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Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Checking In
We're in Italy and have one destination left (Barcelona, Spain) on Thursday before England and transfering to the Queen Mary for our Atlantic crossing. We are both fine but the virus alert is still ongoing on board. It's been a busy time and I have come to the conclusion that this blog will be finished probably weeks after I get home with pictures and all... so I'll try to keep posting but if not we'll see you in less than two weeks.
PS: If you wish to be bored to death with thousands of pictures here we come!
PS: If you wish to be bored to death with thousands of pictures here we come!
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Pictures
Sorry that I haven't been keeping up with the blog - but will try harder as we will quickly be going from port to port with few sea days and before we know it we will be home in three weeks.
Still having problems uploading pictures...
Still having problems uploading pictures...
Singapore
Singapore:
I didn’t get to tour the city but saw a lot as we drove to the Shangri La hotel for out dinner. The city is very wealthy appearing with lots of modern buildings and high end cars and shops. Singapore made the news in 1994 by “caning” Michael Fay for littering. Singapore’s rules are tough but clear. Jaywalkers are fined on the spot. Litter and you will pay (smokers beware!) and drug peddlers earn a death sentence. There is such little crime that you can walk anywhere at any time and feel safe.
Our round the world reception lived up to its billing. All of the passengers were decked out in their best formal wear and bus after bus took us from the ship to the hotel. A large red carpet was laid out and small children in elaborate clothing threw rose petals at our feet as we approached the first of the large ballrooms we would be in that night. Costumed warriers on stilts, lovely Malaysian dancers, dancers with huge peacock plumes and a Chinese mask magician performed. The magician would perform by blocking his face with his fan and then exposing the mask as all white or all black or half white and black or yellow or red or any combination making it all very mysterious and fun to watch.
We then went into another ballroom for dinner and dancing with a huge band and a Sinatra/Martin type of singer right out of the big band era. Huge chandeliers of crystal and lovely mosaics filled the room. The center pieces rose two or three feet high featuring roses and orchids and greenery.
The president of the cunard line attended the dinner and gave a presentation of the newest ship, the Queen Elizabeth that will be christened later this year. The Queen Elizabeth with be a sister ship of the Queen Victoria and behind the flagship Queen Mary 2. Cunard will then operate the newest fleet of cruise ships in the business.
I was on the first bus back to the ship with my pictures and cough medicine that I bought at the hotel shop and didn’t litter or chew gum the whole time!
I didn’t get to tour the city but saw a lot as we drove to the Shangri La hotel for out dinner. The city is very wealthy appearing with lots of modern buildings and high end cars and shops. Singapore made the news in 1994 by “caning” Michael Fay for littering. Singapore’s rules are tough but clear. Jaywalkers are fined on the spot. Litter and you will pay (smokers beware!) and drug peddlers earn a death sentence. There is such little crime that you can walk anywhere at any time and feel safe.
Our round the world reception lived up to its billing. All of the passengers were decked out in their best formal wear and bus after bus took us from the ship to the hotel. A large red carpet was laid out and small children in elaborate clothing threw rose petals at our feet as we approached the first of the large ballrooms we would be in that night. Costumed warriers on stilts, lovely Malaysian dancers, dancers with huge peacock plumes and a Chinese mask magician performed. The magician would perform by blocking his face with his fan and then exposing the mask as all white or all black or half white and black or yellow or red or any combination making it all very mysterious and fun to watch.
We then went into another ballroom for dinner and dancing with a huge band and a Sinatra/Martin type of singer right out of the big band era. Huge chandeliers of crystal and lovely mosaics filled the room. The center pieces rose two or three feet high featuring roses and orchids and greenery.
The president of the cunard line attended the dinner and gave a presentation of the newest ship, the Queen Elizabeth that will be christened later this year. The Queen Elizabeth with be a sister ship of the Queen Victoria and behind the flagship Queen Mary 2. Cunard will then operate the newest fleet of cruise ships in the business.
I was on the first bus back to the ship with my pictures and cough medicine that I bought at the hotel shop and didn’t litter or chew gum the whole time!
catching up
In the Red Sea on the way to Jordan:
When Sandy and I decided that we would do a round the world cruise well over a year ago grandson Clayton was just beginning his freshman year at UNC. Last summer he visited and studied in Turkey and wrote a paper on tourism in Turkey. His paper was submitted and he was invited to present his paper and findings at a symposium in Jordan. To pull the circle together: Clayton arrives in Jordan this afternoon and we arrive in Jordan tomorrow. We will be in Jordan at the same time! We’re probably not going to see each as we are in separate parts of the country but will talk on the phone. How is that for coincidence? Keeping with Clayton for just a moment longer – he applied with the State department for an immersion course in Turkey and although a sophomore when usually seniors are chosen Clayton will be living and studying in Turkey again this summer.
It has been an unusual couple of weeks since the last blog.
We had been told continuously about a very, very special dinner just for round the world cruisers that was to be held in Singapore. Just before Singapore Sandy came down with a touch cough, fever for a second time and visited the doctor on board down in the lower ring of infirmary inferno and was given a second antibiotic (Z pack first time and keflex second) for healing. Unfortunately, she couldn’t make the dinner but insisted that I go and take pictures. New friends brought back the beautiful rose and orchid centerpiece for Sandy and I brought back a lovely wrist flower braceIet. I’ll bring you up to date in the Singapore notes in a bit. After Singapore we headed for Phuket, Thailand then India and then Dubai. More to follow..
I of course then came down with the coughing but not the fever and headed down, down, down to the ping-pong cough waiting room and was also given the Z-pack for cure. We had several days of quietness and lots of reading and tomato soup and wonderful entrees from room service. Now just about this time but not related to our sickness we received the notice: “PRECAUTIONARY HEALTH ADVISORY NOROVIRUS” . A highly contagious and easily passed gastrointestinal illness was on board! I thought of the few times at home that I had read about this virus on cruise ships and felt sorry for the cruisers and now here we are in the middle of it. The symptom surfaces as you are merrily walking along feeling fine and dandy when you begin spouting from one end or the other. You contact the lower level and you are then quarantined to your room where bland chicken based food is sent to you every so often. There is no medication for the virus.
The ship goes on high alert and hand washing is stressed and buffet food is closed off and the staff passes you your choices. Salt and pepper shakers are removed from the tables. Shopping areas are closed on board and great attention is given to who goes missing from tables and statements such as “He’ll be out of quarantine tomorrow” become standard conversational remarks. The library closes for several days as every book is rubbed down with disinfectant. The pools and hot tubs are closed and the 24 hour ice cream is roped off. Cocktail parties, Captains receptions and other events are rescheduled. Truly the ship and the staff do a great job of preventative care but we are now in our second week of high alert. Fortunately, Sandy and I have managed to avoid this virus and life is pleasantly going along.
Last night we did star gazing with a noted astronomer and earlier yesterday we attended a lecture by Carol Thatcher the former Prime Ministers daughter. A bit like listening to Maureen Reagan I guess and we were a bit turned off by her.
Till next time
When Sandy and I decided that we would do a round the world cruise well over a year ago grandson Clayton was just beginning his freshman year at UNC. Last summer he visited and studied in Turkey and wrote a paper on tourism in Turkey. His paper was submitted and he was invited to present his paper and findings at a symposium in Jordan. To pull the circle together: Clayton arrives in Jordan this afternoon and we arrive in Jordan tomorrow. We will be in Jordan at the same time! We’re probably not going to see each as we are in separate parts of the country but will talk on the phone. How is that for coincidence? Keeping with Clayton for just a moment longer – he applied with the State department for an immersion course in Turkey and although a sophomore when usually seniors are chosen Clayton will be living and studying in Turkey again this summer.
It has been an unusual couple of weeks since the last blog.
We had been told continuously about a very, very special dinner just for round the world cruisers that was to be held in Singapore. Just before Singapore Sandy came down with a touch cough, fever for a second time and visited the doctor on board down in the lower ring of infirmary inferno and was given a second antibiotic (Z pack first time and keflex second) for healing. Unfortunately, she couldn’t make the dinner but insisted that I go and take pictures. New friends brought back the beautiful rose and orchid centerpiece for Sandy and I brought back a lovely wrist flower braceIet. I’ll bring you up to date in the Singapore notes in a bit. After Singapore we headed for Phuket, Thailand then India and then Dubai. More to follow..
I of course then came down with the coughing but not the fever and headed down, down, down to the ping-pong cough waiting room and was also given the Z-pack for cure. We had several days of quietness and lots of reading and tomato soup and wonderful entrees from room service. Now just about this time but not related to our sickness we received the notice: “PRECAUTIONARY HEALTH ADVISORY NOROVIRUS” . A highly contagious and easily passed gastrointestinal illness was on board! I thought of the few times at home that I had read about this virus on cruise ships and felt sorry for the cruisers and now here we are in the middle of it. The symptom surfaces as you are merrily walking along feeling fine and dandy when you begin spouting from one end or the other. You contact the lower level and you are then quarantined to your room where bland chicken based food is sent to you every so often. There is no medication for the virus.
The ship goes on high alert and hand washing is stressed and buffet food is closed off and the staff passes you your choices. Salt and pepper shakers are removed from the tables. Shopping areas are closed on board and great attention is given to who goes missing from tables and statements such as “He’ll be out of quarantine tomorrow” become standard conversational remarks. The library closes for several days as every book is rubbed down with disinfectant. The pools and hot tubs are closed and the 24 hour ice cream is roped off. Cocktail parties, Captains receptions and other events are rescheduled. Truly the ship and the staff do a great job of preventative care but we are now in our second week of high alert. Fortunately, Sandy and I have managed to avoid this virus and life is pleasantly going along.
Last night we did star gazing with a noted astronomer and earlier yesterday we attended a lecture by Carol Thatcher the former Prime Ministers daughter. A bit like listening to Maureen Reagan I guess and we were a bit turned off by her.
Till next time
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Thailand
Sandy and I chose to visit an elephant sanctuary on this visit to Thailand. We come back to Thailand later in the week. A quick update on where we are. Tomorrow we dock in Singapore and complete the third of four legs of our round the world adventure. It is more than we thought and has surpassed all of our expectations. Our last leg on the Queen Victoria is from Singapore to Southhampton, England where we arrive on the 20th of April. We then board the Queen Mary for our trip home arriving on the 26th.
It was an hour drive to the sanctuary and many, many more cars then scooters. Very clean shops along the way closed up with air conditioning. Thailand is prospering.
The elephants were wonderful and performed for us all. Some of our travel mates rode the elephants into the water for baths and we all enjoyed the dunking. We then were taught how to mount an elephant by standing on the extended leg grabbing hold of the ear and jumping and pulling up and swinging your leg over the neck. I had a chance to ride so I put my right foot on the elephants extended leg and grabbed hold of the ear but I didn’t really want to pull it so I just lightly gripped it and then leapt and pulled up and moved about an inch. Several guys pushed my foot and leg and slowly scrunched me up the side and the elephant master (sits behind on the elephant) pushed my leg over the neck and there I was on top of the world. All and all an awkward beginning of my elephant riding career! A bit unsteady and feeling a bit like you will fall off at any second it is a wonderful experience as you lumber along. Dismounting is quite civilized as the elephant approaches a stand and you climb onto it and then go down a flight of stairs.
Sandy’s back was acting up and we had been told that we would be able to ride together on a bench seat that we could mount from the platform so she didn’t try to climb up to ride. Unfortunately, at the end of the show there was not time for rides as we were being rushed to a “shopping experience” at an upscale gift shop the turned out to be quite disappointment. So no elephant ride for Sandy.
But, You should have seen her In the show. They brought an elephant right into the audience and we were sitting in the front row. People scattered but not our Sandy. She sat calmly right in front of the elephant and fed her bananas! She patted the trunk and place a banana right into the trunk as the elephant swung it into her mouth. All the while as calm as can be is our Sandy. They could have touched nose to trunk and most amazing foot to foot. This is a another memory that will stay forever.
OK, we’re somewhat up to date.
Till next time
It was an hour drive to the sanctuary and many, many more cars then scooters. Very clean shops along the way closed up with air conditioning. Thailand is prospering.
The elephants were wonderful and performed for us all. Some of our travel mates rode the elephants into the water for baths and we all enjoyed the dunking. We then were taught how to mount an elephant by standing on the extended leg grabbing hold of the ear and jumping and pulling up and swinging your leg over the neck. I had a chance to ride so I put my right foot on the elephants extended leg and grabbed hold of the ear but I didn’t really want to pull it so I just lightly gripped it and then leapt and pulled up and moved about an inch. Several guys pushed my foot and leg and slowly scrunched me up the side and the elephant master (sits behind on the elephant) pushed my leg over the neck and there I was on top of the world. All and all an awkward beginning of my elephant riding career! A bit unsteady and feeling a bit like you will fall off at any second it is a wonderful experience as you lumber along. Dismounting is quite civilized as the elephant approaches a stand and you climb onto it and then go down a flight of stairs.
Sandy’s back was acting up and we had been told that we would be able to ride together on a bench seat that we could mount from the platform so she didn’t try to climb up to ride. Unfortunately, at the end of the show there was not time for rides as we were being rushed to a “shopping experience” at an upscale gift shop the turned out to be quite disappointment. So no elephant ride for Sandy.
But, You should have seen her In the show. They brought an elephant right into the audience and we were sitting in the front row. People scattered but not our Sandy. She sat calmly right in front of the elephant and fed her bananas! She patted the trunk and place a banana right into the trunk as the elephant swung it into her mouth. All the while as calm as can be is our Sandy. They could have touched nose to trunk and most amazing foot to foot. This is a another memory that will stay forever.
OK, we’re somewhat up to date.
Till next time
We have made two stops in Vietnam. The first was a lovely beach area mid-country in an area called Nha Trang. We toured a local kindergarten and the four year old boys and girls lined up and sang to us. The boys were lined up in two columns of about four each and the girls in columns of four each in the middle of the boys. Each class has two teachers. The kids were happy and loved singing. Our guide suggested we sing a song for the children and someone suggested “you are my sunshine” and we had at it which prompted the closest boy to immediately put his fingers in his ears. We then mingled together and took pictures and hugged and then a little girl decided to try and kick Sandy in the shins. Sandy responded by tickling the little girl in her stomach and then all the little girls wanted to be tickled keeping Sandy busy avoiding kicks and giving out tickles.
The school, which was set in a courtyard and not air-conditioned (The temperature was in the 90’s) was clean and well organized. The backpacks were hung up with care and of course Disney characters were well represented.
We left and toured the local market that ranged from fruit and vegetables to clothing and books and random other goods but was overpowered by the smell of fish. On a scale of 1 to 10 for cleanliness the market was below zero. We left quickly to go back to the bus and ran into our group of aggressive salespeople selling “Polo collar shirts – 3 for 5 American dollars, postcards for 1 american dollar, fans for one American dollar” and so forth. The same people would show up at every stop on our tour.
We then went to a typical Vietnamese home. The entrance leads to a somewhat large room that is divided into four parts. Two walls extend out about five feet from the back wall making three small rooms. The center room is a shrine for the ancestors of the family. The room on the right with a small bed and a TV on a stand is the bedroom of the wife and mother. The room on the left was where the husband/father slept but he has passed away so now that room is a shrine to him.
We saw water buffalo working the rice fields and workers hoeing the fields. Overall, it is not a very clean place in-land and away from the beach. It is a very meager living and very poor with little sign of progress.
Our second port led us to Ho Chi Ming city/Saigon. It’s about a two hour drive from the port to the city. The city has a population of six million. There are motor scooters everywhere and traffic is always at rush hour levels. Vietnam has a helmut law but doesn’t seem to have anything but a go where you want to go mentality and keep your head down. A motor scooter will hold one passenger or one and a baby, or two, or two and a baby or three adults or believe it or not four adults speeding along on one motor scooter. I also saw two guys on a motor scooter with the guy in the rear extending his leg out to a bicycle beside them and pushing the bike along the road. All along the road into the city are Buddhist shrines and restaurants and shops. Almost all opened on the front with no air conditioning. Trash and dirt and junk are everywhere. Sandy said it best when she described the conditions as “wretched”.
We saw a water puppet show in Saigon that was original and fun. We enjoyed a buffet lunch at a very nice air conditioned restaurant and were entertained by musicians and dancers performing songs. The rest of Saigon was disappointing to me. I probably carry a bit of baggage about Vietnam from the war but I would rank this area just behind the devastation of New Guinea.
On reflection I keep mentioning air conditioning not from my own comfort level as we are out in the heat on our tours but as a sign of progress for the country as a whole. There are wonderful, modern hotels and shops in the city proper but the rest of the countryside appears not to have progressed in decades. Unless you count the scooters!
The school, which was set in a courtyard and not air-conditioned (The temperature was in the 90’s) was clean and well organized. The backpacks were hung up with care and of course Disney characters were well represented.
We left and toured the local market that ranged from fruit and vegetables to clothing and books and random other goods but was overpowered by the smell of fish. On a scale of 1 to 10 for cleanliness the market was below zero. We left quickly to go back to the bus and ran into our group of aggressive salespeople selling “Polo collar shirts – 3 for 5 American dollars, postcards for 1 american dollar, fans for one American dollar” and so forth. The same people would show up at every stop on our tour.
We then went to a typical Vietnamese home. The entrance leads to a somewhat large room that is divided into four parts. Two walls extend out about five feet from the back wall making three small rooms. The center room is a shrine for the ancestors of the family. The room on the right with a small bed and a TV on a stand is the bedroom of the wife and mother. The room on the left was where the husband/father slept but he has passed away so now that room is a shrine to him.
We saw water buffalo working the rice fields and workers hoeing the fields. Overall, it is not a very clean place in-land and away from the beach. It is a very meager living and very poor with little sign of progress.
Our second port led us to Ho Chi Ming city/Saigon. It’s about a two hour drive from the port to the city. The city has a population of six million. There are motor scooters everywhere and traffic is always at rush hour levels. Vietnam has a helmut law but doesn’t seem to have anything but a go where you want to go mentality and keep your head down. A motor scooter will hold one passenger or one and a baby, or two, or two and a baby or three adults or believe it or not four adults speeding along on one motor scooter. I also saw two guys on a motor scooter with the guy in the rear extending his leg out to a bicycle beside them and pushing the bike along the road. All along the road into the city are Buddhist shrines and restaurants and shops. Almost all opened on the front with no air conditioning. Trash and dirt and junk are everywhere. Sandy said it best when she described the conditions as “wretched”.
We saw a water puppet show in Saigon that was original and fun. We enjoyed a buffet lunch at a very nice air conditioned restaurant and were entertained by musicians and dancers performing songs. The rest of Saigon was disappointing to me. I probably carry a bit of baggage about Vietnam from the war but I would rank this area just behind the devastation of New Guinea.
On reflection I keep mentioning air conditioning not from my own comfort level as we are out in the heat on our tours but as a sign of progress for the country as a whole. There are wonderful, modern hotels and shops in the city proper but the rest of the countryside appears not to have progressed in decades. Unless you count the scooters!
China
Beijing excursion:
We docked in Shanghai the busiest and largest port in the world. Everywhere you looked there were ships. Hundreds and hundreds waiting to load or unload huge cargo containers that will end up on trucks everywhere in the world including our beltway! There is no sign of a slowing economy here. Someone asked how the cargo containers were controlled and disbursed as each is literally the size of the back of a semi-trailer truck. An engineer replied “they use the fish method at the dockyards – First in – still here”.
We boarded very modern buses for our trip to the airport. Shanghai has twenty million inhabitants and it is obvious. High rise apartments are everywhere. The density is unbelievable. The buildings themselves are multi colored and are highlighted by laundry hanging from just about every balcony. Each unit has a large pole on the balcony that folds down for laundry to hang on and the clothing is many colored so it looks like a kaleidoscope.
The airport was modern and comfortable. Our group (40 total people including one representative from the ship and two guides – broken up into two groups in Beijing known as group 1 and group 2” was “herded” through a special entrance for security and Sandy lost a few lotion make up containers to the People’s Republic.
I had converted some money to the Chinese Yuan from dollars so we ate delicious pizza and drank coke light (better tasting then at home – probably more sugar!) while we waited for our flight on China Eastern airlines. The flight was uneventful on an airbus 321, however, there were many more attendants on board than at home so the service was probably a bit better.
The Beijing airport is large, modern, clean and impressive. We divided into groups and drove into the city and as I mentioned before the architecture is magnificent.
It’s hard to digest all we saw in these three days but I’ll hit a few highlights as I am still developing how I really feel about China. The first night and first day I could imagine coming for a long, wonderful visit to Beijing. The hotel was five star the restaurants astounding and the people were welcoming and friendly. Our visit to the Great Wall was a memory to last a lifetime. There was a gift shop at the Bandalang entrance to the Great Wall that had a reputation of having the highest quality of Jade. Sandy found a beautiful necklace and pendant combination that is spectacular and one of the finest pieces in the store. Unfortunately they wanted a lot of money for it but fortunately my experience working with Sconnix broadcasting (make money on the buy – Randall T. Odeneal)and ABC/Disney (no way am I paying that) kicked in at just the right time – so I passed from store clerk to department head to store manager to the General Manager all the time staying firm on a very, very low price (I knew they were interested as they kept talking to me all the while coming down in price) and finally the deal was made! Everyone on group 2 thought it was wonderful and spent the rest of the time in Beijing, including a jade factory trying to find a necklace like it but to no avail. Back on board Sandy wore it to dinner and the next night two ladies at the table said they had dreamed of the necklace the night before and one coveted it! So that’s enough pressure of how great it is and Sandy is looking forward to wearing it at home.
Being from the DC area I am more than used to visiting heads of state, the presidential motorcades and security concerns but it’s an art form in China. While we were in Beijing the Peoples Unity Congress was in session and the motorcades were gargantuan. On the busy three lane 2nd ring road two of the three lanes were closed to traffic and every 50 feet there was a soldier and then a policeperson and then a soldier etc., for miles….When limousines would drive by with army and police vehicles in front and back they would be followed by buses loaded with soldiers with machine guns facing up in front of them and after five or six sightings it gets a bit unnerving. This is where Beijing unwinds for me as the military presence is everywhere. Definitely stifling and intimidating to me.
Our Peking Duck dinner was pretty good (each duck sliced 120 times for just the right parts) and the duck was crispy on the outside and tender inside. It takes a minimum of three days to prepare the duck for the feast. All the other meals were good served on a lazy susan with a big variety of dishes to choose from.
The square, the Forbidden City, the tombs of the emperors and the sacred way plus all the other sights and sounds are staying with me and to say that the Beijing trip caught my attention is an understatement.
Till next time….
We docked in Shanghai the busiest and largest port in the world. Everywhere you looked there were ships. Hundreds and hundreds waiting to load or unload huge cargo containers that will end up on trucks everywhere in the world including our beltway! There is no sign of a slowing economy here. Someone asked how the cargo containers were controlled and disbursed as each is literally the size of the back of a semi-trailer truck. An engineer replied “they use the fish method at the dockyards – First in – still here”.
We boarded very modern buses for our trip to the airport. Shanghai has twenty million inhabitants and it is obvious. High rise apartments are everywhere. The density is unbelievable. The buildings themselves are multi colored and are highlighted by laundry hanging from just about every balcony. Each unit has a large pole on the balcony that folds down for laundry to hang on and the clothing is many colored so it looks like a kaleidoscope.
The airport was modern and comfortable. Our group (40 total people including one representative from the ship and two guides – broken up into two groups in Beijing known as group 1 and group 2” was “herded” through a special entrance for security and Sandy lost a few lotion make up containers to the People’s Republic.
I had converted some money to the Chinese Yuan from dollars so we ate delicious pizza and drank coke light (better tasting then at home – probably more sugar!) while we waited for our flight on China Eastern airlines. The flight was uneventful on an airbus 321, however, there were many more attendants on board than at home so the service was probably a bit better.
The Beijing airport is large, modern, clean and impressive. We divided into groups and drove into the city and as I mentioned before the architecture is magnificent.
It’s hard to digest all we saw in these three days but I’ll hit a few highlights as I am still developing how I really feel about China. The first night and first day I could imagine coming for a long, wonderful visit to Beijing. The hotel was five star the restaurants astounding and the people were welcoming and friendly. Our visit to the Great Wall was a memory to last a lifetime. There was a gift shop at the Bandalang entrance to the Great Wall that had a reputation of having the highest quality of Jade. Sandy found a beautiful necklace and pendant combination that is spectacular and one of the finest pieces in the store. Unfortunately they wanted a lot of money for it but fortunately my experience working with Sconnix broadcasting (make money on the buy – Randall T. Odeneal)and ABC/Disney (no way am I paying that) kicked in at just the right time – so I passed from store clerk to department head to store manager to the General Manager all the time staying firm on a very, very low price (I knew they were interested as they kept talking to me all the while coming down in price) and finally the deal was made! Everyone on group 2 thought it was wonderful and spent the rest of the time in Beijing, including a jade factory trying to find a necklace like it but to no avail. Back on board Sandy wore it to dinner and the next night two ladies at the table said they had dreamed of the necklace the night before and one coveted it! So that’s enough pressure of how great it is and Sandy is looking forward to wearing it at home.
Being from the DC area I am more than used to visiting heads of state, the presidential motorcades and security concerns but it’s an art form in China. While we were in Beijing the Peoples Unity Congress was in session and the motorcades were gargantuan. On the busy three lane 2nd ring road two of the three lanes were closed to traffic and every 50 feet there was a soldier and then a policeperson and then a soldier etc., for miles….When limousines would drive by with army and police vehicles in front and back they would be followed by buses loaded with soldiers with machine guns facing up in front of them and after five or six sightings it gets a bit unnerving. This is where Beijing unwinds for me as the military presence is everywhere. Definitely stifling and intimidating to me.
Our Peking Duck dinner was pretty good (each duck sliced 120 times for just the right parts) and the duck was crispy on the outside and tender inside. It takes a minimum of three days to prepare the duck for the feast. All the other meals were good served on a lazy susan with a big variety of dishes to choose from.
The square, the Forbidden City, the tombs of the emperors and the sacred way plus all the other sights and sounds are staying with me and to say that the Beijing trip caught my attention is an understatement.
Till next time….
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Beijing
Here we are along the Sacred Way to a visit of the Changling Tomb (Ming Dynasty).
I just wanted to post a bit of our China visit before I go back to the torture that is the internet on Board the ship. I'll update our visit to China in the next couple of days.
Keep going......
A peek into "The Forbidden City"above.
Tian'anmen Square and the wall separating the "Forbidden City".
The Great Wall where Sandy and I climbed to a wonderful vantage point and were properly and thouroughly amazed. You almost want to pinch yourself that you are actually standing on the wall. Keep going......
A small section of the lobby of the Peninsula hotel.
Armani, Burberry, Louis Vouitton, Tiffany & CO., and more much more are all located in the hotel. Marble and flowers and works of art are everywhere. It's gorgeous. So is Beijing! The architecture is magnificent and freestyle and not at all what I was expecting. This could be one of my favorite places. The people are very friendly and our tour guide is knowledgable and witty.
Till next time.....
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Happiness is.....
I'm thrilled to tell you that we just checked into the Peninsula Hotel in Beijing, China and I have.........Wireless internet with speed. I've cleaned up the Korea postings and added pictures and will add more.
Above is the volcanoe from New Guinea
Friday, March 6, 2009
Korea
Pusan (Busan) Korea
With a population of 3.65 million Pusan is South Koreas’ second largest metropolis after Seoul.
Tokyo seized the area in the 19th century and tried to replace the Korean language with Japanese. These were austere times and when the Japanese were driven from the Korean peninsula after World War two there were no tears and still a bit of lingering animosity between the two nations.
There is tension between the north and south and as we are here there is talk of a missile test from the north and South Korea airlines has restricted their planes from any North Koran airspace.
However we took a tour back in time to an ancient Buddhist temple and tea ceremony. We drove by bus about an hour out to the countryside through heavily populated areas with lots of huge (40 story or more) apartment buildings side by side and very plain in appearance. There were many shops and stores packed side by side in very narrow streets with huge advertising signs everywhere.
When we arrived at the temple (actually many, many temples in a very large compound) we passed through very ornate and intricately and colorfully carved gates. We were greeted by a Buddhist monk and my first question to a dedicated follower of Buddha was: “Excuse me – where is the bathroom” – not exactly a search for enlightenment but at the time it was as close to a religious experience as I could get. The tour was peaceful and lovely and I took lots of pictures.
The tea ceremony was conducted by women in Korean kimonos and was quite church like. Green tea and rice cakes were served after lots of bowing. We were sitting on cushions on the floor in front of small tables and a monk was narrating the event. He ran into trouble with the work “cup” as he said “she puts the tea leaves in the , the, the………thing” and adds hot water”.
Twas a long bus ride back to the ship but an interesting day.
With a population of 3.65 million Pusan is South Koreas’ second largest metropolis after Seoul.
Tokyo seized the area in the 19th century and tried to replace the Korean language with Japanese. These were austere times and when the Japanese were driven from the Korean peninsula after World War two there were no tears and still a bit of lingering animosity between the two nations.
There is tension between the north and south and as we are here there is talk of a missile test from the north and South Korea airlines has restricted their planes from any North Koran airspace.
However we took a tour back in time to an ancient Buddhist temple and tea ceremony. We drove by bus about an hour out to the countryside through heavily populated areas with lots of huge (40 story or more) apartment buildings side by side and very plain in appearance. There were many shops and stores packed side by side in very narrow streets with huge advertising signs everywhere.
When we arrived at the temple (actually many, many temples in a very large compound) we passed through very ornate and intricately and colorfully carved gates. We were greeted by a Buddhist monk and my first question to a dedicated follower of Buddha was: “Excuse me – where is the bathroom” – not exactly a search for enlightenment but at the time it was as close to a religious experience as I could get. The tour was peaceful and lovely and I took lots of pictures.
The tea ceremony was conducted by women in Korean kimonos and was quite church like. Green tea and rice cakes were served after lots of bowing. We were sitting on cushions on the floor in front of small tables and a monk was narrating the event. He ran into trouble with the work “cup” as he said “she puts the tea leaves in the , the, the………thing” and adds hot water”.
Twas a long bus ride back to the ship but an interesting day.
Nagasaki
Nagaski:
This is a beautiful city in the midst of rolling hills and the loveliest of harbors.
Unfortunately it is the second and thankfully the last city to experience an atomic bomb attack. Sandy and I toured the Peace Park, the Atom Bomb Museum and ground zero. All of it was very serious. Our guide told us that after the bomb the survivors were told that nothing would ever live there again but two short months later flowers and plants and trees started to rise from the ground giving hope to all. As near as we could tell there is no animosity whatever against the US but a quiet determination to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
It’s spring here and flowers and cherry blossom trees are starting to bloom. There are wonderful, solemn statues and memorials everywhere but I’ll take away three very pleasant memories.
At the peace park a gentleman came into view with a slightly limping tan Labrador retriever on a leash and just behind him a very pink baby stroller pushed by a woman wearing a medicinal mask over her face. Nothing too unusual until you noticed she was pushing the prettiest Persian white cat with a plaid sweater and pink blanket. A little out of place at first but then quite normal.
The second was a class of uniformed school kids, probably 14 to 16 on a tour of the Peace Park and when they saw us they came alive with the loveliest of smiles and all holding up the peace sign and laughing.
The third is when our group approached their group at the entrance to the museum I bowed to a few girls close by and gave my best good morning greeting of “Ohayo-gozaimasu” and they bowed back and replied “Ohayo-gozaimasu” and giggled and giggled and giggled. Very pleasant indeed.
Till next time..
This is a beautiful city in the midst of rolling hills and the loveliest of harbors.
Unfortunately it is the second and thankfully the last city to experience an atomic bomb attack. Sandy and I toured the Peace Park, the Atom Bomb Museum and ground zero. All of it was very serious. Our guide told us that after the bomb the survivors were told that nothing would ever live there again but two short months later flowers and plants and trees started to rise from the ground giving hope to all. As near as we could tell there is no animosity whatever against the US but a quiet determination to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
It’s spring here and flowers and cherry blossom trees are starting to bloom. There are wonderful, solemn statues and memorials everywhere but I’ll take away three very pleasant memories.
At the peace park a gentleman came into view with a slightly limping tan Labrador retriever on a leash and just behind him a very pink baby stroller pushed by a woman wearing a medicinal mask over her face. Nothing too unusual until you noticed she was pushing the prettiest Persian white cat with a plaid sweater and pink blanket. A little out of place at first but then quite normal.
The second was a class of uniformed school kids, probably 14 to 16 on a tour of the Peace Park and when they saw us they came alive with the loveliest of smiles and all holding up the peace sign and laughing.
The third is when our group approached their group at the entrance to the museum I bowed to a few girls close by and gave my best good morning greeting of “Ohayo-gozaimasu” and they bowed back and replied “Ohayo-gozaimasu” and giggled and giggled and giggled. Very pleasant indeed.
Till next time..
Saipan
Saipan:
The capital and largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana islands (CNMI) a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago and with a population of 63,000. The seas are the most spectacular I have ever seen with dark blues changing to light turquoise back to dark purple then to emerald green and every shade of green and blue imaginable in lines close or far capped by the whitest of white cap waves. Truly a tropical paradise.
Saipan is a very popular tourist destination and has a shopping center that would rival Rodeo drive, Chevy Chase or 5th Avenue. While we were there not a lot of shopping was going on and the effects of the slowing world economy are apparent almost everywhere. There is much talking by the guides of all the changes in lifestyle and employment. We toured the beaches the Marines hit back in World War II and saw rusting tanks still in the water. There is a beautiful reef that encompasses much of the island and unfortunately not taken into account for the invasion. Troop landing ships could not get over the reefs so the Marines jumped into the water with heavy back packs plus weapons, some as far out as two miles, and many drowned and never hit the beach. They were under heavy fire all the way. The Japanese had made a stronghold that they thought impenetrable and the evidences is still all over the island with caves that were used a prisons, fortifications and shell markings on the limestone hills from the Navy ships. There are two spectacular cliffs one leading to the ocean and one to land called Suicide and Banzai. The Japanese settlers jumped from these cliffs to perish when the Americans landed for they were brainwashed that the US would do terrible things to them and their children. A Spanish Marine from LA who had been around some Japanese before the interment cried out in Japanese to stop the jumping and he is credited with the saving of some lives.
We toured the war memorial and my age was showing as the flags were of the US, the Marine Corps, Army, Navy and Coast Guard as the air force hadn’t been founded. So many years ago but it still seemed natural.
Today the island is beautiful and lush with still undeveloped areas of the island covered with sword grass, meadows and dense, dry forest jungle known as Tangan-Tangan. Coconuts, papayas and Thai hot peppers (known locally as “Donnie Sali” or “Boonie Peppers” - are among the fruits that grow wild. Mango, tara root and bananas are a few of the many foods cultivated by local families and farmers. Sportfishing is excellent offshore with numerous small boats catching tuna, wahoo, billfish and many other species.
Till next time
The capital and largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana islands (CNMI) a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago and with a population of 63,000. The seas are the most spectacular I have ever seen with dark blues changing to light turquoise back to dark purple then to emerald green and every shade of green and blue imaginable in lines close or far capped by the whitest of white cap waves. Truly a tropical paradise.
Saipan is a very popular tourist destination and has a shopping center that would rival Rodeo drive, Chevy Chase or 5th Avenue. While we were there not a lot of shopping was going on and the effects of the slowing world economy are apparent almost everywhere. There is much talking by the guides of all the changes in lifestyle and employment. We toured the beaches the Marines hit back in World War II and saw rusting tanks still in the water. There is a beautiful reef that encompasses much of the island and unfortunately not taken into account for the invasion. Troop landing ships could not get over the reefs so the Marines jumped into the water with heavy back packs plus weapons, some as far out as two miles, and many drowned and never hit the beach. They were under heavy fire all the way. The Japanese had made a stronghold that they thought impenetrable and the evidences is still all over the island with caves that were used a prisons, fortifications and shell markings on the limestone hills from the Navy ships. There are two spectacular cliffs one leading to the ocean and one to land called Suicide and Banzai. The Japanese settlers jumped from these cliffs to perish when the Americans landed for they were brainwashed that the US would do terrible things to them and their children. A Spanish Marine from LA who had been around some Japanese before the interment cried out in Japanese to stop the jumping and he is credited with the saving of some lives.
We toured the war memorial and my age was showing as the flags were of the US, the Marine Corps, Army, Navy and Coast Guard as the air force hadn’t been founded. So many years ago but it still seemed natural.
Today the island is beautiful and lush with still undeveloped areas of the island covered with sword grass, meadows and dense, dry forest jungle known as Tangan-Tangan. Coconuts, papayas and Thai hot peppers (known locally as “Donnie Sali” or “Boonie Peppers” - are among the fruits that grow wild. Mango, tara root and bananas are a few of the many foods cultivated by local families and farmers. Sportfishing is excellent offshore with numerous small boats catching tuna, wahoo, billfish and many other species.
Till next time
Rabaul, Papua New Guinea
Imagine living in a tropical paradise with lush resorts, golf courses galore, a yacht club and even an international airport. This is the way the islanders of New Britain in the township of Papua lived until September 19, 1994. Then two volcanoes erupted simultaneously and destroyed the town and surroundings. People were evacuated by boat and trucks but returned several months later to burned homes and ash six or eight or ten or more feet deep. Everything and I mean everything had been destroyed but this had been their home and they began to rebuild on top of the ash. Fifteen years later they still live in, on and above black shifting ash. In wind the ashes blow like a sandstorm and the roads (none paved) shift and disappear based on use and weather. They literally have men with shovels every half mile or so for stuck vehicles or eroding ash and we heard the cry “spade, spade” several times on our tour as the workers rushed to dig us out or fill in the road. Here’s the hard part – one of the volcanoes (Turvurvur) is still erupting today spreading ash and smoke throughout the area. We got close to Turvurvur and saw the billowing smoke and ash but we could also hear a nasty rumble and growl coming from the volcano. Of course this was a bit alarming and scary. Nothing grows here but still the people stay. It’s their land and what they were used to but as Sandy pointed out no one under 15 has ever seen a blade of grass in their village. These are very poor people. The children laughed and smiled and the adults seemed worn down and the men’s choir was wonderful to hear but the long term consequences can’t be good. The government and ours, Great Britain, Australia and others have sent aid and there has been talk or relocation for the residents but still nothing has happened. The capital and government center was in Rabaul but since the eruption was moved to Kokopo about 12 miles away.
Over the years the island was the headquarters of the Germans in World War I then part of the British Commonwealth as part of Australia and then captured by the Japanese in World War II and finally liberated and became its own nation.
This port will stay with me a long, long time.
Imagine living in a tropical paradise with lush resorts, golf courses galore, a yacht club and even an international airport. This is the way the islanders of New Britain in the township of Papua lived until September 19, 1994. Then two volcanoes erupted simultaneously and destroyed the town and surroundings. People were evacuated by boat and trucks but returned several months later to burned homes and ash six or eight or ten or more feet deep. Everything and I mean everything had been destroyed but this had been their home and they began to rebuild on top of the ash. Fifteen years later they still live in, on and above black shifting ash. In wind the ashes blow like a sandstorm and the roads (none paved) shift and disappear based on use and weather. They literally have men with shovels every half mile or so for stuck vehicles or eroding ash and we heard the cry “spade, spade” several times on our tour as the workers rushed to dig us out or fill in the road. Here’s the hard part – one of the volcanoes (Turvurvur) is still erupting today spreading ash and smoke throughout the area. We got close to Turvurvur and saw the billowing smoke and ash but we could also hear a nasty rumble and growl coming from the volcano. Of course this was a bit alarming and scary. Nothing grows here but still the people stay. It’s their land and what they were used to but as Sandy pointed out no one under 15 has ever seen a blade of grass in their village. These are very poor people. The children laughed and smiled and the adults seemed worn down and the men’s choir was wonderful to hear but the long term consequences can’t be good. The government and ours, Great Britain, Australia and others have sent aid and there has been talk or relocation for the residents but still nothing has happened. The capital and government center was in Rabaul but since the eruption was moved to Kokopo about 12 miles away.
Over the years the island was the headquarters of the Germans in World War I then part of the British Commonwealth as part of Australia and then captured by the Japanese in World War II and finally liberated and became its own nation.
This port will stay with me a long, long time.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Still behind
Hi: We are on the way to Nagasaki, Japan and I need to write about Papau, New Guinea and Saipan in the next day or two.
In the meantime: what do Scots do on real cold nights? The answer is they huddle together around a candle. What do Scots do or really, really cold nights? They light the candle!
Aah, British humor at the halfway point.
Till next time
In the meantime: what do Scots do on real cold nights? The answer is they huddle together around a candle. What do Scots do or really, really cold nights? They light the candle!
Aah, British humor at the halfway point.
Till next time
Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef
Sydney is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. Sailing into the harbor you are surrounded by small islands and peninsulas jutting into the bay with lovely homes perched on the hillsides. We docked right across the way from the Sydney Opera House and its incredible architecture that reflects an expanding world. An interesting aside is that the architect that won the competition to design the Opera House only sketched his idea and it became the engineer’s responsibility to design the structure so that it would stand! The budget was 7 million dollars and it came in at 102 million. The design and construction was approximately the same time as the Kennedy Center was being built. Sandy and I toured the concert hall and opera stage and were very impressed by the acoustics and design of the theatres. Although the Sydney Opera House is world renown it can’t attract large scale productions as the stages are too small for the sets. Still magnificent though.
We toured the city of 4 million people and each neighborhood was distinctive and for the most part charming. Sydney is definitely a city we would love to visit again and spend more time. We traveled out to Bondi beach one of 38 beaches that are within Sydney’s limits and it was like turning the clock back 50 years. A large promenade in the middle of a crescent shaped white sandy beach had restaurants, dressing rooms, snack bars and souvenirs. Across from the promenade and across 4 to 5 lanes of road were grand hotels, restaurants and shops, shops, shops.
Sydney is one of two ports that we overnight and have the next day for touring. The first time we slept without the rocking of the boat since New York. Being right in the middle of the bustling harbor was fascinating. Ferries coming and going carrying workers and school children and of course tourists all day and into the night. Sandy and I were joined by Ivy and Harry, tablemates, as we took the ferry over to the zoo to find the famous orangutan that our lovely 93 year old new friend Mary Jones kept telling us about. We saw more kangaroos, koalas, elephants, giraffes and the place where the orangutan lived but alas – no orangutan. It was still quite worth it as the zoo was wonderful and we met a few very interesting and gracious people. One was a woman with a camera taking pictures when she heard the four of us talking and asked if we were Americans. We said yes from Washington, D.C. and she said she was from Washington State. She then asked me for a hug and started crying. Of course, I gave her a hug as she told her story of having just arrived in Sydney to meet her daughter who was coming in on another cruise ship in a few days time. Her husband of thirty some years died just two months ago and she was still devastated. She had flown to Australia and had a panic attack on the plane and all in all she needed a bit of comfort and sympathy which we all gladly gave to her. After 5 or 10 minutes of talking and still a bit of hugging all five of us parted as dear, dear friends although we were just strangers in a foreign land.
I’m not doing justice to Sydney so I’ll just repeat: it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world!
We set sail and moved up the coast to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef. Great indeed – it is more than 1,200 miles long and hundreds of miles wide. Australia conserves the reef by only allowing fishing or touring at certain places that change constantly to allow the reefs to restore naturally. We took a catamaran directly from the ship to a floating platform an hour and a half away. There we snorkeled and had lunch. There was a submersible ship to allow viewing for those not wanting to snorkel and a platform with a helicopter for tours of the reef from the air. The weather didn’t quite cooperate as it was an overcast day and we didn’t get the spectacular colors of the fish and the reefs that are usually available. It did brighten up enough that when I went snorkeling after lunch the blues and violets and reds and greens and browns and grays were so much more pronounced than they had been in the morning. Lots of fish and yes I did keep my mask on my face.
Next Rabaul, Papua New Guinea….
Sydney is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. Sailing into the harbor you are surrounded by small islands and peninsulas jutting into the bay with lovely homes perched on the hillsides. We docked right across the way from the Sydney Opera House and its incredible architecture that reflects an expanding world. An interesting aside is that the architect that won the competition to design the Opera House only sketched his idea and it became the engineer’s responsibility to design the structure so that it would stand! The budget was 7 million dollars and it came in at 102 million. The design and construction was approximately the same time as the Kennedy Center was being built. Sandy and I toured the concert hall and opera stage and were very impressed by the acoustics and design of the theatres. Although the Sydney Opera House is world renown it can’t attract large scale productions as the stages are too small for the sets. Still magnificent though.
We toured the city of 4 million people and each neighborhood was distinctive and for the most part charming. Sydney is definitely a city we would love to visit again and spend more time. We traveled out to Bondi beach one of 38 beaches that are within Sydney’s limits and it was like turning the clock back 50 years. A large promenade in the middle of a crescent shaped white sandy beach had restaurants, dressing rooms, snack bars and souvenirs. Across from the promenade and across 4 to 5 lanes of road were grand hotels, restaurants and shops, shops, shops.
Sydney is one of two ports that we overnight and have the next day for touring. The first time we slept without the rocking of the boat since New York. Being right in the middle of the bustling harbor was fascinating. Ferries coming and going carrying workers and school children and of course tourists all day and into the night. Sandy and I were joined by Ivy and Harry, tablemates, as we took the ferry over to the zoo to find the famous orangutan that our lovely 93 year old new friend Mary Jones kept telling us about. We saw more kangaroos, koalas, elephants, giraffes and the place where the orangutan lived but alas – no orangutan. It was still quite worth it as the zoo was wonderful and we met a few very interesting and gracious people. One was a woman with a camera taking pictures when she heard the four of us talking and asked if we were Americans. We said yes from Washington, D.C. and she said she was from Washington State. She then asked me for a hug and started crying. Of course, I gave her a hug as she told her story of having just arrived in Sydney to meet her daughter who was coming in on another cruise ship in a few days time. Her husband of thirty some years died just two months ago and she was still devastated. She had flown to Australia and had a panic attack on the plane and all in all she needed a bit of comfort and sympathy which we all gladly gave to her. After 5 or 10 minutes of talking and still a bit of hugging all five of us parted as dear, dear friends although we were just strangers in a foreign land.
I’m not doing justice to Sydney so I’ll just repeat: it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world!
We set sail and moved up the coast to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef. Great indeed – it is more than 1,200 miles long and hundreds of miles wide. Australia conserves the reef by only allowing fishing or touring at certain places that change constantly to allow the reefs to restore naturally. We took a catamaran directly from the ship to a floating platform an hour and a half away. There we snorkeled and had lunch. There was a submersible ship to allow viewing for those not wanting to snorkel and a platform with a helicopter for tours of the reef from the air. The weather didn’t quite cooperate as it was an overcast day and we didn’t get the spectacular colors of the fish and the reefs that are usually available. It did brighten up enough that when I went snorkeling after lunch the blues and violets and reds and greens and browns and grays were so much more pronounced than they had been in the morning. Lots of fish and yes I did keep my mask on my face.
Next Rabaul, Papua New Guinea….
Australia:
Well, we are in love with this country/continent. After the passage from New Zealand to Hobart, Tasmania the weather cleared and revealed one of the most beautiful spots we have ever seen. The history of Hobart began a bit rough as a prison colony founded in 1803. There were about 178 prisoners at first with 25 officers to guard them and the some officers had brought their wives and a few children plus some government officials. The prisoners were sent from England, Scotland and Ireland. The labor
was hard and many bridges and roads built by these prisoners still stand today. The average prison term was seven years and then released prisoners became tradesmen, laborers and domestic help for the wealthiest settlers. Now, 200 years later it is quite a badge of distinction to trace one’s family back to the prisoners. As a matter of fact, one comedian on board when asked by the Australian immigration authorities if he had a criminal record replied “Do ye still need one to get in?”
Hobart is not only the nation’s southernmost major city it is also the smallest with fewer than 200,000 “Tassies” living here. The ships approach by a series of islands and peninsulas jutting into the bay and the mountains stretching to the sky is spectacular.
We toured by bus the city and then drove through the countryside to the tiny community of Richmond. Beautiful Georgian buildings built of Sandstone are a reminder of the days when Tasmania was a convict detention center and military post as indeed was all of Tasmania. Australia’s oldest jail is in the center of town and at town’s edge there is the oldest bridge in the country that spans the Coal river and is still in continuous use today. All built by prisoners! Speaking of coal, Tasmania is almost 90% energy sufficient by hydro-electric and wind power. They are way ahead of us in energy conservation as is the rest of Australia and they are quite proud of it.
Finally we visited Bonorong Wildlife Park to see wombats, koalas, kangeroos everywhere and the infamous “Tasmanian Devil”. The devil is extremely endangered with a recent type of facial growth illness that is spreadable within the species and results in death. Australia is working very hard against time for a cure but I didn’t detect mush optimism but let’s hope..
Till next time and our Sydney adventures..
Well, we are in love with this country/continent. After the passage from New Zealand to Hobart, Tasmania the weather cleared and revealed one of the most beautiful spots we have ever seen. The history of Hobart began a bit rough as a prison colony founded in 1803. There were about 178 prisoners at first with 25 officers to guard them and the some officers had brought their wives and a few children plus some government officials. The prisoners were sent from England, Scotland and Ireland. The labor
was hard and many bridges and roads built by these prisoners still stand today. The average prison term was seven years and then released prisoners became tradesmen, laborers and domestic help for the wealthiest settlers. Now, 200 years later it is quite a badge of distinction to trace one’s family back to the prisoners. As a matter of fact, one comedian on board when asked by the Australian immigration authorities if he had a criminal record replied “Do ye still need one to get in?”
Hobart is not only the nation’s southernmost major city it is also the smallest with fewer than 200,000 “Tassies” living here. The ships approach by a series of islands and peninsulas jutting into the bay and the mountains stretching to the sky is spectacular.
We toured by bus the city and then drove through the countryside to the tiny community of Richmond. Beautiful Georgian buildings built of Sandstone are a reminder of the days when Tasmania was a convict detention center and military post as indeed was all of Tasmania. Australia’s oldest jail is in the center of town and at town’s edge there is the oldest bridge in the country that spans the Coal river and is still in continuous use today. All built by prisoners! Speaking of coal, Tasmania is almost 90% energy sufficient by hydro-electric and wind power. They are way ahead of us in energy conservation as is the rest of Australia and they are quite proud of it.
Finally we visited Bonorong Wildlife Park to see wombats, koalas, kangeroos everywhere and the infamous “Tasmanian Devil”. The devil is extremely endangered with a recent type of facial growth illness that is spreadable within the species and results in death. Australia is working very hard against time for a cure but I didn’t detect mush optimism but let’s hope..
Till next time and our Sydney adventures..
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Medical Centre
Medical Centre:
Around New Zealand:
There is a type of virus going round the decks, up the stairwells, down the elevator shafts and landing in every area of the dining room. It consists of coughing, sore throat and annoying looks by healthy people. I caught it and went down to the lowest level of the ship to see the Doctor. It’s a small waiting room with very small seats pushed close together that aid in the spreading of whatever it is that everyone is there to see the Doctor about. It was obvious that it doesn’t matter if your cough is in English, Spanish, German, Yiddish, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese or any other of the many languages spoken on board: you must first fill out the paperwork!
Now this is no ordinary cough. People in wheelchairs have coughed and ended up 10 back from where they were, people in electric wheel chairs depending on which way they are facing will do 360’s in the opposite direction and if facing forward will do wheelies straight back and those on walkers find themselves after a cough two to three feet behind the walker and grasping for something to hold onto.
Well, that’s a slight exaggeration but you get the idea. However, a quick RX for amoxicillin, robitussin and nose drops and a few days rest and missing the blog and I’m back on the road to wellness.
Around New Zealand:
There is a type of virus going round the decks, up the stairwells, down the elevator shafts and landing in every area of the dining room. It consists of coughing, sore throat and annoying looks by healthy people. I caught it and went down to the lowest level of the ship to see the Doctor. It’s a small waiting room with very small seats pushed close together that aid in the spreading of whatever it is that everyone is there to see the Doctor about. It was obvious that it doesn’t matter if your cough is in English, Spanish, German, Yiddish, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese or any other of the many languages spoken on board: you must first fill out the paperwork!
Now this is no ordinary cough. People in wheelchairs have coughed and ended up 10 back from where they were, people in electric wheel chairs depending on which way they are facing will do 360’s in the opposite direction and if facing forward will do wheelies straight back and those on walkers find themselves after a cough two to three feet behind the walker and grasping for something to hold onto.
Well, that’s a slight exaggeration but you get the idea. However, a quick RX for amoxicillin, robitussin and nose drops and a few days rest and missing the blog and I’m back on the road to wellness.
New Zealand
Since Tonga our weather has worsened and most days have been rainy, windy or both. We had two ports of call in New Zealand.
The first was Auckland on the North Island. Almost a million and a half people live here and it is by far the largest city in New Zealand. One in four people have New Zealand: boats and the area is known as the “City of Sails”. American Express hosted an excursion for us that started with a tour of the city (yup, another McDonalds) and then up Mount Eden for a spectacular panoramic view of the city and surrounding islands. The Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed in New Zealand and the views reflect a Spartan hill and valley setting. There is not a great deal of vegetation and on the north island not very many sheep. We had morning tea at a hotel in the countryside and toured a pottery plant and ended up at a winery/vineyard for a terrific lunch. Our guide kept referring to the America’s Cup races and o by the way did he mention that New Zealand won! All in all it is quite a comfortable setting with great night life in the city and peace and lots of quiet in the countryside. It was a wonderful day but slightly dampened by my preparatory visit to the medical centre.
Two days later we docked at Lyttelton the port with access to ChristChurch a city on the eastern part of South Island. We took a tour of ChristChurch in cold, damp weather and the highlight was a Chinese lantern festival in Queen Victoria Park. This is the part of New Zealand where the sheep are raised and the chief industries are meat packing, tanneries and the manufacture of woolen goods.
As I write this we are on our way to the island of Tasmania and have crossed under the South Island of New Zealand. This is the furthest south we will be on the cruise. We are reasonably close to Antartica and the weather reflects it.
The first was Auckland on the North Island. Almost a million and a half people live here and it is by far the largest city in New Zealand. One in four people have New Zealand: boats and the area is known as the “City of Sails”. American Express hosted an excursion for us that started with a tour of the city (yup, another McDonalds) and then up Mount Eden for a spectacular panoramic view of the city and surrounding islands. The Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed in New Zealand and the views reflect a Spartan hill and valley setting. There is not a great deal of vegetation and on the north island not very many sheep. We had morning tea at a hotel in the countryside and toured a pottery plant and ended up at a winery/vineyard for a terrific lunch. Our guide kept referring to the America’s Cup races and o by the way did he mention that New Zealand won! All in all it is quite a comfortable setting with great night life in the city and peace and lots of quiet in the countryside. It was a wonderful day but slightly dampened by my preparatory visit to the medical centre.
Two days later we docked at Lyttelton the port with access to ChristChurch a city on the eastern part of South Island. We took a tour of ChristChurch in cold, damp weather and the highlight was a Chinese lantern festival in Queen Victoria Park. This is the part of New Zealand where the sheep are raised and the chief industries are meat packing, tanneries and the manufacture of woolen goods.
As I write this we are on our way to the island of Tasmania and have crossed under the South Island of New Zealand. This is the furthest south we will be on the cruise. We are reasonably close to Antartica and the weather reflects it.
Tonga
TONGA:
We dropped anchor in Nuku’alofa, Tonga and had to take the ships tenders (small boats) to the main dock in the center of the city. It’s a town, really. Sandy and I rode an air-conditioned bus on our tour of the island. We started at the royal palace where we were informed that the king was out of the country. We took pictures behind locked gates and then got back on the bus. Our guide was a young man with a woven skirt of fronds that told us that the king was in his mid-seventies and had never married – so no heir to the throne. He has a younger brother in his sixties that will take over when he passes and that brother has children that will succeed when necessary. However, things are subject to change as there is a strong political movement in Tonga away from the monarchy and towards democracy.
Tonga is very poor but the guide explained that if you walk into the country and pick fruits and vegetables and then walk out of the county to the seaside and fish - there you go – you have everything you need . We went to the tombs of the past kings (13 buried here) and it was quite impressive with large statues on high pedestals of the former rulers and large marble crypts. This too is behind a wrought iron fence with no access. However the guide spoke with reverence about the royal families.
Again as in Samoa there is a strong Chinese presence and some country and municipal projects are financed by the Chinese government.
We drove to Captain Cooks’ landing site. In 1777 Cook landed on Tongatapu and his arrival paved the way for the introduction of Christianity and that has had a profound and lasting effect on the Tongan way of life. The church of Tonga (its own denomination so we gathered) was a huge fortress/armory type building that seemed very distant from being churchlike. One of the villages we drove through had 23 different religions in that one area. I wondered how such a poor country could subsidize that many churches and a traveling companion pointed out the money collected in advanced nations for “missionaries” supports the efforts.
We saw Ha’amonga Hinge stone built around 1200AD. The giant stone has an arch that is 15 feet high and weighs around 80 tons. Like Stonehenge the gate is considered to have astronomical significance or to be a seasonal calendar for planting and harvesting. Because Tonga lies on the International Date Line our guide stated that the stone was the first place in the world to welcome the new millennium in 2000.
On Tonga cemeteries are very important and the Tongan people feel that no one dies but they live on and should be respected and revered. There are flowers and quilts and headstones and each town has its own burial grounds. No front yards though.
Tonga is the only place on the world that has flying foxes. Near as I can tell they are huge bats with wing spans up to three feet. We didn’t see any!
Next is Auckland, New Zealand – till then….
We dropped anchor in Nuku’alofa, Tonga and had to take the ships tenders (small boats) to the main dock in the center of the city. It’s a town, really. Sandy and I rode an air-conditioned bus on our tour of the island. We started at the royal palace where we were informed that the king was out of the country. We took pictures behind locked gates and then got back on the bus. Our guide was a young man with a woven skirt of fronds that told us that the king was in his mid-seventies and had never married – so no heir to the throne. He has a younger brother in his sixties that will take over when he passes and that brother has children that will succeed when necessary. However, things are subject to change as there is a strong political movement in Tonga away from the monarchy and towards democracy.
Tonga is very poor but the guide explained that if you walk into the country and pick fruits and vegetables and then walk out of the county to the seaside and fish - there you go – you have everything you need . We went to the tombs of the past kings (13 buried here) and it was quite impressive with large statues on high pedestals of the former rulers and large marble crypts. This too is behind a wrought iron fence with no access. However the guide spoke with reverence about the royal families.
Again as in Samoa there is a strong Chinese presence and some country and municipal projects are financed by the Chinese government.
We drove to Captain Cooks’ landing site. In 1777 Cook landed on Tongatapu and his arrival paved the way for the introduction of Christianity and that has had a profound and lasting effect on the Tongan way of life. The church of Tonga (its own denomination so we gathered) was a huge fortress/armory type building that seemed very distant from being churchlike. One of the villages we drove through had 23 different religions in that one area. I wondered how such a poor country could subsidize that many churches and a traveling companion pointed out the money collected in advanced nations for “missionaries” supports the efforts.
We saw Ha’amonga Hinge stone built around 1200AD. The giant stone has an arch that is 15 feet high and weighs around 80 tons. Like Stonehenge the gate is considered to have astronomical significance or to be a seasonal calendar for planting and harvesting. Because Tonga lies on the International Date Line our guide stated that the stone was the first place in the world to welcome the new millennium in 2000.
On Tonga cemeteries are very important and the Tongan people feel that no one dies but they live on and should be respected and revered. There are flowers and quilts and headstones and each town has its own burial grounds. No front yards though.
Tonga is the only place on the world that has flying foxes. Near as I can tell they are huge bats with wing spans up to three feet. We didn’t see any!
Next is Auckland, New Zealand – till then….
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Samoa
Apia, Samoa
As we docked we were greeted by a Samoan band playing “You are the sunshine of my life” followed by women and men dancers and singers doing traditional songs.
This is an island that takes you back in time to 40 or 50 years ago. The temperature was in the eighties and sunny and we toured in an open window bus. Samoa is very green and lush and the people are very friendly. As a matter of fact as our bus would pass through villages or rural housing almost everyone would look our way and wave. Old, young and in between seemed genuine in their appreciation of tourists. I noticed very, very little indifference on the part of onlookers. Our bus took us on a scenic drive along the northeastern coast to Falefa waterfall an area that once served as a trading post for the local beach whalers in the early 1800’s. Now the falls convey the natural beauty of the many scenic delights on the island.
Here’s a couple of interesting things about Samoa. There is a new stadium for the country and lots of new construction at the local university and all paid for by the one and only country that has an embassy on Samoa: China. At one point only English with a bit of French were taught in the university but now Chinese is taught and the Chinese population is currently at 3 to 5% but growing.
Beloved family members are buried in the front yard! Graves are covered with marble or concrete slabs of about 4 ft by 8 ft in size. Some are plain and others have elaborate covers and flowers everywhere. When I was younger we spent many a Sunday visiting the graves of relatives at the cemetery and it was usually an all day affair or close to it. From a childs point of view it would have been something to just walk out the front door say a prayer and then have the rest of the day for play. But even in Samoa it is more complicated than that. Beloved family members are in the front yard but all else are buried in the national cemetery. So that black sheep son or nasty in law are off to a communal burial and although it’s the law in Samoa that all must attend church (of their choice) every Sunday lots of anger and misunderstandings within families about front yard burial take place.
We visited a tropical garden with an abundance of tropical plants, flowers and fruit trees. Native young men scurried up coconut trees and threw down dozens of coconuts split them easily on a spike, cracked the interior open with a machete and served the freshest of coconut milk. Fresh fruit was spread on tables for us to sample and it was only slightly off putting that women in native dress kept fanning off the flies from the fruit.
Till next time…
As we docked we were greeted by a Samoan band playing “You are the sunshine of my life” followed by women and men dancers and singers doing traditional songs.
This is an island that takes you back in time to 40 or 50 years ago. The temperature was in the eighties and sunny and we toured in an open window bus. Samoa is very green and lush and the people are very friendly. As a matter of fact as our bus would pass through villages or rural housing almost everyone would look our way and wave. Old, young and in between seemed genuine in their appreciation of tourists. I noticed very, very little indifference on the part of onlookers. Our bus took us on a scenic drive along the northeastern coast to Falefa waterfall an area that once served as a trading post for the local beach whalers in the early 1800’s. Now the falls convey the natural beauty of the many scenic delights on the island.
Here’s a couple of interesting things about Samoa. There is a new stadium for the country and lots of new construction at the local university and all paid for by the one and only country that has an embassy on Samoa: China. At one point only English with a bit of French were taught in the university but now Chinese is taught and the Chinese population is currently at 3 to 5% but growing.
Beloved family members are buried in the front yard! Graves are covered with marble or concrete slabs of about 4 ft by 8 ft in size. Some are plain and others have elaborate covers and flowers everywhere. When I was younger we spent many a Sunday visiting the graves of relatives at the cemetery and it was usually an all day affair or close to it. From a childs point of view it would have been something to just walk out the front door say a prayer and then have the rest of the day for play. But even in Samoa it is more complicated than that. Beloved family members are in the front yard but all else are buried in the national cemetery. So that black sheep son or nasty in law are off to a communal burial and although it’s the law in Samoa that all must attend church (of their choice) every Sunday lots of anger and misunderstandings within families about front yard burial take place.
We visited a tropical garden with an abundance of tropical plants, flowers and fruit trees. Native young men scurried up coconut trees and threw down dozens of coconuts split them easily on a spike, cracked the interior open with a machete and served the freshest of coconut milk. Fresh fruit was spread on tables for us to sample and it was only slightly off putting that women in native dress kept fanning off the flies from the fruit.
Till next time…
Friday, February 6, 2009
Honolulu
Honolulu. Sandy and I decided to not do a tour as we have both been to Honolulu before several times and decided to do our own thing and revisit Waikiki Beach and the Royal Hawaii Hotel (The pink lady). Hawaii has always been special to us and we both feel totally relaxed and at home here. We wish we could scoop up all our family and friends and bring them here and stay for a long while. We arrived in time for lunch on the veranda overlooking the beach and Diamond Head.
Sandy and I both went swimming and wanted to take the big outrigger canoe to surf the waves but alas it was not to be as we were too far away. We dried and walked the International Trade market and thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and the people.
In the Hawaiian language Honolulu means “sheltered bay” or “place of shelter” and it lived up to that again for us. Oahu and Maui are our favorite islands and we have been to all except Molakai. In the 2004 census the population for Honolulu was 377,260 and that of the city and county (essentially the Island of Oahu) was 900,000. Of course over six million visitors arrive every year.
Mid afternoon we went back to the ship for the half time show and the last half of the Super Bowl. Go Sixburgh! At dinner we waved our napkins – close as we could get to the yellow towels- in celebration.
Till next time.
Sandy and I both went swimming and wanted to take the big outrigger canoe to surf the waves but alas it was not to be as we were too far away. We dried and walked the International Trade market and thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and the people.
In the Hawaiian language Honolulu means “sheltered bay” or “place of shelter” and it lived up to that again for us. Oahu and Maui are our favorite islands and we have been to all except Molakai. In the 2004 census the population for Honolulu was 377,260 and that of the city and county (essentially the Island of Oahu) was 900,000. Of course over six million visitors arrive every year.
Mid afternoon we went back to the ship for the half time show and the last half of the Super Bowl. Go Sixburgh! At dinner we waved our napkins – close as we could get to the yellow towels- in celebration.
Till next time.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Guatemala: After transiting the Panama Canal our first stop was in Guatemala. We had an all day excursion compliments of American Express. It was sunny and warm and very green. We boarded a modern air conditioned bus and set off for an hour and half drive to the ancient town of Antigua. After the dock area the scenery became more lush but mixed in with very poor housing from place to place. Women carrying baskets or linens on top of their heads, men dragging wood logs pre cut every few feet or so (for easy sale by the piece later?) with axes at their side. Busy scenes popping up every now and then and then back to trees, fields and climbing up into the mountains. After a half hour or so the driver stopped for us to disembark and take pictures of three active and most beautiful volcanoes. We no more than stepped off the bus when one of the volcanoes started erupting.
Quick visions of Pompeii popped in my head but the majesty of the moment overtook them and we all ooo’ed and aaa’ed..
We continued on to La Antigua Guatemala (commonly referred to as just Antigua or La Antigua) a city in the central highlands of Guatemala famous for its well preserved Spanish Baroque architecture as well as a number of spectacular ruins of colonial churches. According to the 2007 census the city has some 34,685 inhabitants. Central park is the heart of the city.
After touring for several hours including a visit to a Jade factory and a horse and carriage ride we reboarded the bus for a three mile trip to a working coffee plantation for lunch and visiting. Native women danced and exhibited weaving and other crafts. The lunch was set up buffet syle in the middle of the court yard surrounded by mountains and flowers and greenery that were all quite beautiful. Lunch was traditional Guatemalan food and was delicious. Of course, the coffee was wonderful. After dessert of what I guess was deep fried donut with honey on top we toured the area for coffee harvesting, cleaning, spreading in the sun and finally warehousing of the beans. Interestingly the beans are white and only brown after roasting. The plantation owner, Senor Sanchez (educated at Cal-Poly) was there and made for a wonderful host and presented us all with a pound of his private brand coffee. Depending on customs I look forward to sharing.
Last a street scene from Antiqua:
Till next time…
Quick visions of Pompeii popped in my head but the majesty of the moment overtook them and we all ooo’ed and aaa’ed..
We continued on to La Antigua Guatemala (commonly referred to as just Antigua or La Antigua) a city in the central highlands of Guatemala famous for its well preserved Spanish Baroque architecture as well as a number of spectacular ruins of colonial churches. According to the 2007 census the city has some 34,685 inhabitants. Central park is the heart of the city.
After touring for several hours including a visit to a Jade factory and a horse and carriage ride we reboarded the bus for a three mile trip to a working coffee plantation for lunch and visiting. Native women danced and exhibited weaving and other crafts. The lunch was set up buffet syle in the middle of the court yard surrounded by mountains and flowers and greenery that were all quite beautiful. Lunch was traditional Guatemalan food and was delicious. Of course, the coffee was wonderful. After dessert of what I guess was deep fried donut with honey on top we toured the area for coffee harvesting, cleaning, spreading in the sun and finally warehousing of the beans. Interestingly the beans are white and only brown after roasting. The plantation owner, Senor Sanchez (educated at Cal-Poly) was there and made for a wonderful host and presented us all with a pound of his private brand coffee. Depending on customs I look forward to sharing.
Last a street scene from Antiqua:
Till next time…
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Blog to Hawaii
On the way to Honolulu: We left Long Beach Tuesday evening with a US Coast Guard escort out of the harbor. Let me explore the ship a bit with you and catch up on the blog. Seeing that this is Super Bowl week imagine if you received the ball in the end zone and ran the 100 yards to the other end zone then to do it again and then to do it a third time and that is the approximated distance of the Queen Victoria from bow to stern. Actually the ship is still a bit longer. There are three banks of elevators of four each at the front, rear and middle of the ship. There are 10 stories of public levels. Sandy and I are on the sixth floor cabin 6042. The elevators closest to us will take us to the spa work out area on the 9th level or down to deck A for the lower section of the Royal Theatre. The work out area has lots of treadmills and other machines plus weights, mats, balls and just about anything you can think of for a good work out. There are constant classes of dance aerobics or spinning or steps to fulfill the need of any exerciser. The treadmills face the large floor to ceiling windows in the front of the ship giving the widest possible view of the ocean horizon and surroundings. Sandy and I have been pretty good about working out so far. This is also where the beauty salon, massages, steam rooms are located. Above the spa work out area on the 10th level is a night club with panoramic views all around with a roped off section just for round the world travelers. There is also a dance club that goes till all hours of the morning.
Back to the 9th level again where there are two pools located one on each end of the ship with the Lido restaurant in the middle. The hours of the Lido are: Continental breakfast from 4AM to 6:30AM, Breakfast from 6:30 to 11:30AM, Lunch 11:30 to 3:00PM, Afternoon snack 3:00PM to 6:00PM, Lido Grill Dinner Buffet 6:00PM to 11PM, Late snack from 11PM to 4:00AM. There you have it round the clock eating! They make a great individual pizza for you and they have round the clock chocolate and vanilla ice cream machines with cones available anytime you want.
There are many, many grills, bars and restaurants available throughout the ship. So let’s take the elevator to the second floor. As we are towards the front of the ship when we get off the elevator we will walk towards the rear section where along the way we stop first in the “hanging and dangling” section as I have called it. This is the casino with lots of bings, pings, clangs and musical chaos going on all the time. The hanging and dangling is the smoke that hangs in the air (One of the only places on board ship where smoking is allowed) and the dangling is the butts extending from the lips of the few gamblers at the machines. Yup that’s right, only a few people are there at any given time because our Brit hosts haven’t caught on to the no smoking message and almost all non smokers seem to avoid the place like the plague. Right beside the casino is the Golden Lion Pub and you can have a lunch of fish and chips or a burger. Tell what you want, they bring it and there is no charge as all has been paid in the price of the cruise. Drinks are not covered. Moving along you pass through wonderful hallways that feature maritime exhibits (the largest floating museum) more bars and then the glorious Queens room. Here is where the balls are, the dances are, along with the Captains receptions and dance lessons and BINGO plus gathering for shore excursions. As a matter of fact when we take this walk you can start with the sound of the slot machines then move to a beautiful harp being played, then music for country line dancing or rhumbas or tangoes, then a 4 piece chamber orchestra, a pianist or a full big band. All of this as we are just strolling on level two and all going on at the same time. We then approach the Britannia Restaurant where we dine at night at the 6:30 seating. The Brittania is a two story restaurant and the Queens room is two stories. There is also a two story library. We have had a change in Los Angeles of our dinner companions and maybe not for the better but we shall see. We still have (I told you I would get back to them) Mary Jones from Melbourne Australia. Mary is 93 years old! She flirts she charms and she is not the least bit shy taking on the powers to be on the ship so that she can watch her beloved Australia Open. She is all of 5”2 with eyes of blue has a keen interest in all things. She has outlasted two husbands both named Keith. One of them was high up in the Education system/department of Australia. Next is Vernon from Cardiff, Wales. Born in Ireland and migrated to Wales, separated from brothers and sisters at an early age and reconciled with them in adulthood but it’s not a close connection. Never married he nonetheless escorts a lively lady and the two of them are seen around the ship together. (In LA he arranged for her to join our table and she seems most charming and is from West Virginia close to the Greenbrier. Her name is Nellie). Vernon is 83 years old and I won’t guess about Nellie. Next is Derrick and Pat from England, near Liverpool. Derrick is our age and unfortunately underwent some serious surgery before the cruise and is having a bit of a mood swing problem. Derrick and Pat have moved to a table for two and all of the rest of us miss them. Next comes Harry and Ivy. Harry had a terrible car accident 11 years ago and is incapable of carrying on a conversation but understands all that is said. He is an electrical engineer and reading his facial reactions is a gift that we are all coming by and his smile is as broad as can be. Ivy is a saint and helps him in and out of his wheelchair and reads him the menu and interprets his wishes and needs. She is also a bit of a pistol and lots of fun. Harry and Ivy are our age too. Last for now is a treasure of a new friend. Her name is Nancy and she is from Bethesda probably less than a couple of miles from our home. She is well traveled and has a wonderful sense of humor. She sings “I’m just wild about Harry” to Harry and it always brings that huge smile to his face. She loves jewelry and loves to buy it so she and Sandy have bonded and are planning a few expeditions together. Finally, the waiter whose name is Sodep is from India and he keeps us all very contented indeed. He is very young and quite handsome and a favorite of the ladies at the table.
PS: I read this to Sandy and she wanted all to know that we are working out hard at the spa. Tis true!
Last but certainly not least for this tour is the Royal Court Theatre: At our end of the ship is a three story full theatre with orchestra, loge and box seating. Every night there is a performance of song, dance , comedy (including a ventriloquist) or a production including all of the above. The dance troupe is fabulous and performs everything from ballet to tap including Irish step dancing (am I in heaven or what?) and they perform a great imitation of “Riverdance”. The Court singers do good to better but never reach best and all the other performers come in and out at the ports so that there is always fresh talent. The sets, staging and costumes are spectacular for the most part and its easy to forget that you are on a ship in the middle of the ocean. The shows are all backed up with a wonderful band/orchestra (depending upon the show) and all in all it becomes a wonderful experience.
Well tomorrow Hawaii and I’ll continue the blog next week. Can you believe it’s been 3 weeks?
PS: A fellow passenger was commenting that if you go to cunard.com you can click on to the world tour and see where the ship is and there is a live-cam. If you are so inclined.
Back to the 9th level again where there are two pools located one on each end of the ship with the Lido restaurant in the middle. The hours of the Lido are: Continental breakfast from 4AM to 6:30AM, Breakfast from 6:30 to 11:30AM, Lunch 11:30 to 3:00PM, Afternoon snack 3:00PM to 6:00PM, Lido Grill Dinner Buffet 6:00PM to 11PM, Late snack from 11PM to 4:00AM. There you have it round the clock eating! They make a great individual pizza for you and they have round the clock chocolate and vanilla ice cream machines with cones available anytime you want.
There are many, many grills, bars and restaurants available throughout the ship. So let’s take the elevator to the second floor. As we are towards the front of the ship when we get off the elevator we will walk towards the rear section where along the way we stop first in the “hanging and dangling” section as I have called it. This is the casino with lots of bings, pings, clangs and musical chaos going on all the time. The hanging and dangling is the smoke that hangs in the air (One of the only places on board ship where smoking is allowed) and the dangling is the butts extending from the lips of the few gamblers at the machines. Yup that’s right, only a few people are there at any given time because our Brit hosts haven’t caught on to the no smoking message and almost all non smokers seem to avoid the place like the plague. Right beside the casino is the Golden Lion Pub and you can have a lunch of fish and chips or a burger. Tell what you want, they bring it and there is no charge as all has been paid in the price of the cruise. Drinks are not covered. Moving along you pass through wonderful hallways that feature maritime exhibits (the largest floating museum) more bars and then the glorious Queens room. Here is where the balls are, the dances are, along with the Captains receptions and dance lessons and BINGO plus gathering for shore excursions. As a matter of fact when we take this walk you can start with the sound of the slot machines then move to a beautiful harp being played, then music for country line dancing or rhumbas or tangoes, then a 4 piece chamber orchestra, a pianist or a full big band. All of this as we are just strolling on level two and all going on at the same time. We then approach the Britannia Restaurant where we dine at night at the 6:30 seating. The Brittania is a two story restaurant and the Queens room is two stories. There is also a two story library. We have had a change in Los Angeles of our dinner companions and maybe not for the better but we shall see. We still have (I told you I would get back to them) Mary Jones from Melbourne Australia. Mary is 93 years old! She flirts she charms and she is not the least bit shy taking on the powers to be on the ship so that she can watch her beloved Australia Open. She is all of 5”2 with eyes of blue has a keen interest in all things. She has outlasted two husbands both named Keith. One of them was high up in the Education system/department of Australia. Next is Vernon from Cardiff, Wales. Born in Ireland and migrated to Wales, separated from brothers and sisters at an early age and reconciled with them in adulthood but it’s not a close connection. Never married he nonetheless escorts a lively lady and the two of them are seen around the ship together. (In LA he arranged for her to join our table and she seems most charming and is from West Virginia close to the Greenbrier. Her name is Nellie). Vernon is 83 years old and I won’t guess about Nellie. Next is Derrick and Pat from England, near Liverpool. Derrick is our age and unfortunately underwent some serious surgery before the cruise and is having a bit of a mood swing problem. Derrick and Pat have moved to a table for two and all of the rest of us miss them. Next comes Harry and Ivy. Harry had a terrible car accident 11 years ago and is incapable of carrying on a conversation but understands all that is said. He is an electrical engineer and reading his facial reactions is a gift that we are all coming by and his smile is as broad as can be. Ivy is a saint and helps him in and out of his wheelchair and reads him the menu and interprets his wishes and needs. She is also a bit of a pistol and lots of fun. Harry and Ivy are our age too. Last for now is a treasure of a new friend. Her name is Nancy and she is from Bethesda probably less than a couple of miles from our home. She is well traveled and has a wonderful sense of humor. She sings “I’m just wild about Harry” to Harry and it always brings that huge smile to his face. She loves jewelry and loves to buy it so she and Sandy have bonded and are planning a few expeditions together. Finally, the waiter whose name is Sodep is from India and he keeps us all very contented indeed. He is very young and quite handsome and a favorite of the ladies at the table.
PS: I read this to Sandy and she wanted all to know that we are working out hard at the spa. Tis true!
Last but certainly not least for this tour is the Royal Court Theatre: At our end of the ship is a three story full theatre with orchestra, loge and box seating. Every night there is a performance of song, dance , comedy (including a ventriloquist) or a production including all of the above. The dance troupe is fabulous and performs everything from ballet to tap including Irish step dancing (am I in heaven or what?) and they perform a great imitation of “Riverdance”. The Court singers do good to better but never reach best and all the other performers come in and out at the ports so that there is always fresh talent. The sets, staging and costumes are spectacular for the most part and its easy to forget that you are on a ship in the middle of the ocean. The shows are all backed up with a wonderful band/orchestra (depending upon the show) and all in all it becomes a wonderful experience.
Well tomorrow Hawaii and I’ll continue the blog next week. Can you believe it’s been 3 weeks?
PS: A fellow passenger was commenting that if you go to cunard.com you can click on to the world tour and see where the ship is and there is a live-cam. If you are so inclined.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Long Beach
Hi again. I’ve been having trouble with the blog with either the wireless service being down on the ship (for 3-4 days) or posting the pictures when I have had access. The connection , when working, is slower than dial up and with a rate of 50 cents per minute seems to stretch on forever with very little becoming accomplished at the end of my efforts. I’ll keep trying so bear with me, please.
In the meantime: Yesterday we were in Cabo Saint Lucas the second of our Mexican stops. ”Cabo” as it is called in the US is a city located at the southern tip of the Baja peninsula and is quickly becoming a high end holiday destination with a number of resorts and timeshare clubs appearing along the coast between San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. Sandy took Cooking lessons from a chef at one of the hotels and received her certificate as an expert Mexican cook. Along with about twenty fellow travelers she ground roasted garlic, roasted onions, roasted green tomatoes and jalepenos using a mortar and pestle made out of volcanic rock. The group prepared their own lunch and Sandy declared it a feast indeed. Delicious was her exact quote.
In the meantime I left the port on a catamaran to snorkel . Several miles up the coast we dropped anchor and donned fins and mask and snorkel. You entered the water by jumping overboard or by a ladder extended into the water from the middle of the boat. I, of course, jumped and the water was chilly but refreshing . I swam away from the boat and commenced my snorkeling. My vision was blurry but I could make out the colors and the forms of fishes all around me. I wished that my glasses could fit under the mask. I surfaced and looked back at the boat some twenty yards away and one of the crew members was yelling Senor, Senor and pointing to the top of his head. I realized that my mask was firmly on the top of my head and not over my face where it belonged. What a difference a mask makes! Everything sparkled and the coral was wonderful. I fell in with a school of fish and swam with them moving back and forth. Underneath my chest was a beautiful yellow and purple striped fish that followed me for a very long time. I was wondering if I looked like lunch to him. After 45 minutes or so we boarded the catamaran to head back to port. Along the way we saw 15 to 20 whales right alongside the boat. The first sighting was by a woman who yelled “It’s so big” and just as we turned to see what she was referring to up popped the huge mother whale many, many times larger. The captain then chased after the humpback whales over the next half hour or so and some were so close to the boat you could have easily thrown a ball and hit them. Another wonderful memory.
The day before at Puerto Vallarta Sandy and I joined a tour by boat to a destination on a wonderful cove on a remote part of the area that famous director John Houston once owned. W e had a Mexican buffet with lots of choices and variety. There was snorkeling and kayaking and nature hikes and was a great way to spend a day. The waters are a mixture of darkest blues to turquoise and are beautiful and so, so tropical. The weather has been in the eighties and sunny and I have pictures to show it if I can just upload them. Puerto Vallarta is situated on the Pacific Ocean’s Baja de Banderas and its proximity to the bay brings together the agricultural valley of the Ameca river and the important mining centers in he Sierra and makes the port on of the more interesting tourist destinations. However, Puerto Vallarta was a thriving Mexican village long before it became an international tourist destination.
As I write this we are getting close to American waters and will dock in Los Angeles in the morning. We lose a lot of passengers but pick up an equal amount as the cruise is sold out. Even before I have had the chance to introduce out table companions we will lose three (we think) and pick up new folks. I’ll get to all in time I promise.
In the meantime here is a bit of the gossip on board: There is a fine dry cleaning and laundry on board but they do not do regular laundry. Each deck on board has their own launderette with three washers and three dryers and an iron and ironing board in each. Imagine the different nationalities gathered together to wait on available washers, dryers and irons. It’s not pretty and extremely tense in some situations. People open dryers to check how far along the process is and when confronted with wet clothes close the dryer and forget to start it again so the poor soul that comes back after 50 minutes finds a dryer full of wet clothes and starts again. This in turn backs up the folks whose washing is done and are now waiting for the dryers and that leads to people taking out wet clothes and putting them in a basket (or somewhere) and putting their own clothes in. You just about have to take a guard position and defend your machines. Now imagine the ironing, the washing, the drying, the tension, the dirty looks, the different languages, the positioning for the next available machine all going on in the smallest room imaginable. It’s not pretty but it is pretty interesting. The gossip: On the Queen Mary last year there were two incidents that passengers at the time swear are true. A British woman was doing her laundry and being British ironing everything including her gown. She took a break and returned to her cabin for a while and when she went back to the launderette her gown was missing. That led to lots of confusion but no gown. The next night at a ball she saw her gown on a woman dancing. She approached her and said “that is my gown!” and the woman looked at her and replied “prove it!”. I’m not sure how it ended but everyone has a theory of how they would have handled it. The second story was that the launderette was full and people waiting for the washer or dryer or iron when a battle broke out between two women and get ready for this: one hit the other in the head with the iron! Blood went everywhere because of the head wound – the captain broadcast an appeal for blood over the intercom and the woman and their husbands were put off the ship in the next port (Rio). I didn’t hear whether charges were filed or not. Now I’m not sure if these rumors are true but it makes sailing a bit more interesting.
In the meantime: Yesterday we were in Cabo Saint Lucas the second of our Mexican stops. ”Cabo” as it is called in the US is a city located at the southern tip of the Baja peninsula and is quickly becoming a high end holiday destination with a number of resorts and timeshare clubs appearing along the coast between San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. Sandy took Cooking lessons from a chef at one of the hotels and received her certificate as an expert Mexican cook. Along with about twenty fellow travelers she ground roasted garlic, roasted onions, roasted green tomatoes and jalepenos using a mortar and pestle made out of volcanic rock. The group prepared their own lunch and Sandy declared it a feast indeed. Delicious was her exact quote.
In the meantime I left the port on a catamaran to snorkel . Several miles up the coast we dropped anchor and donned fins and mask and snorkel. You entered the water by jumping overboard or by a ladder extended into the water from the middle of the boat. I, of course, jumped and the water was chilly but refreshing . I swam away from the boat and commenced my snorkeling. My vision was blurry but I could make out the colors and the forms of fishes all around me. I wished that my glasses could fit under the mask. I surfaced and looked back at the boat some twenty yards away and one of the crew members was yelling Senor, Senor and pointing to the top of his head. I realized that my mask was firmly on the top of my head and not over my face where it belonged. What a difference a mask makes! Everything sparkled and the coral was wonderful. I fell in with a school of fish and swam with them moving back and forth. Underneath my chest was a beautiful yellow and purple striped fish that followed me for a very long time. I was wondering if I looked like lunch to him. After 45 minutes or so we boarded the catamaran to head back to port. Along the way we saw 15 to 20 whales right alongside the boat. The first sighting was by a woman who yelled “It’s so big” and just as we turned to see what she was referring to up popped the huge mother whale many, many times larger. The captain then chased after the humpback whales over the next half hour or so and some were so close to the boat you could have easily thrown a ball and hit them. Another wonderful memory.
The day before at Puerto Vallarta Sandy and I joined a tour by boat to a destination on a wonderful cove on a remote part of the area that famous director John Houston once owned. W e had a Mexican buffet with lots of choices and variety. There was snorkeling and kayaking and nature hikes and was a great way to spend a day. The waters are a mixture of darkest blues to turquoise and are beautiful and so, so tropical. The weather has been in the eighties and sunny and I have pictures to show it if I can just upload them. Puerto Vallarta is situated on the Pacific Ocean’s Baja de Banderas and its proximity to the bay brings together the agricultural valley of the Ameca river and the important mining centers in he Sierra and makes the port on of the more interesting tourist destinations. However, Puerto Vallarta was a thriving Mexican village long before it became an international tourist destination.
As I write this we are getting close to American waters and will dock in Los Angeles in the morning. We lose a lot of passengers but pick up an equal amount as the cruise is sold out. Even before I have had the chance to introduce out table companions we will lose three (we think) and pick up new folks. I’ll get to all in time I promise.
In the meantime here is a bit of the gossip on board: There is a fine dry cleaning and laundry on board but they do not do regular laundry. Each deck on board has their own launderette with three washers and three dryers and an iron and ironing board in each. Imagine the different nationalities gathered together to wait on available washers, dryers and irons. It’s not pretty and extremely tense in some situations. People open dryers to check how far along the process is and when confronted with wet clothes close the dryer and forget to start it again so the poor soul that comes back after 50 minutes finds a dryer full of wet clothes and starts again. This in turn backs up the folks whose washing is done and are now waiting for the dryers and that leads to people taking out wet clothes and putting them in a basket (or somewhere) and putting their own clothes in. You just about have to take a guard position and defend your machines. Now imagine the ironing, the washing, the drying, the tension, the dirty looks, the different languages, the positioning for the next available machine all going on in the smallest room imaginable. It’s not pretty but it is pretty interesting. The gossip: On the Queen Mary last year there were two incidents that passengers at the time swear are true. A British woman was doing her laundry and being British ironing everything including her gown. She took a break and returned to her cabin for a while and when she went back to the launderette her gown was missing. That led to lots of confusion but no gown. The next night at a ball she saw her gown on a woman dancing. She approached her and said “that is my gown!” and the woman looked at her and replied “prove it!”. I’m not sure how it ended but everyone has a theory of how they would have handled it. The second story was that the launderette was full and people waiting for the washer or dryer or iron when a battle broke out between two women and get ready for this: one hit the other in the head with the iron! Blood went everywhere because of the head wound – the captain broadcast an appeal for blood over the intercom and the woman and their husbands were put off the ship in the next port (Rio). I didn’t hear whether charges were filed or not. Now I’m not sure if these rumors are true but it makes sailing a bit more interesting.
Friday, January 23, 2009
23 Jan 09
1-20-09
Sandy and I celebrated the inauguration on board the Queen Victoria off the coast of Honduras. We settled in the pub and watched via CNN. Our audience was made up of Brits, Australians and of course Americans. There were great cheers for politicians and family members as they appeared on screen. One of the biggest cheers was for Sen. Ted Kennedy with widespread approval of all in the Pub (a pub of course). Each appearance by President Obama caused cheers and loud clapping. When the Bush folks were shown they were greeted with silence and a bit of booing when Cheney was shown in his wheel chair. Everyone stood for the National Anthem and some sang along. Everyone loved and laughed at the Benediction of Rev Lowery and his black don’t get back, if your brown stay around, if your red get ahead and if your white do right. There were three African-American women sitting beside us and all teared up from time to time as did Sandy and I. A woman passed out Obama – progress buttons with a red, white and blue background and a likeness of Obama. We each received one and proudly wore them. Early on a couple of crew came in to hang red, white and blue bunting and pennants. It was a very festive event and a memory to last forever. Just when the President was to take the oath of office the Captain came on the intercom for his daily report and preempted the coverage on CNN. There was an immediate protest and boos that grew even larger when the first mate came on to report the navigation details for the next day (We arrive in Guatemala) however the reports were over and we joined half way through the oath taking. The spirit on board ship of passengers and crew alike was of hope and optimism. We dined in the Brittania room and headed back to our cabin to resume watching the parade. While waiting for the elevator a woman saw our buttons came close to look again and pronounced her disgust and said “He is ruining our country as we know it” and I asked her if she had been paying attention the last few years and had she noticed we were in one of the worst depressions of our country? She replied it was all the democrats. The elevator arrived and we three boarded. There was an English couple already on board. We arrived at the sixth level (our stop) and the woman said “I will never follow that n*****” and she stormed off the elevator and took to the stairs. The English couple saddened and said that it was a shame that there were still people in the world like her. It really hurt and shocked me and took some joy of the day from my heart. I’ll focus on the fact that I believe this is the best political day of my life (followed closely by the Reagan inaugurations) and is our best hope going forward. As I’m writing this the news is coming across that Sen. Kennedy and Sen. Byrd had medical problems and we are waiting for further details.
I’ve been remiss in my blog and will try to catch up a bit here. Since our last blog we visited Curacao in the Netherland Antilles. Curacao is one of the ABC islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao and is off the coast of Venezuela. We docked at Willemstad the colorful capital. Curacao played an instrumental part of the slave trade and was made the center by the Dutch West India country in 1662. Dutch merchants brought slaves from Africa to the trading are called Asiento. From there slaves were sold and shipped to various destinations in South America and the Caribbean. Slavery was abolished by the Dutch in 1863. We took a tour of the northern end of the island and visited former slave quarters, spectacular ocean coves and beaches. The island is colorful and the houses are many different colors. The architecture is primarily Dutch. I’ll attach a few pictures.
After Curacao we traveled west to the Panama Canal. It took from 7:20 AM to past 5 in the afternoon to transit the canal. The canal is actually three locks connecting to two large lakes. Going from the Atlantic to the Pacific the red on right rule for buoys is in effect. People turned out to see the “Queen” progress. This has happened along the way with crowds coming to see the ship. I had no idea that the Cunard lines had such a huge following. Back to the canal: the ship fits into the locks by inches and requires four locomotives (mules) to guide her through.
The country is beautiful and Panama City seems to rival Miami’s skyline something I wasn’t expecting. Our guide by intercom said that lots of people were retiring here.
We’ve seen dolphins, flying fish, brown boobies and lots of marine and bird life. We have settled in more and more and I’ll get back to fellow passengers in the near future. The ships wireless network has been down for the past few days so I have had to wait to post this.
Sandy and I celebrated the inauguration on board the Queen Victoria off the coast of Honduras. We settled in the pub and watched via CNN. Our audience was made up of Brits, Australians and of course Americans. There were great cheers for politicians and family members as they appeared on screen. One of the biggest cheers was for Sen. Ted Kennedy with widespread approval of all in the Pub (a pub of course). Each appearance by President Obama caused cheers and loud clapping. When the Bush folks were shown they were greeted with silence and a bit of booing when Cheney was shown in his wheel chair. Everyone stood for the National Anthem and some sang along. Everyone loved and laughed at the Benediction of Rev Lowery and his black don’t get back, if your brown stay around, if your red get ahead and if your white do right. There were three African-American women sitting beside us and all teared up from time to time as did Sandy and I. A woman passed out Obama – progress buttons with a red, white and blue background and a likeness of Obama. We each received one and proudly wore them. Early on a couple of crew came in to hang red, white and blue bunting and pennants. It was a very festive event and a memory to last forever. Just when the President was to take the oath of office the Captain came on the intercom for his daily report and preempted the coverage on CNN. There was an immediate protest and boos that grew even larger when the first mate came on to report the navigation details for the next day (We arrive in Guatemala) however the reports were over and we joined half way through the oath taking. The spirit on board ship of passengers and crew alike was of hope and optimism. We dined in the Brittania room and headed back to our cabin to resume watching the parade. While waiting for the elevator a woman saw our buttons came close to look again and pronounced her disgust and said “He is ruining our country as we know it” and I asked her if she had been paying attention the last few years and had she noticed we were in one of the worst depressions of our country? She replied it was all the democrats. The elevator arrived and we three boarded. There was an English couple already on board. We arrived at the sixth level (our stop) and the woman said “I will never follow that n*****” and she stormed off the elevator and took to the stairs. The English couple saddened and said that it was a shame that there were still people in the world like her. It really hurt and shocked me and took some joy of the day from my heart. I’ll focus on the fact that I believe this is the best political day of my life (followed closely by the Reagan inaugurations) and is our best hope going forward. As I’m writing this the news is coming across that Sen. Kennedy and Sen. Byrd had medical problems and we are waiting for further details.
I’ve been remiss in my blog and will try to catch up a bit here. Since our last blog we visited Curacao in the Netherland Antilles. Curacao is one of the ABC islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao and is off the coast of Venezuela. We docked at Willemstad the colorful capital. Curacao played an instrumental part of the slave trade and was made the center by the Dutch West India country in 1662. Dutch merchants brought slaves from Africa to the trading are called Asiento. From there slaves were sold and shipped to various destinations in South America and the Caribbean. Slavery was abolished by the Dutch in 1863. We took a tour of the northern end of the island and visited former slave quarters, spectacular ocean coves and beaches. The island is colorful and the houses are many different colors. The architecture is primarily Dutch. I’ll attach a few pictures.
After Curacao we traveled west to the Panama Canal. It took from 7:20 AM to past 5 in the afternoon to transit the canal. The canal is actually three locks connecting to two large lakes. Going from the Atlantic to the Pacific the red on right rule for buoys is in effect. People turned out to see the “Queen” progress. This has happened along the way with crowds coming to see the ship. I had no idea that the Cunard lines had such a huge following. Back to the canal: the ship fits into the locks by inches and requires four locomotives (mules) to guide her through.
The country is beautiful and Panama City seems to rival Miami’s skyline something I wasn’t expecting. Our guide by intercom said that lots of people were retiring here.
We’ve seen dolphins, flying fish, brown boobies and lots of marine and bird life. We have settled in more and more and I’ll get back to fellow passengers in the near future. The ships wireless network has been down for the past few days so I have had to wait to post this.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Fort Lauderdale plus
We are settled in our cabin and notwithstanding the picture in the last blog it is starting to seem comfortable and dare I say “roomy”. Well not quite roomy but livable.
We were assigned a table for 10 but have only nine dining with us each evening for dinner. Two couples from England, an older gentleman (late 80’s) from England, a bon vivant from Canada (more to come) a neighbor from Bethesda (can you believe it!). Almost 800 passengers are cruising “round the world” some for the fifth or sixth time and more. Our Canadian friend, Don Brody is on this 10th trip but is only traveling to Los Angeles this time. Don is the very, very friendly type and talks to everyone. He knows the staff from prior voyages and salutes them with a thumbs up and memories of cruises past. He is really delightful and is perfect for this setting. He sends out more than 450 Christmas cards each year to people he has met cruising. He has lots of stories and is a “topper” of all stories told. He lives with his sister outside of Toronto and is very involved with charity work and is on the board of a college in Nebraska. He seems to spend most of his time running his family’s foundations. More to follow about other table mates later.
The food so far is wonderful. There are lots of choices and variety. Dinner is with the same guests and the same table each evening (with a table of nine we all rotate each night). Lunch and breakfast are served in the same dining area but it is open seating. There are lots of other locations to dine on board and Sandy and I have been using room service for breakfast and sitting out on our balcony and staring at the ocean. As I write this we are at sea off the coast of Cuba and it is in the high 70’s with a wonderful breeze.
Yesterday we docked at Port Lauderdale and we took a tour of the Everglades. We went on an airboat with a flat bottom and a large driving propeller at the stern and “skimmed” the surface of the shallow waters. We saw alligators and lots of birds. It’s a quite beautiful spot. The weather was hot and humid but the speed of the boat made it comfortable. The boat seated about 40 people and was so loud they hand out earplugs. After the ride we attended an alligator demonstration. The alligators were called by name and the ranger hand fed them.
Back on the bus our guide told us that after WWII the Army Corps of engineers went to Australia to obtain seeds of two hardy trees to plant in the Everglades as these specific trees drink lots of water and the goal was to dry out the Everglades. It worked too well. The Everglades at one time extended to Orlando and now are about 40 miles south of Orlando. So they set about killing the trees but the problem was with this variety of tree if you attack them they immediately drop all of their seeds and you get more trees. Only recently have they started to make small incisions and planting poison to kill the tree over a longer period. So for those who have visited Florida that explains the stands of leafless trees.
Sandy and I were both a bit homesick and Sandy really missed the kids and grandkids. She made many calls but didn’t reach anyone. Next chance on our cell phone will be LA at the end of the month.
There is entertainment every night in the Royal Theatre and so far we have seen a wonderful singer who won the Ed McMahon talent show in the US and its counterpart in England. There was a great show called “Celtic Heartbeat” that was an imitator of “Riverdance” and a comedian. Which brings me to the passengers: There are young people on board but the average age is probably in the sixties. Small percentages (2-3%) have canes, wheelchairs, walkers and oxygen tanks. I really admire the people that won’t stop and keep experiencing life. However the comedian made two observations: His grandfather stained furniture – but he didn’t mean to and he had one audience that didn’t laugh at all but at the end of the show there wasn’t a dry seat in the house.
More to come.
We were assigned a table for 10 but have only nine dining with us each evening for dinner. Two couples from England, an older gentleman (late 80’s) from England, a bon vivant from Canada (more to come) a neighbor from Bethesda (can you believe it!). Almost 800 passengers are cruising “round the world” some for the fifth or sixth time and more. Our Canadian friend, Don Brody is on this 10th trip but is only traveling to Los Angeles this time. Don is the very, very friendly type and talks to everyone. He knows the staff from prior voyages and salutes them with a thumbs up and memories of cruises past. He is really delightful and is perfect for this setting. He sends out more than 450 Christmas cards each year to people he has met cruising. He has lots of stories and is a “topper” of all stories told. He lives with his sister outside of Toronto and is very involved with charity work and is on the board of a college in Nebraska. He seems to spend most of his time running his family’s foundations. More to follow about other table mates later.
The food so far is wonderful. There are lots of choices and variety. Dinner is with the same guests and the same table each evening (with a table of nine we all rotate each night). Lunch and breakfast are served in the same dining area but it is open seating. There are lots of other locations to dine on board and Sandy and I have been using room service for breakfast and sitting out on our balcony and staring at the ocean. As I write this we are at sea off the coast of Cuba and it is in the high 70’s with a wonderful breeze.
Yesterday we docked at Port Lauderdale and we took a tour of the Everglades. We went on an airboat with a flat bottom and a large driving propeller at the stern and “skimmed” the surface of the shallow waters. We saw alligators and lots of birds. It’s a quite beautiful spot. The weather was hot and humid but the speed of the boat made it comfortable. The boat seated about 40 people and was so loud they hand out earplugs. After the ride we attended an alligator demonstration. The alligators were called by name and the ranger hand fed them.
Back on the bus our guide told us that after WWII the Army Corps of engineers went to Australia to obtain seeds of two hardy trees to plant in the Everglades as these specific trees drink lots of water and the goal was to dry out the Everglades. It worked too well. The Everglades at one time extended to Orlando and now are about 40 miles south of Orlando. So they set about killing the trees but the problem was with this variety of tree if you attack them they immediately drop all of their seeds and you get more trees. Only recently have they started to make small incisions and planting poison to kill the tree over a longer period. So for those who have visited Florida that explains the stands of leafless trees.
Sandy and I were both a bit homesick and Sandy really missed the kids and grandkids. She made many calls but didn’t reach anyone. Next chance on our cell phone will be LA at the end of the month.
There is entertainment every night in the Royal Theatre and so far we have seen a wonderful singer who won the Ed McMahon talent show in the US and its counterpart in England. There was a great show called “Celtic Heartbeat” that was an imitator of “Riverdance” and a comedian. Which brings me to the passengers: There are young people on board but the average age is probably in the sixties. Small percentages (2-3%) have canes, wheelchairs, walkers and oxygen tanks. I really admire the people that won’t stop and keep experiencing life. However the comedian made two observations: His grandfather stained furniture – but he didn’t mean to and he had one audience that didn’t laugh at all but at the end of the show there wasn’t a dry seat in the house.
More to come.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
First update
Thursday we flew to NYC and had a small problem with our boarding pass because there was another Tom and and Sandy Bresnahan flying Delta from Albany NY to Cincinnati - how’s that for a coincidence? –
The plane was a small 50 seater with 3 seats across. When we settled in our seats an invisible baton swirled in the air to conduct the sneeze concerto. Achoo, Blatt, snort, kerchoo sounds rose all around us leading to the first two questions of the trip: How quickly do you have to adust your airflow vent to direct air down and away from the front of of your face? Does it do any good.? We talked to a young woman on her way to study in Ghana and a guy (poring over a Turkey guide book) on his way to a 10 day vacation in Turkey.
15th floor of the Mariott in Times Square, dinner in the hotel and the first report that there may be a snow storm on Saturday.
Friday we walked over to Saint Patrick’s to light candles in very cold, windy weather. Always feels good to be in New York. We then braved our way back through the wind for lunch at the hotel . Friday night taxied to Lincoln Center for the wonderful production of “South Pacific”. We were 4 rows from the stage and I had one seat next to me on the aisle. A heavy set gentleman with a cane arrived and filled up the whole seat and then some. He said he would tell me a very romantic story. Seems he and his wife attended “South Pacific” New Years Eve 1954. He mentioned holding hands with her and how much they had enjoyed the play. A quietness hung there and Sandy and I were feeling a bit sorry for him but also thinking how great it was that he was attending the play and how nostalgic and sentimental a moment. After a few minutes of conversation I mentioned something about his wife and he replied that she was sitting several rows back as they could not get seats together.
As it it turned out she did have an empty seat near her and at intermission he joined her for the second act and I returned to breathing normally.
Saturday a bus to the ship and room 6042 on the sixth level. The ship is beautiful and well decorated.
At dinner we learned it was a very rough crossing from England and the passengers were bounced around a bit. One couple said their floor buckled and the bed rose up and down off the deck in the worst of it. It was explained to us that The Queen Victoria is built like a ship compared to the Queen Mary II built as an ocean liner. As I write this on our second day at sea I can report that we are a bit bouncy (pitching and rolling) but the weather has been rainy and windy with gusts up to 35 knots. We toured the ship and we were told by an American staff person (one of two on board)that the security for the Queen Victoria cruise is above us and beside us and below us. Planes, subs and ships – so bring on the Gulf of Aden… Speaking of guests we have met some interesting people so far that will find their way into the blog as we go along.
Queen Victoria ship facts: Maiden voyage: 11 December 2007
Gross tonnage:90,049 Length: 964.5 feet Width: 106 feet Draft: 25.9 feet Height: 179 feet with guest capacity of 1,980
The plane was a small 50 seater with 3 seats across. When we settled in our seats an invisible baton swirled in the air to conduct the sneeze concerto. Achoo, Blatt, snort, kerchoo sounds rose all around us leading to the first two questions of the trip: How quickly do you have to adust your airflow vent to direct air down and away from the front of of your face? Does it do any good.? We talked to a young woman on her way to study in Ghana and a guy (poring over a Turkey guide book) on his way to a 10 day vacation in Turkey.
15th floor of the Mariott in Times Square, dinner in the hotel and the first report that there may be a snow storm on Saturday.
Friday we walked over to Saint Patrick’s to light candles in very cold, windy weather. Always feels good to be in New York. We then braved our way back through the wind for lunch at the hotel . Friday night taxied to Lincoln Center for the wonderful production of “South Pacific”. We were 4 rows from the stage and I had one seat next to me on the aisle. A heavy set gentleman with a cane arrived and filled up the whole seat and then some. He said he would tell me a very romantic story. Seems he and his wife attended “South Pacific” New Years Eve 1954. He mentioned holding hands with her and how much they had enjoyed the play. A quietness hung there and Sandy and I were feeling a bit sorry for him but also thinking how great it was that he was attending the play and how nostalgic and sentimental a moment. After a few minutes of conversation I mentioned something about his wife and he replied that she was sitting several rows back as they could not get seats together.
As it it turned out she did have an empty seat near her and at intermission he joined her for the second act and I returned to breathing normally.
Saturday a bus to the ship and room 6042 on the sixth level. The ship is beautiful and well decorated.
At dinner we learned it was a very rough crossing from England and the passengers were bounced around a bit. One couple said their floor buckled and the bed rose up and down off the deck in the worst of it. It was explained to us that The Queen Victoria is built like a ship compared to the Queen Mary II built as an ocean liner. As I write this on our second day at sea I can report that we are a bit bouncy (pitching and rolling) but the weather has been rainy and windy with gusts up to 35 knots. We toured the ship and we were told by an American staff person (one of two on board)that the security for the Queen Victoria cruise is above us and beside us and below us. Planes, subs and ships – so bring on the Gulf of Aden… Speaking of guests we have met some interesting people so far that will find their way into the blog as we go along.
Queen Victoria ship facts: Maiden voyage: 11 December 2007
Gross tonnage:90,049 Length: 964.5 feet Width: 106 feet Draft: 25.9 feet Height: 179 feet with guest capacity of 1,980
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