Sunday January 30, 2011

Rorotonga, Cook’s Islands

This is another small Island  in the Pacific and there is no pier for the ship to dock, so we have to go ashore aboard the tenders ( the lifeboats).  I wanted to go ashore, but the waves are making it very difficult to get aboard the tenders so I decided to stay on the ship and try to get caught up with my blog.  Now I can’t get connected to the internet, so heaven only knows when I’ll be able to send this off. 

Because of all the problems we have been having with internet connections, the captain has given those of us who purchased an internet package an extra hour for free.   That’s good news because I’ve already used up half of my 500 minutes and most of that was wasted time trying to log on and off.

The last time I wrote , I was off to explore Papeete, in Tahiti.  I spent the morning ashore exploring and had a very nice adventure:  On board ship the manicurist does not refill gel fingernails, so since this is a large city, I went in search of one who could.  In the first shop I entered, the manicurist didn’t work mornings, but the owner knew of another shop that could help me.  At first she was going to draw me a map on how to get there, but then she said, “It’s only a short walk, I’ll guide you there.”  So off we went.  I was accompanied by Jim, a young male passenger from the ship,  who was looking for coins to add to his collection.  Our guide didn’t know of any place that sold coins, but then she told us to wait a second.  She entered one of the shops and asked the owner for coins of various denominations.  She got 6 different coins and presented them to Jim.  She would not accept any remuneration, saying that this was “Island Hospitality”.  She then led us to the place where I got my nails done.  I had to force a tip on her. 

After that, Jim and I wandered through the market where  local wares were for sale – the type of market one finds in every port—very colourful.  I bought some post cards and Jim bought a necklace with 2 black pearls for his teen age daughter.  We stumbled on an Internet Cafe and I thought I would be able to get in touch with home – I even had my memory stick with me, which contains all my pictures.  Unfortunately I had left my address book on the ship and didn’t have the addresses memorized and  I wasn’t savvy enough to get onto Blogspot.   On top of that I wasn’t able to access my Yahoo mail.  I haven’t accessed it ever since, so if you have written me and haven’t received a response that’s why.  Try my Gmail address which is: lvogel21.12@gmail.com. 

Jim didn’t purchase any Internet time.  He asked me if he could check his E-mail on my connection.  I agreed.  He used up more time than I did.  When I paid, he didn’t offer to share.  We went back out on the street and then I found out that he was a real cheap skate.  It was really hot and he bought himself a drink, never thinking of offering me one.  Oh well – C’est la vie.

In the afternoon, I had a tour booked.  A bus took us around the island and our beautiful guide gave us a detailed description of what we were seeing.   I as able to get some lovely photos.  Tahiti is really very picturesque.  I had to think about the movie “South Pacific”  The scenery is exquisite.    Bora Bora however is even more gorgeous.  I’ll write about Bora bora on another Blog, because I find that if my Blog is too long, I have difficulty sending it.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Four days in a row, we have to turn our watches back one hour, because we are cruising through different time zones.  That’s great ! !   We get an extra hour to sleep every morning. 

Tonight was our 4th Formal Night.  It was lovely to see everyone dressed in their finery.  The ladies all look gorgeous and the men look so elegant.  A lot of the men wear tuxedos and bow ties.  I wore my long black skirt (which by the way, I now fit into) and an elegant top with my red jewellery which I bought in Mexico.  After diner, I went to the Ocean Lounge and danced my calories away.  There weren’t too many single ladies around, so I got in a lot of dancing. 

Someone asked me in an E-mail if the male dance escorts were young and handsome.  All the young dancers still have to work to make a living, so these are all retired men, over 70 years old.  They aren’t bad looking and they are all in good shape.  One of them told me that they don’t get paid to do this work, they just get the trip for free.   It’s one way to get around and see the world.  I know that if lady dance escorts were in demand, I’d be the first one in line to volunteer.  I wouldn’t mind doing that for a couple of years.

I finally figured out how to take timed pictures so from now on I’ll have some of myself  for posterity.  In 2 days we land in Papeete which is part of Tahiti.  I have my pictures on a memory stick, so if I can find an Internet cafe when I go on land, I’ll try to send some pictures.

Friday, January 21, 2011

I’m having a lot of problems getting connected to the internet today.  Went to the Tech Rep and he told me that this isn’t unusual in the middle of the Pacific.  Hopefully when we get close to land again, things will improve.

Today at noon, the people travelling single met for lunch in the  main dining room.  I think only one man showed up.  I was at a table of 8 and we were a congenial group.  Four of us were Canadian.  It’s a great experience meeting so many different people.  Everyone has a story.

The quarantine has been lifted.  We are allowed to dance with partners again.  Because the flu or whatever it was, cleared up so quickly, the captain rewarded us for our co-operation by providing free wine at diner this evening. 

Sunday January 16–Thursday January 20th

Sunday January 16th, 2011

Met for breakfast in the dining room with those whose travel agents are affiliated with Vacations.com

At lunch time those passengers who are French speaking met for lunch in the dining room.  I sat with some very nice people from Montreal

Went for diner with Mary and Jim at the Pinnacle Dining Room.  Had a delicious Filet Mignon meal.   Life is so tough ! ! ! ! !

Monday January 17th

Went for diner in our Italian Restaurant.  Barbara was supposed to join me, but she forgot what day it was.  That happens here on the ship – one day goes into the next , especially on Sea Days.   I had a delicious veal and pasta diner all by myself.  The entertainment tonight was a piano duo.  They played together on one piano.  Talk about talent  !! 

Tuesday January 18th, 2011

This afternoon, I went to a get together of the people on board who speak German.  About 15 people attended.  After a bit of chit chatting, we each told the others our name, where  we come from and a bit about ourselves.  One of the crew members sent a sheet around for us to put down our names and cabin numbers.  A list will be printed up and given to each of us – then it’s up to us to plan future activities together

Today we had our third formal night so I went to the hairdresser to get beautified.  Wore a pretty blue cocktail dress which I haven’t worn for about 20 years.  Every formal night, the captain invites a different group of passengers to a cocktail party followed by dinner in the Pinnacle.  Some of the officers also attend.  Tonight was my night.  I was seated at the same table as  the chief engineer and his second in command.  An American couple of  Dutch origin was also at our table and since the officers are Dutch, they had a lot in common.  It was a very pleasant evening. 

Unfortunately, there was no dancing with the male escorts and there wont be  for the next couple of days – there is a flu aboard the ship and quite a few people are affected, so there are strict measures being taken to prevent the spread of germs.  The library has been closed and I heard from one of the crew that they washed off all the book covers before locking them on the shelves.  At dance class we are learning line dances so as not to touch one another.  There is to be no shaking of hands or any contact with people who are not partners and we are encouraged to wash our hands often.  There are waiters standing at the dining room doors who squirt our hands with hand sanitizers as we enter and there are hand sanitizers all over the ship.  Those who are affected with flu symptoms are requested to remain in their cabins.  At bridge class they take a new deck of cards for each new game.  The captain has assured us that  things have improved considerably.  That’s good news.  Those of us who are single and love to dance are suffering from withdrawal symptoms ! !  The gentlemen escorts are as happy as can be – they don’t have to work ! !   I notice at the end of the evenings, some of them are looking at their watches frequently.   They work about 7 hours a day, so I can’t  say I blame them.

Wednesday January 19, 2011

Same activities as usual. 

Today I went to the Computer Rep to find out how to post pictures on my blog.  Because of the size of the file, our internet would not send it.  I’ll send this without pictures and try again another time.  Sorry about that.

January 9, 2011

Sunday January 9, 2011

Puerto Limon, Costa Rica

Went on shore after all. Barbara, one of the ladies at my dinner table wanted company, so we took a nice walk into the town. Since it was Sunday, all the shops were closed except the souvenir places. We wandered through a nice park, took a few pictures and then stopped for a beer before returning to the ship. It was a pleasant break.

Monday January 10, 2011

Today we went through the Panama Canal. Started through very early in the morning. I didn't get up for the beginning because I've been through there once before. Once I got up, I watched some of it while in the gym on the tread mill. The gym is at the front of the ship, so I had a wonderful view.

Tuesday January 11, 2011

To day was a sea day, so I partook of the usual activities on board -- gym, computer, dancing, reading, etc.

WednesdayJanuary 12, 2011

Manta, Ecuador

This morning around 2 a.m. We crossed the equator. Usually a big fuss is made of the occasion, but since most of us were in bed and asleep, we were only sent a certificate to remind us of this

Today, I went ashore with my niece Mary and her husband Jim. We did as lot of walking – visited the museum, and a beautiful church, walked along the beach, shopped at the market. It was very hot and I was glad to return to the ship and have an afternoon nap.

January 13, 2011

Sea Day

Today the second “Formal Night” of the trip was held. It was so exciting to see all the people dressed in their finery. After dinner, a “Dance With the Officers' Ball” was held. Unfortunately the room where it took place has a very small dance floor and as usual, there were a lot more women than men who were eager to dance.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Callau, Peru

We will be at this port for 2 days. It is the port closest to Lima. Some of the guests on board went to Machu Pichu. Because of its high altitude, I chose not to go – I have enough problems with my lungs to risk going there. Shuttle buses took us from the dock, either to Miraflores, the Indian Market or to Lima. I chose Miraflores, because tomorrow I have a tour of Lima. I went with Barbara again. We traveled along the beautiful coastline and enjoyed the lovely clean scenery. We were dropped off at a large mall and spent most of our time window shopping. The weather was warm but not overly hot – very pleasant. This part of the country is desert-like and receives very little rain. Because of the proximity of the Andes Mountains, the rivers coming therefrom provide sufficient water for the irrigation which keeps this cities many parks look so beautiful.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Lima Peru

“Sol” the travel agency with whom I booked this trip, belongs to an organization called “Vacations.com”. Today they provided those of us who booked with their affiliates, a complimentary tour of Lima with a lovely lunch included. We left the ship by luxurious bus coach around 9 a.m. Again we drove on the road which follows along the coastline for about 30 – 40 minutes until we reached the city center. We were all so impressed at the cleanliness of the city. Lima is a very large and old city. We could see the Spanish influence in the architecture. A lot of the old buildings in the city center have lovely and ornately carved, closed in balconies made of wood.

We were taken to visit a beautiful old home which has been owned by the same family since it was built hundreds of years ago. The ceilings and walls are covered with beautifully carved wood and throughout there is tile work with tiles brought over from Spain at the time the house was built. The windows had no glass panes, just wooden shutters. Since there is little rain here and the temperatures are moderate, they can have open windows year round and no heating system. Some of the furniture as well as the candelabras are the originals imported from Spain or France many years ago. The owner is a woman in her late 90's. She lives alone in her apartment and a son and daughter live in their apartments with their families in another section of the house.

I particularly liked the open-air courtyard in the center of this building. It was filled with beautiful plants and looked very peaceful.

When we left here, we walked over to a monastery which is also very ancient. I believe it was built in honour of St. Francis of Assisi. In the ancient library, we saw some of the manuscripts that the monks had hand written hundreds of years ago. There are catacombs in this building, but the tour only showed us the entrance to them. I guess I'll have to wait until we reach Rome to see the catacombs. (That's one of the tours I have booked for Rome).

Sunday January 16 – Wednesday January 19, 2011

Sea Days

We have 4 sea days until we reach Easter Island, so I have time to enjoy the activities on the ship. A typical day for me is as follows:

8:00 a.m. Mass

8:35 Breakfast at the Lido Restaurant (Buffet Style)

9:00 Ballroom Dancing Class

10:00 Gym time

11:15 Beginning Bridge Lesson

12:30 p.m. Lunch

1:30 Computer Workshop

2:30 Free Time (I'd like to sunbathe but it's rather cloudy and it's very windy)

4:00 The Hal Chorale – yesterday we started up a choir and we will perform a couple of times for the remainder of the passengers.

7:00 Dancing with the dance hosts (gentlemen who have been hired to dance with the ladies who have no partners)

8:00 Dinner in the dining room

10:00 Live show in the theater

10:45 Dance to live music

There are many many other activities to choose from for those who have other interests.

I must post this now. You will probably all be wondering why nothing appears on my blog. My social life is interfering with my blog log.

Jan 8, 2011

Hi everyone

You are probably wondering why I haven't written in my Blog yet. First of all, it took a while to get connected to the internet and second of all, there has been so much to do and get used to – like unpacking, finding my way around the ship, deciding what activities to get involved in, attending various meetings and get acquainted things.

Yesterday day we docked at our first port –The Cayman Islands aand I went ashore to buy some panti hose and knee highs which I fogot to bring with me. Cayman is a very small island but it is the location for many banks – but most are well hidden because a lot of people use them to hide their money outside their country. There are the usual numerous stores that sell jewellery and tourist stuff. I visited the small museum to get a feel for the history of the place and then returned to the ship.

Tomorrow we land in Costa Rica. I've already spent a month there on another trip, so I think I'll stay aboard and catch up on things. I still have to book a few shore excursions for future stops and if I don't do that soon, there will be no vacancies left.

This morning I'm off to a dance instruction class at 9:00 and then at 11:30 and perhaps at 1:30 I will attend computer seminars which will teach how to touch up photographs and organize photo albums and do all kinds of neat things. Thursday I attended one that taught me how to use the program “Windows Live Movie Maker” -- the same program I used to make the disk of our family for Christmas. I learned a few more good tricks so the next time I create a slide show, it will be a lot easier.

Everything on board is free except the liquor, the spa and eating in the posh restaurant where you need reservations. The food in the regular dining room and the cafeteria is excellent, so I won't be going posh too often. There are murder mystery evenings there 4 times during the cruise, and I've always wanted to go to one, so I'll give that a try.

There are 5 or 6 gentlemen on board who have been hired by the cruise line to dance with the ladies who don't have a partner, so I've been dancing every night. Lot's of fun! ! !

The seas are smooth and most of the time I don't wear my anti-nausia bracelets. Bonus ! ! !

Tonight we have our first formal “Meet the captain Night” and I'm going to wear my beautiful red chiffon cocktail dress. So far I've had no weight problems. Let's hope that continues – there are so many temptations.

This is such a wonderful adventure! ! ! I wish you were here.

Bye for now
Lucille