Travel was part of my life in the past two decades. Seeing beautiful places is an innate passion, but I never dreamed that these beautiful sights in the world will one day unfold before my eyes. It is one of God’s wonderful blessings and a most welcome surprise. I know how costly it is,  to be a jet setter, a not so pocket friendly lifestyle specially for a frugal woman like me, who always followed the cardinal rule of prioritizing a “need ” over a”want”.  But if the travel is given for free why not?  I need to take a break,  to energize myself , innovate, and enjoy life. Visiting the beautiful sights meant only  for the affluent in our country, is an opportunity, I simply can’t let go. Life has no rewind button, so I have to take advantage of any travel opportunity that comes my way, even if it meant leaving a career behind and a one year old son under the care of my parents. I was blessed to see the world on gratis. It was a time when we needed to nurture a very young and fragile marriage. The vessel was trading the Seafarers paradise in South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru) and Europe. The women are voluptuous, charming,  sultry, and loving . It’s where I understood why most of  the seafarers have fallen into the trap of falling in love with  the Latin American girls so swiftly. The sea transit was so tough,  for a woman who suffers motion sickness …Often times, I survived  the 14 days voyage, of a rough weather  in open seas  with  soup and a glass of warm water only, that’s all that my stomach can take in, despite the anti-motion sickness tablets, I took before  the onset of  bad weather and rough seas every voyage. But these difficulties in eating and moving around the ship in rough seas did not discourage me even a bit,  nor decide giving-up and stop  looking forward to seeing the famous landmarks in the ports  of destination. In the port of Rio de Janeiro in  Brazil, I was fascinated by the  following fantastic sights :

” The Statue of Christ the Redeemer”  ( Cristo Redentor in Portuguese), is  a large art deco-style effigy, that stands 38 meters high. The statue is located at the summit of Corcovado mountain in Tijuca Forest National Park standing at 710 meters and over looking the city and the beach. The  Redeemer statue is reached by climbing up 222 steps. For those not wishing to make the arduous trek up the mountain, reaching the statue is possible by using the escalators. The view  underway up is alluring, but at the top, the sight was a  splendor settings.

The Sugar loaf Mountains  or Pao de Asucar  to the locals , was where I experienced my first cable car ride.  It was where one of the James bond movies was filmed. Riding or walking,  the Sugar Loaf Mountain is a timeless attraction which should be taken advantage of by all who visit Rio. The views are gorgeous, the photo ops endless, and most of all the experience…..priceless!

The famous beach “Copacabana “, is a four kilometer strip of powdery fine white  sand beach that  serves up an animated menu of activities and sights as lengthy as its coastline.  Swimming in its crystal blue waters, where some beautiful ladies were in skimpy bikinis while others are even nude.  I just wished I had their guts and their well endowed bodies. Public display of affection is a sight everywhere, it might be  shocking  to the ultra conservative tourist but that is part of their culture. It pays to be a Brazilian…amorous , loving , caring, and sugary sweet!

However, being dared by the young Brazilian ladies (ages 16 to 20 yrs .old) to a dance showdown ( a non-stop  dancing of the samba,  lambada, swing, and cha-cha ) was a ”challenge” that I have bitten the bullet with. Nevertheless, I gamely agreed and am glad that I made  it well enough to gain the awe and admiration of the locals. It  gave me the chance to show that a  Filipino Seafarers wife’s is not dumb, but a  woman of character and values. My parting shot to the Brazilian ladies was :  You may be blessed with those “angelic face & gorgeous bodies “, but  I have the “heart and the soul” of the Officer  that  you are flirting and chasing with. While you may have “‘the carnal beauty and the youth” advantage for an evening of fun and passion;  I have a genial heart, the inner beauty and  wisdom that will last beyond this lifetime in fulfillment to our marital vow to love each other till life after death..

The second time we called Rio de Janiero, we experienced the warmth of  the “Brazilian hospitality”,  the  vessel’s charterer  was very generous. They sent bouquet of fresh flowers,  basket of  fruits and  boxes of baked pastries everyday to the ship. Every night,  they invited us for dinner ashore in churascaria,  live sea food restaurants and other local specialty food shops. Thereafter,  we watched  different cultural shows, a prototype of the famous “Carnival in Rio” ,  sung in upscale music lounges,  danced in different disco houses ,  had a night swimming in  the famous Copacabana beach, all  through out the one week stay in port. It was really amazing, truly magical Brazil!

Having circumnavigated  the globe by sea, as part of a shipboard executive’s spouse privilege,  made me a better wife . It  was a perfect avenue in helping me understand  the predicaments of my husband’s job,  and became less  critical nor judgmental of the seafaring professionals in general. It made me more compassionate  of  their emotional angst while at sea and the sad experiences of the men who were once called the “Prisoners of Steel”.

Continue reading – “Notes of a Frugal Traveler-part 2″