The End Is Near!

It’s been a while since I’ve logged in, but we’ve been busy, busy, busy! The closer we get to the end of the cruise, the crazier it gets!

We were in Taormina (Sicily) on April 16th, and then the next day we were in Naples, Italy. We had both been to Pompeii, so this time, I did a tour to another city that was covered by ash when Mt. Vesuvius exploded. The name of it is Herculaneum, and it’s really pretty amazing. The new city was built right on top of the old that had been covered by ash and lava, so they’re still excavating, but don’t know how far they’ll be able to go. Herculaneum was more of a resort city, for the wealthy Romans, so the houses are generally quite large and elaborate. That night, we had our last major on-shore World Cruise event. This time they took us to ancient Pompeii and we actually were inside an area that is not opened to the public. It was a big open-air setting and of course, the Captain and all the major crew were dressed as Romans (or actually Pompeians). After dinner, there was a gladiator performance show, followed by fireworks. This wasn’t our best event - there was a long walk to the site and the food unfortunately was cold – but still, it was amazing to be in a closed part of Pompeii and have something like this put on.

After this night, we all enjoyed a very lazy day at sea on the 18th before arriving in Rome. I did a great walking tour, based on the Dan Brown book Angels & Demons (the prequel to DaVinci Code). Annie passed on this since it was completely a walking tour, but I loved it! We went to all the major places in the book and had an excellent guide. In Addition to the sites in the book, we saw many of the major sights in the city, such as the Pantheon and St. Peter’s. It was long (Rome is a couple of hours from the port) but all in all another great day.

This last section of the cruise has a lot of ports, so we’re somewhere almost every day. On the 20th, we went to two lovely spots, Portofino and Santa Margaritha. They’re both charming little seaside resorts with not much more than shopping and food, but it was a warm sunny day and it truly felt like we were on the Costa del Sol. The next day, we docked in France in Marseilles. Annie opted for a general tour of the city and I took off on another full day tour to Provence. We went to Avignon and Les Baux – what a beautiful area! In Avignon, we toured this enormous castle complex which was used by the Catholic popes in the 14th-15th century when they left Rome and established the papacy in France. Les Baux is a tiny old walled city way up on the top of a mountain. Again, great weather and a beautiful part of the world.

A day of rest, and then Espana! Our first stop was in Malaga. Annie is coming back to Spain for a week or so this fall, so she just did a general tour of Malaga, but I decided to get back on that bus for another day and go to Grenada and the Alhambra. The Alhambra was the major castle-fortress of the Moors and was their last outpost, surrendered to Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492. Some of the main rooms of the buildings were closed for renovations, but the grounds of the Alhambra are amazing. The architecture and gardens are so peaceful and beautiful. They told us it was a great time to come, because it wasn’t yet too hot and it was pleasant to walk around. At lunch, they put on a flamenco show which got us all in the Spanish mood. (Love that Rioja wine!)

I’ve fallen in love with Spain, so on the 24th, it was back on the bus one more time for a tour to Seville. Again, another really long day, but so worth it! It’s just amazing walking through the narrow streets of these old cities. Another castle, but this one is still used (on occasion) by the Spanish royal family. The tile work and sculpting was amazing. It had a lot of the Moorish influence, but also Christian symbols. The Seville cathedral is the 3rd largest in the world (after St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s in London) and is where Christopher Columbus tomb is. Seville is truly one of the prettiest cities I remember in Europe. I would love to come back!

That night, Annie and I were invited by our friends Martha and Dave Scherer to join them and a few other people to celebrate their 100th cruise. Crystal gave them a private dinner in “The Vintage Room” which is a small dining room onboard that accommodates 14 people. There were 7 courses of food – and 7 courses of wines!! Need I say more? We’ve known Martha and Dave since 2003, and have seen them when they’ve come to Newport on Crystal in the fall (they are veteran cruisers – 100 cruises in 10 years!), so it was a nice occasion all around.

Today (April 26), we just got back from another Virtuoso tour to Oporto, Portugal. What a lovely city this is! It’s all beautiful old buildings and palaces. We had a catered lunch in a private room of one of the major buildings, then a stop at Sandeman’s winery for a port tasting. That port is very nice! (Mind you, we also had it before lunch and after, so we truly got a good sampling!) Tonight, we head off to a special dinner (the last) for world-cruisers. Since we didn’t get back from the tour until 4:30, we opted for a late seating for dinner (cocktails at 8:00, then dinner). It will make for a late night, but tomorrow there's time to sleep – and unfortunately to pack!! We’re ready to go home – we think! – but then again…

Tunisia

Well, there’s not much to really say about Gabes, Tunisia (April 14) It was different! Annie decided not to tour here, but I got off and went on a general tour of the area. The ship only offered 3 tours, one of which they discouraged people from taking, so as you can imagine, there isn’t that much in this particular port. Tunisia is a Muslim country, but operates under civil law, as opposed to Islamic law in places such as Iraq. Our first stop on the tour was the Berber market with the usual collection of assorted goods, especially camel-themed items! After a bit of a drive around the area, we headed out to an oasis area with thousands of palm trees. Gabes became an important stop for caravans and trade groups coming out of the Sahara desert because of the oasis and the town’s location on the sea routes.
Our major visit was out to Matmata, which is a “troglodyte” village. The houses are actually carved into the earth to protect the residents from the blistering heat. There are rooms for animals, sleeping rooms, everything – all like small cave dwellings running off a central courtyard. We stopped to visit one of them and I will say, it was kind of amazing how they’ve adapted to the environment. These homes were used by George Lucas as a backdrop for Star Wars. We stopped at a hotel that was used for the filming of the bar and dance club scenes in the movie.
They said that Tunis is better, and that further along the coast, there are some resorts that are lovely and popular with Europeans. Gabes was primarily an industrial port, so it does have a tendency to be dirty and dusty, and although it was fine for us, they said in the summer temperatures of 120 degrees are the norm! No wonder they took refuge in caves!
Today, we’re in Sicily in Taormina. It’s a lovely town in the shadow of Mt. Etna, Europe’s highest volcano. Annie and I have both been here a couple of times (she actually spent a week in this area a few years ago), so we’ve opted out of the tours. Taormina does have one thing we all like – shopping! The main street is a wide pedestrian walkway that winds up through the town lined with small shops of all kinds. It’s a pretty town to stroll though, even if we don’t buy anything (what are the chances of that?)

Turkey and The Greek Islands

After a day at sea, we arrived at Kusadasi, Turkey on Tuesday, April 10th. Kusadasi is a MAJOR shopping port in Turkey, but it's also the port for tours to the ancient city of Ephesus. We had another day of touring with our Virtuoso friends, and another great day it was. Ephesus is considered to be one of the best preserved classical cities of the world and is still very much a work in progress. It was one of the great cities of Asia Minor. I had been there two years ago, but Annie hadn’t gone then, so this was a great opportunity for her. Our first stop was at “The House of Mary” which isn’t really a house at all, but a chapel. Both St. Paul and St. John were in Ephesus after Christ’s death and there is a belief that St. John brought Mary here with him, for her safety. They have no proof of Mary being here, so it is legend, but it’s a lovely little chapel in this very pretty setting. After our visit here, we headed to Ephesus and the ruins themselves. It was about a two hour walking tour through the ancient city, and Annie did exceptionally well! It is a truly amazing place, and our guide was excellent, which makes all the difference in the world. She stopped at certain places so we could sit and rest while she talked. The Ephesians were an amazingly advanced and cultured group of people. There were numerous theaters we passed, one for music, one for theater, one for lectures, etc. The city only flourished up until about 400 AD, but they had running water --- hot and cold!!! It’s hard trying to write and describe some of these places – it’s like walking through a history book!

After our tour, we had lunch at this lovely hotel that had once been a Turkish princess’s palace. We ate outside overlooking the water and a group of local dancers put on a performance. After lunch, it was back to Kusadasi to get in a little shopping before the ship sailed. Actually, we didn’t buy that much here. All beautiful things, but there’s only so much we can take home! Of course, we can always buy another suitcase – or three!

Wednesday April 11 was another port, this time back to Greece and ancient Rhodes. We did a general overview tour of the island and what a beautiful place it was. There are different temples all around the island, the most magnificent being at Lindos. All on the hillside you see the little white houses (we found out that they have such small windows to keep the sun and the heat of the day out – July and August can be well above 100 degrees every day). Towards the end of the tour, we stopped at a seaside resort and had ouzo and a selection of Greek appetizers. It’s very early in the season for this area, so not everything is open, but it was just delightful to sit there in the sun, by the sea.

After our tour, we got off in town at the old part of Rhodes. The town is medieval, built by the Knights Hospitaler in the 1400 and 1500s. The old town is surrounded by walls and guard towers and inside is mostly pedestrian walkways, lined with (of course!) shops of all types – jewelry, shawls, souvenirs, pottery, ceramics – whatever you could imagine. We strolled, we shopped and then we stopped – at this lovely little sidewalk café for wine and crepes. It was so comfortable and easy sitting there and watching everyone walking by. There was another ship in port, but it wasn’t overly crowded. Another bonus day!

This is a port-intensive week and Thursday, April 12 we visited another Greek isle, the island of Navplion. This was once a capital of Greece and again, more ruins and temples. We didn’t do a tour as such today (one of the ruins has 898 steps to climb!!) but we took the tender into port and walked around. A really quaint, delightful small town. A lot of neat little shops and cafes all up and down these narrow cobblestone streets. Greece is really a beautiful country. We had thoroughly enjoyed it 2 years ago when we visited Athens and Santorini and this trip only increases our feelings for it.

Friday the 13th is a sea day (at last!) and tomorrow we visit Tunisia. They say there really isn’t that much to see there, but it’s always nice to visit different and new places.

Athens and Istanbul

It's been a few days since we've written, but what a week it's been! After Jerusalem, our next stop was Athens, Greece on Thursday, April 5th. During the day, we had a tour of the city with our Virtuoso travel group. We had been here two years ago and Annie had actually climbed all the way up to the top of the Acropolis and the Parthenon, which was quite a feat. This time, the tour didn't include a walk up to the Acropolis, but we saw it and had some great views. We had a general tour of Athens, and then went out into the countryside to a private museum for a tour and lunch. As always, it was great! There were strolling musicians to meet us at the gate, and then, after wine and ouzo to start, a delicious lunch in this old setting. Really a nice relaxing day.

Which was good, because we got back to the ship in mid-afternoon, only to turn-around and go out again! This time, it was for a dinner and show on shore for the World Cruisers. The evening had an Olympic games themes. We went to this old building that had been part of the Modern Olympic games (i.e, when the games became an international competition in the late 19th century). Of course, upon arrival, the captain and crew were there to greet us in their Greek robes. Inside, it was a cocktail reception and then a great show and another delicious dinner. Of course, at the end of dinner, everyone got up to do the traditional Greek circle dances - and amazingly, we all stayed on our feet (considering we had been eating and drinking all day, that was an Olympian feat in itself!) We got back to the ship just before it sailed at midnight and went up to watch the sail-away. Needless to say, these girls put out the "Do Not Disturb" sign and had a late sleep-in the next day!

We were at sea on Friday which was Good Friday. They had a combined ecumenical service for both the Catholics and the Protestants, which was nice. Saturday,April 7th, the ship docked in Istanbul, Turkey in early morning for a two day stay. Again, we had spent a couple of days in Istanbul two years ago, and done a lot of touring of all the major sights. We loved the city though and spent Friday at the Grand Bazaar -- something like 4,400 little shops and stalls all under one roof!!! We saw some people walking out bag-less - but don't ask me how! We did our part to help the Turkish economy!

We got back to the ship in time to go to Mass Saturday night for Easter, which was nice. I was scheduled for a tour on Sunday morning to another palace on the Asian side of Istanbul. This city actually is on two continents, Europe and Asia, and is separated by the Bosphorus Strait.

Sunday morning when we went downstairs there were tables of chocolate bunnies of all types and sizes - from a couple of inches to 3 feet tall! In addition, there were giant chocolate eggs and flowers in all the public rooms and dining rooms around the ship. We had little chocolate Easter eggs on our pillows that night, and they told us that the ship had chocolate bunnies and mini-baskets of candy placed in all the cabins for the crew. They also had a special crew dinner in one of the dining rooms usually reserved for guests. Really a nice touch to let the crew now they're important to the company.

We had a life boat drill at 8:00 at night that everyone had to go to. Normally, after you go to the the first one, they don't require the World Cruisers to go to every one after that. (There's one every few weeks, when new guests board and before we leave port the first night.) They said this time, all had to go. We think it was because after that tragedy with the ship sinking in Santorini, Greece, they wanted everyone to be reminded what to do in the case of an accident. That was terrible disaster, but we've all said it was a miracle that only 2 people are missing.

After the drill, Annie and I went out on deck to watch our sail away from Istanbul. It was a beautifully clear night, and the city is just lit up with all the mosques and minarets. Really a pretty sight. Fortunately, it wasn't too cold either.- we're heading back to the Mediterranean and it's still cold there. I think our days of lying out around the pool are over for this cruise. But we hear that New England has had a very cold April, so we can't complain much!

Palm Sunday in Jerusalem

Sunday, April 1st was Palm Sunday and another long day – but again, what a day! We docked in Israel at the port of Ashdod. There were a ton of tour options. Some, like the one that went swimming in the Dead Sea, sounded great, but since I had never been here before, I opted for the 11 hour “Day in Jerusalem.” Annie had been to Jerusalem (27 years ago!), so she opted for Jerusalem also, but a different tour that didn’t do much walking. It was about 1 ½ hrs. from the port to the city, and then we were there.

We went to the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane, the church where Mary is supposedly buried, and then we walked the Via Della Rosa (Way of the Cross) to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The church is built over the last few Stations of the Cross and at the very end, you go into what is revered as the tomb where Jesus was laid. (It’s actually a very small room in the church, but it represents the tomb.) Then we went out into an actual tomb of the era which was encompassed inside the church. It was crowded with it being Palm Sunday, but what an experience! After that we went to the Wailing Wall (or as they prefer, the Western Wall). Annie did much the same, but she didn’t walk the Via Della Rosa or visit the Church for the stations. It really was a remarkable day!

Jerusalem is an amazing mix of the Christian, Jewish and Muslim religions, along with all their variations, such as the ultra-conservative Jews, the Greek Orthodox, etc. And, although it was Palm Sunday, the crowds really weren’t that bad. I’m sure it’s always crowded whatever day you visit. It was meaningful to be there on Palm Sunday (I got some palms at one of the churches). It was also the day before Passover, so the markets were crowded with people buying food, etc. for their ceremonies Monday night.

Back on the ship, we had a relaxing Monday. Today (Tuesday) we docked in Alexandria, which is the closest port to Cairo and the Pyramids. What a site on the dock this morning! We counted almost 50 busses – big ones, little ones, large vans, etc. Cairo is a 3 hour ride (in each direction!) from the port. It’s another very long day! Annie and I had done the pyramids and Cairo two years ago, so we opted out of this trip. Instead, we went on a free tour that the ship was offering of the Alexandria area. It was a nice way to spend the morning.

Tomorrow, we have another day at sea and then Athens for a full day tour with our Virtuoso travel group and then that night, a special dinner and show on land that Crystal is doing for the World Cruisers. Should be another great event – stay tuned!

In the Shadow of Indiana Jones - Egypt & Petra

It’s been a while since I’ve updated this, but we’ve had some very busy days, so I’ll try to catch up now. After Dubai, it was a couple of days at sea, and then a stop again in Oman in the port of Salalah. There really isn’t very much in this port, although our guide was very nice and kept telling us there was a lot to see, but we didn’t have time. The big attraction was the frankincense tree, and yes, that’s tree without an s! In the middle of this dusty section, the bus goes off-road and we drove over to a rather desolate looking tree. Frankincense was once extremely valuable and prized as incense and the sultanate of Oman was a major supplier. Unfortunately, in Salalah, with development and climate changes, there’s only this one poor little tree left! (There must be forests of them in other parts of the country, because frankincense was the big seller in the markets!) After we saw the tree, and heard how they get the incense out, we drove up into a high mountain range to see the tomb of Job (as in the Bible, the man to whom God sent all these misfortunes to test him). He is a major figure in both Islam and Christianity and his tomb is a little house high in this mountain range. A little time at the local market and it was back to the ship. We had loved Muscat and said we’d love to come back to Oman to visit. I think I would qualify that and say we’d love to come back to Muscat to visit again; I think we could by-pass Salalah!

On March 28th, we stopped in Safaga, Egypt. There isn’t really anything in Safaga, but this is the docking place for any tours going to Luxor & Karnak with their amazing temples and ruins and the Valley of the Kings where the Egyptian tombs are. It’s a 3 hour ride – in each direction! – and the busses, private cars, etc., travel in a convoy, with military police leading the convoy and bringing up the rear. This is in addition to an Egyptian security person on each bus!! This all goes back to 1990 when a bus of tourists was hijacked and several murdered. Since then, the Egyptian government has gone to extremes to provide visitors a safe environment. So the convoy wasn’t just our ship, all ships that call in Safaga bring their passengers in by caravan. There are police at all the intersections, and all traffic is stopped to let the convoy pass. We also had to stop at a couple of military checkpoints we passed along the way. We had done this tour in 2005, but then we had stayed overnight in Luxor, which made it a little easier. Annie decided she really didn’t need to do it again (she had originally done Egypt in 1980, and then again in 2005). As much as Egypt fascinates me, the only reason I wanted to make this long trek again was to try and go to King Tut’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings. In 2005, our guide really talked us out of going to that tomb, saying it really wasn’t’ worth it (it’s a separate admission) and that you had to basically get down and crawl in. I didn’t go then, but after heard from other people on the ship that it really wasn’t anything difficult at all. For 2 years, I’ve been kicking myself for not going, so when I had the opportunity again this year, I thought I should taken it. The tomb was really worth it. It’s small, but not a difficult walk, but the colors of the painting on the walls are so vibrant, it’s truly breath-taking to think it was done thousands of years ago. The rest of the day was, as expected, hot and dusty, but Egypt just enthralls me. I would definitely go back again, perhaps for a longer stay of a few days or a Nile cruise. So, it was a 12 hour day, but I’m glad I did it.

The next day, the 29th, was another trip off the ship to the amazing city of Petra. The ship docked in Aqaba, Jordan in the morning. I had watched Lawrence of Arabia (all 3 ½ hrs. of it!) on TV a few nights ago and was so glad I had. Aqaba was one of the main cities in the movie, and our guide told us about the actual Arab uprising against the Turks in 1917 that the movie depicts. It was a 2 hour ride this time and the landscape was amazing. Very mountainous terrain all the way along. I don’t know what I expected, but I guess I wasn’t thinking of mountains. After going over and around all these mountains, we finally arrived in the “Rose City” of Petra. (It’s called the Rose City not because of the flowers, but because of the color of the stone in the mountains and walls of the canyons).

Once we got there, we began a walk of almost 2 miles each way down the canyon into the city itself! You could rent a horse and ride down or they also have a few (and I mean a few!) horse drawn carts that carry two people down at a time. Annie and a couple of other people from our bus were supposed to be going down in the carts and had paid our guide on the bus for it, but as frequently happens in this part of the world, everything gets all turned around, things change from one minute to the next – long story short, after many arguments between our guide and the carriage guy, there were no carts available and there would be a long wait, so Annie put her best SAS foot forward and we started the walk down. It really was not bad, relatively smooth terrain for the majority of the path. And what a walk!! It’s really almost impossible to explain. You just are winding your way through this canyon of pink sandstone, walls rising up above you, sections with tombs and monuments carved into the walls. Then at the end, you come around a bend and through this narrow opening you begin to glimpse the great carved treasury. For Harrison Ford buffs, this was the site used in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” and in a way, it almost felt like that as you realized this enormous place was right in front of you. The city itself was built by the Nabataen Arabs, just around 50 B.C. It was a thriving city, but eventually, after a war and an earthquake, it became deserted and wasn’t discovered again until the early 1800s.. It’s now a UNESCO world heritage site and it a nominee to be one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. (Of the original 7 Wonders, only the Pyramids still exist; there’s a poll being conducted on the internet to choose 7 New Wonders and they’ll announce them in July – 07/07/07 to be exact!

I could have spent a lot more time in Petra, but all too soon, it was time to head back. Annie got a cart ride partway up so that was good, but it still was a hike to lunch in the hot sun. But was it worth it? I’d do it again in a minute!! Next stop – Jerusalem on Palm Sunday!

Dubai and the Desert

It’s been a busy week since I last wrote!! We spent 3 days in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. What a place! It’s really hard to imagine and describe unless you’ve been there, but I’ll try to get something down.
We arrived about noon on the afternoon of March 20. The ship was offering a complimentary general overview tour of the area, but Annie and I decided to do a “Dunes Dinner Safari” tour instead. We got off the ship about 3:00 pm and got into 4 –wheel drive SUVs (with a driver-guide!), 4 of us to a car, and a caravan of about 30 cars. (Just as a side note, they use Toyota Land Cruisers – say they’re the best for the desert). After about a 45 min. drive, we reached the desert, but before we could travel too much, we had to stop and let the air out of the tires and decrease the pressure to about 15. They said it was the best way to get over the dunes. So, with our newly adjusted tires, off we went! Talk about off-road driving! It was really pretty amazing. You just drove up to the top of a dune, not knowing whether at the top the dune would flatten out or if it would be straight down. The sands are so amazing, just the way the wind has blown and made patterns and designs. The dunes are always changing and moving, so sometimes even our driver didn’t know what lay ahead. Actually, they split us up into groups of about 15 with a lead driver and vehicle that was responsible to check out what was ahead. At the end of the line, was the back-up vehicle. He didn’t have any passengers, but his job was to make certain all 15 stayed together – and to pull out any who got stuck in the sand. And stuck they got! We didn’t get bogged down, but a number of them did. After we went down a big dune, we’d all wait at the bottom and watch the others come down. It’s so fast when you’re doing it yourself, but when you’re watching someone else slide down, it’s a different story.
After about two hours, we stopped to watch the sunset, and then it was over one last stretch of desert to an encampment where dinner was set for us. We sat on low couches and were treated to a desert “barbeque” with all kinds of food and drink (don’t know what some of it was – probably just as well!) There were henna artists, who paint these beautiful henna tattoos on your body. Annie wasn’t up to that, but I had them do one on my leg. It’s supposed to fade in 7 days, but I don’t know! And of course, we had the obligatory belly-dancer show (neither of us volunteered for that!) Anyway, it was a great night in the Arabian Desert.
The next day, we took a cab with a couple of other people out to one of the mega shopping malls, the Mall of the Emirates. Definitely not anything we’re used to! Every designer label shop you can imagine and the crowning jewel – an indoor ski slope!! There are lifts and jumps and everything!! And it was packed with people! A lot of the crew (especially those from Austria and Scandinavia) went and said it was really a good deal. It cost about $50 for two hours of skiing and that included all the equipment, including skies, boots, jackets, etc.! (If you want more info, check out www.skidbx.com) Unbelievable!
We were scheduled to do a boat tour which was a cruise around “Palm Islands and The World.” It ended up being cancelled because of problems with the boat, which was too bad, because it’s an amazing development. What they’re doing is dredging up a lot of sand from the sea and actually making islands and developments. The Palm Island developments look like enormous palm trees from the air and there are all villas and residential developments on each of the different palm fronds, or leaves. At “The World”, they’re actually creating a map of the world – all 7 continents and some of the major island chains! Again, private homes, hotels etc.
Money is no object in this oil-rich country. Dubai is one of 7 emirates, or independent kingdoms, that make up the United Arab Emirates. In the mid-1960s, the oil boom exploded. Incalculable wealth flowed into the area. Oil was truly “black gold.” In addition, Dubai became a major source for the sale of real gold, a fact that remains today. In 1971, the 7 Emirates joined together to create the UAR (United Arab Emirates), as a way to consolidate their resources and gain stature in the world community. The largest emirate is Abu Dhabi, and its sheik is the ruler of the UAR. (Abu Dhabi in particular is very rich with oil; one guide told us that it is estimated that there is enough oil to support Abu Dhabi for 150-200 years – and that doesn’t include oil reserves not yet discovered!) Some of the smaller emirates haven’t yet found major oil reserves; some, like Dubai, have basically exhausted their known reserves (only another 5-10 years left) and have turned to other areas of commerce.
In Dubai’s case, it has turned to business, business, business. And the business of this city is shopping and high-level lifestyles. The building and development in this area is unreal! Cranes and new construction are everywhere; something like 15% of the world’s cranes are at work in Dubai!! The world’s tallest building is under construction; already, it has something like 120 floors – and will go up to 165 in the next year or two!! A good percentage of the building is residential and tourist. Dubai boasts the only 7-star hotel in the world – the Burj Al Arab. It’s designed to look like a sailboat and stands out spectacularly on the shoreline. You can’t even go into the lobby – or the lounge – for a drink without a reservation – and reservations for dinner or lunch are sold out months in advance! Unfortunately, we didn’t make a reservation in time – but maybe I should change that to fortunately – for 2 people, lunch is generally $400 – dinner about $700!! Hard to believe, but it sells out!
The last day we did another tour of the city and general area – and of course, a bit of shopping (or maybe looking is more like it!) Amazingly, we were very good with non-shopping this port; I think there was just so much of everything, it was a bit overwhelming. But then again, we still have many ports – and many shops – to go before we get home!

Muscat, Oman

On Sunday, March 18, we stopped in Oman for a visit to the capitol city of Muscat. What an amazing day this was! It was grey and looked a bit rainy and cloudy but nothing major. Then the captain came on and told us that, despite the weather forecasts for upper 70s and sunshine, it began raining in Oman yesterday. Little did we realize that rain is a MAJOR event! It only rains TWO DAYS A YEAR! The next announcement was from the Tour Department saying that because of the weather, the tour operator had advised them that the tours couldn't operate because places would be closed and ALL of the tours would be cancelled! It was raining, but all of the tours??? Everyone was wondering what was going on. We had a special tour scheduled by out Virtuoso travel group and after some discussions, they told us that they were going to try and operate the tour; it might not be the same as planned and we might sit in traffic and not see much - but at least we would be bored sitting on a bus in Oman, as opposed to being bored sitting on the ship at the dock!
So off we went - and down came the rain! It poured! Major flooding on a lot of the roads - the water just flowed over everything! Cars were submerged up to the roof and rolled over. Just amazing! We had a great guide who really spoke excellent English; he's in college here - majoring in tourism! We drove around a bit more than planned, since our first two stops were flooded. But what an amazing country! It is spotless and all these stretches of green, green grass by the road - and black stone mountains and craigs rising up right behind them. The current sultan is 67 and took the throne in 1970 on the death of his father. The father had kept Oman isolated and kept visitors out; for a person to come into Oman, they had to have a visa -- signed by the sultan himself! When his son, the current sultan, took the throne, things changed dramatically. He brought people in to develop the country and educate his people. They have now started to work on tourism and want tourists to visit Oman, but they also are being very selective in how they present themselves and the type of tourists they attract. It is a very conservative country; Islam is the overwhelmingly predominant religion. Although the women aren't' in birkas as in some of the fundamental countries, they are still very modestly dressed. Many of the men wear long white smocks and a type of turban on their head.
With the new push to tourism, and with the wealth brought by oil, things are moving along. Our lunch was at the Shangri-La Hotel, which was built by the government to attract tourists and is a very deluxe property. An average room is about $700 a night (but it includes breakfast and dinner!!)
We went to the main Mosque (there are hundreds of them in Muscat) which is also new, and built by the Sultan. The mosque holds 20,000 worshippers! Unfortunately, we couldn't go in and could only see the outside. The weather delayed us, and only Muslims are allowed in for prayer after 11:00 am. We were still glad to just be able to see it.
We were so impressed with the country. We came here knowing nothing about it and would love to return and spend some more time. Maybe someday!

Africa to the Middle East

After Mozambique, we spent 3 days cruising the Indian Ocean before reaching Mombassa, Kenya on March 11th. We had been here in 2004 when we had done a safari. A number of the safaris that had left the ship in Durban came back on in Mombassa, which is the primary reason we stop there. There’s also a one-day safari, and as much as I want to return to Africa for another safari, the thought of a 6 hour (round trip) bus ride, for a two hour game ride, wasn’t that enticing. I think I’ll wait and come back and do it right (Annie says she’s been there, done that, so don’t think any more safaris are on her agenda!)

There really isn’t much in Mombassa at all. We caught a cab with the Scherers and Pattersons and went to a very nice resort called Tamarind about 20 mins. from the dock and had a delicious lobster lunch. There were a number of Crystal officers and staff there, so we knew it was a good choice! Back at the dock, there are a couple of dozen of “shops” as they call them – actually, just a blanket covered with all kinds of things, mostly wooden animals, bowls, etc. They also barter and I almost got a nice elephant bowl for a pair of sunglasses, but the “boss man” didn’t think the glasses were worth it. Should have picked up a bunch of the Oakley fakes in NYC!! We actually didn’t do that much; it was unbearably hot and we did our wooden animal shopping here last time!

When we get back on the ship, they ask all the passengers to bring all the wood items they’ve bought to the front desk where they take them and put them in the ship’s giant freezer compartments for 48 hours ---- to kill any bugs and eggs that might be in the wood!! We’re all too happy to comply – don’t want the little buggers coming alive in our cabin!

Leaving Mombassa, it was another two days at sea enroute to Victoria in the Seychelles Islands. Again, we were here before, but I hadn’t done a general overview tour, so thought it would be a good idea. Victoria is very small (actually, it’s the smallest national capital in the world!), so the tour was pretty basic, but I enjoyed it. Always a good idea to take a basic tour to see what a place has. Victoria is only 7 degrees south of the equator – very green (actually a rainforest) but VERY hot, steamy and humid. We went out to a beach resort for a cool drink – the water and sand looked enticing, but we just wanted to get back to the air-conditioned ship and take a shower!!

Another 3 days at sea was in store, but they always have something for us to do. In addition to the lectures, movies, shows, there are special events for world cruisers. One afternoon, we had a special Question & Answer session with the dancers and singers, and then a tour of the (teeny!) dressing rooms and costume areas. Another morning, we had “Waffles on the Bridge” with the captain. It was a beautiful clear morning and really amazing to see the view down the sides of the ship from up there. (The waffles were a pretty amazing breakfast treat, too!)

Next stop – Muscat in Oman!

Mozambique

Wednesday, March 7th found us in Maputo, in the country of Mozambique on the east African coast. The tour people on the ship, and all the information we had received, had warned us that this was a “developing nation” and to be prepared. Mozambique just won its independence in 1975 and up until the 90s, the country had been racked by civil and tribal wars. The impact of the fighting left Maputo just a shadow of its past glory. The country had been colonized by the Portuguese (Portuguese is still the official language) and there were some beautiful, classic buildings and gardens, but all in such disrepair.

Our tour was on minibuses that held about 25 people. They ran out of busses, and we got on the last one, which had started out being used for a run to the airport. Our “guide” was named Afonso and, though he knew a little English, was not a guide and really didn’t know what exactly to do with us. He was very pleasant though, and we gave him a copy of the tour description so he knew where to take us and told us a little about the places. It was really more of a drive through the area and we had some minor descriptions of the attractions from the info we had received on the ship.

We made a stop at the Central Market which again is in a very shabby, but elegant (1901) building. There are dozens of stalls selling all types of fish, meat, vegetables - plus just about anything else you could need from wood carvings to hair extensions to pots and pans and soaps. They had warned us to be very careful with our valuables and that the market was a haven for pickpockets and thieves. We never felt threatened, but we were surrounded by groups of people, inside and out, trying to sell us every type of souvenir – wood carvings, baskets, cloth – even “genuine” Mount Blanc pens – for $5!

They have tried to develop the area and there is a very deluxe Hotel Polana and, of course, a new casino. Other than the main roads, the others are all dirt and sand and there are people everywhere in the city. One encouraging sign was that we saw a number of schools, some quite large, filled with students – all in pressed shirts and blouses of varied uniform colors and dark pants/skirts and ties. It’s this generation that is the hope of the country.

This was a maiden call for Crystal Cruises, and they probably won’t be coming back on a regular basis. Even though it wasn’t a “highlight” of the trip, I’m glad we got the opportunity to see the country and share a little of their vision for their future. I’ll be following Mozambique’s progress in the news from now on.

Cape Town

After another day at sea, we sailed into Cape Town, South Africa on Friday, March 2nd for a 3-day stay. Annie & I spent 3 days here in 2004 after we got off our Crystal cruise and had a great time, so we were looking forward to visiting the area again. We arrived on a crystal-clear morning with bright blue skies - and what a beautiful place to sail into! Cape Town is bordered by prominent mountains on both sides and the city seems to rise abruptly from the sea. Directly behind the city is the magnificent Table Mountain. Jutting up some 3,500 ft. from the shoreline, the crests of Table Mountain can be spotted from up to 100 miles out at sea (or so they say!). The mountain appears completely flat at top and hence the name "Table". Adding more to the mystique of the area is what the natives call the "tablecloth" - the fleecy white clouds that can move in and appear to cover the mountain.

On Friday, we did a tour with our Virtuoso travel group to Stellenbosch, the wine country just outside of Cape Town. South Africa has made great strides in wine cultivation in the past few decades and are particularly good with whites like sauvignon blanc and lighter reds. There's even a special "Cape Wine" blend called a Pinotage, which is a blend of Pinot Noir and Cinsault. Our tour took us about an hour outside the city to an area surrounded by vineyards (or "wine farms" as they call them here). Our first stop was for a tour and tasting at one of these farms. Of course, after trying 5 different wines, we had to bring some back (to the ship, not home!) So we left with a creative mix of 6 bottles to do some tasting of our own! It will be nice to sit out on our little deck and toast our journey these warm nights.

Our tour continued to a lovely resort in the valley, where we were serenaded with Zulu songs by a youth chorus (beautiful voices!)and then treated to an elegant - and delicious - luncheon. The entree was a fish called Kingklip which is a firm white fish, similar to a nice piece of haddock, I guess. It's native to this region and really quite tasty. Even Annie enjoyed it (and yes, it was boneless). Of course there were more wines to taste with lunch. It was good we could nap on the return to the ship!

Saturday, we decided we'd try to go to Robbin Island, a small island in the harbor which was the prison facility where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for almost 20 years. You have to reach the island by boat, and normally the tour tickets are sold out far in advance. We decided to go in and try, just in case we could get tickets and,somehow we ended up in the right place at the right time and managed to get 2 tickets for the 10:00 boat. Let me just say this about the boat...they don't bother with Coast Guard inspections! They just piled people on to every available seat and standing area. There were a few life jackets (probably enough for the crew - definitely not enough for the passengers!) We were heading into the wind the whole way out to the island and it took us almost an hour. Once we arrived, we boarded buses for a tour. Our guide had been a political activist and had actually been exiled from South Africa in the 70s and 80s. Had some really interesting stories to tell of his travels around the world and his work. Our bus tour ended at the prison facility where Mandela was kept. Here, we had a new tour guide; this one had been imprisoned in the jail on Robbin Island - from the time he was 16 until the age of 21! During that entire time, he was awaiting trial. He had some moving, and horrific, true stories of life, torture and death during the dark days of apartheid. It's amazing how firm these survivors are in their belief in "reconciliation"; they all maintain that for the betterment and strength of their country - and themselves personally - they must move through it and not let hatred and anger consume them. When you hear what they have gone through, it gives a whole new meaning to "forgive and let live."

During our tour, we were told that the weather had turned stormy and the boat we had come out on at 10:00 had been the last one for the day! All others had been cancelled, but they'd get us back to the mainland. And what a trip THAT was! A & I were okay, but people were seasick and falling all over each other every time we hit a wave - and hit them we did! Quite a ride, to say the least!! We were happy to be back on terra firma, even if it was raining. After a late lunch(more Kingklip for me!), we wondered around the waterfront area and - of course - did some shopping for a few hours before heading back to the ship for some dry clothes and a good night's sleep.

Sunday morning, we headed back to the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront area again. It's a great open complex of shops & restaurants. It's right on a working harbor and there are seals that come in and just lounge around the floats, plus all kinds of boat tours, etc. We had remembered it fondly from our 2004 visit, and so were happy to spend some more time there this weekend.

The ship sailed at 3:00 and we all went up on deck for a champagne toast as we sailed out of the harbor. The sun came out again and it really was another beautiful sailaway. Cape Town is one of my favorite spots and I would definitely come back here again for a longer stay.

As we rounded the Cape of Good Hope Sunday night and headed up the east coast of Africa on our way to Durban, we caught the tail end of a typhoon of some sort. Still hundreds of miles away from us, but we had a very rough ride Sunday night and into Monday afternoon. We talked with the captain and he said the waves were only about 15-18 ft., but it was rougher than we had experienced in all our time in Antarctica. But it calmed down by Monday afternoon, and we sailed into Durban this morning (Tuesday, March 6). I tried to get on a helicopter tour out to one of the game reserves, but it was sold out. No big deal really, but there isn't that much else to do in Durban (and we had seen what was here in 2004). So it's been a good day to catch up with some things. Tomorrow we arrive in Maputo, Mozambique. It's a maiden call for Crystal and they've told us it's a very raw, undeveloped area - should be interesting. Stay tuned!

Namibia without Brad & Angelina

February 28th brought us to Walvis Bay in Namibia, on the west coast of Africa. I took off in a 4-wheel drive vehicle for some dune riding; Annie took a more mild bus tour into the nearby city of Swapomuland (or something like that!) We actually both agreed that, maybe surprisingly, we enjoyed our day here and were impressed with the country!

Namibia is actually Africa's newest country, finally gaining independence in 1990. Before that it had been called South West Africa and at different times,was a German colony, a United Nations Protectorate and administered by South Africa. There are currently about 1.5 million citizens in the country, a mix of Germans, French, Dutch, British and native tribes. The country is known for its enormous shifting sand dunes with unbelievable colors and a canyon, similar to our Grand Canyon, with some "moonscape" features. My tour went to this area and the dunes, where we snacked on champagne and farm-raised oysters. Annie's went into the city and she had a nice tour and went to a museum where they had some amazing weavings.

We passed by where Brad & Angelina stayed (baby Sari(?) was born in a hospital in Swapomuland)and the guides spoke highly of them and how they have given a lot of money to Namibia. Also, Namibia has a very strict "no trespassing" law -- and many of the paparazzi ended up in jail for "trespassing" in the personal spaces of Brad and Angelina!

The country is also very rich in minerals - uranium, diamonds and copper. We also heard, from our guide and from lecturers on board the ship, that China has made a major inroad into Africa and that the US should be more conscious of this. The Chinese are providing businesses and countries with interest-free loans for development and, of course, receive preferred status from the African countries in return. My guide said that 5 years ago there were only a handful of Chinese in Namibia -- last year's population recorded 50,000! Something for us to be aware of.

Our next stop is Cape Town, South Africa. We're there for 3 days, which should be fun. We really enjoyed it in 2004 when we visited. Stay tuned!

St. Helena - Napoleon's Last Stop

After 5 days at sea, we finally arrived at the tiny island of St. Helena - and still 2 days from Namibia and the coast of Africa! It looks like a barren, rocky island with sheer stone cliffs. The ship had to anchor out and we tendered in; there was a bit of a swell so getting on and off the tenders was challenging, but we made it in. The captain said that some calls they're not able to send the tenders down.

The tour of the island was, surprisingly, quite nice. The current population is 3,800 people - and dropping. They are losing a lot of their young people when they graduate from high school and then go to other islands for work. St. Helena is a British dependency, or colony, so they do receive support from England. It's still an isolated existence - no airport, etc. The mail comes by boat from So. Africa or the Falkland Islands -- and arrives every two weeks! If someone is seriously ill and the hospital on the island (50 beds, 4 doctors) can't handle it, they have to go by boat to Cape Town, So. Africa -- 4-5 days at sea!

When Napoleon was finally defeated, he was exiled here to spend the rest of his life. We saw the home he lived in - rather nice, actually. When he died,he was buried here, but years later, the body was exhumed and taken back to France for burial. The original tomb is still here.

The main part of town itself looks like a little English village. It's not a wealthy community, so the people really didn't have the money to tear down the older buildings and put up new ones - kind of a reverse urban development, but it preserved the older sections.

The natives are a mix of Portuguese, Africans and Anglos, but English is the official (and only) language. There are 7 churches on the island - and 10 pubs! (Always good to know the ratio!) After the tours, in mid-afternoon, a group of children from the middle schools came on board to sing for us. We had about an hour performance, all songs written about their island home. It was really pleasant.

We now sail to Namibia for a day's visit (don't know if Brad and Angelina will be there to meet us - ha ha!) I'm scheduled to do a ride through the sand dunes by 4-wheel jeep -- Annie's doing a bit more stable bus tour to one of the towns outside of Walvis Bay were we dock. We'll update after that adventure!

Carnaval!

Next stop on the itinerary was Brazil and the excitement of Rio de Janeiro! We sailed into Rio Sunday morning, Feb. 18th. They told us to be up on deck for the sail-in - and what a beautiful morning it was! We cruised right into the harbor, past Sugar Loaf, Corcovado Mountain with the the statue of Christ and the white sand beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema. It was a crystal clear morning which made it even more spectacular.

Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking country in South America. It's also the continent's largest country; when you look at a map, you see how it dwarfs all the other So. American nations. For centuries, the world's largest supply of sugar came from Brazil and its rich sugarcane plantations. Thousands of slaves from Africa were brought over to work the fields. Slavery was abolished in the early 20th century and the European, African and indigenous Indian races intermingled, creating a diverse and beautiful population. Brazilians are frequently listed among the world's most beautiful people, and from some of the Brazilians we saw, we would have to agree.
On Sunday, Crystal offered another complimentary tour for all guests, this time a trip up Sugar Loaf mountain. You actually travel up to the top in two stages by cable cars. It was a beautiful view of the bay and the islands and city below -- but unbelievably hot (around 98!) and crowded. In addition to us, there are 7 other large cruise ships in port -- and it's Carnaval!! The city was packed to overflowing; everywhere you turned, there were people, people and more people! It was actually good to get back to the air-conditioned comfort of the ship this afternoon!

Sunday night was Carnaval - and what a celebration! The city is alive with samba bands parading through the streets to the beat of thousands of drums, accompanied by dancers in beautiful feathered and sequined costumes. The whole city moves with the samba beat. The highlight of the 4 day celebration occurs on the Sun. and Mon. nights before Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent. On these nights, there is a huge parade and competition among the dozen samba schools, or clubs, which represent different areas or neighborhoods throughout the city. It's held in a place called the Sambadrome, which is a long avenue with grandstands on either side. The stands hold about 80,000 people who have purchased tickets to see this spectacle. The parade starts at 9:00 pm and each samba school takes over an hour to pass by! The schools have up to 6,000 marchers each! They dance the entire parade route and each school has anywhere from 4-6 elaborate floats that accompany it. There are dancers at the top and on all sides of the floats. Six samba clubs march each night -- and the parade continues until about 5:00 in the morning!!! The costumes and continual music and dance are just unbelievable. The ship offered a tour to Carnaval, and about 400 of us went. Annie opted out on this one, which was probably smart. We were in the "reserved" section of the grandstand, but it did involve climbing about 4 flights of stairs. The seating was concrete bleachers (although we did get a little 1" cushion to soften it!). I stayed for about 3 hours and then opted for back to the ship, which was fine for me. But what an experience! I have no pictures to post -- too many heads to really get an idea, so you'll have to wait until we get back to see the print pictures. Words, and pictures, really can't do Rio Carnaval justice.

The next day, we did another tour to Corcovado, which is the highest mountain in the city. Corcovado is 2,300 ft. high and on the top is a 125-ft. statue of Christ the Redeemer. This is the statue seen in many pictures of Rio, overlooking the city. The statue's arms measure 75 feet across and the whole thinkg was financed by "passing the plate" in Rio's many churches. We took a train ride up the mountain and then an elevator and 2 escalators to the top. The views were, for lack of a better word, awe-inspiring. When we came down, we continued our tour and went out to the famous white sandy beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema(of the famous song). It was a great morning.
Rio is really a beautiful city. Unfortunately, crime is a serious problem any time of the year, and even more so during Carnaval with all the people. There are something like 12 million living in greater Rio alone. They constantly warned us to wear no jewelry and bring only limited cash and credit cards. As one lecturer said, "Bring just one credit card ashore - and make certain you have the phone number to call and report it stolen when you get back to the ship!" We didn't have any problems and didn't hear of anyone on board who did, but I'm sure there were probably some passengers on our ship or one of the others who lost some cash or credit cards. But Rio is still a delight. It is a truly vibrant and spectacular city and I'm so glad we got to see it. Neither of us had been here before and to be here during Carnaval was a special treat.

We began heading across the south Atlantic Ocean to Africa when we left Rio -- 5 days at sea before we hit land again...and then it's a small island named St. Helena, where Napoleon was exiled to. Remote to say the least!

Buenos Aires

We arrived in Buenos Aires on Valentine's Day - and of course, Crystal had hearts and flowers all around the ship for the occasion. Annie and I were to change our cabin from the 8th to the 9th deck the day we arrived. There's no difference in the cabin size, amenities, etc. - it's just that our cabin on the 8th overlooked where the gangway was stored when we were at sea. Not really a major thing, but since we were on for so long, we thought we'd like a bit clearer view. So...we arranged to change cabins. Looking back on it now, since the only thing the gangway "obstructed" was our nosey view of who was walking below us on the promenade deck (Deck 7), I'm not certain it was worth the "re-organizing". We didn't need to re-pack though -- they sent bellhops down who took everything on hangers out of the closet on 8 and brought it up to our new cabin on 9. Of course, we still had to empty the drawers in the bureaus, etc. but we've been optimistic and say we're much more organized with the move -- we'll see how long that lasts!

We had done the tango show ashore last time in BA, so opted out this year. They had tango dancers and singers come aboard and put on a show for us, and the night before we arrived they had a special segment where the captain (a rather large hardy Norwegian) did a tango dance with the principal female dancer. But to top that, the cruise director impersonated a female and did a seductive tango number with the featured male dancer... hm mm. It was great fun and a good show that we've all seen again and laughed over.

On the second day, we went into town for a bit - It's a really dynamic city with a lot of facets. BA is known now for Evita (Eva Peron) and we saw the famous balcony at the Casa Rosita where she made (but didn't sing!) the famous "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" speech. There's still dissent over the past military regimes and the "disappearance" of thousands (like in 30,000+) of people who were dissidents -- or thought to be. Every Thursday afternoon, people hold a type of vigil march in one of the city squares for those who disappeared. It was started years ago by the mothers and wives who had lost their sons or husbands. Those mothers are now grandmothers and great grandmothers ...and they still don't know the fate of their loved ones. It's hard for me to realize that we are talking about events that happened in my lifetime --- in the 1960s-1980s -- not hundreds of years ago.
Buenos Aires was the end of this second segment. We head now to Rio and Carneval -- check back soon for more!!

A Day at the Races

It's hard to believe that time passes so quickly! It seems just a couple of days ago we were cruising Antarctica, and now we're heading to Africa! I'll try to catch up on all we've done and seen the past 10 days or so...

After leaving Antarctica, our first stop was Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands. Sailing into these barren, windy islands, you wonder why England and Argentina fought so hard over them! We stopped here on our cruise in 2003 and saw all the major sights - penguins, penguins and more penguins - plus the signs by the side of the road advising "Live Land Mines" leftover from the Falklands War, so we decided to forgo touring again and spent the time in town doing a little shopping (what else is new?) There are a couple of little shops we remembered from our last visit with some very nice things; a bit expensive however, since the Falklands are British and therefore the currency is the British pound (which isn't good for the American dollar right now). We did pick up a copy of the one weekly newspaper -- "The Penguin News." The people who live here have a quiet, isolated life, but do receive perks from the British government for living on - and thereby keeping the British flag flying over - this remote British outpost.

Sailing up the coast, our next step was in Puerto Madryn, Argentina. The big attractions here are the sea lions, once again a repeat for us, so we walked on the beach and - what else - did a little shopping - although we really didn't buy much of anything here.

We arrived in Montevideo, Uruguay on Feb. 13th. Crystal offered a completely complimentary tour to all the passengers on board called "A Day at the Races." About 400 (of the 900+ on board)took advantage of it - and what a day it was! Accompanied by a local guide, we travelled just outside the city center to a horse racetrack. Uruguay is noted for its horses and racing is a popular sport. The track opened just for us. After a short walking tour of the main buildings, we were seated in the deluxe or "first class" section. Annie and I were up at the top level and had a great view of the course (Our tablemates were the "Ice Pilot" who took us through Antarctica and his wife. He's retired Coast Guard and went to the Academy in New London, so he was familiar with Newport). As soon as we were seated, waiters and waitresses began coming around offering juice, wine, beer. It was only 10:00 am, but we were at the races! After the first few rounds of drinks, they began coming around with food, food and more food! There were enormous grills set up below us and they brought each table an individual pan piled high with pieces of grilled beef, chicken and sausage. There were hot coals underneath the pan to keep everything warm. Mind you, this was after the trays of cold meats, vegetable and other hors d'ouevres - and before the desserts! Needless to say, the drinks kept flowing throughout. Then, they brought out the 4 horses, along with the jockeys, grooms, etc. and we had two full races around the track. They had given us each 2 tickets to bet on a horse. Our choices didn't win, but it didn't matter - it was such a great day, the actual race was a minor highlight! Crystal really should be commended for offering such a first-rate free tour to us all - I think everyone enjoyed it. Anyone who didn't go missed a great experience!

Coming Back From the Beyond - Leaving Antarctica

A few thoughts as we leave this awe-inspiring part of the world...The Antarctic continent covers a staggering five and a half million square miles and is entirely surrounded by the sea. Some of the Antarctic is actually an extension of the tip of South America and the Andes Mountains, leading many experts to believe that there are probably rich, undiscovered deposits of ore and petroleum here. This speculation adds even more importance to the Antarctic Treaty of 1959. This historic agreement established the laws governing Antarctica, maintaining its position as a continent jointly administered by a group of nations with the agreement that Antarctica may only be used for peaceful purposes.

Having sailed through these magnificent waters, I can only be thankful that the earth's human inhabitants had the foresight to realize the unique opportunity we have to preserve our last great unspoiled frontier. Years down the road, dedicated researchers will continue their work on the continent. "Tourism" will increase, within the constraints of the conditions visitors face when traveling here. However, for those of us who have been privileged to visit this magnificent expanse, the continent, and our memories of it, will instill a sense of awe and inspiration, a realization of the scope and depth of our world -- and man's small place in it.

The Seventh Continent

On Feb 2, we made our way past notorious Cape Horn. Once we round the Cape, we head for Antarctica -- 750 miles south! This stretch of water, the Drake Passage, at the very bottom of So. America, has some of the most violent weather conditions in the world. This is where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans converge and to make it more interesting,the water and winds surrounding Antarctica, the Southern Ocean, play a major force here. The winds often create gales with waves more than 65 ft. high. The yearly weather forecast for the area announces an average 200 days of gale and 130 days of cloudy sky; for the remaing 35 days, "the wind is strong and the sea is rough" - to put it mildly!

It was rough, but, old salts that we are, we managed okay. We crossed it west to east this time, which is supposedly a little easier. In 2003, we crossed east to west and therefore joined the elite group that were authorized to wear an earring in the left ear (at least that's what they told us it meant!)

Monday Feb 5th was bright, sunny -- and amazingly calm!!! The great Antarctic Peninsula and mainland appeared before us. We thought we had seen things last time, but nothing to compare to the next two days. Three people from the British Antarctic Heritage Trust on Port Lockroy came out to the ship to give a talk about their lives in this remote outpost. The temp is just about freezing (warmer than home we're told!)and it's sunny and bright standing outside. Penguins floated by on small ice flows, oblivious to us. We have 3 naturalist/geologist/Antarctic scholars on board who are giving live commentary from the bridge as we cruise.

And what cruising it's been! On Tues. the 6th, we woke up to look out our windows to see whales (one with her calf) breaking, hundreds of penguins surrounding the ship in search of fish, seals, albatross...just about every type of animal that lives down here was putting on show for us. And it continued all day long!!! We passed one island with an enormous penguin rookery --- they estimate there are over 200,000 PAIRS of penguins on this one island. They're all you can see -- all the way up the hills and on the beaches. Depending on the wind direction, they're also all you can smell! But it was such an amazing two days. We cruised in and out of small coves where the different countries have research stations and saw some of the workers.

Today (Wed.)has been grey and a bit more swells. But we headed into "Iceberg Alley" - and again what we've seen! These enormous bergs float right by use. The ice is pure and the most beautiful blue color.

One of the lecturers this morning gave a talk about Edward Shackleton. He explored the continent in the 1920s. His boat, the Endurance, became stuck and was ultimately crushed by sea ice -- yet he and his crew survived almost 2 years stranded here. An amazing tale of courage and perseverance.

Tonight we pass Elephant Island and head back across the Drake Passage to begin our return north p the coast to Port Stanley in the Falklands. It may be a bit rough, but it's a small price to pay for all the wondrous things we have seen in the past few days!

Pictures from Chile!

Catch Up Time!

So much has been happening, I've fallen way behind, so I'm going to try to catch up with a few things before I start on Antarctica!

We had our first big world-cruisers event in Valparaiso, Chile when we were overnight there on Jan. 26th. As usual, Crystal pulled out all the stops for us. They drove us out to a beautiful vineyard about an hour outside the city. Once there, our buses were escorted down by Chilean cowboys to the main buildings of the vineyards. After Pisco Sours to "quench the thirst," we were treated to appetizers, entertainment, and of course, fine Chilean wines! Next came a delicious dinner and barbecued lamb, steak and chicken (and need I say -- more wine!) Another show then we all went outside by a big reflecting pool for an amazing Cirque de Soleil show -- truly jaw-dropping! Needless to say, we all slept in the next morning, but it was definitely worth it!

Valparaiso was the end of our first segment. A lot of people left and many more came on for the Antarctic leg. This section is pretty full. After Valparaiso, we headed down the coast of Chile. Chile is such a long narrow country, extending all the way down to the tip of So. America. There isn't tons to see here, and we did it before (in 2003) so we won't be doing too much touring in this leg. Off the ship for a bit of walking around and shopping in this section.

On Wed. Jan. 31st we were due into Punta Arenas. We anchored, but they were predicting 80-100 mph winds in the afternoon. The captain was afraid that if he let us go ashore, we wouldn't be able to get back! We had to wait for some people who had gone on an overland tour to Patagonia for 3 days and were due back that afternoon. They got them back to the ship and off we went. The worst part was that this was the port where the shore excursion tours to Antarctica were leaving from! There were about 150 people scheduled to do a flyover of the Antarctic continent and another 30 who were actually scheduled to land there. The fly over was cancelled, but they were able to get the landing group a trip to Antarctica from our next stop, which was in Ushuaia. The number of people they allow into Antarctica is strictly controlled. Crystal had to pull a lot of strings to manage that -- especially since the original arrangements had been made through Punta Arenas, CHILE - and now it was going to be Ushuaia, ARGENTINA! Antarctica is actually managed/governed by a joint group of about 7 nations which work together to protect the continent and the environment. The 30 people who did make the landing said it was an unbelievable experience. A Norwegian ship with about 250 passengers had gone aground a few days before and had cracked its hull. While they were there, other boats were coming in with booms to protect in case of an oil spill. It was really quite an adventure and experience. Maybe another year! (Of corse, they also got chased by an angry seal, so I'm not too certain how much fun that would be!)

I'll write about Antarctica and what we;ve been doing in my next entry

Machu Picchu

On Friday, Jan. 19th, we left the ship for our adventure to the lost city of the Incas -- Machu Picchu - high in the Andes Mountains. And I mean high! This afternoon, we left Guayaquil, Ecuador by plane for Lima, Peru. After overnighting at a hotel there, it was off early the next morning (the 20th) on another flight to the primary city of the area, Cuzco. At 12,000 feet, altitude sickness can be a problem, so they try to plan things in stages to get you used to it. Our hotel for the next two nights is an old monastery, which has been converted into a very deluxe property. We have altitude sickness pills, but they really upset my stomach so I (and most other people) stopped taking them. They say there's no rhyme or reason as to why some people get sick and others don't. We're to drink coca tea - and the hotel rooms have oxygen piped into them at night to help you sleep! After some touring and dinner today, it's down for a good night's sleep, since tomorrow is a busy day!
We departed our hotel early for a short ride to the train station to board the deluxe Hiram Bingham train that will bring us to Machu Picchu itself. Bingham was an American archaeologist who explored the area in 1912 and actually discovered the city. It's believed that Machu Picchu was a holy and royal city, and its exact location was only known to a select group of Incan nobility and priests. In the 1500s, faced with defeat by the Spaniards, the Incans abandoned their mountain citadel and for 400 years, until Bingham's discovery, the city's existence was forgotten or unknown.
The train ride down to Machu Picchu was about 3 hours. We actually descended from Cuzco over 4,000 ft, to around 7,000. A number of people who had been ill the night before felt better as the train descended. It's a common thing - they have portable oxygen on the train, in the busses, etc. After lunch on board, we finally arrived at Machu Picchu to begin our tour. Words really can't describe this phenomenal place. I've tried to post a picture, but even that can't do it justice. There are stone temples and buildings covering the hillside. The workmanship is so precise, that even today, 500 years later,a piece of paper can't pass between the stone blocks of the walls. The series of terraces and gardens is truly amazing. We spent about 3 hours walking and climbing. At the end of this time, we rallied for tea at the one hotel at the site. Machu Picchu itself is very UN-commercial, without the normal groups of vendors we're used to seeing. It's actually one of the sites in contention to be one of the "new" Seven Wonders of the World.
After tea, it was back on the train for a gourmet dinner and back to Cuzco and our hotel for the night. I woke up with a headache and perhaps just a bit of altitude sickness during the night, but no worry! A quick walk down to the reception desk in the hotel and they brought me into a special room, hooked me up with a mask and gave me about 15 minutes of oxygen and I was good to go! The next morning (the 22nd) we flew back to Lima and met the ship. This was truly an amazing adventure - not neccesarily one I would feel the need to repeat, but one I will always remember. I'm thankful I was able to do it once in my life!

Crossing the Equator

At noon today, we crossed the Equator. As always, Crystal has a "induction ceremony" for all the "pollywogs" aboard. Pollywogs are those neophytes who are crossing the Equator for the first time. It's held up around the pool with all the entertainment staff dressed up as King Neptune, his Queen and royal court. They pick out a few of the crew who are dragged in and accused of various "crimes" - laughing too much, spending too much time in the computer lab, etc. As punishment, they get tossed (fully clothed!) into the pool. It's kind of corny, but a fun time.

After the Equator crossing, it was off to Trivia (of course!) and then lunch which today was a Latino buffet. As usual, there's always an abundance of food ...of all kinds regardless of what the theme is!

Last night, we had a cocktail party for all the world cruisers, where we met a lot of the senior crew. It was a nice way for them to let us know how appreciative they are of the world cruisers. It seems we have a cocktail party or something every couple of nights. The night before was a cocktail party for a group our travel agent belongs to and tonight, one for those of us who are part of the Crystal Society - those who have sailed on more than one Crystal cruise. Not bad!

Tomorrow it's off to Macchu Pichu. I'm excited about it. Definitely a once in a lifetime trip, so I'll hopefully have a lot to post when I get back on Monday.

Panama Canal

I had good intentions when I set up this blog, but here it is 10 days later and I'm finally posting something! Oh well, better late than never!

Annie and I had a smooth and uneventful flight to Miami on Jan. 10th. Fortunately, all our luggage (as in all 10 suitcases ...+ two carry-ons!) arrived also! 14 weeks is a long time to do without an "essential." We had booked Wed. night at the Four Seasons Hotel, since that was where the World Cruise Gala Send-off party was being held Thursday night. And a gala it was! As usual, Crystal goes above and beyond in all ways. We sat at a table with John Stoll from Crystal, who is the person in charge of the Crystal Shore Excursions. It was an evening of great food and entertainment, along with a lot of laughter and smiles.

The next morning, we were transferred by private town cars to the Crystal Serenity. General boarding was at 3:00, but they let us board earlier to get unpacked and settled. Unfortunately, our luggage didn't arrive until the evening, so we didn't get the unpacking done. It was still nice to get on board. There are a number of people we know from other cruises, including the World in 2005, plus many of the crew who remember us.

We sailed from Miami Friday night (the 12th) around 8:00 pm. A day at sea, and then a stop in Ochos Rios, Jamaica. Not really too much here. The attractions are a plantation and Dunn's River Falls. I've seen both of them - even climbed the falls - in my younger (much younger!) days, so we passed on the shore excursions and just took a shuttle into town. Pretty much all souvenir stores and jewelry stores -- and we are NOT buying any more jewelry this year - or so we say!

Back on the open seas, it's been a bit rougher than either of us thought. Nothing too bad, just a bit rough as we head south. One of the men at our dinner table is a lecturer that Crystal brought on to talk about the Panama Canal. He worked for the Canal Authority for 25 years, and his wife, who's also aboard, is Panamanian. It's been an interesting table. We also have our friends, the Sullivans (Neil & Twinkie), from Newport at our table. They boarded in Miami and will be staying until Valparaiso. Last night we took them to Prego, the Italian restaurant on board. As always, delicious food and wine. although Annie and I were a bit disappointed that they no longer have that tender delicious Kobe beef on the menu. But there's certainly enough other entrees to keep us satisfied!

Today, it was up on deck before 7:00 am to get a good spot on the deck as we began our transit of the Panama Canal. It really was amazing to see how they flood the three locks and float these ships to raise them up and get them onto the lake. After we cross the lake, we'll be at the Pacific Ocean side. Again 3 locks - this time to lower the boat - to get her down in the Pacific. And we're just one of about 40 boats that go through the canal every day. They say it will cost Crystal approx. $200,000 for the ship to go through! The total transit should take about 9-10 hours. We're right by the Equator so it is hot hot hot out there today! It feels good being in the computer room where it's air-conditioned!

Tomorrow and the next we're at sea before we hit Guayquil, Ecuador. That's the port we disembark for our journey to Macchu Pichu. They say a lot of people get ill from the height (almost 12,000 ft. up), but I still think it's worth it. I'll start the altitude medicine tomorrow - but tonight it's the first of the Virtuoso cocktail parties! Can't pass up a free martini! I'll write after Macchu Pichu. Hugs to all --- Karen