no tourism-destination resorts in Buenos Aires. It is a good distance from the ocean. BA seems to be primarily a financial and economic center.

We went to THE Rio De Janeiro Carnival (car ni VAL) last night--VIP section, reserved seats. More in my next note, but the floats and costumes were elaborate and beautiful beyond description. Macy's pales compared to Carnival. And no sultry or sensuous outfits, just creative and extravagant.
 

Greetings to all,

Max

(March 2006)

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April 17, 2005 from Max and Betty Bayard

Hi,

Finally, another note!  We had a super week in Singapore.

Had dinner one evening at Raffles Hotel, named after the Britisher who first founded Singapore.  It's an original and elegant structure in the Victorian style and loaded with charm.

 

Guess who we saw on stage! Reading the paper at breakfast one morning I saw an ad for Diana Krall's appearance that evening, and right across the street from our hotel.  You bet we went.

 

I had frequently checked her web site in hopes of catching her show somewhere in our United States.  What a stroke of luck that I happened to enjoy reading the Singapore paper each morning.

 

She was excellent.  I enjoy her style and voice.

Cruising the Arabian Sea toward a stop tomorrow in Cochin (Ko-chene'), India.  India is on half-zone time.  When traveling westerly from Singapore, we set our clocks back one-and-a-half hours.

 

Hello to all,

 

Max                                                                                                                                                                    Top

 

Hi, Gents,

 

Thanks, Wayne, for your continuing excellent minutes.  Hooray for the Board re the new printer and bulletin/chalk boards. Betty said, "Wonderful!"

 

We spent three days in Las Vegas, gawking, staring at the fabulous casinos. MGM Grand has a huge lion (yep, real ones) enclosure right inside the lobby! Circus Circus has a circus ring with balancing acts, clowns and aerial artists. New York New York's interior--about three city blocks in area--has a replica of Times Square through which one can stroll chops, eating establishments, and more.

 

I'll bet we set a record as the only couple to see every casino over and over and not put a nickel into their gambling coffers.

 

We are now in the Hawaiian Islands. They have the palm trees and coconuts and foliage of Florida and The Keys, and they have the mountains of Alaska. It makes an exciting contrast. Our highlights have been helicopter rides over an active volcano, where we saw the bubbling lava and watched it flow into the sea, and over the tops of mountains and down into the canyons to see the beautiful waterfalls.

 

Bill, your pictures are great. They make us feel right back in the club.

 

Max