World Cruise 2010

Tallinn, Estonia

2010-06-08T15:22:00.000-07:00

Our stop in Tallinn was one of our favourite tours of the entire trip! We didn't really know much about Estonia so we weren't quite sure what to expect on our walking tour of the Old Town. As our guide explained to us, Tallinn is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Europe with many of the original walls and turrets still standing and in excellent condition. Our bus dropped us off at the top of Toompea Hill where we began our tour by strolling through the lovely gardens adjacent to the old Estonian royal palace, which is now the Parliament building. Painted pink and white, it is not what usually comes to mind when one thinks of the seat of government! We then made our way across the square to the beautiful Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, a Russian Orthodox Church. Its numerous onion domes were imposing, but the inside was even more magnificent with the gilded decorations and icons, beautiful religious paintings on the walls and ceiling, and the stunning blue dome decorated with hundreds of golden stars. Unfortunately we were not able to take any photographs inside, so you'll just have to use your imagination! Our guide next led us down cobblestone streets past women selling spiced almonds and pecans from small stalls to an overlook from which we were treated to a panoramic view of the city and the harbour below. We then visited the oldest church in Tallinn, a Lutheran church which was built by the Danes in the 13^th Century. It is so old that the foundations have sunk and you have to walk down a series of stairs to reach the main floor! The walls are covered with wooden coats of arms of the families that worshipped there, and the individual pews are enclosed in wooden boxes with a gate-like door at the end through which the family would enter – mum was particularly fascinated by this set-up! We continued our journey down the steep and narrow Short Leg Street to yet another church. Turned into a storage room under Communist rule, it has recently been restored and is now used as a museum and concert hall. Inside we were treated to a wonderful concert of medieval music, complete with period costumes and original instruments. The singer had the voice of an angel, and of course the acoustics in the church were marvellous! The church contained some interesting sculptures and paintings including a fragment of a large 15^th century painting of the Danse Macabre complete with portraits of important people of the time in which it was produced. Our final stop of the day was at the town square which is surrounded by buildings that have been there for at least 500 years. As luck would have it we were there on a Wednesday which is the day that they have an open-air market set up in medieval style. There was medieval music playing in the background, and many of the stall-holders were dressed up in medieval costumes, including a couple of jesters leaping around in the background. Mum and I enjoyed investigating the stalls of hand-embroidered linens, carved wooden utensils, knitted goods, furs, wild and wonderful hats and various souvenirs. After parting with some of our Euros (only too happily I might add!) we found a shady spot on some stone steps and enjoyed watching the spectacle before us until it was time to rejoin our group for the return trip to the pier.

Copenhagen, Denmark

2010-06-07T11:05:00.000-07:00

After a day at sea to recharge our batteries we arrived in Copenhagen at the crack of dawn and were soon off on our tour of North Zealand's castles. Once again we drove through small villages and rich agricultural land where flowers and lilac bushes were in bloom. Our first stop was at Frederiksborg Castle, a Renaissance castle which has been restored and turned into the National Museum of History. Like many of the castles and palaces we have visited, the original castle was destroyed in a fire with only the chapel surviving, and the rest was rebuilt in the 17^th century following the original plans. The castle was immense and the rooms were full of paintings, tapestries, crystal chandeliers, porcelain vases and intricately carved wooden furniture. The rooms themselves were adorned with stucco mouldings and details, and even the ceilings were covered with paintings and stucco figures. Outside the castle there were extensive formal gardens reminiscent of those found at Versailles but time would not allow us to do more then admire them from the castle windows. In the courtyard at the front of the castle there was a huge fountain surrounded by mythological figures and wild animals spraying water in every direction – an impressive sight! Our second stop was at Fredensborg Palace, the summer home of the Danish royal family. Because they were in residence we were only allowed to view the outside, but as luck would have it we arrived at noon, just in time to witness the changing of the guard. The soldiers with their bearskin helmets came out from the barracks accompanied by fife and drum and marched right past us to the guardhouse where they went through a series of maneuvers while trading places with the guards who had been on duty. It was great to be in the right place at the right time! Our final stop of the day was at Kronborg Castle, better known as Hamlet's Castle as it is the site of Shakespeare's play “Hamlet, Prince of Denmark”. While the castle is impressive from the outside, sadly it has fallen into disrepair over the years and is just now being restored as money becomes available. Still, it was a thrill to stroll the hallways and gaze out at the harbour below. Kronborg Castle has the largest banquet hall/ballroom in northern Europe according to our guide. She said that sometimes the royal family holds special events there. Recently they held a ball where everybody had to dress up in period costumes. Every summer there are live performances of Hamlet at the castle and in one room there is a display showing pictures of the many companies and famous actors who have performed here over the years.

Dover, England

2010-06-07T07:09:00.000-07:00

On May 29^th our ship docked at Dover to let off passengers on the first leg of the cruise and pick up passengers who wanted to see the Baltic. A small contingent of us were remaining on board to complete the entire 21 day tour. It seems strange to us that a 10 or 11 day cruise was the standard length for most people and that completing the entire 21 days was a really big deal for most! Mum and I took the opportunity to visit Leeds Castle, something we have wanted to do for years. Our guide was a real character. Although the Americans on our tour didn't get most of his jokes or literary references, mum and I thoroughly enjoyed his colourful commentary! The English countryside is beautiful at this time of the year – lush green fields with sheep and cattle grazing, hawthorne and wild fruit trees in full bloom adding a lovely display of pink and white blossoms to the woods and hedgerows. After being dropped off at the entrance to the castle grounds we had an enjoyable half hour stroll through the woods, past duck ponds and streams, fields and flower beds to reach the castle itself. We saw a few black swans floating downstream and several peacocks displaying their beautiful feathers. A lucky few spotted the family of albino peacocks which live on the grounds and who our guide said are even stupider than the regular peacocks! Leeds Castle is built on two islands in the middle of a small lake, so the setting is spectacular. After crossing the moat and skirting the castle walls we entered through the wine cellar, climbed a spiral staircase past suits of armour, and entered the main building where we toured a series of rooms displaying medieval furnishings, paintings, tapestries and treasures. Because it was the weekend there were English families touring the castle and grounds and having picnics on the lawns. Unfortunately, by the time we came out of the castle the heavens had opened and the rain was pouring down! As we had left our umbrella behind once again, we were forced to take refuge in the castle store until the mini-train arrived to transport us back to the main entrance. Rather than wait on the bus, we took shelter under the trees along the garden path and spent an enjoyable half hour talking to one of the ship's crew who happened to be from Montreal. It was so nice to talk to another Canadian! On our trip back to the ship the bus driver and guide took us through some typical English villages just because they wanted us to see more than the motorway. It was wonderful to be back in Britain, even if only for a few hours.

Rouen, France

2010-06-07T05:43:00.000-07:00

On May 28^th we docked at Le Havre in France. I know this is going to sound snooty, but since mum and I have both been to Paris and neither one of us is in a hurry to go back, we opted for a tour of Rouen instead. After a 90 minute drive through lush green farmland we arrived at the city whose skyline is dominated by the spires of the impressive Gothic cathedral. Our bus dropped us off near the cathedral where we began our walking tour through the medieval section of the town which is one of the few sections of Rouen which was not destroyed by bombs during WWII. Once again we felt as if we had stepped back in time as we strolled down the cobblestone streets, past the timbered houses which have existed since the 15^th and 16^th centuries. Our guide took us through a stone archway, along a narrow laneway and into a courtyard which was used as a mass burial ground during the Black Plague of the 14^th century. Today it is a peaceful park with shady trees and comfortable benches. In the 16^th century the Ossuary St. Maclou was erected around the four sides of the square to hold the victims of another plague because there wasn't enough room to bury all the bodies. The building itself was very interesting because it is a good example of the timber and clay construction of the time and it is decorated with scenes of the Danse Macabre – skulls, crossbones, gravediggers tools, etc. Archaeologists even dug up the petrified skeleton of a black cat believed to have been buried in the foundations of the building to ward off evil spirits. The poor cat is on display and looked very grotesque! Once we'd finished our medieval walk, we visited the interior of the Rouen Cathedral, a fine example of the Gothic style of architecture. With its beautiful stained glass windows, numerous statues and vaulted ceilings, it was an awe-inspiring sight. Once outside the cathedral our guide led us down yet another cobblestone street to view the Gros Horloge, a colourful astronomical clock dating from the 16^th century. We passed below the arched clock tower and entered the old marketplace which is now full of small shops and cafes. Eventually we were led to the spot where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431. We were then hustled back to the bus for the return trip to Le Havre. What a pleasant and interesting way to spend our day in France!

St. Peter Port, Guernsey

2010-06-07T04:02:00.000-07:00

There's really not much to say about our day in Guernsey. Because space was extremely limited on the ship's tours we were unable to book anything as we had waited too long to make our choice. We didn't arrive at St. Peter Port until the afternoon of May 27^th and the sky was an ominous shade of grey. Fortunately by the time we were able to catch a tender to shore the clouds had cleared and the sun was shining brightly. As time was somewhat limited we had the choice of either walking around the harbour to the castle or climbing up to the intriguing looking spires which rose above the town at the top of the hill. We decided to be adventurous and explore the town. The spires turned out to be part of the college, so mystery solved! We spent a pleasant two hours wandering through narrow residential streets and down through the main shopping area of the town, and then enjoyed some time sitting on a bench beside the water watching the comings and goings in the busy harbour. Guernsey is a lovely, peaceful and picturesque island and would make a great holiday destination in the future.

Lisbon, Portugal

2010-06-02T00:04:00.000-07:00

Our luck couldn't last forever and although the sun was shining upon our arrival in Lisbon the rain started to pour down as we began our tour. Still, the city tour was very interesting and we were able to admire the many lovely buildings, colourful homes and mosaic-lined sidewalks. Luckily the rain didn't last long and by the time we reached our first stop at the Maritime Museum it was only drizzling lightly. The museum was full of models of ships used in Portugal since the 15^th century, historical paintings and navigational items, and we had a nice wander around. The museum is located in part of the magnificent Jeronimos Monastery which we visited next. Built in the early 16^th century the monastery houses the tomb of navigator Vasco da Gama. With its gothic archways and the deteriorating faces on some of the statues it was a bit spooky inside! Next up was a stop at Belem Tower which sits on the shore of the Tagus River and was commissioned as part of a defence system of said river. While many rushed off to shop at nearby stores, mum and I took a stroll through the park and as the rain had finally stopped completely we found a quiet bench away from the crowds and just enjoyed the atmosphere. Our drive back to the port took us past the Monument to the Discoveries, and from the pier we had a good view of the enormous Cristo-Rei statue which stands across the river from Lisbon and was inspired by the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. I wish we'd been able to cross the bridge and see it up close, but alas there was no time. Our sail-away took us past the Monument to the Discoveries and I was able to get a good look at the front of it – much more impressive than the view from the bus!

Seville, Spain

2010-05-31T10:39:00.000-07:00

We continued our travels in Spain, this time stopping at the port of Cadiz. Our excursion took us to Seville for a tour of the palaces – a worthy way to spend mum's birthday! The drive into Seville was lovely and the city was covered in beautiful flowering shrubs and trees. Most impressive were the jacaranda trees which lined many streets and were magnificent with their gorgeous purple blooms. Our guide told us that they'd been having miserable weather but we got lucky yet again and the sun was shining brightly for our walking tour. We left the bus and traveled a short distance to the Casa de Pilatos, an Andalusian palace that was completed in 1540 and is said to be a copy of the Palace of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem. The owner, a 92 year old countess, still lives in a set of rooms upstairs. Once inside we entered a large courtyard with a fountain in the middle and surrounded by statues and busts of Spanish kings and Roman emperors. The many rooms in the palace have fine frescoes, paintings and beautiful ceramic tile, and we took a walk through two very peaceful and lovely gardens in full bloom. Our next stop on the tour was at the Lebrija Palace and to get there we had to traverse many narrow streets, past stores and cafes, dodging traffic of both the vehicular and pedestrian variety. There were so many beautiful and colourful buildings to look at – the architecture in Seville is wonderful! About 100 years ago the Countess of Lebrija decided to restore her family's mansion and redecorated the palace with mosaics and other archaeological items that were found in the ruins of the Roman town Italica. Nearly every room in the palace had these wonderful mosaics on the floor, and the many rooms were jammed full of various treasures. Quite a sight to behold! We next made our way to the the old Jewish area of Seville where we had lunch tapas style at one of the many restaurants in the area – delicious! Once everybody was completely stuffed our group slowly made its way back to the bus and we drove to the Plaza de Espana which was built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. The square is crossed by a water canal and the walls of the Plaza have lovely tiled alcoves, each representing a different province of Spain. Mum was done in by this point and stayed on the bus, but despite a less than attractive exterior, the interior of the plaza was well worth the extra steps!

Barcelona, Spain

2010-05-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

Rather than spending the day touring Barcelona, we decided to head off to the mountains for a visit to the Montserrat Monastery. Founded in the 11^th century by the Benedictine monks, it has been an important religious site for pilgrims down through the ages. Our bus driver stopped at the base of the mountain so that we could get our first view of the monastery clinging to the cliffside far above our heads. If you look closely at the first picture, you will be able to see it high on the mountainside. Unlike early pilgrims who had to walk up the steep slopes to reach their goal, we were able to drive up on a narrow, winding roadway which was not for the faint of heart! Unfortunately the monastery has become quite commercialized. Our first close up views were of large parking lots, a three story restaurant, gift shops and stalls of people selling cheeses, honey, herbs and baked goods. Once we passed the commercial area however, we were able to imagine that we had taken a step back in time to a period when the monks were able to dedicate themselves to a peaceful life of prayer, work and welcoming pilgrims. Our guide told us that Montserrat is also home to the Escolans – the oldest boys' choir in Europe. We enjoyed strolling past tall dormitories, up narrow stone passageways and across a wide statue-filled courtyard to the church itself. Once inside we were awestruck by the vibrant stained glass windows, graceful archways, beautiful religious paintings and mosaics. In the background we could hear organ music playing as we climbed the narrow winding stone stairway to view the statue of the Black Madonna who was the main object of worship for the pilgrims to this monastery. After visiting a small prayer chapel we made our way back down to the bus, enjoying the panoramic views and interesting rock formations along the way. The monastery is accessible by car, bike, tram, funicular and of course on foot, so if you ever find yourself in Barcelona this side trip is well worth the visit!

Marseille, France

2010-05-30T09:57:00.000-07:00

After saying farewell to Italy for the final time on this trip, our next port of call was Marseille, France. Mum came down with a fever and sore throat courtesy of our rain-drenched trip on the open-top bus in Rome. As she was really looking forward to our tour in the next port of call and because she had been to Marseille before she opted to remain on the ship to try and recover quickly. This left me to set off on our tour by myself which I must admit was okay after more than 4 months of constant togetherness! The traffic in Marseille was horrendous and we spent much of our tour at a stand-still. The city is very pretty though and it was interesting just to watch the passing scene. From across the harbour we could see the Notre Dame de la Garde Basilica perched high on the hill and we slowly made our way in that direction. When we arrived we were told it was 120 steps to the basilica, but it actually turned out to be 240 – somebody needs to learn how to count! Still, it was worth every step as the basilica was quite spectacular and there was a 360 degree view of the city below and out over the famous Chateau d'If, the setting for Alexandre Dumas' novel The Count of Monte Cristo. After being given ample time to wander on our own it was back down the stairs and onto the bus where we slowly made our way back to the old port, passing the beautiful Palais Longchamp along the way. Once back at the old port we were given 30 minutes to shop for souvenirs. I took a little walk up to the opera house and poked around some of the side streets while enjoying the lovely weather. It's a shame the traffic prevented us from seeing a little more of the city, but it was a pleasant enough way to spend a few hours!

Santa Margherita, Italy

2010-05-28T09:48:00.000-07:00

May 19^th we started cruise number two. We were checked out of the hotel in Civitavecchia by just after 11:00 and were booked on the noon shuttle to the port. The shuttle was running about 30 minutes behind which was fine, still plenty of time to get to the ship. 12:30 arrived and there were 8 of us for the shuttle with a ton of luggage. It was like playing Tetris trying to get all of the bags loaded! Finally they were all crammed in and we set off. For some reason the tiny side street next to the hotel was busy, busy, busy. It took us several lights to make the turn onto the main road, and almost immediately the shuttle got a flat tire! So there we were, sitting on the side of the street outside one of the local schools while all the kids are pouring out of the building heading home for the day. The driver kept telling us that the other shuttle was on its way and would be there soon. It must have been 45 minutes before the second shuttle showed up, and then all of the luggage had to be reloaded onto the new van. Thankfully the rest of the trip to the ship was uneventful! We got our new cruise cards quickly enough and then boarded the ship. Everything is so shiny and new compared to our other ship, and it is so much bigger! The Eurodam is less than two years old so it hasn't had time to get that used feeling yet. Our room has almost exactly the same layout as our other room, except it is a bit bigger – there's even room for a bathtub in the washroom! Time will tell if bigger is actually better, although I can already say that the food is better and there's a movie theatre on board so that makes me happy!

The next day we had our first port of call – Santa Margherita, Italy. We had to tender to shore to catch our bus to Cogorno where we walked up to the beautiful Basilica di San Salvatore dei Fieschi which dates back to the 13^th Century. We sat outside in the courtyard while our guide related the history of the Basilica and it was so quiet and peaceful. The sun was shining brightly, the birds were singing and the air was nice and cool. We were then given the chance to go inside where cross-shaped openings help illuminate the church. For once we were the only people around, and that made the stop all the more enjoyable! We strolled back to the bus and made the short drive to the fishing village of Sestri Levante which lies between the Bay of Silence and the Bay of Fables (so named after Hans Christian Andersen). After a brief tour through the cobblestone streets to the Bay of Fables we were set loose to wander and shop. Mum and I had a look around before buying pistachio and chocolate gelato (for what is a trip to Italy without gelato?) and taking a walk along the seaside. All in all it was a nice low-key way to begin this leg of our trip. We finished off the day by taking in a movie in the Eurodam's super-comfy theatre!

Rome & Civitavecchia, Italy

2010-05-25T07:05:00.000-07:00

And just like that, 108 days on Pacific Princess came to an end. We arrived at the port of Civitavecchia early on the morning of May 15^th and appropriately enough we were met with rain. By 6:40 am mum and I had cleaned everything out of our cabin, said goodbye to our room steward Arnold, and were seated in the Cabaret Lounge for the last time as we awaited our turn to disembark for the transfer to Rome. An hour later we were settled on the bus with a small group of hearty souls who decided to take the very last tour of our voyage. The ride to Rome took about 90 minutes and before I knew it we were standing in an enormous line outside the walls of Vatican City. Apparently a power outage had closed the place down the day before and all of Friday's tours had been postponed to Saturday making it even crazier there than usual. As we waited the clouds opened up again and we were caught in a torrential downpour. The many men rushing around selling umbrellas were doing a brisk business but mum and I decided to tough it our in our ball caps and raincoats. Turns out my “raincoat” is of no use at all, and by the time we finally got indoors I was completely drenched! Nothing like wandering around the Vatican Museum in a wet shirt, carrying a wet jacket. Of course everyone is there to see the Sistine Chapel, but to get to that point you must first traverse a seemingly never-ending series of hallways and staircases jammed with paintings, statues and tapestries. There were some very interesting and beautiful pieces to be seen, but alas the crush of people meant that you had to just keep moving forward at a steady pace, taking quick looks left, right and at the ceiling when you could and trying not to lose the tour guide. Finally we arrived at the Sistine Chapel and the blessed silence that was to be found within. It was as beautiful as I remember it from way back in 1992 and mum was suitably impressed, although she felt that some of the artwork in other parts of the Museum was just as lovely. After 15 minutes to take it all in we were on the move again, back downstairs to eventually emerge beside the entrance to St. Peter's Basilica. After a brief tour inside and a stop in front of Michelangelo's Pieta it was out into the rain for a visit at one of the gift shops where you could purchase rosaries blessed by the Pope. At this point we had been touring for hours and were all drenched and exhausted from our early start. We found our way back to the tour bus and were eventually dropped at on of the train stations where we were miraculously able to find a taxi that could take all of our luggage! A brief ride took us to our hotel in central Rome and we happily checked in and collapsed in our room, emerging only for a quick dinner at the restaurant next door. I miss Princess already!

Sunday we decided to find one of the open-top bus tours of Rome and take a ride around the city to get our bearings. We set off in the direction of what we thought was the train station, but quickly found ourselves way off course. Happily the detour took us past some lovely places we otherwise would have not seen, including the Four Fountains intersection and the lovely Quirinale Park and Square. After about 30 minutes we finally figured out where we were, and a short walk later we found ourselves at the Trevi Fountain, one of my must-see stops as I had missed it the last time I was in Rome. I had always pictured it out in the open, not tucked away in a little square, but it was a beautiful sight to behold. Shortly thereafter we finally found a stop for the open-top bus and soon we were ensconced at the back of the bus on the upper level, soaking up the sun and taking in the sights. This is why I love Rome – everywhere you look there are gorgeous buildings and churches, ruins and fountains. There is just so much to see! We decided to adopt a “look but don't touch” approach for our first full day on our own, and ultimately that turned out to be a mistake. Monday we got caught on top of the bus in another downpour as we were heading for Bocca della Verita (the Mouth of Truth) and had to head back to the hotel where we had stupidly left our umbrella so we could change and retrieve said umbrella. The sky had cleared by the time we made it back to the hotel, but not 10 minutes later it was pouring again, and this lasted for the rest of the day. Tuesday we awoke to find a glorious sunny day with not a cloud in the sky, but alas we were scheduled to depart Rome and head back to the port. Our bus tickets were still good so we foolishly decided to take one last spin around the city. We were questioning our decision when we found ourselves stuck in traffic near St. Peter's, and only just made it back to the hotel before our taxi arrived to take us to Civitavecchia. What a wild ride that was! Our taxi driver was a little bit crazy. Out on the open road he kept saying he needed to shoot somebody today. He proceeded to pull out a shotgun shell from his belongings, which he gleefully showed us. We hurtled down the highway reaching speeds of 170 km/hr in a 90 zone. 170! It's a good thing mum couldn't see exactly how fast he was going because she would have freaked! We made it to Civitavecchia in record time, and eventually managed to find our hotel tucked away on a side street. What an adventure!

Positano & Pompeii, Italy

2010-05-23T10:33:00.000-07:00

Our first stop in Italy was at the port of Sorrento where we were tendered to shore before being transferred to a mini-bus for a hair-raising ride up the narrow streets to the top of the hill and then transferred to our slightly larger air-conditioned bus. The sun was shining brightly as we headed off along the stunning Amalfi Coast toward the town of Positano. Our driver was incredible, managing to keep us alive as we hugged the cliffside on the twisting road! The view was fantastic, and before long we could see Positano in the distance, spilling down the hillside toward the sea. Mum and I have wanted to go to Positano ever since we saw the movie “Only You”, so another dream realized! Our driver took us as far into town as he could and then we were set loose to explore the picturesque streets with their small shops and street vendors. After a blissful hour of browsing and soaking up the sun we were off along the coast again. It truly is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. After traversing the many switchbacks on a long climb up the hillside we arrived at the hotel where we were to lunch. Seated on a verandah overlooking the sea we were plied with delicious Italian dishes and wine, and left to enjoy the cool breeze and the magnificent view. Our final stop of the day was at Pompeii where we walked the cobblestone streets and toured the amphitheatre and several of the buildings (including the brothel and its naughty paintings, which only men were allowed to view during mum's last visit 40 years ago!) with Mount Vesuvius looming in the distance. What an incredible archeological site, although mum says much has changed since she was last there in 1971 – way more touristy, and less freedom to roam at will!

Suez Canal & Athens, Greece

2010-05-19T13:32:00.000-07:00

Since we have fallen behind on the blog and will be in port most days from now on, we're going to keep our entries short and sweet! We'll try to let the pictures speak for themselves without too many embellishments from us.

May 10^th we traversed the Suez Canal. The scenery was quite different from our trip through the Panama Canal – instead of lush rainforests we could only see sand with the occasional village and oasis. It was beautiful in a completely different way. Unlike the Panama Canal there were no locks but just a wide channel dug through the desert. Because of very strong winds we were unable to stop for refuelling at Port Said but instead soldiered on across the Mediterranean towards Athens. We arrived in Piraeus on the morning of May 12^th. It is so lovely to be back in Europe – the weather was gorgeous (cooler) but just as sunny. Our tour took us to the old Olympic Stadium and then to the National Museum which was full of golden treasures, statues, frescos and pottery from the ancient Greek civilization. With our limited time we were only able to get a taste of the displays, but that was better than nothing! After a delicious buffet of traditional Greek dishes at a local hotel we were dropped off at the base of the Acropolis for the climb up to the Parthenon. What a thrill it was for me to see it for the first time and for mum to see it again after more than 25 years! The view was incredible, and even in their incomplete state the buildings were magnificent. When our time on the Acropolis was over our guide led us on a million mile march down steep stairways, through narrow streets and passageways and into the Plaka, the old part of Athens. While some shopped, mum and I were happy to find a Starbucks where we enjoyed a cool drink on a shady bench with some of our fellow travellers. There is absolutely no room in our luggage for any more souvenirs, so why torture ourselves? We have now added Athens to the list of “Places we have to go back to and spend more time”. Surprise, surprise!

Petra, Jordan

2010-05-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we finally made our much-anticipated trip to the ancient city of Petra in Jordan. Our tour started with a two hour drive through deserts, mountains and farming country. Up at the higher elevations we passed Bedouin camps where people were tending herds of sheep and goats. At the higher elevations there were also many apple orchards and green fields full of crops. Once we reached the modern city of Wadi Musa we had quite a walk down a series of stone stairs and ramps to the Visitors' Centre and then a 1 km hike down a sloping gravel pathway to the entrance of the Siq. For the less intrepid there were brightly decorated horse-drawn carriages and saddle horses which could be hired for all or part of the journey. As we arrived relatively early in the day the temperatures were pleasant and the cool breeze kept us from becoming overheated. Our guide was very knowledgeable, making stops at caves and carvings all along the route and giving us some of the background information. The Siq itself was spectacular! A deep, narrow and winding natural channel through the mountain to the Treasury of Petra. It's almost impossible to describe the beauty of the soaring red rock walls and interesting rock formations of the narrow canyon. Some sections were only 3 to 4 metres wide and in some places the high cliffs nearly blocked out the sun. Around every corner there was another spectacular view and in some sections the original paving stones still exist after more than 2000 years. After a 1.2 km stroll we caught our first glimpse of the magnificent Treasury, probably the most famous structure in Petra thanks to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. I was nearly moved to tears at finally getting to see it in person – a real dream come true. The large open area was filled with tourists, horse-drawn carriages and people taking tourists on camel rides. By the time we reached the Treasury the sun was directly overhead and the temperature had risen considerably. Mindful of the long uphill climb back, our dwindling water supplies and the limited time available to us we were unable to explore much more of the site which actually covers 70 square km. The walk back through the searing heat was not quite as dreamlike as the cool walk down, but we persevered and we were very proud of ourselves when we arrived at the top still alive! It was a wonderful experience but we both agreed that we'd like to go back again in December or January when temperatures would be much more comfortable for people from the north and we could spend the 2 to 3 days necessary to properly explore the site. This was a real highlight in an already amazing trip.

Luxor, Egypt

2010-05-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

It took 17 years, but I finally made it back to Egypt! We arrived at the port of Safaga just after sunrise Thursday morning and were quickly loaded onto our 12 buses for the 3.5 hour drive to Luxor. We were required to travel in a police-escorted convoy and I'm not sure if that slowed us down or sped things up! The drive was very interesting – Safaga is surrounded by barren and rocky mountains without a leaf of vegetation in sight, but the landscape was very beautiful in its own way. Gradually the scenery changed to sandy desert as far as the eye could see. Our progress was impeded by numerous security checkpoints complete with gun-toting guards in high towers. After about 2 hours we reached the lush Nile River valley. What a contrast to the desert! Now we drove past small towns surrounded by farmers' fields and date palm trees. There were donkeys everywhere, pulling carts loaded with agricultural produce, transporting men and boys or waiting patiently in the shade of the trees for their masters to put them to work. A wide canal running beside the road provided irrigation for the crops of corn, wheat, sugarcane and various fruits. All along the highway were beautiful flowering bushes in shades of pink, magenta, white and coral – not the typical vision one has of Egypt! Finally just before noon we arrived at the city of Luxor and our first stop – the Temple of Karnak. As we wandered down the Avenue of Ram-headed Spinxes and among the enormous columns, we could only stare in wonder. Words cannot describe the beauty and the intricacy of the carvings which decorate the walls and pillars of this complex. We felt as if we had taken a step back in time. Even thousands of years later, you can still see the colours used in some parts of the temple, and many of the statues are in wonderful condition after all this time. All too soon our time was up and we made our way back to the bus past numerous locals hawking souvenirs of Egypt. After doing our part for the economy we boarded the bus and headed to a local hotel where we enjoyed a buffet lunch. Then it was back onboard for the 40 minute drive to the Valley of the Kings, crossing the mighty River Nile along the way. Unfortunately cameras are strictly forbidden within the valley and had to be left on the bus to prevent sneak photos in the tombs. We boarded a small tram at the Visitors' Centre which took us deeper into the valley where the tombs are located. This is a very stark region with tomb entrances dotting the hillside in all directions. What a thrill to finally see it! We were able to enter the tombs of Ramses I, III and IX. It was exciting to walk down into the tombs and view the magnificent paintings and hieroglyphics on the walls and ceilings. The colours are wonderfully vivid and it's mind-boggling to see how well they have survived for thousands of years. Simply breathtaking. It must have been so exciting to be one of the archaeologists who excavated these sites. As our tour was drawing to an end we made photo stops at Queen Hatshepsut's Temple and the Colossi of Memnon which stand 64 feet tall and are all that remains of Amenhotep III's temple. We loved every minute of our tour, but it was HOT!!! The sun beat down mercilessly upon us, and for two people used to northern temperatures it was an exercise in survival! I don't know how many litres of water we consumed and sweated out, but it was considerable. Next time I come to Egypt I'm going to start my tours at sunrise and come in January and not in May! Still, we wouldn't have missed it for the world and can't wait to come back again.

Muscat, Oman

2010-05-05T07:23:00.000-07:00

The morning after leaving Dubai we had a “Piracy Drill” in preparation for sailing through the waters near Somalia. When the Captain gave a special code word, we all had to head to our staterooms staying clear of windows and balconies, and await further instruction. We had to prop our door open so that our room steward could come and check and make sure we were where we were supposed to be. Ultimately passengers end up lying on the floor on one of the lower decks, but thankfully the drill didn't get that far! Pretty thrilling stuff!

On Friday we arrived at the port of Muscat, Oman. It is located in a beautiful natural setting stretched out along a series of bays and harbours with austere mountain ranges rising behind and date palm trees waving along the shore. Gone are the skyscrapers of Dubai, to be replaced by the one and two-story whitewashed square buildings in the traditional Arabic style. After a 40 minute drive past elegant government buildings, colourful mosques with domes in gold leaf or blue and green enamel, and residential districts with lovely parks and gardens, we arrived at the Grand Mosque which was built in 1992 of Indian sandstone with marble stairways and floors. It is a truly beautiful structure with long tree-lined walkways leading up to the main stairs, inner courtyards filled with leafy vegetation and palm trees and lovely arched hallways throughout the interior. Unfortunately our bad mosque luck continued! As it was Friday, the Islamic holy day, we were not allowed in but could only peer longingly into some parts through the iron gates. Our next stop was at the Muttrah Souk, a marketplace much in the style of those mum explored back in 1971 when she was in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia – narrow, covered, stone-paved alleyways lined with tiny shops selling spices, jewellery, clothing, shoes, souvenirs and handicrafts. The air was full of the sweet smell of incense and the lanes were crowded with shoppers and shopkeepers hawking their wares. We had a wonderful time exploring, examining the merchandise and exchanging remarks with the shopkeepers. It was one of the best hours we've spent so far! It's so interesting to see the locals dressed in burqas, bedouin robes, and the long tunics, loose pants and oval hats that many of the men wear. I bought a small brass Aladdin lamp and mum bought some frankincense and sandalwood incense and a small vial of rose perfume from a shopkeeper in a tiny store where he was pleased to open numerous samples of different incenses and perfumes for us to sniff. When we came out of the souk around 11:00 am the temperature had risen to a whopping 47 degrees Celsius! By the time we returned to the ship it had gone even higher, to 50 degrees – the hottest we've ever experienced! Our third stop was at the Bait Al Zubair, a private museum which chronicles Oman's history, culture and folkways. The weapons, costumes, art and household artifacts were very interesting to see. This museum is usually closed on Fridays, but they opened it especially for us. Last of all we stopped at the Al Alam Palace, the official residence of Sultan Qaboos bin Said when he is in Muscat (he has seven palaces in all). The palace was fairly unassuming as palaces go, but the huge courtyard flanked by long arched marble walkways was quite spectacular. We also got a good look at the two 16^th century Portuguese forts in the same area. All too soon we had to return to the ship. Everything in Muscat closes at noon and reopens at 4:00 pm because of the tremendous heat in the middle of the day, otherwise we certainly would have returned to the souk for more shopping and exploring! Our drive back to the pier took us past the giant white replica of an incense burner perched on a rocky hill near the shore. It really stands out when you're sailing into or away from Muscat, and I think I've probably got about 40 pictures of it from various angles!

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

2010-05-02T01:21:00.000-07:00

A few days ago our port lecturer gave a talk on “50 Places to See Before You Die”. (Side note, mum and I have each been to 18 of them, not all the same ones, and we'll be going to 5 or 6 more before our trip is over). Dubai was one of the places listed, and after having been there I cannot fathom what it is doing on this list! We had a pleasant enough tour, but I honestly don't see any reason to ever return to Dubai. As we sailed into port we had a pretty good view over the downtown, including the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, which mum thinks looks like a bunch of tin cans stacked on top of each other! The cruise terminal is brand new, having opened only a few weeks ago, and had several little souvenir shops, a post office, an ATM and a couple of tour desks. We boarded our bus and met our guide Vijay Singh – not the golfer, he was quick to tell us! We drove through the city and stopped at the beach next to the Burj Al Arab Hotel which is built in the shape of a sail and is very beautiful. It even has its own helicopter pad. Vijay told us that all of the rooms in the hotel are suites, and every suite has an ocean view and comes with its own butler! In the distance we could see one of the man-made Palm Islands, home of the Atlantis Hotel. The beach was gorgeous with its white sand beaches and turquoise waters, and I was almost ready to just stay there for the day! We pressed on however, and our next stop was at the Jumeira Mosque. Unfortunately we were not allowed inside – we have seen so many mosques on this trip and not once have we made it to the interior! It's the only mosque in Dubai that has an outreach program for non-Muslims. On certain days of the week you can join a group for an hour-long tour to learn more about the Islamic religion. Too bad we weren't there at the appropriate time, but we did enjoy strolling the gardens and sitting in the shade of the outer courtyard. Next we made our way to the Dubai Museum which is located in the 210-year old Al Fahidi Fort, practically the only old structure still left in Dubai. It had some excellent exhibits depicting the traditional lifestyle of the Bedouin people, but it was very crowded and dark so it was difficult to see everything properly. We made the short drive to the waterfront where we boarded a water taxi to cross the creek to Deira where we stopped at first the spice souk and then the gold souk. Store after store was jammed full of gold rings, bracelets and necklaces. Far too rich for my blood, but it was very interesting watching the passing scene. It was definitely a very popular place! Finally we walked back to the bus and made the drive to the pier. The tour was fine, but Dubai left mum and I feeling cold (and not the good kind!). The guide's commentary was all about pointing out the newest this, the biggest that, the third largest mosque in the Middle East, the second tallest flagpole in the world, etc. The whole reason for Dubai seems to be just about oneupmanship. Everything has to be the biggest, which they seem to feel translates into the best, and I disagree. Luxury hotels and office towers were under construction everywhere we looked, but the sheer excess turned me off. We could have been in practically any modern city in the world, and what's so special about that?

Mumbai (Bombay), India

2010-04-30T04:05:00.000-07:00

I have never been interested in traveling to India. There, I said it, and at the time I said it I absolutely meant it. Mumbai is such a fascinating city though, and I've been forced to change my opinion! After passing through a million security checks to reach the cruise terminal, we boarded our bus for our tour to Elephanta Island. Along the way to the pier we passed many lovely colonial buildings whose beautiful architecture was only slightly diminished by the sooty coatings caused by the city's terrible air pollution. Out on the pier itself there is an ornate stone gate (The Gateway of India), built for the visit of King George V and Queen Mary in December 1911. To get there we walked across a wide, stone-paved square full of tourists, commuters, men selling postcards, and pitiful looking women carrying babies and begging for money. Our guide told us to ignore them because they were not begging for themselves but were working for criminals who would take most of the money away from them. She said that the babies probably weren't even their own but had been rented for the day from very poor families as props to win our sympathy. Our hour long boat ride out to Elephanta Island was most pleasant as the breeze off the water had a welcome cooling effect. Once we reached the Island we boarded a small brightly painted train for the 1 km journey to the base of the stairs leading up to the caves. We had been told we would have to climb up 120 stairs to reach the Elephanta Caves, but we really weren't prepared for the reality of the situation, having envisaged a set of evenly spaced stairs like those outside a church or a Chinese temple for example. In actual fact we climbed up the side of the mountain a few stone steps at a time with long, steep areas of stone-paved ramp in between each set of steps – so it was quite a climb and quite a distance to the top. All along both sides of the ramp the locals had set up colourful stalls from which they sold a wide range of handicrafts – stone and wooden carvings, lanterns, purses and embroidered bags, pictures, cloths, scarves, decorated mirrors, doorbells, clothing, etc. Of course they called out to us constantly trying to get us to buy, but our guide had told us to wait until the return journey, so we soldiered on through the extreme heat and humidity. The caves themselves were quite impressive, developed in the style of a temple with huge stone pillars at the entrance and throughout the interior and stone carvings of the Hindu God Shiva on the walls. The huge carvings were lovely but alas badly damaged as they had been used for target practice by the Portuguese in earlier times. We were counting on cooler temperatures inside the caves but it was not meant to be. It must have been at least 40 degrees up there! After our tour of the caves we were given an hour and a half to explore on our own and make our way down through the stalls. Mum bought three embroidered purses because every time she bought one she'd see one at another stall that she liked better! On our trek we certainly enjoyed the variety of animal life – colourful roosters, placid black cows, scrawny-looking mangy yellow dogs, a black and white goat sleeping on a bench, and monkeys in all shapes and sizes leaping around everywhere. I love monkeys, so it was a real treat! All in all we had an exhausting but interesting day in Mumbai. We both agree that we'd like to come back and explore more of the city at a future date.

Male, Maldives

2010-04-26T06:46:00.000-07:00

Wednesday we arrived Male, Maldives and now you will get the lamest blog entry yet! We were supposed to go on a two hour walking tour of Male, but we decided not to go. Here are our excuses: We were both still feeling really sick from this darn cold. It was already +30 at 7:00 in the morning. We had watched the port talk, and there really didn't seem to be much of interest in Male unless you were going to be snorkeling, which was not offered as a tour option. And finally, you had to take the tender to get to shore, and it just seemed like an extra level of hassle for a tour we didn't want to go on anyway. Firmly in agreement, we decided to stay on board and do our laundry, which turned out to be a great choice! We had the laundry room almost to ourselves (trust me, this was a big deal!) and had three loads done in two hours – a record during our time on the ship. Once our buddies who did go on the walking tour returned to the ship they told us that we had made the right decision – they were basically herded from place to place with no information given to them by the guide, and it was so unbearably hot that everyone was completely miserable. We had a very good view of this extremely small island capital from our stateroom, and the water was just as beautiful from our vantage point as it would have been had we gone ashore. Sometimes you just need a day off, even in paradise!

Phuket, Thailand

2010-04-26T06:15:00.000-07:00

Our day trip in Phuket was much like the tour we took in Vietnam. Basically, if you put the words “scenic cruise” into the tour description, we're there! We had an early start of it and were hustled past the vendors setting up shop on the pier for the 90 minute drive to Phang Nga. After a brief pit stop at the Phang Nga Bay Resort we boarded our open air boat for our cruise. The scenery was similar to that of Halong Bay – steep, forested mountains and islets, including one shaped like a poodle. Our destination: James Bond Island, famous for appearing in the movie The Man With the Golden Gun as the hideaway of Christopher Lee's character. Mum and I re-watched the movie the night before in anticipation, and it was such a thrill to actually go there! I remember being in awe of the scenery when I first saw the movie as a child, and it was even more breathtaking in person than it was on film. As we approached the island we passed rock formations with narrow openings into caves and there were many people in kayaks paddling along and having to lie down to enter the grottos hidden beneath the rocks. It looked like a lot of fun – maybe next time! We were fortunate to be able to pass through one of the larger caves, thus making up for my missed opportunity at the Hole in the Rock in New Zealand. A stop on James Bond Island wasn't part of our itinerary, but that's probably for the best – I wager that shopping at one of the tourist traps that are now a part of the island would have ruined some of the mystique! After we'd drifted around so that everyone had a chance to take pictures from multiple angles, we headed back to the floating village of Panyi. Its inhabitants are the descendents of the sea gypsies who used to be pirates in these waters. Now they depend mainly on tourism for their livelihood. We landed beside a wobbly pontoon dock and made our way through one of the pleasant, clean looking restaurants and into the market area. After a stop outside the local school we were set loose to explore and shop. Half an hour later we headed back to the pier where we lunched at the Phang Nga Bay Resort. We enjoyed a buffet of various Thai delicacies – fried vegetables, basmati rice, green curry fish balls, crab sausage, sweet and sour pork with cashews, and barbecued beef, plus exotic fruits for dessert. On the way back to the ship we had to make the obligatory stop at a high-end jewellery/souvenir shop so that “richy-riches” could be talked into buying another bauble for the “little woman”. Mum and I admired but did not buy – not our style. We prefer the street markets, so upon our return to the pier we explored the many stalls that had been set up near the ship and happily parted with some of our cash!

Singapore

2010-04-20T07:33:00.000-07:00

I need a break from writing the blog, so mum will do the honours for Singapore! Here we go..... By the time we reached Singapore this wretched cold held us both in its death grip. But Singapore was not to be missed, so we girded our loins, threw caution to the wind and leapt into the fray (i.e. boarded our tour bus)! We soon abandoned modern Singapore with its tall, glass covered office towers and banks and innovatively-designed hotels and convention centres and entered a world that hasn't changed much architecturally for over a hundred years – old Chinatown. Our first stop was the Chinatown Heritage Centre. Housed in a skinny, three storey building erected in the late 1800s, it displays the life of the early Chinese migrants to Singapore. As we climbed narrow, uneven wooden staircases and wandered along the darkened hallways we were able to gaze into crowded, dingy living cubicles, cluttered workrooms and common kitchen areas. It was easy to imagine how difficult life must have been for the original Chinese settlers. This is one of the best small museums I've ever been in as it was easy to picture the early lifestyle rather than staring at a variety of artifacts enclosed in clean, well-lit display cases. Next, our guide Andrew, led us along twisting lane-ways lined with numerous small stalls and shops displaying all manner of exotic wares. Unfortunately time was of the essence and we had to keep moving, catching titillating glimpses of fascinating items but never being allowed to stop and shop. Our next stop of interest was a brightly decorated Hindu temple. Even the ceilings were painted with depictions of Hindu Gods. We moved through quietly in our sock feet so as not to disturb people involved in prayer and various rituals. As an extra bonus, Andrew then directed us to a huge Buddhist temple elaborately decorated in red and gold with large murals and hundreds of Buddha statues covering the walls. It was interesting to compare the temples of the two different religions. Leaving Chinatown behind we were driven to the Royal Selangor pewter factory. After a brief introduction to the making and decorating of pewter objects, we were led to a workroom, given an apron, a pewter disc and a variety of tools and taught how to make a simple pewter bowl which we could keep as a souvenir. I can imagine what it must have looked like – two dozen senior citizens (plus Berna) lined up at counters and energetically flailing away with wooden mallets! After completing our projects we were offered a cold drink and a chance to purchase beautiful (and pricey) items made by the experts. Not being in the financial bracket of some of our companions, Berna and I decided to satisfy ourselves with our own hand-made pewter creations. Our last stop of the tour was a dream come true for me, the Raffles Hotel which featured in movies and literature I was exposed to in my teens. Built in 1887 it epitomizes the colonial style of the late 19^th Century. As we strolled over white marble floors through gracefully arched hallways we gazed out at a series of enclosed courtyards full of palm trees, giant ferns, delicate fountains and wrought iron benches. Every corner of the building seemed to contain a light, airy veranda complete with comfortable looking wicker furniture. One could easily imagine the colonial Brits strolling through the gardens and enjoying afternoon tea on the terrace! Of course no visit to Raffles would be complete without sampling the drink for which the hotel is famous – the Singapore Sling! Up a wooden staircase, around a corner, and there we were in the Long Bar – all dark polished wood, glass cabinets and wicker furniture. Palm shaped fans flicked back and forth on the ceiling. Once we were settled at tables for four our drinks were served in tall elegant glasses. As the recipe states the drink is an “attractive hue of coral” and is garnished with “a slice of orange, strawberry and mint leaves”. I don't know how much liquor it contained but it certainly packed a punch! In the middle of each table was a wooden box full of peanuts. Traditionally you're supposed to eat the nuts and toss the shells on the floor, an act which I found very difficult after 35 years of trying to teach Inuvik kids not to litter! Upon our return to the cruise centre, Berna and I had just enough energy left to purchase a couple of suitcases, then it was off to our stateroom for a little lie-down! As we sailed out of port we were treated to a spectacular thunderstorm complete with both sheet and fork lightning and a torrential downpour. What an exciting way to end an excellent day!

Brunei

2010-04-19T08:22:00.000-07:00

Monday we arrived at the port of Muara, Brunei. I was still feeling like death warmed over and had begun to infect mum and the thought of going on an 8 hour tour was not very appealing – I almost cancelled and stayed on board, but decided that I'm not likely to get to Brunei again, and I couldn't bear to miss it. It turned out to be one of our best tours so far! We made the short drive to Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital city of Brunei and began our tour at the wet market, an open-air market beside a canal selling a wide variety of fresh fish, dried fish products, spices, fruits and vegetables. Our guide Stanley (named after his father's favourite toolbox!) enthusiastically described every spice and food item in great detail, including how to use each item in your day to day cooking. Needless to say, we were at the market for a very long time, inhaling the pungent smells which were a little hard to take that early in the morning. I confess I have had my fill of fish markets! There were a lot of cats roaming around the market area – Stanley told us that cats are highly regarded in Brunei and are far more popular than dogs. I was just happy to see some kitties because I miss mine very much! When Stanley was satisfied that we knew all there was to know about the market we re-boarded our bus and headed off to the Royal Regalia Museum which houses artifacts and paraphernalia of the Sultan of Brunei and his family – the Royal Chariot, solid gold crowns, royal sceptres, ceremonial weapons, diamond encrusted formal wear woven with gold threads, numerous photos of the royal family engaged in various activities and gifts presented from dignitaries around the world including a soapstone carving of a walrus given by Prime Minister Jean Chretien. We had to remove our shoes before entering the museum and were given lockers in which to store our cameras and personal effects. Attendants watched our every move – I guess a picture made it onto the internet a few years ago showing items that they do not wish to be photographed, and so security is a little tight. Stanley had a lot to say during our tour and by the time we got outside to put our shoes back on they were as hot as ovens! In retrospect we should have found some shade to put them in! Our next stop was at Jame'Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque which was completed in 1992 to celebrate the Sultan's 25^th Jubilee. It is a lovely, intricately decorated building topped with gold domes and surrounded by lush gardens and beautiful fountains. Unfortunately we were unable to go inside because they were just about to begin their noon prayers. We returned later in the day to try again but were told it was closed. After lunch at a local hotel we made our way to the river and boarded a ten person boat for a trip to the mangrove forest in search of proboscis monkeys. We took a wild ride down the river with our boatman twisting and turning, leaping over the wake left by other boats and dodging in and out around obstacles. The wind out on the water felt wonderful and we didn't mind being hit by the spray! Our monkey spotter did a marvellous job and we saw at least a dozen monkeys in several locations. It was very exciting to see them swinging from tree to tree in the wild instead of locked up behind bars in some city zoo. Needless to say I now have about 50 pictures of vegetation where I just know there is a monkey hiding, if only I could spot it! That'll be a project for another day! On our way back we stopped at Kampong Ayer, a village built on stilts over the water. The houses are joined by wooden walkways which are also connected to shops, markets, mosques and schools. A utilidor system of blue pipes brings water to the buildings in the village. We stopped at a large pink house where the family had laid out tea and coffee and an assortment of goodies for us to enjoy on their spacious front porch. Mum sampled a fried banana with cheese, which is considered a local delicacy. Once we rejoined our bus there was just enough time for a cruise past the Sultan's Palace where the Sultan's nephew almost caused an accident by cutting us off in his burgundy BMW – quite exciting! We then made the drive back to the pier and re-boarded our ship. I'm glad I didn't let this stupid cold prevent me from enjoying the wonders of Brunei!

Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

2010-04-18T07:15:00.000-07:00

My apologies for not updating the blog more recently – I've been suffering from a nasty cold since we left Vietnam and haven't felt up to doing much of anything. Still, I was determined not to miss out on any of our ports of call, so I sucked it up and soldiered on through the last few stops. I'm going to try to catch up quickly, so forgive my brevity! Last Sunday afternoon we arrived in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia on the island of Borneo. Another sunny and unforgivingly hot day! As we disembarked we were met by locals who placed a lovely beaded necklace around our necks – mum always thinks I get a nicer gift than she does! We opted to take the city tour, and our first stop was at the Sabah Foundation Building, a 30-story glass tower that is suspended from high-tensile steel rods surrounding the central core. Apparently there are only 3 other buildings like it in the world. After a brief photo stop, we continued on through the streets of Kota Kinabalu to the State Mosque which has a beautiful golden dome with real gold plate. Unfortunately we weren't properly attired to enter the mosque, so again it was really only a chance to take some pictures. We then drove to the Sabah Museum and Kampung Warisan Heritage Village where we were given a tour of the various longhouses and the skull hut. The people used to believe that hanging skulls above their rice stores protected them from evil spirits. Finally, we drove back to the waterfront and were given a chance to explore the Kota Kinabalu outdoor market where vendors were selling handicrafts, souvenirs and foodstuffs. The heat and the smell were quite overpowering and we were all glad to see the bus coming back for us! All in all it wasn't one of my favourite tours, but Kota Kinabalu is a pleasant enough city. The streets were immaculately groomed and the vegetation was beautiful. There were also a lot of very interesting buildings throughout the city, including a beautiful floating mosque. I'm sure I would have enjoyed it much more if I hadn't been feeling so crummy!

Halong Bay, Vietnam

2010-04-11T04:28:00.000-07:00

Halong Bay in Vietnam is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen – I can only imagine how stunning it must look when the sun is shining down on the water. We did get lucky with the weather, however. As we were sitting on the back deck having breakfast it started to pour, and I'll admit we were a little bit nervous about what that meant for our junk cruise on the bay. The holiday gods smiled on us though, and by the time we caught the tender to shore the fog had lifted and the rain had stopped. Though we saw very little sunshine today, the cloud cover at least kept the temperature down and it made for a very pleasant day out on the water. Our junk was a two story wooden vessel varnished rather than painted garish colours as the Chinese junks were. Inside the lower level there were wooden tables with park-style benches on either side. Large windows gave everyone a great view of the passing scene. When we first boarded we noticed that two of the tables were laden with things to buy – pearl jewellery on one table and a variety of souvenirs such as fridge magnets, keychains, small cloth bags, tiny boxes and compacts with inlaid designs and white tiger balm on the other. As the journey progressed the sales ladies brought out more and more goods for us to purchase – embroidered pictures of Vietnamese scenes, beautiful silk kimonos in a variety of colours, cotton peasant shirts and souvenir t-shirts, and wallets in traditional designs. There was a real buying frenzy on board! We also had an opportunity to buy fresh fruit from local boat people who pulled up alongside our junk and sold their wares right through the open windows. After we crossed the open part of the bay where the ships are moored we entered a world of unbelievable beauty. Limestone rock formations of many different sizes and shapes eroded over time by the waters of the bay and topped with lovely green vegetation stick up out of the calm green waters. Minute by minute the vistas changed as the boat explored new channels. Many of the rocks have been given names describing their shape – the toad, the thumb or the cock and hen for example. We spied a formation that we named the skidoo, for obvious reasons! Eventually we sailed into a beautiful cove surrounded by towering rocks to find a floating village inhabited by fishermen and their families – a series of raft-like floats, each with a small neat brightly painted house built on it, a clothesline full of laundry hanging outside and a small fishing boat attached to one corner. The scene was idyllic! What a lovely spot in which to live out your days. The waters around the rock formations were quite busy. Tour boats, fishing vessels and private pleasure craft abounded. At the base of some rocks we noticed local people in cone-shaped hats harvesting mussels. Apparently some of the rocks are home to birds and monkeys, but try as we might we didn't see any! We thoroughly enjoyed out three hour cruise of Halong Bay – no wonder it has been named a World Heritage Site.

Hong Kong

2010-04-09T02:23:00.001-07:00

Hong Kong is such an amazing and beautiful city! I wish we'd had more time there – that's really the only problem with this trip – you get a taste of all these wonderful places, and it just leaves you wanting more! It's a shame that the weather didn't cooperate better too – we docked on the Kowloon side, and you almost couldn't see across the harbour, there was so much fog! It made everything feel kind of dreamlike and surreal. Our first stop on the tour was to have been at Victoria Peak so we could look down on the city, but in deference to the fog they juggled our itinerary for the day and our first stop was just a quick hop along the pier where we boarded a junk for a cruise of the harbour. Though we really couldn't see much through the fog, it was really nice to be out on the water, and I certainly got some interesting pictures of the city through the mist! We cruised for about an hour, enjoying the fresh air and watching the many interesting boats sailing around us. We then made our way on the beautiful twisting roads to Stanley Market where we were able to get some great deals and buy a lot of presents and souvenirs – that is if we can bring ourselves to part with anything that we bought! Our next stop took us back to the waterfront where we boarded a 10 person sampan (a small wooden boat with a curved bamboo roof) for a tour of the floating village of Aberdeen. Our boatman was a real character. With his clean-shaven head and long scraggily beard he looked like the villain from an Asian action movie! As we glided along among the houseboats, fishing boats, luxury yachts and floating fish market he yelled out the points of interest in a high-pitched, unintelligible voice, all the while puffing on his cigarette and swigging rice wine from a clear glass bottle. As we neared the end of our trip he abruptly asked, “You like tour?” When we all agreed that we'd enjoyed ourselves, he whipped out a plastic container, plunked it down on the floor in front of him and pointed into it saying, “Tip. Tip.” Most of us obliged! Eventually he dropped us off at a very large ornately decorated floating restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious lunch of Dim-Sum and Cantonese style dishes such as sweet and sour pork, deep fried squid, egg foo yung stuffed with crab, fried rice and two types of noodles, all washed down with numerous cups of green tea. Our next stop was a jewellery factory. We were ushered into a small room full of chairs where a tall, thin young man gave us the whirlwind explanation of how jewellery is made. We've never heard anyone talk that quickly – our heads were spinning by the time he'd finished! We were then herded down a long narrow hallway to a set of glass doors which led into the showrooms. After working us up into a state of eager anticipation, our young man threw open the doors with great ceremony, letting us loose in a huge room with counter after counter displaying gold and silver jewellery adorned with gemstones, pearls and jade. I found the most beautiful ruby ring that was shaped like a flower and I ALMOST gave in to temptation and purchased it. The shop assistants were very eager to make the sale, and by the time I managed to pull myself away they had already lowered the price by $350.00 and a promise to go lower. There is still so much trip left that I just couldn't justify the expense, but I'm a little regretful that I stayed strong! At last the air cleared and we were able to make the drive up Victoria Peak. As we drove up the narrow, winding mountain road traversing switchback after switchback, we left the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong behind and entered a world of lush tropical vegetation, steep mossy mountainsides, gentle breezes and peaceful vistas. Unfortunately we were not able to go all the way to the old colonial residential area at the top of Victoria Peak, but stopped at a small modern commercial area 500 feet further down the mountain. We took a pleasant stroll along a cobblestone walkway past artists and street vendors selling their wares, to a lookout point where we enjoyed a panoramic view of Hong Kong city and the harbour down below. After ample time for photo taking we boarded a 200 person funicular for the steep and exciting ride back down the mountain where we found our bus waiting to take us back to the ship. As we sailed out of Hong Kong Harbour the fog closed in again, obliterating the city from our view. A fitting end to a wonderful day!

Beijing, China

2010-04-08T02:11:00.000-07:00

Our overnight visit to Beijing was easily one of the highlights of this whole trip. It didn't start out very promising though! We were told to meet in the Caberet Lounge at 7:45 am. When we got there, the place was packed. Nearly half the passengers opted to participate in the overnight excursion, so it was a bit of a madhouse! We settled in and waited......and waited, and waited and waited. Finally, after about an hour the ship was given permission to start offloading the passengers. We got settled onto our bus quickly enough, and then it was discovered that two people were missing. We sat there for another 15 minutes waiting for the two people to show up – in the meantime, all of the other buses departed. Finally we were given permission to leave without the missing two. The traffic driving away from the pier was terrible, and we crawled along for about 20 minutes. Just as it looked like we were finally going to be able to hit the open road, our guide received a call that our two missing passengers had just turned up, and that we would have to pull over and wait for them to catch up to us. I'm not exactly sure how you manage to sleep through the docking of the ship and the numerous shipboard announcements in preparation for going ashore, but obviously some people can! At this point we also discovered that some idiot who was only supposed to be on a day trip had somehow managed to board our bus, despite us having had our tickets checked three times. Frustration! Luckily all of the buses had been scheduled to stop at the same spot for a bathroom break so we were able to ditch the guy about an hour later. More bad news at the bathroom stop though – some poor old lady fell coming out of one of the stalls, and we later found out that she had broken her hip and had to be taken to hospital. I was really beginning to think our trip was cursed, but luckily this was the end of the mishaps (as far as I know!). The rest of the 3 hour drive to Beijing passed painlessly enough, and we were taken to a jade gallery for a quick tour and lunch. Lunch was a lot of fun as we were seated at round tables with a lazy susan in the middle and plied with various drinks and delicacies. We were then given time to tour the jade gallery and shop, which was full of many beautiful (and expensive!) pieces. Finally it was time to leave, and we headed for the Great Wall. One minute we're taking in the sights of Beijing, the next minute I could see the Wall perched high on the hillside in the distance. It was unbelievable! I can't even begin to describe how I felt – climbing the Great Wall is something everyone should do at least once, and it is something that I will remember forever. It's a tough climb though! The stairs are very steep and uneven, and the higher up I got the more I felt like I was going to trip – it got a little scary! The view was amazing though, and just to see the Wall stretching out in front of you, behind you, and all around you....it was truly something. After I climbed back down on wobbly legs we re-boarded the bus and we went to the Olympic Green. I personally have never found the Bird's Nest to be a particularly attractive building, but it was the highlight of the day for some of our fellow passengers, and it is definitely an interesting looking structure! There were so many people there too! There were literally dozens of buses in the parking lot when we arrived and people all over the area hawking their wares selling everything from postcards to multi-layered kites and Olympic souvenirs. We then headed to our hotel, which was very luxurious. The bathroom in our hotel room had windows all down one side so you could see in from where the bed was – very strange! Thankfully you could lower a shade over the windows. Friday morning we were up by 5:30 and on the road by 8:00. Breakfast at the hotel was interesting – they served both Chinese and Western cuisine, and we enjoyed observing the very different choices made by our group and the Chinese guests at the hotel! While everyone in our group was eating toast, yogurt and muffins, the other guests were eating dumplings, salad, soup and baked potatoes! Our first stop that morning was at Tiananmen Square. Even though it was only about 8:15 am when we got there, there were easily 1000 people already lined up to enter Chairman Mao's Mausoleum. The square was very busy, but our guide told us we were lucky to get there at such a quiet time! The wind was really strong and cold, and even mum and I were glad to have our jackets! We had a group photo taken in front of the gate separating Tiananmen Square from The Forbidden City, and then were set free to wander around the square for a few minutes. We then drove to another gate leading into The Forbidden City and were given a tour. It was amazing – like stepping back in time! Endless buildings and courtyards all intricately carved and brightly decorated. It was very busy as well, but there was so much space inside that it did not feel the least bit crowded. They are working on restoring all of the buildings in anticipation of the 600^th anniversary, and it really looks great. The Imperial Garden was very beautiful, full of decorative limestone rocks and old and very interesting looking trees – I bet it's even more lovely in the summer. We spent about 2 hours in The Forbidden City and then exited through the North Gate, crossing the moat – and just like that, we were back into the hustle and bustle of the traffic in Beijing. It's amazing that a place like that exists in the middle of a city of 14 million people! Next up we were taken to a nearby hotel for a lunch of roast peking duck, and it was sooooo good! Our final stop of the day was at The Temple of Heaven, which was constructed about the same time as The Forbidden City. The Temple is surrounded by a very large and lovely park that we were told is popular in the mornings for exercising and martial arts and as we passed through on our way to the Temple there were a lot of people around visiting, playing games and dancing. Our guide told us that it is an especially popular spot for the elderly to gather. The Temple itself is very impressive, the highlight being the circular building called the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests which was constructed using no nails. Finally it was time to depart, and we made the 3 hour drive back to Xingang and the ship. A truly wonderful two days away from the ship, and I know I keep saying this, but I definitely need to come back to Beijing and spend more time there!!! The people were warm and welcoming and everywhere we went there was a happy and relaxed feeling.

2010-04-04T06:32:00.000-07:00

Our day in Pusan was very interesting, if quite short. We had another early morning arrival on Tuesday, complete with a beautiful sunrise. The weather was cool and overcast, so in other words, perfect! No dramatics involved with our arrival this time. Our bus was so pretty with lovely blue, gold and white seat covers, gold tassels, and rainbow coloured interior lights. Pusan was a little overwhelming at first sight – so many skyscrapers and apartment complexes everywhere. We've spent so much time in smaller cities and tropical locations that it felt odd to be in a real city again. Spring hasn't quite arrived in Pusan yet, so aside from a few magnolia trees and the odd cherry blossom there was a definite wintery feel all around. Our first stop was at Hae Dong Yong Gung Temple, and it was truly spectacular. After passing through a little market area we reached an avenue lined with statues representing the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Just beyond that was a lovely stone pagoda. Once we had passed the pagoda we went through a golden archway and walked down the first section of stairs, past a little Buddha statue and through a tunnel – and on the other side of the tunnel it was just like something out of a movie. Looking through the trees we could see the Temple in the distance, and just above it on top of the hill was a beautiful statue. It was so surreal, beautiful and peaceful – the only real sound was of the waves crashing onto the rocks below and the monks chanting in the distance. We made our way down the rest of the 108 steps and across a stone bridge to the Temple area. There were all kinds of statues around, including a large Golden Buddha next to the Temple. We climbed up a rocky staircase to the statue we had glimpsed from the other side and the view was incredible down over the entire area. The larger statue was surrounded by smaller figures perched on the rocks behind. After surviving the climb back down the very uneven staircase, we went inside the Temple – it was so colourful inside, and there were candles everywhere. I could have just stayed there all day, but eventually it was time to leave, so we climbed back up to the real world and rejoined the bus. Our next stop was at a viewpoint down on the waterfront where we could see the 4.5 mile long suspension bridge that we had crossed earlier. Lined up along sea wall there were dozens of fishermen trying their luck, despite the clearly posted “No Fishing” sign! I'm not sure that I would have wanted to eat anything caught that close to the many hotels in the area, but that's just me! Our final stop was at the International Market where we were set loose for about an hour to shop. It consisted of a maze of narrow streets lined with small shops selling everything from socks to souvenirs! Down the middle of one street there was a row of open air eateries where people could just pull up a plastic stool, point to the food they wanted and enjoy their lunch. I'll confess that my stomach wasn't quite up to the smell of fish at that hour of the day! We didn't have nearly enough time to see all of the interesting sights and explore the entire area, so I guess this is yet another place we will have to return to! Finally we were hustled back to the ship for an early afternoon departure – it's a shame we didn't have longer than five hours in Korea.

Nagasaki, Japan

2010-03-31T04:54:00.000-07:00

We had such a lovely day in Japan! When we awakened Monday morning the sun was just rising and it was so big and red - just beautiful. The sky was clear and it was a crisp 7 degrees. It stayed sunny and clear all day, and the temperature only rose to 14 degrees, so mum and I were right at home! When we got to the pier in Nagasaki an ambulance came roaring up, and about 30 minutes later they removed one of the passengers and took him to the hospital – poor guy. Anyway, that put us all behind as they wouldn't let anybody else off the ship until the ambulance had departed. We were on one of the early tours so we got to disembark relatively quickly which was great because the lineup for immigration stretched the length of the ship by the time we got inside to be fingerprinted and photographed. All in all, it was fairly painless. After one false start where we had to return to the pier to pick up one passenger who had been left behind, we hit the road and headed for Shimabara Peninsula. We had to drive through a series of tunnels to get out of Nagasaki, and then we just sat back and enjoyed the beautiful architecture and scenery. The cherry blossoms had just bloomed, and they were so gorgeous! Almost two hours later we arrived at Shimabara and headed for a samurai village located near the castle. It was such a beautiful walk to the village. The street was gravel and cobblestone with a trench full of clear water running down the centre, like a step back in time – just lovely! After we toured around, we headed to Shimabara Castle which was surrounded by cherry trees in full bloom – very romantic looking. The castle was full of artifacts from the days of the samurai, and mum and I climbed to the top for a magnificent view. The grounds were also covered in many interesting statues, some of them very creepy looking. We then traveled to a nearby hotel where we were given a Japanese boxed lunch which consisted of a large container divided into many small compartments, each containing a different delicacy – rice, seafood, vegetables, and some unknown substances! As we were leaving after lunch, the hotel staff came out into the parking lot to wave goodbye. Our final stop was at the small village of Mizunashihonjin which was buried during the 1991 eruption of Mt. Fugen. Some of the houses were only partially buried or had been partially excavated but others you could only see the very tops of the roofs. It was kind of eerie! After we had been given some time to look around it was time to return to the ship. We were a little bit late returning so they hustled us back on board pretty quickly. As we were crossing the pier there was a brass band from one of the local high schools playing music, and they continued to play until we sailed away – such a nice send off!

Guam, U.S. Territory

2010-03-27T22:36:00.000-07:00

Our day in Guam was both good and bad. Let's start with the bad, shall we? Those darn Americans are so uptight about security they make it so annoying to visit even for a few hours! We started at 7:00 in the morning, lining up as far as the eye could see (not quite literally!) to meet with customs officials before we could disembark. They held the ship up during docking procedures, and as a result, the officials were late getting on board. Thankfully we were near the front of the line, so once they were onboard it didn't take too long to receive clearance – a good thing, since we were on the first tour leaving the port. After our tour, we were held up again right across from the dock while the officials flexed their muscles and pretended that it was a safety issue. Never mind that they only glanced briefly at our cruise cards – I bet I could have held up one of my credit cards and nobody would have noticed! It didn't stop them from making us sit there for 30 minutes though, so close and yet so far. Oh, and they had all the tour buses drive in and out of the secure area with their luggage compartments open to prevent any stowaways. Now none of this seems like a big deal, I grant you, but the U.S. ports have been the only ones to make such a big deal about procedure. I'm not saying that a little security isn't a good thing, but it seems to be more about putting on a big show about security than about actually making sure everything is secure. Now that that is off my chest, on to Guam! It is another beautiful little island. We had the most elaborate welcome from the people of Guam – as we disembarked we were met by Miss Guam, a band, singers and dancers, and every passenger had a lovely shell necklace draped around their necks. Our tour was mostly about seeing the views at various points on the island. We stopped briefly at a cultural village where not much was happening, but it was right on the water and the view was lovely – there was also a wonderful wind blowing which kept it from being too hot. Next they took us to a tourist trap called Jeff's Pirates Cove. I'll admit right now that I love cheesy pirate stuff and I did make some purchases! We then headed to the Japanese WWII war memorial which gave us a wonderful view down over Hagatna and the ocean. Our last stop was at Two Lovers Point which has a very romantic Romeo & Juliet style story about it and a truly amazing view! The water was so many colours from that spot – it was gorgeous! Finally we drove down into Hagatna and dropped off the shoppers at one of the hotels before the rest of us drove back to the ship. Later that afternoon we had the Chamorro Cultural Dance Group come on board and perform traditional songs and dances. The dancing was all done by children of various ages, the youngest of whom couldn't have been more than 4 years old – too cute! They put on a wonderful show, and as the ship was pulling away, they continued to sing and dance on the pier.

Rabaul, Papua New Guinea & Chuuk, Micronesia

2010-03-26T04:18:00.000-07:00

We have a new “Hottest Spot” winner – Rabaul, Papua New Guinea takes the prize! I'm not kidding you, everybody was sweating like crazy! What an amazing stop though. When we awakened on Sunday morning, we looked outside and we were sailing right beside a volcano that had smoke billowing out the top! Now that is a sight to see. The second I stepped outside, my glasses fogged up and I knew we were in for a scorcher. Since most of Rabaul was destroyed in a volcanic eruption in 1994 we were driving on the ash on top of what used to be the town. Our first stop took us toward the volcanos to a partially rebuilt village. Everybody was so nice and friendly! Everywhere we went people were waving at us and shouting hello. The children ran down to the road and were so excited to see us – it was very lovely! At the village a group of children sang Sunday school songs and we had a wonderful view across to the volcanos. Next we went to see the remains of a Japanese WWII plane that had been dug out of the ash. We then drove to the hot springs, and just when I didn't think it could get any hotter, it did! The water was 80 degrees celsius, and man could you feel it as you approached! Our guide told us that people bring their food down to the hot springs and cook it in the water, and I can see why. We made our way back across the ash plain to the vans, and at that point I ran out of water (boo hoo). Our final stop took us back through the relatively undamaged part of Rabaul and up to the Rabaul Volcano Observatory which gave us magnificent views down over the town, the harbour and the volcanos. Rabaul was a truly great stop, and our guide was lovely. She and I exchanged addresses and hugs before mum and I got back onboard the ship.

On Tuesday we arrived in Chuuk, Micronesia which turned out to be just as hot as Rabaul – not surprising since both places are so close to the equator. There were no tours offered in Chuuk, and there really wasn't that much to see. I understand that it is a wonderful place to go diving because there are so many sunken Japanese planes and ships in the waters surrounding Chuuk, but since I find all things submerged to be really creepy, it wasn't to be. Nevertheless, mum and I got off the ship and wandered around the town. Parts of the street were flooded and it was quite muddy. The local post office was doing a brisk business as our fellow passengers went rushing by us with boxes to load up and mail back home! After we'd had our fill, we went back to the port and browsed through the stalls selling souvenirs. Mum was keen to pick up some “love sticks” and was quite pleased when she found them. I will leave you to find out what a “love stick” is, or you can wait until we get home and we can show you! As for myself, I bought a wonderful carved turtle – I just love him. I only hope I can get him back to Canada in one piece!

More Pictures From Australia!

2010-03-21T22:06:00.001-07:00

Australian Overland Adventure

2010-03-21T22:01:00.000-07:00

We had such an amazing overland trip in Australia – a truly worthwhile side trip! We sailed into Sydney Harbour early on the morning of March 13^th and docked between the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge – the perfect spot to dock considering that is pretty much all we got to see of Sydney! I was a little nervous because I had been told there were 13 people going on the trip, flying on March 13^th to Ayers Rock, and when we checked in at the airport we discovered that our flight was leaving from.....gate 13!!! Happily a head count revealed that we were a group of 15 plus our guide, Anne. Whew! As we were landing at the airport near Ayers Rock we got some fabulous views of The Olgas (Kata Tjuta) and of the Rock (Uluru) itself. Our guide told us that the first thing we were going to want to do at the hotel complex would be to buy ourselves a fly net, and we discovered why within two minutes of deplaning.....the flies in Australia's interior are insane! They are literally everywhere, and without the fly net you would go absolutely bonkers. Our hotel rooms weren't ready when we arrived, so we headed off immediately for a tour out to Kata Tjuta, and then to Ayers Rock. We caught a break with overcast skies, so we didn't bake to death...yay! The scenery was stunning and the rock formations very impressive – everything was so red! Ayers Rock was constantly changing colours, even without the sun beating down on it. Because of the threatening rain our buffet dinner under the stars out at Ayers Rock was cancelled, but we ended up going to a local restaurant where we got to try kangaroo and crocodile. The crocodile was delicious, and honestly actually does taste very much like chicken! We were also very thrilled with our hotel room – so much space after being cooped up on the ship for the last two 7 weeks! We almost didn't know what to do with ourselves!

Day 2 found us back out at the Rock for a talk given by one of the local aboriginal women. Her husband then demonstrated how to use a spear thrower, and we were given time to tour the cultural centre and to shop for some souvenirs. We then hit the road for the drive to Alice Springs where we got to view the ever-changing scenery. We saw some wild camels running alongside the road and stopped at a camel farm where we got to see an emu, a dingo and some wallabies – so cute! We also watched a very interesting documentary about a grouping of kangaroos which then led to tears (on my part) when one of the young ones was killed by dingos. Too sad for my vacation! We checked into another very lovely hotel and then dined at The Overlanders Steakhouse where we were forced to act as part of the evening's entertainment by using wobble boards and singing Australian songs, complete with hand actions – great fun was had by all!

Day 3 we got to sleep in – Happy Birthday to me! After a leisurely morning we headed to the Alice Springs Desert Park where we were set loose to wander. The sun finally came out today, so we were sweating it out, coated in suntan lotion. Now THIS was how I had imagined Australia to be! We were able to see some kangaroos and all kinds of interesting creatures in the nocturnal house, including the thorny devil, my new favourite kind of lizard. Our next stop was at the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, which reminded me so much of what I do back home I almost felt like I was back at work! Finally if was off to the airport where we said goodbye to our bus driver Adam and caught our flight to Cairns. Our hotel in Cairns was lovely, situated right on the waterfront, and the view from our balcony was wonderful. We had dinner in the hotel restaurant, and despite the unbelievably slow service (3 hours for dinner!) the food was fantastic. The group surprised me with a candle in my dessert, a birthday card and a gift, and they sang Happy Birthday to me – so sweet!

Day 4 was a lot of fun. Despite news of an approaching cyclone we were given the go-ahead to venture out to the Great Barrier Reef. Mum decided she had best stay behind as the trip out was supposed to be quite rough – good choice on her part! At least half of the boat was sick on the trip out to the pontoon, including several people who claim to never get seasick. I felt perfectly fine and I sat up top getting soaked by the spray and by passing showers. It was rough when we first got out to the pontoon, but it quieted down some after lunch. The sun came out and I took a ride in the semi-sub to get a better look at the reef. I then spent most of the afternoon swimming and snorkeling, which was amazing! There was so much to see and the fish were so bright and so close. I even saw some jellyfish. Truly an excellent way to spend the day! The trip back in was almost as rough, and I was soaked from head to toe by the time we arrived back at the harbour, but I didn't care! After a wardrobe change back at the hotel our group walked down to a restaurant on the waterfront. Mum spent her day shopping in Cairns and doing some clothes ironing of all things – not exactly my idea of fun, but she enjoyed herself!

Day 5 was another truly excellent day. We took the train from Cairns up into the rainforest to the town of Kuranda. The train ride up was a lot of fun, and the views were spectacular. We saw several waterfalls (which I love!) and got some great views down over Cairns. We spent some time shopping in the village and just looking around. I bought some gorgeous coasters that I hope will make it back to Canada in one piece! On our walk to the skyrail station for our trip back down we got caught in a downpour – I never really imagined Australia as being so wet! We then took cable cars back down the mountain, stopping at a couple of different stations for a nature walk and a view of Barron Falls. I saw some GIANT spiders that looked like the rubber spiders we used to play with as children....gives me the shivers just to think about them! Once again we had amazing views over the rainforest and down into Cairns. When we were all safely back on the ground we proceeded to Tjapukai Cultural Centre where we had lunch and then met our guide, Colin. After Colin painted our faces we walked across the bridge into the cultural village where he told us how to make a didgeridoo and then played one for us. An aboriginal girl then talked to us about traditional medicine. We were then taken to another area where we were shown how to throw boomerangs and spears. It turns out that I am awesome at throwing a boomerang – far better than anybody else in our group! I was invited to join the tribe based on my amazing skill – luckily the invitation was issued before I tried to throw a spear because I confess I am not great at that! With that our visit was pretty much done, and it was back across the bridge (where we saw a bunch of turtles sticking their heads out of the water!) for a video presentation and a stop in their gift shop, and then we drove back to the hotel. As soon as we entered the lobby we ran into our friend Ted Curtis who traveled up to Cairns from Sydney to see us – so good to see a familiar face! We had coffee and made plans to spend some time together the next day. After dinner at a restaurant specializing in aboriginal cuisine mum and I accompanied another group member to the night market to help him find the perfect boomerang. He eventually found one that satisfied him, and then it was back to the hotel.

Day 6 we were basically free to do what we wanted. The ship sailed into Cairns at about 7:00 am. We had breakfast at the hotel with Ted and then our group was taken to the ship so we could drop off all of our luggage. This also meant that it was time to say goodbye to our guide Anne, who was truly wonderful. She took such good care of us, and she knew everything about everything. We found out we had the same taste in movies and music, so she gave me a list of Australian movies to watch and I gave her the names of some bands for her to listen to. This whole trip turned out to be so much fun, and all of our group members were so nice and got along so well. Really it was a wonderful break from the ship – it was nice to just have our small little group, much more intimate. After dropping our stuff in the cabin, we walked back to the infinity pool on the Esplanade to meet Ted. We walked up into the main shopping district and had lunch at a wonderful Greek restaurant, and then did a bit of shopping at the mall. After a final coffee we made our way back to the ship where we said our fond farewells, and then it was back to our home away from home. It's a little sad to be leaving Australia behind, but what a wonderful trip!

Picton, New Zealand

2010-03-12T00:21:00.000-08:00

Tuesday we had our last stop in New Zealand, the lovely town of Picton on the south island. Our original tour to the sheep farm was cancelled, much to mum's dismay, and our second choice was already full by the time we were notified of the cancellation, so we ended up on our third choice tour of two wineries in the Marlborough region. As we got off the ship we were met by a couple of ladies from the tourist bureau who presented us with a corsage of local flowers. After a short bus ride we arrived at Montana Winery where we were given a tour of the facility and participated in a wine tasting session. Unfortunately we arrived just a couple of days before they were to start harvesting the grapes for this years vintage, but it was interesting nonetheless. Our next stop was at Forrest Winery where we were given a lesson on the various pruning techniques used in the vineyard. And then – more wine tasting! For two non-drinkers, it was a lot of alcohol first thing in the day! Mum is pleased to now have some idea of what kind of wine to buy for her book club meetings!!! We decided that since we have a long way left to travel and only limited luggage space we couldn't bring any wine back with us, but I will definitely be on the lookout for these two labels back in Canada. Our final stop was at a small shopping centre where you could purchase woolen goods, books and souvenirs, and then it was back to the port where we staggered back on board and had a little nap – I wish I was kidding, but I'm not! We awakened in time to sit on our balcony and enjoy our departure through the lovely Queen Charlotte Sound and out into the Cook Straight. We were very sad to say goodbye to New Zealand – it has been our favourite place so far. The waters have been surprisingly calm for the most part as we sail toward Australia. Tomorrow morning we begin our overland adventure to Ayer's Rock, Alice Springs and Cairns. Mum is looking forward to being on solid ground for a few days! Unfortunately I do not have a proper adapter for my computer, so I'm not sure how much computer access I will have in Australia. We rejoin the ship on March 18^th (our time) which would be St. Patrick's Day for you, so Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Bay of Islands & Auckland, New Zealand

2010-03-09T00:11:00.000-08:00

I am absolutely, 100% in love with New Zealand! Honestly, the ship could leave me behind and I would be perfectly happy to stay here forever – at least until the GNWT stopped paying me! Saturday was a wonderful day. We arrived in the Bay of Islands early in the morning and were accompanied into the harbour by some dolphins. Mum and I decided to take different tours, so she headed off at 9:00 to visit a Kauri forest and then trek through a glow worm grotto, finishing up with a hike up and down a big hill and through the woods. She came back raving about the tour, and she even managed to take some pretty decent photos which is a minor miracle considering her hatred of all things technological! I stayed onboard for the morning and enjoyed some time by myself. Good thing too, because that meant that I didn't get caught in the huge downpour that so many other passengers were soaked in! After lunch I caught the tender to shore and joined my group for a ride on a catamaran out to the “Hole in the Rock”. The rain clouds had moved on by that point and we had a wonderful cruise around some of the islands in the bay and then out to the rock. Unfortunately it was too rough to actually go through the hole, but we sailed right up beside it and I got some great pictures. We then sailed back into the bay and stopped on one of the islands where we were given time to explore. I found some lovely shells on the beach and waded out into the beautiful blue water, enjoying the sunshine. Then it was back onboard and we sailed back to town where we caught our tender back to the ship. This has been my favourite day so far – no offence mum!

Sunday we arrived in Auckland after a very rough night at sea. We were awakened in the middle of the night as our drink tray went crashing off the desk, smashing one of the glasses all over the floor, so it was a bit of a restless night. Our tour left at 8:00 and this time we were off to the Waitomo Glow Worm Cave. It was so cool! The cave was huge, and we climbed way down into the ground. After touring the caves we arrived at the underground river where we climbed into boats and went through the Glow Worm Grotto, where the only light is from the glow worms. It was unbelievable - truly worth the 2.5 hour drive from Auckland. After we climbed back up to our bus our driver took us to a nearby farm in Otorohanga for lunch, which was absolutely delicious. The house was surrounded by a beautiful garden which we strolled through after the meal. Then it was off to the Otorohanga Kiwi House and Native Bird Park to view the protected kiwi bird, which is nocturnal and tailless – and quite strange looking! They also had geckos, falcons, owls, ducks, harriers, wekas, kingfishers and other birds. We then drove back to Auckland and to the ship, and the scenery was gorgeous. Before we set sail the captain informed us that the route we were supposed to take to Picton was going to be really rough, so he was going to backtrack to Bay of Islands and come down the other side of New Zealand, but that we should still arrive in Picton on time. Sunday night they were showing South Pacific in the Cabaret Lounge, and even though we were both tired we had promised we would go, so we did. I had never seen it before, and I loved it – the only downside is that I haven't been able to get the songs out of my head since then! I wonder how long it will take me to be free from the soundtrack!

Port Vila, Vanuatu & Noumea, New Caledonia

2010-03-05T01:04:00.000-08:00

Another day, another gorgeous island in the south seas. Tuesday we arrived in Port Vila, Vanuatu and it was HOT. We got off to an early start and our tour took us to the Ekasup Cultural Village. As we followed a trail into the rainforest we began to hear rustling noises and voices in the trees, and before we knew it we were surrounded by warriors aiming weapons at us – very exciting! Once we arrived in the village our guide took us to various centres and told us about Vanuatu, their way of life, what kinds of traditional medicines they used, how they hunted and fished, and best of all, tales of cannibalism! It was all very interesting, although there was a demonstration involving a HUGE spider that I wasn't too fond of. Needless to say, I did not get very close to it! We got to see some of the women preparing food and weaving baskets. After stopping for a refreshment some of the men played music and sang and danced for us. We had a marvellous time! When we got back to the ship there was a marketplace set up just outside the secure area, so we stopped and did some shopping and I got my hair braided by one of the women - gotta try to keep cool somehow!

Wednesday morning I stepped out onto the balcony and saw a pod of dolphins leaping through the water right beside the ship. They were so small and adorable – just the best way to greet the day! We spent the morning sailing along the coast of New Caledonia and the views were amazing. There was a wonderful breeze blowing, so we just sat out on the balcony and watched it all go by. The water is so many different colours and there were all kinds of little beaches and coves that looked very inviting. We arrived in Noumea just before noon and took a little sightseeing tour around the town and to some awesome viewpoints. It's a very cute little city. The vegetation was quite different than on Fiji or Vanuatu so it was a nice change. I could definitely see spending a week or two there enjoying the beaches and the french restaurants! Tomorrow we arrive in New Zealand and I am very excited – mum and I are going on separate day trips, so we should have lots to talk about tomorrow night!

Suva, Fiji - A Day in the Cannibal Isles

2010-02-28T19:44:00.001-08:00

Our day in Fiji started off with a little bit of drama. We were supposed to be docked in Suva by 8:00 Sunday morning – instead, we ended up anchored in the harbour, where we were told that there was a tsunami warning in effect and that we would have to stay in the harbour until the danger had passed. Long story short, the tsunami never arrived and we were allowed to dock only a few hours behind schedule. I confess, I was a little bit disappointed that we didn't get to see any wave action – if it had arrived it was only supposed to be about 9 feet tall, but that still would have been interesting! Luckily they were able to reschedule all but one of the shore excursions, and by 11:30 we were on our bus heading to the Arts Village of Fiji where we got to see the fire walking ceremony and a performance of cultural dances. The fire walkers were very impressive and a good time was had by all. A lot of the stores were closed because it was Sunday, and some of the stores that were supposed to be open weren't because the owners had left for higher ground in case the tsunami arrived. Didn't matter to us though because we're trying not to do a lot of shopping anyway! The scenery around Suva was stunning – so lush and so green. I absolutely loved it! It was overcast for most of the day which kept it from getting too hot, and it actually didn't rain very much while we were out and about. The people were so friendly everywhere that we went. All in all, mum and I agreed that we'd be more than happy to return to Fiji in the future!

Our Itinerary

2010-02-24T14:08:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to post this since the beginning, but it's amazing how time flies when you don't really have anything specific to do! Anyway, for those who were interested, here is our itinerary (minus all those wonderful days at sea!)

Jan. 27 Depart Fort Lauderdale

Jan. 30 Aruba

Feb. 1 Cartagena, Colombia

Feb. 2 Panama Canal

Feb. 4 Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Feb. 6 Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala

Feb. 8 Acapulco, Mexico

Feb. 9 Zihuatanejo, Mexico

Feb. 11 Topolobampo, Mexico

Feb. 14 Los Angeles

Feb. 20 Honolulu

Feb. 28 Suva, Fiji

Mar. 2 Vila, Vanuatu

Mar. 3 Noumea, New Caledonia

Mar. 6 Bay of Islands, New Zealand

Mar. 7 Auckland, New Zealand

Mar. 9 Picton, New Zealand

Mar. 13 & 14 Sydney, Australia

Mar. 18 Cairns, Australia

Mar. 21 Papua, New Guinea

Mar. 23 Chuuk, Micronesia

Mar. 25 Guam, U.S. Territory

Mar. 29 Nagasaki, Japan

Mar. 30 Pusan, South Korea

Apr. 1 & 2 Beijing, China

Apr. 6 Hong Kong, China

Apr. 8 Hanoi, Vietnam

Apr. 11 Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

Apr. 12 Muara (Bandar Seri Begawan), Brunei

Apr. 15 Singapore

Apr. 17 Phuket, Thailand

Apr. 21 Male, Maldives

Apr. 24 Bombay (Mumbai), India

Apr. 28 Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Apr. 30 Muscat, Oman

May 6 Luxor, Egypt

May 7 Sharm-El-Sheikh, Egypt

May 8 Petra (Aqaba), Jordan

May 10 Suez Canal

May 12 Athens, Greece

May 14 Naples/Capri, Italy

May 15 Rome, Italy (4 day layover and then we change ships)

May 20 Santa Margherita, Italy

May 21 Marseille, France

May 22 Barcelona, Spain

May 24 Cadiz, Spain

May 25 Lisbon, Portugal

May 27 St. Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands

May 28 Paris, France

May 29 London, England

May 31 Copenhagen, Denmark

June 2 Tallinn, Estonia

June 3 & 4 St. Petersburg, Russia

June 5 Helsinki, Finland

June 6 Stockholm, Sweden

June 9 London, England

And there you have it! We spend a week in England and then fly back to Canada and our regular lives, and these five months will have seemed like a dream.....

A Day In Hawaii

2010-02-24T00:48:00.000-08:00

I love Hawaii! Mum and I figured out that it has been almost 20 years since our last trip to Hawaii, and that is far too long. The weather was perfect, as usual. Mum was so happy to be back on solid ground even if it was just for a few hours! We spent most of the day at the mall, and a much better mall it was after our disappointment in L.A. We stocked up on new books (reading material was running a little low!) and took in some of the Chinese New Year festivities that they were having. We dropped our purchases off in our room and then headed out again, this time to the open-air shopping centre at the harbour where we got to enjoy the cool breezes while we wandered around and drank our Kona coffee. Really a lovely way to spend our day in Honolulu, and I for one am not waiting another 20 years before coming back! Now we're back at sea, day 3 of 6, and so far it has been pretty calm. Mum is feeling good, so keep your fingers crossed for her! This is our last really long stretch at sea until early May I think, so if she can just make it through this week, she'll be golden. We'll be crossing the equator and the international dateline tonight, and then I'm REALLY going to have to work at figuring out the time difference from Inuvik. I will also have some insight into the future as we will be one day ahead of everyone back home – yeah, wouldn't that be nice if it worked that way? Ha ha! Anyway, next stop – Fiji!

LA and Beyond

2010-02-17T19:22:00.000-08:00

What can I say about our day in L.A.? Not much, I'm afraid.....at least the weather was nice! After losing out on our trip to Universal we decided just to find a shopping centre to look for some items that we may not be able to get later on in the cruise. We split a cab with a couple from Calgary (coincidentally, she and I have the same birthday – odd discovery!) and went to the mall over in Torrance. As I had suspected it would, the mall kinda sucked – American malls usually do! We did manage to find an ATM though, which was desperately needed, and we got a Cinnabon, which is so much better than that Cinnzeo crud we have in Canada! After that it was back to the ship where we caught up on our laundry. Not the most exciting day, but it was a real coup to have the entire laundry room to ourselves, trust me! We lost about 200 people in LA and replaced them with a new batch, so its been interesting over the last few days to see who is still around and to check out all of the new people. Mum and I have started to take bridge lessons, and we're slowly learning. This was a good time to join since we're at sea for 5 days between LA and Honolulu, and then we're at sea for 6 days between Honolulu and our next port. We're starting to really get to know some of the other people, so that has been fun....there are some really hilarious people that we've met! Honestly, the days are just flying by – I can't believe we've been onboard for three weeks already! Mum had another bout of seasickness on Monday but she seems to be better now. We ran into some rain this afternoon so hopefully that won't last too long – I want to sit on my balcony!

Topolobampo & Copper Canyon, Mexico

2010-02-12T16:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was an exceptionally long day – we arose at 3:30 am and had a quick breakfast at the buffet, where mum and I opted to sit outside even though it was pitch black and drizzling. As you can imagine, we were the only passengers sitting out there! I was so bleary-eyed that I managed to slam my thumb in the bathroom door - ouch! By 5:00 we were on our bus leaving the port at Topolobampo and by 7:00 our train was on its way to Copper Canyon. Princess booked the entire First Class train on the Chihuahua-Pacifico Railroad for our group, and about 140 of us made the journey. The scenery was breathtaking, and the vegetation changed quite drastically from cacti at the beginning to pine trees and red cedars as our train climbed up high into the mountains – they had just had a snowfall the night before, so that was pretty thrilling for the Americans onboard! Our guide, Guadalupe, was excellent and very informative – he kept us well entertained. Six hours later we arrived at Copper Canyon, which is seven times larger and much deeper than the Grand Canyon. It was truly a spectacular sight! We had lunch at a hotel perched on the edge of the canyon and then had time to walk along the canyon rim and purchase hand-woven baskets, shawls and other goods from the local Tarahumara Indians. Then it was back on the train for the six hour ride back to the station, and finally the bus ride back to the ship. We were back onboard by about 10:45 last night, exhausted but very pleased about our fabulous trip! On a side note, mum wanted me to mention that we'd love to hear any comments, questions or news any of you might have. We may be far away, but that doesn't mean we're not interested! Next up is Valentine's Day in Los Angeles – we just found out upon our return last night that not enough people signed up for a day at Universal Studios and the trip has been cancelled, so now we have to figure out what we want to do!

Acapulco & Zihuatanejo, Mexico

2010-02-10T15:16:00.000-08:00

Monday found us in Acapulco – I'm going to admit right now that I was not really looking forward to our stops in Mexico. In fact, mum and I had pretty much decided just to stay on the ship in Acapulco, but at the last minute we booked ourselves on a tour called “The Best Views of Acapulco”, and I am so glad that we did! We ended up loving it here, and I can definitely see myself coming back for a holiday in the future. We went to the hotel Las Brisas where every bungalow has its own private pool – talk about swank! I am totally staying here sometime in the future, even if I can only afford to stay for a couple of nights! We then drank pink margaritas at 10:00 in the morning – very decadent, I know, but when in Mexico.....Next up was a stop at the Chapel of Peace with its huge, 200+ foot cross that can be seen from anywhere in Acapulco. We then went to Hotel Los Flamingos and climbed up to Tarzan's house. The views were indeed amazing, and on our way back to the ship our driver stopped so that we could watch the cliff divers putting on their show for the tourists – snuck that one in for free! We were in port until 10:00 pm, so the ship brought aboard Antonio Rameriz and his Mexican Folklorico Festival featuring “Aztec Dancers, Rope Tricks, Singers, Mariachis and Dances of Different Mexican States” which was a really great show. Tuesday we arrived in Zihuatanejo where we traveled to a coconut farm, the village of Petatlan, and a gorgeous beach where part of The Shawshank Redemption was filmed. Honestly though, the highlight of the day was the three puppies that they had at the coconut farm – they were just so cute, I spent as much time as I could playing with them and receiving puppy kisses! I miss my dogs and cats!

Puerto Quetazal, Guatemala

2010-02-07T19:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we had an awesome trip up into the highlands of Guatemala. We drove two and a half hours through many small villages and beautiful countryside to Lake Atitlan where we boarded a boat for a one hour trip across the lake to the town of Panajachel. We were told to bring sweaters as it can be cool at that altitude, but of course “cool” is a relative term and mum and I found it very comfortable while everyone else in our group was putting on sweaters and jackets! Lake Atitlan is surrounded by three volcanoes and is very beautiful, and the boat ride was lovely. Once in Panajachel we had lunch at one of the hotels, and had some time for shopping from the locals – they are very persistent but thankfully not in a scary way! They first surrounded us when we were walking from the bus to the boat, and by the time we got to the other side of the lake, the same people were waiting for us in Panajachel, ready to try again! They lined up along the fence at the hotel to try and entice the tourists to buy from them, and when it was time to walk back to the boat they tried their hardest to convince you to buy from them. Of course mum and I succumbed, so we have some lovely souvenirs from Guatemala! We were a little late coming back to port, so they hustled us back onboard our ship and we set sail almost immediately for Acapulco, which we will be touring on Monday. The sun finally got to me, and I am now sporting a lovely burn, which luckily doesn't hurt. As Esmeralda told me the other day, it beats frostbite!

Puntarenus, Costa Rica

2010-02-07T18:51:00.000-08:00

Thursday was another fun-filled, HOT day – it was so hot, even the locals were complaining! This time we were in Costa Rica, and our day trip took us into the rainforest where we rode a tram up into the upper and lower canopy. There was so much to see and to listen to, it was just incredible. Aside from many plants and flowers we got to see some vultures and hawks, and on our ride back down, the monkeys came out! They were so cute, just like the monkey from Outbreak but without the airborne disease! We then did a walking tour of the facility where they showed us some of the many different things that grow there, and we also saw several iguanas, some bats, and their collection of poisonous snakes. After a tasty lunch of traditional Costa Rican food we got back on our bus and drove to the Tarcoles River where we boarded a boat for a tour of the Mangrove Swamp. On our two hour boat ride we saw many different species of birds including a pair of scarlet macaws, and we saw several small crocodiles sunning themselves along the shore and swimming through the water. Right at the end of our tour we found a HUGE crocodile that our guide told us was 80 or 90 years old – he came up out of the water right next to me and he was just enormous. He actually scared me when he came out of the murky water at the side of the boat, but it was so cool! Two words......Lake Placid!

Cartagena & the Panama Canal

2010-02-02T19:07:00.000-08:00

I knew Cartagena was going to be hot when I stepped out on my balcony at 6:00 in the morning and my camera lens instantly fogged up! Our tour started early, just after 8:00 am and our first stop was the Fortress of San Felipe de Barajas, where they filmed part of Romancing the Stone (one of my all-time favourite movies). Mum and I actually watched the movie the night before in preparation for our stop in Colombia. It was quite a hike up to the top of the fortress, so I'm glad we got there early in the day or else I definitely would have melted away! The view was incredible and the fortress was very cool, so it was well worth the visit. We then moved on to the old part of the city behind the protective walls and walked the streets, stopping at the Inquisition Palace and the Church of San Pedro Claver. They have beautiful gardens growing inside many of the old buildings, and some fantastic architecture. We also walked by Julio Iglesias' house, which looked pretty swanky! I have to say I was very impressed with Cartagena – it was so clean and beautiful, particularly the harbour, and not scary at all (at least the parts we were taken to!) We stopped a couple of shopping areas and mum and I both bought emerald earrings since Colombia is the emerald capital of the world. Fun day, but I'll admit I was a little glad to get back to our air-conditioned cabin! We got some fantastic views of the city as we sailed out of the harbour. Today we traveled through the Panama Canal, which was very interesting. Mum and I spent hours on deck watching the proceedings. I finally got some real colour on my face, and I think mum burned a little bit more as it was another scorcher! We are now on the Pacific side and sailing toward Costa Rica – tomorrow is another day at sea and then we have a great sounding tour planned for Thursday. Should be fun!

Aruba (aka Mum was so happy to get back on land!)

2010-02-01T17:20:00.000-08:00

All this time at sea, and I still manage to get behind on my “homework”! Friday mum was feeling quite ill and the ship was definitely a-rockin'. Mum spent the entire day in our cabin, sitting on the loveseat with her eyes closed. I was feeling perfectly fine, which led to her bitterly wishing that I could suffer the way she was suffering – some mother! I kept myself busy meeting new people on the ship and attending the port lecture on Cartagena. We tested room service and found it to be a good option when one is not up to facing the main dining room. Saturday morning we awakened to much calmer waters and mum had a miraculous recovery – we arrived into Oranjestad in Aruba just after 11:00 and were quickly sent off on our tours. Aruba is very lovely – it was hot without being too hot, and there was enough of a breeze as well as some cloud cover to make it a very pleasant day! We toured the Aloe Factory and ended up buying some of their fine products. Next we went to the Butterfly Farm which was very interesting – there were some huge butterflies in there, and some with very beautiful colouring, and our guide Marlin was full of information. We drove around the town a bit and then drove out to the Ayo Rock Formation where we had a bit of rain. All in all it was a very pleasant way to spend a Saturday! There are so many brightly painted buildings in Aruba that it all seems very cheerful, and the people were very friendly. Now I'm going to try to forget Aruba because every time I say "Aruba" the song "Kokomo" pops into my head! We spent Sunday at sea and basically did “the usual”.....reading, relaxing, attending the lecture on the Panama Canal. In the afternoon we attended the interview the activities director did with Tab Hunter, movie star and musician from the 50's and 60's. He was very entertaining and had some really great stories about the movies he worked on and the stars he worked with (including Natalie Wood, John Wayne, Paul Newman, Gary Cooper and Sophia Loren). That was definitely the highlight of the day! Monday we spent the day in Cartagena, so I'll try to write about that tomorrow when we are going through the Panama Canal, but here is the preview – it is HOT!!!

Sailing toward Aruba

2010-01-28T17:51:00.001-08:00

We're on the ship and I LOVE IT!!! Our room is lovely, and a little bigger than I was expecting so I am well pleased. Our private balcony is wonderful, and we've already spent quite a bit of time out there. We actually watched over the side of the balcony yesterday to make sure our luggage was all loaded on (it was) and it is very nice for tanning and enjoying the breezes night or day. Mum actually spent a little too much time out there today before we found the sunscreen I had packed, and as a result she's sporting a nice burn! We attended the “Welcome Onboard” show last night and it was cheesy good fun – found out there are 100 other Canadians on board, although we have yet to meet any of them. We met our dinner companions last night, and I am pleased to say that they are a congenial group – VERY lucky for us because all 8 of us are going to be doing the entire 107 days to Rome. We're sitting with three couples; one from Georgia, one from Florida and one from Las Vegas. I feel very young – so far I have only spotted maybe 5 other passengers under the age of 60! That's okay though, it's nice to feel young again! We spent today at sea and sailed past Cuba. The weather has been very fine and its been pretty smooth sailing. Unfortunately mum is feeling a little under the weather – she's a tad seasick, so we're hoping that passes soon. She spent much of the afternoon in the library reading while I attended a lecture on Aruba and then booked our shore excursion for that port. Somebody told me today that we're going to be changing time zones 24 times on this cruise, and our first change comes tonight. Tomorrow is another day at sea, and I haven't received the listing of activities for tomorrow yet, so I'm not sure what we'll be up to.....but we'll be in Aruba on Saturday, so keep your eyes peeled Saturday night or Sunday morning for an update! TTFN!

Florida The Fabulous!

2010-01-26T19:00:00.000-08:00

We finally made it to Fort Lauderdale yesterday - the flight had to circle for about an hour due to strong winds and a rainstorm in Fort Lauderdale, but we eventually made it unscathed, and more surprisingly, all of our luggage made it too! By the time we hit the ground the rain had stopped and the sun was coming out. We were treated to cool breezes and a lovely 22 degrees. The hotel is nice, and very close to both the airport and the port, so it makes it pretty much hassle-free to get around. Today we did the last little bit of shopping we had left to do. I finally found some sandals to fit my giant size 11 feet, so I am now a happy camper. Mum and I discovered an awesome German restaurant just down the street from our hotel, so we enjoyed a delicious dinner there - you know Mary Ellen is in holiday mode when you catch her with a beer in her hand! We had our final talk with Adam and Kristian (final until we reach Rome in May, I mean) and now have nothing to do but sit back, relax, and repack in the morning. I am going to be so glad to finally get on the ship and unpack these suitcases for a nice LONG time!

Counting Down the Days

2009-12-30T11:12:00.000-08:00

Well, the time is drawing near. 18 days until mom and I head to Edmonton for the first part of our 5 month vacation. I'm beginning to freak out a little bit thinking about how much there is still left to do, but I suppose as long as the major stuff is done then the little things don't matter, right? The biggest worry is out of the way now - we finally received our visas for China and India! Best Christmas present I could have gotten. That means everything is booked right up until we arrive in Rome in May, so I guess I'd better start looking for a hotel for our 4 day layover. We're finally done getting all of our immunization shots....lucky me, I only needed to get 3. Mum needed 6, so she was feeling pretty sorry for herself - she is greatly relieved to have that over with! Now if only I could get over this bloody illness! Thanks a lot Krish.....