Live from the 2022 Grand Africa

[oaktreerb]

3 hours ago, sansterre said:

I seem to vividly recall playing Monopoly with a scotty dog as a token.

Was that just a temporary piece?

Me, too in the 1950’s probably.

[kochleffel]

5 hours ago, sansterre said:

I seem to vividly recall playing Monopoly with a scotty dog as a token.

Was that just a temporary piece?

I remember that, too.

 

[Ruthenium]

On 10/16/2022 at 4:55 PM, kb4683 said:

Hairdryer question….we will be boarding Zaandam on 12/20/22 when your Grand Africa ends.  Looking at photos on halfacts, the inside and OV bathrooms show that 🤬 box on the wall with a hose!  Please tell me they have done away with those and have pistol type dryers at the desk now 🤞.

 

Thank you.

I was just on the zaandam and I am

pretty sure that my room (not a suite) has both types of hair dryers…the other kind in a drawer or in the closet. Not to worry.

[sndral]

I find that if I dance as I listen to music I can log a lot of steps - to break up walking in your cabin maybe try some dancing too. 🙂

[Scrapnana]

17 hours ago, Sea42 said:

Are you still feeling OK?

I feel fine except for the cabin fever.😉

[Scrapnana]

15 hours ago, cccole said:

Does your window open so that you can get fresh air?  Or, did they offer you a quarantine cabin with a balcony?  Just curious.  I apologize if you have already answered these questions.  I think this itinerary is fabulous and will be following along.  Thank you for letting us join you, Cherie

No open window.  I don't know if they moved people but I wouldn't have wanted to pack all my things.  I do miss fresh air.

[zelker]

41 minutes ago, Scrapnana said:

No open window.  I don't know if they moved people but I wouldn't have wanted to pack all my things.  I do miss fresh air.

When the moved us, we left everything in our existing stateroom and just took what we needed for isolation.  BTW, hopefully they offered to do laundry for you if you need any done.  Did they give you a thermometer so you could monitor your own temp?  And have they been sending little "goodies" (treats, coloring book pages with colored pencils, playing cards, brain games, etc.) every day?

[zelker]

46 minutes ago, Scrapnana said:

No open window.  I don't know if they moved people but I wouldn't have wanted to pack all my things.  I do miss fresh air.

When they moved us to "Covid Town", we left everything in our existing stateroom and just took what we needed for isolation, then returned "home" when we were released.  BTW, hopefully they've offered to do laundry for you if you need any done.  Did they give you a thermometer so you could monitor your own temp?  And have they been sending little "goodies" (treats, coloring book pages with colored pencils, playing cards, brain games, etc.) every day? 

 

Edited October 18, 2022 by zelker

[SharonN]

1 hour ago, Scrapnana said:

I feel fine except for the cabin fever.😉

So sorry you're having to deal with this but glad you're feeling ok. At least your more than 1/2 way thru it and will hopefully be out and about in a couple of days. 

[DCThunder]

I hope some of the songs you were singing were "Folsom Prison Blues", "Workin' on The Chain Gang", and "I Fought the Law".  And they should let you watch prison movies like "Shawshank Redemption", "Papillon", "Escape from Alcatraz", "Stalag 17", and "The Great Escape". 

[TiogaCruiser]

21 hours ago, sansterre said:

I seem to vividly recall playing Monopoly with a scotty dog as a token.

Was that just a temporary piece?

From monopoly land.com:

 

”

Post-War Monopoly Tokens

Once the war ended, the Dowst Manufacturing Company decided to focus on die-cast toys instead of making playing pieces for board games. So, Parker Brothers brought manufacturing in-house and started using pewter. Some versions of Monopoly still use pewter while others used plastic.

The first new piece to be introduced was the wheelbarrow in the 1940s, along with the horse and rider and the Scottish terrier.

The car also gained a driver in the 1940s, although he only lasted until 1950. In 1946 the cannon was replaced with the similar howitzer, while an airplane was also introduced – but only until 1950 again.

 

Three other pieces were retired in 1950 – the lantern, the rocking horse, and the purse.”

 

Here’s a full list of old and new Monopoly pieces with dates:

 

Token	Introduced	Retired
Cannon	Early 1935	1946
Iron	Early 1935	2013
Thimble	Early 1935	2017
Thimble (comeback)	2022	Current
Boot	Early 1935	2017
Top Hat	Early 1935	Current
Battleship	Early 1935	Current
Race Car	Mid 1935	Current
Purse	Late 1935	1950
Lantern	1936	1950
Rocking Horse	1936	1950
Horse and Rider	1940	2007
Wheelbarrow	1940	2017
Scottie Dog	1940	Current
Howitzer	1946	2007
Money Bag	1998	2007
Cat (Hazel)	2013	Current
T-Rex	2017	2022
Penguin	2017	Current
Rubber Ducky	2017	Current

Edited October 18, 2022 by TiogaCruiser

[Scrapnana]

6 hours ago, DCThunder said:

I hope some of the songs you were singing were "Folsom Prison Blues", "Workin' on The Chain Gang", and "I Fought the Law".  And they should let you watch prison movies like "Shawshank Redemption", "Papillon", "Escape from Alcatraz", "Stalag 17", and "The Great Escape". 

Great idea!  You gave me a good laugh.

[Scrapnana]

Day 4 of Solitary Confinement - Monday, October 17

 

I ordered the full breakfast to try something different but was not impressed.  The scrambled eggs were runny and the hash brown patty was inedible.  On the other hand, the bacon was delicious and I even ate one of the sausages even though I am not a big fan of them.

 

After some knitting and crocheting it was time for lunch (my day revolves around food while in captivity).  I started calling at 1:30 and was on hold for half an hour.  By the time I got through, I was too late for the lunch menu so went to my standbys - cheese quesadilla and the chocolate layer cake.  So much better than breakfast!

 

I received a number of phone calls during the day.  The one person I did not hear from was the nurse who calls every day to see if I have developed any symptoms.   I know I mentioned this before, but the outpouring of friendship has been amazing.  I hear from people who I know and have cruised with before (Janet, Judy(Lee), and Judy(Bob)) but I have also had calls from people that I only know through the roll call.  I had a long talk with Mary Anne who is the only other person I know also in captivity about what our situations are like (more about that later).  I have also had calls from Margaret, Sylvia (who brought me one of the craft kits), and Susan who was nice enough to bring me a sweet treat from Texas!  I also received a pretty hand-painted card from my table-mates, Judy and Bob (not the same Judy and Bob from previous cruises for those of you who are keeping track).

 

Two major events happened in the afternoon.  The Captain became very popular on board when he announced that masks were no longer mandatory.  They were encouraged, especially in crowds, but not required.  I heard from one of my friends who was in the Ocean Bar that when he broadcast the news there was cheering.

 

The second was not as monumental except for me.  The water in my shower was getting cooler as the days progressed until I only had about 10 seconds of warm water every once in a while.  I called Guest Services and expected they would put me on a list since I had been told no one was supposed to enter my cabin.  To my surprise, a little while later the plumber knocked on the door.  I opened it and then moved away so he could enter and he fixed it in a few minutes.  I had a lovely, lengthy, warm shower after that.

 

Good news (maybe).  When I was talking to Mary Anne, she told me that we were going to be tested on the 19th instead of the morning of the 20th (which I had been told twice).  That was confirmed with one of the nurses who said someone would be coming around during the day and giving us another test and then they would call with the results.  That's where the good news becomes a maybe.  Current CDC policy is that if you have no symptoms you can end isolation after Day 5 and wear a mask through Day 10 - with no mention of a negative test being needed.  The question is:  Does HAL follow these guidelines or do they have their own, possibly more stringent, ones?  Do they make you stay in isolation until you test negative?  I took one of the at-home tests I brought with me this evening and it is still showing positive.  I will take another on Tuesday night and then have HAL's test on Wednesday.  Keep your fingers crossed that Wednesday could be my last day of incarceration!

 

During the afternoon I put together the tiger's eye necklace and earrings.

 

I had my favorite French Onion Soup, fettuccini, and creme caramel for dinner.

 

I tried to watch the movie "Aloha" with Bradley Cooper but it did not hold my attention so I gave up after about 25 minutes.  I did watch the next movie, "Sing 2".  I always knit or crochet while I am watching TV.  I should finish the socks I am working on tomorrow.

 

Since I had only had about six hours of sleep on Sunday night, I expected to fall right asleep.  45 minutes later I gave up trying, took a sleeping pill, and changed the time on all my devices because we were losing another hour overnight.  Another day crossed off my countdown board.

 

And then an update from Tuesday...

A Very Depressing Update

Mary Anne found out HAL’s policy and it is not the CDC’s.  They will test on Wednesday.  If you are negative, you are free.  If you are positive, you stay in your cabin.  They will return each day until you test negative or until the 10th day on which you are set free regardless.  This means today might only be the halfway point.  I am really depressed.

 

[Scrapnana]

Day 5 of Solitary Confinement – Tuesday, October 18, 2022 – Madeira

 

We were docked when I woke up.  I could see the roof of the terminal from my window.  The town was on the port side so I never saw any of Madeira.

 

I had decided against breakfast (they haven’t had the bread pudding on the menu since the day I had it) because there was nothing I really wanted.  I am trying to get back into my usual routine (no breakfast) in hopes that I will be set free soon.  As you read in my update post, I found out that I could be in here for another five days.  Needless to say, that pretty much ruined the rest of my day.

 

I called about a lunch menu and found out there isn’t one on port days.  I had a Caesar salad and a caprese sandwich from the regular in-room dining menu.  I ordered the chocolate chip cookies for dessert, thinking I would get two – I got four!  I am keeping them for a rainy day (figuratively).  There also were no news channels on while in port.

 

I spent the afternoon finishing my blue socks and trying to find a repeat in the new batch of yarn I brought for socks.  Most color changing yarn follows a pattern – yellow turns to green, green to blue, blue to purple and back to Yellow to green, etc. for example.  I unwound half of each ball of yarn and could not find a repeat.  In the process, I got the yarn all tangled up and spent about two hours getting it untangled.  Hey, I didn’t have anything more exciting to do.  I expect when I get ¾ of the way through the socks, I will finally find a repeat but I will not be ripping the socks apart.  I will just have a pair of crazy stripe socks.

 

The internet has been fading in and out all day.  I am typing this on Word and then will cut and paste into my blog because I cannot get a connection.  The service had been very good (for a ship) for the last few days.

 

Dinner was good with the Portuguese custard tart for dessert.  It was amazing!  I finished the book I started on Saturday while eating dinner.

 

The two movies today are “Duke” and “Family Squares”.  Neither sounded interesting.  I walked 4.86 miles but it is getting real old going back and forth.

 

Before I went to bed, I took another of the do-it-yourself Covid tests and it came out negative!  Tomorrow is my test from the Medical Centre and I am hoping they get the same result.  They will show up sometime during the day and call me with the results.  Not sure if this is one of the rapid tests or PCR. I am trying not to get too excited about the negative result since theirs is the one that counts.  I’ll keep you posted.

[canadianbear]

You are doing much better than I would unless I had a large book of sudoku puzzles. 
 

Hoping “their” test is negative too.  
 

Thanks for keeping us updated.  

[kochleffel]

3 hours ago, Scrapnana said:

too late for the lunch menu so went to my standbys - cheese quesadilla and the chocolate layer cake.  So much better than breakfast!

That combination would be fine for breakfast, imo.

 

 

[Charleston Lady]

Fingers crossed for you tomorrow! Looks like you have done a great job of staying sane so far.😊

[StLouisCruisers]

Good luck with your test tomorrow, Kathi!  We're all rooting for you.🤞

[0106]

 

So glad you are able to get your steps in.

 

The waiting must be unbearable.

 

Remember, patience is a virtue.

 

Hoping this is you tomorrow.

[cccole]

Fingers, ankles, knees, arms, and eyes crossed that you are free tomorrow!!!!!!!!!  Cherie

[Scrapnana]

Thanks for all the support!  This morning when they called, the nurse said testing is tomorrow not today although at least two of us were told it was today.  I am so disappointed.  Hold those good thoughts.

 

If there really are 25 of us, the testing is going to take forever.  When I asked the nurse this morning, she said the process would be:  test one person, go back to the medical center and process the test, call that person with the results then go to patient #2, etc.  If only one person is doing this, it will take from morning to night.

[sansterre]

I will post some photos of Funchal later today.

It rained on and off until about 2.  As we sailed away from Madera, the weather was beautiful and I took a photo of the island from the ship.

We took the shuttle into town and walked from there to a church where there was 

a Monday morning service going on.  We wanted to take the Cable Car to Monte but 

with the clouds covering the mountain and threat of more rain, decided to visit the Mercado Labradors  instead.  

The flowers in the Flower Market were irresistible.  I selected 4 lovely stems and was given two more for 7 Euros, planning to put them in the Liter water bottle now nearly empty in our cabin.  However, when we got on the ship we were told no flowers were permitted to come aboard.  My DH and I insisted these were not roots, bulbs or seeds.

and that we always bring cut flowers on the ship to brighten our cabin.  It was to no avail.  They kept my flowers! 

I'm thinking of making a new post as I wonder if it is a new rule or just our ship.

I have checked with the front desk and they said no plant material is permitted on any ship.  They said it is a new policy for all ships!  No response to the question:  why?

[0106]

@sansterreI am so sorry about your flowers.  I was planning on doing the same thing when my cruise stopped there later in the month.  I think it would be helpful if you did a separate post.

[StLouisCruisers]

4 hours ago, Scrapnana said:

Thanks for all the support!  This morning when they called, the nurse said testing is tomorrow not today although at least two of us were told it was today.  I am so disappointed.  Hold those good thoughts.

 

If there really are 25 of us, the testing is going to take forever.  When I asked the nurse this morning, she said the process would be:  test one person, go back to the medical center and process the test, call that person with the results then go to patient #2, etc.  If only one person is doing this, it will take from morning to night.

 

Do you think the nurse will come in your room to test you?  When we were tested on Princess, she knocked on the door and we answered with our masks on.  Then we uncovered our nose and she used a swab to swish our nostrils.  She did both of us from the hallway.  Also, she didn't go back to medical just then.  They carefully collected and marked our samples.  There were many of us lined up and down that hallway.  I heard the man next door to us invite her in!  Of course the nurses didn't want to go into quarantine rooms unless it was an emergency of course.  Then about 30 to 60 minutes later we got a call with our results.  Once they started testing us they continued each morning until we were negative.  At that time we were allowed to leave.  By the way when I left the ship the first time or two security got that weird noise that means no you are not free to leave.  It took a while for them to get that right.

 

And by the way, good luck on your testing and we're all wishing you a short quarantine!

[kochleffel]

19 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

When we were tested on Princess, she knocked on the door and we answered with our masks on.  Then we uncovered our nose and she used a swab to swish our nostrils.  She did both of us from the hallway.

 

When I was getting a test at a pharmacy in Greece this spring, after we completed the paperwork at the counter, the clerk took me outside and swabbed my nose in the street so that I wouldn't be unmasked indoors.