WHY??????? Panama Canal Part 13

 Why do Senior Citizens go on cruises

 If not to defend country, explore, research, educate, medicate?

Why?

Don’t you know?

To brag about all the other cruises they’ve been on;

Or maybe their illustrious careers

And the famous people they know personally.

Since they sit with different people at the table each day

They can repeat it 3xday for 2 weeks.

On our table for three,

We were denied that advantage.

Nevertheless, we could hear people from other tables

(well, one of us could).

Not to be outdone,

We devised our own parody:

Remember the time we cruised down the Volga River

and stayed overnight in Denver?

When we woke up the next morning there

was 3 feet of snow on the ground.

The Kangaroos didn’t know what to do,

so Ed petted them.

Excuse me for interrupting,

but we ourselves visited every temple in the South Pacific.

Isn’t that just divinely terrific?

What do you know about the Mormon Church?

Would you like to know more?

We got pretty good on that

whistle we bought in Wales

to command the sheep dogs.

Then Cai boarded the train and

we went to Sacramento and Santa Barbara.

And how about celebrating New Year’s Eve

on the French/German border

with Helmut and friends?

And the Crown Jewels at the Kremlin

and viewing Lenin’s body?

Haunting.

Oh, yes, we visited the Suez Canal years ago.

This is our squat-down jillionent cruise.

Te-he-he.

That reminds me of our trip down the Thames

while climbing the Eiffel Tower.

Remember when little Brooke surfed on Wikiki

then got left in the lurch at Grand Central Station?

Amy wasn’t even born when

when she went to Disneyland the first time;

It seemed only the next week

she celebrated her 18^th birthday at the Louvre.

Can we ever forget taking the ferry to the Statue of Liberty

after walking the Freedom Trail

when our motorhome was stolen?  Believe me.

And then the time we stayed snuggled in bed
while Ed got up at 3 AM to ride the camels

to the Top of Mt Sinai to see the sunrise.

Remember our million-dollar condo in San Diego

where the ocean lapped at our sliding doors

during our Lake Powell houseboat adventures?

At our ancestral home in Scotland,

Ed shook hands with the President of the United States.

Or was it was the Governor?

I’ve forgotten, dear.

I do remember Brent spending a semester abroad

looking for the Loch Ness Monster in Austria

and all throughout Asia and Europe.

It was the most amazing coincidence

when we all met at Wall Drug

and took pictures of us riding the Jackolope.

I’m not exaggerating.  Nope.

We didn’t know for three days

that the Great Pyramids of Egypt

were right outside our window at Bob Creek.

To top off the evening,

DeRay seriously starting bragging

about his career when he was the General at HAFB

and single-handedly designed the space shuttle,

giving birth to the Space Program,

while flying on AirForce I.

Oh, here’s the dessert.

Yummy double-chocolate pudding cake

With four scoops of vanilla ice cream.

Two servings each?

It’s been nice talking to you.

Let's keep in touch.

 SNOW??????

TWO WEEKS LATER

Home Sweet Home

ODDS AND ENDS Mostly Odd to the End

NO CELL PHONES

What is very different about a cruise ship environment?  No one is incessantly talking on a cell phone, texting, nothing.  People are talking to each other, reading, sleeping—just like the good old days.  Refreshing.

KEEPING TRACK OF TIME

You never had to be confused about the day.  They spelled it out for us on each elevator.

EXPLORE

Everyday the staff offered courses in exploring 1) Our World; 2) Food & Entertainment; 3) Technology; and 4) Well-being.  You can't do them all everyday but we did as many as we could.  We rarely missed a presentation by our travel guide Dr. Wallis Hutton, a research scientist, educator, and world traveler.  Wallis is committed to finding ways to share her love of the scientific and natural world as well as her knowledge of the history, culture, and the gastronomic delights of areas she has visited with anyone interested enough to ask.  An avid hiker and mountaineer, she enjoys climbing an active volcano on her birthday each year.  From our place in the audience, she looked to be about 17 years old, slender and dressing youngish.  She talks a mile a minute, uses color slides, and puts out information and facts faster and more interestingly than anyone I've ever heard. She gave us the history of each of the places we visited, including the Panama Canal construction, history, and future. She says her adopted country is Mexico.  She is actually on the faculty of the university there.  She's probably 40ish.  She alone was worth the price of admission.

All of the entertainment was exception.  On the bus from the airport to the cruise ship, we met one of the impressive entertainers, Chris Michaels.  He plays eight different instruments from the banjo to the turkey baster.  DeRay visited with him a lot during the course of the two weeks.  On stage he looks just like Rudy Giuliani.  "I'll bet you didn't know Rudy could play the saw," he quips.  

MOVIES

DeRay and Ed went to the movie “The Hunger Games” at 5.  Three of the movies they have featured on this ship were movies they played at Snowbird the week we were there.  “The Hunger Games,” “Salmon Fishing in Yemen” and “the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.” 

SERVICES

 

 

E’Mam who stood at the computer in the dining room has an amazing memory.  We told him our name and room number once and never had to tell him again.  When we walked out, he call “Good bye Hug.”  He said it takes him three days to have everyone’s name and room number down but “I learned yours the first day.”  He put us together even though DeRay wasn’t even with us the first day. If we came in separately, he would show us where the others were seated in that huge dining room.

Madi, in the dining room, is breaking his contract so he has to pay his own way home.  He got married last year and has a 4-month old son he’s never seen.  Agus, our other waiter, may go home with him.  He’s only been out 9 months.  5 ½ million people on the small island they live on in Bali.  Such beautiful, gentle people.  

DeRay and Madi

 The best investment we made was buying sparkling water from Madi the first night.  All the sparkling (for DeRay and me) and still (for Eddy) water we could drink all the time we were on the ship for $10.27.  It made every meal a celebration.

We congratulated ourselves on saving so much money because we don’t drink alcoholic beverages.  Then DeRay had to ruin it all by explaining:  “We don’t drink wine, we pay tithing,” DeRay figures wine is cheaper.  “That’s how drinkers do it.  You couldn’t do both,” he extols.

Every meal I would figure out what both Eddy and I were going to order and quickly order it.  Then the waiter would go over to DeRay and he could never decide.  Madi would tap his pencil and wait and wait and finally offer suggestions and wait some more.  Just a quirk, I guess.  DeRay doesn’t seem to be able to make a decision where food is concerned.  Maybe he wanted it all. 

  I talked to Madi, our cabin steward.  He’s from Bali also – been away from home for 23 years.  He has a 20 year old, 17-year old and 7-year old.  All girls.  His wife started an icy veggie drink stand a month ago.  He hopes it works out so he doesn’t have to come back. The business is struggling and with two girls in college, he doesn’t know if they will make it.  The oldest girl is in nursing and the youngest in computers.  At least, that’s his story.  Maybe he just tells it to get extra tips.  We tipped him personally the $20 we found in the laundry room.  He flies out Friday night and will be home two days later.  He’s already packed.  I hope he can stay home with his family this time.  Inshallah.

 Both of them always greeted us and called us by name when they met us in hallway.   

Thursday October 25.  Our stewards had our suitcases out on the bed for us when they made up the room in the morning.  What could we do but fill them?

 CLEAN WINDOWS

The first day, DeRay asked the cabin stewards to clean our windows on the outside.  We could hardly see out of the window we paid extra to have.  They took him seriously and carefully explained that they don’t have permission to wash the outside but promised to keep the inside very clean.  “Sure you can,” DeRay encouraged, “I’ll get a rope and dangle you down.”  When we came back from our tour in Aruba, lo and behold the window on the outside was sparkly clean.  “It pays to complain,” DeRay muses.  He felt totally responsible.  Then we noticed they washed the windows on the outside at every port.  “Probably part of the contract,” DeRay decides.  “You can’t come into our port unless you pay us to wash your windows.”

 

  TWINS

BINGO!  I finally got a glancing shot of the twins as we were leaving the theater.  I regret not getting a photo last night on formal night.  They are probably close to 50, slender, identical hair cuts, slightly different tints.  They sat on the table next to us in the dining room every night.  Identical twins, they always wore identical clothes, exact same pattern, but different colors and fabric design; like on formal night the skirt on their dresses was 3-tier.  One was black and white alternating and the other one was black plaid, red, and white.  Jewelry same style but different colors.  Same with shoes.  DeRay said when he saw them on the deck they were dressed identically.  They had to wear designer clothes.  You don’t find them on the rack like that.  Intriguing.  The clothes they wore the night I finally focused enough to get a picture weren’t as flashy as their other clothes but you get the idea.

CREATURE OF HABIT

I find I’m quite a creature of habit.  The things I have enjoyed the most are the routine things:  Meals at the same time; book club; 

A scrumptious tea for our last meeting.

Ian, the librarian from Canada, did a great job leading the discussions for Like Water for Chocolate

 Tai Chi;

Lifestylist Jean-Marie from Spain leads our Tai Chi each evening at 5.

 Adagios.  New adventures distress me.  Silly me.  What am I missing?  Yes.  I think I want to be a dolphin in the next life.

PREPAREDNESS

Amy helped us get organized for this trip and it’s the first time we haven’t forgotten anything.  She knew what we could take on the airplane (oops she forgot to check my driver's license) and advised us on necessities and things we would need in extenuating circumstances, like medications.  I got a Staph infection on my shin that could have become a real problem if we hadn't brought the salve. One year Ed had an allergic reaction to the antibiotics he was on.  After-hours office visit was $35, which the nurse waived because she was nice. (The doctor only works two hours a day so almost everything is after hours.)  It cost us like $15 for six Benadryl.  We took Benadryl this time to be sure but I wouldn’t have remember it if Amy hadn’t mentioned it.   “One sweater, one long-sleeved shirt,” she said, and it all worked out and fit into one carry-on suitcase.

THANK YOU TO CLARE AND GARY

. . . for your wonderful transporting services.  Gary packed from our car to their van on our way to the airport; and back again when we returned.  Clare drove us to the airport, even though they were leaving the next day to go to Phoenix for a surprise birthday party for Erik.  On return, she picked us up at the car rental service.  She even had the car washed and shiny for us, besides storing it for two weeks under lock and key. Anywhere else would have charged $10/day minimum, that’s $140.  We express our gratitude.

Cabo San Lucas Panama Canal 11

Wednesday Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

7 am, Safely Anchored in San Lucas Bay.

12 noon E Light breeze, clear skies, very smooth seas

(it didn’t feel like "smooth seas"
when we were trying to step from the ship to the tender),

79 degrees F. 

Up on Deck 6 since 6,

ostensibly to walk, 

                                                    but mainly took pictures of the sunrise

and fishing boats swarming around like flies.

Jerry said they waited for the boom and flare

then took off like Olympic racers.

There is evidently a fishing curfew.

By sheer coincidence,

we got on the same tender as Jerry and Lana Gale.

DeRay commented to the people he was sitting by,

“There are over 1800 people on this ship;

14 tenders holding 140 people each

and my wife, without any planning,

is sitting 6 feet from her brother.”

We didn’t see them again until lunch back on the ship.

We bought vanilla, a scarf

(I went in with a total stranger

because they were 2 for $12 or $7 each.

“Just think, we each saved a whole dollar!”),

little Mexican hats for our Christmas garland

and a little flute like thing for no good reason.

Catch the gold man (Captain Hook) in the background.  A real person--who wanted a tip!

The ship was anchored way out,

necessitating a very long tender ride in.

Tenders are really lifeboats

but they call them tenders so people don’t panic.

When we got back to ship,

DeRay and Ed watched them load the tenders.

Raising the lifeboat.

I watched the last one, being official photographer and all.

Leaving Cabo at 3:30.

Goodbye forever.

(This is the 4^th time this year we’ve been to Cabo.

When we came in January or was it February by now,

we had two days planned in Cabo,

going out to sea during the night

so they could open their casino and shops;

then we had to return after our last day

to drop off someone for a medical emergency;

and this time makes 4!)

I observed the beach with fondness Brent and I walked on.

He made everything more fun.

Daredevil.

San Diego here we come!

Ed’s starting to talk about how good it will feel to get home.

3:24 pm Departing San Lucas Bay bound for San Diego

Puerta Vallarta Panama Canal Cruise 10

 7 am Local Pilot Onboard;

7:50 am Arrival Puerto Vallarta, Mexico;

12 noon SW gentle breeze, clear skies, harbor conditions 79 degrees F;

At Puerta Vallarta,

I watch people get off the cruise ship

and climb directly on a little sight-seeing boat,

a catamaran or some other type of floating apparatus.

They wave to us.

Why would you want to sail when you’ve been sailing for two weeks?

They pay $169 each for that?

Doesn’t look fun to me.

Getting off the ship,

we walk through the flea market to the beach.

DeRay and Ed didn’t want to go down the stairs

so I walk the beach alone—

the one Brent showed me when we were here in January.

He walked four miles along it all the way from town.

Lovely.

No one there to take my picture so I take my own.  Does this prove I went back to the beach Brent found?

A family beach activity.

Don't worry, son, the life-guard in the forefront to the rescue!

Reminds me of my granddaughters' hair--am I getting homesick?

Jerry, Lana, DeRay and Ed are still at the flea market when I return.

I want to buy a brightly colored metallic sun or toad

for our St. George house but DeRay's not interested.

He bought himself 3 more T-shirts at $5 each.

He’s got 30 T-shirts at home that

Brent and Jan have given him from their bicycle business.

I think I need a decoration more than he needs T-shirts.

He also bought some vanilla.

It’s like 94 degrees  90% humidity

so we were glad to get back on board.

The main tourist attraction although Madi says "prices no better". Walmart also.

Lunch in Lido,

then we watched the launch,

our last one, as Ed points out.

Local pilot going back to shore.

  Our trip is winding down.

1:52 pm Vessel undocked, departing Puerto Vallarta.

Huatulco, Mexico Panama Canal Cruise Part 9

9:50 Local Pilot Onboard.

10:40 am Arrival Huatulco, Mexico.

12 noon light air, clear skies, harbor conditions 94 degrees F.

We didn’t see much of Jerry and Lana Gale.  Maybe Lana thought we were too slow and too fat for such a young, dapper couple.

 I didn’t want the two weeks to pass without spending some time with Jerry.  Wallis had told us about a walk on a trail up over a little hill to the town from the harbor so I proposed it.  Lana immediately rejected it but Jerry accepted.  Lana, Gary, and Joyce hired a taxi to take them to the points of interest she wanted to see.

Silly me, I spent a restless night worrying about our hike into town.  Any little thing just throws me for a loop.  The ship arrived early – around 10:30 instead of noon so Jerry and I decided to go earlier.  We had planned to go around 1 after the early pushers and shovers were off the boat.  It is supposed to be 97 degrees with 90% humidity. We left around 11.  Wallis was standing by the gangplank so we had her point us in the right direction. 

I asked him if he were going to hold still so I could take his picture.

"It's Mahi Mahi" he said.  "I'm a fisherman."

Still rock hunting.  Does this surprise anyone?

We couldn't figure out what the hoses were for.

Or the terraces.

Looking back.

Looking towards the town.

My fetish.  Clothes on a line.

Children's toys - same as ours.

Jerry noted that it looks like someone sleeps on the roof.

Lunch in the park.

Looking towards the Church.

    We walked to the church; ate the hamburgers we brought from the ship at a cool clean park.  Apple and banana also.  Unlike Brent and a lot of other people, including Wallis, we don’t trust the local food venders.  Lana, Gary and Joyce came to the church while we were enjoying our lunch.  Jerry called to them.  It doesn’t seem like Sunday but we did go in the church with the beautiful ceiling.

The ceiling.

Coconuts

Walking back up.

Where we were.

Where we're going

Uncle Ed's hobby

  We didn’t think it was 1½ miles like she said.  It was just up a little hill and down again.  

 The water was so warm in the ocean, it surprised me.  We’ve never been to Mexico in October.  Beautiful sandy beach.  Beautiful alcove.

Thanks for the walk.

 It was fun to go with Jerry.

DeRay and Ed hadn’t left the ship so I walked back in with them to buy DeRay a Coke.  Baby.  We met Jerry coming back from buying seven Cokes to last him the rest of the cruise. 

  DeRay and Ed watched cast off from Deck 6.  I went topside when we got back to get water and a snack, witnessing our departure from my Tai Chi class.

 

4:35 pm Vessel undocked, departing Huatulco