Oh the Places I'll Go

 Western history tells of the explorations and “discovery” of new worlds by the Portuguese, Spanish, English, and Dutch.  Many of the modern nations in the Americas and Africa were at one time or another occupied and controlled by one of these explorer nations.  A decree by Pope Alexander VI in 1494, in negotiations with Spain and Portugal, divided the world by establishing a line of demarcation approximately 370 miles (600 km) west of the Cape Verde Islands.  Spain was given the right to control lands west of the line, including the Americas, while Portugal could conquer the lands east of the line, including parts of Africa and Asia.   In 1506 the line of demarcation was moved farther west so that Portugal could lay claim to what is now Brazil.  Many of the nations I visited on the Grand Voyage I am currently undertaking speak either Spanish or Portuguese, depending on which country colonized them. Nearing Africa, our cruise ship (Oceania’s Marina) ...

 I have a nephew and a cousin who have spent considerable time in Brazil and love the country and its people, but I had not yet had an opportunity to visit.  So, I selected the extended cruise I am currently on partly because it included stops in ten Brazilian ports along the southern coast of the country.  Prior to this trip, I had not realized that Brazil is as large as the continental United States.  This cruise, therefore, would be the equivalent of sailing up the eastern coast of the US to Maryland and saying that I have seen all there is to see of the country.  We have an Amazon River cruise scheduled in early 2027, so we will see a bit more of Brazil then.  But at least this was a nice introduction to the country. Balneario Camboriu as seen from the ship:  Rain forest and beaches Much of Brazil is covered by rain forests, with the majority of the population living in coastal cities, many of which have beautiful sandy beaches.   Our first ...