LA COPA MUNDIAL

Today Sunday, July 12, 2010, Spain clinched the 2010 World Cup! Viva Espana! This was a momentous occassion. It went right down to the wire.

With a total of 14, there were far too many yellow cards, a new tournament record.

But do you know when the first Copa Mundial was played?

Do you know where it was played?

Do you know who won the first World Cup?

Well, here's the facts:

The first World Cup Futbol tournament was played in 1930 at The Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, Uruguay.

The 85,000 seat futbol (soccer) stadium was built 1930 just for the first world cup soccer matches. Remember, soccer (Futbol) to the rest of the world is like baseball to Americans. It’s almost a religion.

At that first tournament, the Uraguayan team emerged victorious over Argentina 4-2. With the United States coming in third over Yugoslavia. Please note - There was no official World Cup Third Place match in 1930; The United States and Yugoslavia lost in the semi-finals. FIFA now recognises the United States as the third-placed team and Yugoslavia as the fourth-placed team, using the overall records of the teams in the tournament.

Would you like to cruise to Uruguay? Go to our website www.cruiseone.com/yjamieson. We'll get you there!

IN PORT DINING – (St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands) STT

When we are cruising into the various ports around the world we love to try the local foods. But, when we are on St. Thomas in the beautiful United States Virgin Islands, where Yvonne was born and spent her formative years, we don’t need to “TRY” the local foods. We know what they’re all about. We always stop at the Petite Pump Room. Here we know the quality of the food and the service. It is always top shelf.

The Petite Pump Room

Proprietors Michael and Judy Watson take great pride in presenting only the very best local cuisine. Their regular clientele insists on the best and that’s exactly what they get.

Conveniently located at water’s edge in the Wilmoth Blyden Building on Veterans Drive on Charlotte Amalie's Waterfront near the seaplane base as well as ferries to St. Croix and the British Virgin Islands, The Petite Pump Room bar and restaurant has spectacular views of the beautiful Charlotte Amalie Harbor, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands and Hassel Island.

Whether you’re visiting St. Thomas as a vacation destination, port of call or in transit to another place, The Petite Pump Room is a great place to stop for a fast drink or a quick bite prior to your inter-island departure or for an enjoyable breakfast or lunch. The Pump Room is preferred by islanders and visitors alike for its authentic local food and great friendly service.

It all started in 1970 when Anna and Douglas Watson started what has since become a family tradition with the acquisition of the Petite Pump Room formerly located in Palm Passage in the historic downtown of Charlotte Amalie. During that time and still today, the Pump Room is a favorite meeting spot for locals, dignitaries, and the “who’s who” of the Virgin Islands. The tradition has been carried on by Anna and Douglas’ son Michael, with his wife Judy and their son, Michael, Jr.

Specializing in Local and Continental cuisine, The Pump Room serves breakfast and lunch Monday-Saturday. Fresh fish caught by local fishermen, conch sautéed in lemon butter sauce, and homemade mango and soursop ice cream pie are just some of the favorites. A variety of salads and sandwiches such as Blackened Mahi-Mahi Caesar and the Pump’s Triple Decker Club are also available. Our favorites are boiled ole wife (Triggerfish), conch fritters and conch chowder.

You can dine on the open air terrace and indulge in some of their great tropical drinks such as the famous Pump’s Rum Punch, Pain Killer, the Voodoo, Mike’s Bloody Mary, Passion Fruit, or Fruit Punch. My favorite is a Planter’s punch which I first had back in the 70’s when the the Pump Room was in Palm Passage.

The Pump Room also features take away beverages and meals service and small to large take-out orders for individuals on the run and businesses that offer incentive luncheons.

If one has need for a catered meal, the Petite Pump Room offers a variety of catering options and is available for private parties and special events whether at the restaurant or at a private venue.

At the Pump Room, the warm atmosphere, tropical breeze and panoramic views provide the perfect setting for that special event.

Give it a “TRY!”, Tell 'em Brad and Yvone sent you.

Visit their website at http://petitepumproom.com/

Antarctica – The Last Frontier Part 7

Unfortunately, this will be the last installment of Antarctica – The Last Frontier. Peter and Alice have done a fantastic job in putting the text and photos together for this article. This has been a wonderful journey and I have enjoyed putting it on the internet for you, our clients and potential clients. During this edition, we will experience their post trip adventures in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Post-cruise in Buenos Aires

The Star Princess docked at 6:30am. When we booked our cruise we prepaid for transfer from ship to the airport where our plane was scheduled to depart at 10:30PM. A few days before we were due to disembark, the tour desk offered post-cruise excursions. Once a passenger selects an excursion, the price prepaid for the airport transfer is credited back to your on-board account and the transfer to the airport is included in the excursion price. What a great value this turned out to be, our excursion was the same price as the prepaid transfer so this was a real deal!

We had seen many of the city sights before the cruise so we decided to do the tour of the Tigre Delta Y Rio de la Plata. The day was perfect for a boat ride along the Rio de la Plata. We boarded a boat that holds about 100 people.

The delta is comprised of more than 5,000 waterways. No cars are used on the islands. All the residents must use a boat to access their house. There is a wide variety of flora and fauna along the way. The river water was certainly murky and we were very surprised to learn it is purified into drinking water. It was interesting to learn the kids are picked up by boat to go to school. Imagine, no school buses just the school boat. If you need a taxi you just call for one, a water taxi. Groceries are delivered by boat or a “grocery boat” pulls along side your dock and you can board it to make your purchase. What a concept, a floating supermarket.

There even was a huge amusement park in one area of the islands. Oh well, that is the end of out cruising experience and we are off to the “holding hotel” where we will board a bus to the airport later in the day.

Our bags were sent directly to a secure spot at the airport. It was a roped off area right before you entered the terminal. We are happy to report our bags were waiting for us when we arrived at the airport at 7:30PM.

One final question --- Do the sinks and toilets run counter clockwise in the southern hemisphere?

Peter and Alice carefully observed sinks on board and on the shore. When we returned home additional research had to be done, since uncertainty still prevailed. The trusty internet uncovered that this is a myth. The particular shape and configuration of the drain is the determining factor in how the water vortex rotates. Some people would like you to believe the Coriolis force is responsible for this shift in direction. The truth of the matter is the Coriolis force is too weak to impact small bodies of water.

Not being a physicist, I’m not even going to try to explain this. Take a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriolis_effect.

A special message from Peter and Alice:

We wish you beautiful sunrises and sunsets on your next cruise!

Antarctica – The Last Frontier Part 6

Sooner or later all great cruisess must approach their final stages. This part of Alice and Peter’s adventure takes them into their penultimate port, Montevideo Uruguay. As you will see, Uruguay is a very interesting country rich in history.

Montevideo, Uruguay

Uruguay is the second smallest country in South America. With an area of 68,000 square miles, it is slightly smaller than the state of Washington. This small nation has been the least troubled and consistently democratic of all the countries in South America. The only welfare state in the Western Hemisphere had an early history of bloodshed before the institution of a constitution in 1918.

The constitution laid the foundation for many socialized programs such as eight hour work day, social security for the aged, free medical treatment, free universities and nationalization of almost all essential industries and services. Sound familiar?

It has been said that when explorer Ferdinand Magellan first saw the mountain that overlooks the bay, he turned to his pilot and said in Latin “Monte Videm” (translation indicating secure port guarded by a hill). Today the population of Uruguay is approximately 3.3 million people and Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, has a population of 1.3 million or a bit less than half of all Uruguayans living there. This chief port city is on the Rio de la Plata which is one of the widest rivers in the world. Most of the residents have roots back to Europe are predominately Spanish or Italian origin. Uruguay is generally not considered a major tourist destination, but visitors from other South American countries come to enjoy the beaches.

While in this port we decided to take the city highlight tour. We drove along the Rambla, the name given to any street that follows the shoreline. While traveling along the shore line take special note of the changing color of the water. If the water comes from the ocean it is blue and salty. If it is brown it is fresh water. From the looks of the brown areas, I would prefer to swim where it was blue.

Throughout the city one will see pink blooming trees that are called Hawaiian Orchids. Our tour was in the early morning and there were many groups on the beach practicing Tai Chi. Most people own a dog or may own several. Typical species are Golden Retrievers, Beagles or Rottweilers. In the summer dogs are not allowed on the beaches. Dog walking has become a big business.

During our tour we saw people holding what looked like a small round bowl which was a calabash gourd and sipping from a traditional silver straw or bombilla in Spanish. This caffeinated national drink is called Maté (mah-tay). Since the bombilla is considered to be a personal item that may be shared by many in a home environment, you cannot order one in a restaurant. Some of the gourds are quite handsomely decorated. They are covered with leather and decorated with silver. The Yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis) is a medium-sized evergreen tree with leaves similar to holly that are stiff and leathery. The yerba leaves are dried, chopped and ground into a powder. Hot steaming water is continuously poured over the leaf powder during the day. The bombilla acts as a straw and sieve with small holes at the bottom that allows you to drink the brewed liquid. We were told it is an acquired taste, since the liquid is quite strong and bitter. They apparently are not worried about passing germs among friends with so many people using the same bombilla.

Some of the sights we saw were:

The Legislative Palace

Belloni’s sculpture La Carreta (Covered Wagon)

The Estadio Centenario, the 85,000 seat futbol (soccer) stadium. This stadium was built 1930 for the first world cup soccer matches. Remember, soccer (Futbol) to the rest of the world is like baseball to Americans. It’s almost a religion.

We traveled through the exclusive Prado neighborhood with many big beautiful homes. We learned that adult children stay at home until they are about 30. Most couples have 1-2 children; thus, the population increase is only 0.3% per annum.

If it is around lunch time you might want to consider having lunch at Mercado del Puerto. It is a short walk from the pier. In 1868 it was the center of Uruguay's trading activity. Once you step inside this wrought iron structure with the sky lit roof you are reminded of an old railway station. The aisles were narrow to say the least, but we were able to move with the crowds who were looking to find a seat at one of the reasonable priced parrillas (steak houses). After a great lunch, we made our way out of the market place to the surrounding street where we located and purchased our traditional take homes, shot glasses and spoons souvenirs.

Be sure to read the next and final installment of Antarctica – The Last Frontier when we wrap up next time with Post Cruise in Buenos Aires.