NOTE – We are in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in a dead zone for internet service, so we may not have been able to post the journal for a while.  Here is what you missed while we were out of contact:

Jan 14 – At Sea

We are now on automatic pilot.  With 8 sea days in a row, there will be little to distinguish one day from the next.  Three meals, two trivias and the occasional lecture.  Postings will be less frequent and shorter because there won’t be much to say.

We read on the back deck after breakfast this morning.  Despite crossing the equator, the weather was pleasant and neither the temperature nor the humidity was too high.  There was a nice breeze at the stern of the ship, certainly less than on the exposed sides.

Lunch today was again on the Lido Deck rather than the MDR.  There was nothing too appealing on the formal lunch, so we got food from the buffet line and French fries from the hamburger bar.  D spoke briefly with Mukti to find out if he had spoken with Julianti when we were in Manta.  He had and was just beaming from the memory.  We still have a long way to go before he has his family reunion and gets to meet their new baby.  We are excited to meet his family, too.

We attended Paul’s lecture on Polynesia after lunch.  He is a good speaker but in the dark and cold, there was some nodding off around the theater.  We decided that he lectures exactly as he talks at dinner without any artificiality.  We bought his book the other day but have yet to read it – it’s a long cruise and we will get to it soon.

The afternoon featured more reading and a short period where MA finally organized her clothes.  Our big adventure was going to the gym.  We didn’t do anything once we got there, but at least we can say we went to the gym.  Tomorrow we might even touch one of the machines. 

Actually, we found Bob and Kathy there and MA showed Kathy how to use the rowing machine.  Bob and Kathy walk upwards of 5 miles each day and work out as well.  We admire their attitude and frequently thank them for doing our share as well as their own.  We have had drinks with them before dinner several times and may even make a habit of it.  They are delightful people we met through Arthur and Linda and Cruise Critic.

We also managed to stop by the Casino several times for short forays into the world of slots without much additional damage.

We skipped the guitarist’s performance tonight but might drop in on his afternoon show tomorrow. 

And so to bed, as Mr. Pepys said.

TOMORROW – More of the same

Jan 15 – At Sea, day 2

An early breakfast with Ken and Lois preceded a session of Rappin’ with the Rabbi.  We go because we enjoy Arthur’s presentations rather than through any sense of obligation to a friend and neighbor.  While his explanations are always interesting, the conversation bounces from topic to topic.  Because of all of the asides, he sometimes loses his original topic and veers all over the place.  In other words, it really is a conversation, not a lesson or lecture.

Afterwards, we read on the side of the Lower Promenade so we could actually watch the world float by before morning Trivia.  After Trivia, we ate with Arthur and Linda in the MDR and rehashed some of the conversation from his morning presentation.  We stopped by the casino after lunch for a few fruitless minutes before heading to the Lido to read and work on the crossword puzzle.  If we were fighting with the puzzle today, it won.  MA joined Linda for a crafts class in which they made earrings while D fought with the puzzle a little more before dropping the bag with the tablets and trivia supplies in the room.  A few minutes at the blackjack table – the first time on this cruise – produced a draw [which is better than can be said for the crossword puzzle], and another few minutes on the slots returned the money he had lost earlier in the day.  At three o’clock, he went to hear the guitarist who was performing as a solo act this afternoon while MA was still crafting.  He returned to the room at 3:30 to find her there.  We read in the room for an hour or so before heading out for Pub Trivia. 

Tonight was another formal night, the second so far.  There will be 9 or 10 before we return to Florida, a far cry from “the old days” when there were normally 2 per week on every cruise, even the week-long ones.  This is just another example of HAL [and probably the other “mass market” cruise lines] abandoning the traditions of cruising.  In order to attract a younger demographic, the line has to offer what the new customers want, even on a cruise like the GWV which probably has no one who is not an experienced traveler. 

The result of “dumbing down” the cruise experience is that there are fewer formal nights and a more relaxed dress code.  When we started cruising 30 years ago [thanks to D’s parents], there were three standards of dress for dinner – formal, semi-formal and casual.  Casual dress was reserved for port days when passengers often did not have time to change from their touring outfits before early dinner.  Sports attire was accepted as long as one did not wear shorts, flip-flops and the like.  Semi-formal was renamed informal and changed from coats and ties for men to jackets without ties.  Formal dress has not changed. 

Today, there are just two dress styles, formal and smart casual.  Formal dress is no longer as fancy as it once was; despite HAL’s references to cocktail dresses and similar clothing for women and tuxedoes or dark suits for men, no one enforces the dress code, so some people dress up and others don’t.  Everyone we saw was dressed appropriately, but we have seen passengers on Grand Cruises in polo shirts or worse which sort of defeats the whole idea of having a formal night.  Many who did not want to dress up went to the Lido buffet so as not to offend the passengers who want to dress formally.

Following the oh-so-fancy dinner which featured escargot and surf-and-turf [not necessarily what we ordered], passengers were invited to the Black-and-Silver Ball in the showroom.  We went and sat with Ken and Lois and Ginger and Dave. 

The custom was to give pillow gifts on formal nights, but the only thing we found in our cabin tonight was a fancier-than-usual candy.  On the other hand, we have already received the travel bag and cruise diary, so we can’t complain.

TOMORROW – Day 3 at sea

Jan 16 – Day 3 At Sea

We have now turned the clocks back twice, so we are 2 hours behind the East Coast.  By the time we get home, we will be back on schedule but will have lost an entire day.  What day? Let’s just say we will watch the Super Bowl on Monday if we get up early enough.

This morning’s “new” activity was a presentation by the Port Lecturer on our next stop, Nuku Hiva, in the Marquesas Islands.  Nuku Hiva is approximately 50 square miles of lush tropical beauty.  In fact, Survivor was filmed here several years ago.  There are fewer than 10000 inhabitants, so when 1000 passengers descend on it, it will seem almost crowded.  Unless one takes a HAL tour, there is not much to do or see here.  Taxis are almost nonexistent and the roads are mostly single lane and unpaved.  The HAL tour groups may find themselves riding in trucks before the day is done.  We expect to tender in and then walk around the waterfront to see the people, shops and stone statues for which Nuku Hiva and the Marquesas are famous.

The most exciting part of the port lecture occurred early when Barbara lost her computer connection.  Instead of continuing her presentation, she stood around and joked about the support staff who were trying to reboot her computer.  It is bad enough that she reads her PowerPoint slides to the group, but it is disappointing [appalling?] that she could not continue without them.  She may be a friendly and outgoing person when compared to her predecessor, but at least he knew his stuff.

Although most food references are being omitted in deference to Jon, it must be mentioned that today’s lunch in the MDR featured soft-shell crabs.  Of course, D had to have them and was not sorry.  If they are offered, he will get them again.

Paul’s lecture this afternoon focused on the mechanics behind volcanism and the Ring of Fire which extends around the Pacific Rim.  Although he, too, used PowerPoint for his graphics, he did not read to the audience; actually, there was very little text on the slides, just photos, charts and diagrams to illustrate his comments.

Yesterday, we received an invitation to a VIP reception with the captain and senior staff.  We don’t know why we were included but found out that Ken, Lois, Ginger and Dave were invited, too.  It gives us a chance to act important and get free drinks.  D used the opportunity to give the Captain a Cruise Critic pen in the hope that he would attend one of our meetings.  The demands of command obviously take precedence, but it would be great if he could arrange it.

We had to leave the VIP reception early because we had a prior date with Paul and Ann to eat in the Canelleto, the on-board Italian restaurant.  We had never tried the Caneletto on the Prinsendam or the Westerdam but had heard good things, so we were looking forward to the experience.  We were not disappointed.  The Caneletto charges a fixed price [$10, but we get half off as frequent cruisers] and offers a variety of small plates, pasta and large plates.  The note on the menu suggests ordering 2 small plates plus a pasta dish and a big plate for 2 people, so we did.  We shared a salad and then steamed clams and sausage.  This was followed by pasta with shrimp in a cream sauce and then a fish entrée.  Dessert is included, but we could not eat another bite despite the temptations.  When we go again – and we will – we will be more judicious in our selections.

We met Paul and Ann at 7:30 and talked non-stop until the staff urged us out at 10.  Normally, we start at 8 in the MDR and are out by 9:30.  The evening’s enjoyment was enhanced by the presence of Mukti who is a server in the Caneletto.  We spent quite some time talking to him, especially about his impending fatherhood [Yulianti is now 36 weeks pregnant, so it won’t be long].  We are anxious to meet her and the baby when we get to Indonesia.

We were stuffed like ticks when we waddled back to the cabin where we discovered another pillow gift.  Tonight it was a pair of wireless Bluetooth speakers that we will try to figure out when we get home.

TOMORROW – Day 4 at Sea

Jan 17 – Sailing, Sailing

Still at sea with all that implies, we attended the Tahiti port lecture this morning and Paul’s lecture right afterwards but left early to get to Trivia on time.  D has developed a cold [poor baby] so we took a lovely, long nap after lunch instead of going to the gym.  It’s “comfort food day” because lunch was meatloaf sandwiches and tonight’s dinner was the traditional Thanksgiving turkey and trimmings. We continue to eat our way around the world.  

TOMORROW – More of the same

 

 

Jan 13 – Manta, Ecuador

First, a correction – When we were transiting the Canal on Sunday, we saw no “see-through” railings wherever we were.  In fact, D realized today, the railings on the sides of the ship under the lifeboats are the traditional style, making it easier to see the world as well as jump overboard.  More than anything, this lets you know how often we had been on deck during the first week.

Now, back to our story. 

The Amsterdam was docked and cleared by 5:30 this morning so that passengers could make an excursion to Quito, the capital of Ecuador.  Although HAL arranged the tour, everyone had to take a commercial flight to and from Quito.  In order to accommodate their return, we did not leave Manta until after 8:30 tonight.  We were able to watch some of our departure while we were in the MDR.

Our day definitely did not involve an early departure from the ship.  The local tourism board provided a shuttle bus to the not-quite center of town which began operation at 9 o’clock.  We saw no need to rush and returned to the stateroom after breakfast to read.  We finally gathered our on-shore bag and left the ship close to 10:30.  Today, the bag held the Flat Grandchildren as well as rain jackets and copies of our passports.

The shuttle bus dropped us off across the street from the malecon, the esplanade which follows the water.  The street was a wide boulevard with a traffic island and was so busy that it would have been impossible to cross even if we had been so inclined.  However, near where we began our adventure there was an elaborate pedestrian overpass so people could cross from one side to the other safely.

Manta is Ecuador’s largest port and, as such, is quite busy.  Not only did we see a few freighters, but also lots of smaller fishing boats.  For obvious reasons, Manta is dependent on the fishing industry and considers itself the Tuna Capital.  There is even a big tuna with that slogan in one of the traffic circles we rounded going from and to the ship.

The main attraction at the bus terminus was a crafts market.  In fact it was about the only thing there.  We realized as we walked through the market that it was sponsored by the city.  All of the merchants wore identical polo shirts with the official Manta logo.  Aimed strictly at tourists, the market featured textiles, carvings and Panama hats.  The cloth goods are brightly colored like the molas in the San Blas but are woven, not stitched.  The carvings are made from a nut called the “ivory nut” because it is usually snow white in the inside and is hard like ivory. 

There were many stalls offering men’s and women’s woven hats for sale and D took pictures of a woman demonstrating the traditional way they are woven.  Just as he had in the San Blas, D paid a dollar apiece to take photos of the grandchildren with her.  At another stall, we talked for a few minutes with a woman who was originally from the Melbourne, Florida, area.  She designed jewelry and ivory nut carvings and had artisans who did the actual work.  We asked how she got to Manta and she told us that she had come in 1992 as a Peace Corps volunteer who never left, even after her discharge in 1997.  It’s a small world.

Panama hats are a specialty of the region.  The most famous, and reputedly the best, are made in a town not far from Manta, but they are available all over the region.  Good hats can cost hundreds of dollars and are woven by hand; cheap ones are just that and can be had for $20 or less.  The “secret” to the Panama hat is that it can be folded and stored and still retain its shape.  The hats D saw in Manta were offered at $25, then $20, and he did not even try to bargain.  He also was not interested in buying a hat. It may seem strange that hats made in Ecuador are called “Panama hats,” but there is an excellent reason for the name.  When the Canal was being built, an enterprising Frenchman realized that there would be a market for a lightweight hat to protect the workers from the sun.  Since the Canal was being built in Panama, the hats became known as “Panama hats.” 

We tried to find a bank-sponsored museum which we thought was in the area, but got conflicting directions in Spanish and were, therefore, unsuccessful.  We did find a small park a block from the market and walked through it.  We saw large trees, several large metal sculptures and lots of people.  This park was not just for show, it was being used by the locals as a place to meet, talk and relax.  As we walked back to the shuttle, MA spotted a large MANTA sign on the opposite side of the boulevard and D was able to get a photo despite the traffic.

We also found a church just up the hill from the shuttle stop but made no attempt to walk to it.  Again, D took a picture which he has already title “Praying Manta.” 

The rest of the day was a sea day, basically.  Lunch, reading, Trivia, yuppie coffee and Pub Trivia were followed by preparing for dinner; having a drink in the Ocean Bar; and dinner itself.  There was no show tonight so we read until bedtime.  It’s not a bad routine.

TOMORROW – The first of 8 sea days in a row

Jan 11 – The Panama Canal

East is east and west is west especially when you look at a map of the Western oceans.  The Atlantic is obviously on the east and the Pacific is on the west.  Except that’s always true.  Because of the curve in Central America, there is actually a small area where the Pacific is east of the Atlantic.  And, because of the curve, the Panama Canal actually runs from North to South [or South to North].

We spent the day traversing the Canal, a 12-hour journey.  The Canal has a series of locks devised to raise or lower water levels so that ships can pass from one ocean to the other; sea level may seem to be a constant but there is a tremendous difference from one ocean to the other as they almost meet at the Isthmus of Panama.  There are locks on the north connecting the Caribbean with Gatun Lake and then several sets of locks on the south end connecting the lake with the Pacific. 

When the ships are in the locks, there is often very little clearance on the sides of the canal, so electric “mules” are used to keep them from hitting the sides.  Originally, real mules were used.  When the Canal opened in 1914, ships were considerably smaller than they are today, so it is unlikely that they would have had so little clearance on the sides.  Today’s cargo and tanker vessels have gotten so big that new Canal locks are being built to accommodate their girth; as it is, many have to go around South America because they are too wide [and possibly too long] to fit in the original locks.

Since this was, in essence, a sea day, we followed the normal routine.  However, we spent much of the day on the aft [rear] of Deck 3, the deck where our cabin is conveniently located.  Called the Lower Promenade, this is the wrap-around deck which allows passengers to walk laps unobstructed. There were deck chairs arrayed across the space but very few people were there, so it was almost a private verandah if one did not count the walkers and joggers who passed by.  Periodically, stewards came to offer cold tea, juice and cold towels to help alleviate the heat.  We stayed in the shade as much as possible, but the towels felt really good on the backs of our necks.

Thanks to the crazy people and drunks on other ships, we could see only the sky from our lounge chairs.  The same was true for everyone.  As a safety precaution, there are no longer open railings on the ship.  Instead of 2 or even 3 rails, there are barricades of solid metal to prevent passengers from falling or jumping overboard.  This does not stop anyone who is determined to take the plunge, but it certainly slows them down.  The result, from our perspective, is that one can no longer sit on deck and literally watch the world go by. 

The Amsterdam passed through the first of 3 sets of locks around 8:45 this morning.  We were able to watch some of it from the MDR, but our view was not good since we were not near a window.  When we approached the second set, we were on deck and went as far forward as we could to take pictures.  We had to go to Deck 4 to accomplish this and found ourselves in the brilliant -- and hot – sun.   We took Flat Grandchildren pictures going into the lock and also pictures of them in front of the GWC insignia painted on the front of the ship.  We escaped the sun and then took photos of them from Deck 3 as the gates closed.

Exhausted from our efforts so far, we returned to the cabin where regular readers know what we did. 

Our friend Arthur, the ship’s rabbi, was one of the participants in The Liar’s Club, so we went between drinks and dinner.  The game is a variation on To Tell the Truth, a television game show of many years ago. This was a perfect vehicle for Arthur who is a real story-teller.  The show ran over and we were a few minutes late for dinner, but our dining room stewards weren’t concerned and dinner service was as smooth as ever.

There was a surprise in store for us, but first, a bit of history:  When we sailed on the Prinsendam for the 2009 Grand Mediterranean cruise, our MDR stewards were Den Toro and his assistant, Mukti Ariyanto.  MA still keeps in touch with them via Facebook and even exchanges messages with Mukti’s wife Yulianti.  She refers to them as her Indonesian sons.

One night during that cruise, lemon meringue pie was on the menu.  It is one of MA’s favorites but she wanted the staff to save it for the following night.  When she inquired about it the next night, Den Toro looked at her and said sadly, “Mukti ate it.”  They were upset even though we were not and we spent our time for the remainder of the cruise searching in grocery stores in Cadiz, Spain, and elsewhere for a lemon meringue pie for Mukti.  Things seemed hopeless until we got to Bermuda where we found one.  We brought it back to the ship and made a grand presentation to Mukti at dinner.

Flash forward:  We were sitting at the table tonight, having already ordered cheesecake for dessert, when Mukti came into our section still wearing his uniform for the ship’s Italian dining venue.  We had seen him at lunch and breakfast this week, and had talked to him at length each time, so we were not surprised that he was on the ship, but we did not know why he was in the MDR.  Mukti approached the table and removed the lid from a dish to reveal 4 slices of key lime pie.  Lemon meringue was not available, so he and we settled on key lime.  It was wonderful, much better than the cheesecake.  And he brought 4 slices so we could share with our neighbors. [He claimed that there were originally 10 slices and that he had eaten the other 6]  We all laughed about the pie and explained the significance to Paul and Ann who also enjoyed the surprise [and the pie] with us.

Tomorrow: A day at sea

 

 

Jan 9 – Santa Marta, Colombia

The ship docked around 7 this morning, but we stayed in bed until 8.  We had no plans for the day and no tours to rush to.  Our friend Jorge told us that when we were in Santa Marta, we had to try the fish and patacones, the local version of fried plantains.  That, at least, gave us a goal.

Santa Marta was founded in 1525 when the Spanish arrived and conquered the Tayrona people.  It is the oldest city in Colombia and the second oldest in South America.  It has long been associated with Simon Bolivar, the revolutionary who led Colombia and several other countries to freedom from the Spanish.  Indeed, Bolivar died just outside the city and was buried here before his remains were moved to Bogota.  His former home is now a national monument.  There are lots of parks in Santa Marta plus the Tayrona National Park just outside of the city.

The city has a thriving commercial harbor and fishing industry, but tourism has become an important component in its growth.  Most of the tourists are other Colombians and there were few non-Colombians among the throngs; most of those came from our ship. Santa Marta has good beaches adjacent to the commercial pier and lots of restaurants farther along the malecon.  Very little English is spoken here by the residents.

We left the ship around 10 and took the shuttle to the end of the pier.  Since this is a working commercial harbor, pedestrians, especially those in the HAL age group, were not welcome.  Based on the port lecturer’s talk the other day, we had anticipated a shuttle from the end of the pier to downtown.  We had hoped to see the cathedral, its square, and the adjacent market area.  This was Major Disappointment #2 for the day because there was no shuttle.  There were plenty of taxis, but we had been warned by Colombians to avoid the taxis, so we were left with few choices.

Disappointment #1 came when D turned on the “good” camera this morning and repeatedly received a message to turn the camera off and then back on.  If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result, D should have been committed to an asylum.  He kept turning the camera off and on, but there was never a variation in the result – no camera.  He could look at pictures already on the memory card but could not take any photos.  Fortunately, there was a small back-up camera and the phone, so all was not lost.

Just outside the port gate was a little shop designed to separate tourists from their cash, but we escaped without damage.  We passed lots of bright yellow taxis but heeded the advice we had been given and walked right by.  Since we had no concept of where we were relative to the cathedral, we walked along the malecon, the esplanade which ran next to the shore.  We did not stop at the tent market we saw, deciding to look there on the way back.  We stopped several times so MA could rest and found a place where we could put our pictures of Carter, Caiden and Harper in a bush to take their photos in Santa Marta; earlier efforts had failed because the breezes we encountered on the water’s edge were strong enough to blow the pictures over.

The pictures we brought of the grandchildren are called Flat Stanleys.  We do not know why they are named Stanley, but it is not important.  We first saw one in Antarctica in Jan 2004; it was a child’s photograph which was, in turn, photographed “on location” as if to say “Stanley was here.”  Before we left Florida, D printed pictures of all 3 grandkids and had them laminated at Staples, then attached paint-stirrers with packing tape.  They can be held by these handles or placed in sand or bushes to show them traveling around the world with us.  We brought wax mounting clips, too, so the three of them look down at us from a wall in our cabin.

We spent some time sitting in the little park which stretched next to the beach and watched all of the people.  The beach was crowded with families who came for a swim, not unlike Florida.  We assumed that children were out of school for summer vacation, but that logic doesn’t really work since we are still north of the equator.  Perhaps the Christmas holiday is longer here than in the States or attendance requirements are not as stringent. In addition to the families on the beach, there were lots of vendors hawking food, trinkets and sunglasses.  They were aiming their pitch at the Colombian population since they spoke little or no English.  Nonetheless, they all understood, “Gracias, no,” and were not obnoxious or persistent.

Although Disappointment #3 was that we did not get into Santa Marta itself – and did not see the cathedral, park or market – we did get to watch ordinary citizens enjoy themselves on the beach.  If one goal of travel is to learn about other people and cultures, we learned plenty from our visit to Colombia.

It was only 11 o’clock, much too early for lunch, and the restaurant area was still a half-mile away, so we packed our pictures away and headed “home.”  Disappointment #4 -- We never got to try the patacones, our one goal in Santa Marta.  We did, however, do our small part to enrich the local economy.  We bought T-shirts on the way back, one in the tent market and one at the shop near the shuttle bus. It never ceases to amaze that people who speak no English still speak US Dollar.

Back on board, we took our belongings to the room and relaxed a bit.  D tried to post the Flat Children to Instagram unsuccessfully and thought the cause might be a poor signal since we have an inside cabin with no window.  Our cabin is on the Lower Promenade deck which is the one which wraps around the ship, so all we had to do was walk around the corner and we were outside.  Still no luck.  Then the light bulb lit, and D turned on the “roaming data” on the phone and quickly sent pictures to Instagram and Facebook, then turned off the roaming data [which can be really expensive].

We were hot from our first venture off the ship and went to the Lido for cold sodas.  When no one from the beverage department approached us for our order, we settled for ice water and cheese nachos, a little appetizer before lunch.  We actually ate lunch in the MDR [she – chef’s salad; he – hot corned beef on rye] and enjoyed it despite slow service, possibly a result of many of the crew being in town on a day off.  After lunch, we went to the cabin where MA napped while D updated the journal.

Trivia was different today.  Gene, the Cruise Director, explained that on port days the trivia results would not be added to the cumulative totals but that prizes would still be awarded.  This compensates for passengers who have other plans on shore days than to hurry back to play the game.  Five of the 6 of us were present today, but we weren’t even good enough to be also-rans.

We sat around and talked with the others until 4 p.m. when they went to see the latest news about the massacre in Paris and its aftermath.  We chose to remain ignorant and went for coffee instead.  A little time in the room and then we trekked through the Amsterdam to the Piano Bar for Pub Trivia.  D took the wounded camera with him in the hope that the photo team onboard could figure out the problem with the camera.  The photographer was cooperative and determined, but he was unable to make any progress with the camera.  Even though he said that he used to work for Fuji, the camera’s manufacturer, he asserted that he had never seen a message or problem like this.  Since we had not shaken or dropped the camera, D decided that he had nothing to lose by shaking it now, so when we returned to the cabin, that is exactly what he did.  And the camera came to life!  Our fingers are crossed because we really do not want to buy a new camera in Singapore.

Dinner was delightful with lots of conversation with our neighbors.  He is a retired Delta pilot and she has lived all over the world.  We skipped the comedian and returned to the cabin to read, write and post.

TOMORROW –The San Blas Islands

 

Jan 10 – The San Blas Islands

The San Blas Islands consist of more than 365 tiny islands in the Gulf of San Blas off the northern coast of panama.  Only 47 of the islands are inhabited by members of the Kuna tribe which moved here when the Spanish invaded Colombia.  Although the islands are politically affiliated with Panama, the people remain quite independent.  Because of their isolation, the islanders have been able to maintain their own matriarchal society.  The women wear colorful garments called mola which are made by layering cloth and then cutting out patterns.  They also wear beads on their legs to show their wealth in the community.  There is still very little interaction with the mainland save for commerce in part, at least, due to the fact that the Kuna have their own language which did even not exist in writing until fairly recently.  Tourism was discouraged for many years but now helps supplement the local economy.  Again, no one spoke English but they all knew US dollars.  And despite the primitive nature of their living conditions and way of life, we saw young people with cell phones and tablet computers in addition to dish antennas on many of the houses.  There is even a power company on the island; it appeared to collect solar energy and distribute the electricity to the natives.

We had a late morning because there was no place to go.  After breakfast in the Lido, we went to trivia and then back to the cabin to wait.  There was quite strong wind in the area of the ship and the tenders were bouncing around when they practiced their approach to the ship.  Finally passengers were allowed to board the tenders for a bumpy 20 minute ride to town.

The village consisted of several east-west streets intersected by maybe a half-dozen north-south alleys.  Everything was jumbled together.  We were herded like cattle from the dock into the center of the village, such as it was, via an ever-narrowing path between thatch- and steel-roofed hovels.  Women and children were all sitting outside showing their molas and other wares for sale.  The standard charge for a photograph was one dollar regardless of whether the picture was of a child, an adult, a cat, bird or dog.  Women sat outside, too, nursing infants, but no one paid the least attention.

The entire village was draped with all manner of mola -- round, square and rectangular; abstract and geometric; parrots, turtles and fish.  And the colors ran from the sublime of dark blues to riotous yellows and reds.  One vendor who caught our attention was selling masks made of mola, but she would not bargain and we would not pay her price.  D did get a picture of her showing these to MA, but that’s as close as we got.  We paid 2 little girls and their mother one dollar each to hold the Flat Grandchildren and also took their pictures with the Amsterdam in the distance – sort of, but not quite, selfies.  We wandered as much as we could [having gone from end to end of the island] before finding our way back to the tender dock for a much smoother ride home.

As much as any place we have been, this little island reminded of us Nosy Komba in Madagascar.  When we were there in 2002, we arrived by zodiac and had to wade through the warm Indian Ocean.  We did not have to do that  today, but the heat and humidity were both high and, more to the point, everywhere we looked there was someone trying to sell us some local cloth handicrafts; in Nosy Komba, the women and children were selling mostly handmade lace in front of their hovels as were herded through the village.

The air-conditioning on the ship was a blessing, especially after the tender ride.  Tenders are not known for being comfortable or breezy but for being crowded and stifling.  A few minutes of recovery time in the cabin was sufficient to revive us and we went to the Lido for lunch.  There was a little sales area for native mola on deck by the pool but we were brave – and the seller stubborn – so we still do not have a mola. 

When we returned to our room, we looked at today’s photos after D copied them to the laptop; MA looked in on Facebook and Instagram; and then we assumed our normal activities – MA took a nap and D wrote about our experiences before we both forgot.

We finished our “rest period” in time to go to Pub Trivia and then returned to the room to watch the remainder of the Ravens – Patriots football game.  We watched most of it in the room, then saw the Patriots run out the clock to secure the victory.  Well, there’s always next year.

We ate with Arthur and Linda and their friends, Cruise Critic members Bob and Kathy.  We had met them before when they visited the Starrs in Florida and we had dinner with them at the club.  Tonight was very enjoyable and I am sure we will see more of Kathy and Bob.  We skipped the singer tonight and returned to the room around 10, later than normal for us.  We read and blogged before turning in.

TOMORROW – The Panama Canal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jan 7 – At Sea

Even though today was another sea day, we managed to stay busy.  We were waiting outside the doors of the MDR when it opened at 8 so MA could attend this morning’s session of tai chi with Linda Starr.  Just before 9, we arrived at the theater where lots of people were warming up.  MA found a spot between the rows of seats and D sat down and read for the next 45 minutes while everyone else work on getting their chi down, whatever that means.

At 10, there was a presentation in the theater by the Port Lecturer, Barbara.  She was personable and informative, quite unlike the wooden Frank Buckingham, the lecturer on 4 of our previous cruises.  He was pedantic and self-absorbed; Barbara seems to really enjoy both her job and the passengers.  She spoke today about Santa Marta, Colombia, and the San Blas Islands, Panama, our destinations for Friday and Saturday, respectively.  While there will be more information when we reach these ports, for the moment it is only worth noting that what is now Panama was once part of Colombia and that the San Blas Islands are a world unto themselves but politically a part of Panama.

We socialized for a bit after the talk with Arthur and Linda and friends of theirs and eventually found our way to the Ocean Bar to claim “our” table for Trivia.  The others wandered in later with Ginger just beating the proverbial buzzer.  As always, we laughed more than any other team and finished a not too distant third place in this, the first of the cumulative contests.  The daily winners also received Grand dollars so we pocketed another dollar toward “stuff.”  As the ship’s rabbi, Arthur is not supposed to win anything and his share is split between the others on the team.  Today we got the leftover dollar.

We had agreed to have lunch with the Starrs and their friends in the MDR and stayed until they kicked us out [well, asked us to vacate] around 1:30.  We returned to the room to work on the NYT crossword puzzle and then returned to the theater for a talk by last night’s dinner companion on the Panama Canal.  His presentation was good but the graphics were hard to decipher and D dozed through every third word.  We left the theater around 2:40, probably close to the end of the lecture anyway.  We’ll try to stay awake through the next one.

In order to get from here to there, in this case from the lecture to the coffee bar, we had to pass through the casino and were diverted from the straight and narrow for a few minutes of confusion and frustration.  MA got her iced latte and we literally turned around to talk to Thom Faulkner, the Future Cruise Consultant, about winter cruises for 2015.  We put down a deposit on a December voyage pending agreement by the children.  Back in the room, it was journal and relaxation time.

Pub Trivia was scheduled for 5, so we went early, of course, to secure seating. We have settled into a regular team with Ken and Lois and 2 others and are enjoying the slight change in teammates.  We are having fun, of course, but are not as well fed. 

Tonight was the first of many formal nights and we were dressed to kill.  MA had on blue so D wore a bright blue cummerbund and matching bow tie.  Several people commented on our color coordination as had Captain Albert’s wife on the Prinsendam several years ago [Look, Albert!  They match!”].

We returned to the cabin after talking with the couple at the adjoining table to discover a “pillow gift.”  Throughout Grand Cruises, HAL bestows upon guests little surprises.  Tonight’s was actually the second because there was a wonderful travel log on our beds after dinner on Monday.  The travel log included space for a diary, of course, but also a reference section complete with maps as well as a place to write the names and contact information of people met on the voyage.

Tonight’s present was less of a surprise because pillow gifts are traditionally given on formal nights.  This time, we received zippered tote bags with the GWV logo on them.  Inside was a traveler’s first-aid kit with Bandaids, Pepto Bismal, anti-bacterial lotion [Purell], etc.  We hope we never need it, but it’s nice to know we have it.

The entertainment tonight was a production show by the ship’s cast.  There were 4 singer and 5 dancers who presented music from musicals of the ‘70s through the ‘00s.  They included selections from Jersey Boys, Mama Mia, Hairspray, Sweet Charity, The Lion King and others.  While it was over-amplified [as are most shipboard productions], it was not as annoying as others on past cruises.  D went to the show but MA stayed in the cabin to read.

TOMORROW: Another sea day.

Jan 8 – At Sea

MA decided not to go to the tai chi class this morning, so we stayed in bed until 8 o’clock when we were awakened by the cabin steward returning our clean laundry.  He did not realize we were in the room because D had put the “service” sign in the door rather the “privacy” sign.  Oops.  As usual, we went to breakfast in the MDR.  Afterwards, we joined the crowd in the showroom for a port talk about Manta, Ecuador.  We won’t be there until next week, but the lecturer introduced us to it early.

The port talk led, eventually, to Trivia and then to lunch on the Lido Deck.  We had seen nothing on the MDR lunch menu that appealed to us, so we had hamburgers, fries and Diet Cokes by the pool.  Our dinner companion gave his second lecture on the Panama Canal today after which we took a lovely nap.  Pub Trivia at 5, as usual brought us to drinks and dinner.  We enjoyed a lively conversation with our neighbors and skipped the show tonight and returned to read and update the journal.

TOMORROW:  Santa Marta, Colombia

 

Jan 6 – At Sea

Today is the first of many sea days.  They will have their own routine – breakfast in the MDR; reading the shipboard edition of the New York Times and doing the crossword puzzle; Team Trivia; lunch; reading and relaxing [which means slot machines]; drinks; dinner and possibly a show.

That being said, today was different because we had the first of a half-dozen Cruise Critic meetings set for 10 am in the Crow’s Nest, pretty much at the top of the ship.  Perhaps this would be a good time to explain a little bit about Cruise Critic [CC].

Cruise Critic is an on-line community of people who like to cruise [duh].  It offers support to people with questions and information not always available in the mass media.  Members write about their cruising experiences both good and bad. One section, however, is devoted to what are called Roll Calls.  The Roll Call is the conversation among people who have booked the same cruise.  Our Roll Call had approximately 125 people sign up before we left port yesterday; several more crawled out of the woodwork this morning.

Despite what some people think, we are cruisers, not critics although we did have one gathering where some outsiders showed up so they could complain.  Our main purpose is to share information and experiences.  Many of us plan private shore excursions and troll for participants on the CC forum.  Our major public activity is the Meet-and-Greet, a chance for members who have met on-line to see each other face-to-face.

For the past several extended cruises, D has served as the host of the M&Gs and this year was no different.  He arranged with Holland America [HAL] for the meeting space and requested that more than the usual cookies and coffee be available to participants.  As a result, we had not only the items normally supplied by HAL but also fresh fruit and crudité.  Much to everyone’s surprise, HAL also provided cheap champagne and mimosas [and the staff to serve them]. 

D maintained the ongoing and ever-growing list of members, scheduled the 6 meetings, printed labels to be used as badges for the late-joiners and purchased commemorative pens for the attendees.  Another member, Kathy, a graphic artist, printed badges for most of the members [until she ran out of materials] and placed them in pin-back holders so the members can wear them throughout the cruise.  The biggest job fell to Ada who created a “photo-book” which included facts about the ship, a list of CC activities, member names and information, and member photographs.  It was a Herculean task which everyone praised.  In theory, we could have memorized everyone’s face and name and dispensed with the badges, but that was only in theory.  The reality was that people spent lots of time squinting at other people’s name tags.

D had informed HAL that he anticipated as many as 180 people to attend and several in the group estimated that we had between 150 and 175 crowded into half the Crow’s Nest.  It was a very sociable crowd as people greeted old friends and made new ones.  We recognized people with whom we had cruised but whose names we never knew and others who recognized us despite our evident confusion.

Once the staff found a good microphone, D started the meeting by recognizing Kathy and Ada’s contributions to the success of the Roll Call and each was applauded enthusiastically by the group. Immediately after that, he turned it over to Amsterdam staff members who had come to greet us.  Thus, we heard briefly from the Hotel Manager, the Cruise Director and one of the Future Cruise Consultants [who used to be a HAL Cruise Director].  Several CC’ers had news to share with the group about a cabin crawl [where participants get to see different types of accommodations] and “slot pull”.  And then it was all about meeting and mingling.

People started drifting out around 11 but we left quite a few talking when we left for Team Trivia in the Ocean Bar [our home-away-from-home-away-from-home].  We thought it began at 11:30 and wanted to be sure to get a table as we anticipated a large crowd.  As it turned out, it started at 11:45, and, surprisingly, the Ocean Bar was not filled to capacity.  We watched people try to form teams – and some tried to join ours – but we had formed the latest incarnation of HAL 9000 months ago; we are being joined by Ken and Lois Schwartz, Arthur Starr and Linda “Ginger” Rickerson, all of whom we have sailed with before.  We have decided that this will be FUN trivia, not cutthroat although we still expect to do well.

Traditionally, the trivia on the longer cruises has been cumulative with results based on how teams have done over a period of time, not just one day.  Points will be awarded and later totaled and prizes distributed accordingly.  When the time comes, there will be more written about that.  Today, though, was a trial run to see if teams were compatible.  We were, of course, but some of the players had never met their teammates before.  We do not plan on trading anyone.

We had fun if not success and finished out of the running today.  In the woulda/shoulda of Team Trivia, we might have had several more correct answers but still would have been out of the proverbial money.  However, we did have bull’s eye candy and other treats and vow to be the best-fed team in the room.

After Trivia, we went to lunch in the MDR with Ken and Lois and passed a pleasant hour or so talking about travel and our families.  After a visit to the cabin during which D finally solved the blogspot sign-in dilemma and posted Monday’s entry, and a schlep by D to the Crow’s Nest to retrieve his forgotten travel bag, we tried out the slots with great or moderate success [MA=great, D=moderate] and then repaired to the cabin where D worked on today’s blog entry and MA “rested.”  At 4:30, D went to the Piano Bar where he was eventually joined by Ken and Lois and 3 other CC members for Pub Trivia.  We tied for first and received Grand Dollars which will be accumulated and later traded for cheap ship stuff.  He stopped at the Casino on the way home and lost his modest winnings from earlier in the day.

We went to the Ocean Bar for our usual drinks [vodka, ice water] before dinner.  It did not take the dining room staff long to assign our old table, so we had neighbors to talk with tonight.  He is one of the guest lecturers and is giving at least 3 talks on the Panama Canal.  They will be on board until we reach Papetee in several weeks but don’t know from day to day what their table assignment will be.  We and they are hopeful that they will be back tomorrow. 

After dinner we spent a few minutes at the slots before going to the show.  The performer tonight was the son of 1950s singer Jackie Wilson, a fact he never let us forget.  His singing was good, but the patter between selections was distracting and annoying.  While he sang classic songs from black artists of the ‘50s and 60’s, he also included some rather condescending impersonations of the singers which were off-putting.  We thought the show would have been much better if he had stuck to the singing.  Still, it was an enjoyable performance and at least one of us sang along throughout the show.

And so to bed.

TOMORROW: Another sea day.

Jan 5 – Ft. Lauderdale

It seems that almost every year, we take the “cruise of a lifetime.”  We said that when we sailed from Sydney to Osaka in 2006; from Seattle to Singapore in 2008; from Ft. Lauderdale to Ft. Lauderdale by way of the Mediterranean in 2009 and 2011; and even from London to London by way of the polar ice cap in 2010.  This time, we are again sailing from Ft. Lauderdale to Ft. Lauderdale by way of everywhere.  We will visit 27 countries, including 14 we have never seen before, over the next 114 days.  Wow!

We were up early this morning to attend to last minute chores and were ready to go when the driver arrived at 10.  Loading the car was easy – the driver did it – and we were at Port Everglades close to 11 o’clock.  There were 2 lines inside the terminal for passengers to check in.  One was for the 4- and 5-Star Mariners, the Holland America frequent flyers, and the other line was for everyone else.  Because the passenger load on the World Cruise tilts heavily toward repeat customers, their line was actually longer and slower than the “newbie” line.  This is exactly the opposite of what HAL intends by having the 2 lines; in theory, the 4- and 5-Stars would be in the shorter and faster line.  Eventually, staff members stated moving folks from the long line to the short.

Once we were checked in and photographed [for security purposes], we were issued a boarding number.  We were in group 14. Boarding actually began around 11:30, so our wait was not too great.  We passed the time talking to old friends [Ken and Lois, Arthur and Linda] until it was our turn.  Once on board, we went straight to our cabin and literally dropped the carry-on bags. 

Over the weekend, D had received an email from our friend Roxanne who disembarked the Amsterdam earlier this morning.  She said that she had left a blue and white bag for us at the Front Desk because the staff would not deliver it to our cabin.  While MA rested a bit, D went to the Front Desk where he delivered invitations to the first Cruise Critic meeting but forgot completely about the bag.  When he went to inquire after lunch, no one could find the bag which was, eventually and ironically, delivered to our cabin.  So, our thanks to you, Roxanne, for the great bag in which to carry “stuff” to Trivia and for all of the goodies it contained.  And thanks also to Ted and Janice [and Virtuoso Travel] for the on-board credit.  It won’t cover our bar bill, but it will be a big help.

Since there was no lunch being served in the main dining room [hereinafter called simply the MDR], we left the comforts of Deck 3, our new home, and went to the Lido Deck for lunch.  In deference to Jon, lunch will not be cataloged today.  We carried our plates outside and ate overlooking the Intercoastal Waterway and, beyond, the ocean.

By the time we returned to the cabin, most of our luggage had arrived so we spent the next hour opening suitcases and figuring out where to put everything.  There was a lot to put away; people who saw pictures of the baggage thought we were the Vanderbilts.  By 3:30 or so, every bag had been delivered and all of our possessions were stowed.  There will, no doubt, be fine tuning over the next few weeks as we decide what we really need and what can be hidden away until later..

Packing for this cruise was a difficult task for 2 reasons.  First, the sheer length of the voyage dictates that we take a variety of clothes so we don’t look like we are wearing the same clothes every third day [even if we are].  Second, we will have 2 distinct climates to prepare for, the tropical weather of the Pacific, Southeast Asia and the Mid-East and then the cooler temperatures of the Mediterranean.  Early on, we expect temps in the 80s, rising to the 90s and high humidity in Singapore and then the dry heat of Dubai and the desert countries.  Once we pass through the Suez Canal, things will be decidedly cooler.

Of course, the cabin was littered with empty suitcases which D could not wedge under the bed, so they were nested when they could be and piled on the bed.  With them was a laundry bag filled with dress shirts.  Since we get our laundry done for free as frequent cruisers, it was easier to bring the wrinkled shirts aboard and let HAL wash and press them. 

As we left the room for the mandatory safety drill at 4:15, we asked the cabin steward to stow the luggage under the bed and to pick up the laundry.  Of course, the things were still on the bed when we left for the Ocean Bar at 7 pm but were taken care of by the time we returned from dinner at 9:30.

At supper in the MDR we had a table for 2, just as we had requested.  The service was smooth for a first night and we enjoyed ourselves. [shrimp cocktail for both, salads and then prime rib for him, vegetarian for her. Sorry, Jon].  The 4-top next to us was empty, not an unusual event on the first night as people may be too tired to come to dinner; some eat in the Lido buffet; others go to alternative venues; and others get room service.  We inquired and were able to switch tables so that, while we will still be a party of 2, we now have space to invite people to join us.  Stay tuned to see if we really do.

Dinner ended by 9:30 and we returned to the cabin where MA read before turning off the lights and D, as usual, went elsewhere to write this journal.  There were difficulties connecting to the blog site, so this entry will be posted later than expected.  The ship left port after 10 pm and there is just the slightest motion to the ship as this is being written.

TOMORROW:  The Cruise Critic Meet-and-Greet and other excitement.