Tenerif - Canary Islands (continued)

Wed Nov 23
Today was a day at sea so we slept in some. After lunch we spent some time in the hot tub and then went with the group to the movie "Casablanca" arranged by Larry and Cheryl Stamps, our cruise leaders, in a room reserved for our group. It is an old black and white Humphrey Bogart film about World War II days in Casablanca where we visited yesterday. Early in the film Mom said she was going to the cabin because she didn't feel too well. The seas have been quite heavy and the ship has moved quite a bit all day. When Dad got back to the cabin following the film Mom was having another amnesia episode like the one a year ago in March. She was also, like then, quite sick to her stomach and throwing up. We went to bed without any dinner and Dad is praying that she is back to normal in the morning like she did last time. This is quite stressing with so much of our trip remaining. We hope our family and friends are also praying for us at this time so that this will pass quickly.

Thu Nov 24
It doesn't seem much like Thanksgiving here but we are thankful this morning that Mom was doing much better. However the memory did not come back about the events of last evening. This morning we took a tour with the group to see the Island of Tenerife. This is one of seven Canary Islands that belong to Spain with quite a history going back to the time before Christ. It was cool and raining off and on, sometimes heavy, until about noon and then cleared up a bit. Tenerife is north of the equator so this is typical weather going into winter but the island is obviously tropical in nature. It is quite mountainous with a dormant volcano rising to nearly 12,000 feet toward the southern end but clouds hid it from view. We started from the port city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife

and climbed to the nearby historic town of La Laguna where we visited a number of sites along the narrow streets.

We finished up at a huge market. There one could buy any kind of fresh fruit imaginable, nuts, meats including whole baby lambs, flowers, clothing, live chickens and a variety of pet birds, etc.

Baby lamb for dinner anyone?

From there we traveled about thirty miles to another port city on the opposite side of the island called Puerto De La Cruz. On the way we passed many banana plantations with the fruit just approaching harvest time. We also took a road to a lookout high on the mountain side with a beautiful view of the valley, the city and the ocean in the distance.

In the city the sea shore was rocky and very beautiful with large waves breaking along the beach. Break walls had been constructed to provide calmer areas in which to swim and there were beautiful resorts along the seashore with multiple swimming pools along the beach.

Although we only got a small taste of the island we were very impressed. It would be nice to spend more time here but we are off to Mindelo in Cape Verde.

Fri Nov 25
Today was spent cruising at sea. Early this morning we crossed the tropic of Cancer. We walked the track this morning then spent time in the hot tub and pool and read while lounging around the pool. Mom took two classes today, one in origami and the other painting a small ceramic dish. We also did a general walk about around the ship to become more familiar. The ship is beautiful. The food is good but not as good as we had on Royal Caribbean ships. The evening entertainment in the theater has been up and down with a very nice variety show last night and a talented female international singer tonight.

Mindelo, St. Vincente - Cape Verde Islands (continued)

Sat Nov 26
We docked at Mindelo on the island of St. Vincent in the Cape Verde Islands. The people here speak Portuguese. We walked the mile and a half into the downtown area and just walked around with no place special in mind to visit. The region and people here appear to be quite poor. It makes one appreciate home.

This picture cost us $2 demanded by these two women

We walked mostly in the area near the coastline and saw many street vendors selling fruits, vegetables, fresh fish and etc.

There was also a large market area with many vendors selling shoes, local art, scarves, watches and etc.

At the sea shore fishermen were unloading their catches of mostly small fish from small wooden boats.

We found a church which was very humble in appearance compared to the many we've seen in Europe. What made this fun was that we were there when a wedding was scheduled and we attended the marriage ceremony of an older couple with a very cute little boy and girl as ring bearers.

Church is white building on left

Dad could understand most of the ceremony although the accent is much different than in Brazil. We are now going to be at sea for the next three days until we cross the Atlantic Ocean to Forteleza, Brazil.

Sun Nov 27
We had our group Sunday service this morning with singing and sharing of personal histories and testimonies. Following that Dad did a slide presentation of his mission pictures from Recife where we will be visiting for our second port in Brazil. We then watched a short film called "Brazil Doce Lar" (Brazil Sweet Home) that was made as a tribute to Evelyn Beck, the deceased wife of President Wayne Beck. President Beck was Dad's mission president and he and his family spent several years in Brazil on various assignments while raising their young family. It was a touching film and showed the great love and admiration that developed in each family member for the country and people of Brazil. The rest of the day we enjoyed the company of some of our group and relaxed and rested most of the rest of the day.

Mon Nov 28
We finished our second full day at sea. We continued to relax, read, swim and take part in some activities. Mom went to a paper flower making class and a hat decorating class. Both of us went to the Portuguese class and participated briefly in a dance class but returned to our cabin to practice the steps we learned so we didn't make too big of fools of ourselves in public. It was fun! Dinner was a formal night and then we went to the second really good evening show we have seen in the theater. Out of the songs and dances there were actually a couple that we recognized.

Tue Nov 29
On our last full day at sea as we crossed the Atlantic we crossed the equator into the southern hemisphere at about 3:00 PM this afternoon. A huge ceremony and celebration was organized to commemorate this event. King and "queen" Neptune led a procession to the "baptismal font" where it was filled with various combinations of champagne and wines to sprinkle on any guests that lined up. Nearly all passengers on the ship must have been there as all surrounding decks were filled with onlookers. It was quite a lot of fun. Other than that we did another day of reading, watching
movies, walking and swimming. Check the first post for this adventure for pictures of crossing the equator fun.

Forteleza, Brazil (continued)

Wed Nov 30
As we stepped off the ship in Fortaleza, touching Brazilian soil for the first time, we were greeted by decorated dancers dancing to the traditional Maracatu rhythm inspired by African ancestors.

Our tour stopped at a historic and ornate theatre that is still in use for live performances,

a large catholic cathedral reminiscent of Notre Dame in Paris,

an old prison that has been converted into a market

and at the beach where there are many beautiful high-rise hotels and apartment buildings along the water front.

Inside the cathedral was clean and neat but much less ornate than those we visited in Europe this summer. Along the way we saw an old lighthouse, several monuments, a beautiful white Christmas tree made entirely with hammocks,

and also the occasional "favelas" or slum areas where the very poor live.

The tour guide told us much about the area's history including the eventual conquest by the Portuguese in the 16th century and the liberation of slaves in the late 1800's. The city gets it's name from the Portuguese word for "fortress" which was erected here by the Portuguese to ward off invasions. The remnant of that fortress still exists and is used by the military.

It was very windy as we left port this afternoon as we watched activities and read on the open deck. In the evening after dinner we watched a show put on by talent from the ship's crew members. It included song, dance, fruit carving, pantomime and an interesting number using a group with white gloves and black light such that only the gloves were visible and they danced and waved, finally forming the word "LOVE" with their hands. It was another very nice show that we enjoyed a lot. Well, tomorrow is the big day we have waited a couple of months for and Dad has waited over 45 years for when we dock at Recife and meet the remaining four members of the Porciuncula family that he baptized on his mission and who still live there. We have planned in advance to spend the day with them and we have from 2PM to 10PM.

Recife, Brazil (continued)

Thu Dec 1
Well this was the big day we have looked forward to for the entire trip. We arrived in Recife and all went well hooking up with the remaining Porciuncula family. Two family members have passed away, the father and the older brother. We were met in the ship terminal by the two daughters, Maria Dolores and Maria Do Carmo. These girls were twelve and fourteen years old respectively when Dad saw them last.

Porciuncula family in March 1966 on Boa Viagem Beach
Left to right: Father, Antonio Duarte, Mother, Dalva Alves, daughters, Dolores and Do Carmo and son, Marco Antonio

Time does change us, however. This was Dad in Recife in March of 1966 enjoying a drink of coconut milk on Boa Viagem Beach.

Dolores on left and Do Carmo on right greeted us in ship terminal

The mom, Sister Dalva, Do Carmo's twelve-year old daughter, Thais, and a couple of their friends were waiting at the cars. They had an amazing day planned for us for the short time we had. We first visited the historic city of Olinda on a hill overlooking the city.

We ascended in an elevator to the top of a high lookout platform for a beautiful panoramic view of the city and the ocean.

Left to right: Dad, Dolores, Sister Dalva, Mom, Do Carmo, a family friend and Thais



Thais with Sister Dalva showing a necklace she had made from a U.S. 50-cent coin Dad gave her back then

Many tropical fruit, nut and coconut trees were in the vicinity as was a small store that seemed more like a museum with beautiful lace, dinnerware and much else.

We had a treat and a drink...

and then traveled to the Recife LDS temple grounds where we admired the immaculate landscaping and beauty. It was amazing for Dad to see a temple in a city where there were barely eighty members in one tiny branch forty-five years ago.

From there we traveled to the chapel that was just started while Dad was in Recife.


Construction site of first chapel in Recife in early 1966



It has now been converted to serve as a church employment assistance center and Dad spoke with a brother who knew people in the Recife branch when he was here during his mission. We then visited the Boa Viagem beach. It is still as beautiful as Dad remembered but now there are hundreds of high-rise apartment buildings lining the entire way that were not there at that time.


Boa Viagem Beach in early 1966



After visiting the beach we went to a fine restaurant and had a wonderfully delicious dinner that Dolores and Do Carmo would not let Dad pay for no matter how much he tried.

During dinner Dad conversed with Do Carmo about her many long hours of work as a medical doctor. We then drove past the LDS chapel where the Porciunculas now attend church which is one of three chapels in Recife designed by Maria Dolores as the architect. On the way to the apartment where Dolores and Sister Dalva live we passed by the home where the family was living on the night that Dad and his companion first knocked on their door just a block or so off the Boa Viagem beach. At the apartment we were treated to many beautiful paintings that were painted by Sister Dalva with butterflies and figures made of sea shells. There was also an unusual painting that includes hand-made crocheted items and photos of ancestors in a genealogical collage.

We then traded sharing photos of families and Dad left the family with a CD made up of photos of our family through the years, homes we lived in, pictures of Dad's mission in Recife, pictures of Brother Porciuncula's visit to our home in Pocatello at general conference time in April of 1981, many pictures they sent to us over the years tracing Porciuncula family history and PDF copies of all correspondence that we have received from this family in years past. Upon leaving, Sister Dalva presented us with a beautiful painting she did of the small fishing sail boats on the beach, called jangadas, that were common years ago in Recife.


Picture Dad took of jangadas on Boa Viagem Beach in 1966



Also two beautiful books about Brazil which we will cherish for years to come. Dolores and Sister Dalva then returned us to the ship terminal for a goodbye where it was difficult for Dad to hold back the tears and a promise that we will be back before very long. This day was truly a dream come true!