Parati, Brazil

            Wednesday, 11 Mar 2020 – The ship was scheduled to anchor off the coast of Parati at 8:00 AM.  Parati is a small town backed by mountains between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo with a population of 35,730.  Its Portuguese colonial center has cobbled streets and 17th- and 18th-century buildings dating to its time as a port, during the Brazilian Gold Rush.

On the Dock

            After eating breakfast in the Terrace Café, we sat and talked with Canute and Julie for quite a while.  Then we went for a swim, although the water was rather cold.  After lunch, Jesse took a 45-minute tender ride ashore.  The pier was very primitive and the streets flooded at high tide every day, so that Jesse had to wade a through a few inches of water to get to the town.  Since the sidewalks were cobblestone and very difficult to walk on, Jesse did not walk very far into the town and did not see much; his foot was swollen by the time he got back to the ship.
            We arrived at the Horizons after the band had been playing for about a half-hour; when we entered, the band played an unmistakable entrance song for us!  Afterwards, we had dinner with Ruth & Tommy at a table for four in the Terrace Café.