Those of you who are paying close attention may remember my comment about infrequently visited 'little' cities in the 20 December posting. ...... Then again, you may not. I had to look it up.
Puerto Quetzel, Guatemala; Corinto, Nicaragua; and Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica are working commercial ports. Containers pile high everywhere. Freighters arrive empty and leave full all day long. Ditto eighteen wheelers. Men in hard hats swarm purposefully everywhere.
Sometimes tourists can walk into the local, tiny market (staying always between carefully ropes, rails, or drawn lines). Sometimes the ship or the city provides a free back-and-forth shuttle. All of the excursions travel to other, sometimes well-known, sometimes bigger cities, farms, places of interest.
Average daytime was about 95F with high humidity.
As easily predicted, I visited the local markets. Handmade arts, crafts, and clothing (especially the fabrics items) were gorgeous, well made, and reasonably priced. The sellers wanted to make sales but, IMO, were pleasant while strongly making that point. The markets were shaded by spreading trees and cooled by ocean breezes. I enjoyed each of them.
Most of the ship passengers went on excursions. The scenery (think river deltas, jungle-covered mountains, volcanoes smoldering or otherwise) is truly awe-inspiring. Most of the people I spoke to had a wonderful time. ...... Many of them noticed it was hot.
I consider these days highly successful.
The best part of this trip is rapidly evolving into a separate posting. Be patient. I'll get there.
Tuesday, December 25, 2018
Friday, December 21, 2018
20 December 2018, Recap Last Five Days, Give Or Take
Let me begin by saying anyone reading this expecting zip lines over the jungle, rock climbing over the ocean, intense Bingo competitions, elaborate evening tangos, and 'today I walked around the deck thirty two laps in 90 degree temperatures' is going to be sorely disappointed.
I did manage 1.5 miles on the treadmill one day (and have been on it - and actually in motion - every day. But walking outside under a Central American sun? Ain't gonna happen.
IMO yet apropos, the opposite of the 'wind chill factor' is the 'tropical sun' factor. 85F is pleasantly warm, right? Not so much in these here parts. The temp the body perceives, and sweats to, is about 97F. Add near 100% humidity. It. Is. Hot.
Of course any- and every-one taking this cruise is not looking for crisp, chilly weather. Most of them get plenty of that at home.
Which leads me to Repositioning Cruises.
(Maybe this is not an intuitive leap ....but the transition makes sense to me and I am the one doing the typing.)
Fair Warning. Someday I may research this. For now, I am merely speculating based on what I saw happening over the last 15ish years.
Most cruise ships spend a season in a general location (think, Alaska or Iceland in U.S. Summer; Caribbean or Central America in U.S. Winter).
Which leads to the problem of repositioning the ships from there to here.
This used to be a real, expensive, necessary activity for the cruise lines. Some of them sold a few staterooms to a few hearty souls. Some of them sailed empty. Sailing long distances empty is NOT an example of a successful profit plan.
Someone realized, 'Hey, this is not a necessary activity! This is a problem!'
Let me insert here, trans-ocean cruises tend to sell out completely and fast: There are many travelers who want to hang out in a floating resort for days.
Someone thought, 'Gosh, maybe there are passengers who would pay to sail from there to here. Let's advertise a repositioning cruise at extremely reduced rates and see what happens.'
It was so arranged.
Floating resort type travelers screamed with joy and filled the ships.
So, costly repositioning cruises began to show a profit.
Rates began creeping up and - I'm guessing here - profits hit a limit and stayed there.
Someone got smarter. 'Hey guys! If we lengthen the transit-time, throw in a few rarely-visited ports we're going to pass anyway, and maybe we can expand our customer base beyond trans-ocean resort-dwellers.'
I hope whoever thought of that got a nice promotion.
Repositioning cruises (going from the summer route to the winter route or doing the visa versa) wind their way via less well visited ports and lots of sea days. Rates are no longer reduced, some are even increased. But the itineraries are always varied, frequently one of a kind.
Profit center, up and running, check.
Now let's recap my adventures 12/16 - 12/20.
Anyway.......
12/16. sea day, painting class, geography lecture, rare gemstone lecture (which gem? Danged if I remember), read, eat, talk, eat, walk, eat, nap, eat. (If you suspect there is a pattern here, you ain't too far from right.) The painting teacher gave us example turtles which we "interpreted" and painted. Not surprisingly, my turtle took on a cartoonish quality (hey, it's my gift) and I didn't actually finish painting it.
Tah-Dah! ............ No tah-dah .......... once I figure out how to save and link photos, this entry will be illustrated. For now, I just want to push 'publish' on something. (Dang, the method that used to work appears to have ceased to exist.)
12/17. Cabo San Lucas, resort town, parasailing, swimming, sunbathing, Jamaica style music. John and I could have boarded a bus and traveled an hour or so to see an almost-identical town but we rose above temptation. We tendered into port, wandered around the tourist area briefly then returned to the ship.
12/18, 19, 20. Sea days. Interesting lectures. Hilarious crowd trivia games. More painting. Dancing under the stars. Avoiding the evening shows. Met a lot of interesting fellow-passengers. The BEST (to me) part of the last three days (beyond the sheer stay-busy but accomplish very little aspect of sea days) will be covered in the next stirring chapter of this epic.
OH BTW and PS, a comment on less frequently visited ports.
AKA exotic,
AKA frequently totally not prepared to deal with an influx of tourists,
AKA actually very interesting in a non-glam, real-world way,
AKA frequently commercial ports with convoluted access to anything but containers and container ships.....
I love 'em. They have such enthusiasm. They appreciate tourists and do their very best to ensure all tourists have a good (and fiscally profitable) time.
Before we sail, I study them carefully. Sometimes I decide to admire them from afar. But then, I regularly declare I am having a sea day while the ship is in port. But that may just be me.
I did manage 1.5 miles on the treadmill one day (and have been on it - and actually in motion - every day. But walking outside under a Central American sun? Ain't gonna happen.
IMO yet apropos, the opposite of the 'wind chill factor' is the 'tropical sun' factor. 85F is pleasantly warm, right? Not so much in these here parts. The temp the body perceives, and sweats to, is about 97F. Add near 100% humidity. It. Is. Hot.
Of course any- and every-one taking this cruise is not looking for crisp, chilly weather. Most of them get plenty of that at home.
Which leads me to Repositioning Cruises.
(Maybe this is not an intuitive leap ....but the transition makes sense to me and I am the one doing the typing.)
Fair Warning. Someday I may research this. For now, I am merely speculating based on what I saw happening over the last 15ish years.
Most cruise ships spend a season in a general location (think, Alaska or Iceland in U.S. Summer; Caribbean or Central America in U.S. Winter).
Which leads to the problem of repositioning the ships from there to here.
This used to be a real, expensive, necessary activity for the cruise lines. Some of them sold a few staterooms to a few hearty souls. Some of them sailed empty. Sailing long distances empty is NOT an example of a successful profit plan.
Someone realized, 'Hey, this is not a necessary activity! This is a problem!'
Let me insert here, trans-ocean cruises tend to sell out completely and fast: There are many travelers who want to hang out in a floating resort for days.
Someone thought, 'Gosh, maybe there are passengers who would pay to sail from there to here. Let's advertise a repositioning cruise at extremely reduced rates and see what happens.'
It was so arranged.
Floating resort type travelers screamed with joy and filled the ships.
So, costly repositioning cruises began to show a profit.
Rates began creeping up and - I'm guessing here - profits hit a limit and stayed there.
Someone got smarter. 'Hey guys! If we lengthen the transit-time, throw in a few rarely-visited ports we're going to pass anyway, and maybe we can expand our customer base beyond trans-ocean resort-dwellers.'
I hope whoever thought of that got a nice promotion.
Repositioning cruises (going from the summer route to the winter route or doing the visa versa) wind their way via less well visited ports and lots of sea days. Rates are no longer reduced, some are even increased. But the itineraries are always varied, frequently one of a kind.
Profit center, up and running, check.
Now let's recap my adventures 12/16 - 12/20.
Anyway.......
12/16. sea day, painting class, geography lecture, rare gemstone lecture (which gem? Danged if I remember), read, eat, talk, eat, walk, eat, nap, eat. (If you suspect there is a pattern here, you ain't too far from right.) The painting teacher gave us example turtles which we "interpreted" and painted. Not surprisingly, my turtle took on a cartoonish quality (hey, it's my gift) and I didn't actually finish painting it.
Tah-Dah! ............ No tah-dah .......... once I figure out how to save and link photos, this entry will be illustrated. For now, I just want to push 'publish' on something. (Dang, the method that used to work appears to have ceased to exist.)
12/17. Cabo San Lucas, resort town, parasailing, swimming, sunbathing, Jamaica style music. John and I could have boarded a bus and traveled an hour or so to see an almost-identical town but we rose above temptation. We tendered into port, wandered around the tourist area briefly then returned to the ship.
12/18, 19, 20. Sea days. Interesting lectures. Hilarious crowd trivia games. More painting. Dancing under the stars. Avoiding the evening shows. Met a lot of interesting fellow-passengers. The BEST (to me) part of the last three days (beyond the sheer stay-busy but accomplish very little aspect of sea days) will be covered in the next stirring chapter of this epic.
OH BTW and PS, a comment on less frequently visited ports.
AKA exotic,
AKA frequently totally not prepared to deal with an influx of tourists,
AKA actually very interesting in a non-glam, real-world way,
AKA frequently commercial ports with convoluted access to anything but containers and container ships.....
I love 'em. They have such enthusiasm. They appreciate tourists and do their very best to ensure all tourists have a good (and fiscally profitable) time.
Before we sail, I study them carefully. Sometimes I decide to admire them from afar. But then, I regularly declare I am having a sea day while the ship is in port. But that may just be me.
Sunday, December 16, 2018
16 December, 2018: yesterday's sea day
Yesterday I attended a lecture on the geopolitical impact of plate tectonics on the squiggly little bit of land that connects the North and South Americas. AKA: where we're going.
The emphasis was heavy on volcanoes, earthquakes, and the plastic way the land masses of earth play a sort of slo-mo slip-n-slide (with a few spoiler alerts about future political lectures about why the Panama Canal is in Panama)...............(No, it isn't just because calling something 'Panama Canal' and locating it in Nicaragua would have been just too weird.)
I didn't learn anything I didn't already know. But the speaker gave a good, solid, informative, amusing lecture (with lots of slides) so, I had a good time.
It definitely reminded me how much I missed well planned and presented lectures on the last few trips.
From that I went to watercolor painting class (this was inaugural: the first time Viking offered this kind of activity). 20 of us found our way to the back of a restaurant, dressed up in cheap, easily torn aprons, listened to a brief lecture/demo, then, with examples in front of us, started painting. 30ish people gathered around to watch......most of them got bored and vanished.
A few people took this very seriously, explained they already knew how to create great art (looking at the end-results, one of those souls was accurate and the rest were, perhaps, overly optimistic). A whole lot of people were scared but determined to try (and sadly intimidated by the show off big mouths).
I threw myself into the adventure with no-skin-in-this-game abandon and created a very satisfactory chaotic blob. (Photo to be inserted later today). The not at all subtle differences between watercolor about acrylic painting = not one of my painting instincts is valid. That was fun.
Today we are going to draw and paint a turtle.
That covers the highlights of a pleasant day.
I hope all of you had/are having great days!
The emphasis was heavy on volcanoes, earthquakes, and the plastic way the land masses of earth play a sort of slo-mo slip-n-slide (with a few spoiler alerts about future political lectures about why the Panama Canal is in Panama)...............(No, it isn't just because calling something 'Panama Canal' and locating it in Nicaragua would have been just too weird.)
I didn't learn anything I didn't already know. But the speaker gave a good, solid, informative, amusing lecture (with lots of slides) so, I had a good time.
It definitely reminded me how much I missed well planned and presented lectures on the last few trips.
From that I went to watercolor painting class (this was inaugural: the first time Viking offered this kind of activity). 20 of us found our way to the back of a restaurant, dressed up in cheap, easily torn aprons, listened to a brief lecture/demo, then, with examples in front of us, started painting. 30ish people gathered around to watch......most of them got bored and vanished.
A few people took this very seriously, explained they already knew how to create great art (looking at the end-results, one of those souls was accurate and the rest were, perhaps, overly optimistic). A whole lot of people were scared but determined to try (and sadly intimidated by the show off big mouths).
I threw myself into the adventure with no-skin-in-this-game abandon and created a very satisfactory chaotic blob. (Photo to be inserted later today). The not at all subtle differences between watercolor about acrylic painting = not one of my painting instincts is valid. That was fun.
Today we are going to draw and paint a turtle.
That covers the highlights of a pleasant day.
I hope all of you had/are having great days!
Saturday, December 15, 2018
15 December, 2018 Review Yesterday's Adventures In San Diego
Yesterday's adventurous were, to misquote Mark Twain, of a mild sort.
I was jet lagged as heck and so declared a sea day. Meaning I stayed onboard, explored the ship (nothing significant - or noticeable - has changed in the intervening year), met people, read, and generally lived the low activity life.
John went on the three hour drive around, see the city excursion we had booked. He had a great time (kept texting 'I saw a blah-blah you would have loved'). Reminded me I attended a great work convention here decades ago. Always meant to come back on vaycay. That action has now returned to my to-do list.
Today and tomorrow are sea days as we charge steadily Southward in search of warm weather and exotic locations (next stop, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico). At 11:00 every sea day I am signed up to attend a watercolor painting class (last time I tried watercolor the results and expectations were hilariously out of sync).
I met a lot of lecturers yesterday. (Happy Dance, the last few trips lacked interesting speakers.) Once I review the Day's Activities schedule, I am looking forward to listening and learning many new things. There are places to set up the old laptop and work on finishing that short story that is going to make me rich and famous.......okay, that is going to be a lot of fun to finish crafting. And then, there's always the treadmill.
Today and tomorrow won't be hyper. But they will be fun.
I was jet lagged as heck and so declared a sea day. Meaning I stayed onboard, explored the ship (nothing significant - or noticeable - has changed in the intervening year), met people, read, and generally lived the low activity life.
John went on the three hour drive around, see the city excursion we had booked. He had a great time (kept texting 'I saw a blah-blah you would have loved'). Reminded me I attended a great work convention here decades ago. Always meant to come back on vaycay. That action has now returned to my to-do list.
Today and tomorrow are sea days as we charge steadily Southward in search of warm weather and exotic locations (next stop, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico). At 11:00 every sea day I am signed up to attend a watercolor painting class (last time I tried watercolor the results and expectations were hilariously out of sync).
I met a lot of lecturers yesterday. (Happy Dance, the last few trips lacked interesting speakers.) Once I review the Day's Activities schedule, I am looking forward to listening and learning many new things. There are places to set up the old laptop and work on finishing that short story that is going to make me rich and famous.......okay, that is going to be a lot of fun to finish crafting. And then, there's always the treadmill.
Today and tomorrow won't be hyper. But they will be fun.
Friday, December 14, 2018
14 December 2018: Another Trip Has Launched
Yesterday was travel day. In this case, fly across a country-wide North-South storm system from Atlanta to Los Vegas. Considering we were surfing against the waves (as a pretty lame metaphor), the flight was relatively calm. Pressure changes in my ears told me the plane was rushing up and down like a roller coaster. The pilot's announcements (we're up to 40,000 feet trying to get over it, down at 30,000 feet now trying to sneak under it........) reinforced my ears and left me quite sympathetic with them.
Having said the trip was not nearly as bumpy and rough as it could have been, let me add it was one of the most adrenaline-fraught trips to date.
It started in the Delta Sky Lounge where a gentleman seated at nearby table had some kind of 'Call 911' attack. Others sprang to his service so we stayed out of the way and sent healing thoughts.
Then, when the plane had landed and the fasten seat belts sign had gone dark, suddenly an announcement rang out: Everyone return to your seats, clear the aisle immediately, there is a medical emergency at the back of the plane, all connecting flights are being notified there is a delay, clear the aisle! Okay. Keep talking to the new friends seated around us.
THEN, after we retrieved our checked luggage and trusted it to the 'it will appear in your stateroom in a few hours' gods, we joined the group waiting for transfer to ship. And waiting. And standing around waiting. One gent was pushing his wheelchair bound wife. Not unusual given the average age of Viking Cruise Line clientele. Except she was in the wheelchair because she just fell down the escalator. And hit her head. Because they didn't want to be late for or miss the cruise, they opted for a wheelchair. Because she was conscious and somewhat able to speak, the airport let them do it. As we waited, she kept slumping and having intermittent trouble understanding words (I was neither spying nor helping, I was stuck en queue listening). Somehow, I expect to hear more about her on the grapevine today.
Anyway, We're back on the Viking Star. Same ship as last year's holiday cruise. I suspect we're in the same cabin, but it is unlikely I'll take the trouble to verify that. The nice part is seeing several old friends among the staff. Ship personnel cycle frequently, but I have found old friends among Guest Relations, serving and cleaning staff.
Dinner was with Terri and John, the Wisconsin couple we met on last year's cruise. Last minute, and subsequent to a phenomenal offer from Viking, they decided to join us this year. They are delightful.
At 05:30 a few of us early risers watched the pilot from San Diego come onboard. At noon we are scheduled for a simple drive-around sightseeing tour ( a three hour tour). This gives the late-riser, whose name starts with John) time to regain consciousness.
It looks like a great day to finish unpacking (and find my hairbrush).
Having said the trip was not nearly as bumpy and rough as it could have been, let me add it was one of the most adrenaline-fraught trips to date.
It started in the Delta Sky Lounge where a gentleman seated at nearby table had some kind of 'Call 911' attack. Others sprang to his service so we stayed out of the way and sent healing thoughts.
Then, when the plane had landed and the fasten seat belts sign had gone dark, suddenly an announcement rang out: Everyone return to your seats, clear the aisle immediately, there is a medical emergency at the back of the plane, all connecting flights are being notified there is a delay, clear the aisle! Okay. Keep talking to the new friends seated around us.
THEN, after we retrieved our checked luggage and trusted it to the 'it will appear in your stateroom in a few hours' gods, we joined the group waiting for transfer to ship. And waiting. And standing around waiting. One gent was pushing his wheelchair bound wife. Not unusual given the average age of Viking Cruise Line clientele. Except she was in the wheelchair because she just fell down the escalator. And hit her head. Because they didn't want to be late for or miss the cruise, they opted for a wheelchair. Because she was conscious and somewhat able to speak, the airport let them do it. As we waited, she kept slumping and having intermittent trouble understanding words (I was neither spying nor helping, I was stuck en queue listening). Somehow, I expect to hear more about her on the grapevine today.
Anyway, We're back on the Viking Star. Same ship as last year's holiday cruise. I suspect we're in the same cabin, but it is unlikely I'll take the trouble to verify that. The nice part is seeing several old friends among the staff. Ship personnel cycle frequently, but I have found old friends among Guest Relations, serving and cleaning staff.
Dinner was with Terri and John, the Wisconsin couple we met on last year's cruise. Last minute, and subsequent to a phenomenal offer from Viking, they decided to join us this year. They are delightful.
At 05:30 a few of us early risers watched the pilot from San Diego come onboard. At noon we are scheduled for a simple drive-around sightseeing tour ( a three hour tour). This gives the late-riser, whose name starts with John) time to regain consciousness.
It looks like a great day to finish unpacking (and find my hairbrush).
Monday, June 11, 2018
6/11 Home Again
Night before last we spent in the Portland Airport Embassy Suites. The non-stop flight leaving at 13:00 we originally booked morphed into leave at 09:30, brief layover in Salt Lake City (the outgoing plane began boarding before the incoming plane arrived ...... it only worked because (a) most of the passengers on the outgoing had also lost their original booking, and (b) the gates were separated by the time it takes to ask, 'Now, where's gate C7?'
Anyway, the hotel took me back to Dan's Celebration. I kept trying to get off the elevator on the wrong floor.
Portland airport is low-key and pleasant. Not the best place I have ever killed a morning, but definitely not the worst.
The flights were fine. Pilots managed to circumvent some bad weather. We stumbled into home about 20:45.
So, it's time for a nap!
Night before last we spent in the Portland Airport Embassy Suites. The non-stop flight leaving at 13:00 we originally booked morphed into leave at 09:30, brief layover in Salt Lake City (the outgoing plane began boarding before the incoming plane arrived ...... it only worked because (a) most of the passengers on the outgoing had also lost their original booking, and (b) the gates were separated by the time it takes to ask, 'Now, where's gate C7?'
Anyway, the hotel took me back to Dan's Celebration. I kept trying to get off the elevator on the wrong floor.
Portland airport is low-key and pleasant. Not the best place I have ever killed a morning, but definitely not the worst.
 |
| Great Children's Play Area |
 |
| Made Me Wish I Was A Child |
The flights were fine. Pilots managed to circumvent some bad weather. We stumbled into home about 20:45.
 |
| Decorative Undersea Life |
Saturday, June 9, 2018
6/6 - 6/8 Mama, I got them old Willamette Valley blues
Actually, no blues except music drifting out of the occasional restaurant/bar. Wednesday we walked to McMinnville, explored a lot, shopped a little. Did some wine tasting at The Naked Winery just to prove we are in wine country.
Because our lovely rental doesn't have cable, John bought a Roku stick. Entertainment freedom!
Wednesday evening we drove to Dundee to meet Kathy's and Ben at the Dundee Bistro. To celebrate Ben's birthday and all four of us being on the same continent and in the same state. Which don't happen often.
Nice scenery on the way. Beautiful Spring day. Wine tasting when we arrived early, of course. After awhile I texted our location to Kathy. She replied, that's nice.....but we are meeting tomorrow. Her language skills expanded as she tried to figure out what my reply, ROFLMAO, meant.
Thursday was very laid back. Walked and explored some. John watched a big game. Nancy worked on the next community presentation (the one that may get our house egged). I went shopping and found a great cold-weather dress at Goodwill.
Dinner with K&B was delightful.
Friday, cold rain. More laid backedness.
Saturday, quiet morning. Pleasant drive to the airport hotel from which, tomorrow morning, we make the long trek home.
Dinner time. CYA later!
Actually, no blues except music drifting out of the occasional restaurant/bar. Wednesday we walked to McMinnville, explored a lot, shopped a little. Did some wine tasting at The Naked Winery just to prove we are in wine country.
Because our lovely rental doesn't have cable, John bought a Roku stick. Entertainment freedom!
Wednesday evening we drove to Dundee to meet Kathy's and Ben at the Dundee Bistro. To celebrate Ben's birthday and all four of us being on the same continent and in the same state. Which don't happen often.
Nice scenery on the way. Beautiful Spring day. Wine tasting when we arrived early, of course. After awhile I texted our location to Kathy. She replied, that's nice.....but we are meeting tomorrow. Her language skills expanded as she tried to figure out what my reply, ROFLMAO, meant.
Thursday was very laid back. Walked and explored some. John watched a big game. Nancy worked on the next community presentation (the one that may get our house egged). I went shopping and found a great cold-weather dress at Goodwill.
Dinner with K&B was delightful.
Friday, cold rain. More laid backedness.
Saturday, quiet morning. Pleasant drive to the airport hotel from which, tomorrow morning, we make the long trek home.
Dinner time. CYA later!
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
6/6 The Oregon Trail - off to a screeching stop
The PLAN sounded good.
When we were unable to go to Oregon for the eclipse, the VRBO we cancelled said, Hey anytime you are around, we'll apply what you paid towards future rental. Very nice.
So we added a few days and, having nothing better to do, prepared to scamper off across the country to the land of red wines, fresh seafood, and legal marijuana. At the airport, as they were loaded passengers who need extras time or help in boarding, someone accidentally deployed one of the emergency exit slides. Not good. Once the plane is in emergency mode, you don't just deflate, roll, and take off.
Eventually the whole gaggle of frustrated passengers made the trek to a different gate to wait for a new plane to land, prep, and make an unplanned flight.
We arrived about an hour and a half late.
The drive from Portland to McMinnville was pleasant and is becoming downright familiar. The house is 1300 square feet, 4 small bedrooms, 2 tiny baths. Very nice and well maintained. The yard, as happens in this part of the world, is a delightful jungle.
Turns out combining a long day's travel, intermittent yet small meals, time zone changes, and grass don't work so well for Nancy. After dinner my body kept falling asleep.....creating the effect of medical twilight anesthesia or severe short term memory loss. I was asleep 19:00 and slept well until 05:00.
It's gonna be a good day!
When we were unable to go to Oregon for the eclipse, the VRBO we cancelled said, Hey anytime you are around, we'll apply what you paid towards future rental. Very nice.
So we added a few days and, having nothing better to do, prepared to scamper off across the country to the land of red wines, fresh seafood, and legal marijuana. At the airport, as they were loaded passengers who need extras time or help in boarding, someone accidentally deployed one of the emergency exit slides. Not good. Once the plane is in emergency mode, you don't just deflate, roll, and take off.
Eventually the whole gaggle of frustrated passengers made the trek to a different gate to wait for a new plane to land, prep, and make an unplanned flight.
We arrived about an hour and a half late.
 |
| rental facade |
 |
| backyard |
It's gonna be a good day!
 | |
| view towards the front |
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
5/13 Jeanu (joo-no), 5/14 Ketchikan (catch-ee-can), 5/15 a-sailing we shall go, 5/17 make a run for it
Jeanu
Alaska's capital can be accessed only via water or air. No one can just jump in their car and drive over to yell at the government. Whether this is good planning or sheer luck, who knows? Symbolically (for the people, by the people), it kinda limps.
Anyway, it was 46 degrees and raining. So Nancy had another sea day.
The film crew was hard at work getting final shots in multiple ship' locations. I had a blast watching them: it was home staging with a two dimensional twist. At one point they needed to bring a glint of light into a comfortable but dark corner of a bar. The search for the perfect, single white rose in a small, clear vase took scouring eight public spaces and two cabins.
Oh, I remember those days. And how great it feels & looks when it all goes right.
In a couple of months I get to view the results on the Regent website.
Ketchikan
The day dawned cold but the skies were blue! Out we go. Board the bus to go take a cruise of the bay followed by a crab feast. Once we were on the bus, they told us the legal guide - the last person in Ketchikan who could lead a land/water excursion - crushed his hand in a freak accident the evening before.
So, we were going to drive around and end up at the feast.
Been there, done that. Twice. We left the bus and explored the town on foot.
Coulda been worse. One of the boats that did have a guide also had an engine blow in the middle of the bay. They got to bob around in the middle of the bay as small motor boats rescued them a few at a time.
Apparently the crab feast was magnificent. Just what poor starving travelers (there are only four restaurants on Marina) needed.
It was a good day. Them whose happiness depends on expectations being satisfied can be disappointed. Better to take it all as it comes and enjoy the salted caramel while it is on the ice cream.
Sea day
Peaceful packing, last minute filming, and, in the afternoon, lots of talking, and sailing by magnificent scenery. Very good day.
The friends we traveled with are consistently delightful. Their two BFFs, who traveled with them are marvelous. LOTS of talking and future planning.
Today
It is almost 05:30. We disembark and head for the airport about 08:00. The coffee is hot and it's all good.
Jeanu
Alaska's capital can be accessed only via water or air. No one can just jump in their car and drive over to yell at the government. Whether this is good planning or sheer luck, who knows? Symbolically (for the people, by the people), it kinda limps.
Anyway, it was 46 degrees and raining. So Nancy had another sea day.
The film crew was hard at work getting final shots in multiple ship' locations. I had a blast watching them: it was home staging with a two dimensional twist. At one point they needed to bring a glint of light into a comfortable but dark corner of a bar. The search for the perfect, single white rose in a small, clear vase took scouring eight public spaces and two cabins.
Oh, I remember those days. And how great it feels & looks when it all goes right.
In a couple of months I get to view the results on the Regent website.
Ketchikan
The day dawned cold but the skies were blue! Out we go. Board the bus to go take a cruise of the bay followed by a crab feast. Once we were on the bus, they told us the legal guide - the last person in Ketchikan who could lead a land/water excursion - crushed his hand in a freak accident the evening before.
So, we were going to drive around and end up at the feast.
Been there, done that. Twice. We left the bus and explored the town on foot.
Coulda been worse. One of the boats that did have a guide also had an engine blow in the middle of the bay. They got to bob around in the middle of the bay as small motor boats rescued them a few at a time.
Apparently the crab feast was magnificent. Just what poor starving travelers (there are only four restaurants on Marina) needed.
It was a good day. Them whose happiness depends on expectations being satisfied can be disappointed. Better to take it all as it comes and enjoy the salted caramel while it is on the ice cream.
Sea day
Peaceful packing, last minute filming, and, in the afternoon, lots of talking, and sailing by magnificent scenery. Very good day.
The friends we traveled with are consistently delightful. Their two BFFs, who traveled with them are marvelous. LOTS of talking and future planning.
Today
It is almost 05:30. We disembark and head for the airport about 08:00. The coffee is hot and it's all good.
Sunday, May 13, 2018
5/12 Skagway, Alaska
The great thing about Skagway is it is located in a circular harbor surrounded by medium, heavily forested mountains which are, in turn, surrounded and topped by high, snow-festooned, black granite mountains.
I just stand in the center of it all and feel my spirits soar up and up and up. No pictures to share (see below), but it is well worth googling.
You see there was one small problem.
Clouds. And fog. And wind. And 48 degree temperatures. And intermittent rain. And, did I mention 40 mph winds?
After stepping outside several times and almost getting blown over, I had another lovely sea day. Talked extensively with the head of housekeeping. Read. Stepped back out on deck and ran like the dickens.
Our friend, Steve, who's idea of a good time is two weeks at base camp on Mt Everest, hiked 20 miles through the wilderness and wants more.
He's going to get it. Today, 5/13, we are in Jeanu. The landscape is not as dramatic as yesterday. But the weather forecast is on par.
I'm off to find breakfast. Then step outside and see what the day brings.
Hugs to everyone.
Saturday, May 5, 2018
5/5 Here We Go Again
Regent Seven Seas Cruise line. A company we have never sailed before.....but are very hopeful about.
5/6 Fly to San Francisco, California (car takes us to the airport at 04:30 AM)
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| We leave tomorrow and I am almost packed! |
Regent Seven Seas Cruise line. A company we have never sailed before.....but are very hopeful about.
5/6 Fly to San Francisco, California (car takes us to the airport at 04:30 AM)
5/7 At Sea (sleep, recover from yesterday's looooooong day)
5/8 Astoria,
Oregon
5/9 Cruise Inside
Passage, Alaska (fjords!)
5/10 Sitka, Alaska
5/11 Cruise Hubbard
Glacier
5/12 Skagway, Alaska.
5/13 Juneau, Alaska
5/14 Ketchikan,
Alaska
5/15 Cruise Inside
Passage, Alaska
5/16 Vancouver,
British Columbia, Canada
The best part is are joining our friends from London (okay, technically from Bexley a twenty minute train ride East of London). And they are traveling with friends!
So: new people, new cruise line, fourth trip up the Inside Passage of Alaska (bu then, I am a fjord-a-holic, so this works for me).
This is gonna be good!
Temps should range from highs in the 50s down to the 30s. I am bringing a few short-sleeved, Spring-weight shirts.......but no shorts.
Now, let's all just hope the internet onboard has enough bandwidth to load blog entries.
Thursday, March 8, 2018
3/8 looking back on the last few days
Two days ago we were in Coquimbo (coh-kweem-both) Chile. We took a drive-around tour of, mostly, the city of La Serena. Each city has about 210,000 residents and stretches over miles and miles of high-density housing. It seems one heck of a lot of non-residents keep summer homes there. It was a pleasant tour. The guide understood how to show something vaguely boring and explain it in a way that sparks interest.
Day before yesterday we docked in San Antonio, took a shuttle through a small but intensely industrial part of the port, boarded a bus, and drove into the countryside to a winery. The hills, the edge of The Coastal Mountain range (think of it as the foothills of the Andes) was scrubby and somewhat forested.
'Somewhat' because the native forest has been logged. The native trees were replaced by Eucalyptus. Heavy drinkers that, since then usual heavy Winter rains have stopped happening, are needed for erosion control but are doing their part to increase desertification. The wine had a great nose. The buffet luncheon was delightful. If ever we get a stable internet connection, I will download a few photos.
Yesterday was a sea day. Nothing Much happened save for rumors about the ship's noro outbreak. As an inherent researcher I traced various rumors (future ports are refusing to let us dock, half the crew is ill - that's why service is so poor) all appear to be just rumors (the port cities need tourist money, the service was iffy before the outbreak).
Today we are somewhere else doing something else. With luck, the scenery is lovely.
With luck we keep an internet connection.......not too many satellites zooming around this far South.
Two days ago we were in Coquimbo (coh-kweem-both) Chile. We took a drive-around tour of, mostly, the city of La Serena. Each city has about 210,000 residents and stretches over miles and miles of high-density housing. It seems one heck of a lot of non-residents keep summer homes there. It was a pleasant tour. The guide understood how to show something vaguely boring and explain it in a way that sparks interest.
Day before yesterday we docked in San Antonio, took a shuttle through a small but intensely industrial part of the port, boarded a bus, and drove into the countryside to a winery. The hills, the edge of The Coastal Mountain range (think of it as the foothills of the Andes) was scrubby and somewhat forested.
'Somewhat' because the native forest has been logged. The native trees were replaced by Eucalyptus. Heavy drinkers that, since then usual heavy Winter rains have stopped happening, are needed for erosion control but are doing their part to increase desertification. The wine had a great nose. The buffet luncheon was delightful. If ever we get a stable internet connection, I will download a few photos.
Yesterday was a sea day. Nothing Much happened save for rumors about the ship's noro outbreak. As an inherent researcher I traced various rumors (future ports are refusing to let us dock, half the crew is ill - that's why service is so poor) all appear to be just rumors (the port cities need tourist money, the service was iffy before the outbreak).
Today we are somewhere else doing something else. With luck, the scenery is lovely.
With luck we keep an internet connection.......not too many satellites zooming around this far South.
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
3/6 Quick Update
When last I reported in, I mentioned the ship is sick. Passengers and crew continue disappearing. Cabin doors are blocked by big yellow tape Xs to keep the sick away from the fed.
One woman, who vanished for 48 hours, told me the ship doctor told her so many sick passengers are refusing to respect quarantine that she had 2 choices: be taped into her room or be escorted off the ship and left to find her own way home. She said she crossed her wrists and said bondage sounded like a great idea.......then sprinted the loo.
Thus far John and I are healthy as.......gosh, what's a good analogy for someone who is running around on excursions and generally being amazingly amazing?
Tomorrow is a sea day. Traveling against a major oceanic current, it may resemble a roller coaster ride. But I have some cool pictures to share.
Hint: Chilean geese are just as bossy as geese from the Northern Hemisphere.
Nighty-night.
When last I reported in, I mentioned the ship is sick. Passengers and crew continue disappearing. Cabin doors are blocked by big yellow tape Xs to keep the sick away from the fed.
One woman, who vanished for 48 hours, told me the ship doctor told her so many sick passengers are refusing to respect quarantine that she had 2 choices: be taped into her room or be escorted off the ship and left to find her own way home. She said she crossed her wrists and said bondage sounded like a great idea.......then sprinted the loo.
Thus far John and I are healthy as.......gosh, what's a good analogy for someone who is running around on excursions and generally being amazingly amazing?
Tomorrow is a sea day. Traveling against a major oceanic current, it may resemble a roller coaster ride. But I have some cool pictures to share.
Hint: Chilean geese are just as bossy as geese from the Northern Hemisphere.
Nighty-night.
Sunday, March 4, 2018
3/4 Sea Day On A Sick Ship
Several passengers mentioned having experiencing gastrointestinal 'opportunities' yesterday. So I was not completely shocked this morning when the usually silent captain activated the loud speakers to report we got trouble in river city. In the olden days ships kept outbreaks kind of stealth. New CDC rules: if more than 1% of the ship complement (passengers and crew) report the same symptoms, everyone onboard must be notified and everywhere must be closed & sterilized. Some places (like the library and the laundromat) must be closed until 72 hours after no new symptoms / illness is reported.
Wish I had done laundry this morning (of course, I already have several books - ship libraries tend to be fascinating).
So, today we sailed. Watched schools of dolphins cavorting. Sailed. Noshed. Sailed. Napped. Talked. Rocked and rolled mildly as we fight our way South through the Humbolt Current.
I might be wrong, but I suspect a certain amount of drinking may have happened.......might still be happening.
I worked on a presentation I am giving to the community in a few months.
Except for the people losing unplanned weight, it was a pretty good day.
Several passengers mentioned having experiencing gastrointestinal 'opportunities' yesterday. So I was not completely shocked this morning when the usually silent captain activated the loud speakers to report we got trouble in river city. In the olden days ships kept outbreaks kind of stealth. New CDC rules: if more than 1% of the ship complement (passengers and crew) report the same symptoms, everyone onboard must be notified and everywhere must be closed & sterilized. Some places (like the library and the laundromat) must be closed until 72 hours after no new symptoms / illness is reported.
Wish I had done laundry this morning (of course, I already have several books - ship libraries tend to be fascinating).
So, today we sailed. Watched schools of dolphins cavorting. Sailed. Noshed. Sailed. Napped. Talked. Rocked and rolled mildly as we fight our way South through the Humbolt Current.
I might be wrong, but I suspect a certain amount of drinking may have happened.......might still be happening.
I worked on a presentation I am giving to the community in a few months.
Except for the people losing unplanned weight, it was a pretty good day.
3/3 Iquique (eee-kwee-kway), Chili
If you listen to the wind in Iquique, in the temporal distance you can hear Tennessee Ernie Ford singing 'You load sixteen tons, what do you get?.........'
In this case, you get Iquique. And saltpetre (what do gunpowder and fertilizer have in common?) mines. The mines were isolated high in the mountainous coastal desert. Each town (AKA mining business) had it's own theater, swimming pool, school, and economy.
Really, economy. Every mine paid the workers in unique tokens. Shops in each town only accepted local tokens. The only legal currency was in the hands of, thank you Ernie, the Company Store.
Not that it mattered. Working sixteen hour days probably made traveling, read 'walking' between towns over Atacama desert mountains kind of ain't gonna happen.
The old part of the city was greatly reminiscent of California gold rush towns. Mine owners lived in opulent, expansive homes. Mine workers didn't.
All gone now. The last mine closed about 1960.
Travelers today board theoretically comfy buses to explore 20 million year old fossils (giant armadillo, saber toothed tiger, towering tapirs - Disney's Ice Age series got it right), relics from the mining age, casinos, and - duty free shopping.
I say theoretically comfy buses because, well, if a bus sits all morning closed in the summer sun with broken air conditioning, 'comfy' is not quite the definition précis.
When the tour group re-boarded said bus after the first stop, Nancy - whose body temp does not regulate well - departed to walk to the ship's free shuttle. John, who is well-trained in dealing with Nancy's sense of direction, departed to shepherd me to said shuttle, then rejoined the tour at the casino. From which he also shuttled back to the ship.
In fact, I started the diaspora: everyone on the tour found alternative ways to get 'home'. And almost everyone on the tour generously took time to let Oceania know what they thought about paying to be sautéed in a bus.
We are waiting to hear what Oceania has to say about it.
May your days be merry and bright! And may all your daydreams go right!
If you listen to the wind in Iquique, in the temporal distance you can hear Tennessee Ernie Ford singing 'You load sixteen tons, what do you get?.........'
In this case, you get Iquique. And saltpetre (what do gunpowder and fertilizer have in common?) mines. The mines were isolated high in the mountainous coastal desert. Each town (AKA mining business) had it's own theater, swimming pool, school, and economy.
Really, economy. Every mine paid the workers in unique tokens. Shops in each town only accepted local tokens. The only legal currency was in the hands of, thank you Ernie, the Company Store.
Not that it mattered. Working sixteen hour days probably made traveling, read 'walking' between towns over Atacama desert mountains kind of ain't gonna happen.
The old part of the city was greatly reminiscent of California gold rush towns. Mine owners lived in opulent, expansive homes. Mine workers didn't.
All gone now. The last mine closed about 1960.
Travelers today board theoretically comfy buses to explore 20 million year old fossils (giant armadillo, saber toothed tiger, towering tapirs - Disney's Ice Age series got it right), relics from the mining age, casinos, and - duty free shopping.
I say theoretically comfy buses because, well, if a bus sits all morning closed in the summer sun with broken air conditioning, 'comfy' is not quite the definition précis.
When the tour group re-boarded said bus after the first stop, Nancy - whose body temp does not regulate well - departed to walk to the ship's free shuttle. John, who is well-trained in dealing with Nancy's sense of direction, departed to shepherd me to said shuttle, then rejoined the tour at the casino. From which he also shuttled back to the ship.
In fact, I started the diaspora: everyone on the tour found alternative ways to get 'home'. And almost everyone on the tour generously took time to let Oceania know what they thought about paying to be sautéed in a bus.
We are waiting to hear what Oceania has to say about it.
May your days be merry and bright! And may all your daydreams go right!
Friday, March 2, 2018
3/1 Pisco Peru, Paracas National Preserve, and a - distant sound of The Twilight Zone Theme - mystery
Okay, it is really Friday, 3/2 and I'll get to that excitement in a moment. First, lemme tell you about yesterday.
We docked in Pisco and I took a tour of Paracas National Preserve. Although many of my fellow-excursionators had no idea there was anything in Peru except Machu Picchu, maybe a few jungle-y trees, and a few high hills named Andes, there is more to Peru than that!
There is desert. And I do not mean a something sweet to eat after dinner (although there is plenty of that). Did you know Peru is the world's largest exporter of asparagus? Third largest grower, but #1 exporter because, to quote my excursion guide, 'those other countries actually like to eat it!!?!'
The desert is coastal. The Nature Preserve is coastal desert and, where the land crashes into the ocean it creates some pretty spectacular scenery. On average it gets less than, sometimes significantly less than, 2 ml of rain/year. Paracas means rain of sand. Which rain apparently makes those uni,pressive Saharan sandstorms look like brief and dusty afternoons. (Have I mentioned I really like the Peruvian people I have met? They are enthusiastic, positive, and just downright interested in everything they encounter.) .........
Which brings us to the mystery.........
These mysterious shapes in the sand can only be seen if you happen to be standing, flying, or jumping over them! They appear to have some inexplicable meaning (more about this later).
The 'lines' on the right appeared as if by magic one morning. No one understands where they came from......although the locals refer to them, in their picturesque language as 'dang dune buggies are destroying this place'. No one has been able to interpret the meaning of this complex phrase.
😸 Okay, that was fun. Lots of passengers did fly over the Nazca lines. Lots of passengers got really airsick 'cause the planes zipped through the air with the leastest of ease.
Of, photo #1. As far as the tiny fishing village on the coast was concerned those lines really were inexplicable. But, when NASA built roads and used that inland desert to test the early versions of the Mars Rovers, the villagers welcomed the company. Then went back to fishing and concentrating on survival.
Today, 3/2 we are docked at Arequipa (AKA Matarani). Which multi-named city is approximately 70 miles or a 3 hour desert bus ride away. When we booked excursions we noticed the shortest was about 8 hours. We stayed 'home' at a tiny industrial port. John has taken a 30ish minute shuttle ride to Mollendo (a small village until John returns with better info).
I took a nap.
For anyone interested Arequipa is going to be part of the InterOceanic Highway Peru and Brazil are building together to connect the Pacific and Atlantic via a land route.
I'm going to look that up now.
Okay, it is really Friday, 3/2 and I'll get to that excitement in a moment. First, lemme tell you about yesterday.
We docked in Pisco and I took a tour of Paracas National Preserve. Although many of my fellow-excursionators had no idea there was anything in Peru except Machu Picchu, maybe a few jungle-y trees, and a few high hills named Andes, there is more to Peru than that!
There is desert. And I do not mean a something sweet to eat after dinner (although there is plenty of that). Did you know Peru is the world's largest exporter of asparagus? Third largest grower, but #1 exporter because, to quote my excursion guide, 'those other countries actually like to eat it!!?!'
The desert is coastal. The Nature Preserve is coastal desert and, where the land crashes into the ocean it creates some pretty spectacular scenery. On average it gets less than, sometimes significantly less than, 2 ml of rain/year. Paracas means rain of sand. Which rain apparently makes those uni,pressive Saharan sandstorms look like brief and dusty afternoons. (Have I mentioned I really like the Peruvian people I have met? They are enthusiastic, positive, and just downright interested in everything they encounter.) .........
Which brings us to the mystery.........
I got great photos of the famous and infamous nonazca lines!
😸 Okay, that was fun. Lots of passengers did fly over the Nazca lines. Lots of passengers got really airsick 'cause the planes zipped through the air with the leastest of ease.
Of, photo #1. As far as the tiny fishing village on the coast was concerned those lines really were inexplicable. But, when NASA built roads and used that inland desert to test the early versions of the Mars Rovers, the villagers welcomed the company. Then went back to fishing and concentrating on survival.
Today, 3/2 we are docked at Arequipa (AKA Matarani). Which multi-named city is approximately 70 miles or a 3 hour desert bus ride away. When we booked excursions we noticed the shortest was about 8 hours. We stayed 'home' at a tiny industrial port. John has taken a 30ish minute shuttle ride to Mollendo (a small village until John returns with better info).
I took a nap.
For anyone interested Arequipa is going to be part of the InterOceanic Highway Peru and Brazil are building together to connect the Pacific and Atlantic via a land route.
I'm going to look that up now.
Thursday, March 1, 2018
3/1 At Sea, brief recap of key learnings from the last two days
1) They grow some really interesting trees in Lima.
2) Where ever you go, just look East and the Andes are waving at you
3) No photo of this one. DRIVING IN LIMA PERU IS A CONTACT SPORT. The only rules I was able to figure out are:
Okay, now I go figure out where the photos from today's excursion ended up......cause they sure didn't arrive in MY email!
1) They grow some really interesting trees in Lima.
2) Where ever you go, just look East and the Andes are waving at you
3) No photo of this one. DRIVING IN LIMA PERU IS A CONTACT SPORT. The only rules I was able to figure out are:
- Lane lines are used to keep your car centered.
- The number of lanes on a given road cannot exceed the number of cars stretched across any given point on the road divided by .8792
- The number of lanes in a roundabout cannot exceed the number of cars in, or about to enter, said roundabout.
- It is strictly not allowed to add more than two lanes to any given road shoulder.
- Turn lanes are for losers. If you plan to turn, make sure you are in a lane marked 'straight'.
- If you are riding a motorcycle or a scooter and planning to turn, make sure you are in a lane behind a turning car then cut deeply inside that car's turn radius. Coming out of the turn in front of the car is extra points.
- If any human being steps into a crosswalk ALL drivers on the road immediately stop, smile, and wave the pedestrian across the street. Noblesse happily obliges.
- I never saw an accident, not once. But watching the driving was really exciting.
Okay, now I go figure out where the photos from today's excursion ended up......cause they sure didn't arrive in MY email!
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
2/27 Lima, The Battle Of The Kettle
Okay, I am being, like, way overly dramatic with that title. It would be more accurate, but much less gripping, to call this the comedy routine of the kettle.
I believe, but am not motivated to verify, I closed the last stirring installment with news the hotel room kettle would not activate and I was - tragically - facing a morning without coffee! ( Sorry if that cliffhanger added stress to your already fraught day.)
The hotel restaurant was glad to handle the immediate emergency: caffeine and sustenance, so my survival was assured.......at 3.25 Sol to $1, at a very modest price.
The outgoing, night shift front desk apparently failed to communicate the seriousness (or existence) of our crisis to the day shift. This was easily corrected and about lunch time two young men, one housekeeping and one engineer, appeared at our door. Between them they had slightly less English than I have Spanish. But we were all game to solve the problem.
They plugged the kettle in, flipped the switch, and, after serious observation, we all agreed it didn't turn on. They then stared at the outlet. I grabbed a charger and proved the outlet had power. The housekeeper acknowledged this was now too technical for him and retreated to clean the bathroom.
The engineer poured out the existing water and tried a smaller amount (in my morning enthusiasm, I had slightly overfilled it).
No joy.
Now for the hard part. He explained in great verbal detail what he was going to do next. We shared a jolly chuckle over my expression of extreme non-comprehension. He then pointed at the kettle, pointed at his two eyes, lifted the kettle, clutched it tightly to his chest.....twinkled his eyes at me and exited as I waved bye-bye to the kettle.
A short time later he returned with a kettle. Ceremoniously he filled it. The housekeeper joined us as the engineer plugged, switched, and - to everyone's great delight - the kettle worked!
Modestly, the engineer accepted my thanks, the housekeeper glowed with happiness, and I enjoyed my post-lunch coffee. I call that a reasonable approximation of 'happily ever after'.
I really like all of the people I met in Lima, district Santiago de Surco. The energy here is strong, open and very positive.
Okay, I am being, like, way overly dramatic with that title. It would be more accurate, but much less gripping, to call this the comedy routine of the kettle.
I believe, but am not motivated to verify, I closed the last stirring installment with news the hotel room kettle would not activate and I was - tragically - facing a morning without coffee! ( Sorry if that cliffhanger added stress to your already fraught day.)
The hotel restaurant was glad to handle the immediate emergency: caffeine and sustenance, so my survival was assured.......at 3.25 Sol to $1, at a very modest price.
The outgoing, night shift front desk apparently failed to communicate the seriousness (or existence) of our crisis to the day shift. This was easily corrected and about lunch time two young men, one housekeeping and one engineer, appeared at our door. Between them they had slightly less English than I have Spanish. But we were all game to solve the problem.
They plugged the kettle in, flipped the switch, and, after serious observation, we all agreed it didn't turn on. They then stared at the outlet. I grabbed a charger and proved the outlet had power. The housekeeper acknowledged this was now too technical for him and retreated to clean the bathroom.
The engineer poured out the existing water and tried a smaller amount (in my morning enthusiasm, I had slightly overfilled it).
No joy.
Now for the hard part. He explained in great verbal detail what he was going to do next. We shared a jolly chuckle over my expression of extreme non-comprehension. He then pointed at the kettle, pointed at his two eyes, lifted the kettle, clutched it tightly to his chest.....twinkled his eyes at me and exited as I waved bye-bye to the kettle.
A short time later he returned with a kettle. Ceremoniously he filled it. The housekeeper joined us as the engineer plugged, switched, and - to everyone's great delight - the kettle worked!
Modestly, the engineer accepted my thanks, the housekeeper glowed with happiness, and I enjoyed my post-lunch coffee. I call that a reasonable approximation of 'happily ever after'.
I really like all of the people I met in Lima, district Santiago de Surco. The energy here is strong, open and very positive.
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
2/27 Lima, Peru
I'm making this entry via iPad so it may be rudimentary or mangled. If this bothers you, take a deep breath and get over it: my mind and communication skills are similarly mangled and rudimentary.
As planned a limo/SUV driver with lots of space for luggage took us to the airport yesterday. And may I comment in passing that packing no more than 50 pounds in one suitcase for almost a month traveling through seasons that range from hot, late Summer to near-antartic chill - especially when carrying laptops, iPads, face creams, foot creams, chargers, transformers (yes, the kind that twist, turn, and abruptly grow from fit-in-your-pocket sized handy devices to skyscraper-high beneficent alien beings with ulterior motives incomprehensible to mere human beings)........
Have I lost the point sufficiently yet?
Anyway, packing for this kind of trip brings the concepts of layering, compression folding, repurposing, reusing, coordinating and doing without to new highs / lows. Should I get into taking selfies, expect to see the same blue jeans and rapidly fading white t-shirt over and over and over.
We arrived at the Hilton Garden Inn in the Surco district about 01:00 AM. Very nice except the kettle doesn't work so, even after breakfasting is in the restaurant, I am severely sleep- and coffee-deprived.
Ah well, suffering for one's pleasures is SOP.
I'm making this entry via iPad so it may be rudimentary or mangled. If this bothers you, take a deep breath and get over it: my mind and communication skills are similarly mangled and rudimentary.
As planned a limo/SUV driver with lots of space for luggage took us to the airport yesterday. And may I comment in passing that packing no more than 50 pounds in one suitcase for almost a month traveling through seasons that range from hot, late Summer to near-antartic chill - especially when carrying laptops, iPads, face creams, foot creams, chargers, transformers (yes, the kind that twist, turn, and abruptly grow from fit-in-your-pocket sized handy devices to skyscraper-high beneficent alien beings with ulterior motives incomprehensible to mere human beings)........
Have I lost the point sufficiently yet?
Anyway, packing for this kind of trip brings the concepts of layering, compression folding, repurposing, reusing, coordinating and doing without to new highs / lows. Should I get into taking selfies, expect to see the same blue jeans and rapidly fading white t-shirt over and over and over.
We arrived at the Hilton Garden Inn in the Surco district about 01:00 AM. Very nice except the kettle doesn't work so, even after breakfasting is in the restaurant, I am severely sleep- and coffee-deprived.
Ah well, suffering for one's pleasures is SOP.
Monday, February 26, 2018
2/26/2018
Okay guys, here's the plan!
About 05:00 this afternoon we climb aboard the big silver bird and whoosh our way to Lima, Peru. Arrival time is midnight. (Ask me if I'm excited about that.)
From the airport we taxi to a hotel which should know we will arrive waaay tooooo early (excessive early = really late the day before).
Tomorrow is, in theory, spent exploring Lima. There is a chance it will be spent moaning and napping......I'll let you know.
Day after tomorrow about 02:00 pm we stagger via taxi and shuttle to the port, find the ship, board the ship, find our cabin, and start trying to find our way around. Hopefully we will find the main dining room in time for dinner.
Itinerary:
Wish us luck!
Okay guys, here's the plan!
About 05:00 this afternoon we climb aboard the big silver bird and whoosh our way to Lima, Peru. Arrival time is midnight. (Ask me if I'm excited about that.)
 |
| around and around we go! |
Tomorrow is, in theory, spent exploring Lima. There is a chance it will be spent moaning and napping......I'll let you know.
Day after tomorrow about 02:00 pm we stagger via taxi and shuttle to the port, find the ship, board the ship, find our cabin, and start trying to find our way around. Hopefully we will find the main dining room in time for dinner.
Itinerary:
| Feb 28 Wed | Lima/Machu Picchu (Callao), Peru | Embark 1 PM | 7 PM |
| Mar 1 Thu | Pisco/Nazca Lines, Peru | 8 AM | 2 PM |
| Mar 2 Fri | Arequipa (Matarani), Peru | 12 PM | 9 PM |
| Mar 3 Sat | Iquique, Chile | 1 PM | 9 PM |
| Mar 4 Sun | Cruising the Pacific Ocean | ||
| Mar 5 Mon | Coquimbo, Chile | 10 AM | 7 PM |
| Mar 6 Tue | Santiago de Chile (San Antonio), Chile | 10 AM | 8 PM |
| Mar 7 Wed | Cruising the Pacific Ocean | ||
| Mar 8 Thu | Puerto Montt, Chile | 8 AM | 5 PM |
| Mar 9 Fri | Puerto Chacabuco, Chile | 11 AM | 9 PM |
| Mar 10 Sat | Cruising the Chilean Fjords | ||
| Mar 11 Sun | Cruising the Chilean Fjords | ||
| Mar 12 Mon | Punta Arenas, Chile | 5 AM | 5 PM |
| Mar 13 Tue | Ushuaia, Argentina | 12 PM | 8 PM |
| Mar 14 Wed | Cruising the Atlantic Ocean | ||
| Mar 15 Thu | Port Stanley, Falkland Islands | 8 AM | 5 PM |
| Mar 16 Fri | Cruising the Atlantic Ocean | ||
| Mar 17 Sat | Cruising the Atlantic Ocean | ||
| Mar 18 Sun | Punta Del Este, Uruguay | 8 AM | 6 PM |
| Mar 19 Mon | Montevideo, Uruguay | 8 AM | 6 PM |
| Mar 20 Tue | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 8 AM | |
| Mar 21 Wed | Buenos Aires, Argentina |
Wish us luck!
Sunday, February 25, 2018
2/25/2018
It would be fair - and precisely accurate (Yes, I know that is redundant) - to say John and I are cruiseaholics.
We call cruising the Whitman's Sampler approach to travel. (And we should know, given we are certainly chocoholics!)
Do you know Whitman's Sampler? You pay one price and buy a box of candy and every piece - every single piece - is unique. Maybe you love it and wish the whole box held nothing but that. Or maybe you spit it out and wish you had never tasted it.
Same - same with cruising.
You pay one price and go to a resort. Then the resort launches itself and starts sailing. Almost every day you wake up in a new experience, in a new city, a new country, a new something. You explore the new location then return to the resort. On days the resort does not dock (AKA sea days) you spend your time relaxing in the pleasures provided by the resort.
And, everywhere you go, your hotel room - in fact the whole resort - goes with you.
Historically I have sent a more-or-less daily email update to my family. Someone, possibly overwhelmed by the sheer volume of emails, suggested I was practically writing a blog so why not go ahead and publish it?
After much (well, okay, five or six minutes) of thinking about it, I decided that was a very good idea. And here it is.
Taaah Daaah
The next trip starts tomorrow. Stay tuned.
It would be fair - and precisely accurate (Yes, I know that is redundant) - to say John and I are cruiseaholics.
We call cruising the Whitman's Sampler approach to travel. (And we should know, given we are certainly chocoholics!)
Do you know Whitman's Sampler? You pay one price and buy a box of candy and every piece - every single piece - is unique. Maybe you love it and wish the whole box held nothing but that. Or maybe you spit it out and wish you had never tasted it.
Same - same with cruising.
You pay one price and go to a resort. Then the resort launches itself and starts sailing. Almost every day you wake up in a new experience, in a new city, a new country, a new something. You explore the new location then return to the resort. On days the resort does not dock (AKA sea days) you spend your time relaxing in the pleasures provided by the resort.
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| It's a tough life, but someone has to live it! |
And, everywhere you go, your hotel room - in fact the whole resort - goes with you.
Historically I have sent a more-or-less daily email update to my family. Someone, possibly overwhelmed by the sheer volume of emails, suggested I was practically writing a blog so why not go ahead and publish it?
After much (well, okay, five or six minutes) of thinking about it, I decided that was a very good idea. And here it is.
Taaah Daaah
The next trip starts tomorrow. Stay tuned.
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