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South America
January 19 - March 1, 2026
Day 9, Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Port: Montevideo (mon-teh-vee-DAY-oh), Uruguay
Weather: Sunny, High 86 F, Low 73 F
Distance sailed since last port:
711.9 nm (818.7 statue miles)
Total distance sailed:
1175.9 nm (1352.3 statue miles)
Major Highlights: Tour of Montevideo
Montevideo has a poplutation of about 1.2 million. The entire country has a popluation of ~ 2.3 million. It produces enough food for 22 million people, so it it obvious that they export a lot of food. One of the food items I can vouch for is steak. You can get a beautiful, thick, flame broiled steak with all the fixings for less than $20.
We also learned why Montevideo is called Montevideo. It comes from whenthe spanish explored the Rio de la Plata. Mont means hill in Spansigh, VI is Roman numeral 6, and deo is an appreviation for east to west. Montevideo is the 6th hill east to west on Rio de la Plata. Now you know.
Montevideo, Uruguay.
Montevideo harbor. Several sunken ships.
Montevideo skyline from ship.
Playa de los Pocitos. Which litterally translates to 'Beach of Small Water Holes'. Long ago, women would dig holes in the sand, fill with water, and washer clothes.
Estadio Centenario or 'Centenary Stadium'. Site of the inaugural 1930 FIFA World Cup. Which Uruguay won.
Statue of the founder of Uruguay, José Gervasio Artigas, located in Independence Plaza, Montevideo.
The Legislative Palace of Uruguay.
The Legislative Palace of Uruguay.
View of Montevideo from atop city hall.
Montevideo Opera House.
Salvo Palace. 344 ft high. Finished in 1928. It was the tallest building in Latin America for a brief period, at its completion
Old town Montevideo.
Gate to old town.
Office of the President of Uraguay.
Cathedral of Montevideo.
Day 8, Monday, January 26, 2026
At sea
Next Port: Montevideo, Uruguay
Weather: Sunny, 86 F (at 8 AM)
Distance sailed since last port (as of 8 AM):
277.1 nm (318. 6 statue miles)
Total distance sailed (as of 8 AM):
741.8 nm (853.1 statue miles)
Major Highlights: Ax throwing contest, team trivia, mini golf, cooking class for Pam, and three separate lectures on wildlife off the coast of South America.
Day 7, Sunday, January 25, 2026
Port: Balneario Camboriu
Weather: Sunny, High 82 F, Low 70 F
Distance sailed since last port:
225.2 nm (259.0 statue miles)
Total distance sailed:
465.5 nm (535.3 statue miles)
Major Highlights: Cable car ride to Atlantic Forest Station. Schooner (boat) ride back to port.
Balneario Camboriu was once called the 'Miami' of Brazil. It is now called the 'Dubai' of Brazil. Very clean, very modern city. Beautiful and clean beaches. Poplulation of ~ 150,000 in winter, over 1 million in summer (which is now). I was impressed by how nice the place is. A fair number of famous Brazilian soccer plyers live here.
Balneario Camboriu
Balneario Camboriu
Balneario Camboriu
Balneario Camboriu
Day 6, Saturday, January 24, 2026
Port: Santos (Sao Paulo), Brazil
Distance sailed since last port:
163.7 nm (188.4 statue miles)
Total distance sailed:
236.2 nm (271.8 statue miles)
Major Highlights:
Sao Paulo
From small fishing village yesterday to Sao Paulo today. Sao Paulo has a population of
Independence Museum, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Independence Museum, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
View from steps of Independence Museum, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
View from steps of Independence Museum, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Large tree near Pinacoteca de São Paulo.
View of Santos Port as we are leaving.
Rainbow over stern of sthip as we sail away.
Day 5, Friday, January 23, 2026
Port: Ihla Grande, Brazil
Distance sailed since last port:
72.6 nm (83.5 statue miles)
Total distance sailed:
72.6 nm (83.5 statue miles)
Major Highlights:
Ihla Grande
Ihla Grande is an island located off the coast of Brazil. For many years, the island was closed by the Brazilian goverment because it housed a leper colony and then a top security prison containing the most dangerous prisoners within the Brazilian penal system. The prision was closed in 1994, and the island is now a state parkland. The island has virgin Atlantic rainforest, undeveloped tropical beaches, and one small former fishing village called Abraao, that is now exceedingly touristy. Cars are not allowed on the island, except for a single garbage truck, fire truck, school bus, and police car.
Ihla Grande, Brazil. I guess we shouldn't be surprised to have rain in the rain forest during rainy season.
Ihla Grande, Brazil
Black Beach, Ihla Grande, Brazil
An abandoned aqueduct in Ihla Grande, Brazil. Built in 1893, it was used to carry water from the Abraao stream headwaters, to the Lazaretto quarantine station/prison.
Remnants of Lazaretto prison Ihla Grande, Brazil
Street view, Ihla Grande, Brazil
Street view, Ihla Grande, Brazil
Day 4, Thursday, January 22, 2026
Start:
Copacabana Palace, Rio de Janeiro
End:
Ship Oceania Marina
Distance Traveled:
0
Major Highlights:
Embarkation Oceania Marina
Pam before boarding.
Oceania Marina.
Oceania Marina.
Yup Star Ferris Wheel.
Leaving Rio de Janeiro. Sugarloaf Mountain at night.
Day 3, Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Start:
Copacabana Palace, Rio de Janeiro
End:
Copacabana Palace, Rio de Janeiro
Distance Traveled:
0
Major Highlights: Carnaval Experience, Copacabana Beach
It was a cloudy/rainy/showery day, so we didn't spend much time at the beach. Instead we toured one of the warehouses, where they were preparing floats and costumes for the upcoming Carnaval parade. As you might know, Carnaval is a big deal in Rio de Janeiro. They have a dedicated parade route with permanent stands. The parade is in about 3 weeks with tickets costing up to $2000.Floats and costumes are judged, and the competition is fierce. As such, we were not allowed to take any pictures of what we saw and the work they were doing. However, Pam was allowed to try on on one of the costumes.
Pam dressed up as a Carnaval entertainer.
With Carnaval Samba dancers.
One of the many Favelas (or slums) in Rio de Janeiro.
Copacabana Beach.
View of our hotel from Copacabana Beach.
Day 2, Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Start: Hotel Panamby, São Paulo
End: Copacabana Palace, Rio de Janeiro
Distance Flown: 337 kilometers (209 miles)
Major Highlights: Latam flight 3698, Arrival in Rio de Janeiro, tour of Christ the Redeemer statue and Sugarloaf Mountain.After a 5:30 AM wakeup, we took a short flight to Rio de Janeiro. Gus, our guide for the day, met us at the airport and then showed us around Rio.
Train ride to see Christ the Redeemer Statue.
Christ the Redeemer Statue.
Christ the Redeemer Statue.
Chapel underneath base of Christ the Redeemer Statue.
View of Ipanema Beach from Christ the Redeemer.
View from Christ the Redeemer. Sugarloaf Mountain on the left. Copacabana Beach on the right.
Christ the Redeemer.
View of Sugarloaf Mountain from near red beach.
Sugarloaf Mountain.
Cable car to Sugarloaf Mountain.
The cable car featured prominently in the James Bond movie 'Moonraker'.
View from Sugarloaf Mountain.
View of Copacabana Beach from Sugarloaf Mountain.
View of the Rio de Janiero domestic airport from Sugarloaf Mountain.
This view also play a part in the James Bond moive 'Moonraker'.
View of Rio de Janiero from Sugarloaf Mountain.
Another view of Rio de Janiero from Sugarloaf Mountain.
Note Christ the Redeemer in the background.
Sugarloaf Mountain.
Jaqueira (Jackfruit) tree. A member of the fig or breadfruit family.
The jackfruit is the largest tree fruit, reaching as much as 120 pounds (55 kg).
Monkey (actually a common marmoset) at Sugarloaf mountain.
Feijoada. Traditional meal of Brazil. Black beans, pork loin, and sausage. Served with rice, kale, orange slices, and pumpkin kibebe.
Pam wanted to see a 'Samba' dance show. So 'we' went.
Cocacabana Palace. Our hotel. Really, really nice.
Day 1, Monday, January 19, 2026
Start: Boston, MA
End: Hotel Panamby, São Paulo
Distance Flown: 7738 kilometers (4808 miles)
Major Highlights: Delta Filght 6059 (flown as LATAM 8165)
Our trip had an inauspicious begining.
A 2 hour delay leaving Boston and the 1.5 hours it took to deliver luggage in São Paulo, meant we missed our connection to Rio de Janeiro.
LATAM put us up in the lovely Hotel Panamby, São Paulo.
After a long day, we managed to get to bed at about 2 AM
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