Dec 19

This is the first of 2 sea days between Salvador & Fortaleza.  Brazil is a large country, larger than the lower 48 US states and it's population is around 190 million.  We had a very informative lecture on the Amazon River Basin (more trivia about the Amazon as we sail 900 miles into the interior.)  There was a Pan-American BBQ for lunch on the pool deck with various marinated meats & fish cooked on the grill.  At 2:30 there was a wine tasting with an assortment of snack bites to demonstrate the effect wine has on different foods and vice versa.  We won again at trivia.  At 5:45 the ship's bell rang and we had a "block party" where we step from our rooms out into the hallway with a wine glass, have wine & cheese bites served bu our stewards & stewardesses and we meet our neighbors.  It's always an inteeresting event.  The evening entertainment was a duo with electric mandolin & violin playing Celtic music.