South American Tour: Rio de Janiero, Brazil

Friday, February 26, 1965 Rio de Janiero, Brazil

We arose at 6:30 AM as the ship was coming into Rio harbor. There were about 40 ships in this Bay of Guanabara waiting for dock space and our ship joined them. Rio is a city of 3,300,000 people it covers an area of 431 square miles and is built on and around 365 mountain peaks with many bays and lagoons. The Santos & union airport for domestic flights is in the down town section and ocean going ships are docked off-port of the main street of the area. 

A word about their money. In "Pan-Am's World Guided," revised in 1961-2 it lists the cruzeiros as 190 to 1 dollar US. In the South American handbook it states that the value had dropped to 920 to 1 dollar US as of 8/14/1963. We exchanged U.S. dollars for 1810 to 1850 while we were there. What a shook to own a home or have money in the bank and watch nearly 90% disappear in less than five years. 

On a tour we visited the Copacabana Beach, the celebrated bathing place, Hunchback Mountain (Corcovado), their one we drove to the top 2330 feet above sea level, the highest of Rio's 365 peaks and on top is a 120 foot statue of Christ the Redeemer. It was a great spot for taking pictures. Twice we tried to take the cable car to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain (Pão de Açúcar) but there was a delay of 2 to 3 hours because so many others had same idea.

We made reservations for four at the Copacabana Palace Hotel for dinner at 10 PM and nite show at 12:30. Cover charge 80,000 cruzeiros (about $43.00) for four. At 5 PM we decided to go back to ship to rest and freshen up for our nite on the town. The ship still anchored in Bay so we hired a water taxi for 8,000 cruzeiros. We could have waited until 630 PM and returned in agent's boat for free but we were too exhausted. In fact, we were so warn out that we passed up returning to Copacabana. When we thought of fighting the language barrier for food, water taxi and land taxi, especially at 2 AM we just didn't feel up to it. Coffee from Rio was loaded on the ship from lighters starting at 8 PM. I don't know when they finished their job.

Saturday February 27, 1965 Nite-Roi, Brazil

Sugarloaf

At 6 AM the ship pulled anchor and crossed to other side of bay to dock at the town of Nite-Roi, Capital of the State of Rio de Janiero where more coffee was taken aboard. We rose at 7 grabbed a cup of coffee, went ashore took a taxi to ferry to Rio. There were about 3,000 on their ferry and they run every 15 minutes. It takes about 10 minutes to cross the Bay. Then we took taxi to Sugarloaf to take cable car to top. There was a delay of 1.5 hours but we decided to wait. The trip is made in two stages starting from bahilonia Hill in Praia Vermelha (Red Beaches) to first stop at area 770 feet high. Then we walked across the top and entered a building where we waited forty-five minutes to take another cable car. Finally, our turn came and we went aboard with 20 other passengers. The car travels 2688 feet across land and water haging all of the distance from the cable with no ground support except at each end. At the top of Sugarloaf we are 1300 feet above the Bay from where the mountain rises. At each stop going up and coming down there was a delay to do so many families coming to Rio for the annual carnival which starts today. At noon and lasts until midnight Tuesday - actually each year until the beginning of Ash Wednesday. It was quite a day very humib and very hot in the direct sunlight. Distant scenes will not by too good in the pictures. I took because of the heavy haze. 

Before we left we were noted that ship would sail at three, so we were concerned about connections we would have to make getting out of Rio and the inevitable delays. There's a real language barrier in Portuguese speaking Brazil and it worsens when one is in a hurry, because with these people as with the Spanish it's always "Manana." The connections clicked and we were back on ship at 2 PM. Nevertheless, it had taken us 6.5 hours to make the round trip. The ship left the dock at 4:15 PM and sailed out of Guanabara Bay into the Atlantic at 5:10 heading for and due in Salvador (Bahia) Brazil) 748 miles Northeast, Monday Night.

South American Tour 1964-1965 (Manzanillo, Mexico)

Wednesday, December 23 1964 (Enroute to Manazanillo)

The train was derailed and the cotton did not arrive for someone forgot to tell the Captain that's Mexico. We sailed for Manzanillo 318 n. miles away at 6 AM. At noon we had gone 74 miles leaving 244 to go. Time was advanced one hour as we went on Central standard time. The sea was still smooth a school of sharks was observed converting in the glassy sea and twice we saw large birds standing on the surface. When the binoculars were put on then we could see there were large turtles floating on the survace. In the evening all the passengers gathered in the lounge and sang christmas songs. Two of them would sing solos and dutes. Bridge topped off the day.

Thursday, December 24 1964 (Manazanillo)

The Porsanger docked in the harbor at Manazanillo at 5:30 AM. I got up at seven. Millie stayed in bed. Her legs bothered her and her ankles were swollen. All other passengers went ashore to see the town which began at the wharf. Many of the people live on the sides of the steep hills which rise from the level streets of the town. I bought some picture postcards, one peso each eight cents (strictly a tourist commodity) and a 2 oz bottle of ink, Sheaffer Skrip, azul-negro, $4.75(pesos) 389.

We were back at 10:45. Cargo was still being loaded and continued so for two hours. Ship left dock at 1:30 PM for acapulco. Sea calm, temp 79.

At 5 PM the passengers joined the officers and crew on deck to celebrate their regular Christmas Eve Party. Cocktails for all and everyone shook hands with a "Merry Christmas" wish to all of the others. With each wish there is a "Skaal" and as there were about 42 people present it became very sticky. Presents were passed out to the ships personnel some from home and at least three from societies in Norway and one in Seattle which sent Xmas gifts to sailors all over the world. The officers joined us for dinner and afterwards we sang Christmas songs in English and in Norwegian. The party lasted until 1 PM.

South American Tour 1964-1965 (Long Beach)

Tuesday, December 15 1964 -- Long Beach

Arose early for us - 8 am. We had a delightful breakfast at 8:30. Only the Captain, Chief Engineer and First officer eat in the Passengers Dinning Room and they are on a separate table. 

Weather partly cloudy and cool. Sea very calm. Passengers are permitted up in the bow and as there was little wind we spent a number of hours there.

Lunch was a surprise - a smorgasbord with many choices. This is daily and there are from 32 to 37 platters on serving table. Everyone is well satisfied with the food and its preparation. Millie and I took a two hour nap in room. Had an excellent dinner and then went on deck to watch the approach of Long Beach. I determined that L. B. had dock facilities there are 2204 acres in the area. We docked at 8:15 PM and we went ashore with Hilding and Elaine Nelson. Window shopped, made a few purchases and walked back to ships. 

Wednesday, December 16 1964 -- Long Beach

Up at 8 AM. Breakfast at 8:30. It is a beautiful day. Took a Taxi into town. Bought odds and ends - much cheaper than in S.F. It is an easy place to find lunch. Millie had an 12:30 appointment for permanent. We expected Ham and Ev Ridgeway (they are former Denverites now living in NO. Hollywood. He works for 3M) to visit us after dinner. But Ham had the "flu" so they didn't show up. So we had the hors d'oevures with the passengers. Then we played bridge with the Nelsons. Following an hour class on Spanish taught by one of the passengers who had lived in Mexico for a number of years. Millie discovered at bed time that the permanent had hurt her hair and it was breaking off and combing out in hand fulls.

Thursday, December 17 1964 -- Long Beach

Sailing time posted for 4 PM. Millie went back to hair dresser immediately after breakfast. I walked around the docks and took pictures the brochure on the Port of Long Beach states that in 1963 it was second to New York in collection of custom duty reserve. Millie returned at 3:300 PM w a hair dresser and an assist and a wig. They started to fit the wig to her head. It became a race against time. The passengers came in an said 3 minutes. They left as the crew stood by waiting to remove the gangplank. The ship sailed a few minutes after 4 PM. Out in open sea the surface was very calm some wind. After dinner all came to lounge at 8:30 "Rags" Montin gave the passengers another Spanish lesson.

South American Tour - 1964-1965

Introduction: Ernest Redfield Saegart was my great grandfather. He was the only son of Arthur Eugene Saegart and Cora (Sackett) Saegart. He was born April 28, 1898 Connecticut maybe Windsor township, though he and died December 9, 1966 in Sun City, Arizona. At the age of 12 they moved to Washington D.C. He married Mildred (Elwell) Saegart and lived in Cheyenne, Wyoming in the 1920-1930s then to Denver. They had one son William Saegart. In 1965, he and Mildred (Millie) took a tour of South America. He cataloged it in a journal. I am going to share it. 

How did it happen?

For a number of years whenever Millie and I were in a coastal town we haunted the docks seeking permission to search and inspect Ocean-going ships. In May 1963 we were in San Francisco on a motor trip  to British Columbia. I had just retired the first of that month so time was what we had plenty of- we thought.

Following our customary providence we were meandering around the wharf. Spotting an I talented freighter we asked for permission to board and we were so escorted around the ship by a member of the crew who was probably looking for a small honorarium. Disembarking we stood at the end of the gangplank gazing at the paint-denied hull and recapping the advantages of what we had seen of the accommodations for the passengers. It left more than a great deal to be desired.

A bystander apparently a seaman and waare of our topic of conversation, from in with the suggestion that we look at the Norwegian freighter berthed just ahead on the same dock. The guide let us on the ship and we wandered around by ourselves. In the lounge we found a lady passenger conversing with a local friend. The passenger showed us her cabin and told us the rest of the passengers were ashore. We were favorably impressed with clean, neat and tidy manner in which the ship was kept. Everything appeared to be shipshape for pleasant living at sea. The ship's name was "Porsanger:" Continuing our inspection we passed the captain's quarter and he came to the door to ask if we could be of assistance. He called the fright manager, Alan Skellenger. We told him we would like to know more about the steam ship line. He said that all info and sales was handled by General Steamship Corporation, Ltd. Onc beach St. , San Fransisco and that he would give them our names and address. Mrs. Ruth Durkin wrote to our Denver Address on May 9, 1963 and sent a copy to Empress Hotel, Victoria B.C. Canada due to unforeseen calamity we never go to the latter place. Trusting from her letter, "The Westfal-Larsen Line offers one sailing per month of a line 12 passenger Norwegian vessel on a round trip cruise from San Francisco down the West Coast of South America through the Strait of Magellan to Buenos Aires. Then up the East Coast to Trinidad though the Panama Canal to San Francisco, making many ports of call en route. However, all passenger accomodations are booked from August 1963 thru April 1964. 

After an exchange of several letters a deposit was sent July 6, 1963 for a R.T. on M/S Porsanger departing in December 1964.

Shortly thereafter Mrs. Durkin wrote that there was a cancellation of a Round the World Cruise on an Isbrandtsen sailing in November, 1963. We decided to take it and keep the SA trip also - at least until we found how we liked freighter travel. It's wonderful and that's another story. Concidence on 2/21/65 we had completed the cruising of Pacific Ocean on World Cruise and entered the Goldan Gate. The first ship we saw in the harber was the M/S Porsanger leaving the harbor on one of the regular voyages.

Here is a list of the schedule:

Schedule Page 1

Schedule Page 2