John and Diane's LAST Round the World Adventure

[SilvertoGold]

Diane

 

I understand what you mean about "something lacking".

For us it was no soul, no history, no realness, no character. An event, not a place.

 

Nevertheless, it is interesting in its way!

 

Loving your posts!

[Johnny B]

Tuesday, March 24, 2015 - Day 78

Dubai, UAE

 

I am soooo disappointed. We wanted to go into the desert for dinner in a tent, but found out that those activities sell out fast and that we had absolutely no chance of participating this evening. However, we did a lot today and saw a great deal of Dubai - not all of which I liked. I don’t know what it is, but it just seems like this is too much like Las Vegas, but bigger. It’s an oasis in the middle of the desert with the biggest this and the most of that, but really, it’s just like a plastic facade to me. Many people I know just love Dubai, but our first two days here haven’t “spoken” to me as they do in other cities. I think the insight that we’re comparing it with the warmth and rich sensory detail of India is correct. Here there seem to be competitions to see if they can outdo everyplace else, and very little else - except, of course, for excellent shopping.

 

We began today by going up the Burj Khalifa - 2700+ feet in the air and, of course, the tallest building in the world. The views are excellent, except that you can’t see very far, since there is a lot of haze and there’s a lot that can’t be seen. The statistic I liked best about that outing is that we went 148 floors in 65 seconds - can you imagine?

 

After our vertical outing, we found Madeleine, a lovely little French cafe overlooking “The Fountains” of the mall (very much like Bellagio in Las Vegas). Then, after determining that we just couldn’t go out into the desert, it was time to finish our HOHO tour with a drive to the Marina/Palm area of the city. The Marina is just beautiful - very much like Clark Quay in Singapore - but I was disappointed in The Palm for a very silly reason. Having seen photos of it, I didn’t realize that it wasn’t nearly so spectacular as seen from ground level. You have to be above it to see the beautiful fronds of the area.

 

Finally we were done with our tour and headed back to the ship, hoping to run into our great friends George Geary and his partner Neil, but it turned out they were making an evening of it and wouldn’t be back for cocktails or dinner. We’ll check in with them tomorrow and welcome them on board.

 

Dubai has been an eye-opener. I’ve wanted to come here for a very long time, and I was really pre-disposed to love every bit of it. I did love the Dubai Creek area and we wish we had spent more time in the souks, but overall it just didn’t speak to me. I wish I could have taken more away from it, and perhaps two days wasn’t enough to fairly judge the place, so we’ll look forward to another visit sometime to see if it grows on me.

[Johnny B]

Wednesday, March 25, 2015 - Day 79

At Sea en route to Muscat, Oman

 

Last evening we had lots of conversations about Dubai with friends and acquaintances. I don’t think we’ve found such discrepancies in opinion about any port we’ve been to on this cruise. Our friend Leslie loves Dubai - especially because she loves being able to shop in the world’s largest mall. Our friend Ramona said that she agrees entirely with John’s description of Dubai having “no soul.” I realize that sounds very strong, but one man we know said, “I guess size does matter.”

 

What I found most fascinating about Dubai (besides the historical Dubai Creek area) was the culture of the place, and, surprisingly, the Dubai Mall was an excellent place to observe it. I have never seen so many people in native dress in such an upscale place in my life. Virtually all of the local women were wearing black burkha, some with just their hair covered but more than half with their faces covered except for the eyes. A couple of women had their entire faces covered, but I understand that they can see through the fabric. What was as interesting as this observation was that, while I was in the restroom, I’d see women come in with their hair and faces covered and, as soon as they entered this all-female reserve, the coverings would come off - at least from the face, but for many it would also be hair. This led me to think that the coverings were rather restrictive, but they seem to be fairly well accepted by all.

 

I was told that the difference between the face covered and non-covered women was simply the husband’s preference. On our HOHO bus ride, a white-robed older man got on board with what I think were his three wives (four are allowed). Each of them had her face and everything else covered. What I think is really interesting, that we don’t see in our area of the States, is that many of the men dress traditionally, too, in long white robes with red and white headdresses held on by braided black cord. I know there are correct names for these, but I can’t remember them. It certainly is a very different culture from ours, and it’s been interesting observing it.

 

This morning we had our third emergency drill, and the captain explained over the PA system that the bell system had changed. The first bell is for crew to get in place, the second one, five minutes later, is for passengers to return to their cabins to collect warm clothes, medications, sturdy shoes - and then to STAY there until further notice, since most shipboard emergencies are taken care of without the need to evacuate. When a third series of horns sound, we are to go to our assembly areas - for us, Lifeboat #14, where we will be accounted for and, if necessary, board lifeboats. It seemed that everyone took the drill very seriously, unlike the drill on our 14-day Christmas/New Year cruise when people just kept talking and laughing and children ran around. You always know if there were a real emergency that the talkers wouldn’t have a clue, but they’d run amuck and push everyone out of the way to get in a lifeboat. Our lifeboat is well filled; we have Brad and Gloria to have us occupied with arts and crafts, Presty to bring food, and Father Bob to offer spiritual guidance. All we need is one of the wine stewards!

 

Since Dubai was the beginning of the last segment, we have about 60 new passengers after about 90 disembarked. According to the literature we received about our mileage so far, we now have 858 passengers and 629 crew - a very high crew to passenger ratio. When we see someone whom we don’t recognize, we wonder if they’re new or if we just haven’t seen them before. One young man in our lifeboat was new for sure; he told his father/grandfather that their cabin number began with a 5. It makes me wonder whether he was sleeping in the library or the casino!

 

Only one sea day, and then tomorrow we’re in Muscat, Oman, where we’ve never been before. In 2008 we visited Salalah, Oman, but this is our first time in the capital. We considered the HOHO but were told it’s even more expensive than Dubai at about $80 pp, so we may just find an alternative. We’ve read that there’s a wonderful open market, so I think we’ll try that. It’s always fun to visit new places.

[MMDown Under]

"Virtually all of the local women were wearing black burkha, some with just their hair covered but more than half with their faces covered except for the eyes. A couple of women had their entire faces covered, but I understand that they can see through the fabric. What was as interesting as this observation was that, while I was in the restroom, I’d see women come in with their hair and faces covered and, as soon as they entered this all-female reserve, the coverings would come off - at least from the face, but for many it would also be hair. This led me to think that the coverings were rather restrictive, but they seem to be fairly well accepted by all."

 

This reminds me of a flight on Royal Brunei, in business class, where four women, wearing black burkas, came on board, after all other passengers had boarded. Whilst the two older women kept their burkas on, the two younger girls took theirs off and proceeded to try all their cosmetic purchases. One of the older women even ate without removing the head covering, with the net fabric covering the eyes, whilst the other removed her head covering. The flight attendant was male. It was a fascinating experience.

[MMDown Under]

Breaking News -

 

"Saudi Arabian forces, joined by nine other countries, have launched a military operation in Yemen against Shiite Houthi rebels, the Saudi ambassador to the US said. The offensive, which started with airstrikes, will also involve “other military assets.

 

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait issued a joint statement saying that they “decided to repel Houthi militias, Al-Qaeda and ISIS (Islamic State) in the country.” The Gulf states said they were responding to a “major threat” to the stability of the region, saying that their cause is to “repel Houthi aggression” in Yemen."

 

RT.com/news

 

Also

 

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/03/25/middleeast/yemen-unrest/

 

Thinking of you and fellow passengers as Amsterdam heads for Muscat, capital of Oman.

[Belle]

So nice that every time you take a

WC you take us along. Love reading

everything you see and do.

 

When your with Jeff you write and we see

his pictures and seems like we're there.

 

Now stay safe, know the ship won't take chances.

Can't wait to read where you went next and what you did.

 

Is the illness going away. Are people now washing hands

and staying in cabins if sick. Hope so.

[Johnny B]

Thursday, March 26, 2015 - Day 80

Muscat, Oman

 

What a difference two days make! On the 24th, we were in Dubai (AKA Las Vegas of the Middle East) with the biggest, tallest, etc., and over 75% of the workers from other countries, primarily India and the Philippines. The closest Dubai comes to its history is around Dubai Creek, but even there they’re putting up high-rise buildings. Today we’re in Muscat, the capital of Oman, where every single Omani we saw is dressed in traditional clothing, the white robes for the men (along with a hat) and black robes for the women, with hair covered but not faces. The buildings, even the brand new ones, are in a traditional style, and the tallest is not very tall. The people are open and friendly, proud of their country and absolutely enamored of their sultan, who just returned from eight months of medical treatment in Germany - to a tumultuous welcome. Although the sultan is fantastically rich and indulges himself in something like 22 palaces, he spends most of the country’s wealth on infrastructure, health care, education, and the like.

 

Our dock is just across the water from the souk and downtown, and cute little shuttle buses took us on the 10-minute drive there. We wandered through the souk as it opened, and watched the mostly Indian tradesmen readying their wares. We pretty much just wandered for about an hour, and then tried to find some wifi. As we were unsuccessfully attempting that, a pleasant young man asked if we would like a tour of the area for about three hours. After bargaining a bit, we set a price, hopped in his taxi, and took off. The young man was a recent university graduate in human relations, but is currently unable to find a job, hence his excellent English and his tour guide job.

 

First we drove out of Muscat to the 10-year-old Grand Mosque, and boy was it ever grand! John and I agreed that it was probably one of the most impressive buildings we’ve ever seen, with pale marble, room for 5,000 worshippers, a two acre carpet specially woven in Iran, and chandeliers unlike any we’ve ever seen. Because of the clothing restrictions, I had the opportunity to rent a long black robe (called, I think, an abeya) and a black head covering tied with more black fabric. (The photos are on Facebook). The mosque is available for tourists to visit until 11:00 AM, after which only Muslim worshippers can attend.

 

After the mosque, we drove to the beach, and my memory of Salalah’s beach was borne out as we watched dozens of boys playing soccer on the sand, but virtually no one in the water, as their modesty and type of dress forbid it. Next to the beach is a cute little shopping center, with Starbucks and other food and beverage outlets. We stopped at Starbucks for the wifi but never could get it to work.

 

Next it was a drive to the Sultan’s main palace, since Muscat is the nation’s capital. It is huge and beautiful, and we saw the front - with no guards - and then the back, where one guard makes sure that no one enters without official approval. That was the end of our three hours, and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit to areas outside of the city. For $30 each, we saw exactly what the ship’s tour saw (for a lot more), but at our own pace and with a private guide. It was well worth it.

 

Returning to town, John decided that he needed a tee-shirt from Oman, so we stopped in a small shop where the best buys weren’t tee-shirts but cashmere scarves from Nepal. For the equivalent of about $20 each, I bought two scarves that are so large and so soft that they would bring in close to $75.00 or more at home. For a non-shopper, that was quite a buy!

 

It’s now all-aboard time, so we’re heading up the back deck for sailaway, something we haven’t done in a couple of weeks, partly because of our overland tour and partly because the last port’s sailaway time was 6:00 AM. This will be a great chance to get together with our friends to exchange stories of what we did today, and time to chat with our friends George Geary and Neil Bonner who boarded in Dubai. George is the guest chef until Athens, and we’re having dinner together tonight, so we’d better get our times straight.

[ger_77]

"Returning to town, John decided that he needed a tee-shirt from Oman, so we stopped in a small shop where the best buys weren’t tee-shirts but cashmere scarves from Nepal. For the equivalent of about $20 each, I bought two scarves that are so large and so soft that they would bring in close to $75.00 or more at home. For a non-shopper, that was quite a buy!"

 

Okay, now you're just being mean - I'm a confessed scarf-aholic and I know I would go nuts buying scarves from all the ports you've seen. I would love to see pics of the two cashmere beauties you are bringing back!

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

Gerry

[Johnny B]

Friday, March 27, 2015 - Day 81

At Sea en route to Salalah, Oman

 

We’ve just had a most welcome announcement from Gene, our cruise director. He said that the GI illness situation is much better, so the gym is re-opening this morning and deck games will commence at the same time. That makes a lot of people happy, including me. Apparently the Lido will still require that we be served, rather than serve ourselves, but I’m so glad to get back into the gym, especially as we have four sea days coming up after Salalah.

 

This morning I finally gave up on the gym and decided to walk Deck 3, but I planned to power walk rather than just stroll. About two minutes after I began, I was joined by our friend Susan who walks like a mad woman. She challenged me to keep up with her, so my two miles (7 laps) were completed in record time (25 minutes) and I was sweating up a storm by the time I headed for breakfast. I told her that tomorrow I’d do four miles, as was her goal. Now, however, I think I might just do it on the treadmill, just to celebrate having the gym open again.

 

Yesterday the buzz around the ship was about the bombing of Yemen by Saudi Arabia and the question of whether we would continue our call at Salalah, which is a lot closer to the Yemeni border than Muscat. Thus far there is no word of canceling it, so I guess it’s a go. We’re just trying to decide what to do while we’re there, since the city and its souk are quite a distance from the port. The last time we were here we were on a CSI tour, so we didn’t have to worry about things like that, but this time we’ll be on our own (I think). There is a transfer to the city which we can buy for $35 pp round trip, but we haven’t decided yet.

 

Last evening we had dinner with our friends George and Neil and, as always, there was a great deal of laughs and chatting. While we were in the Crow’s Nest, someone heard us talking about when George and Neil came up our way for dinner in San Luis Obispo and she said, “You cooked for a chef? I’d be so nervous.” Since my motto, along with Alfred E. Newman, is “What, Me Worry?”, I prepared one of my favorite marinated and grilled salmon recipes. When George asked for seconds, Neil laughed and said, “George doesn’t even LIKE salmon.” That took me aback, but then George told me he like it cooked the way I had prepared it and even asked for the recipe. I guess I passed muster!

 

This evening is one of our cruise company’s cocktail parties, and then on Sunday they’re taking us to Canaletto for dinner and we’re looking forward to both. We’ve decided that even though we pay a bit more for our favorite cruise company (and agent), it’s an example of “you get what you pay for” and we’re very happy with them.

 

Now it’s time for George to co-host Good Morning Amsterdam, so I’d better get down there to see it.

[bcummin]

You would be smart to take the $35pp transfer or a tour. The taxi drivers there have a reputation. Enjoy Salalah !

Barbara

[Johnny B]

Saturday, March 28, 2015 - Day 82

Salalah, Oman

 

If Muscat is the somewhat modern capital of Oman, Salalah is the much more traditional city out in the desert. In Muscat, women covered their hair but not their faces; in Salalah, I didn’t see a single Omani woman without a full face covering, including one with a mask-like appearance that stuck out like a beak in front of her nose. Although the town is fronted by about two miles of pristine white beach, clothing restrictions ensure that almost no one will use it. There wasn’t anyone in the water.

 

We didn’t make any plans in advance, having been told that the taxis into the city were about $50 each way and that the ship’s paid transfer was $35 each. After shilly-shallying around this morning, we called our friends Rich and Ginny and asked if they were going to take a taxi, because yesterday they told us that when they were here before they spent time at a nice hotel on the beach for lunch and a beer. They had made plans with another couple but asked us to join the four of them. We were lucky to find a taxi-van which seated all six of us, and we asked for four hours of time, which would cost $25 each.

 

We began with a drive to the Sultan’s summer palace (which took up a whole city block) and then over a couple of streets to the souk. Like many Arab souks, it had little bitty alleyways and if it were much bigger, it would be really easy to get lost. The main product here is frankincense, because Salalah is the center of the trade. As we went up and down walkways, we smelled frankincense constantly - almost as constantly as people asked us to buy it. There were clothing shops, shoe shops, people sewing belts (some of which were bullet belts), and fabric. I’ve never seen so many shades of white in my life, which are used to make the men’s white robes. At least one of you would have absolutely loved the shop after shop selling shawls - they were everywhere! Ginny loves to buy fancy ones to use for table runners, and she found a beautiful burgundy one here.

 

After our hour at the souk, our driver took us to the Crowne Plaza Hotel, a beautiful oasis in the middle of this desert. It’s a thoroughly western hotel with several pools, a long stretch of well-used beach, and some nice restaurants, including one at the beach. We hung out for about an hour, some of us heading into the 82-degree ocean water and then rinsing off in one of the pools. Lunch was pizza and beer, after which it was time to find our driver and head back to the ship.

 

All in all, it was a perfect day. A little bit of culture, some shopping for Ginny and Nancy, and a long stretch of time at a four-star hotel. Now all we have to do is wait for the Arabian sailaway with hot hors d’oeuvres and complimentary drinks. It should be the perfect ending to a perfect day.

 

P. S. I guess we were lucky with our taxi driver. We were quoted $150 for the six of us and we gave him that (plus a tip) and he just said "thank you."

[bcummin]

So glad that you enjoyed your visit to Salalah.

Another reason for the deserted beaches is the dangerous undertow. We heard that a German tourist had drowned at a beach there the day we were there.

Barbara

[mollymac]

I have been following your journey since December but I am worried about this segment of your travel. Maybe the media in America is causing us to be afraid but I wish you safe travels and will be relieved to hear how HAL and the USA keeps our world travelers safe and secure.

 

Best wishes!

[Johnny B]

Sunday, March 29 - Day 83

Happy Palm Sunday

At Sea en route to Aqaba, Jordan

 

How do you ensure a good turnout at your party? You provide free liquor and food, of course. That’s why yesterday’s Arabian Sailaway Party was such a big hit. It was held around the midships Lido pool, with three bars and servers with large trays of snacks circulating freely. And if that weren’t enough, midway through the 90-minute party, a belly dancer made her appearance. She is a young lady from Spain who currently resides in Egypt. Unlike many belly dancers I’ve seen, this one is thin and shapely, and boy can she dance! Her main “stage” was the wooden barrier around the pool, and her golden cloak sailed around her while she undulated and spun around. She certainly had everyone’s attention. I understand from Gene that she’ll be on for a couple of weeks, probably disembarking in Athens.

 

During the party there was an announcement from the captain, but there wasn’t a snowball’s chance of hearing him with all the noise of the party. Later, during early dinner seating and while the rest of us were dressing for dinner, he repeated his announcement. He told us about the route we’d be taking to get ourselves to Aqaba, including sailing along the coast of Yemen (which we’re doing right now) and then through a very narrow strait between Djibouti and Yemen to enter the Red Sea, which we’ll travel tomorrow. The strait, called Bab el Mandeb, is only three miles wide and has two lanes, one going north and one south. The captain reassured us of the safety of the ship and told us that we’d be traveling at 23 knots, only two knots slower than our maximum of 25. I know that there are a lot of people who do worry, especially since the Saudi bombing of Yemen began (the term “friendly fire” was heard at least once), but there’s nothing we can do about it, so I prefer to just think that all will be well.

 

In the spirit of not worrying, this evening we’ll be having dinner in The Pinnacle, enjoying the Radio Show. This is an entertainment that Gene writes, and it’s three one-act plays that are played during the courses of dinner as a radio show. We’ve heard wonderful things about these shows, so we decided to attend this one with four friends, two of whom we’ve known forever and two of whom we haven’t met but are sure they’ll be friends. You’ll get more information about this particular activity tomorrow.

 

Our main activity during the day today is George Geary’s cooking class. Although John doesn’t really enjoy most cooking, he signed up with me (for the first time) and we’re looking forward to learning how to make three of George’s cheesecakes. Ordinarily, we cook whatever is being taught and then dine on it in the Pinnacle. We used to actually eat what we cooked, and then the health department stepped in and although we still cooked it, it was then disposed of and the Pinnacle staff cooked what we ate. Today, however, I don’t quite know about lunch; cheesecake and white wine doesn’t quite sound like a meal - although I have friends who would disagree with me about that.

 

It should be great day and we’re looking forward to it.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

I believe you are getting off the ship fairly soon to return to the US for your granddaughter's birthday. Have a safe trip. Will you know the next book club selection before your leave? I have really enjoyed all of them so far.

[Johnny B]

Monday, March 30, 2015 - Day 84

At Sea en route to Aqaba (for Petra), Jordan

 

We got the announcement from the captain about an hour ago. We’re now up to 23 knots and he’ll only use the last engine in case of emergency. We’re off Yemen now, and soon will be entering that narrow channel that will funnel us into the Red Sea. I know that a lot of people on board are frightened that something will happen, but I think the Yemenis are too busy with the Saudis to bother with one cruise ship. At least I hope so! By mid-afternoon we should be past the strait and into the Red Sea and, presumably, safe from the enemy combatants in the area. What an exciting cruise this has turned out to be.

 

Speaking of exciting, last evening we attended the Old Time Radio Show Dinner in the Pinnacle Grill, and it was absolutely hysterical. Gene has mentioned that each cruise director on the world cruise has to live up to a tradition of writing something for performance in the Pinnacle, and the Radio Show was his choice. There were three separate playlets, one the conclusion of “The Perfect Mate Game Show”, one “The Adventures of Captain Jimmy Grip, Agent 13”, and one called “Shakyspire’s Rozeo and Tulipet,” about the forbidden love between a wasp and a honey bee. We expected one full play during each course, but they just continued and continued, so that we’d get a bit of one and then a bit of another and so on. There were 25 cast members, including all the singers and dancers, Emily the librarian, Barbara the Port Lecturer, and so on. The shows were great; Gene’s script went right to the line of acceptable - and then just over that line, to everyone’s delight. We laughed and laughed along with the friends we sat with, Jan and Dick Yettke and Craig and Sumi, new friends and neighbors of Dick and Yan.

 

The dinner was great too, along with the wine. The first course was called a shrimp cocktail, but it was four huge shrimp (nice oxymoron) on a piece of slate with little blobs of cocktail sauce around them. Then we moved along to a seafood chowder, being presented with a bowl with a scallop, half a lobster tail and another of those huge shrimp, followed by a server pouring chowder around it. Yumm. The entre-act was a light sorbet, followed by the main course: steak Diane. By that time I was getting full, so I couldn’t finish it, but what I did eat was just wonderful. Dessert was a bananas Foster sundae served in a stemless wine glass - everyone loved it, but since Lent doesn’t end until Sunday, I just watched.

 

Today’s been nice and quiet, and since George Geary was co-hosting “Good Morning Amsterdam” with Gene, he had asked me to attend. They were to interview Peter, the English singer we saw two nights ago. Unfortunately, Peter arrived 10 minutes late, so we didn’t get to hear much from him, but Gene and George had a good time bantering. Peter played Marius in Les Miserables in London for two years, and when I asked him what years those were, it turned out that I think I saw him in it. He has a fantastic voice, and we’re looking forward to hearing him again on April 1.

 

* * * *

 

Now it’s 1:03 PM, and the captain’s recent announcement told us that we are through the narrowest part of the strait and officially into the Red Sea. We’re still in Yemeni waters, but about 4:00 this afternoon we’ll be opposite Saudi Arabia instead. Now I guess we can all relax and just enjoy the rest of the day. As Gene says at the end of every announcement, cheers!

 

P. S. Emily, the librarian, said that we won't get the last book club book until we sail from Rome, nor do I know what it is. I'll let you know as soon as I find out.

[Johnny B]

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

At Sea en route to Aqaba, Jordan

 

Nearly everyone on board seems pleased with the four sea days we’re currently enjoying. Today is number three of them, and while we’re excited to see Petra, we will be sorry to have the nice run of sea days end, as it will be the longest before we cross the Atlantic on our way home. The other day there were several of us talking about world cruises and how the first questions anyone asks about such an adventure are “What do you do with all that time” and “Don’t you get bored?” In answer to the first, “anything we want to do” and to the second, a resounding “NO!” We also laughed about people asking, “Why would you want to do that?” There are so many reasons: to see the world, to get out of winter weather (for many passengers), to spend time with old friends (whose number grows every WC), and to be pampered in a way that almost none of us is at home. Even nearing the end of five of these cruises, it’s a lifestyle we love, new places to see that we’ve looked forward to (like Petra and Myanmar) a return to places that we been before but still want to see again and again, and a chance to spend time with friends from many different places who assemble on this beautiful ship once a year. I don’t think we’ll do another full world cruise, but we may still pick and choose segments that take us to places we’d love to see.

 

We’re now right in the middle of the Red Sea on the lookout for Moses and his troops. There is so much history around us that it’s just amazing. We’ll be opposite Jeddah soon, which is about 60 miles from Mecca, and on the way to the Suez Canal. I think that it would be a wonderful new port for the world cruise, and I’ll put that opinion in my final evaluation. We have a sea day after Aqaba, and then a day going through the Suez Canal. I remember our first passage through that important sea lane; we were so excited to be seeing such an amazing place and then discovered that it was all brown sand on one side and military encampments on the other. It’s nothing like Panama, but the historical part of it is still interesting. Actually, on our first WC in 2008 we disembarked in Safaga for a five-day overland through Egypt, and when we re-embarked in Alexandria, we found a certificate stating that we had traveled through the Suez Canal - even though we hadn’t. Oh well.

 

Since today is the end of our third month on board, I guess it’s time for a list of my favorite things, many of which are teeny, tiny little things that just make me happy. (I hope I haven’t gone through these before; John things I may have).I love to be able to have fresh squeezed orange juice for breakfast every day. I love the fact that instead of paper towels in the public restrooms, there are little face towels rolled up with which to dry our hands. I love being able to see a movie in the middle of the afternoon - with popcorn. Even if I don’t want to see the movie, I can pop by the Wajang Theatre for a bag of popcorn. I love that all my favorite officers know me by name. I love meeting friends in the Crow’s Nest almost every evening for a glass of wine and, more importantly, just to catch up on the day. I love Manny, our favorite Crow’s Nest wine attendant and the fact that he not only calls us “uncle” and “auntie,” but that he invited us to his daughter’s 3rd birthday party last year when we called in Manila. I love being able to visit the “coffee shop” in the Exploration Lounge/Library for a non-fat cappuccino with one pump of mocha - and that everyone who works there asks me, “The regular?” I love it when it’s too noisy in the library to read that I can go up to the Crow’s Nest during the day where there’s not a sound. I could go on and on and on . . . but those are some of “my favorite things” (thank you Julie Andrews).

 

Now we have but one month left, so I guess the cruise is winding down, but we sure have lots of ports left, even after we return from our San Francisco “overland.” We’ve loved pretty much every minute of it and I’m sure we’ll love every remaining minute.

[TENNCruisers]

We certainly share your favorite things about a world or grand voyage. Nothing like it. We are addicted!!! Really enjoying following along on the WC. Safe travels for the rest of the voyage. Thanks for posting.

Orlin and Barbara:)

[Johnny B]

Wednesday, April 1 - Day 86

Happy April Fool’s Day

At Sea en route to Aqaba (for Petra), Jordan

 

It’s April Fool’s Day and the ship is joining right in. On today’s program there was a 3:00 AM “kissing class” with the ship’s DJ, a 6:00 AM “test flush” of our toilets, a 7:51 dog walking outing with Gene (bring your own dog), and a midnight cow-milking contest in the Crow’s Nest. Actually, I heard that some people thought the “test flush” was real and got up early to participate. Oh well, I guess there’s one born every minute. The most welcome event listed on the program was setting the clocks back an hour last night. It’s always good to get an extra hour’s sleep.

 

Today is our first Mongolian Cookout in a long time. It wasn’t possible to have one while we were in Code Red, but now that we’re out, it’s time. I love noodles, so it’s one of my favorite lunches. The only problem is that the lines are long until about the last half hour, so we usually wait until then. Actually, we do seem to be eating lunch later and later, because after Trivia, a few of us sit around and just chat for quite a long time. Then I have to return the computer to the cabin, and by then it’s usually 1:00 or so and there’s almost no line at any of the Lido stations. I know a lot of people like to eat in the dining room, but we find that we eat less in the Lido, so that’s where we end up.

 

I attended “Good Morning Amsterdam” today for the second time, and it was incredibly funny. Gene and George Geary were hosting, and Buzz Sutherland, the comedian was one guest, along with Teresa, the “Arabic Ambassador” and resident belly-dancer. Teresa was late, and George kept looking at the door and announcing with every late-comer, “That’s not her.” Finally, he got tired of waiting and said, “The next person through the door is going to do belly dancing.” We all looked at the door and the next person through was the Protestant pastor, complete with clerical collar and suspenders. The laughter was long and loud, and he joined in, not knowing what he was laughing at. I guess someone explained it to him, so then he and Buzz began their version of belly dancing.

 

Today’s our last of four sea days, and I don’t know whether to be sad that they’re almost done or happy because tomorrow is Petra. I think the latter, since everyone we know who’s been there says it is absolutely amazing. I’ll let you know what I think tomorrow evening.

 

P. S. The next Book Club book is called Of Marriageable Age, but it won’t be distributed until the day after Rome.

[Johnny B]

Thursday, April 2, 2015 - Day 87

Aqaba, Jordan

 

There are places and events in life that really don’t translate in words or sometimes even in photos, but “you just have to be there.” Petra is one of those. It is called “The Rose Red City of the Nabataeans” and is two hours away from Aqaba. Petra is a place that, if you haven’t been here, you need to put on that old bucket list, because it is unlike anything you’ve ever seen.

 

Petra is isolated in a sandstone valley that was originally used by the Nabataeans as a sort of cemetery, carving tombs into the sandstone walls. It was a natural fortress, and an essential stop on the spice and incense route from Asia to the Middle East and Europe. Because of the taxes charged for passage, the inhabitants became extremely rich and began to carve more and more fabulous designs into the walls of their valley. In the 7th Century A.D. it was abandoned and not “discovered” until a thousand years later. Of course the bedouins in the area knew it was there, but the Europeans didn’t. A security officer at one of the local hotels told us that if we came back in five years, we’d see a great deal more, since 90% of Petra is still underground and unexcavated.

 

You begin with a walk through a narrow gorge called the Siq, and you wonder if this is all there is. After about a half hour, you come out into the light and there it is: The Treasury, the first glimpse of the rose red walls carved into an amazing building which was a king’s tomb. Continuing on, we passed the “Street of Facades” and coming upon the Greek Theatre which is the only amphitheater in the world that was carved out of the existing rock rather than being built with blocks of rock. It is believed to have been carved in the second century B.C. and seated about 3,000 people.

 

Across from the amphitheater are the Royal Tombs, which can be seen easily from the lower road, but also provide the opportunity to climb hundreds of steps to see them up close. If you continue walking the main road, you come to what was thought to be the main street of the Nabataeans, with numerous columns on each side. The Roman Temple is on one side and is truly spectacular. Slightly beyond this temple is the Qasr al Bint (I love all these q’s without u’s), which is the only freestanding structure in Petra, since everything else was carved into the rock.

 

It turned out that walking to the end of the trail and back over mostly broken rocks not only made us incredibly sore, but it covered about six miles all told. After three hours of walking, gawking, and photographing, we finished our exploration of Petra and arrived back at the Movenpick Hotel, across the street from the entrance, where we were to have lunch - and it was a wonderful and varied buffet. Heck, there was a whole roasted lamb as well as all kinds of salads, breads, and other dishes, and we loved every bit of it.

 

Petra is certainly an amazing place and one that we put on our Top Ten list of places we’ve seen, right up there with Abu Simbel and The Taj Mahal. It’s a physical effort, but well worth every step we took. I just don’t know if I’ll be able to get out of bed tomorrow.

[ger_77]

How exciting for you to visit Petra - it's still on our bucket list, so there's hope for us yet! I love your photos - I haven't requested "friending" because I'm sure you're so busy, but I would have "Liked" each and every one of them. Thank you for posting them on FB.

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

[Johnny B]

Friday, April 3, 2015 - Day 88

Passover and Good Friday

 

NEWS FLASH: Our itinerary called for a sea day today and a transit of the Suez Canal tomorrow, but during sailaway yesterday, the captain made an announcement changing all that. Apparently there are two traffic lanes in the Canal, one northbound and one southbound. However, for the last several weeks there has been necessary dredging going on, with the result that the Canal is now a one-way street. If we had waited for our scheduled transit on Saturday, we would have been put off until Sunday, messing up the rest of the itinerary, but they offered us a transit this morning at about 11:00 AM. Of course that required that we speed up from 12 knots to 19, but here we are, sitting at anchor right now, waiting for our turn.

 

The question that everyone was asking after the captain’s announcement was, “What about Saturday?” Are we going to arrive in Israel a day early? Are we going to float around the Mediterranean an extra day? What’s going on - and he wasn’t telling. I heard this morning from one of my trusted officer sources that it is just going to be a sea day, probably traveling about 10 knots, because even if we headed toward Israel, we wouldn’t be able to dock in Ashdod until late afternoon, so we’re just switching the two days now. I know several people who were hoping for two days in Ashdod (for Jerusalem), but it is not to be. We’ll just have to wait until Sunday to fight the hoards of people in Jerusalem on Easter Sunday.

 

* * * *

At noon, 14 of us had a lovely ladies’ lunch in the Pinnacle to celebrate our friend Ellen Bethel’s 70th birthday. Her birthday is actually tomorrow, but since today was to be a sea day, she planned her birthday luncheon accordingly, and it worked out quite nicely, since it turns out that we’re not entering the canal until 3:00 PM and will finish our transit after dark, much to the annoyance of some passengers, who have written notes of complaint to the captain - as though he has something to do with canal scheduling.

 

* * * *

 

We’re now transiting the Canal, and while it’s not as beautiful as the Panama Canal, it is interesting. It was opened in 1869 and it gives us transit between the city of Suez on the south and Port Said on the north. It’s 102 miles long and has been widened and deepened since its construction. Unlike Panama, it has no locks and, by treaty, allows ships in peace or war “without distinction of flag.”

 

I don’t think I’ve seen so much sand in my life, much of it from the dredging, and it’s fun to watch small children waving to us from both the shore and from small homes alongside the canal. There are military emplacements on both sides, but we feel quite safe, as there are dozens of ships transiting the canal at all times. There is also a stone and concrete fence about forty feet from the water with guard towers about every quarter mile or so. We are definitely on the “good” side of the ship, so that we can sit on our verandah and watch as we pass the more interesting side of the canal.

 

We should complete our transit at about 9:00 this evening, and then have almost 36 hours in the Mediterranean Sea. Interestingly, we set our clocks back an hour last night, so that we are now on Egyptian time - a nautical requirement. However, we will have to set them ahead an hour tomorrow, probably between 2:00 and 3:00 PM, so that we will be on the same time as Israel. It will be an interesting change after a very interesting day.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Friday, April 3, 2015 - Day 88

Passover and Good Friday

 

 

 

* * * *

At noon, 14 of us had a lovely ladies’ lunch in the Pinnacle to celebrate our friend Ellen Bethel’s 70th birthday. Her birthday is actually tomorrow, but since today was to be a sea day, she planned her birthday luncheon accordingly, and it worked out quite nicely, since it turns out that we’re not entering the canal until 3:00 PM and will finish our transit after dark, much to the annoyance of some passengers, who have written notes of complaint to the captain - as though he has something to do with canal scheduling.

 

* * * *

 

 

.

 

It's always amazing to me that passengers seem to complain about just about everything - written notes of complaint - yikes.

[Johnny B]

Saturday, April 4, 2015 - Day 89

At Sea en route to Ashdod (for Jerusalem), Israel

Happy 70th Birthday to Ellen Bethel

 

After about eight hours, we completed our transit of the Suez Canal last night at 11:30 with passage under The Peace Bridge, which spans the canal. We didn’t stay up late enough to see it, but our friends Cathy, Ann, George and Neil watched as we sailed underneath.

 

In yesterday’s post, I mentioned two lanes in the canal, but what we read later said that there was only one lane, with “passing lanes” here and there. I don’t really understand why we didn’t know earlier that the schedule had changed, but here we are today, making only about 12 knots and doing everything except sailing in circles to delay our arrival in Ashdod tomorrow. The captain made an announcement yesterday that we would have a sea day today, especially because we had used so much fuel to haul this puppy to the Suez Canal in time to enter at the scheduled time.

 

Tomorrow morning we should arrive between 6:00 and 7:00 AM and, beginning at 7:15, there will be a “face to passport” inspection in La Fontaine Dining Room. We’re each given a letter or number and, when called, go to the entrance of the dining room, collect our passport and landing card, and meet with an Israeli official who will stamp the landing card but not the passport. I understand that this is the regular practice for Israel because there are many Middle Eastern countries that will not allow travelers to enter if their passport contains an Israeli stamp. We are then to keep both items during our stay in Israel and return them before sailing from Haifa. Since we will be flying rather than sailing from Haifa, we will just keep our passports until we re-board in Rome.

 

We have two really exciting days of touring planned with our merry band of seven: Jeff, Cathy, Ann, George, Neil, John and yours truly. On the first day we’re headed first to the Dead Sea where we can try (and fail) to sink and then spread the sea’s mud over our bodies, since it will make us all look 30 years younger - don’t I wish. Actually, it is supposed to have many medicinal properties and I understand that it is sold to take home. Such an idea. Friend: “What souvenirs did you bring home?” Traveler: “Mud.” Sounds good to me.

 

In the afternoon we will see as many things as possible in Jerusalem, with the idea that it will be less crowded than in the morning. We’ll finish the day in our own beds on the ship and then begin again on Monday, when we arrive in Haifa. That day will end with John and I spending the night at a Tel Aviv (Ben Gurion) Airport hotel, followed by a Lufthansa flight out the next morning.

 

Since we’ve never been to Israel, we are really excited about the next two days.

[Johnny B]

Sunday, April 5, 2015 - Day 90

Ashdod - for Jerusalem

Happy Easter!

 

This was, by far, the best Easter I’ve ever had. It began with sunrise service on Deck 8 midships at 6:00 AM, and as the service progressed, we watched the sun rise over the Israeli countryside. Oh my!

 

And if that weren’t a great beginning, the day got even better. Shimon, our guide, picked us up at 8:30 for a tour of Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. We had feared that Jerusalem on Easter Sunday would be just crazy crowded, but it wasn’t nearly that bad. Jerusalem was amazing. As John said in his Facebook post, it just brought all those Sunday school lessons to life. We began at the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane, which are right next to each other, since Gethsemane was the location of the olive press, and the place where Jesus prayed the night before he was crucified and where Judas betrayed him. The olive trees in Gethsemane are incredibly old, at least 1,000 years, and by tradition, were in the Garden when Jesus prayed. The church next to the Garden was also very moving.

 

We then drove around the Old City, a square kilometer which is fought over more than any other square kilometer on earth. We passed the Jaffa Gate and finally found a parking place in a garage under the new mall which was built in the former “no man’s land” when Jordan controlled the Old City. We walked the Via Dolorosa and had a tour of the Jewish Quarter, the Christian Quarter, the Muslim Quarter (including the Arab Souk), and the Armenian Quarter, and ended up at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, supposedly the site of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus. I’m fairly skeptical of the placement of these events, since they seem to be in the old city, but it was wonderful just to walk through areas where Jesus walked.

 

After Jerusalem, we headed to the Dead Sea for a planned dip in the water where you can’t sink because of its 40% salinity. We ran into some friends who had tried the water, and after getting their negative reviews of the experience and seeing the murky brown water near the shore, we just had lunch and headed back, by way of horrific traffic in Jerusalem, to our ship.

 

Today was a day that I shall never forget. The only thing that made me walked quickly, as our guide asked, was the knowledge that John and I will return in October for a two week tour of Israel, and we’ll have a great deal more time to explore in detail and to see other parts of the country.

 

Tomorrow we’re scheduled to tour the northern part of the country, seeing the Baha’i Gardens in Haifa, Nazareth, the Jordan River, Capernaum, the Mount of Beatitudes, the Sea of Galilee and a Kibbutz. The history of it and the emotional impact are just incredible, and I can’t get enough.