Scrapnana

Edit to above... Celebrity Beyond will be at pier 19 from 5am to 5pm. (She was not on my original list.)

Evidently, the port has not caught up with that because 19 is still on their schedule.

I spoke with him today and he sent you his regards. He got a big laugh about your "favorite fisherman" remark. He said as of right now he is going to the Oosterdam but things could change.

To Quit or Not to Quit - November 5 I have been contemplating not going to trivia anymore. It really isn't much fun playing alone. One of the best things about trivia is being able to bounce ideas off of each other and often coming up with an answer. I finally decided to keep going (at least for now) in hopes that I will hear something that will help me when playing trivia on the world cruise. I did not go to crafts today and swam instead. There was a major breeze out and I had to put a small table on top of my shoes so they would not blow away (I had that happen once). With the breeze, the sun did not seem so hot. After 4pm trivia, I sat out by the Lido pool (which is partially covered) and read some. I then tried to print something in the library but the printer was out of paper. I went to Guest Services where I was told someone had just gone to put paper in it, so I went back to the library - still no paper - so I gave up and did my four laps around the Promenade deck. There were still two security men out scanning the sea. Pete was back at dinner tonight but Sherry was not. I skipped the show tonight and took a lap around the deck. As the day ends, we are entering the Arabian Sea which is a part of the northern Indian Ocean. 1pm trivia - I had 11 out of 17 and the winners had 15 1. How many bathrooms does the White House have? 2. Which nut is used to make marzipan? 3. Which country has the most vending machines per capita? 4. What is the deadliest insect? 5. What does Hakuna Matata mean? 1. 35 2. almond 3. Japan 4. mosquito 5. no worries 4 pm trivia - I had 10 out of 18 and the winning team had 15. 1. What is the only rock that floats? 2. What is the collective name for a group of cobras? 3. Which country comes last alphabetically? 4. In what country was the first motorway built? 5. What two words are combined to make the food "Spam"? 1. pumice 2. quiver 3. Zimbabwe 4. Italy 5. spiced ham

Being at pier 19 means we get a partial view. Wonder why today's and tomorrow's HAL ships are at 19 rather than the usual 26.

Nieuw Amsterdam will be at pier 19 (starboard to) from 5:30am to 3pm. She is doing a 7-day Western Caribbean cruise. Nieuw Amsterdam is the only cruise ship in port. The PTZtv webcam can be found at https://www.portevergladeswebcam.com/. Next up: Eurodam and Rotterdam on Wednesday, 9 November.

Nieuw Statendam will be at pier 19 (Starboard to) from 4:45am to 3pm. She is going on a 7-day Western Caribbean cruise. Also in port are Celebrity Infinity at pier 25 (6am - 4pm) and Allure of the Seas at pier 18 (5:15am - 4:30pm). The PTZtv webcam can be found at https://www.portevergladeswebcam.com/. Next up: Nieuw Amsterdam on November 6.

Into the Gulf of Aden - November 4 All of my usual sea day activities so I will not bore you with listing them. Today was a tad cooler, a little less muggy, and had more of a breeze so I was able to take my after-trivia walk around the Promenade deck. Sunset was at 4:38 and it got dark as I was walking. As mentioned in the letter we received, not all of the lights came on outside. I also noticed that there were at first two and later three security officers with binoculars out on the deck as we exited the Red Sea and entered the Gulf of Aden. The narrow divide between Yemen and Djibouti is only about 18 miles across. (At one time there was a plan to build an 18-mile bridge to connect the two countries but nothing has been done about it for a number of years.) The covers are off of the sound machines and I am not sure if the security men were concerned about the close distance at the exit of the Red Sea or that we were entering the "High Risk" area. It will be interesting to see how long they will continue their surveillance on the Promenade deck. Except for Pete, we were all back at the dinner table and talked about where we had eaten the night before. We talked until after 9 o'clock. I went to the show afterwards. It was a singer, Maria Campos, who sang show tunes. Before returning to my cabin, I took a final lap around the deck. There were two security men who were likely using night vision goggles because I could not see anything more than 6 feet from the ship. 1pm trivia - I had 9 out of 19, the winners had 16 1. What type of acid is used in car batteries? 2. Which part of the human body contains the most gold? 3. What was the first James Bond book? 4. How did Alfred Nobel make his money? 5. Which leader lives in the Potola Palace? 1. sulfuric 2. toenails 3. Casino Royale 4. dynamite 5. Dalai Lama 4pm trivia - I had 7 out of 18, the winners had 16 1. Which fruit contains the most protein? 2. Canus Lupus is the scientific name for what animal? 3. What color are flamingoes when they are hatched? 4. What M&M color was discontinued in 1976 and later brought back? 5. Black Forest Cake originated in what country? 1. guava 2. wolf 3. grey 4. red 5. Germany

I will see what I can find out.

There was a page on the HAL website although I think some of them changed (I haven't been able to get on the HAL website for over two weeks to check).

Between Saudi Arabia and Sudan - November 3 It was a hot, humid day as we sailed our last full day in the Red Sea. Two more of the machines, which I believe are the ones that make a very loud noise should pirates decide we look tempting, arrived on deck 3 today. Sit and Stitch, lunch, trivia, but then I veered away from my normal routine. I had decided not to go to crafts today. They were making aluminum earrings and they didn't sound like something I really wanted. Instead, I decided to spend my afternoon at the Sea View Pool. I swam for a half hour and was able to get the equivalent of 20 lengths of the 25-meter pool at home. It takes me about six lengths in the Sea View pool to equal one from home. I read for a time and then came in to get ready for afternoon trivia (still no team). At 6:30 there was a trivia pitting the Zaandam Officers against the guests. There were three tables of five officers each. The guests won in a tie-breaker. I was invited to join a different Judy and Bob (the ones from the 2018 and 2020 World Voyages) at their table for dinner. It was a lot of fun and we were one of the last tables to leave the dining room. After dinner the show was an impressionist, Robbie Howard, that I am sure I have seen before. Walked out on the Promenade deck on my way back and it was still hot and humid. The Ship Information channel is showing the temperature at 88F. 1pm trivia - About Egypt - I had 9 out of 17 and the winning team had 14 1. The Valley of the Kings was built near the ancient city of Thebes. What is Thebes called today? 2. How old was Tut when he became pharaoh? 3. If you unwrapped a mummy, how long would the bandages be? 4. What was the most sacred animal to the ancient Egyptians? 5. Ancient Egyptians invented what famous commodity that is used extensively today? 1. Luxor 2. 9 3. 1.6 km or just under a mile 4. cats (smart people!) 5. toothpaste 4pm trivia - I had 8 out of 18 and the winners had 15 1. What color is absinthe? 2. How many African countries are there? 3. What mammals name is derived from a Native American word meaning, "he who squirts"? 4. In what country would you find the world's highest waterfall? 5. What is the largest species of parrot by wingspan? 1. green 2. 54 3. skunk 4. Venezuela 5. macaw Officers v. Guests trivia - I had 16 out of 23 and the winning teams tied at 18 1. What country would you be in if you were on James Bond Beach? 2. What is the world's busiest cruise port? 3. Who was the Greek Goddess of love? 4. What color are the lights on the starboard side of the ship? 5. What is the only fish that can blink with both eyes? 1. Jamaica 2. Miami 3. Aphrodite 4. green 5. shark

Jacqui, I am so sorry to hear of your accident. I am hoping for a quick recovery.

Finally, a sea day - November 2 It was nice to have a relaxing sea day after four days in port. I did my usual routine - Sit and Stitch, lunch, trivia, crafts, trivia, 4 laps around the deck, dinner, and show with a few extras thrown in. I stopped by Shore Excursions to change an excursion I booked. You can book excursions on HAL's Navigator app, but you can't cancel them. I also got on a waiting list for another excursion I want. We received the letter about pirates although it was phrased differently. It talked about us entering the "High Risk" area and what preventions will be taken. On his noon update, the Captain let us know that this designation was ending on January 1 because the issue is not the problem it once was. Before dinner I went to the "Ultimate Mind Game" but had to leave before the answers. The questions were like the classic, "Some months have 30 days and some have 31. How many have 28?" Of course, the answer is all of them. Tonight was another "Dressy" night with a special menu. We talked about what we all did yesterday and found out we were all going our separate ways tomorrow night. I went to the show after dinner. It was called "Your Song" and was a tribute to Elton John by the Singers and Dancers. Another week of sea days lie ahead so it is relaxation time. 1pm trivia - I had 9.5/18 and the winners had 16.5 1. How many fingers does Mickey Mouse have in total not counting his thumbs? 2. What do you have to pick to win the "daily double" at the track? 3. What two months are named after men? 4. What do the initial J.K. stand for in the author's name? 5. What color is the $20 bill in the original Monopoly? 1. 6 2. first place in races one and two 3. July and August 4. Joanne Kathleen (1/2 point for each) 5. green 4pm trivia - I had only 5/18 and the winners had 12 1. How many Oscar nominations did Marilyn Monroe receive? 2. On the periodic table, which element has the shortest name? 3. Who was Time's Man of the Year in 1939 and 1942? 4. What is pogonophobia? 5. How many teeth does an aardvark have? 1. none 2. tin 3. Stalin 4. fear of beards 5. none

I would do the same!

Have a great time, Roy!

Safaga, Egypt - November 1 Today was an interesting day. I had an excursion so I had my usual pancakes for breakfast but they were disappointing - the edges were crusty - I think they had sat for too long. Judy (Lee) came by and talked to me for a bit and then I left early for my excursion. The excursion was called "Safaga Ghost Village" and was set up on the roll call on Cruise Critic. The vans were supposed to leave at 9:30 but there was a mix-up as to where we were supposed to meet - on the dock or at the port gate. When they hadn't shown by 9:25, we all hopped on the shuttle to the gate where we did find them. Well, sort of. The description said we would have three air-conditioned vans until the last stop which was supposed to be a Bedouin village (you will see the word "supposed" frequently) which we would get to after transferring to 4x4 vehicles. Instead, there were four 4x4 vehicles waiting for us and to get into the back of them you had to step up on to the back which was 17 inches off the ground (yes, I measured). My knees couldn't do it and I knew if I could get in (I was offered help from some on the tour) I could not get down and then have to repeat the process at each stop. I was telling the lady that organized the excursion that I was not going to go, when the guide told me to ride in the passenger seat in one of the vehicles. It was still high off the ground but it had places to hold on to rather than one strap. So, I went after all. We drove for some time on mostly dirt roads so I could see the need for the 4x4 vehicles - the vans could not have done it. We made a bathroom break at an interesting building in the middle of nowhere - literally. They gave us a glass of cool hibiscus tea while we waited for everyone to use the facilities and then a bottle of water as we left. Then it was off on more dirt tracks with, in some places, sheer drop-offs on both sides. I held my breath a number of times. I don't think the people in the back (who sat facing each other) noticed. We finally went up an especially steep and windy path to the owner's villa that overlooked the village and were told the story of the place. The village's actual name was Umm El Huetat and was built about 1902 by a mining company that was removing phosphate from the surrounding mountains. It was used until 1996 (according to the guide although information I found online said 1988) when the company could not make enough profit and closed it down. It was a typical company owned town - they owned all the buildings and ran the stores, hospital, and schools. One of our guides lived there and took us to the house where he was born and lived and the high school he went to. At one time, 16,000 people lived in the town. It was then back to the rest stop from before and this time we were given a cold can of Coke (which really tasted good after being out in the sun). We stayed, and stayed, and stayed. Finally, the guide told us that the vans were going to pick us up and we would not have to ride in the 4x4s anymore. More time passed and then we were told to get back in the 4x4s and the vans would meet us where the paved road began. He also said the company was going to pay for our lunches instead of the $20-25 that was supposed to be on us. All in all, we spent well over an hour at the rest stop which put us way behind schedule since we were supposed to have lunch at 1pm and did not leave the rest stop until after 2. We met the vans but there were only two so we were crammed into them like sardines but they were air conditioned. At that point we were supposed to have lunch and five more stops - a bit too ambitious for what was supposed to be a six-hour excursion. The drive to the restaurant seemed to go on forever and I even started to nod off a few times. The restaurant was changed also (likely less expensive than the one we were going to pay for). The guide didn't seem to know where the restaurant was, so we drove around for some time. Finally, at 3:30 we arrived. The food was delicious and there was plenty of it. First, we had plates of rice, hummus, and salad and a bowl of very tasty soup, as well as two bowls of mystery ingredients which we assumed were for dipping the bread in (at least, that is what we did). Then we were given a plate with three types of meat which we decided were beef, lamb, and chicken (that one was easy) that all had been grilled. So now it was 4:30 and we were supposed to be back on the ship at 5pm with five stops still on the list. The Bedouin village was scrapped first (the rest stop was kind of like what we would have seen). I had brought along a head scarf for the second time to visit a mosque and, just like the first time, the mosque was eliminated. We were given a half hour to visit the fort (on our own) and/or do some shopping at the souk. Since it was getting late, many of the shops had reopened (they usually close in the middle of the day) so the city was coming alive. Our last stop (and it was getting dark) was at the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Martyr Barbara Church. We had time to walk around the church (which is Coptic Orthodox) and then into the vans on the way home. I was in the very back and it was very bumpy even though we were on a newish divided highway. My Fitbit must have thought all the movement was me jogging (as if) and I got almost two miles on the 45-minute drive home. Just before 7pm we got back to the port gate where we had to wait about 15 minutes for the port shuttle which took us back to the building where we had our bags screened and walked through a metal detector (we had to do this leaving the port this morning, also), back on the shuttle bus to go about 200 yards to get on the ship. It's good the ship was in port until midnight (many had taken the 13-14 hour excursion to Luxor) since the tour ran two hours longer than it was supposed to (my last "supposed"). Once on board I grabbed my computer and went up to the Lido to get some ice cream and work on my pictures. The pictures load much faster up there, so I think some of my late-night issues are because the signal is not good in my cabin. I am finishing this up at 12:25 am and we are just leaving port. We have eight relaxing sea days coming up.

I am currently on Zaandam. We all had to test the fifth day of the cruise. About 25 of us tested positive out of approximately 1100 passengers. If I am doing my math correctly, that is just over 2%.

I am a blogger but I receive no money for my blog. So, if you ever read my blog you can believe what I say - I am not making it up to profit off of it.

Aqaba, Jordan - October 31 After two early mornings, I slept until I was slept out - about 9:15 (I'd gone to bed around 12:30). I puttered around my cabin and left for the shuttle at 10:15. The ride into the city was only about 10 minutes. Aqaba is on the Gulf of Aqaba (unless you are Israeli and then it is the Gulf of Eilat). It is an ancient city and is strategic because it is Jordan's only seaport and it is a gateway to the major tourist attractions of Petra and Wadi Rum. It also has the southernmost border crossing with Israel. I wasn't certain how comfortable I would feel walking around on my own but it was fine. I walked about two miles and looked at all the interesting shops. Virtually all of them put their merchandise out on the street to view. Not sure why, but it could be because of the normal heat here - it's cooler on the street than in a closed in shop with no a/c. After about an hour I took the shuttle back to the ship and gathered my things together to go to the Lido for lunch and to work on uploading pictures for the blog. After finishing the pictures, I walked out on the back deck and realized it was the perfect day for a swim and some sun. I hustled to my cabin, changed, and was in the pool within 15 minutes. I swam for a half hour and did the equivalent of 20 lengths of the pool at home and then sat in the sun for an hour. I made another pitcher of tea and changed again to go out to watch us sail from Aqaba. I've been on the ship for three weeks and I finally met my next-door neighbor, Paul. All five of us were at dinner but four of them are going to Luxor tomorrow which is a 13-14 hour excursion. Since I will be the only one left, I plan to eat in the Lido. There was a Halloween Costume Party on the World Stage after dinner. I looked in, took some pictures, and left. Quite a few people had costumes on. We gain the hour we lost Saturday night since we are returning to Egyptian time. Safaga, Egypt tomorrow.

Thanks for the information. I used to have an app that I used but it is no longer in existence. I will check out Compress.

You can rent a fridge. When I got on there were two cans of Coke and a bottle of water sitting on the desk.

I Survived Petra! - October 30 I woke up at 5:30 (alarm was set for 5:45) so I got up to get ready for the day that I had been looking forward to but at the same time, dreading. After breakfast I headed to the World Stage (our meeting place) at 7:00. We had yet to be cleared, so we sat and sat until after 7:30 when we were finally able to leave the ship. We had to present our passports to the Jordanian authorities, left them with the ship staff, and headed to our buses. The drive to Petra took about two hours and we had a short break on the way. Somehow I never realized Petra was in the middle of a city - I envisioned it being out in the middle of nowhere. The city actually grew around Petra because of the tourist trade. We followed our guide as we walked about a half mile (although it seemed longer) from the entrance to the beginning of the Siq. This walk was in the sun so we were lucky that the temperature was only in the high 70s. The Siq is where you enter the cleft in the rocks on the way to the remains of the buildings. The guide stopped periodically to tell us about the different things we were passing. Unfortunately, I missed much of what he was saying because I was usually the last one. The walk sloped slightly downward as we went and the ground was very uneven - in most places it was either loose gravel or large uneven stones. I had to walk slowly so I didn't twist an ankle and fall. I would finally catch up and hear the last bit of what he was saying. Briefly, Petra was the home of group of Bedouins called Nabataeans. They were traders and the buildings in Petra reflect some of their trading partners, such as the Greeks. Eventually, the Nabataeans were conquered by Rome and with changing trade routes, after the Crusades the city was forgotten until discovered by a Swiss traveler in 1812. Since that time there have been numerous conservation and restoration programs. In 1985 it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is now considered one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. At the end of the Siq (which is about 3/4 of a mile long), you come upon the most famous building in the complex, known as the Treasury. Although actually a mausoleum, it was thought to hold treasure so it became known as the Treasury. You may have seen it in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Much of the city is carved from stone which is a reddish color, so it is often called the "Rose City". We were starting to run out of time but the guide took us a little further in to the Street of Facades. From there he left us to walk back on our own. We were supposed to reach the hotel where we were having lunch in under 40 minutes - it took me an hour but at least I made it safely. I didn't realize how much of a downward slant we had gone until I started back up! I was very late to lunch (many were already finished) so I ate very quickly so I could be back on the bus in time. The food was served buffet style and was very good, so I wish I'd had the time to enjoy it more. We made one rest stop on the way back and got back after 5 pm. I stopped for a cold drink to take to my cabin before a shower and a bit of a rest. It was a tiring day but I was glad I did it. I certainly never would have made it when I was here before in 2014. If I were ever to go to Petra again, I would take one of the golf carts to the Treasury and back so I could spend time seeing more of the parts we did not have time for today. Pete and Sherry had gone on a dinner cruise so it was only the three of us for dinner. There was no show. We are overnighting here and I plan to sleep late and take the shuttle into Aqaba tomorrow.

Sharm el-Sheikh - October 29 Sharm el- Sheikh is a holiday destination on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula. There was nothing much there until 1968 when the tourist trade made it a popular spot. It is also a place where international conferences often take place. Next month there is going to be one on climate. We were supposed to get in at 7am and our group (an excursion set up on Cruise Critic) was supposed to meet at 7:30 so I got up at 5:45. I wasn't sure about lunch so I went to the Lido and had an orange juice and a very good pancake. As it turned out we did not get into port until 7:30 and were not cleared by the Egyptian authorities until 8:30. We were finally let off the ship and had to put our things through the x-ray machine (binoculars were not allowed) and were patted down. The vans finally set off at 9:30. The first stop was at the Ras Mohammad National Park. The entire area looks like a moonscape but at the park there were some beautiful bodies of water as well ac small plants popular with the wild camels that populate the area. We had a short stop for tea and a bathroom break at a Bedouin camp. After about two hours at the camp we returned to the city where we visited a Coptic Orthodox Cathedral. It was built recently and the entire interior was painted with Bible stories by two artists. Lunch at a seafood restaurant was next and we had a huge meal for $20. We walked by the large Mosque but could not go in because it was prayer time. Instead, we were given time to shop and then returned to the ship. I went up on deck and read before time for sail-away. At dinner we all talked about our day. Judy and Bob had gone snorkeling and Pete and Sherry had gone on a glass-bottomed boat. I did not go to the show because I needed to finish the blog, we lose an hour tonight to get on Jordanian time, and my tour meets at 7am! I have only been able to upload about half my pictures and the last one took ten minutes. I have a 9 hour tour tomorrow, so they may not be up until the day after.

It is an all HAL day in Port Everglades on Sunday. Nieuw Amsterdam will be at pier 19 (Captain's choice) from 7am to 5 pm. She has a Malt Shop Memories charter. Rotterdam will be at pier 26 (Captain's Choice) from 7am to 5pm. She is heading out on a 10-day Southern Caribbean Seafarer cruise. The PTZtv webcam can be found at https://www.portevergladeswebcam.com/. Next up: Nieuw Statendam on 5 November.

Suez Canal - October 28 Somewhere around 5:30 am we entered the canal (I was told this - I was still asleep). I was up by 8am and quickly dressed to go out on deck and get some pictures. I went out on the bow for a while as we went under the Suez Canal bridge. This was my second trip through the Suez Canal (2014 World Voyage was my first). Time for another short history lesson (once a teacher, always a teacher). The building of the canal was spearheaded by a French man, Ferdinand de Lesseps, and was built between 1859 and 1869. The canal is at sea level so there are no locks (de Lesseps tried to repeat his success by building a canal through Central America but there was no way to do it without locks, though he tried). The canal reduces the distance between Asia and Europe by about 5000 miles. The west side of the canal is more inhabited and the east side, which is part of the Sinai Peninsula, is mostly desert. This is actually part of Asia and the Suez Canal Bridge links the two continents. We had commentary from Jeremy (Cruise and Travel Director) and the bow was open to the passengers. Just like the Panama Canal, it is a place you need to go to different parts of the ship to catch all of the sights. While all of this was going on I carried on with my normal activities. With people watching the canal, I was able to find a team that needed one more person for 1pm trivia. We finished the transit at about 3:30 when we passed the city of Suez and entered the Red Sea. Jeremy told us that our transit cost $350,589 (which is over $200 per person). Afternoon trivia was music from the 50's. I played alone and was able to get 17 out of 24 points. Usually, I do much worse on music trivia. Afterwards I walked 5 laps around the deck since I had done a lot of sitting today. We had to pick up our passports between 7 and 9 because the Egyptian authorities require this. There were only three of us for dinner and I skipped the show because I needed to get things together for tomorrow and finish some items on Cruise Critic. Sharm El-Sheikh tomorrow and I have a tour that was arranged on our roll call with the company, Across Africa. 1pm trivia - we had 11/18, winners had 13 1. How many walking legs does a lobster have? 2. Which two countries have the longest border? 3. What is a "haboob"? 4. What is the most popular car color? 5. What was the first animal to go into space? 6. How many tentacles does a squid have? 1. 8 2. US - Canada 3. sandstorm or windstorm 4. white 5. dog 6. 10