St. Anthony or St. Jude?
Alaska Airlines lost one of our bags on the way to Fort Lauderdale (FLL). The agent in FLL said it would be on the next plane and we should get it later that evening. That evening they called to tell … Continue reading St. Anthony or St. Jude?
Posted Postcards
The police met our ship in Tonga enmass. They unpacked their weapons… lined up… on command of the officer… they greeted us with “Stars and Stripes Forever.” Welcome to Tonga. The young women in faux grass skirts clapped along before … Continue reading Posted Postcards
Splendid Isolation
For months I’ve been reading newspaper accounts and blogs of people isolated in staterooms because of COVID. Some couples get along well, some don’t wear so well in close quarters. Some people spend time watching TV, some reading, and some … Continue reading Splendid Isolation
Ra’iatea Through Suzi’s Eyes
I’m “confined to quarters bt Suzi is free to come and go. The last two days she was able to get off the ship to visit Ra’iatea. For me it was going to be a snorkeling stop but Suzi took … Continue reading Ra’iatea Through Suzi’s Eyes
Day Zero
When we got back to the ship after a day of sightseeing on Tahiti I had a mild sore throat, a runny nose, and a cough, nothing unusual for me, especially on a blossom filled island. But since we were … Continue reading Day Zero
To Venus and Beyond!
Stacy owns her own KIA cab and is proud of being an independent businesswoman, her own boss. After the shops had closed at noon in Papeete, I talked to the tourist office to see how much a cab would cost … Continue reading To Venus and Beyond!
Chinese New Year with Ukuleles
Sometimes you set out looking for something, and when you find it, it was not what you started out looking for. We went ashore in Papeete, Tahiti looking for a shirt shop with shirts my size. (Some of our baggage … Continue reading Chinese New Year with Ukuleles
Nuka Hiva Redux
Today as pulled into Taiocha’e bay in Nuka Hiva in the Marquesas Islands I could almost hear cell phones awaken after 8 days’ sleep, pinging the presence of texts, lots of texts, collectively probably thousands of texts as we sailed … Continue reading Nuka Hiva Redux
Sea Interludes (first movement)
We’ve been on the ship two weeks. Most cruises will have ended by now. We’ve just started, still establishing the rhythm of a long cruise, shedding the tensions of packing, air travel and the holidays. We are ending our first … Continue reading Sea Interludes (first movement)
Shadows on Teak
In Sitka I walk most days. I walk because, Penny, the Public Health Nurse told me I needed to. I went into the “Backdoor” coffee shop (The backdoor of the local bookstore) and announced that I would walk every day … Continue reading Shadows on Teak
Devices
Pete wrote, in his blog “The Inside Cabin,” (theinsidecabin.com) about his briefcase of good intentions. The things he planned do on sea days that never get done. For him it is catching up on reading books. That is also one … Continue reading Devices
Pictures on a Wall in Panama
In the Panama City’s old city there are a lot of murals. Some depict local heroes like boxer Roberto Druan or Salsa and Latin Jazz master Ruben Blades (who is also a politician and former minister of tourism.) Some depict … Continue reading Pictures on a Wall in Panama
Two Faces of Panama
A few blog posts ago I made fun of Potemkin Jamacia, a cruise port made to look like the real port, only cleaned up and safe. Visitors like old towns, especially when they are neat, clean and freshly painted. Our … Continue reading Two Faces of Panama
Panama City, From a Distance
We have never actually been in Panama City’s new town, but we’ve seen it three times from three perspectives, from the deck of a ship, from the causeway connecting it with the cruise port, and from the perspective of the … Continue reading Panama City, From a Distance
A Man, A Plan, A Canal, Panama
… is probably the best know palindrome in the English language. I had to get it in. We’ve sailed through the Panama Canal three times and each time it brings wonder at what people and our technology could do 110 … Continue reading A Man, A Plan, A Canal, Panama
Martyrs’ Night Out
With all travel it is the unexpected that delights, the deviations from plan that make a trip special. After transiting the Panama Canal (I will get to that post later when I have time to sort through 300 exposures) we … Continue reading Martyrs’ Night Out
When in Costa Rica do as the…
…Sloth’s do. Sloths are slow moving animals. They live on leaves with very low energy content, so they have adapted to conserve energy. On a hot and humid day in Porto Limon Suzi and I decided to take a lesson … Continue reading When in Costa Rica do as the…
Potemkin Jamaica
I once wrote a satire “Potemkin Sitka.” I proposed we build an artificial Sitka on a nearby island for tourists to visit. That way the chains like Diamonds International could own a piece of the town, it could attract the … Continue reading Potemkin Jamaica
Who Was That Masked Man Anyway?
It was me! … and everyone else on the ship, including the guy who delivered 5 more gallons of distilled water to our cabin. First there was no distilled water for medical devices now I have more than I can … Continue reading Who Was That Masked Man Anyway?
Sailing Away From the Sunset
It’s hard to sail into the sunset when you are on the East Coast. But today we sailed away from Fort Lauderdale and away from the sunset, at sunset. Boarding was not as much as a problem as we anticipated … Continue reading Sailing Away From the Sunset
Am I Excited Yet?
My kids used to say our family never took vacations, we took field trips. I always planned out things to see, what books we should read while seeing them, and discussions about where we were going, where we were and … Continue reading Am I Excited Yet?
Winter Scenes Along the Road
This is the final post in my Sitka Winter series. It is designed to allow me to carry home with me wherever we travel on this next adventure. It is winter shots from all along the 14 miles of Sitka’s … Continue reading Winter Scenes Along the Road
Winter Alpenglow
Wintertime Alpenglow is special. Because of the late sunrise (Just before 9 AM) and the early sunset (Just after 3 PM) I am up to see it on both ends. The snow is also further down on the mountains giving … Continue reading Winter Alpenglow
Winter at the End of the Road.
Sitka has many microclimates along its 14-mile road season. Even a few hundred feet of altitude or distance from the ocean makes a difference. And even along the ocean there are differences. As you approach Starrigavan Bay it gets colder, … Continue reading Winter at the End of the Road.