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Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
Well, it's one thing to have a zany idea of traveling
around the world with six different women for one
month apiece, and another thing to be actually doing
it!!!
How do I feel now that the Journey has actually
begun?? On the one hand exhilarated and relieved.
On the other hand, some nervousness and concern.
Exhilarated because after all, travel is a huge passion
of mine and I am traveling to countries I have never
been to before-like Brazil, Argentina and Chile,
Botswana, Southern India, Burma, and Laos, and also
to re-visit some other amazing countries. Relieved
because quite frankly the last eleven months is the
hardest I have ever worked on anything in my life. I
never expected the enormous response from so many
people from all over the world. And now that the
Search part of the endeavor is over, that's a relief.
Nervousness because I am traveling with Umberto,
with whom I have never traveled before, and of
course, six lovely ladies. They say you never really
know a person until you live with them or travel with
them. So here I am traveling for one month at a time
with six women who do not really know me and I
really don't know them!! Concern because I still have
that daredevil spirit and am now negotiating to get
into one of the favelas-the infamous slums of Brazil,
rarely seen by outsiders. This is a highly dangerous
idea, especially with the cameras Umberto and I are
toting. They represent years of work for anyone who
stole them. But (this always seems to happen to
me!!), I met a guy who can get us in, safely, he
claims. A similar event took place with my son Chris
nine years ago in Soweto-the most dangerous
township in all of South Africa. But a person we met
said the same thing this man said, and I just can't
seem to resist. Vicki says she's game, so I am trying
to put this together.
The weather is very hot and very humid. The hotel is
less than 1 block from Ipanema Beach which is the
best beach and safest neighborhood. Vicki has her
own room and Umberto and I each have our own
room as well. Excellent accommodations, great a/c,
CNN and BBC and many other tv stations in English.
Enough people speak English to get by and the
national language is Portuguese. The Brazilians can
look anywhere from very black to very white. The
average Brazilian seems a mix of Portuguese, black,
and Indian. Beautiful people. Rio has a reputation for
thievery, and we are careful wherever we go. I feel
Vicki and I are getting along relatively well given
rather unusual circumstances-and that's an
understatement!!
Vicki is a very good traveler and seems to handle all
situations well. I need about half of each afternoon
for Senior Bachelor work and Vicki understands that
and finds plenty to do. We're establishing a very nice
routine!
It's been a busy time since we left the U.S. on
Monday. Just in case anybody is curious, Rio is 6
hours ahead of California time and 3 hours ahead of
east coast time.
It is VERY hot and humid during the days. Vicki does
not have a problem with this as Georgia and Atlanta
(where she lives) are similar to this in the summer.
But I am not used to this weather. Manhattan Beach
has virtually no relative humidity, so typically we do
activities from 9-1, have lunch, then chill out in our
a/c rooms 'till 6, then a walk along the beach, then
dinner.
We have packed a lot into our first 3 days here.
Umberto is doing a great job with the photos and as
a traveling companion to both of us.
We visited the Statue of Christ today and also went
to the top of Sugar Loaf. Last night we had a
Brazilian BBQ. What a feast!
Tonight we will go to dinner at a friend of mine's
restaurant. I have not seen him (Roberto) in 10
years. He is a Brazilian and lived in LA in 1995 and
1996. He attended the going away party for Chris
and myself when we set off for our around the world
trip shooting "Pop&Me." It will be great fun to catch
up with Roberto.
We leave Sunday morning for the AMAZON!! A
lifelong dream of mine.
Umberto will endeavor to post photos every day- so
check them out on the "SB Photos" Page by clicking here. I will
try to comment on the blog every day, and so will
Vicki- click here to
check it out. Vicki is requesting her friends to
comment on this blog versus hers so everyone can
read how she is doing. If you need help with the
blog, please be sure to email Joe at
joe@seniorbachelor.com and he'll help you. We would
love to hear from you. Don't be shy about asking
questions about our travels. This is my first time to
Brazil (and to other places on this trip) so maybe I
can be of help to you! As always, safe travels. Ciao for now, Richard Roe Senior Bachelor Vicki Umberto
Thanks for all of your sweet messages. It's so great
to have such fabulous friends and family.
I'm still numb from day 1. Richard has everything
planned perfectly. Only a few hours each to catch
our breath and catch a few zzzz's. Richard is taking
me to all the best places and most of them are "high
in the sky." You know how much I love to be
waaaaay up there!!
I can't imagine a whole month of this kind of
excitement! I'm like a "kid in a candy store." Can't
get enough!!! Keep checking the Senior
Bachelor Blog and newsletters, etc. I'll be writing
my comments daily if possible.
Luv, Vic
So, here I am, being asked how I feel! Well, I got so used to ask that question to others, that I kind of forgot to look into myself. I guess I'm a bit worried because I feel I have a big and important job, and sometimes I'm concerned not to be able to do it as well as "I" expect to. My job, besides other things, is to document, as faithfully as possible, the adventure taken by a man who was tired to be alone, specially while doing what he loves the most: travelling. Trying to take some pressure off my shoulders, Richard honestly told me the last thing he worries for, is the film-- but I can't. It's my job, and I want to do it well. The project itself deserves the best of me. Maybe it's me; maybe I should relax, but right now I can't. Vicki and I took a short walk on the beach this afternoon. She talked in front of the camera for a few minutes, but the funny thing is, that what I was looking for actually came after I had shut it off. There comes my pressure again: finding the right moment, the right words, and just get led by the hand where I'd like this film to go. I will do better! But hey, it's just the first day--of a very long and exciting journey! Ciao for now. Umberto
The bookings for the Alaska Cruises next summer are very brisk! Hard to think about the cool weather of Alaska while handling the heat and humidity of Rio! I exchanged emails with Shawn, our Personal Cruise Consultant, and she wants me to remind you that these two cruises are in the "peak" of the Alaska cruising season. They are very popular in their own right- much less with the added attraction of having us party-ers on board! So please start checking your travel calendar and, if you think there is a chance you want to go, contact her ASAP. Your deposit goes directly to Holland America Lines and is completely refundable up to 75 days before the cruise.
For information about the Senior Bachelor Cruise, click here! Remember to send me an email at Richard@seniorbachelor.com if you need a cruise cabin mate to save the single supplement. We've already matched up a whole bunch of people and I will be able to help you even while on the Journey. Or you can contact our Personal Cruise Consultant, Shawn, at Shawn@seniorbachelor.com or call 1-800-355-3017 Ext. 4294 Mon- Fri, 9:00AM to 6:00PM, PST. To submit the Online Cruise Booking Form, click here! To see the photos and bios of the Finalists who will be joining me on the around the world Journey, click here!
From Peggy: "To the rest of the SB hopefuls-I joined Perfect Match about 10 days ago, and am overwhelmed-I have had two dates with the same man, a brunch date this Sunday, and so many e-mails, I am having trouble keeping track-it does wonderful things for the ego! So.....if you haven't joined, you might give it a try!" Ladies and Gentlemen, many of you have taken the free PerfectMatch Compatibility Profile to learn more about themselves to get better prepared to meet and date. You should try it out, too. One of the criteria for the 22 Finalists was to take the Free Compatibility Profile and I used the results in making my decisions. I did take the Free PerfectMatch Compatibility Profile, and it described me to a "T." It was simple and took less than 15 minutes. Of course, the proof is in the pudding, and only time will tell how this service works for you. My recommendation is to take the Free Compatibility Profile (click here to try it), and if you like what you see with the Profile results, and your budget can afford it, give it a try, and then later tell me your feelings. Good luck. We all are looking for our Perfect Match!!! Many people have asked about our association with PerfectMatch. After seeing Duane Dahl, the founder of PerfectMatch on Dr. Phil this past June, and doing some research, we felt this was a company we would like to start an association with to see what kind of results they might provide. I know from working with the Oprah folks how careful they are to research their guests, as does Dr. Phil, and this encouraged me. (Photo courtesy of "Merry Mary".) From Linda- "You asked for feedback regarding PerfectMatch. I have subscribed to several online relationship sites with varying amounts of success. However, I believe PerfectMatch has combined the most succinct and efficient program available for those of us with the mature status. Not only is help readily available if needed, the site navigation is seamless. I believe the questionnaires are very well done and if participants answer truthfully, the potential for finding the "perfect match" is excellent." From a reader in Georgia- "I never desired nor felt the need to join a dating service. On a lark, I decided to try the free personality profile with PerfectMatch. I was floored and amazed how right on they were on about me."
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