Port #16: Fort. Lauderdale, Florida

Time with Grandma and Grandpa!
(A 'Post Ports - Final Reflection Blog' will be written and shared in the coming weeks...)

Port #15: Dominica

Dominica was our last pot-of-call.  A Caribbean island to round out the 16 city, 14 country tour of the Atlantic Rim.  The island visit was overshadowed by the tragic boating accident and death of a student – Casey Schulman.  Casey was a bright, engaging student who modeled kindness, generosity, a positive attitude, and optimism.  Although I do not recall having any conversations with her, without fail, Casey would acknowledge my presence with beaming smile whenever we crossed paths.  It was a smile of sincerity.  She authentically acknowledged my presence, as she did with everyone else on the voyage, whether she was a close friend or not.  Her passing was incredibly difficult for the entirety of the shipboard community, especially for the 50 or so students who were with her in those final hours. 

Although there was significant grieving and a profound sense of loss, her passing created a space for the entirety of the shipboard community to come together and celebrate the blessings and transformation that was the whole of the voyage.  Our community reached new levels of connectedness, which only enhanced the experience as we rounded out the tour de Atlantic.  As a community, in just a week’s time we balanced feelings of devastation with feelings of joy.  Although Casey’s passing was a tragic part of the experience, it was one part of a truly learning-filled and transformative voyage around the Atlantic.   

In addition to being available and responding to student needs the night of Day One and throughout Day Two of Dominica, I was able to venture out and explore the tropical island.  I visited The Emerald Lagoon, and took a driving tour through the heart of the lush, mountainous island.  On the second day, I went snorkeling in the Champagne Reef. 

Port #14: Manaus, Brasil

After a six day sail up the Brazilian coast, we entered into the Amazon river for a two day sail to Manaus.  As part of that experience, the US Ambassador to Brazil, Thomas Shannon (with his wife and several staff members from the Embassy), joined us for a historic visit.  He is the first Ambassador to sail on the MV Explorer.  Simply, it was an honor for him and his crew to join our community.  More so, he was a remarkable ‘guest’.  He immersed himself in our culture all the while providing depth and insight to an already robust voyage experience.

On day one in Manaus, I ventured out into the city alone.  I visited the city center in the morning and then headed out to a local university – Federal University of the Amazones.  Although the facilities look modern and the academic programs are substantial, who wants to study in the heart of the Amazon jungle?  While there, I walked in on a Futsal game – think indoor soccer, but in an open air building.  It was fantastic to see culture-in-action especially in a country where futbol (soccer) is cared for and played so passionately.

Day two was spent on a Semester at Sea program that took us into the jungle to hike and swim in caves and waterfalls.  Tremendous!  It was a fantastic day dipping and diving in pols of water in the heart of the jungle.

The last day was spent on a boat ride to visit the ‘Meeting of the Waters’ – where two rivers come together (of two different colors) to form the Amazon.  There is an amazingly clear distinction between the two and it is fascinating to watch the rivers meet and mix.  The rest of the day was dedicated to visiting Amazon River island communities and learning about how they farm and collect rubber from rubber trees.  These communities seem to live in extreme poverty and are at the will of the river.  I am not sure how the government or organizations might assist except for providing opportunities for them to share their stories to tourists (such as myself.)

Port #13: Rio, Brasil

As soon as getting off the ship in Buenos Aires, I was on a bus heading to a small beach community several hours away from the bustling metropolis.  Buzios is on a peninsula and is absolutely gorgeous.  The rocky and forested land juts out into the Atlantic and has at least a dozen amazing beaches.  My time in Buzios was spent exploring many of the beaches and visiting the small downtown with fantastic shops and restaurants.  The limited time spent in Buzios was not enough!  I am already planning my return trip.

For my last day in Rio, I met up with two students, Nick and Sara.  Even in the pouring rain we trekked into the city to explore the sights.  We visited Corcovado (Christ The Redeemer statue), Ipanema and Copacabana (two white-sand beaches in the heart of the city), and the most famous artistic stairs in the world – the Selaron stairs.  Although we were drenched for most the day, it was wonderful walking around the city and spending some time with the two of them – two of my favorite students…