Haloranch

Santiago

2011-06-19T05:22:00.003-07:00

Weather here is very nice. It rained for most of the last two days of walking although it stopped shortly before I arrived at the cathedral. Attended the mass at noon today which was packed with pilgrims. They even used the big incense ball and I managed to get some decent photos while they were swinging it literally from ceiling to ceiling.

Have deceded to stay here at the albergue rather than get a hotel room. No bath but everything else is perfect. I am also a couple of hundred meters from the bus stop that will get me to the airport. Spent some time going to the stores around the cathedral picking up some souvenirs including a couple of tee-shirts. There is also a jazz festival in the city and lots of groups are entertaining the throngs of people.

The albergue is on the Camino about 2 km from the cathedral. Am watching a continuous flow of pilgrims walking by. I´m guessing that several hundred are arriving daily and it is still not the height of the season which I am told is July and August.

The End!

2011-06-18T14:00:00.002-07:00

Success! I am in Santiago.

Arrived at 9:45 local time this morning. Am staying at a private albergue for a couple of days and then I will find a room with a bath for the last day.

Right foot is swollen and a bit sore but no matter. I can rest up for a couple of days.

Will visit the Galician cultural center tday or tomorrow. Four buildings are completed of the 6 in the original plan. But only two of the buildings have exhibits and are open to the public. Lack of money is still the issue.

.

55 km to go

2011-06-16T07:10:00.002-07:00

I am in Melide, only 55 km from Santiago. I expect to be there early on Saturday afternoon.

Am feeling fine. No health problems other than just being tired after having walked close to 1500 km. Looking forward to heading home on Tuesday/Wednesday next week.

Weather continues to be favourable with cool cloudy days and no rain. Hope it lasts for another couple of days.

I can almost see the end. Only 140 kme left.

2011-06-13T05:57:00.002-07:00

I am in Triacastella about 140 km from Santigo.

Since I last emailed I have stayed in Pereje, a tiny village 5 km past Villafranca de Bierzo and then O´Cebreiro. When I got to Pereje after having walked 38 km from Molinaesco (sp?), I decided to rationalize my situation. If I continued at the current rate I would be in Santiago on June 17, some 4 days prior to flying out on the 21st.

So, I have set up a schedule that will get me to the finish line on June 19.

Accordingly, yesterday I only walked the 22 km to O´Cebreiro (although all of it was uphill and the last 10 km were really tough). I arrived at 11:15 and had to wait until 1:00 for the albergue to open.

Similarly today I only walked 20 km and despite almost being the last person to leave the albergue I still arrived here 11:00. The albergue here doesn´t open until noon but they have allowed me in and I have access to their internet connection (obviously ....duh).

So, over the next 6 days I will average about 23 km. I will stay one day at the big albergue in Santiago and then I will find a hotel room with a bath tub.

Healthwise I am OK. A couple of toes are really sore after some 15 km of steep descent today.

1215 kilometers walked. Only 310 to the finish line.

2011-06-07T06:22:00.002-07:00

It rained all night (reminds me of a song by Celine) and continued throughout the day until I reached Leon at about 11:00. It is still cloudy and rain could undoubtedly start up again. I can´t complain since this is only the third day in 43 with rain. Of course, I have yet to walk in Gallicia where it rains two days out of every three!

Healthwise all is OK although my legs feel pretty tired. No problems with blisters. My feet are a little swollen but are not really a problem.

I got lost in Leon (same thing happened the first time in 2007). Ended up walking an additional couple of km as a consequence.

I am staying in La Virgen del Camino, about 7 km west of Leon overnight and should be in Hospital de Orbigo early tomorrow afternoon.

So, about 310 km to go and just over 1215 km completed.

2011-06-06T10:17:00.000-07:00

I am in Mansilla de las Mulas about 14 km from Leon.

Knee is not too bad. Not worse than other times. Left leg is a bit sore but I think that I am just a bit run down after 1200 km of walking.

Only did about 26 km today and will do about the same tomorrow ending up on the other side of Leon. Scenery should be changing as I am almost through the Meseta which is in one word "boring".

Getting closer to Leon

2011-06-05T07:47:00.002-07:00

I am in Bercelanos del Real Camino some 30 km from where I was last night. Should be in Leon in 2 more days.

No rain at all today. In fact it was perfect for walking although this part of the Meseta is pretty boring.

Health OK although I have daily pain in my right knee. Nothing new there since this is a problem that I battle continually.

2011-06-04T07:10:00.001-07:00

I am in the tiny village of Calzadilla de la Cueza some 79 km short of Leon. Have walked 62 km over the last two days. Have just under 400 km to go to Santiago. Could have done more but I am limiting myself to around 30 km per day so as not to get to Santiago too early. Will likely take a rest day either in Leon or more likely Astorga which is about 115 km away.

Health is OK although I have been experiencing some swelling of the feet. Have been taking Ibuprofen sparingly to counteract the swelling. Otherwise all is OK.

The weather continues to cooperate. It has been cool (almost too cool early in the morning). No hint of rain. In fact, I have really only had two rainy walking days, one in France and one in Spain. If it were to rain I am going to have problems with a wet left foot where my shoe has ripped open. Hope for the best.

So far have met people from 27 countries. Seeing many more Canadians and Americans than the first time. Understand that the movie about the Camino, "The Way" starring Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez will be released in North America later this year. This will undoubtedly result in a mob of so-called North American Pilgrims in the upcoming years.

I read a brilliant book by Bryce Courtenay called "The Power of One". It was his first book and was published in 1989 by Mandarin Press in Australia. The book is brilliant and I believe that it wa made into a movie of the same name.

Here are a couple of quoted from the book that I really liked.

"His top teeth, jutted out at an angl, and peeped out from under his lipsas though looking to see if the coast were clear ao that they might escape."

"Behind me the hills tumbled on, accumulating height as they gathered momentum until,in the far distance, they became proper mountains."

Some thoughts on the Camino

2011-06-02T08:21:00.001-07:00

FRENCH SECTION

I will never do another French section of the Camino if the Le Puy route is typical.

Yes, the scenery was fantastic and the food was superb. I especially loved the breads and cheeses. Probably had the best meal at the Gite ferme de Barry where the owner made aligout. The main negative is that about 60 % of the route was walking on pavement, which is incredibly hard on your feet and legs. The French seem to pave anything that is wide enough for a car, no matter how remote the area.

CAMINO FRANCES

If I ever walk another Camino it won´t be the Camino Frances.

The Camino has become a fad, something fashionable to do and an item to put on and knock off your bucket list. Every day is a rush to get up, get going, and arrive at your next destination early enough to guarantee a bed. Hospitaleros and gite owners told me that in the past they would either not fill or fill by late afternoon or early evening. Now they are full by mid afternoon. It has become the proverbial rat race.

I have also been told that over the last five years there has been a change in the pilgrims, and not for the better.

Lastly the government, at least in Navarra, the Basque part of Spain, has made "improvements" to the trail. I appreciate the new signage, (it is impossible to get lost any more, but not the concrete paved sections and concrete steps, two-meter wide trails in crushed stone and binder. I wonder when they will install escalators on the steep sections?

1072 km done!

2011-06-02T06:12:00.000-07:00

I am in Castrojerez having completed the 38th day. I have had no access to the internet for the last 4 days.

Here is a brief update.

Completed 1072 km. Over the last four days have walked 134 km. I need to slow down since at this rate I will be in Santiago on Jun16

which is way too early for my June 21 flight.

450 km remaining to Santiago

Day before yesterday was a milestone as I reached 1000 km and also exceeded my longest walk, the "Walk to Beat Polio" (1007 km) in 2008.

Health is OK although I have finally lost my second nail. Will likely lo

se another one along the way.

My shoes are giving me some grief. The left one is starting to tear on the left side of the foot. The toe cap that I had fixed in Red Deer before leaving is also starting to delaminate. I may take them back to MEC!

I decided not mail my notes and the SD card from the camera on Monday this week in view of the potential postal strike in Canada.

Getting close to Burgos, Spain

2011-05-29T07:19:00.001-07:00

I am in Najera about 95 km short of Burgos and Have completed 940 km. Decided to put my knee brace on after I got to the first town, Naverrete, and my knee felt a lot better after that. I am no longer in sequence with my original plan which duplicated my first Camino in Spain. Decided that I wanted to overnight in some other towns and cities rather than just duplicating what I had done before. Rewalking the Camino F

rances has brought back a flood of memories from the first walk.

In addition, I am no longer in touch with the 5 folks with whom I walked much of the French portion. I lost them two days ago and I think that they are about 10-15 km behind me. Undoubtedly I will run into some of them again especially if I decide to take a rest day. Right now I have 2 days in hand for my goal of arriving in Santiago on June 20.

Logrono

2011-05-28T07:13:00.000-07:00

Arrived in Logrono about 2 hours ago having completed 900 km.

Feeling a little run own and my left knee (the one that always troubles me) is hurting. Just took some ibuprofen so it shoul be OK by the morning. If things go accoring to plan I expect to be in Santiago on either the 19th or 20th of June.

850 km behind me

2011-05-27T08:51:00.000-07:00

I am in Los Arcos. Have completed about 850 km.

All is well. No problems with my feet any more. Did 36 km today and have about 28 to get to Logrono tomorrow.

Memories of the First Camino

2011-05-25T13:05:00.002-07:00

I am in Cesur Menor just past Pamplona where Janos and I met Krisztina in 2007. All is well. Just came back from dinneer and a visit to the bar where we had a blast. Photos to come in the next week or so.

And a few more

2011-05-24T19:43:00.001-07:00

2011-05-24T19:35:00.001-07:00

A few photos from France

2011-05-24T19:30:00.000-07:00

Where ARE the Pyrenees?

2011-05-23T06:51:00.003-07:00

Over the Pyrennees

2011-05-23T06:37:00.002-07:00

I am in Roncesvalles having gone over the pass Napoleon under ideal conditions in five and a half hours. Took about 35 pictures.

No problem with feet or legs and I suspect that everything is finally good after almost 4 weeks of painful walking. Hopefully the rest will be a breeze. I had forgotten how steep some of the sections were but I must be in vbetter shape than last

time as I knocked 50 minutes off my time from 2007.

They have a brand new albergue here which is absolutely stunning compared to the old barn that I stayed in in 2007.

Appreciate all the work that you guys (mostly Drew and Alethea) are doing. Perhaps I should stay in Europe a bit longer until everything is ship shape?

The bunch of us that have been walking together for most of the trip are all having the "menu del peregrino" for 9€ this evening. Expect that we will have a great time.

I mailed the third letter to you yesterday in St Jean not reaizing that there is a threat of a postal strike in Canada later this week. Not much I can do about it now.

Give my best to everyone.

More photos

2011-05-22T07:52:00.000-07:00

Half Way!

2011-05-22T07:38:00.001-07:00

I am in St. Jean. I only have 15 minutes on the free machine at the office des pelerins. Reaching the halfway point is a milestone. F

EELS LIKE ALMOST DOWNHILL FROM HERE.

Feet are almost back to normal. Swelling in right foot is totally gone. Should be fine from here unless something else crops up. Tomorrow (Monday) if the weather permits it is over the pass Napoleon to Roncesvalles which is the first stop in Spain.

On the road again

2011-05-19T08:02:00.002-07:00

I'm ¨On the Road Again¨!!!

I walked the " 32.8 km from Arthez de Bearn to Navarrenx with minimal problems with my full pack. The two days that I took off were the right thing to do. There was a little bit of soreness over the last 10 klm but it was manageable. I will be in Saint Jean Pied-de-Port where I started my first Camino in 2007, on Sunday. To this point I have completed about 680 km and getting near the half way point.

I have to leave the bandages on my foot for another two days. Today was the first day that I was allowed to have a shower. The walking right now is glorious and I have been able to see the snow-capped Pyreneeses Mountains for several days towards the south.

Bad feet.

2011-05-17T09:12:00.001-07:00

I am in Arzacq-Arraziguet (618 km). Unfortuntely I did not arrive by foot but instead by a van that transported baggage for walkers. Last night at Aire-sur-l'Adour the owner who is a paramedic examined my left foot and found it to be infected.

He cleaned and treated the area and I will be OK. At his recommendtion I decided not to walk today but I will tomorrow withoput my backpack which will be transported. After that I should be OK. It seems that using "Compeed" exacerbated the situation by preventing air from getting to the injured area of my foot. It hurt like hell when he cleaned the wound but that's a good sign that the infected area was being treated. So all will be well in a couple of days.

...and later the same day...

I'm at the tourist office in the same town as before. FOOT IS STILL PRETTY SORE but I expect to be walking in the morning. Won't have a backpack and I will take my time stopping frequently. Saw the snow-capped Pyrenees Mountains yesterday for the first time. EXPECT TO START CLIMBING THEM IN 3 days time; IT WILL TAKE ONE DAY TO GET TO St. Jean Pied de Port and then the second day to go over the pass. APPROACHING THE HALF WAY POINT.

A few more

2011-05-14T18:42:00.000-07:00

Random photos taken in France

2011-05-14T14:33:00.000-07:00

Books. Hallelujah!

2011-05-12T06:48:00.000-07:00

I found three English books at the gite in Moissac. They are all good books and I took all three with the blessing of the owner, Anne. Damn the weight!!!!

1/3 of the trip is behind me

2011-05-12T06:41:00.000-07:00

I am in Lectoure having completed 480 km after 17 stages. Tomorrow I will walk to Condom about 35 km from here. No jokes about Condom.....it was named such long before the modern condom was invented. On the other hand there is a hotel here that is name "Bastard". I have the photo to prove it.

Reaching Condom will put me past the 1/3 point in the walk.

Healht Update:

Right foot is OK despite losing the nail on the toe next to the big one (called Morton's Foot - ed). I suppose that losing it has made be lighter. Still some problems with the left foot, but I think that it is getting better also.

Right knee is a bit sore but drugs are helping...I like drugs!

No problem with the sore throat...seems to have gone away.

Meeting lots of nice people whom I am seeing over and over again.

420 km done

2011-05-10T05:45:00.001-07:00

I am in Moissac.

Happened to find a place that has internet but I don't have my notes with me. I think that I am at about 420 km (you can check on the plan that I gave you).

Am having a few more problems with my feet. Another blister on my left foot and I have lost the nail on one of the toes on my right foot. I also expect to lose the nail on one of the small toes on the other foot as well.

I am a little tired but today was only a half day of walking and I will rest the remainder of the day.

Weather is very good but also very hot (31 C s the high here today). I hope it cools off as I have a "é km stage tomorrow. (Editor's note: not sure what that means, probably 30 or 40 km).

Will try to send some more info later today if internet is available.

Blisters getting better, sort of

2011-05-08T07:24:00.000-07:00

I am in Montcuq at the end of the 13th stage as per my original plan. Have been unable to access internet for the last 4 days. The owner here has given me permission to use their personal system.

I have completed about 475 km; I am changing my plan for the next stage. I am unable to walk the 40 km to Moissac in one day so I am breaking it into two shorter stages. My feet and my body need a rest and this is one way to do so. So I'm abou 25% complete.

I have a total of 6 blisters....3 on each foot so that I remain in balance. The good news is that they are all getting better and I don't expect any more problems in that department. My right knee is also doing a bit of complaining but it is no worse than the last two Caminos. Lastly I have a bit of a tickle in my throat but the usual remedy (salt water) seems to be helping. The really good news is that my right shoulder problem is improving to the point that my mobility is about 75% of normal;

The weather has been great with only one day of rain so far. It is also getting hotter (mid twenties) which makes an early start each morning critical.

Blisters!

2011-05-02T07:37:00.000-07:00

I'm in Conques at the conclusion of day #7. Have completed about 200 km.

Here are the good news and the not so good news.

The weather is and continues to be fantastic. Absolutely ideal with cool mornings and mostly brilliant sunshine during the day. No sign of rain in the forseeable forecast.

The repair to my shoes seems to be holding. No concerns there.

My feet are in terrible shape.

For the first time on one of these Camino walks I have blisters on the balls of both feet, the heel on my right foot and small blisters on a couple of toes including under one nail. Have had the problems for the last four days.

In other news, the walking has been the best ever. Incredible scenery walking through small farms, villages and the occasional small town. The population of Conques where I am staying tonight is 80!!!! Hence, internet has been limited and when available, slow.

I think the problems with my feet stem a bit with the shoes but mostly with the incredibly steep terrain. Huge uphills followed by similar downhills; Some as long as 1000 to 2000 feet in elevation change. The uphills are manageable but the downhills are killing my feet.

I have stayed at three gites with demi pension (dinner and breakfast included). The food has been absolutely fabulous.

Internet is difficult to find. I am in the tourst office in Conques which is dedicated to tourism (though it doesn't seem that there is much tourism here with only 80 residents...)

Three days done

2011-04-28T09:18:00.002-07:00

I am in Aubrac Aumont at the end of the third day. Have done about 80 km of hard but spectacular walking. The route is very hilly. For instance climbing for 4.5 km for 2000 feet then dropping into a deep valley the same distance. Really hard on my feet which are very sore. Also thighs are aching from all the steep downhills. Weather has been cool and ideal to this point. No rain yet.

Internet availability is sporadic and very slow. Will try to keep you informed as best I can.

Leaving for Europ on April 20, 2011

2011-04-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

I'm off to Europe on April 20 to visit my father in Hamburg Germany and then to make my way to Le Puy-en-Velay in France from where I will begin walking my third Camino de Santiago pilgrimmage(the Way of St. James) on April 26. I hope to arrive in Santiago de Compostela by June 20.

I'll be posting updates on this blog as time and internet availability permits.

Hans

Where did it go?

2010-11-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

When you fly from North America to Australia, and without anyone asking you how you feel about it, a day is taken away from you.

We left Phoenix on October 30 and arrived in Sydney on November 1. For us, there was no October 31, no Halloween. I’‘m not at all sure where it went but we’ll get it back on our return. However, we still missed Halloween.

Nevertheless, I was delighted to find myself freed from a sealed airplane when we finally deplaned in Sydney. Really. It's brutally long, 14 hours and 38 minutes.

Sydney is a place at once recognizably similar but decidedly different. Similar in that everyone spoke English and I was surprised not to hear thick Australian accents tumbling out all around me. So far, nearly everyone I've heard has only a mild accent. Kindly, they've said nothing about mine.

And different because everything is topsy turvy, primarily the traffic. On arrival, I tried to get into Fern's driving seat! Luckily, she quickly directed me to the other side where I no doubt make a better passenger than driver.

And we're off!

2010-11-02T12:33:00.000-07:00

Omigod. Our copilot is fresh and pink cheeked. I don't think he's old enough to shave yet.

And in a related note, we have left, but we haven't yet arrived. Soon, Sydney, soon.

Affordable Travel Club

2010-10-23T17:07:00.000-07:00

This was our first experience with the ATC and it was fabulous!

We drove to Pocatello the first night. That's 11 hours from Calgary. Long, but doable because on the first day you're keen to get going and cover as much distance as you can.

Our hostess Kathleen is a retired teacher and quite charming, though possibly lonely because she had a lot to say. That was no problem because one of the things she said was that Ming's had great Chinese food and we had already decided that was what we wanted to eat. Since the ATC "gratuity" for your host is a paltry $20 per couple per night, we invited her to join us as our guest and had a lovely dinner followed by an even more pleasant evening lubricated with a little wine before heading off to an early bed.

After a hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs, she sent us on our way with apples, pears and a bag full of tomatoes from her garden. She even wanted to include sandwiches.

So, for the cost of a dinner and twenty bucks, we enjoyed a lovely bedroom with private bathroom and had a lively and charming companion to boot.

And the next night was even better.

Trysts?

2010-10-23T16:54:00.001-07:00

We overnighted at the Double A Ranch in Calgary before heading south for Mesa. In the middle of the night, around 3:00 a.m. I heard a car start up. It's the wee hours of Wednesday morning and I'm pondering the few reasons why someone would get into their car at that time.

It could only have been a tryst.

Leaving Winnipeg

2010-06-13T16:08:00.002-07:00

Driving around and through Winnipeg, what struck me first were how many churches I saw. Churches with steeples,and bells, which is something I haven't seen much outside of Quebec. And other than churches, the most plentiful item we saw were parks. Gorgeous green parks everywhere. Down Portage there's an incredibly wide boulevard flanked by rows of huge, mature trees marching in a straight line down both sides, facing the streets. The center of the boulevard is lush greenery with park benches and looked very inviting. I bet on a nice day it's full of people. Today it was empty. Ergo, not a nice day. Also Sunday, so maybe the people were in some of the many churches.

Lots of the little buildings and older shops downtown are brightly painted with flowers and other pictures. Looks cheerful and cute, and much better than being graffitied with tags from the local gangs.

On the outskirts of the city, heading east on TC #1, the road was a patchwork of repairs and hideously bumpy. Really, one of the worst roads on which we've ever driven and as part of the Trans Canada, a real embarassment. But maybe it's because the weather has been so bad and they haven't had time to fix the roads. Evidently they've had 3 weeks of solid rain and the ditches on either side of the highway were so high with water in parts that you could have canoed down them. In fact, bruised and bloated clouds hung low in the sky, ready to drop some more.

The CBC kept us company on our drive and early in the afternoon we were entertained by Stuart Maclean and the Vinyl Cafe. Today he was broadcasting from The Canadian, the train that crosses our country and like us, he happened to be somewhere in Ontario.

The rain and clouds hung around most of the day, but we managed to find a little picnic spot and eat our lunch without getting wet. A small red squirrel was very interested in our company and hung around, probably hoping for a handout, but he wasn't very interested in the edamame husks.

On the road again

2010-06-13T05:31:00.002-07:00

We're off to the Rotary International Convention.

First stop, Mike's place in Calgary where we enjoyed a beautiful evening but short night. Barely 5 hours of sleep and off we were on a long drive to Winnipeg.
In the end, it took us *only* 12 hours of concerted driving to get there. Hans, as always, did the lion's share while I suffered through 2 hours of driving.

SASKATCHEWAN

Saskatchewan: an old Indian saying meaning, "No hill high enough to jump from and hurt yourself."

Saying the road in Saskatchewan is boring is an understatement. It could have been the minimal sleep, or the straight but bumpy road, but soon the silver tanker truck in front of me was shimmering. It was unclear whether my eyes were out of focus or the sun was to blame but luckily, it was time to fill up the car and then Hans took over again.

HILTON HOTEL SUITES

Well, this turned out to be everything we hoped for!

We have a one bedroom suite. You walk into the living room with desk, sofa, armchair and TV. Also, a bar with microwave and small fridge, fancy coffee maker and martini shaker. Well then!

A sumptuous bathroom separates the LR from the bedroom, with king size bed and flat screen TV where Hans is currently lounging and watching the early soccer game. We'll probably never get a room like this again since this was severely discounted courtesy of a Rotarian we've never met but who, thanks to a mutual friend, has offered us a night here in Winnipeg at a fabulous rate.

And now, the morning's come and we're off on the next step of our cross-country adventure.

The End

2009-12-31T08:55:00.002-07:00

I should write a bit about Sugarloaf, which gave us some stunning views of the city, mountain and ocean. But now that the vacation is over, I'm strangely remote from it all. Already it seems so long ago.

In the next week I'll post some photos throughout the blog where appropriate, and tie everything together. And then the blog gets a rest until our next adventure.

Touring Rio

2009-12-24T07:24:00.003-07:00

It was blistering hot. 34 C (95 F).

Paulo said that we would do well to go to Corcovado first and view the statue of Christ since it can get very busy. However, since there was only ONE cruise ship in port that day (thank you God) and because Princess had to cancel all its tours due to the lateness of our arrival, Corcovado was remarkably free of tourists.

Paulo paid our entry fees since they don’t take credit cards or US dollars there. I’m sure that will change, but meanwhile, he paid and we just added it to his fee. As a licensed tour guide he doesn’t have to pay for these attractions since he’s obviously helping the economy by bringing tourists to them.

I have to admit that even though I’m not at all religious, I was moved when I reached the top and saw the sheer size of the Christ statue. It stands 30 metres high on an 8 metre base and weighs 1945 tons. It’s very impressive. There’s a little chapel at the back of the base but it was closed, though you could see through the wrought iron doors and take photos.

The views of the city from up there are nothing short of spectacular. Rio is ringed by mountains, many looking just like Sugarloaf, and the mouth of the harbour has numerous smaller islets and rocks poking up. The city itself has lots of green areas including the largest urban forest in the world. I wish I could tell you how big it is but we drove through a portion of it when we drove up Corcovado. That area used to be a coffee plantation long ago but the rainforest has reclaimed it and now it’s just a beautiful, dense forest.

At the airport now blogging, and running out of time. Will do more later after we're back in Mesa.

Disembarking in Rio

2009-12-24T07:23:00.002-07:00

Our fabulous day in Rio was bookended by a dismal disembarkation system and an even worse boarding procedure at the airport. But in between it was great. More about that later.

Due to an unusual sea current which was completely unexpected in this part of the ocean, our already overdue arrival in Rio was delayed by a further 30 minutes bringing us to 11:30 at the dock. Original docking time was 7:00 a.m.
Luckily, we had let Princess know we had independent travel arrangements and were being met at 9:00 a.m. so we were amongst the first groups to disembark. However, that still took us to almost 1:30 and I wondered if Paulo, our tour guide who was meeting us at noon would still be there.

The entire delay can be laid at the feet of the Brazilian officials who have an archaic and ill planned system of granting entry. First, the officials had to board the ship and set themselves up, 4 here and 4 there, to personally view every passengers passport. Yes indeed. And once inspected for the appropriate visas which, by the way, cost us almost $450 including courier charges, they would stamp your passport and grant you a green entry card.

Like I said, we were in the second earliest group and it will took 2 hours. Some passengers had booked a transfer with Princess to take them from the ship to a hotel to relax, and then on to the airport. Due to the delays, they didn’t get off until 4, got to their hotel at 6, had to leave at 7 to get to the airport for 8:30. All for $88 each.

The good news for us was that we had had the foresight to book a private tour in Rio. Eight hours for $200 divided by three and an additional $60, divided by three, to take us to the airport. A much better deal.

Paulo, our guide, had sent instructions on where to meet him after we got off the ship but because we had to detour to pick up our bags, we were in the wrong area.
Leaving with our bags there were dozens of tour guides lined up, all holding signs with their customers names. No one had our names. I left Hans and Teddy and went looking and within about 5 minutes, found Paulo and his sign. Whew!

Arriving in Rio

2009-12-24T07:22:00.002-07:00

Wow. This is a gorgeous, gorgeous city.

On our approach we sailed right past Sugarloaf, so close we could have swum to its base. We could see the cable cars moving back and forth between Sugarloaf and its smaller sister. Couldn’t wait to get there!

In the distance facing the harbor we could just make out the enormous Christ the Redeemer statue. It was still early, about 9:30 a.m. and a light haze covered the city so the statue was just faintly visible, almost just an impression of itself.

Again, couldn’t wait to see it.

Rio Airport

2009-12-24T07:21:00.001-07:00

Oh my.

First line at 8:45 pm
This line was dauntingly long and even though we asked folks in the queue whether this was the United Air lineup Hans thought it would be smart to double check, so off I went. The office confirmed that we were in the proper line as they had only one flight that evening and in fact, everyone I could see was going to Washington, Dulles. The good news was that it was only 8:45 and they had just opened up the check-in wickets at 8:30, so we weren’t late. More passengers were streaming in behind us.

Second line at 9:15 pm
Alas, the lineup in which we were caught was only a fraction of the passengers. From here, we were led into a zig zag line. You know, where the floor is sectioned off by ropes and you walk back and forth like a lab rat. The three of us went together so we’d be seated beside each other however, when we finally got the check-in counter, the girl wasn’t issuing seats. We did, however, get our three bags checked but it took awhile since our final destination is Phoenix and Teddy’s is Calgary. We were flying together only to Washington, then Los Angeles.
Meantime, while Teddy and I were getting our bags checked, Hans was filling out the US customs declaration form. There was another long line building to go through security and it occurred to me that we would be going into that line next, so I asked Hans to get a spot while Teddy and I finished up with the bags. Too bad this idea didn’t occur to any of us 10 minutes earlier.
This line seemed to come to a complete stop until a senior person got 2 additional women to assist with the check-in. They didn’t look happy. One of them took 5 minutes to take off her jacket and fold it carefully. Then it was time for her to log in and it took so long Teddy thought she might be writing an email to her mother.

Third line, Security
This queue was adjacent to line #1 we were in earlier and was no shorter.

Fourth line
Now we were in the zig zag portion of the security line that eventually let the throng through one of three, count ‘em, *three* x-rays!

Fifth line
Got our hand luggage x-rayed and then joined another zig zag taking us through passport control. Here there were four agents available to move us through more quickly, LOL.

Sixth line 10:15 pm
So far we had a boarding pass but still no seat assignment and I was asking at each stop. “No,” was the consistent reply. “Later.” The crowd of passengers was huge and I worried we might not get on the plane. You know, first you think to yourself, “Please just let me get a seat.” Then once you get one, it’s “Can I have a window?”

But from passport control we went directly to our gate where I told the guy we didn’t have seats yet. Quite by chance, because we were together, Hans and I were together and Teddy was right across the aisle from us.
Finally. In the plane. It’s now 5 minutes before take off and we’re not seat yet because there’s a bottleneck near the front. Turns out several passengers had been given the same seats. Luckily we were okay. Or maybe not, because they got bumped up into Business Class. That would have been nice since the flight was 9 hours 45 minutes long.

I really hate plane travel.

Tilting

2009-12-21T12:51:00.000-07:00

“What the hell!”

Hans and I were both sliding, feet first, off our bed. At the same time all loose items on the nightables tumbled to the floor. Then the ship righted itself and everything went back to normal.

This happened around 7:00 a.m. yesterday morning and later that day I spoke with a gentleman who was at the breakfast buffet when the ship tilted. He happened to be standing in front of a tray of fried eggs.

“I managed to grab the tray so it wouldn’t crash to the ground, but all the eggs slid off and onto my feet,” he told me with a laugh. “And all the other food ended up on the floor too.”

The pools also sloshed over and apparently there was a foot of water to be mopped up on one side of the ship wherever there were pools.

The captain didn’t make his usual announcement when things go awry so we were left wondering what happened until later that evening. It was the Captain’s Farewell party with free champagne in the central piazza area and he took that opportunity to update us. He was very pissed off.

“You’re probably wondering what happened this morning. The Argentine Pilot, who is required to guide us through the channel, forgot about the 250 metres of ship behind the bridge and only thought about the 50 metres in front. He made a sharp turn. You can’t do that with a ship this size. He must have thought he was piloting a tugboat. Luckily, the Officer on the Bridge was able to correct the mistake.”
Well then. There was more and he couched the rest of his speech more carefully, saying things like “political correctness prevents me from expressing how I feel,” but it was quite clear how he felt. Between the 5 hour delay in Buenos Aires (3 in port and 2 at anchor further out in Rio de la Plata) plus the unnecessary work caused by the incompetent pilot, I’m thinking our Captain will not have much good to say about the Argentinean maritime authorities.

Kleptomania

2009-12-20T11:21:00.003-07:00

At the dinner table Teddy and I share a bottle of white wine, Hans has a bottle of red and the Russians vary. On this night, they were also sharing a bottle of white but different from ours. Lief sat on Teddy’s right and three times, Teddy caught him drinking out of her glass! She whispered it to Hans, who relayed the information to Lief.

“Oh my. I kleptomania her wine.”

Mint Jelly

2009-12-20T11:21:00.001-07:00

Lief was having lamb the other night for dinner.
“Would you like mint jelly?” asked our waiter.
“What is it?” said Lief.
“It sort of tastes like toothpaste.”

Montevideo

2009-12-20T11:18:00.001-07:00

“I see a mountain,” said the sailor a few hundred years ago. And that’s how it got its name. Truly, without the mountain there they would likely have sailed right past it because Montevideo is flat, flat, flat.

We hired Santiago, a young James Woods lookalike to take us around in his taxi, and he drove us to the top of the mountain, now crested by a white fort. We could see it from the ship and the view from up top was fabulous. Alas, we didn’t spend much time up there because we were approaching 3 hours, which was to be the length of our tour.

We hired Santiago, a young James Woods lookalike. His English was pretty good so we happily climbed into his cab. Unfortunately, the advertised air conditioning in his taxi didn’t work and he had a glass barrier between the front and back seats so even though he spoke good English, we heard little of it. Well, sometimes we heard it, when he turned around and spoke directly to my face using his hands to emphasize his speech. We were content not to hear too much.

Montevideo is a large city and has lots of parks, but there was little grass in them though that could be because the trees were so huge and cast such a large shadow that maybe it was difficult to grow grass underneath them. The parks were also fenced with wrought iron so there were only a few entrances and exits and the vendors, at least on this day, were selling most flea market items instead of the usual handicrafts. It was just different from the parks we’ve seen in other South American countries.

We didn’t see much in Montevideo that would ever make us want to come back. The city has lots of litter. Mind you, that’s common in all cities down here except Lima, which was incredibly clean. Lots of old, historic buildings. It used to be a walled city and in the central area of town, dividing the old city from the new city, are red lines bout 50’ apart showing where the walls used to stand. This downtown park was quite lovely and also houses the mausoleum of their liberator hero whose name escapes me right now.

Delayed departure from Buenos Aires

2009-12-19T14:34:00.001-07:00

Due to the monsoon-like conditions of the afternoon weather, accompanied by squally winds, ships have backed up in the River Platte, the inlet into Buenos Aires, waiting for the weather to calm. That means the Star Princess hasn’t been able to leave at 5:00 as planned since maritime law forbids two ships passing in this river as in some areas it’s only 85 metres wide. At present time, we’re scheduled to leave two hours late. This won’t impact our arrival in Rio, at this time.

Due to the unusual weather and winds this afternoon, the ship was apparently trying to lift at the stern and threatening to shed its moorings. The captain just told us that they had to remove the gangway for awhile in case the ship decided to go for a walk across the harbor. That would have been quite a shock to anyone standing on the gangplank. And also a bit of a shock to the boats across the harbor.

The lights went out in Buenos Aires. Literally.

2009-12-19T14:33:00.001-07:00

We had just pulled into an underground parkade at the mall to escape the rain. As the four of us exited the car, Sandra clicked her remote to lock it and turn off the lights. Simultaneously, the lights in the garage went out. It was absolutely pitch black except for one dim light on the ramp. As we huddled around wondering what was going on, the generator kicked in and lights came on.

Sandra punched the button for the elevator but Teddy said we should take the stairs. Wise idea. Halfway up, the lights went out again. “That was a good idea,” said Sandra as we continued on our way up.

To backtrack a bit, after a hot and muggy morning (more about our tour with Sandra later) a deluge of probably biblical proportions hit Buenos Aires just after 2:00 p.m. It started off as a light rain, and because the air conditioning in Sandra’s Fiat mysteriously died just then, we opened the windows to welcome the breeze that was picking up. The few raindrops that ventured into the car were hardly a deterrent to the open window. But then, the skies darkened, the rain increased and so did the wind. Literally, sheets of rain were swept off the huge leafy trees and just poured onto the road, adding to the already thick deluge hammering the cars. The sewer grates couldn’t keep up and every one was boiling over with overflow. One road was partially submerged and it’s only because Sandra was able to make a tight left turn and avoid the deepest part that was submerged that we were able to ford through.

We drove through this for about 10 minutes while the un-airconditioned car tried valiantly to keep the windshield fog free, but it was hard. The heat and the mugginess just coated the windshield and dimmed the visibility. But Sandra obviously had a destination in mind and shortly thereafter we pulled into the aforementioned underground parkade.

The stores we saw appeared to be closed, which was fine since we didn’t go in to shop. Mainly, we wanted a drink. There was a little restaurant open downstairs to which we headed but, we couldn’t order lunch. No power. No matter. We downed two cokes each to slake our thirst and I didn’t even care that it wasn’t diet.

The lights came on shortly thereafter and so we stayed to have a bite. Teddy and I couldn’t read the menu (Spanish) and neither of us wanted to risk a salad (washed in tap water, if washed at all) so we ordered a ham and cheese sandwich. It was awful, but mostly we ordered lunch so that Sandra would. We would have liked to take her to a fancier place for lunch (so we could pay by credit card), which was our plan, but the weather kaiboshed that. They would let us pay in US dollars but wouldn’t give us a good rate so instead, Sandra paid and we gave her the US dollars. She’s going to Washington in February so she can use the dollars.

It was still raining when we left, but the skies were lighter and so was the rain.

The Pink Palace

2009-12-19T14:32:00.001-07:00

When we first saw the Pink Palace 5 years ago, it was raining hard and no one got out of the bus to get a closer look. Today it wasn’t raining when we were at the palace and we were doubly lucky in that on Saturdays tourists are allowed to go through the palace. They give guided tours in Spanish, but we had Sandra with us so she translated anything important. Most of it was self-explanatory though, and it’s quite an impressive building. Very ornate everywhere and quite beautiful.

Across from the pink palace is the park in which the mothers and grandmothers of ‘the missing’ parade weekly. These are the women who were left behind in the late ‘70’s early ‘80’s, prior to the Falkland war, when their menfolk were taken by the government and disappeared forever. Every week they don their symbol, the kerchief, and demonstrate as they have done for over 30 years because they still don’t know what’s happened to some of them.

Meeting Sandra in Buenos Aires

2009-12-19T14:31:00.001-07:00

Some time ago I had contacted a Rotarian in Buenos Aires asking if he could make any suggestions for what we should see during our day here. Umberto replied right away and put me in touch with his sister-in-law Sandra, who he said would love to show us around.

We emailed back and forth and she was going to pick us up at 9:30 a.m. on our arrival, just outside the dock area.

So there we were at the dock’s exit shortly after 9:00 because we didn’t want to be late. We each knew what the other looked like, having emailed photos, but no specific information was exchanged, such as what we might be wearing, would she have a sign with our name, or should we have one with hers, what colour is her car, etc. This lack of foresight made the waiting very uncomfortable. I stood in the road with a make-shift sign that had her name in pen, which I’m sure no one driving past on the road could read. Hans, wearing a Rotary shirt, was walking through the throngs of cruisers looking for anyone who looked like Sandra. And Teddy was going to each new car as it parking to see if Sandra was the driver. No luck. Meanwhile, we were fending off aggressive taxi drivers but as the clock ticked on, we were beginning to think that maybe we would have to change our plans.

And then, there came Hans with his arm around an attractive woman, big smiles on both faces.

He had heard a voice in the crowd asking, “Are you Lolita? Are you Lolita?” so he went up to her and said, “I’m Hans, and Lolita’s my wife.” Hallelujah.

We were so relieved to get into her car. Not only because we had finally connected, but because her car had blessedly cold air conditioning. It was partly sunny but the weather was really muggy. Rain was predicted for the afternoon and the air was heavy with it. I could already feel a bead of sweat trickling down my back.
As we drove, Sandra gave us an engaging history lesson about Buenos Aires. She is incredibly knowledgeable about her city and her country and we spent a delightful hour touring around, visiting the Boca port, which was the original port, and the soccer stadium nearby.

Across from this port is the most charming marketplace street called something like Caminita de something (sorry!) filled with the most charming and colourful houses, most of which have been converted into restaurants. Lots of cute little shops and outdoor cafes, some of which were featuring a free gaucho dance performance. We walked around and I would have loved to stop for a drink but there was much more she wanted to show us.

Christopher Caress

2009-12-18T14:29:00.001-07:00

“If you want to sleep with Christopher, volunteer.”

That’s how hypnotist Christopher’s show starts. He puts the volunteers into a light sleep and lays them down on the stage.

“Do you know this man?” he asked one woman.

“No.”

“You’ll be sleeping with him in a minute.”

It was brilliant. Hans and I saw it Wednesday night and I enjoyed it so much I, *gasp,* even gave up my regular 8:15 p.m. dinner reservation in order to see his show again the next night. I dragged Teddy along, who had missed it the night before, but she was happy to have come and laughed so hard her stomach hurt. He turned himself “invisible” and we watched as one of the participants scampered in fear and confusion across the stage, chased by a chair that seemed to be self-propelled. Too funny! The night before he turned the 4 men into ballerinas who twirled and leapt across the stage with great enthusiasm, if not skill. Unfortunately he leaves us today in Montevideo, but he had a great show and gave us a terrific evening of entertainment.

In other news, there’s a magician on board who’s been giving free magic classes which Teddy and I have attended. Prepare to be wowed when we get back.

Bad Merlot

2009-12-16T14:39:00.000-07:00

After having a bottle of wine nightly, we finally got a bad one.

Last night the Fetzer merlot seemed off to me. As always, I’m a little reluctant to say anything to anyone other than Hans and Teddy, but Hans called our waiter over who pronounced it “sour”. Close enough. It was actually musty. In short order the junior sommelier showed up, followed by the senior sommelier, neither of whom looks old enough to shave.

There was no argument. They simply brought a fresh bottle to the table and I couldn’t resist asking the fresh faced young man if he was even old enough to drink. Turns out, barely. He turned 21 six weeks ago and joined Princess on Valparaiso, so he is actually of legal age.

Where do you learn to be a wine expert before you’re allowed to drink?

Emergency Detour

2009-12-16T14:36:00.001-07:00

Last night at 10:30pm the Captain interrupted everything to announce that, in case anyone had noticed, he had made a 180 degree u-turn and the ship was heading back to the Falkland Islands.

One of the passengers was in critical need of medical attention beyond what could be provided by the ship’s doctor and the senior doctor made the call that he had to be taken off the ship. Therefore, we were proceeding at full speed back to the Falklands and at the same time a message had gone out to a Search and Rescue team on the islands and the captain was waiting to hear back from them. Either they would medivac the passenger out or, he would be taken off on land, whichever came first.
At midnight the announcement came for all ship’s hand to take up “flying positions” and everyone was asked to vacate the open decks on 14, 15, 16 and 17 and no flash photography or video was allowed. We spoke to a couple today whose balcony was on the side where the helicopter landed, and he said it was out there about 40 minutes.

The evacuation went like clockwork and the patient is undergoing treatment at the hospital in Port Stanley. Hopefully, all will go well. We lost some time but the captain says that we had some speed in hand and that we’ll arrive on time in Montevideo, Urugay, on Thursday.

And in other news, we lose yet *another* hour tonight! We will now be at Greenwich mean time less 2 hours. Amazing. But if you look at the map, you’ll see that the west coast of south America is nearly lined up with the east coast of north America, so I guess this continuous chipping away at the hours makes sense.

Bleaker Island

2009-12-15T14:57:00.004-07:00

In the Falkland Islands today, which is comprised of two large islands and about 350 small ones, we found one named Bleaker Island. “Wow, this island is even bleaker than the last one,” is how we imagine it got named.

Port Stanley, Falkland Islands

2009-12-15T14:57:00.003-07:00

This is Hans and my second time in the Falklands and not much has changed. It’s a small community of about 3,000 which doubles whenever a cruise ship docks. The locals wisely stay indoors when we’re out and about since there’s really no main street. What would be a major road is the one along the harbor and it’s thickly packed with cruise tourists all jamming into the same little gift shops.

The Falklands are an English protectorate, so everything here is in British Pounds Sterling (read expensive) and they drive on the left, mostly Range Rovers. Four wheel drive here would be fairly necessary in the chilly winter months. Today, at nearly the first day of summer, temperatures were about 12 degrees with a mix of blue sky and cloud. But the wind! Yikes. I wrapped my scarf around Teddy’s neck since I had a hood on my jacket and I was grateful for it. I was no fashion plate, and Teddy has the photo to prove it, but my ears were happy.

We stopped for a drink in the same pub Hans and I went to five years ago, but this time, we couldn’t sit outside. Too windy. Inside, the place was hopping with tourists but despite the crowds, we were served virtually instantly: two white wines, one Heineken and a basket of chips to share.

The Dolphins

2009-12-15T14:56:00.000-07:00

As we were having breakfast on the Lido, we watched the tenders head out carrying their full load of passengers visiting Port Stanley. Playing in the wake beside the tenders were four dolphins, enjoying the rush of water and occasionally breaking the surface in joyful leaps. We watched them for 30 minutes and when we took a tender, they were still playing and I could see them right beside me. However, by the time we headed back to the ship the dolphins had left, probably exhausted from their vigorous play earlier in the day.

Rattle, rattle, splash

2009-12-15T14:55:00.001-07:00

“You’ll know when we’re ready to anchor in the Falkland Islands. Just listen for the rattle, rattle, splash.” Our captain does enjoy his little jokes. And so do we.

No News

2009-12-14T12:26:00.000-07:00

No news today, my muse has gone away.

Sitting on the Lido

2009-12-13T14:43:00.002-07:00

As I sit on the Lido writing the blog, bartenders come around wheeling carts of wine and beer. I’m enjoying a glass of wine, but it’s wine that we picked up at one of the ports for the delicious price of $4 for 2 litres. Here on deck it would cost me $9.00 for a glass plus 15% automatic tip. If we each had a glass of wine in the early evening before dinner, it would cost us a whopping $600. And that wouldn’t include the bottle of wine we have at dinner every evening.

Ushuaia (Ooo-shoo-AYE-a)

2009-12-13T14:42:00.002-07:00

“The end of the world, beginning of everything.” That’s what the sign says, but I’m not sure what they mean.

This charming little city of 80,000 is the southernmost city in the world. Teddy says it reminds her of Banff, and I can see why. It lies at the foot of mountains still wrapped in their winter snow and its main street caters to tourists.

This is the jumping off spot for Antarctic expeditions. There’s nothing between here and the Antarctic continent expect frigid ocean.

But today, the sun was out, temperatures were at a pleasant 19 and the winds were light. Last time we were here the sun was also out, but the winds were fierce and I brought my fleece, windbreaker, scarf, gloves… and peeled all of them off as they weren’t needed on the day trip.

Hans took Teddy to the gates of the penal colony, which was active here until 1962. He left her at the door so she could look around on her own since we saw it last time. The prisoners built this town. But then, when Ushuaia was established as a penal colony in the early 1900’s, I guess there wasn’t much else for them to do.
Last night as we were preparing to enter into the channels leading us to Ushuaia, the captain said that the winds were picking up and also that the ship has some tight turns to make. “We’ll slow down so we don’t tip you out of your bunks.”

Around Punta Arenas, Chile

2009-12-13T14:40:00.004-07:00

We opted not to take a tour in Punta Arenas since we’ve all seen penguins and they seem to be the major attraction in the area. These are small penguins, not the glorious king penguins from the movie, “March of the Penguins,” or we would have gone. But we did miss out on a special sight since our tablemates went to see them and were treated to the unexpected bonus of two giant condors swooping around the area. That, I would have loved to see. We did see two giant stuffed condors in the museum that we toured, and they have a wingspan of 10 feet. Incredible.
Punta Arenas is known to be very windy. In fact, our little information sheet tells us that when the winds get really blustery, they string ropes in the downtown area for people to hold onto.

Saturday wasn’t very windy and it turned so warm during our walk that I ended up taking off both my windbreaker and my fleece, walking just in short sleeves. A perfect day for walking, though we did walk further than my short little legs are accustomed to and after I hobbled back to the ship, I headed straight for the Ibuprofen.

After we toured the museum we considered heading back to the ship but then, we were only a few blocks from the cemetery. We hemmed and hawed, should we go or not? Someone had recommended it but really, what’s so special about a cemetery? None of us really wanted to go but in the end, since we were fairly close, we went. And it was fabulous.

Rows and rows of some kind of cedar trees that were trimmed to a velvety finish, a smooth green line from their rounded tops right down to the ground, shaped sort of like your thumb. Some looked a little bell-shaped but all were trimmed to within ¼” with nothing sticking out. Gorgeous.

Graves are above ground with many mausoleums holding entire families. Teddy said it’s similar to New Orleans where the dead are also above ground. There it’s due to the high water table. Here, it’s probably due to months of frost.

We walked through the main central park, which Hans and I had seen 5 years ago on our first visit here. The statue of Nelson still dominates the center and his bare foot, which has been rubbed to a golden patina, sparkled in the sun. The saying goes that if you rub his foot, you’ll come back to Punta Arenas. Must be true since here we are again. Around the base of his statue were five dogs, quietly asleep. They didn’t look hungry since there was food nearby for them to eat so I guess they were just having their siesta.

The park carried the lovely sounds of a pan flute expertly played by a local musician. The pan flute just sounds right here. It’s a South American instrument and it’s absolutely the right sound for here. Whoever the anonymous musician was, he played beautifully and we gave him our last Chilean pesos as well as a few US dollars. He was playing the beautiful notes of Ave Maria when we approached him, another song that makes me weep and I had to turn away.

By the time we returned to the ship, my legs just managed to stagger to the buffet for a late lunch (3:00 p.m) but they wouldn’t take me back to the coffee machine so Teddy delivered coffee to us on the deck.
And so ended another perfect day.
Except for dinner, of course. *sigh*

Tendering in Punta Arenas

2009-12-13T14:30:00.000-07:00

The couple across from us on the tender into the city was from Salt Lake City.

“We were there in June 07,” Hans told them.

“Actually, we were there around 1907,” I said, attempting to clarify.

What I meant was, I knew we were there later in June, around the 19th and not the 7th, but in the year 2007.

Punta Arenas, Chile

2009-12-13T14:29:00.001-07:00

“Allo? Allo? Allo?”

I had dropped about five paces behind Hans and Teddy as we were walking in Punta Arenas and so, appeared to be walking by myself. The man behind me was clearly trying to get my attention and just as clearly, I was ignoring him and trying vainly to catch up to Hans and Teddy.

“Wait for me,” I stage whispered. They paused and turned slightly towards me, allowing me to step up between them.

“That man behind me is trying to accost me,” I said once safely flanked. “He keeps repeating ‘allo’ and trying to get my attention.”

“He’s on his phone,” laughed Teddy.

And just then he passed the three of us still going, “Allo?” Allo?” into his phone.

Punta Arenas, Chile

2009-12-11T13:35:00.003-07:00

Tomorrow, Saturday, we’re in Punta Arenas, Chile. No place special. It likes to pretend it’s the southernmost city in the world and had scads of postcards printed saying so. However, Ushuaia, Argentina is actually the southernmost city.

You can buy the Punta Arenas postcards for 5 cents.

Be Careful What You Wish For

2009-12-11T13:34:00.001-07:00

We had three delightful tablemates during the first half of the cruise, but they left us in Valparaiso. We were curious to see who we’d get in the second half of the cruise and were quite disappointed the first night when no one else showed up at our table. Of the two other tables in our section, only one had a pair of ladies. The other was empty.

The next night we were thrilled to see four other people waiting for us at the table.

“Hallelujah! We have guests. Welcome to our table.”

“dobre den.”

Oh oh.

“Do you speak English?” I asked hopefully.

“Nyet,” replied one of the men, a huge smile splitting his face.

Well then. That made conversation a real challenge. Turned out that the man sitting beside me, Liev (pronounced like Kiev) did speak a little English but he was busy translating the menu to his three companions, who spoke not a word. Not. A. Word.

Last night was a repeat of the same except that the waiters had procured some Russian language copies of the menu so it was easier for the four of them to choose their meals. Despite the linguistic gymnastics we’ve gone through the last two nights we seem to have a good time, but it’s exhausting.

The area of Russia is 17 million sq. km.
The area of Canada is 10 million sq. km.
The cost of this information? One brandy, paid to the Russian team who were correct in bragging that their country was larger.

Easy Magic

2009-12-11T13:33:00.000-07:00

There are many ways to pass the time on sea days. For example today, we could compete in the logest drive golf competition, join the Star Olympics ping pong match, play basketball, attend a wine tasting, play trivia (done that, been humiliated), take a ballroom dance class, etc. You get the idea.

But a few nights ago we watched Greg Moreland, a magician who was the after-dinner entertainment and yesterday and today he was giving free lessons in easy magic.
Teddy and I both went, and when he did the tricks for us and the other 75 people in the room, they were wildly impressive. And then he showed us how. So prepare yourselves. When we get back, we’re going to blow your socks off!

Scenic Cruising

2009-12-11T13:31:00.002-07:00

“You think they’d have coffee up here,” complained my neighbour to her husband.

We were sitting at the bar in Skywalkers. This round bar/nightclub has 360 degree windows and at Deck 17, sits up above nearly everything at the stern of the ship, giving a virtually unobstructed view all around.

Hans and I had come here to watch the magnificent unfolding panorama of Southern Patagonia from the comfort of armchairs and heat. Outside, I saw my first glimpse of snow.

The hills on either side of the channel are rocky and rugged, mostly granite and magma left over from ancient times when glaciers crept over the landscape at their, well, glacial pace. Today we can still see the Amalia Glacier, a river of ice flowing down three channels from the Southern Patagonia icefield and meeting in a fat, 200’ thick wedge of blue ice at the water’s edge.

The rounded hills are dark shadows, ranging from deep charcoal closest to the ship and become ever fainter until the last ones vanish into the mist. Here and there the hills are curiously flat topped as though sheared off by a giant knife but it turns out they’re only capped by low clouds.

To accommodate the higher paying balcony passengers, the captain pivoted the ship until both the port and starboard side got a good look at Amalia. We lowly peasants from the inside cabins got the best views because we were forced to leave our cabins in order to see anything at all. Hence, the prime viewing spot at Skywalkers.

Once Upon a Time in the West

2009-12-09T14:31:00.001-07:00

Oh My God!

The 5 piece orchestra on Deck 5 is playing Once Upon a Time in the West. That piece of music is just so hauntingly beautiful. There are two violinists making the sweetest sounds with their violins. I have to sign off now so I can listen and weep.

Resistance Pool

2009-12-09T14:30:00.005-07:00

Well, this has been my one disappointment.
(Photo of the resistance pool)

I was so excited to learn that the Star, like the Emerald Princess, also has a resistance pool allowing you to swim in place against the current. The first 2-3 days the maximum speed of the current was too weak to allow decent swimming and this was mentioned to the deck attendant. He told us that when they set the machine so you can crank up the speed of the current, it breaks down too often. Still, he did adjust the setting and for the next few days the current was stronger and Teddy and I were avid users of the pool.

Then the machine broke.

And it’s still broken.

We mentioned it to various staff at the Spa (they know nothing), the deck attendant (who said they would fix it), the Purser (who said they needed to get a replacement part and they would get it in Valparaiso.

Not sure what happened. It didn’t get fixed in Valparaiso because this morning it still wasn’t working. I mentioned it to two crew today, one of whom told me “It’s not good telling someone. You need to write it on a comment card.” Well then.
So I duly wrote a polite note expressing the urgency of getting the pool fixed so that I could swim off the pounds I’m gaining in the dining room. I signed my name and cabin number. If I had had a photo, I would have attached it so they could see I wrote the truth. Hopefully it will be fixed soon.

Pickpocket

2009-12-09T14:30:00.002-07:00

No, we didn’t get hit. But I spoke with a fellow in the pool who’s companion had his wallet deftly lifted somewhere in Valparaiso.

Hans never carries a wallet into town. The bulk is too telltale. Instead, he has a few bills folded up in one of his many pockets so it would be virtually impossible for someone to guess which pocket has the money. We try to be very careful and so far, so good. But it served as a reminder that we are in countries where pickpockets abound and you can never take too many precautions.

La Sebastiana

2009-12-09T14:29:00.002-07:00

This was one of the places we really wanted to see in Valparaiso. When we were in Santiago about 5 years ago, we visited La Chascona, one of three houses owned by the famous Chilean Pablo Neruda, the first South American to win a Nobel Prize. The movie “Il Postino” was about Pablo Neruda and his exile in Italy, and some of his lovely poetry is quoted in the movie Patch Adams.

Valparaiso and Vina are both built on a very steeply sloping hillside that sweeps into the sea. I mention this because the roads leading up the hill to La Sebastiana were the steepest I have EVER seen. They were unbelievable. The poor little taxi groaned and chugged its way up and at each bend the hill became, incredibly, even steeper. I’m sure it couldn’t have been 45 degrees, but it felt like it was darn close to that.

Eugenio deposited it at the entry and went off to find a parking spot, then just waited for us in the shady garden.

We were each given a hand-held speaker that directed us through each room of the 5 storey house, describing what they contained. In the living room, for example, the table centerpiece was a large, hollow, white ceramic cow that probably held 1 ½ gallons of fluid. Neruda used this to serve punch to his guests. The living room itself had a circular floor on which stood an old carousel horse picked up somewhere on his travels. Every level had many large windows overlooking the hill spread out below and the beautiful jewel blue sea at its base. As befits a poet, he gave his favourite dark leather armchair by the window the fanciful name of The Cloud and used its comfort and the vista to inspire his writings.

Touring Valparaiso and Vina del Mar

2009-12-09T14:27:00.002-07:00

I don’t know what vina means in Spanish, but vino means wine so I’m thinking vina is the female version and that Vina del Mar means something like Beautiful, Delicate and Wonderful Wine of the Sea. Could be true.

As we exited the ship in Valparaiso (pronounced Val-parah-EE-so) we saw a desk that said City Tours. A group just ahead of us were getting a 2 hours tour in a minivan for $25 each, which seemed quite reasonable but they were already too many to include the three of us. So after they left we tried to get our own tour going. We needed to be a minimum of 4 people as the basic cost was $100, or else we would each have to pay $33. To take a taxi up to La Sebastiana, Pablo Neruda’s house, would be $25 one way. Seemed like a lot. So Hans went outside to see what he could negotiate with a local taxi driver while I went to the bathroom and Teddy looked around for some other people to join our group and help defray the cost.

By the time I got back, Teddy had found another couple and just as we were extolling to them the virtue of joining us, Hans came inside to say he’d found us a better deal. A local taxi driver would take us wherever we wanted to go for $25 per hour.

“Does he speak English?” Teddy and I asked in unison.

“Yes.”

Well, that was a tad optimistic as his English was quite limited. However, between the 3 of us with our smattering of Spanish, his sparse English and much laughter and sign language, we did communicate fairly well and we got a terrific tour.

On our way to Vina, Teddy noticed two brown coloured hills in the distance and asked what they were.

“Dunes,” Eugenio replied, and that’s exactly what they were. Huge sand dunes. We drove out there because there’s also a nice viewpoint of the Pacific on the other side of the road, and we spent a little time walking around the trails there, which were busy with Japanese. The surf pounded the rocks far below us while ahead, the huge rocks thrusting out of the ocean were completely white. And not bleached by the sun. Along the edges where we stood and where there was vegetation, the cliffs were covered with wild Livingstone Daisies in brilliant hot pink. I spent months coaxing these pretty flowers to bloom and here they were blanketing the cliffs and growing wild. Gardening is not fair.

Far in the distance on the other side of the crescent shaped bay that holds Vina and Valparaiso, we could see our cruise ship dwarfed by the distance.

We had arranged with Eugenio that at the end of our tour he would take us to a Super Mercado where we could buy some coke and wine, and that’s where we headed after visiting La Sebastiana. Eugenio was very helpful, carried our basket and led us to the wine section where we were once again able to buy 2 litre boxes of Carmeniere for $4. The coke was darn near as expensive: nearly $2 for 1.5 litres.

So, amply supplied with wine and coke for our next three days at sea, we were deposited back at the dock and our ship.

Pesos in Chile

2009-12-09T14:25:00.000-07:00

“You need pesos?” whispered the woman in line ahead of me at the Purser’s office, where I was waiting to find out if I could buy pesos from the ship’s desk.

“Yes!” I was delighted. Teddy had picked up US $20 worth of pesos (10,000 P) the day before in La Serena, Chile and it cost her an extra $5 for using the ATM.

“I won’t charge you for the exchange,” continued the woman. “Yesterday my husband asked me to get $100 worth of pesos and I can see that we won’t be needing nearly that much. I already sold $20 to another lady.”

I fumbled in my purse for the money while she pulled out a wad of pesos. “Quick! Here comes my husband.”

Too late. He caught us. But he said not one word as she babbled her explanation and I was thrilled with my pesos which, it turned out, came in very handy later.

Coquimbo and La Serena, Chile

2009-12-07T15:38:00.002-07:00

Surprise! Our shuttle bus today took us to La Serena, the town just north of Coquimbo where we docked. It was a bonus because we didn’t expect to be taken there so we got to enjoy a short, but lovely 15 km ride to La Serena. Our guide gave us much information about La Serena and area, including about Cochiguaz, a place of energy where they believe exists a magnetic center. People go there to meditate and pray for UFO’s to land. There have even been claims of seeing UFO’s, but he tells us that’s usually after drinking 2 or 3 pisco sours.

Just off the town square we found a bank and since Teddy was the only one who though to bring her ATM card with her, she became the designated banker. She and I tried the ATM machine, which was in quasi English, but it didn’t yield any Chilean pesos. A lady behind us helped, though she spoke NO word of English and lo and behold, we got our 10,000 pesos ($20). The reason we needed pesos is that tomorrow we’re in Valparaiso and we’ll have to take a bus and they will only take pesos.

So, money in hand, the three of us set off to find the post office to mail some cards and pick up a few extra stamps so Teddy could mail all the cards she plans to write between Valparaiso and Punta Arenas when we’re at sea for 3 days. I truly love those sea days! At the post office, we lined up with everyone else but the armed guard heard us speak English and indicated we should follow him, his hand on the revolver at his hip. Yes indeed. Hans and Teddy followed and Hans indicated I should wait behind. What? So I could run for help? In any case, it was all quite innocent. They were just led into a room where the lady spoke English and could take US dollars for their stamps. A good thing too since Teddy and I didn’t want to go back to the bank for more pesos.

Then we walked along a semi-pedestrian mall. It looked like it should just be for pedestrians but there was a fairly regular stream of traffic anyway. No matter. We found our way quite by chance to a large supermarket and decided to explore the possibility of wine. Princess has wisely changed its policy and allows passengers to bring aboard a bottle of wine each. The store had bottles, large ones, and even larger boxes of wine. A two litre box of Carmeniere wine cost us $3.33 each (they let us pay in US dollars). Here’s hoping it’s not rotgut!

While Teddy and I were in line to pay, a youth sidled up really close to her and was sort of twitching around. It made us both nervous so I inserted myself between the youth and Teddy since she was busy getting out her money. I made sure I clutched my bag quite tightly and in the end nothing happened. Thank god.

And finally, back on the ship after a long morning, we got lunch at 2:30, the longest we’ve gone between meals since boarding and the first day I’ve actually felt a hunger pang. Yikes.

Football

2009-12-06T13:34:00.002-07:00

Hans watched a football game outside yesterday on the huge screen “under the stars.” It was a cool and cloudy day and he didn’t realize until that evening that his face and legs were quite vibrantly colourful. Today, there’s more football to watch but he’s covered up, mostly because today it’s really quite cold out in the wind. Tomorrow (Monday) we dock in Coquimbo, Chile, which is in the northern part and of the country and it should be nice and hot again.

Captain’s Farewell Cocktail Party

2009-12-06T13:33:00.003-07:00

Tonight is the last formal night for the first half of this cruise, which ends in Valparaiso, Chile. About 1700 passengers are disembarking in Valparaiso on December 8 and presumably some new ones will join us there. 900 of us are going all the way to Rio. The Captain always hosts a farewell party, which will happen in the central piazza on decks 5, 6 and 7 from 7:15 – 8:00 p.m. If we’re lucky and don’t get lost in the crush, we might score a free drink. Maybe even two.

Coughing

2009-12-06T13:33:00.002-07:00

Teddy and I were sitting on the upper deck overlooking the covered pool, but there were several people between us cause we couldn’t get two lounges together. On one side of me was a man who was just hacking continuously and snorting down his snot. Yuck. I moved to another lounge further away. The lady beside me there was also coughing, but more delicately, though she too couldn’t seem to find an end to her coughing. I pulled out a Halls and offered it to her, which she declined. But she stopped coughing after that.

Maybe I should have offered the earlier guy a Kleenex.

Music in the Piazza

2009-12-06T13:32:00.003-07:00

At various times during the day there’s entertainment in the central 3-storey piazza. Around the central piazza on Deck 7 are a few shops, a piano bar (sans pianist, where I am now) listening to a violinist below me on deck 5 playing the hauntingly beautiful song, Music of the Night. Deck 7 also has The Promenade, where the outdoor deck goes all around the ship and which is frequented by walkers and runners at all times of the day. In fact, Teddy just passed for the second time and waved at me through the window. Teddy likes to walk it in late afternoon so she can shower and get ready for the evening’s sumptuous dinner followed by whatever entertainment’s on offer for that evening.

Chocolates

2009-12-06T13:32:00.001-07:00

Teddy brings me chocolates every day.

At night when the Room Attendant turns down our beds, he always leaves two chocolates. Hans doesn’t eat his, and neither does Teddy, so I’m getting a small collection in my night table drawer. I’m pleased to tell you that my plan of keeping the collection from getting too big is working perfectly.

Desert and dessert

2009-12-06T13:31:00.001-07:00

I have trouble with the words desert and dessert.
You might find this odd, fond as I am of desserts, but if you’ve read through a few of the recent blogs, you probably noticed that I confuse the two of them. But only on paper. I’m working on a way to remember which is which so I’m off to the Lido to study the subjects more closely and I promise to spell each one as I eat it.

Never Trust a Skinny Chef

2009-12-06T11:04:00.001-07:00

Don’t trust a skinny chef. And we don’t have to. Our chef sports a generous quality control belly.

Specialty Buffets

Every day they feature a specialty buffet – in addition to the regular buffets – that focuses on one country, like Italian food, Sushi, or like today, a dessert extravaganza. The centerpiece was a beautiful two-decker cake frosted in white chocolate filigree with spun sugar decorations. Stunning. So of course I took my place in line. When I came to the cake I noticed it was still intact.

“Is this cake just for decoration?” I asked pitifully.

“No. I was just waiting for the first person to ask.”

I could hardly get the words out I was so excited. “That would be me!” And it was very, very good.

Peru

2009-12-04T16:26:00.001-07:00

Lima is huge. Not that we saw that much of it (8 million people) but what we saw, we liked.

First, we were driven through a fairly poor and decrepit area but, it was very clean. There wasn’t a piece of litter to be seen on the streets and no stray dogs were running around. Further on the areas were much prettier to look at, and equally clean. In the city itself we saw sweepers everywhere, mostly women in burgundy uniforms wearing face masks. If they’re responsible for the cleanliness of Lima, they’re doing a fabulous job.

We stopped in a little restaurant where Teddy was going to treat us to a pisco sour but after 15 minutes when our drinks hadn’t arrived yet, we left. Time was ticking and we had to catch a sightseeing bus.

The tour we tried to book on the ship was sold out, but, for $18 we found a city sightseeing tour bus in Lima which took us on a fabulous 3 hour journey through the city and into its heart, where we did a short walking tour that included the catacombs. All old bones and skulls but very interesting. They did a count of the bones and there were 25,000 people buried there. The catacombs themselves were lit by why looked like flame torches attached to the walls, but they were electric.
Bought a 4-piece rough painting of the Nazca lines, which I love.

San Martin, Peru

“I had this,” said a woman to me as she grabbed for one of the two alpaca wool scarves I had just picked up off a table. “And this one too,” she continued as she moved to take the other scarf from me.

“Well, you don’t have them now.”

Stupid woman. If she had them and wanted them, she shouldn’t have put them back on the table. I bought them and I love them.

This place looks a tad desolate. The shuttle took us about 25 minutes into a little beach village which consisted of little kiosks selling stuff to tourists. Along the way we saw dessert, just sand dune after sand dune after sand dune. In a few years this place will be built up. They’re already starting, and they have a nice pier where our ship could dock so we didn’t have to get tendered.

Teddy treated us today to pisco sours on the beach since yesterday’s never materialized and they were delicious, and unfortunately more expensive than they would have been in Lima.

Coffee

2009-12-02T12:39:00.000-07:00

On this sea day Teddy and I decided to splurge on breakfast and have as much freshly brewed coffee as we could hold down in the International Café . Not to mention a selection of delectable pastries for a truly decadent breakfast. But first, we had to ask the attendant what everything was.

“What’s in these?” Teddy asked, pointing to triangular shaped turnovers covered in thinly sliced, toasted almonds.

“Blueberries, apples and cherries,” he replied.

They all looked the same, so I asked, “Are all three in each one?” wondering how they filled that.

“Yes,” he replied, smiling happily at me.

I took one . It was blueberry.

Back at our table, Teddy said, “I think they’re trained to say yes when they don’t understand.” And then she went on, “and he’s the same guy who replied, éclairs and cookies when I asked him what time they opened in the mornings.

Manta, Ecuador

2009-12-01T16:26:00.002-07:00

We’ve got warm, muggy Spring weather today. 78 F (26 C), but feels like 95 with the humidity. There’s certainly no need for moisturizer in Ecuador.

Remember the guide in Acapulco who said Mexico had had 2 revolutions, both caused by buses? Well, I think Ecuador had the same revolutions.

Hans decided he had better rest today rather than come ashore, probably a good idea, since Teddy and I had to line up for the shuttle into town. It was a long wait, and Hans would not have suffered it gladly. Ted and I passed the time chatting to a nice Japanese couple just in front of us and when it finally came our turn to board the bus, Ted and I were the last two to get on. Huge relief. Later in the morning when we boarded the bus to leave the craft market, we were again the last two to get on the bus. And our final bus trip from the shopping mall to the ship, we were the last ONE person to get on the bus.

“I’m sorry, there’s only room for one passenger,” said the guide.
“She can sit on my lap,” I said with a friendly smile, gesturing to Teddy who’s quite tiny.
“Okay,” he shrugged and we forded our way right to the back where there was one empty seat. Teddy did get one cheek on my lap and the other on the armrest, while I hugged her hip with my free hand so she wouldn’t tumble off. Less than 2 minutes later, a group of 4 very polite Indian fellows (they were crew on the ship) moved one of their guys to squeeze in with two others and gave Teddy her own seat.

At the craft market, the main product was white Panama hats. The other plentiful item were ivory nut carvings. One lady showed us what the ivory nut looks like, which I can’t describe because it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen. You’ll have to look it up on the internet. Teddy and I were both interested in one of the small carvings and at $2 each, they were a bargain. The shopkeeper quickly said 3 for $5, which sounded interesting but there was no way Ted and I could split 3 carvings. But then our friendly Japanese couple showed up and he suggested we ask for 4 for $5, which we did, the shopkeeper readily agreed, and we left happy. If you're the lucky recipient of this ivory nut carving, it cost $20.

At the shopping mall, a package of 4 Halls cost only $1.50 US (vs. the $2.29 I paid on the ship last night, for 1 Halls) so I bought 3 packages. Hans’ cough should bite the dust with so many lozenges lubricating his throat.

The port at which we’re docked is also a huge shipping port. Ted and I watched them unload tuna from a trawler while we were in line for the bus at 10:00 a.m., and when we pulled out of port at 5:00 p.m. they were still unloading from the same trawler. Huge tuna. I got photos, but unfortunately I missed the 5’ long tuna that Hans saw them hoist up so the tourists could take photos.

There were 6 latecomers today who arrived after 4:30, our deadline for boarding. When they finally got on, our Captain had this to say, amongst other things, “I’m satisfied we have everyone on board, which is always a trial.” Then he went on with, “the temperature tonight will be 25 C, party cloud. Tomorrow it will be 22. No, 28, uh, I must be dyslexic today.”

In other news, Manta appears to be a poor city. We saw many vacant lots filled with debris, cement buildings with gaping black holes where windows used to be, and every doorway has a wrought iron security grille. The locals must hate it when shiploads of tourists pass through their city passing silent, and sometimes not so silent judgment on what they see. It’s not an easy life here.

Sniffles and Coughs

2009-11-30T17:26:00.000-07:00

Hans has come down with a cold. Teddy found him some lozenges in town yesterday but by now they’re all gone so we had to pay 2 ½ times as much downstairs in the shop. *sigh* Onion juice would probably work too but we can’t make it here. He did eat a plateful of onion in an attempt to stave it off but it didn’t work. So, he’s sucking Halls and drinking cough syrup and missing dinner.

However, he still has to be somewhere. So this afternoon the three of us sat outside and watched “Mama Mia” on the big outside screen. Very cute show and Meryl Streep is not only an outstanding actress, but also has a darn good voice.

Tonight is a formal night and Hans will miss it, though he probably doesn’t mind not having to dress up.

Sea Day crossing the Equator

2009-11-30T17:24:00.001-07:00

Teddy found out early that the machine in the resistance pool was down so no laps for us today. Oh darn. So, since I couldn’t swim, decided it was a good day go do laundry since we’ve been on board just over a week now. I knew everyone else would have the same idea but still, I got lucky with a machine and then waited so I could use it again for the second load and not lose it someone else. It’s a good thing there’s a Laundromat on each level on Princess because our tablemates sent their laundry away to get washed and/or cleaned and got a bill for $67. That’s three bottles of wine!

We cross the equator tonight sometime between midnight at 1:00 a.m. However, the Cruise Director quite rightly suspected few people would line up around the pool at that time so they had the crossing ceremony at 11:15. It’s quite a production. The tradition is for “pollywogs” (those who’ve never crossed the equator) to become sludged, after which they turn into “hardbacks”. Since all pollywogs on the ship couldn’t be sludged, they chose 6 couples, who may not have know what they were getting into.

The sludging ceremony consists of this: one couple is sitting on the edge of the pool. They are pronounced guilty of a made-up crime (like switching luggage tags), after which all the spectators loudly pronounce them guilty. Then they are made to kiss the fish. Yuck. This is a whole fish minus its head , with the cavity filled with whipping cream. The victims had to end up with cream on their face or they had to kiss the fish again.

Then the staff crack eggs over their heads, squirt whipping cream all over their faces and down their t-shirts (which they’re wearing over their swimsuits), drape cooked spaghetti over their hair, throw red jello at them, and pour chocolate all over them. It’s a horrible mess, and then they’re pushed into the pool to clean up. They all went quite willingly into the pool.

Much later I walked by and saw the pool was drained and 3 workers were in there with long pole brushes scouring the pool and deck. And we all got a certificate delivered to our room stating we have “accepted with good humor and withstood with fortitude the most rigorous initiation into the Ancient Damp Rites of the Aquatic Court.”

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2009-11-29T18:47:00.002-07:00

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Movie Under the Stars

2009-11-29T18:45:00.005-07:00

For last night’s after-dinner entertainment, we chose to watch The Proposal, the movie under the stars. Hans saved us a couple of seats on deck and Teddy and I didn’t even have coffee and dessert (a first!) in order not to be late. I was concerned it would be cold, as it had been last week when we watched Wall-E in the afternoon but yesterday it was perfect. They even bring you popcorn!

A Word or Two about the Food

2009-11-29T18:45:00.004-07:00

This, of course, is one of the highlights of cruising. Every day your willpower is tested repeatedly as sumptuous food is available everywhere.

Last night we had escargots. God, but I love those and so, Teddy and I both had two helpings. It’s a toss up whether it’s really the escargots we like, or whether we’d be just as happy with a bowl of melted garlic butter and a bun. I know there wasn’t a drop of butter left on my dish.

French onion soup was also on the menu, but with two servings of escargots I thought that might just be too much, so Teddy and I split a Caesar salad. With anchovy! Loved it.

Frogs legs were also on the menu but I’ve had them on other cruises and while I usually order them when they’re available, this is the first time I’ve chosen something else. We each had 2 filet medallions, medium rare for me, and rare for Teddy. Each was perfect.

Just a few nights ago we had lobster tails. Another favourite, and so Hans, Teddy and I each asked for two. He also brought a couple of extra for the table which ended up on my and Hans’ plates. It was wonderful.

Twice I’ve had salmon, also barramundi and Chilean sea bass. The presentation is always beautiful, with every vegetable artfully placed on the plate. I confess that I’m much too interested in my own plate to always pay attention what the others are eating, but when they have something different, I can attest that their plates are equally beautifully garnished and presented.

Lunches are sometimes on the Lido deck where the buffets are tantalizingly displayed, and other times we eat in the dining room. Today I shared a table with an oceanographer who unfortunately suffers from seasickness. “I’ve thrown up everywhere,” he told us.

“Did you know this about yourself when you chose this career?” I asked curiously.

“No. And when I found out it was already too late.” Tough break.

Teddy likes to eat on the Lido where she can see the food and make careful selections. Sometimes I join her there but I tend to eat more if I’m browsing the buffet, though it’s often sensible food like the green lipped mussels they had the other day. Or smoked salmon with onion and capers. Oh, and cream cheese. So not entirely sensible but definitely great food.

There’s a soft ice cream bar that’s open every day from 11:00- 6:00 and between 3:30-4:00 if you’re on the Lido, they bring around hot cookies fresh from the oven and icy cold milk. You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy a hot, fragrant cookie.
Princess also allows you to bring a bottle of wine aboard, and so occasionally in port Hans, Teddy and I have taken advantage of this and then we join Teddy in her room for a pre-dinner glass of wine and some appies, courtesy of Hans who’ll go up to the Lido and bring back a plate of cheeses.

And now, it’s getting close to that time so we’re off to eat yet another scrumptious meal. God but I love my life.

Puntarenas, Costa Rica

2009-11-29T18:43:00.001-07:00

There are hills in Puntarenas. Mountains, really, and I see them in the distance. Soft, blue-grey peaks soaring into the sky.

We’re in port, docked just off a long sandy spit from which it is named. Teddy tells me that Puntarenas translates into Sand Point. I didn’t believe her and asked our Spanish tablemate last night what it meant, who then quite rightly chided me for doubting.

The beach is dotted with Sunday bathers, locals probably even though there are two cruise ships in port. Given the option, I’d rather swim in the pool than in the ocean unless there are rocks nearby offering the possibility of good snorkeling.
Today is very hot. Thirty-three degrees and the air is heavy with moisture. Hans, Teddy and I walked into town stopping to browse through the beach markets. They make beautiful bowls and boxes out of wood here, using different woods in different colours all polished to a rich, warm gleam.

We stopped to rest and refresh ourselves with a Smirnoff Ice at one of the quaint beach huts with thatched roof. The break from the heat was welcome but even so, by the time we got back my face had turned an unattractive but vibrant fuschia whereas Hans and Ted still looked as cool as when we left.

Now, we’re just waiting to cast off. We’re leaving a little late again so it must be that one of the tours was somehow delayed. If it’s an official Princess tour the ship will wait for you but if you made your own arrangements to go somewhere and are unexpectedly delayed, tough luck. However, I just heard over the PA system that 3 people are missing and asked to check in with Passenger Services. Then the Captain came on.

“We don’t have much leeway as to when we pull out otherwise there’s a fairly strong current that we’ll be encountering which will make the movement of the ship a lot more interesting and exciting. I’d like to avoid that excitement.” And then he told us that we’d be moving our clocks ahead one hour yet again! They’re chipping away at our sleep time bit by bit.

Nicaragua

2009-11-28T19:06:00.002-07:00

I think San Juan Del Sur in Nicaragua is one of the ports they substituted for another one they took away. Certainly, the debarkation procedures weren’t as smooth as we’ve come to expect.

Hans went around 12:30 to get our “ticket numbers” for the tenders and came back to tell us he’d been told we wouldn’t be boarding before 1:15. That was true. Our number was 9, so at 1:15 we found a place to wait. And wait. Those passengers on tours got priority of course, so we understood we wouldn’t be first. Around 1:45 tickets numbered 1 were called to the tenders. And around 2:15 tickets numbered 2 were called. Hans decided he didn’t want to go ashore that badly and went back upstairs. Teddy really wanted to get a postcard and mail it from Nicaragua and wouldn’t you know it, Nicaragua is one country for which the Purser’s office didn’t sell stamps so we had to go ashore. But we want to go anyway. Finally, just before 3:00 p.m. our number was called and we were lucky enough to get a prime seat up top in the open air.

It didn’t take that long to get to shore, and then we found out why the going was so slow. There’s only ONE DOCK. And there are dozens of little boats in the cove so, one tender ties up at the dock and tender number two has to wait quite a bit outside that area until #1 has unloaded its passengers and taken aboard those wanting to go back to the ship. Then #2 has to wait until #1 has manoeuvered backwards away from the dock, after which #2 can approach and tie up. And so on. This waiting took another 20 minutes. We finally got off the tender at 3:50, nearly 1 hour after our number had been called.

Last tender leaving shore for the ship is at 6:30 so in order not to waste time, we quickly asked someone where to find the post office. It wasn’t far away and we headed towards it, but had to go through a huge handicraft market first. I suggested to Teddy she go and get her card and stamp, and I would browse through the market and meet her at a designated spot. This worked perfectly. When she got back, I asked, “Did you get your card mailed?” “No. The post office was closed.”

International Café

2009-11-28T19:05:00.003-07:00

It was a long wait until we got onto our tender to go ashore, and while we were waiting, Teddy was exploring the 5th level where there is an International Café with specialty coffees and other delicious foods and desserts. The coffees aren’t free, but you do get free refills as long as you are sitting in the area. We decided we’d try it for breakfast one day, should it be open that early, so off she went to enquire.

“Are you open for breakfast?”
“Eclairs, cookies, sandwiches…”
“I mean, are you open for breakfast?”
“Yes! Coffee, cookies, pastries.”
“So, you *are* open for breakfast?”
“Yes!”
“What time?”
“6:00 am”

So, not tomorrow – we have to go into Puntarenas, Costa Rica, and we can’t fill up on coffee before we go. But another day we’ll certainly try their éclairs, cookies, sandwiches. And all the delicious coffee refills we can hold.

Approaching Nicaragua

2009-11-28T19:05:00.002-07:00

The Captain wanted to make up some time since the high winds of the day before had slowed us down and we were going to be 30-45 minutes late arriving in Nicaragua. Around 11:00 a.m. he announced as follows:

“Ladies and gentlemen, you’ve probably noticed we’ve slowed down. We have to slow down early and quite a distance from our final destination or the ship won’t stop in time and go right up on the beach. Then we’d be the Princess Restort.

Sea Glass

2009-11-28T19:04:00.001-07:00

Walking along the beach in Acapulco, Hans found a pretty piece of green glass rubbed smooth by the ocean and the sand.

“It’s an emerald,” he said, as he pressed it into my palm. Well, perhaps not. But it’s still very pretty.

Death by 1000 Cuts

2009-11-28T19:03:00.000-07:00

In the wee hours between Thursday night and Friday morning, we hit rough seas. Very rough seas.

The Captain had told us Thursday night that we would be experiencing high winds of about 40 – 45 knots. At 2:30 I woke up to fairly severe rocking. But strangely, it wasn’t uncomfortable. Yes, the ship was pitching and yawing and at times it even felt like our bed was rocking in a circular motion, but neither of us got seasick. Nevertheless, sleep was impossible. Shortly after 6:00 a.m. the ship slammed down hard on the water, and then we heard from the Captain. Now normally, none of the ship’s announcements are heard in your cabin so as not to disturb you. However, the Captain began his announcement like this:

“I do apologize, but I’m quite sure you’re all awake.” I think he was right. Turns out the winds were a little higher than predicted, blowing at 90 knots (about 100 MILES per hour) and the waves were reaching 30 feet. So those poor slobs who pay extra for the outside cabins with balconies were getting a view of the ocean up close and very personal. And the slamming was the result of a rogue wave. He called it that, though he said that’s not really the correct term for it. However, this large wave seemed to come out of nowhere and wasn’t in sync with the other waves, giving the ship an unusual lurch. But overall, it was okay.

“Oh darn,” said Teddy and I in unison when I called to confirm our lap pool was closed. Almost all the pools had been emptied due to the sloshing.

While it was still rocking a bit around noon, it had quieted substantially and so, alas, it didn’t interfere with our appetites.

And both us ladies were glad we had shaved our legs the night before because trying to do it during the ship’s rocking would have been death by 1000 cuts.

Cliff Divers

2009-11-26T18:00:00.002-07:00

I had no idea what to expect when we were taken to see the famous cliff divers of Acapulco. I thought perhaps there was another cliff opposite where they dive, and that we stand on this cliff behind a fence. Instead, we were led through a store, then down some stairs and onto a multi level terrace with tables and chairs. We were offered a choice of water, pop or beer on our way in, part of our tour package. I had brought my own water and Teddy declined, so we hurried to get a good spot.

When we were gathered in the Princess Theatre prior to our departure by bus, there were hundreds of us going on tour and I figured we didn’t have a hope in hell of seeing anything if we all ended up bunched at the viewpoint. However, they very cleverly staggered the buses and we had a great view.

The divers dive from various levels. Most dove from about 80 feet, very impressive, and one dove from 100’. At the 80’ mark, sometimes two would dive at once, mostly doing a swan dive but also sometimes doing a flip in the air. At the bottom, they swim back to the side from which they dove and then climb up the rock face, barefoot. They usually take a short break, maybe 5 minutes, and then do it all over again. Today there were about 8 or 10 divers and once they had all climbed to the top, they took turns diving down so we got quite the show. After they all finished, we headed out and weren’t surprised at all to be greeted by all the divers, waiting at the exit of the store with a huge plastic bag of dollars that they had collected from the tourists. The money goes into a kitty and is shared by all the divers, even those who are retired. One of the retired divers has gone blind from the repeated diving. Others end us with broken ribs or arms, not because they hit anything, but because of the stress of diving so often from these heights.

Acapulco

2009-11-26T17:58:00.003-07:00

Loading a shipful of passengers into their appropriate tour buses could be a major challenge but I must say Princess is a master at this and everything went just tickety-boo. As we got into our bus though, there was a little bit of jockeying for seats until everyone was happily settled.

“There have been two revolutions in Mexico,” our tour guide informed us, “and they were due to seats on a bus.”

And then we were off on a city tour. Along the way we had to make the obligatory stop at a jewelry store where the prices were no bargains. I may have inadvertently reacted to the sticker shock because I noticed, shortly thereafter, that one of the attendants seemed to be following me with a wheelchair. Honest. I have no idea what that was all about.

Driving along the beach Li, our guide, pointed out the umbrellas under which fishermen were displaying their fresh catches of the day. It gets pretty hot though, even under the umbrellas, and Teddy and I wondered what happens to the fish lying all day in the heat. “Anything unsold by 4:00 p.m. is delivered to Princess Cruises,” said Li.

Along with a history lesson and he pointed out the various sites, Li told us a little about himself. As a young man, like many others, he hung around the beach a lot and consequently some of his friends nicknamed him Beach Boy. Others called him Son of a Beach.

“The fort on the left was built to protect the city from tourists,” he announced while pointing out the famous landmark. “Or maybe it was pirates.” We were also driven to a lagoon where years ago they filmed the African Queen with Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn. The area is very recognizable if you’ve seen the movie. The water is as muddy today as it was 50 years ago due to the many mangrove trees that line its banks and whose roots disturb the bottom, creating the murk. Elsewhere, wild red bougainvillea give a punch of colour to the otherwise solid walls of green bush.

We drove through some of the older, established parts of Acapulco and saw the well-known Las Brisas Hotel, where each room has its own swimming pool. Further up the road is a multi-level 11 bedroom house with huge glass vistas overlooking the bay, a winter home for Sylvester Stallone. Where once Acapulco was a bright jewel for holiday destinations of the rich and famous like like Hedy Lamar, John Wayne and Frank Sinatra to name a few, nowadays its time has passed and the areas that attracted the old timers looks a little faded. There is, however, much new development going on further down the coastline and Acapulco now stretches many miles further south.

There’s a superhighway linking Acapulco to Mexico City, and it takes only 4 hours to drive between the two cities. Along this highway you can find the Green Angels. These are mobile garages each equipped with a qualified mechanic who will fix your car, free of charge, should you be so unlucky as to have it break down along the road. Li didn’t explain how they get paid, but he repeated that the service is free. Hence the name, Angels. I don’t know where the green comes in.

Trivia

2009-11-25T17:15:00.000-07:00

Teddy and I went to the morning trivia game where we were joined by three other ladies.

We did not distinguish ourselves.

One of the questions (that we actually got right) was, what does Winston Churchill, Thomas Edison, Leonardo da Vinci, General Patton and Benjamin Franklin have in common? We wrote down dyslexia. The moderator was walking past our table and glanced over at our answer sheet.

“Do you know what these ladies wrote down?” he asked incredulously. “Erectile dysfunction.”

Dolphins and Whales

2009-11-25T17:13:00.001-07:00

“If you look towards the bow of the ship, you’ll see a bunch of dolphins,” came the voice over the PA system. I hurried to the side to see and sure enough, swimming straight towards me just under the surface of the water was a pair of dolphins. In tandem they leapt up in a joyful , perfect arc and then swam along the length of the ship and repeated their acrobatics. Here and there along the length of the ship and further out in the ocean were other singles and pairs, leaping and frolicking in the wake of the ship. Our faces were all split into the same smiles worn by the happy dolphins at play.

I wasn’t on deck when this announcement came, so I missed the whales, but Hans and other passengers saw three of them. They were blowing and doing their typical ‘rounded back up and down’ swim, sort of like thick, black darning needles weaving through the waves.