March 2, 2025
PARATY, BRAZIL - The kickoff of Carnival!
Party is a small town backed by the mountains on Brazil's Costa Verde, between Rio and Sao Paula. Its colonial center is cobbled streets and 17th & 18th century buildings dating back to the Brazilian Gold Rush. The whitewashed church was built in 1722. The port was full of party boats that cater to the many tourist and dot the coastline. There are 65 islands and hundreds of beaches. The town was decorated for the first weekend of Carnival and many of our residents stayed in town overnight to part take in the festivities. Which kicked off today.
We took an uber out to Cachoeira do Toboga Falls and watched the more youthful slide down the slick rocks in a variety of styles!
Little India is a neighborhood in Singapore that I wanted to explore becase I love Indian food and their Temple's have such unique gods and Architecture, super colorful and detailed. Below is the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, Singapore's first temple dedicated to Veeramakaliammam or the Kali , a fierce incarnation of Shiva's wife and the "Destroyer of Evil" .
Other residents had a great experience at Singapore's Food Playground on prior visits, so we wanted to try it out! Our first day in Port, twelve of us signed up for a fun afternoon, where we got to enjoy our creations as a yummy lunch. Front row (L to R) is Ellie, Rick, their visiting friend, Sue, Christy and Angela. Back Row - Me, Bosco, Delia, John, Terri & Lori.
We just relaxed on the Island of Koh Chang, Thailand. It's one of the largest Thai Islands in the Gulf of Thailand and it has a dense, steep jungle & National Park covering the interior of the Island, which extends off shore, to coral reefs. The coast line is dotted with beaches and villages. This was a tender port, so we decided to stay on the Island for 3 nights, to be able to experience the nightlife. Turns out, it is low season, so nightlife was pretty sleepy. However, we did find a new favorite night time activity! Any Guesses?!?