April 27, 2008 Sunday, Los Angeles
AAhh..back on USA soil! We are at the Cruise Terminal in San Pedro, CA. I watched while we pulled in and I was amazed at that we did. This ship came up the “canal”, just under the Thomas Vincent bridge in San Pedro and then the captain turned the behemoth beast around in the canal!!!! It was a little like trying to parallel park it! WOW! I WAS IMPRESSED.
After a quick breakfast we were ready to go ashore…however, before we could do this we had to clear US Immigrations and Customs. We were in Group 3 to clear and we finally got through about 10:45. Billie and Dan were waiting for us in the parking lot of the Cruise Terminal. Hey—it’s hot here in LA. I saw one thermometer register 93 degrees! WOW…and this is only April..if this keeps up Al Gore is right! (and not about inventing the internet either..but his global warming theory…you know the one he spouts every time he opens his mouth)
They borrowed Dan’s sisters SUV, so there was plenty of room for all of us. Off we went…and they made me drive since I was the most familiar with the area. Oh really? So where do we want to go? NO ONE could make a suggestion, so I headed for the only place I could remember…South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa! The four of us cruisers wanted to go to a grocery store (don’t ask) to get some “mix” and Al needed a new book, etc. In other words, we wanted to do something normal. I am sure Billie and Dan thought we were crazy! After finding a Target and deciding it really isn’t what we wanted we found a good ole Von’s and got our needed supplies for “mix” and some “snacks”…as if there isn’t enough food on the ship! But actually, we all wanted some normal food…you know, junk food! And all four of us are growing tired of the food on board. It is getting boring. I can only relate that it is like being in the service and all you get is mess hall food….well, yes it is probably much better than mess hall food, but it is still THE SAME. The menus are starting to repeat and the ship hasn’t re-stocked yet, so there are a few things they are out of. Also, as Jack said, every day the orange juice is getting weaker and weaker…watered down just a bit more.
Back to today. After Von’s we were all beginning to get hungry and we spotted a Red Robin and that’s where we had lunch. I voted for the In n Out across the street, but I heard groans from everyone, so I agreed that Red Robin was fine. Of course, for those who don’t know me well, I LOVE IN’N’OUT burgers. We had a great lunch however, and our next stop was the mall…namely, Barnes and Nobles. Al was out of reading material and of course I can never pass up a book store.
Then we headed back towards the ship, taking Pacific Coast Highway through Huntington Beach (my old stomping grounds) and Seal Beach and through not the best part of Long Beach back to the Norwegian Pearl. We bid Billie and Dan farewell, thanking them for coming to see us. We had a good, but too short visit with the kids!
Back on board, we watched as we sailed away….the US Coast Guard keeping small boats out of our way (what??? Don’t the people who are in these small boats see how BIG we are???) Finally back to the Pacific Ocean…we watched Palos Verdes peninsula slip away behind us. The Pacific was VERY calm…almost unbelievable…the sea conditions were titled as “Wavelets…. .3- 1.5 feet!
Dinner tonight was in the “Garden Café”—aka as the buffet. None of us were very hungry! The entertainment on board tonight wasn’t much of an interest to us either. After dinner Al went back to the cabin to read and Jack, Sue and I went to listen to the piano player for a while. I decided to go back to the cabin after a while and Jack and Sue wandered off.
It was getting windy outside, and a little on the cooler side. However, the sea conditions were still “wavelets” .3-1.5 feet. Hmmmm
April 28, 2008 Monday
Off the California coast heading towards San Francisco -- right now (noon) off the shore of Santa Maria, CA and no, we aren’t traveling very fast today.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JERRY!
Well, another day at sea. The sea is a little rougher today…”moderate” conditions, and wind speed across the bow is 25 knots. Ahhh……. This is the Pacific Ocean we know!!! We have sailed 4883 Nautical Miles from Miami and we are 207 nautical miles from San Francisco.
I am beginning to feel like I have been on this ship forever…I think a 19 day cruise is about 7 days to long for me! However, I am glad we did this cruise…it has been fun and interesting…but I would never make a good sailor!
Later in the day…
It is gray, cold, foggy and ugly outside. Needless to say, not many people (none) are at the pool today! Jack did go to the Jacuzzi after he worked out at the gym…and the Jacuzzi is outside. BRRRRRRR when you get out!
We pretty much rested today. This afternoon Suzi and I went to the Crew Talent Show, which was great. There is a lot of talent on board. One man from the galley sang and had a GREAT voice; another man was part of the printing office and he was an artist and did a quick sketch…amazing. The Cruise Director and his crew did one of the funniest skits I have seen in a long time and we laughed until our sides hurt!
April 29, 2008 Tuesday San Francisco
We were up very early this morning as we went under the Golden Gate Bridge at 6:40 a.m. and I wanted pictures. What an amazing site, very pretty site with the sun just rising. We are docked at Pier 35 and that is very close to Fisherman’s Wharf. I also got some good pictures of Alcatraz. I have already decided that the girls (Bev, Jenn and who ever else wants to come) should come back to San Francisco while the guys are hunting this fall. I need more time here.
A few facts about the Golden Gate Bridge for you….the main span is 4200 feet; length of one cable is 7650 feet; diameter of 1 cable is 36 3/8 inches; wires in each cable is 27.572; weight of each cable is 24,500 tons. There is enough cable to span the world 3 times in the bridge. That’s a lot of cable folks!
We took the City Highlights tour today and fortunately for us we were on a small bus. We probably saw more than if we had been on a big bus. We started out at Golden Gate Park, more pictures of the bridge. I probably have 400 pictures of the bridge already! From there we passed Ghirardelli Square; drove down Geary to the beach…can’t remember which district it is called. From there we drove to the highest point in town, the view of the city was remarkable. We drove through “Castro” part of town (gay section) and past the “8 painted ladies” (8 Victorian houses…all beautiful) and many more wonderful Victorian houses…many which are registered as national heritage houses. To qualify you must have at least 3 different colors of paint on the outside, marble or granite steps, all wood windows and maintain the house as to when it was built; which our tour guide said is very expensive to do. On to downtown, past the new City Center; into China town and through Little Italy. A few years ago (actually, probably over 10) I was here for a convention while I still worked at Boeing. Nancy W, John, Eva and Donna were along (at least I think Eva and Donna were) and we all took a streetcar ride…..I can never look at a streetcar again with out thinking of Nancy! Do you remember that Nancy? And of course we saw plenty of streetcars today.
Our tour dropped us off at Pier 39 where we were to meet Jack’s sister and husband for lunch. Jack and Suzi did just that. Unfortunately, Al was having a hard time with his knees and legs and couldn’t walk as far as we needed to --- so Al and I decided to just have lunch at a restaurant close by and then make our way back to the ship. I think the time he spent on the bus (no leg room) really did him in. We took our time and stopped several times for him to rest and we finally made it back to the ship. In the mean time while we were hobbling back to the ship, I was looking for a wheel chair for him. Yeah, right, as if I could push him up the ramp to the ship! NOT! He is laying down resting now; both of his legs are pretty swollen.
Our weather has been nice today….a little chilly and a wind blowing, but no fog or clouds so far. Of course like the tour guide said; at the beach it could be cloudy and cold and just a few miles inland in downtown it could be clear and warm! At least it isn’t like yesterday!
Tomorrow is our last sea day. We will be in Astoria on Thursday and Friday we will be in Seattle and our cruise will be over. It seems like a long time since we got on the ship on one hand, and on the other, it seems like we just started! At any rate we will have plenty of pictures to share and lots of memories.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Cabo san Lucas
April 25, 2008 Friday Cabo San Lucas
Ahhhh…we both feel much better! After I coughed for a while last night I finally propped my self up on several pillows and slept the night away. Consequently, Al got some sleep as well!
We arrived in beautiful Cabo San Lucas at 8:00 this morning. This is a definite place to come back to….I really like it here. We got off the ship around 10:30 for our “carriage ride around the town” tour. Yep..horse and carriage. I think those carriages need shock absorbers! Or smoother roads in Cabo! OUCH!
After we finished our ride we wandered around the port/marina area for a while; had lunch in a place called “Senor Greenbergs” – doesn’t exactly sound Mexican, does it? It was okay, not great, but I did get my taco’s that I was hungry for. They were rolled and fried, resembling more of a taquito; but they cured the craving.
After lunch Jack and Al returned to the ship while Suzi and I did a little shopping…more looking than shopping. After a while it all begins to look the same, just different names!
We set sail at 4:00 p.m. and had been at sea about 20 minutes when the captain announced we had a medical emergency on board and we were returning to Cabo immediately to get this person taken to a hospital immediately…so it must have been a life or death emergency. We watched from Jack and Sue’s room as the tender took the person to shore…how sad.
Dinner tonight was in the dining room…now we are back from dinner and Al and I are crashing; Jack and Sue are going to the show. Al and I are tired and still recovering, so I think we did good to stay up to 8:00!
Nite all!
April 26, 2008 Saturday
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAM B....YOU ARE 60!!!!
AT SEA ALONG THE BAJA COAST
We are really clipping right along since we left Cabo. Captain trying to make up lost time from our emergency yesterday.
This morning Suzi and I played Bingo...played is the correct word here, we didn't win! NADA...nothing, nilch, nix, none. But it was fun
After lunch Jack, Suzi and I went to play "Name that tune"...argh...we are really bad at this game. I know the words to most of the songs, but can't figure out the name of the $%^&*(* song! grrr
Speaking of lunch....we have been on the cruise too long...all of the food is beginning to taste the same. This happened last time as well....lots of variety, but coming from the same kitchen. Tonight we are going back to the Lotus Garden Asian Fusion -- me for some more of the good terayaki steak I had there a few nights ago.
AND IT HAS GOTTEN MUCH COLDER OUTSIDE! You can tell we have left the tropics....brrr! It is only 62 degree's today, with the wind blowing it feels like 40! I can't wait to get to Seattle and freeze!
Tomorrow is LA and we are meeting Billie and Dan for the day...should be fun.
Until then.............Adios.....
Ahhhh…we both feel much better! After I coughed for a while last night I finally propped my self up on several pillows and slept the night away. Consequently, Al got some sleep as well!
We arrived in beautiful Cabo San Lucas at 8:00 this morning. This is a definite place to come back to….I really like it here. We got off the ship around 10:30 for our “carriage ride around the town” tour. Yep..horse and carriage. I think those carriages need shock absorbers! Or smoother roads in Cabo! OUCH!
After we finished our ride we wandered around the port/marina area for a while; had lunch in a place called “Senor Greenbergs” – doesn’t exactly sound Mexican, does it? It was okay, not great, but I did get my taco’s that I was hungry for. They were rolled and fried, resembling more of a taquito; but they cured the craving.
After lunch Jack and Al returned to the ship while Suzi and I did a little shopping…more looking than shopping. After a while it all begins to look the same, just different names!
We set sail at 4:00 p.m. and had been at sea about 20 minutes when the captain announced we had a medical emergency on board and we were returning to Cabo immediately to get this person taken to a hospital immediately…so it must have been a life or death emergency. We watched from Jack and Sue’s room as the tender took the person to shore…how sad.
Dinner tonight was in the dining room…now we are back from dinner and Al and I are crashing; Jack and Sue are going to the show. Al and I are tired and still recovering, so I think we did good to stay up to 8:00!
Nite all!
April 26, 2008 Saturday
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAM B....YOU ARE 60!!!!
AT SEA ALONG THE BAJA COAST
We are really clipping right along since we left Cabo. Captain trying to make up lost time from our emergency yesterday.
This morning Suzi and I played Bingo...played is the correct word here, we didn't win! NADA...nothing, nilch, nix, none. But it was fun
After lunch Jack, Suzi and I went to play "Name that tune"...argh...we are really bad at this game. I know the words to most of the songs, but can't figure out the name of the $%^&*(* song! grrr
Speaking of lunch....we have been on the cruise too long...all of the food is beginning to taste the same. This happened last time as well....lots of variety, but coming from the same kitchen. Tonight we are going back to the Lotus Garden Asian Fusion -- me for some more of the good terayaki steak I had there a few nights ago.
AND IT HAS GOTTEN MUCH COLDER OUTSIDE! You can tell we have left the tropics....brrr! It is only 62 degree's today, with the wind blowing it feels like 40! I can't wait to get to Seattle and freeze!
Tomorrow is LA and we are meeting Billie and Dan for the day...should be fun.
Until then.............Adios.....
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Acapulco to Puerto Vallarta
April 23, 2008…HAPPY BIRTHDAY AL!
Leaving Acapulco…heading to Puerto Vallarta
This morning after breakfast Suzi and I decided to go ashore and try and take a picture of the ship. However, this thing is so big I couldn’t get far enough away to get the whole thing in!!! While ashore we had to fight off the offers of “taxi, lady?” or the various vendors trying to sell anything from Chiclets to silver (?) bracelets and beads. Uh, no thanks!
After the ship sailed and we had the necessary lunch, Suzi and I went to play “Name that tune” with one of the good on board performers. We discovered we didn’t know the CORRECT NAMES to a lot of very familiar tunes! We knew the songs, but didn’t know the correct song name…however, we did get 11 of 15 correct and it was fun.
Dinner tonight was in the steak house “Cagney’s” and it was excellent. Al enjoyed his birthday dinner on board complete with a cake…icky cake, but cake. After dinner we went to see the on board show, “Year of the Gisha” which was excellent. Later we crashed, as did Jack; Suzi decided to give the casino a chance to give her some money and she actually came out ahead.
Al is feeling better and the doctor took him off the IV today and is giving him the pill form of the antibiotic. He is still coughing, but not as bad as he was.
We can clearly tell we are getting farther north…the temp and humidity is coming down. Every night before I go to bed I sit out on the balcony for a few minutes…and most nights it is still warm and humid, but tonight I noticed it was not as warm and humid, and matter of fact, a little on the “cool” side. Okay, cool, in the high 70’s.
April 24, 2008 Thursday Puerto Vallarta
Okay, I give…now I have the crud! Coughed all last night and feel like crap! So I did go to the doc this morning and got some antibiotics. Doc says the family that coughs together stays together! I have a good case of bronchitis. Aren’t I lucky? I am staying on board today, and since we have already been here, I don’t feel like I am missing anything really. I HATE BEING SICK!
Al is doing better…he helped me cough last night however. Doc gave us both some strong, horrible tasting cough syrup; but promised it would help us. I hope so!
Jack and Suzi are on shore. Suzi saw a necklace a few years ago that she liked in one of the jewelry stores here so she is going is try and find it again. GOOD LUCK! Hope she finds it with out too much trouble.
More later……………
Later---
Well, I slept the entire afternoon…something I haven’t done in years. I think I may feel a bit better. Al seems to be improving as well.
Jack and Suzi had a fun afternoon, however, they didn’t find the jewelry shop; they did have a $69 LUNCH however! Jack said they had two margarita’s each, which they didn’t realize were $10 a piece! And they both said they weren’t spectacular margarita’s either.
We had dinner up in the buffet tonight. Al and I didn’t feel like eating too much, nor did we feel like changing clothes since in the dining rooms shorts aren’t allowed. That is something I don’t understand…shorts are not allowed, however, the shortest of mini skirts are? Oh, never mind! Jack and Sue joined us for dinner and now they are headed off to the show and we are headed off to bed. I think I may be able to sleep this stuff off!
Tomorrow is Cabo San Lucas and I am determined to go on our short tour tomorrow! And most of you know how I am when I am determined to do something! :-)
Also....our cruise has been very, very smooth so far as far as sea conditions. Even the captain has made comment several times on how unusual this is for the calm sea's. Apparently, usually once you get on the Pacific it gets a little rougher, however, that hasn't happened so far. However, after saying that, tonight is a little more "bouncy" than we have had in a while.
Night!
Leaving Acapulco…heading to Puerto Vallarta
This morning after breakfast Suzi and I decided to go ashore and try and take a picture of the ship. However, this thing is so big I couldn’t get far enough away to get the whole thing in!!! While ashore we had to fight off the offers of “taxi, lady?” or the various vendors trying to sell anything from Chiclets to silver (?) bracelets and beads. Uh, no thanks!
After the ship sailed and we had the necessary lunch, Suzi and I went to play “Name that tune” with one of the good on board performers. We discovered we didn’t know the CORRECT NAMES to a lot of very familiar tunes! We knew the songs, but didn’t know the correct song name…however, we did get 11 of 15 correct and it was fun.
Dinner tonight was in the steak house “Cagney’s” and it was excellent. Al enjoyed his birthday dinner on board complete with a cake…icky cake, but cake. After dinner we went to see the on board show, “Year of the Gisha” which was excellent. Later we crashed, as did Jack; Suzi decided to give the casino a chance to give her some money and she actually came out ahead.
Al is feeling better and the doctor took him off the IV today and is giving him the pill form of the antibiotic. He is still coughing, but not as bad as he was.
We can clearly tell we are getting farther north…the temp and humidity is coming down. Every night before I go to bed I sit out on the balcony for a few minutes…and most nights it is still warm and humid, but tonight I noticed it was not as warm and humid, and matter of fact, a little on the “cool” side. Okay, cool, in the high 70’s.
April 24, 2008 Thursday Puerto Vallarta
Okay, I give…now I have the crud! Coughed all last night and feel like crap! So I did go to the doc this morning and got some antibiotics. Doc says the family that coughs together stays together! I have a good case of bronchitis. Aren’t I lucky? I am staying on board today, and since we have already been here, I don’t feel like I am missing anything really. I HATE BEING SICK!
Al is doing better…he helped me cough last night however. Doc gave us both some strong, horrible tasting cough syrup; but promised it would help us. I hope so!
Jack and Suzi are on shore. Suzi saw a necklace a few years ago that she liked in one of the jewelry stores here so she is going is try and find it again. GOOD LUCK! Hope she finds it with out too much trouble.
More later……………
Later---
Well, I slept the entire afternoon…something I haven’t done in years. I think I may feel a bit better. Al seems to be improving as well.
Jack and Suzi had a fun afternoon, however, they didn’t find the jewelry shop; they did have a $69 LUNCH however! Jack said they had two margarita’s each, which they didn’t realize were $10 a piece! And they both said they weren’t spectacular margarita’s either.
We had dinner up in the buffet tonight. Al and I didn’t feel like eating too much, nor did we feel like changing clothes since in the dining rooms shorts aren’t allowed. That is something I don’t understand…shorts are not allowed, however, the shortest of mini skirts are? Oh, never mind! Jack and Sue joined us for dinner and now they are headed off to the show and we are headed off to bed. I think I may be able to sleep this stuff off!
Tomorrow is Cabo San Lucas and I am determined to go on our short tour tomorrow! And most of you know how I am when I am determined to do something! :-)
Also....our cruise has been very, very smooth so far as far as sea conditions. Even the captain has made comment several times on how unusual this is for the calm sea's. Apparently, usually once you get on the Pacific it gets a little rougher, however, that hasn't happened so far. However, after saying that, tonight is a little more "bouncy" than we have had in a while.
Night!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Acapulco, Mexico and a sick Al
April 20, 2008 Sunday
Sailing the Pacific on our way to Acapulco
Some info on our cruise that I found interesting. The average age on board is 65…there is one lady who is 99 years old on board. There are only 20 guests under the age of 18 on board. There are 2354 passengers from 29 different countries. On board we will consume over 40,000 lbs of meat, 48,000 lbs of vegetables, 1,800 gallons of ice cream and more than 80,000 eggs. I think we are already half way through all of this already!!! We will sail over 5,885 nautical miles on this cruise and through some very diverse climates. We will see tropics of the Panama Canal to the cool Pacific Northwest. By the way, Seattle had 7 inches of snow on Friday….IT’S APRIL…did someone forget to tell that to Seattle?????
We dined at the French Bistro tonight. Escargots was excellent, if it had been appropriate I would have licked the plate! Sue and Al shared a HUGE rack of lamb, while Jack and I shared the chateaubriand, which was so tender you could cut it with a fork and had a wonderful taste. Of course, we all ate way too much and we struggled to get up from the table! By the end of this cruise we will need cranes to lift us off this ship!!!!
The plan was to go to the evening performance of the magician, however, we had to walk through the casino to do this. Well, I had a $11.25 casino credit burning a hole in my pocket, so I stopped to play the “Le Tumbler” for a minute. Now this is a new machine to me, and it is hard to explain. There are tokens or quarters on a tray and you put in your token to try and knock off more tokens as your wins. I know I didn’t explain that well, but I hope you get the idea. Well, 1 ½ hours later I left that machine – losing my $11.25; however, I played for a long time and had a blast doing it! Jack and Suzi each played as well…it is amazing how those tokens can hang on to the edge of the ledge…and we surmise that the ledge must be magnetized in some way.
April 21, 2008 Monday – somewhere in the Pacific off the coast of El Salvador
After a good nights sleep for some of us (Al had decided catching a cold was the thing to do, so he was up all night hacking and coughing) we moseyed down to breakfast. Jack had eaten earlier and was already at the gym (can I just say here I really admire his dedication to working out) and after breakfast I had an appointment to have my nails done. What??? You don’t think I am going a month without having my nails done do you??? Of course when you go to the spa they always try to see you their products and I might say their products are very, very expensive. Hand cream is $50 A TUBE! I finagled a sample of it. I do like it but not for $50. And I will say the sample is a good size, so if I play it right I can use it for a long time. After lunch we all dispersed … Suzi to read in her room (or I bet sleep); Al to our room to read (and sleep); Jack to read down in one of the lounge areas and I took the camera and walked around the ship taking pictures. I had to laugh at one point…I went by the poolside one time and the band was playing “Mustang Sally “ and then the next time I went by they were playing “Careless Whispers” .. I will say I looked around to see if Jennifer was hanging around anywhere. She knows what I mean.
Right now the ship is beginning to show a little sideward movement…wind is blowing some and it is 92 degrees with 90% humidity.
In the afternoon we both took naps…I think I like taking naps. Dinner tonight was in the Lotus Garden “Asian Fusion” – best meal I have had on board. YUM
Al is feeling worse, so he decided to go back to the room; Jack, Suzi and I went to the show which was an Elton John impersonator…and a very good one at that. He actually is a performer on board as well and I want to catch one of his lounge shows while we are on board…he is really a great pianist and performer.
April 22, 2008 Tuesday
Off shore of Acapulco
Well, guess AL just can’t pass up a chance to go see what the hospital on board looks like. After a night of coughing and sounding like he was going to hack up a lung or two, I made the decision that he was going to see the doctor. Of course I got from Al “I’M NOT SICK” routine and I have learned when he says that we are going to be in for a bumpy ride. Of course he is sick! He has pneumonia. And a temp of 104! Fortunately, we caught it in the early stages and the doctor commended me for being persistent (Al said I was nagging---call it whatever you like) and has put Al on a regiment of massive antibiotics via IV and confined him to the ship for at least 3 days. Does this sound familiar? He was confined to the ship last cruise as well. When you are hospitalized on a ship you are usually just confined to the ship and your room unless you are very ill. The ship hospital only has 2 beds; and those are used as a staging before you are medi-evaced off to a local hospital. Doc said had we waited another day or two we would have been in that position. Sooooooo here we go again.
Later..same day
Acapulco
Al’s temp has came down to 99.5 and he had his second dose of antibiotics this evening. He is beginning to feel a bit better I think, but he is still cranky!!!!! Hope they give him some “happy” meds soon. Or I will be jumping ship! Just kidding.
I went ahead on our scheduled tour of Acapulco this afternoon. I really couldn’t enjoy it tho, too worried about Al. We did see the cliff divers and they were interesting to watch. We toured the city as well, old part, gold part and new part. I think I would like to come back here and spend a week sometime. Hopefully Al will stay well enough for us to do that.
Sailing the Pacific on our way to Acapulco
Some info on our cruise that I found interesting. The average age on board is 65…there is one lady who is 99 years old on board. There are only 20 guests under the age of 18 on board. There are 2354 passengers from 29 different countries. On board we will consume over 40,000 lbs of meat, 48,000 lbs of vegetables, 1,800 gallons of ice cream and more than 80,000 eggs. I think we are already half way through all of this already!!! We will sail over 5,885 nautical miles on this cruise and through some very diverse climates. We will see tropics of the Panama Canal to the cool Pacific Northwest. By the way, Seattle had 7 inches of snow on Friday….IT’S APRIL…did someone forget to tell that to Seattle?????
We dined at the French Bistro tonight. Escargots was excellent, if it had been appropriate I would have licked the plate! Sue and Al shared a HUGE rack of lamb, while Jack and I shared the chateaubriand, which was so tender you could cut it with a fork and had a wonderful taste. Of course, we all ate way too much and we struggled to get up from the table! By the end of this cruise we will need cranes to lift us off this ship!!!!
The plan was to go to the evening performance of the magician, however, we had to walk through the casino to do this. Well, I had a $11.25 casino credit burning a hole in my pocket, so I stopped to play the “Le Tumbler” for a minute. Now this is a new machine to me, and it is hard to explain. There are tokens or quarters on a tray and you put in your token to try and knock off more tokens as your wins. I know I didn’t explain that well, but I hope you get the idea. Well, 1 ½ hours later I left that machine – losing my $11.25; however, I played for a long time and had a blast doing it! Jack and Suzi each played as well…it is amazing how those tokens can hang on to the edge of the ledge…and we surmise that the ledge must be magnetized in some way.
April 21, 2008 Monday – somewhere in the Pacific off the coast of El Salvador
After a good nights sleep for some of us (Al had decided catching a cold was the thing to do, so he was up all night hacking and coughing) we moseyed down to breakfast. Jack had eaten earlier and was already at the gym (can I just say here I really admire his dedication to working out) and after breakfast I had an appointment to have my nails done. What??? You don’t think I am going a month without having my nails done do you??? Of course when you go to the spa they always try to see you their products and I might say their products are very, very expensive. Hand cream is $50 A TUBE! I finagled a sample of it. I do like it but not for $50. And I will say the sample is a good size, so if I play it right I can use it for a long time. After lunch we all dispersed … Suzi to read in her room (or I bet sleep); Al to our room to read (and sleep); Jack to read down in one of the lounge areas and I took the camera and walked around the ship taking pictures. I had to laugh at one point…I went by the poolside one time and the band was playing “Mustang Sally “ and then the next time I went by they were playing “Careless Whispers” .. I will say I looked around to see if Jennifer was hanging around anywhere. She knows what I mean.
Right now the ship is beginning to show a little sideward movement…wind is blowing some and it is 92 degrees with 90% humidity.
In the afternoon we both took naps…I think I like taking naps. Dinner tonight was in the Lotus Garden “Asian Fusion” – best meal I have had on board. YUM
Al is feeling worse, so he decided to go back to the room; Jack, Suzi and I went to the show which was an Elton John impersonator…and a very good one at that. He actually is a performer on board as well and I want to catch one of his lounge shows while we are on board…he is really a great pianist and performer.
April 22, 2008 Tuesday
Off shore of Acapulco
Well, guess AL just can’t pass up a chance to go see what the hospital on board looks like. After a night of coughing and sounding like he was going to hack up a lung or two, I made the decision that he was going to see the doctor. Of course I got from Al “I’M NOT SICK” routine and I have learned when he says that we are going to be in for a bumpy ride. Of course he is sick! He has pneumonia. And a temp of 104! Fortunately, we caught it in the early stages and the doctor commended me for being persistent (Al said I was nagging---call it whatever you like) and has put Al on a regiment of massive antibiotics via IV and confined him to the ship for at least 3 days. Does this sound familiar? He was confined to the ship last cruise as well. When you are hospitalized on a ship you are usually just confined to the ship and your room unless you are very ill. The ship hospital only has 2 beds; and those are used as a staging before you are medi-evaced off to a local hospital. Doc said had we waited another day or two we would have been in that position. Sooooooo here we go again.
Later..same day
Acapulco
Al’s temp has came down to 99.5 and he had his second dose of antibiotics this evening. He is beginning to feel a bit better I think, but he is still cranky!!!!! Hope they give him some “happy” meds soon. Or I will be jumping ship! Just kidding.
I went ahead on our scheduled tour of Acapulco this afternoon. I really couldn’t enjoy it tho, too worried about Al. We did see the cliff divers and they were interesting to watch. We toured the city as well, old part, gold part and new part. I think I would like to come back here and spend a week sometime. Hopefully Al will stay well enough for us to do that.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Cartagena Columbia and the Panama Canal
April 17, 2008 Thursday
Cartagena, Columbia
So much for not getting off the ship. Suzi and I decided we wanted to explore the cruise terminal and the duty free shops there. AND, the jeweler I had bought the emerald ring from had notified me that American Express wouldn’t approve the sale until I called them to let them know I was really in Columbia! Kudos for AmEx for double checking that….bad on me for not notifying them that I was going to be in Columbia and Mexico for a few days. SO, I had to figure out how to call AmEx. The salesman from the Jeweler came to meet me at the cruise terminal and between the two of us we finally got AmEx on the phone and of course, we were talking to Bogota and there was only one person in the office that spoke limited English. We finally got the sale approved. He was very gracious to me for being honest – as he said; I could have walked away with a $2500 emerald ring. However, I have to look at myself in the mirror every day! But like I told Suzi, I felt like I was doing a drug deal…meeting in the parking lot, strange man, etc!
Back on ship (with a bottle of vodka from the duty free shop) we met Jack and AL for lunch. After lunch we went to the show “Michael Clayton”…however, I lasted about half way through and I was freezing – it was so cold in the theater, so I left. I never did figure out the plot to the movie either.
Dinner last night was at the Mexican Restaurant on board. Not bad, however, I think the cook was Philippine because it had the same taste that the Mexican food used to have in Saudi when our cook at where I worked at JACOR would cook Mexican food….and he was from the Philippines. Adobo sauce instead of mole sauce. Oh well, it was okay.
After dinner Jack and Suzi went to the show, Al and I decided to just go back to the room. Al’s legs are beginning to really bother him; so he wanted to rest. I walked around the promenade deck three times (makes a mile) and then came back and read.
The sea is really choppy tonight….swells are 6-9 feet and the ship is rocking and rolling pretty good. We are traveling very slow as we are to transit the Panama Canal on Saturday morning and we aren’t that far from it.
April 18, 2008 FRIDAY.
HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY SHERRIE!! WE LOVE YOU.
Last night was one of those nights where you were either A.) rocked to sleep or B.) Hanging on to the edge of the bed so you wouldn’t fall out! Yes, it was a little windy and rough and it still is this morning. Makes walking a little more difficult and tricky.
By the way, there are a lot of people from the Pacific Northwest on board…which makes sense since this cruise ends in Seattle. Our neighbors on one side of us are from Redmond; he is a retired Seattle Police Detective. In the laundry the other day I met a lady who was from Portland, OR, however, she grew up and went to school in Medford. I casually mentioned that my sister and family lived in Medford and went to school there. When she asked their name I told her “Beaman”; she replied, I went to school with a Pam and Sue Beaman (my nieces)…after I picked up my jaw from the floor I wondered just how small this world is. Pam and Sue-- her name then was Carol Templeman and she graduated in 1967. I am sure if we searched hard enough we would run into people we knew from Bellevue/Redmond, etc.
Also, we have a celebrity aboard. Seal, the singer, is presently occupying the “owner suite”…ahem, which is advertised as $24,000 per person for the cruise. Of course, he has an entire entourage with him, but I can bet he isn’t paying the top dollar price – whadda’ bet he got a “special” price? Apparently he came out of the owners suite (which has its own pool, patio, etc…you would never have to associate with the common people) and into the reception area yesterday for a moment until he was recognized, then he disappeared quickly back to his own world! And no, he isn’t schedule to perform on board.
After breakfast Jack went to the gym, Al back to our cabin; that left Suzi and I at loose ends. What to do? We explored the game room, the library, the shops (again—nothing new) and basically wandered around the ship. Finally we landed in the Spa. We made appointments for a massage/facial for today. After lunch we headed to the spa. What a wonderful treat! First off, I don’t think I have ever been in such a luxurious spa…personal hot tubs, a plunge tub (we discovered it was ice cold…no thanks), sauna and steam rooms, hydrotherapy pool and heated lounges. WOW! We spent an hour in the hot tubs, hydrotherapy pool, etc. before our massage started. The massage was probably the best I have ever had and the facial was absolutely wonderful. I could do this once a week (Al said, no, I couldn’t!) After the pampering we crawled back to our rooms and changed for the show and dinner. The show was a tenor and he was good and then dinner in the Italian restaurant. It was good, but not spectacular. After wards Jack and Suzi walked the promenade deck and Al and I went back to bed. I collapsed into bed…yawn.
April 19, 2008 Saturday
PANAMA CANAL
We were up early this morning…6:15 a.m. to see the beginning of us going through the Gatun Locks.
We began transiting the locks at 7:15 a.m. and it is fascinating to watch. Our ship is the largest ship the locks can handle and it costs $314,000 for us to transit the canal! OUCH! This is the highest toll ever paid to go through the canal lock system. It is amazing how they can take this huge ship and put it through these small locks!
Gatun Locks
And watching the locomotives pull us through never ceases to amaze me. We stayed in our room and watched from our balcony. I did go up to the pool deck, but you couldn’t get anywhere near the railing. They were also selling Panama Canal souvenirs, but the line was miles long and I didn’t want to miss anything—besides, I have enough tee shirts! We finished transiting the locks at 10:00 a.m…and into Gatun Lake. After crossing the lake we went through the Culebra Cut to the next set of locks, the Pedro Miguel locks, which we transited around 2:30 p.m. Suzi and I were sitting on deck 12 aft when we did this and when we went under one of the two bridges.
Pan American Bridge seen from the Panama Canal
Pretty fascinating stuff. Also, since this ship is so large there are a lot of people on shore that come to watch it go through these locks.
I might mention here that it is 93 degrees with the humidity at 90%--a little like sitting out in a steam room! My camera lens keeps fogging up…so do my glasses. To say nothing of me wilting. But the aft deck has a nice breeze blowing across it and that made it bearable…barely.
Going through the last set of locks, the Mira Flora Locks at 4:30 p.m. today now we are on the Pacific Ocean side. There is a restaurant on shore and there were plenty of people there to watch the Pearl go through. It finally dawned on me why all these people are watching us go through…it only happens twice a year! Since this is a repositioning cruise from the Caribbean cruising of the winter months to the Alaska Cruising for the summer months. The Pearl won’t be back this way until October.
Finally, we went under the American Express Bridge and we were spit out into the Pacific Ocean. There are a lot of ships waiting to go through the canal towards the Atlantic side..I would say at least 30 or more.
So now we can say we have been through the Panama Canal and now we are on our way to Acapulco, in two more days. We have two full sea days ahead of us and we arrive in Acapulco on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. and our tour begins almost immediately.
So until next time……we are wroamin’ the sea’s with the Waddicks.
Cartagena, Columbia
So much for not getting off the ship. Suzi and I decided we wanted to explore the cruise terminal and the duty free shops there. AND, the jeweler I had bought the emerald ring from had notified me that American Express wouldn’t approve the sale until I called them to let them know I was really in Columbia! Kudos for AmEx for double checking that….bad on me for not notifying them that I was going to be in Columbia and Mexico for a few days. SO, I had to figure out how to call AmEx. The salesman from the Jeweler came to meet me at the cruise terminal and between the two of us we finally got AmEx on the phone and of course, we were talking to Bogota and there was only one person in the office that spoke limited English. We finally got the sale approved. He was very gracious to me for being honest – as he said; I could have walked away with a $2500 emerald ring. However, I have to look at myself in the mirror every day! But like I told Suzi, I felt like I was doing a drug deal…meeting in the parking lot, strange man, etc!
Back on ship (with a bottle of vodka from the duty free shop) we met Jack and AL for lunch. After lunch we went to the show “Michael Clayton”…however, I lasted about half way through and I was freezing – it was so cold in the theater, so I left. I never did figure out the plot to the movie either.
Dinner last night was at the Mexican Restaurant on board. Not bad, however, I think the cook was Philippine because it had the same taste that the Mexican food used to have in Saudi when our cook at where I worked at JACOR would cook Mexican food….and he was from the Philippines. Adobo sauce instead of mole sauce. Oh well, it was okay.
After dinner Jack and Suzi went to the show, Al and I decided to just go back to the room. Al’s legs are beginning to really bother him; so he wanted to rest. I walked around the promenade deck three times (makes a mile) and then came back and read.
The sea is really choppy tonight….swells are 6-9 feet and the ship is rocking and rolling pretty good. We are traveling very slow as we are to transit the Panama Canal on Saturday morning and we aren’t that far from it.
April 18, 2008 FRIDAY.
HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY SHERRIE!! WE LOVE YOU.
Last night was one of those nights where you were either A.) rocked to sleep or B.) Hanging on to the edge of the bed so you wouldn’t fall out! Yes, it was a little windy and rough and it still is this morning. Makes walking a little more difficult and tricky.
By the way, there are a lot of people from the Pacific Northwest on board…which makes sense since this cruise ends in Seattle. Our neighbors on one side of us are from Redmond; he is a retired Seattle Police Detective. In the laundry the other day I met a lady who was from Portland, OR, however, she grew up and went to school in Medford. I casually mentioned that my sister and family lived in Medford and went to school there. When she asked their name I told her “Beaman”; she replied, I went to school with a Pam and Sue Beaman (my nieces)…after I picked up my jaw from the floor I wondered just how small this world is. Pam and Sue-- her name then was Carol Templeman and she graduated in 1967. I am sure if we searched hard enough we would run into people we knew from Bellevue/Redmond, etc.
Also, we have a celebrity aboard. Seal, the singer, is presently occupying the “owner suite”…ahem, which is advertised as $24,000 per person for the cruise. Of course, he has an entire entourage with him, but I can bet he isn’t paying the top dollar price – whadda’ bet he got a “special” price? Apparently he came out of the owners suite (which has its own pool, patio, etc…you would never have to associate with the common people) and into the reception area yesterday for a moment until he was recognized, then he disappeared quickly back to his own world! And no, he isn’t schedule to perform on board.
After breakfast Jack went to the gym, Al back to our cabin; that left Suzi and I at loose ends. What to do? We explored the game room, the library, the shops (again—nothing new) and basically wandered around the ship. Finally we landed in the Spa. We made appointments for a massage/facial for today. After lunch we headed to the spa. What a wonderful treat! First off, I don’t think I have ever been in such a luxurious spa…personal hot tubs, a plunge tub (we discovered it was ice cold…no thanks), sauna and steam rooms, hydrotherapy pool and heated lounges. WOW! We spent an hour in the hot tubs, hydrotherapy pool, etc. before our massage started. The massage was probably the best I have ever had and the facial was absolutely wonderful. I could do this once a week (Al said, no, I couldn’t!) After the pampering we crawled back to our rooms and changed for the show and dinner. The show was a tenor and he was good and then dinner in the Italian restaurant. It was good, but not spectacular. After wards Jack and Suzi walked the promenade deck and Al and I went back to bed. I collapsed into bed…yawn.
April 19, 2008 Saturday
PANAMA CANAL
We were up early this morning…6:15 a.m. to see the beginning of us going through the Gatun Locks.
We began transiting the locks at 7:15 a.m. and it is fascinating to watch. Our ship is the largest ship the locks can handle and it costs $314,000 for us to transit the canal! OUCH! This is the highest toll ever paid to go through the canal lock system. It is amazing how they can take this huge ship and put it through these small locks!
Gatun LocksAnd watching the locomotives pull us through never ceases to amaze me. We stayed in our room and watched from our balcony. I did go up to the pool deck, but you couldn’t get anywhere near the railing. They were also selling Panama Canal souvenirs, but the line was miles long and I didn’t want to miss anything—besides, I have enough tee shirts! We finished transiting the locks at 10:00 a.m…and into Gatun Lake. After crossing the lake we went through the Culebra Cut to the next set of locks, the Pedro Miguel locks, which we transited around 2:30 p.m. Suzi and I were sitting on deck 12 aft when we did this and when we went under one of the two bridges.
Pan American Bridge seen from the Panama Canal
Pretty fascinating stuff. Also, since this ship is so large there are a lot of people on shore that come to watch it go through these locks.
I might mention here that it is 93 degrees with the humidity at 90%--a little like sitting out in a steam room! My camera lens keeps fogging up…so do my glasses. To say nothing of me wilting. But the aft deck has a nice breeze blowing across it and that made it bearable…barely.
Going through the last set of locks, the Mira Flora Locks at 4:30 p.m. today now we are on the Pacific Ocean side. There is a restaurant on shore and there were plenty of people there to watch the Pearl go through. It finally dawned on me why all these people are watching us go through…it only happens twice a year! Since this is a repositioning cruise from the Caribbean cruising of the winter months to the Alaska Cruising for the summer months. The Pearl won’t be back this way until October.
Finally, we went under the American Express Bridge and we were spit out into the Pacific Ocean. There are a lot of ships waiting to go through the canal towards the Atlantic side..I would say at least 30 or more.
So now we can say we have been through the Panama Canal and now we are on our way to Acapulco, in two more days. We have two full sea days ahead of us and we arrive in Acapulco on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. and our tour begins almost immediately.
So until next time……we are wroamin’ the sea’s with the Waddicks.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Santa Marta, Columbia
April 15, 2008 Tuesday
Somewhere in the Atlantic – heading to Santa Marta, Columbia
Day at sea…and a lazy day at that. We got up later than normal and after breakfast, Suzi and I were going to go swimming and try out the huge water slide..however, it was windy and our calm seas have turned just a little bit bouncy, so we abandoned that idea and just laid out in the sun. Al chose to sit out on the room balcony.
After lunch all of us went to see the movie “I am legend” with Will Smith. Suzi and I lasted about a third of the movie and left…to icky for us! Besides, I was too afraid the dog in the movie was gonna’ die and I would be upset!!! So we both did what all good, seasoned cruisers do..we took a nap. Hmmmm-I think I am beginning to relax..what a concept for me! I COULD GET USED TO THIS!
Tonight is “formal picture night”….but not for us. We decided to opt out for tonight and will just go to the dining room for dinner. I have to say, compared to Princess, the food on this ship is much, much better. I even had a decent cheeseburger at lunch today! The last one I had on a cruise tasted more like shoe leather.
We dined in the Summer Palisades Dining Room tonight…a large dining room but unlike most cruise ships which usually have tables for 8 or more, this ship has tables for 2, 4, 6 and 8 or more if you request it. I had beef wellington, which was excellent. Al had the orange duck and he said his was very good, not as good as Pat Voss’ duck, but good. And I had a glass of wine with dinner and so far, no repercussions from it!
After dinner we went to the show and tonight it was a comedian. He was in our age group and was very y funny for us…we understood his kind of comedy. After the show Jack and Suzi took a walk around the ship, but Al and I came back to the room – Al’s knees are bothering him tonight. We want him to be ready to see Santa Marta, Columbia tomorrow.
So until then…goodnight.
April 16, 2008 Wednesday
Santa Marta, Columbia
The ship docked this morning around 7:00 in Santa Marta. Not much to see from our stateroom door with the exception of some commercial cargo ships.
After a quick breakfast we were off on our Historical Tour of Santa Marta. After finding the bus and squeezing into the seats (I swear the seats are getting smaller!) we were off. First thing they did was take us up a mountain and over to a tourist resort of El Rodadero—very modern and nice, but we don’t stop, just drive through it. Then we drove through Santa Marta…typical Mexican town I thought…I could have been in San Luis or Nogales. And I observed that the dogs here all seem to the same breed…just different colors…brown, black, tan, gray and dirt! And the country side seems to be littered with, well, lots of litter! Plastic bags hanging off of trees and fences and trash everywhere. Just not clean.
Next stop was the “Museo del Oro Tairona” – the gold museum, which houses not only gold pieces made by the Tayrona culture 1500 BC…yup, before Christ, but ancient pottery and artifacts. Since our tour guide didn’t speak the best English, I tuned him out and wandered by myself for a while. But I did see the gold…wow! Then we walked (taking our lives in our own hands against the traffic) to the Cathedral, which is the oldest cathedral in Columbia; and by the way, Santa Marta is the oldest city in Columbia, founded in 1525. But back to the Cathedral….it was build in the Renaissance style and was pretty remarkable. And it was cool inside! A plus for today.
A word about the weather here…it is hot, muggy, humid, hot, etc. However, this is the end of their summer, which temps can get up to 110 and humidity of 99%...er, no thanks. However, winter is just beginning here (May to Nov) and the temps will be in the 80s and the humidity drops to 70%! It was hot and humid here today…Jack, Al and I were soaking wet…Suzi must be cold blooded, she shed not one drop of sweat! I think she is part reptile!
Back to the tour…. After leaving the Cathedral, back on the bus, we discover that the bus driver has no idea where he is going next as he and the tour guide are not from here but from Cartagena, our stop for tomorrow. Apparently there weren’t enough buses or English speaking tour guides here. After getting directions we headed to the small fishing village of Taganga---and for the life of me I don’t know why…again we just drove through it, no explanation, or talk about its importance to the tour. We did stop and at a view point up on the mountain (and by this time Jack, Suzi and I had decided we had done this in Greece as well…but in Greece the bus driver and tour guide were good, this bus driver isn’t the best either) – Jack got out to take a picture, but the rest of us stayed on the bus as there were plenty of vendors to sell us “jewelry” made by hand! No thanks!
Our last stop is at La Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino, a beautiful hacienda, where Simon Bolivar, The Liberator spent his last days and died here. Yes, the grounds are beautiful…big banyan tree complete with Iguana’s on them, Myna birds everywhere and beautiful flowers. The grounds even had their own distillery which they made rum from sugar cane.
Also here is the Emerald Museum…very small museum, but with it of course, is a jewelry shop dealing specifically in emeralds. Al and I had decided this morning if we could find a nice emerald ring at a reasonable price we would buy one. I haggled and haggled and finally got the dealer down to a price I could afford for a emerald ring! Thank you Al! He was dealing on a stone, but couldn’t get the dealer down below $220 per karate on a 10 karate stone….nope.
After we left there is was back to the ship…and lunch please. But before we got on board we did buy some Columbian coffee…but not from Juan Valdez. An interesting port, but not one I would visit again.
We had dinner at Cagney’s Steakhouse tonight and it was superb! However, I couldn’t begin to eat it all…I was still full from lunch. Then we went to the show – Showgirl Revue and it was good. After the show we decided to go up to Spinnaker’s Lounge to catch the comedian again…he was really funny. When we got back to the room we found this little bunny on our bed.
Tomorrow is Cartagena and since we have already been there we aren’t taking a tour or getting off the ship
Somewhere in the Atlantic – heading to Santa Marta, Columbia
Day at sea…and a lazy day at that. We got up later than normal and after breakfast, Suzi and I were going to go swimming and try out the huge water slide..however, it was windy and our calm seas have turned just a little bit bouncy, so we abandoned that idea and just laid out in the sun. Al chose to sit out on the room balcony.
After lunch all of us went to see the movie “I am legend” with Will Smith. Suzi and I lasted about a third of the movie and left…to icky for us! Besides, I was too afraid the dog in the movie was gonna’ die and I would be upset!!! So we both did what all good, seasoned cruisers do..we took a nap. Hmmmm-I think I am beginning to relax..what a concept for me! I COULD GET USED TO THIS!
Tonight is “formal picture night”….but not for us. We decided to opt out for tonight and will just go to the dining room for dinner. I have to say, compared to Princess, the food on this ship is much, much better. I even had a decent cheeseburger at lunch today! The last one I had on a cruise tasted more like shoe leather.
We dined in the Summer Palisades Dining Room tonight…a large dining room but unlike most cruise ships which usually have tables for 8 or more, this ship has tables for 2, 4, 6 and 8 or more if you request it. I had beef wellington, which was excellent. Al had the orange duck and he said his was very good, not as good as Pat Voss’ duck, but good. And I had a glass of wine with dinner and so far, no repercussions from it!
After dinner we went to the show and tonight it was a comedian. He was in our age group and was very y funny for us…we understood his kind of comedy. After the show Jack and Suzi took a walk around the ship, but Al and I came back to the room – Al’s knees are bothering him tonight. We want him to be ready to see Santa Marta, Columbia tomorrow.
So until then…goodnight.
April 16, 2008 Wednesday
Santa Marta, Columbia
The ship docked this morning around 7:00 in Santa Marta. Not much to see from our stateroom door with the exception of some commercial cargo ships.
After a quick breakfast we were off on our Historical Tour of Santa Marta. After finding the bus and squeezing into the seats (I swear the seats are getting smaller!) we were off. First thing they did was take us up a mountain and over to a tourist resort of El Rodadero—very modern and nice, but we don’t stop, just drive through it. Then we drove through Santa Marta…typical Mexican town I thought…I could have been in San Luis or Nogales. And I observed that the dogs here all seem to the same breed…just different colors…brown, black, tan, gray and dirt! And the country side seems to be littered with, well, lots of litter! Plastic bags hanging off of trees and fences and trash everywhere. Just not clean.
Next stop was the “Museo del Oro Tairona” – the gold museum, which houses not only gold pieces made by the Tayrona culture 1500 BC…yup, before Christ, but ancient pottery and artifacts. Since our tour guide didn’t speak the best English, I tuned him out and wandered by myself for a while. But I did see the gold…wow! Then we walked (taking our lives in our own hands against the traffic) to the Cathedral, which is the oldest cathedral in Columbia; and by the way, Santa Marta is the oldest city in Columbia, founded in 1525. But back to the Cathedral….it was build in the Renaissance style and was pretty remarkable. And it was cool inside! A plus for today.
A word about the weather here…it is hot, muggy, humid, hot, etc. However, this is the end of their summer, which temps can get up to 110 and humidity of 99%...er, no thanks. However, winter is just beginning here (May to Nov) and the temps will be in the 80s and the humidity drops to 70%! It was hot and humid here today…Jack, Al and I were soaking wet…Suzi must be cold blooded, she shed not one drop of sweat! I think she is part reptile!
Back to the tour…. After leaving the Cathedral, back on the bus, we discover that the bus driver has no idea where he is going next as he and the tour guide are not from here but from Cartagena, our stop for tomorrow. Apparently there weren’t enough buses or English speaking tour guides here. After getting directions we headed to the small fishing village of Taganga---and for the life of me I don’t know why…again we just drove through it, no explanation, or talk about its importance to the tour. We did stop and at a view point up on the mountain (and by this time Jack, Suzi and I had decided we had done this in Greece as well…but in Greece the bus driver and tour guide were good, this bus driver isn’t the best either) – Jack got out to take a picture, but the rest of us stayed on the bus as there were plenty of vendors to sell us “jewelry” made by hand! No thanks!
Our last stop is at La Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino, a beautiful hacienda, where Simon Bolivar, The Liberator spent his last days and died here. Yes, the grounds are beautiful…big banyan tree complete with Iguana’s on them, Myna birds everywhere and beautiful flowers. The grounds even had their own distillery which they made rum from sugar cane.
Also here is the Emerald Museum…very small museum, but with it of course, is a jewelry shop dealing specifically in emeralds. Al and I had decided this morning if we could find a nice emerald ring at a reasonable price we would buy one. I haggled and haggled and finally got the dealer down to a price I could afford for a emerald ring! Thank you Al! He was dealing on a stone, but couldn’t get the dealer down below $220 per karate on a 10 karate stone….nope.
After we left there is was back to the ship…and lunch please. But before we got on board we did buy some Columbian coffee…but not from Juan Valdez. An interesting port, but not one I would visit again.
We had dinner at Cagney’s Steakhouse tonight and it was superb! However, I couldn’t begin to eat it all…I was still full from lunch. Then we went to the show – Showgirl Revue and it was good. After the show we decided to go up to Spinnaker’s Lounge to catch the comedian again…he was really funny. When we got back to the room we found this little bunny on our bed.
Tomorrow is Cartagena and since we have already been there we aren’t taking a tour or getting off the ship
Monday, April 14, 2008
Sailing, Sailing, over the ocean blue
Sailing, Sailing Over the Ocean Blue
Somewhere in the Atlantic…..just off Cuba
Apr. 12…Saturday
Up earlier than I like and we got checked out of the condo and on our way to Miami. We decided to go down the west coast of Florida and then over “Alligator Alley” to Maimi. We stopped in Naples and found a Costco to get some gas. Gas is $3.40+ a gallon where we have been. Over alligator alley, and we only saw a few alligators. I think we were expecting it to be “lined” with alligators. We arrived in Miami, found our hotel for the night (no easy task) and got checked in. Jack and Sue returned the car to the airport, which was an adventure in itself. After they finally found the car rental return they had to wait over an hour for the shuttle to return to the hotel. We had dinner at the hotel restaurant “Schuckers” which was fairly decent.
Apr. 13 .. Sunday
Ahhh…cruise day has arrived. We hauled our mini mountain of luggage out to the front of the hotel to catch the shuttle to the port. WAIT! Where are all these other people going? There was over 50 of us for this shuttle…and I am looking at this mini van that was suppose to take us. Not only would our luggage not fit, but the people weren’t going to fit either. AHHHH --- there is more than one van…whew!
We arrived at the port along with the rest of the world…this ship holds 2500+ passengers and it is full. We couldn’t get to our stateroom so we did what comes naturally…we ate! This is our first cruise with Norwegian and it is very different from Princess and I think we are going to like it. First of all, NO FORMAL NIGHTS! Second, it what they call “free-style” cruising…you can eat when ever you like, do what ever you like, when ever you like, no schedule. Hmmmm. The Norwegian Pearl is the ship we are on and it is just a year old. Very beautiful and BIG – 965 feet long to be exact and can cruise up to 25 knots! There is even a bowling alley on board!! And, a rock climbing wall, etc. Just about anything you want to do in the form of entertainment is on board. Jack checked out the gym, Suzi checked out the casino and I checked out the pool area and the internet café. But actually, I have internet in my stateroom….how cool is that?
We got into our stateroom around 2:00 p.m. and got somewhat unpacked. And this time we did something really dumb when we booked our cruise. The person we booked with suggested that we book rooms across the ship from each other so we could see different things from the different side of the ship. DUMB! We aren’t in our rooms that much and we really like being next to each other so we can open up our balconies and it is just more convenient. We will know better from now on!
Anyway, after the mandatory evacuation life boat drill, we all decided to go to the “Sail away” party up on the pool deck. What fun! Suzi and I even got in the conga line! Had our usual sail away drink and just enjoyed the day.
We decided to have an early dinner so we could catch the show tonight. I don’t think any of us was that hungry, but we ate anyway. (Do you see a trend beginning here?) Then off to the show. It was an over view of all the lounge shows…and very good. After the show Al went back to the room, I explored the ship for a while and Jack and Suzi went to the Casino. We will be at sea until Wednesday so no use to rush into doing anything on the first night. This cruise is 19 days long and we are at sea for 8 of those days, which is fine…lots of time to rest.
April 14, 2008 Monday
Our first day at sea…and the sea last night was so smooth you couldn’t tell you were sailing. We passed the coast of Cuba this morning. Now, at 10:45 the sea is beginning to act like it should with a few rollers, but not bad at all. We have had our breakfast (what??? We weren’t going to pass up that chance to eat!) and now Jack is at the gym and Suzi and I are going to go for our walk around the ship to try and lose a ounce or so we can eat some more! More later….
Later……Well, Suzi and my walk around the ship this morning was side tracked by a bingo game getting ready to begin. Of course, we had to play. Suzi won the first game! I won a beach bag! After that we went to find the guys. Al was in the room reading and Jack was still at the gym, but our tummies were saying that they knew lunch was on…so off we went to eat—again. After lunch Al took a walk and Jack played Trivia; Suzi and I found ourselves in another Bingo game…we didn’t do so well at this one.
Dinner tonight was at the Teppenyaki (say Beni Hana) specialty restaurant on board. There are 11 of these type of specialty restaurants on the Pearl. After dinner, which was outstanding, Al decided to go back to the room, while Jack, Suzi and I went to the show. Tonight’s entertainment was a sensational singer, Lumiri Tubo. She sang just about anything you could want….show tunes, gospel, disco, dance hits, etc. And I will say she was fabulous. She had one of the better voices I have ever heard. After the show Jack and Suzi took off, I decided to walk around the deck. I could see Cuba off the starboard side and another cruise ship off the port side. All day the sea has been as smooth as glass….can’t ever remember being on a cruise this smooth.
Cortney – a note for you here…guess what I found for sale on board. MY CLOCK!!! And no, I didn’t buy it, but it is tempting.
And for Kali…I have met several people from Shreveport on this ship…are there any old people left in Shreveport, or are they all here?
Speaking of old people, there are very few young people on board this cruise. We are attributing that to the length of the cruise, and the time of the cruise. There are only 19 people under 18 on board!
On that note, I am going to turn in for the night….more tomorrow.
Somewhere in the Atlantic…..just off Cuba
Apr. 12…Saturday
Up earlier than I like and we got checked out of the condo and on our way to Miami. We decided to go down the west coast of Florida and then over “Alligator Alley” to Maimi. We stopped in Naples and found a Costco to get some gas. Gas is $3.40+ a gallon where we have been. Over alligator alley, and we only saw a few alligators. I think we were expecting it to be “lined” with alligators. We arrived in Miami, found our hotel for the night (no easy task) and got checked in. Jack and Sue returned the car to the airport, which was an adventure in itself. After they finally found the car rental return they had to wait over an hour for the shuttle to return to the hotel. We had dinner at the hotel restaurant “Schuckers” which was fairly decent.
Apr. 13 .. Sunday
Ahhh…cruise day has arrived. We hauled our mini mountain of luggage out to the front of the hotel to catch the shuttle to the port. WAIT! Where are all these other people going? There was over 50 of us for this shuttle…and I am looking at this mini van that was suppose to take us. Not only would our luggage not fit, but the people weren’t going to fit either. AHHHH --- there is more than one van…whew!
We arrived at the port along with the rest of the world…this ship holds 2500+ passengers and it is full. We couldn’t get to our stateroom so we did what comes naturally…we ate! This is our first cruise with Norwegian and it is very different from Princess and I think we are going to like it. First of all, NO FORMAL NIGHTS! Second, it what they call “free-style” cruising…you can eat when ever you like, do what ever you like, when ever you like, no schedule. Hmmmm. The Norwegian Pearl is the ship we are on and it is just a year old. Very beautiful and BIG – 965 feet long to be exact and can cruise up to 25 knots! There is even a bowling alley on board!! And, a rock climbing wall, etc. Just about anything you want to do in the form of entertainment is on board. Jack checked out the gym, Suzi checked out the casino and I checked out the pool area and the internet café. But actually, I have internet in my stateroom….how cool is that?
We got into our stateroom around 2:00 p.m. and got somewhat unpacked. And this time we did something really dumb when we booked our cruise. The person we booked with suggested that we book rooms across the ship from each other so we could see different things from the different side of the ship. DUMB! We aren’t in our rooms that much and we really like being next to each other so we can open up our balconies and it is just more convenient. We will know better from now on!
Anyway, after the mandatory evacuation life boat drill, we all decided to go to the “Sail away” party up on the pool deck. What fun! Suzi and I even got in the conga line! Had our usual sail away drink and just enjoyed the day.
We decided to have an early dinner so we could catch the show tonight. I don’t think any of us was that hungry, but we ate anyway. (Do you see a trend beginning here?) Then off to the show. It was an over view of all the lounge shows…and very good. After the show Al went back to the room, I explored the ship for a while and Jack and Suzi went to the Casino. We will be at sea until Wednesday so no use to rush into doing anything on the first night. This cruise is 19 days long and we are at sea for 8 of those days, which is fine…lots of time to rest.
April 14, 2008 Monday
Our first day at sea…and the sea last night was so smooth you couldn’t tell you were sailing. We passed the coast of Cuba this morning. Now, at 10:45 the sea is beginning to act like it should with a few rollers, but not bad at all. We have had our breakfast (what??? We weren’t going to pass up that chance to eat!) and now Jack is at the gym and Suzi and I are going to go for our walk around the ship to try and lose a ounce or so we can eat some more! More later….
Later……Well, Suzi and my walk around the ship this morning was side tracked by a bingo game getting ready to begin. Of course, we had to play. Suzi won the first game! I won a beach bag! After that we went to find the guys. Al was in the room reading and Jack was still at the gym, but our tummies were saying that they knew lunch was on…so off we went to eat—again. After lunch Al took a walk and Jack played Trivia; Suzi and I found ourselves in another Bingo game…we didn’t do so well at this one.
Dinner tonight was at the Teppenyaki (say Beni Hana) specialty restaurant on board. There are 11 of these type of specialty restaurants on the Pearl. After dinner, which was outstanding, Al decided to go back to the room, while Jack, Suzi and I went to the show. Tonight’s entertainment was a sensational singer, Lumiri Tubo. She sang just about anything you could want….show tunes, gospel, disco, dance hits, etc. And I will say she was fabulous. She had one of the better voices I have ever heard. After the show Jack and Suzi took off, I decided to walk around the deck. I could see Cuba off the starboard side and another cruise ship off the port side. All day the sea has been as smooth as glass….can’t ever remember being on a cruise this smooth.
Cortney – a note for you here…guess what I found for sale on board. MY CLOCK!!! And no, I didn’t buy it, but it is tempting.
And for Kali…I have met several people from Shreveport on this ship…are there any old people left in Shreveport, or are they all here?
Speaking of old people, there are very few young people on board this cruise. We are attributing that to the length of the cruise, and the time of the cruise. There are only 19 people under 18 on board!
On that note, I am going to turn in for the night….more tomorrow.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Orlando -- The End
Kissimmee, FL
We about to depart the land of Mickey for Miami tomorrow. The last few days here have sure flown by.
Before I forget, on Tuesday when we were at Kennedy Space Center, we saw this critter.
I got a chuckle out of the bus driver that day...she said there were "shoe" "wallet" "briefcase" and "Suitcase" size gators...this one was a suitcase size! We also saw a manatee and a few armadillo's. We have seen a couple of turkey's (the bird, not people!) lots of blue heron and a flamingo! WEEEEEE! Critter count.
Thursday Jack and Suzi went to Sea World. Al and I rested and hung around the condo. I have been fighting some stomach problems the last week and I decided to just rest yesterday. I still feel a little queasy, but I am not going to let a little stomach upset to ruin my trip! Last night we went to Sonny's Real Pit BBQ for dinner. Al and I always try and have at least one meal at this restaurant....it is always good and it didn't disappoint us last night.
Today Suzi and I fought with the two washers and dryers here in the condo building and got our laundry done. These condo's that we are staying in are less than stellar that we have come to expect with and RCI exchange. Matter-of-fact, this condo is old, out dated and in sad need of being refurbished and updated. I am very disappointed in this condo timeshare.
This afternoon we headed off for Downtown Disney for lunch and strolled around there for an hour or so. Then it was off to the Tampa area to meet Peggy and Phil. Peggy was my high school girlfriend and we have been friends since forever. We met at Buco di Beppo's in Bradon, Fl; about half way between here and where they live in North Port. We had a great meal and a short, but wonderful visit. It is always fun to see these two!
Peggy and Phil
Tomorrow we head to Miami for the night and board the ship on Sunday for our Panama Canal Cruise.......
We about to depart the land of Mickey for Miami tomorrow. The last few days here have sure flown by.
Before I forget, on Tuesday when we were at Kennedy Space Center, we saw this critter.
I got a chuckle out of the bus driver that day...she said there were "shoe" "wallet" "briefcase" and "Suitcase" size gators...this one was a suitcase size! We also saw a manatee and a few armadillo's. We have seen a couple of turkey's (the bird, not people!) lots of blue heron and a flamingo! WEEEEEE! Critter count.
Thursday Jack and Suzi went to Sea World. Al and I rested and hung around the condo. I have been fighting some stomach problems the last week and I decided to just rest yesterday. I still feel a little queasy, but I am not going to let a little stomach upset to ruin my trip! Last night we went to Sonny's Real Pit BBQ for dinner. Al and I always try and have at least one meal at this restaurant....it is always good and it didn't disappoint us last night.
Today Suzi and I fought with the two washers and dryers here in the condo building and got our laundry done. These condo's that we are staying in are less than stellar that we have come to expect with and RCI exchange. Matter-of-fact, this condo is old, out dated and in sad need of being refurbished and updated. I am very disappointed in this condo timeshare.
This afternoon we headed off for Downtown Disney for lunch and strolled around there for an hour or so. Then it was off to the Tampa area to meet Peggy and Phil. Peggy was my high school girlfriend and we have been friends since forever. We met at Buco di Beppo's in Bradon, Fl; about half way between here and where they live in North Port. We had a great meal and a short, but wonderful visit. It is always fun to see these two!
Peggy and Phil
Tomorrow we head to Miami for the night and board the ship on Sunday for our Panama Canal Cruise.......
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Florida..so far
Orlando, well, actually, Kissimmee, Fl
Greetings from Mickey Mouse! Yes, we are in the land of Disney..or at least near it. Orlando is consumed with Disney!
Our trip started back on Saturday morning at o'dark thiry---rising at 3:00 a.m. to ge to the airport in time to catch our 6:45 a.m. flight to Atlanta to connect to our flight to Orlando. Jack, Sue, Al and I all grumbled about getting up so early. We arrived at the airport in plenty of time...only to find out our flight had been delayed an hour....so we had hurried for nothing. FInally got on the plane and arrived in Atlanta an hour late...leaving us with less than 30 minutes to catch our connecting flight; which, of course, was on another concourse. But I had anticipated this and had ordered a wheelchair for Al...thank goodness. He actually got to our next gate before we did!! At any rate we were the last 4 to board the plane. But then we were delayed due to a minor mechanical problem, so we were late leaving Atlanta by 45 minutes...another hurry up to wait ordeal. Arriving in Orlando to very stormy weather, we went to get our luggage. Well, half of it arrived, the other half was among the missing. Of course, why, would anything be right on that day???? We decided to wait for the next flight from Atlanta to get in which was 45 minutes. So we went and got the rental car and then went back to wait for the luggage. An hour and half later, we had luggage. Off to find the timeshare...which we found and litterally dumped our luggage and went in search of food. It had been about 12 hours since we had last seen food, with the exception of peanuts, pretzels, etc. After feeding our selves we went to the store for some basic necessities, i.e., coffee, bread, etc. IT started to really rain and thunder and lightning when we left the store. Florida? Right?
Sunday
We awoke to pouring rain! And I do mean, pouring. It rained, rained and rained some more. About noon friends Randy and Judy Rahbar arrived from Indian Harbour Beach and a few minutes later their son Randy Jr., wife Liz and son Curtis (7)arrived.
Curtis
Randy Jr. is a twin and a few minutes later twin Tara, husband Frank and son Nathan (2) arrived.
Frank, Nathan, Tara
Now we have known the Rahbars forever....since the twins were 2 years old and we were all in Lancaster together! We all had a great visit...and I tell you those kids are great kids...Nathan is so cute and Curtis is so well mannered and so smart! He knows so much about the planets! He really impressed us. Oh, and did I tell you it was raining??? Rained all day and night. And I do mean RAIN! THUNDER! LIGHTNING!
Rahbars: l-r, Tara, Nathan, Frank, Liz, Curtis, Randy Jr. Randy Sr. Judy
Monday arrived with just overcast skies. Jack decided to go to the gym and Suzi and I decided to hit the outlet mall that wasn't too far away. Al chose to rest and read. Randy and Judy came over later in the afternoon and we all went to a faboulous Lebanese restaurant that Randy and Judy had been to. All I can say is that it was great. I think Jack and Suzi were a little hesitant about it, but they both said they enjoyed it. And I had a shawarma...for those of you who know what a shawarma is, this one was good...almost as good as the ones you get in Riyadh! YUM
Yesterday, Tuesday, we drove over to the Kennedy Space Center for a tour. We had a great time and learned so much. OF course, some of this was "going back in time" for us who have worked on the space program at some point in time in our past lives. Did you know that the Shuttle program is over in 2010? And that they are replacing it with a program called Orion. It is targeted for operations to the International Space Station and will start around 2015. Things we learn!!! At any rate the tours of the launch pads, the landing strip, (even though we have seen the shuttle land dozens of times at Lancaster) and just being there where it all happens was so facinating for us. Just to think what we (Americans) have accomplished in the space race over the past 50 years is amazing.
After a great day there we drove down the beach a bit to where Judy and Randy live. They have a beautiful condo right on the ocean. It is so nice to sit out on their veranda and just listen to the surf. We finally decided it was time to eat, so we wandered over to a little place not far from their house on Hwy A1A called "Bunky's"...what great seafood they have! I ate my share of raw oysters (yum, yum, yum) and they were probably the best I have ever had! They are from Appleachicola, Florida and they are small, and very, very tender. We finally waddled out of their and headed home.
Today, Wednesday, we went to the required timeshare sell presentation. What we won't do for 100 bucks! At any rate, we didn't buy, as if we needed another timeshare! And they did try their best to sell us one....or a dozen. I have to laugh at the sales people....we have been to so many of these over the years we could practically give the sales pitch and we have the routine down pat....first the sales person, then the "heavy" who tries to come in and give you a "deal" and then the closer, who starts to give you your "freebie", only has one more "deal" up his sleeve! ARG! We escaped with our lives and pocketbooks intact however. Tonight the Rahbars are coming over here again so we can venture out for dinner.
Who knows what tomorrow will bring....so stay tuned!
Greetings from Mickey Mouse! Yes, we are in the land of Disney..or at least near it. Orlando is consumed with Disney!
Our trip started back on Saturday morning at o'dark thiry---rising at 3:00 a.m. to ge to the airport in time to catch our 6:45 a.m. flight to Atlanta to connect to our flight to Orlando. Jack, Sue, Al and I all grumbled about getting up so early. We arrived at the airport in plenty of time...only to find out our flight had been delayed an hour....so we had hurried for nothing. FInally got on the plane and arrived in Atlanta an hour late...leaving us with less than 30 minutes to catch our connecting flight; which, of course, was on another concourse. But I had anticipated this and had ordered a wheelchair for Al...thank goodness. He actually got to our next gate before we did!! At any rate we were the last 4 to board the plane. But then we were delayed due to a minor mechanical problem, so we were late leaving Atlanta by 45 minutes...another hurry up to wait ordeal. Arriving in Orlando to very stormy weather, we went to get our luggage. Well, half of it arrived, the other half was among the missing. Of course, why, would anything be right on that day???? We decided to wait for the next flight from Atlanta to get in which was 45 minutes. So we went and got the rental car and then went back to wait for the luggage. An hour and half later, we had luggage. Off to find the timeshare...which we found and litterally dumped our luggage and went in search of food. It had been about 12 hours since we had last seen food, with the exception of peanuts, pretzels, etc. After feeding our selves we went to the store for some basic necessities, i.e., coffee, bread, etc. IT started to really rain and thunder and lightning when we left the store. Florida? Right?
Sunday
We awoke to pouring rain! And I do mean, pouring. It rained, rained and rained some more. About noon friends Randy and Judy Rahbar arrived from Indian Harbour Beach and a few minutes later their son Randy Jr., wife Liz and son Curtis (7)arrived.
CurtisRandy Jr. is a twin and a few minutes later twin Tara, husband Frank and son Nathan (2) arrived.
Frank, Nathan, Tara
Now we have known the Rahbars forever....since the twins were 2 years old and we were all in Lancaster together! We all had a great visit...and I tell you those kids are great kids...Nathan is so cute and Curtis is so well mannered and so smart! He knows so much about the planets! He really impressed us. Oh, and did I tell you it was raining??? Rained all day and night. And I do mean RAIN! THUNDER! LIGHTNING!
Rahbars: l-r, Tara, Nathan, Frank, Liz, Curtis, Randy Jr. Randy Sr. Judy
Monday arrived with just overcast skies. Jack decided to go to the gym and Suzi and I decided to hit the outlet mall that wasn't too far away. Al chose to rest and read. Randy and Judy came over later in the afternoon and we all went to a faboulous Lebanese restaurant that Randy and Judy had been to. All I can say is that it was great. I think Jack and Suzi were a little hesitant about it, but they both said they enjoyed it. And I had a shawarma...for those of you who know what a shawarma is, this one was good...almost as good as the ones you get in Riyadh! YUM
Yesterday, Tuesday, we drove over to the Kennedy Space Center for a tour. We had a great time and learned so much. OF course, some of this was "going back in time" for us who have worked on the space program at some point in time in our past lives. Did you know that the Shuttle program is over in 2010? And that they are replacing it with a program called Orion. It is targeted for operations to the International Space Station and will start around 2015. Things we learn!!! At any rate the tours of the launch pads, the landing strip, (even though we have seen the shuttle land dozens of times at Lancaster) and just being there where it all happens was so facinating for us. Just to think what we (Americans) have accomplished in the space race over the past 50 years is amazing.
After a great day there we drove down the beach a bit to where Judy and Randy live. They have a beautiful condo right on the ocean. It is so nice to sit out on their veranda and just listen to the surf. We finally decided it was time to eat, so we wandered over to a little place not far from their house on Hwy A1A called "Bunky's"...what great seafood they have! I ate my share of raw oysters (yum, yum, yum) and they were probably the best I have ever had! They are from Appleachicola, Florida and they are small, and very, very tender. We finally waddled out of their and headed home.
Today, Wednesday, we went to the required timeshare sell presentation. What we won't do for 100 bucks! At any rate, we didn't buy, as if we needed another timeshare! And they did try their best to sell us one....or a dozen. I have to laugh at the sales people....we have been to so many of these over the years we could practically give the sales pitch and we have the routine down pat....first the sales person, then the "heavy" who tries to come in and give you a "deal" and then the closer, who starts to give you your "freebie", only has one more "deal" up his sleeve! ARG! We escaped with our lives and pocketbooks intact however. Tonight the Rahbars are coming over here again so we can venture out for dinner.
Who knows what tomorrow will bring....so stay tuned!
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