Since we were not going to the YCG for lunch, on April 12, in Piraeus (Athens), Greece, we had the usual port morning, and I went walking out, with my computer on my back, around noon.  There was a pamphlet in the terminal about an Archeological Museum, which looked nice, and was a ten minute walk away.  After I had walked for twenty, maybe thirty, minutes, I realized we must be at a different terminal, probably the one I was now across the street from.  I didn’t know if I had another ten minutes in me, before the computer did real damage to my neck, so I found a cab.

The museum was small, but very nice, as were its keepers.  They minded my computer bag, while I toured it.  I enjoyed the tour, but they didn’t have a coffee shop, nor Internet.  They did know where there was a good hotel within easy walking, and I soon found myself in the Hotel Savoy lobby, sipping a Coke and enjoying decent Internet.  The table I chose was right beside the half wall of the office.  This turned out to be handy, as I had two faxes to send and the ship doesn’t do that anymore.  They just attach to email like everybody else.  Interestingly, one of the faxes was to HAL, but I wasn’t questioning that.  The nice gentleman in the office offered me a glass of wine.  I said I couldn’t take that, as I was working, but could he possibly send the faxes for me, and he did!

I took a taxi back to the ship, at the last minute, enjoyed sailaway, and a nap before dinner.  The entertainment was Rita Rudner and she is always a hoot.

It’s nice being places you have been before, as there’s no obligation to see the Acropolis, or the Olympic Stadium, or whatever.  You can just enjoy the little town.  On April 13, that was Katakolon. Before I went out I tried to enlist Christel’s help in getting an upgrade for the Harrolds, who would be boarding the Koningsdam on April 15 in Civitavecchia.  I was having trouble reaching my BDM (Business Development Manager), who had been sailing on the Koningsdam, herself.  Koningsdam is Holland America’s newest ship, and she just launched.  Christel wasn’t very encouraging.  One of our President’s Club people had left this ship to join the Koningsdam, also paid more than the sale price, and Christel had not been able to upgrade her.  She did take Patrick Spencer’s driver’s and car license down, to give to the Port agent, so Patrick could get in the gate at Livorno.

I did a little more travel work and walked out about one o’clock.  I was only going shopping.  That’s all you do in Katakolon: have a nice fishy lunch, eat ice cream, and shop.  I got a lovely new dress, a few other bits, and a nice ice cream cone.  I was well pleased.  Sailaway was very nice, and we had Nicola, the IT Manager and his girlfriend, Louisa, for diner.  They are a truly delightful young couple, and we wish them very well.   The Lomax Brothers did the Ferranti and Teicher bit, not as well, but still fun.  I think our own Connor and Michael do it better.

At sea on April 14, there was just a little traffic at the desk, which was a good thing because I had a letter to write and deliver.  It was time to get serious about Cadiz and Flamenco.

We had dinner with Marketing Manager Noelle Kiswiny, and three of my people.  The entertainment was Ruben Vilagrad, mime, magic, etc.  Good enough.

I got up really early on April 15, as Steve and Tricia Harold were coming to breakfast on the Amsterdam, before boarding the Koningsdam, in Civitavecchia.  Their upgrade had come through last night.  I had accepted it on their behalf and wanted to print the confirmation, which would surely be on my email.  By 7:00 am (don’t faint), I was at my desk, with my computer attached to its printer.  I pulled my email and it wasn’t fun.  My BDM had not put through the upgrade, without confirmation the clients really wanted it.  It was to a verandah on the Sun Deck, a significant upgrade, but it would take them farther away from the dining room.  As if that matters, I mean.

If that wasn’t bad enough, the Port Agent in Livorno had asked for a picture of Patrick’s passport and he had just snapped one with his iPhone and emailed it.  Everyone, please note:  Do not do this to people who are stuck with ship’s Internet.  Those phones take enormous pictures.  The thing took 57 minutes to download, a huge waste of time and money.  But I needed it for the next day, to get Patrick through the gate to pick up Elvon, so I had to suck it up.

Luckily, the Harrolds were resourceful, and we had cell phone texting.  They got through security and came to my desk, just as I was finishing up.  I had to PhotoShop the passport photo down to one tenth its size, to email to Christel, to email to the port agent.  And I had to print the email for the Harrold’s upgrade to walk over to the Koningsdam.  It was too late to deal with Seattle any more.  The Koningsdam was here.  We were docked stern to stern.

Hugs all around.  We went back to our cabin to drop Steve’s computer bag and pick up Elvon.  Then it was up to the Lido, for our favorite breakfast, this time with some of our favorite friends.  The Lido did not disappoint and we filled our boot.  Then I gave them my Amsterdam tour and left them the run of the ship, while I ran over next berth, for their upgrade.

Everyone on the Amsterdam, who had asked for one, was issued a pass to board the lovely new Koningsdam, but there was a catch.  There were organized tours.  I neither wanted, nor needed, an organized tour.  I needed to be free to get to Judy Becker, Christel’s counterpart on the Koningsdam, and make the upgrade, which I had in my hot little hand, take.

I got off the Amsterdam, ignored the waiting shuttle and walked over to the Koningsdam.  There I met our Hotel Director, Henk Mensink, and explained my mission.  He walked me over to Koningsdam Security, talked me through, as a single, and told me to go to the Front Desk to find Judy.  A few quick inquiries got me there.  Lo and behold, there was Christel, assisting a wheelchair passenger, until her care giver got back.  I showed her my email and she was delighted.  The care giver returned and Christel and I approached the Front Desk.  She saw her counterpart disappearing into her office and said “Wait right here”.  I did.  Who wouldn’t when the stars were aligning like that?  After about five minutes, she came back, “All done.”  So, the Harrolds can put their new cabin number on their luggage and just check in.  Their luggage, of course, is in Shiv’s office because it would not fit on our cabin.  Tagging it would be easy.

For my present to the Harrolds, I bought a wine-blending package, figuring that would have some appeal.  I knew it would, because I checked over breakfast.  They will disembark, with their own blend, with their own label on it.  I decided not to tour any more of the Koningsdam, than I could see getting off by taking the stairs and poking around a bit.  She’s a floating luxury hotel, where the Amsterdam is a real ship, but she looks like a lot of fun.  BB King’s Blues Club particularly appeals.

Back on the Amsterdam, we had a pizza lunch by the pool, with the Harrolds, and they collected their luggage and went off to board.

I texted the Wescotts that I was ready and thought I found out where they were.  I was wrong.  Consequently, I took the shuttle too far and it cost me a bomb in taxi fare to pick up Wells and go to what was purportedly the best hotel in town.  I don’t know what the rooms were like, but it had no bar, nor anywhere else one could use the Internet, and the one person on duty was particularly surly.  We went back to an ice cream shop Wells had spotted, back near the Port Gate.  It wasn’t ideal, but it did work for our purposes.  I was able to activate his copy of MSOffice with one of my codes, and he’s all set.  We worked away at our email for a while and went back to the ship to do sailaway and happy hour.  I had called it for Friday, as there was no way I wanted to do Happy Hour, after a day of wine tasting on Saturday.

We had dinner with Connie Fischer and Jim Detwiler, previous DV guests.  The entertainment was a Beatles tribute, by a married couple, a bit odd, but good enough

On April 16, in Livorno, the untour got started around 8:30 am, as it was supposed to.  Our car held Patrick Spencer, Mike Holt, and ourselves.  Patrick was our guide for the day.  He is the manager of the Villa we rented in Montebenichi, last year.  We never got to go but have been seeing him every year, as we pass by.  This is the third time.  The two rental cars assembled one containing Paul Kerr and his partner, Sharon, Chef Peter and Trevor, from HAL head office in Seattle, the other Michael Innis, Gail Hanson, Alan Laurin and Lynn Blair.  Off we went, bound for Bolgheri, and a day of tasting Super Tuscans.

I was never clear on exactly what a Super Tuscan was, but I am now.  Net, to the bottom line:  A Super Tuscan is a wine grown, crushed, and bottled in Italy, made of mostly French grapes, mostly the ones in the Bordeaux blend, processed pretty much exactly the way we do it in the New World.  Don’t you feel smarter now?  I know I do.  Mind you, I always feel smarter after I drink wine.

Bolgheri is one of the cute little castle towns of Tuscany, complete with wineries and cafes, and shops of all kinds.  Getting Elvon into our winery “Castello di Bolgheri”, www.castellodibolgheri.eu,  looked like a major challenge, until they opened the back door, which only had one step, and a bit of a ditch.  Our guys lined up to make a human banister.  It sure is easy when you are traveling with seven able bodied men, most of them under 40.

The lovely Sylvia showed us through the winery, tanks, barrels, and all, and sat us down for some serious tasting.  The wines were good.  Just like home, the better one, CS, Merlot, CF) is not for drinking right now, but the cheaper one “Varvara” was lovely.  It’s Merlot, Shiraz and Petit Verdot.  I bought six bottles to fuel my parties, and they gave me one, for bringing the group.  Lunch was just next door at Ristorante Enoteca Tognoni”, www.enotecatognoni.it.  It was exceptionally good and a lot of fun.  They were serving Sassicaia wine, a bottle for every three people, and they, too, gave me a bottle to take back to the ship.

After lunch, we continued on to “Tenuta Argentiera”,  www.argentiera.com , where the lovely Isabelle Benedetti, whom I could have sworn was French, by her accent, treated us to a major tasting, with wine and salumi.  Since we seem to drink a lot of white on board, I bought 12 bottles of Poggio Al Ginepri, (IGT Toscanna Blanca) which is a blend of Vermentino, Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc, which we liked a lot.  This time the gift was a bottle of Poggio Al Ginepri, (DOC Bolgheri Rosato)  I would not have bought it.  It’s training wheels for wine.  But everyone’s doing that now.

It was a perfectly wonderful day.  Thank you Patrick, from the bottom of my heart.  We never got to the show.  Bed looked very good.

In Monte Carlo, Monaco, on April 17, we ate a very light breakfast and went to the gym.  At 11:30 am, we mustered at my desk for lunch at the Yacht Club de Monaco. It was the Wescotts, Yetkes, Dan Samaniego, Joan Harrison and us.  As luck would have it, the skies opened just as we got to the gangway.  To make it worse, the gangway was steep and not covered.  Elvon took one look at it and refused to go.  Ten minutes later, it had cleared, but everything was still wet, and no one could move him.  He went back to the cabin and the seven of us continued on.

The YC was just across the harbor, but since we don’t walk on water, we took a couple of taxis.  Oo-la-la, what a place it is.  It’s not the one we went to in 1998, where Elvon and Ernie waited in the consort’s lounge.  It’s way, way nicer than that very nice place.  It opened in 2014 and is a Norman Foster design.  Norman Foster is a very famous architect.  He designed the Hearst Tower in NYC, the Hongkong Bank building in HK,  Millennium Bridge, London, UK,  Hong Kong International Airport, Chek Lap Kok, and a whole bunch of prestigious buildings all around the world.  Here’s the list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_works_by_Norman_Foster

YCM looks like a huge ship in a harbor of fabulous yachts.  It’s an experience in itself.  We were booked to eat in the more casual, but amazing setting on the roof.  But, it had just rained.  So, all the members were down in the Main Dining Room, which was set up for Sunday Brunch.  There were no free tables, but they offered to set up a private dining room for us.  In places like this, if you have to ask the price, you can’t afford it, so we just said “yes”.

The room was gorgeous.  The food was fabulous and beyond delicious.  It cost 90 euros each, and no one minded.  It was one of those bucket list items you might never get to check off, unless you know the likes of me.  I keep the RHKYC and RStLYC memberships going for just this.  Purrr. And, yes, I did eat six desserts.  They were very small.

Tom Mullen came to dinner.  He’s always a treat.  He has been doing my job for Cruise Specialists for about 30 years.  To top off a perfect day, we had Rita Rudner again.

Docked in Barcelona, Spain, on April 17, we had the usual Lido pig-out and gym time, when I am planning to go ashore alone.  I thought I would walk, as my goal was the Monte Carlo Hotel, with a nearby shoe shop, around the middle of La Rambla. Somehow, I managed to turn myself around, and, after a twenty minute walk I was at Pier C, when we had docked at Pier A.  Now Pier A is closer to town and Pier C is, well, out to sea.  I didn’t feature another twenty minute walk, with a computer on my back, to get back where I started.  So, I took an expensive taxi to the Monte Carlo.

La Rambla is a walking street, so we approached it from a side street, and it happened to be the one the shoe shop was on.  I got out and went looking for the Fluchos Elvon wears.  These shoes are so good and so consistent, that I can buy them for him, while he relaxes on the Promenade Deck.  But this year, they didn’t have a model that I thought would work.  On to the Monte Carlo.

We always stayed at the Monte Carlo in Barcelona, thanks to my cousin, Rosemary.  The location can’t be beat.  It’s right in the middle of La Rambla, yet still clean and reasonable.  At least it was.  Its steel doors were rolled almost to the ground.  I rang the handicapped bell and introduced myself as a past guest.  The guy who answered the door didn’t have much English, but managed to tell me the place was “close ed”, accent on the last “ed”.  I asked when it would re-open and he reiterated “close ed”, and repeated:  “close ed”, “close ed”.  I got it.  I didn’t want to, but I did.  Luckily, there’s now a Citadines next door, so we still have a great place to stay in Barcelona.

Since I wouldn’t be using the Internet at the Monte Carlo, I continued on to Corte Ingles, the big department store, where we had bought the first Fluchos.  Sure enough, they had something Elvon would wear.  Things were looking up.  I added a belt, and a couple of pairs of great quality socks, and he was done.

Next stop: RCNB, Real Club Nautico de Barcelona, for lunch and Internet.  It was Monday, so the restaurant was closed, but, once again, I was welcomed graciously and had peace, quiet, and good Internet in the library.

Sail away was good and I don’t remember what else we did.  There were a lot of ports in a row and we were pretty done in.

 

On April 5, we were still on the way to Al’Aqabah.  It was another busy sea day, with lots of paperwork on my new bookings, as well as talking to people at the desk.  I went to the front desk to advise them that we would be in Israel overnight and to have them email the Port agent so that Aviva could get her car in as close as possible.  We are really looking forward to spending a little time with her.  Harvey Schneider’s wife has become my very good friend.

We had dinner with Paul Kerr and Sharon, and Alan Laurin and Lynn Blair.  It was good fun.  The entertainment was a variety show of last week’s entertainers, Donna Groom, Bernie Fields and David Kidd.  It was very good.

April 6, in Al’Aqabah, Jordan, was going to be an Internet day, and I knew just where to go.  We had breakfast in the Lido with the Yetkes.  We started with one Eggs Benedict each and a cheese and fresh blueberry crèpe.  Is that ever good.  Good thing we waited until the last month to start that habit.  Then we went to the gym, and I left Elvon in a deck chair, while the  Yetkes and I got on the shuttle.  For a small tip, we got the driver to take us a couple of blocks more and drop us right at the door of the Kempinsky.

It’s a beautiful hotel, and where I spent my day last year.  The Internet is fast and safe and the people are very nice.  Jan and I sat at the bar doing lots and lots of business.  When we stretched, we took a look at the beach and I observed that there were less hijab-clad ladies this year.  Either the novelty of the hotel has worn off for locals and they aren’t coming anymore, or the women are defying the men and getting comfortable.  I hope it’s the latter, but fear it’s not.

When I got back to the ship, I took Elvon for Pizza and ice cream, which didn’t stop us from having dinner at eight and going to sailaway after.  We left Al’Aqabah at 11:00pm, on a perfect night.  It was good to be outside with the city lights receeding.

On April 7,  we were on our way to the Suez Canal.  Otherwise, it’s a normal sea day.  After office hours and gym time, Elvon and I went to the Queen’s Lounge for the belly demonstration and show.  Two of our DV people had taken the classes and were up there on stage.  It was fun.  I made a very expensive call to HAL, on behalf of my clients, who had paid more than their sailing was now being offered for.  I got them $400 each in the form of a future cruise credit, but I am not done.  I am still working on an upgrade.  It’s unrealistic to expect the cruise line to give you your money back, just because they put your cabin on sale within a month of sailing.  You can, however, expect a good travel agent to get it back in kind, and that’s the plan.  A nice upgrade will make them whole.

Stan and Marilyn had a party, for us table mates, in their suite before dinner.  You should have seen the food the ship gives you for seven people.  It was a tad obscene, but it was delicious.  We ate all we could and donated the rest to the crew mess.  The Casablanca Steps, a male quartet, put on a good show.

We were the second ship to enter the Suez Canal on April 8.  The first one was a French destroyer.  I suspect the last one was military, too.  The world’s ships are cooperating in patrolling the canal, to keep it safe for passenger traffic and shipping.  The Amsterdam moved slowly through the canal, while our travel guide, Barbara Heanni, provided interesting narration.  Elvon spent a lot of time out on deck, as did almost everyone else.

I had the electrical connection in my desk fixed and made plans to go out in Civitavecchia with Wells Wescott to activate the copy on MS Office that I had loaded on his computer when mine was in trouble.  I had a spare license, now that I only have one computer myself, and had over-bought a number of years ago.

I have a table of my own in the dining room, now, and I have to keep them appraised of where I will be and who, of the crew, is coming to mine.  So I documented all that and emailed it to Tom, the DR Manager.  Then I worked on our buses for Cadiz.  I put all the handicapped people on Bus 1, so I could arrange taxis for them, instead of the long walking tour.   Then I wrote and delivered the weekly letter.

It’s another day of nightmare Internet, but I managed to do most of what I had to.  We had Chief Housekeeper, Shiv Charan, for dinner, at our big table upstairs, as he had long been promised to our original table mates.  Everyone loves Shiv, and his team has kept us all healthy this year, with its vigilance.

On April 9, we docked in Haifa.  Aviva picked us up at the ship, around 10:00 am.  We were delighted to see her.  She had a lovely day planned for us.  First she took us into the Carmel mountains, not far from Haifa.  I can see why our Carmel Highlands were named after this gorgeous place.  On the way I asked her about the status of Palestine.  One of our guests had been chuffed to purchase handmade souvenirs in Al’Aqabah, marked “Made in Palestine”, because as far as we know, there is no such place.  Aviva says that conquered territory could have gone back, but Jordan didn’t want it, like Eqypt didn’t want the Gaza strip.  Israel has basically adopted these places, just so it can keep the peace.

We visited EnHod, an Arab village, which has turned into an artist’s colony.  The artists are mostly Isreali, and the art is very good.  The houses are pretty upscale for starving artists.  It looks like richer people actually live in them and the artists rent studio space on the ground floor, until they become famous and rich enough to live there.  There is sculpture all over the place, much of it humorous, and a proper museum and event space.  Only residents and the handicapped can drive around in there, and it’s easy to see why.  It would become a very odd shaped, hilly parking lot in short order.  So they cleared a real parking lot and everyone, but us, walks in.  We can thank Elvon for our nice inside tour of EnHod.

We went up the hill to Ayn Hawd for lunch.  This is where the Arabs relocated.  It’s called an “unrecognized Arab town”.  Believe it or not, there is actually a Council of Unrecognized Settlements”.  It lobbies the government to get basic services, like power, water, roads and telecommunications, that we take for granted.  About ten years ago, an enterprising Arab lady, who was the secretary of the council, set up a restaurant in her house to feed them.  They all loved her food, and encouraged her to go commercial.  It started in the living room.  It squeezed them out of the existing space and they added rooms.  Eventually, they gave up and built a new building, hanging over the side of the hill.  You can just imagine the views.  They are almost at the top.  They moved the old living room furniture in for atmosphere.  Aviva has used it for family celebrations, so they know her.

There is no menu.  They just start bringing food out, and then they bring more, and more.  It’s all delicious.  I even ended up eating eggplant and cabbage rolls.  There were a lot of meat dishes, chicken and chicken livers, mutton and veal, tahini, veal by itself, stuffed peppers, relishes, spices, halvale, woof.  We were stuffed and happy.  The name of the restaurant is “Albeet” and it means My Home”.  You’re served by the owner and a large number of family members.  There are a few hired staff now, and you can tell them from the family, who all look alike.  The town is also known as “Ein Hud”.  It has an Arab name and an Israeli name.

Well fed, we moseyed along to Jerusalem, where Aviva had us staying around the corner from the Dan Panorama, at the Prima Royale (formerly The Windmill) on Mendale Street.  When we got there, it was still Saturday (Shabbat), just coming on sundown.  There had been a wedding party, but no one could leave as observant Jews do not drive before sundown on Shabbat.  So they were all waiting around that and the kids were running wild in the lobby.  Mose managed to check us in, though, and cautioned us on which elevator to use.  The other one was set to stop on every floor, so the observant Jews would not be operating something mechanical.  It’s an interesting way to make the old laws fit a modern world.  We holed up in the room, until well after sundown.

We wanted a nice dinner and more face time with the wonderful Aviva, so we used our hotel down time to figure out where to go for dinner.  We hit on sushi as a good bet.  It’s light, but you still feel like you are eating out.  We found a nearby sushi restaurant and went there.  It was a beautiful night and the place had a number of outdoor tables, so we asked for one.  Aviva went to find a parking space, while Elvon and I got settled.  Before she got back, we felt a drop, then another, and another, and another, and another.  We decided to move indoors.  It was a good thing, too, as Aviva had no sooner arrived when the deluge hit.  It came down in buckets.

The restaurant filled up, and it was mostly young people.  We brought the average up a good bit.  Israeli army soldiers carry their weapons with them when they are on leave, so there were a good few arms in the place.  You feel very safe here.  Every public place can defend itself.  The food was good, even if there were no shrimp, clams or scallops to be found.  The tuna and salmon items were yummy, as was the Israeli Sauvignon Blanc.  It was a very good day.  Thanks, Aviva.

We woke up in Jerusalem on April 10.  Sunday is a work day in Israel, and so Aviva dutifully reported to her job with the Antiquities Authority, at the Israel Museum.  She’s the English Editor for their publications.  We got up and ate the buffet breakfast offered by the hotel.  It was lavish, but odd to us.  No bacon or port sausage, of course, a lot of cold cuts, humus, cheese, vegetables, etc.  It wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, but I always find enough to eat.

We are in the middle of applying for a place in Fountaingrove Lodge, in Santa Rosa, where we can have our own apartment, but I can still get some good help caring for Elvon.  Susan, bless her heart, did all the ground work and had sent us a couple of documents to finish filling out, sign and return.  We had done all that on the ship and wanted to upload them from Jerusalem, with good Internet.  Aviva had taken the 79 pages in to work this fine Sunday morning, and I was planning to meet her around lunch time to get them, and my USB stick, back.

I set off on foot, but soon got myself a taxi.  A half hour walk is easy for me, but this one was all uphill and the air was thick with dust.  The cars were all filthy, as last night’s five minute downpour had just served to make mud on every car in town.  The taxi driver I got said he had washed his, early in the morning, but that there had been another five minute downpour, just after he finished.  I had a cup of tea with Aviva, got my papers back and a big hug to boot.  Back at the hotel, I uploaded them, used the Internet as long as I could, checked out and took another taxi, back to the ship.

We sailed away at 5:30 pm and got back into ship’s routine.  We had dinner at eight and were entertained by Francisco Yglesia, harpist, former member of “Los Paraguayos”.

After having all my Pinnacle dinners oversubscribed, I came to the end and had to scramble a bit to fill the one on April 11.  I took a few repeaters, and it worked out fine, in the end.

I went to see Christel for tips on Amsterdam, and she promised them.  They will be back on board by the time we get to Holland, so we won’t be able to get together, but she has her ideas somewhere in her computer and will send them along.

I made up a few birthday cards and corresponded more with the yacht clubs of Greece and Monaco.  I cancelled Greece, because it’s tomorrow and I only had the Yetkes, who had been before, and one other.  Elvon would still be recovering from Jerusalem, and the Yetkes came with us in 2014.  I had a talk with Jan and we decided to focus on Monaco, instead.  It wasn’t more than a few days away.

We had a good time at the Pinnacle, where I served 7 bottles of wine to 13 people, all repeaters, except for the one couple.  This may have been one dinner too many, but, it’ only money, and they are still fun.  We finished in time to see the 10:00 pm show.  It was a production show:  Jazz, Blues and Rock ‘n’ Roll.  Our dancers are amazing.

 

March 29, was our first day back at sea, after Dubai.  I had a few things to do before desk hours and another Distinctive Voyages lunch in the dining room.  Tom, the Dining Room Manager, likes to do things for us, but these lunches are hard to manage.  The people tell me whom they want to sit with and then don’t show up on time, or at all.  I had not done them before this year and am not planning to do them again.  It was delicious, but the stress factor was off the charts, for what it delivered.

I emailed the yacht clubs of Greece and Monaco, to see what could be done there in the way of lunches, and I photoshopped a bunch of pictures.   The entertainment was a one-man show, Hamlet, cut to the bone.  The fellow couldn’t wear a microphone, because he kept switching costume suggestions at a great rate of knots.  He kept changing voices, too, and I don’t think anyone beyond the fifth row heard it all.  I knew the play, so I got enough, but the audience dribbled away, until there were only four of us at the end.  It was a shame.

On March 30, we docked in Muscat, Oman, in the same place as last year.  After breakfast and gym time with Elvon, I headed out.  On the shuttle ride in to the center of town, I saw the little outdoor restaurant, where I did my Internet stuff last year, but I also saw a Hop On Hop Off bus, and thought I would try that.  First, I did a little damage in the souk, more than I had planned, but the quality was good and the prices, right.  Note to self:  Don’t spend so much in Singapore, just because you aren’t going to India.  A lot of the same stuff is in this souk, almost as good quality, and a third the price.

I got off at the stop near the Intercontinental Hotel and walked there.  It’s beautiful.  In the middle of it’s lobby is a very elegant tent with a desk in it and a sign that it’s for Club Member check-in.  I went in and met Khamers AlMazrim, the Lobby Ambassador.  I fleshed my card and told my story, and he was delightful.  He fixed me up with an Internet password and guided me to rest rooms and restaurant.  There, I had a plate of hot mezze and signed on.  I was able to get some business done, but AOL could not be persuaded to send email.  I had to work on its site, which is not efficient when you have all your messages ready to go.  Oh well, the setting was lovely and the mezze were delicious, there were two of each of six different kinds.  I ate a whopping eleven of them.  I only needed one spinach tart.  The kibbeh, melted cheese pasties, etc. were all lovely, and actually delicious, with what I recognized as Thai dipping sauce.

I got back on the HOHO bus, with just enough time to ride it the rest of the way around, and still make the last shuttle to the ship.  The roads were good, and the buildings were very nice, mostly new.  Sailaway was wonderful, complete with belly dancer, but I couldn’t touch another Middle Eastern hors d’oeuvre.

Back at sea on March 31, Elvon went to the Queen’s Lounge to hear about pirate treasure and Shakespearean skulls.  I went to the desk.  Barbara Zion came to book her four into dinners at the Pinnacle and Canaletto.  Our Pinnacle dinner coincides with Jacob’s birthday and she thought he would like a party.  She will pay for the Abecassises and organize a cake.  Wendell Kasprick came to sign up for the Pinnacle, too.  He went to Wells Wescott’s birthday party, and thinks that back room I always use is a great place.  He’s right.  It’s just like home, if you live in a mansion. I made a bunch of birthday cards and a plan to go out Internet seeking with Michael Holt, tomorrow.  Then I got another Pinnacle dinner date from Tina, as the current one is over-subscribed.

On April Fool’s Day, we were in Salalah, Oman.  We  had breakfast in the Lido with the Yetkes, did our number in the gym and I met Michael around 10:30 am.  We could have had a taxi into town for $60, where there were a number of nice chain hotels for our Internet, but I told Michael about the Sailors’ Club I had used last year and that sounded good to him.  He liked the idea of the beach we would pass and the club sounded good, too, even with the concern that its Internet might get stressed, if a lot of people from the ship found it.

We set out to climb the hill, past the beach to the Oasis Club.  It wasn’t hard to talk ourselves in and the barman and staff could not have been friendlier.  They gave us the password and a couple of sodas, and we sat down.  Since we were almost alone in the place, it was great.  The problem with AOL sending/receiving was still there, but I was working around it as best I could, updating my applications, downloading confirmations for clients, etc.  After about three-quarters of an hour, I heard Michael, who was facing the Club entrance, say “oh-oh”.  It wasn’t good, a full bus load of people, who turned out to be part of the Korean Navy, was unloading, with their devices in hand.  It didn’t take long before the Internet speed really sucked.  I asked our friendly bartender how long they would be staying and was not remotely reassured, when I found out it would be a couple of days.  So, we folded up our computers and went to the beach.  There I took some pictures of my best tech buddy, one of them a handstand, but that was on his camera.  You’ll have to be satisfied with this. It’s a gorgeous little beach.

Back at sea on April 2, it was time to touch bases with Tina in the Pinnacle and Ron in Canaletto, and write another newsletter, as Israel and Greece would be fast upon us.  It was also Saturday, and it’s good to put a letter into their hands, to remind them of happy hour. Dee Westcott brought in some more amazing fish pictures.  She and Donna Kasprick, and Joanne Gardner, the Future Cruise Consultant, had had another dive adventure in Oman.  At a couple of points, there weren’t sure they would ever come back, but, did she ever get some good ones.  I intersperse them with people in my screen saver, which I will give to anyone that wants it, on the last day.  With any luck, Gene will give me USB drives for the purpose.  It makes a nice going away gift.

Happy Hour was lively.  Dee Westcott brought her iPad full of fish pictures, and the doc and her husband, who are always good company.  The Yetkes, Healings, Laurins, and Dan Samaniego were there, too.  We had Hotel Director, Henk Mensink, as a guest at our table for dinner, and the Westcotts had Gisela and Chas.   Henk is always fun, and he does such a good job.  The entertainment was Bernie Fields, a harmonica player from Montreal, who has played with symphony orchestras all over the world.

On April 3, the desk was busy, and we had a Pinnacle Dinner for 14, always fun.

April 4, was uneventful.  Tomorrow we will be in AlAqaba, the port for Petra and that was the day’s hot topic.  We had been there in 2010, so I was able to address that handily.  Sadly, I had to discourage some of the less able-bodied.  It truly is not for them.  Go while you can still walk a couple of miles.  We had Culinary Operations Manager, Paul Kerr, and his wife, Sharon, for dinner, with the Laurins, and Dan Samaniego.  It was a good night.

 

March 22 was our second day in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and we were spending it with our table mates, Marilyn Goldblatt and Stan Haidl. Our taxi driver, who was delightful, and whose name was Mangela, picked the four of us up at the ship, at 10:30 am.  We were on Marilyn & Stan’s program to visit Pettah Market before lunch, which we stopped and reserved, on the way.  It was a religious holiday, and we didn’t know what to expect.  It turned out to be the best of all worlds.  Some of the stalls were closed, but most were open, and the place was nearly deserted.  We got everything we wanted, at the price we wanted to pay.  I regretted having paid Singapore’s high prices, although I still think the quality there was better.

We got to The Galle Face Hotel, before noon, and the buffet was set to open at 12:30 pm.  So, we went to the bar, sat outside this time, and had fresh pressed juice drinks with fast, free Internet.  It was warm, but there were fans, and it was really nice.  We saw a lot of friends from the ship, most of whom were my people.  When we moved over for lunch, we were soon joined by more.  The food was wonderful.  Of course, Indian food lends itself well to buffets, but they had a lot of wonderful fresh items, too, and a carvery, and grill, on which they were doing scallops and calamari, as well as chicken and fish.  It was an absolutely first rate buffet, at a fabulous price.  Including the before dinner drinks, it came in at $130 for four people!  It’s going to be hard to get us to go to the glitzy new places, after that.

Elvon and Marilyn were done for the day, so our driver took us back to the ship, and I rehired Mangela to take me straight back.  It took me about ten minutes to get Elvon back to the room, and off I went with Mangela.  Now that there were only two of us in the car, I got his story, and it’s sad.  He wasn’t always a taxi driver.  He was a production manager in a textile factory.  His wife worked there, too, until she died of heart failure, at the age of thirty-nine.  It was from all the fibers in the air.  They put too much of a load on lungs and heart.  He had two small children at the time and they needed at least one parent, so he quit, before the job took him, too.  They are teenagers, now, and doing well in school.  He hopes to send them both to college, a doctor and an engineer.  We wish him well.

When I got back to The Galle Face’s bar, Joanne Gardiner, the Future Cruise Consultant was happily ensconced, another one of the people I had recommended the place to.  I had another hour and a half of good Internet, and Mangela took us back to the ship, feeling very productive, for a change.

The Fly Rights, a Motown group from London, sang and danced us to bed.  They were terrific.

March 23 was the first of four sea days.  I got to the desk early to meet with Paul and Jacques, to discuss what to do about Livorno.  We decided that Elvon and I would keep to the plan, using Patrick’s car.  My source, you see, was, Patrick Spencer, our Tuscany villa manager.  Paul and Jacques will rent a car and follow us, and so can anyone else who wants to.  I know Michael Innis and Gail Hanson will.  Office hours were uneventful, with Michael Holt coming to meet and pay Lynn Blair and Alan Laurin, for half a wine package.  Marsha Rankin was by for a chat, and Harvey Cohen, too.  We went to the gym, I did a little catching up with logs and blogs, had a massage and dressed for formal night.  The production show was all about British Pop Stars and was very good.

The next day, the desk was quiet, so   I started work on a letter to go out tomorrow and worked on my travel business.  We had Events Manager Mark Beasley for dinner, and he was good fun, as always.  The show was good, too, Tony Pace.

March 25 was another sea day.  I tried to figure out how I could help Bobbie Reilley-Schmidt get the AOL Desktop in Dubai, and we hatched a plot that involved the HOHO bus on the second day.  A few people stopped by for chat and candy, but mostly, I wrote and delivered my newsletter.  The show was Grafitti Classics, again.

March 26, was our last day at sea, before Dubai.  The desk was busier, as it always is the day after I deliver a letter.  People actually sign up for things.  Lynn and Alan are going to share a car for Livorno, with Michael and Gail, and follow us.  Dolly stopped by to chat.  She’s funny.  She is homeless, and just has a container of stuff in Seattle.  It’s mostly full of the presents HAL gives us.

I solved a few easy problems and stopped by Christel’s office, with a question.  Christel has a new stripe.  She’s now Guest Relations Director.  There are no more dollars associated with it, just more responsibility.

It was a Saturday and Doc Gisella Schlosser and her SOB, Chas Stutz, were coming to dinner, so we invited them to Happy Hour, too.  For once we could talk, with just the Healings, who are lovely, adding themselves.  On to dinner:  We has asked Tom Grindlay, Dining Room Manager, for a larger table as our table for eight is comfortable for seven, tight at eight, and downright cosy at nine. We ended up at a table downstairs, which is generous for twelve.  We think Tom is playing with us.  The dining room is half empty, but there are politics there, that even he does not like to engage in.  We had a very nice time, but it was weird and uncomfortable.  Marilyn and Stan said they would just go to Canaletto when we had more than one guest.  I decided,enough, I was asking for a separate table to use for my DV people and crew guests, whom I wanted to introduce, anyway.  Our table is very good this year, but I have a larger agenda.

The Fly Rights were back on stage with an all new show, and just as good as the last one.

March 27, we docked in Dubai, UAE,  at 8:00 am.  Elvon and I were more than ready for a good Lido breakfast of eggs Benedict.  Before we left the cabin, the phone rang.  One of my guests had a cap come off a tooth and he needed a dentist to glue it on.  He didn’t want to pay $95 to have the doc take care of the referral.  I don’t know anyone particular in Dubai, but I do know it is a center for all things medical, and there would be no problem finding a dentist.  I told him to just take the shuttle to the mall and ask the helpful people at the information desk there.  I think they work on Sundays, but, in any event, we are here for two days, and they will certainly work on Monday.  His tooth picked a good place to surrender its cap.

The eggs Benedict were yummy, and we had our gym time.  I wanted Elvon to just ride the hop-on, hop off bus for one complete circuit to see all the development in Dubai, as it is staggering.  He would not do it.  He was afraid to fall getting through the terminal.  He had a point, as the floors were polished marble, but how did he know that?  It’s time we got a light wheel chair.  So, I figured I would just go use the Internet in the Mall today, and go out with Bobbie, tomorrow.  So I put my computer in my back pack and made off to catch a shuttle.

The shuttle takes you to the Dubai Mall, part of the Burg Khalifa complex.  It’s the tallest building in the world and one of the glitziest malls.  The biggest difference from last year, is that there were a lot fewer women in full Arab cover, gabayah.  Whether there was just a higher proportion of tourists, now that the novelty has worn off, or the local women were more insubordinate, I do not know.  I fervently hope it’s the latter.  My plan was to pick a good restaurant around the fountain, work for an hour or two, and order a substantial snack, while enjoying the fountain.  My plan did not coincide with the restaurants’ plans.  I found a good Chinese one “Le Feu”, part of the Paradise chain.  It had decent Internet that you could use in the bar area, but not at the outdoor tables around the fountain.

I sat down in the bar and got to work.  The Internet was pretty good, but there was no way the AOL Desktop was signing in.  I fought it for a while, did what I could, and ordered a very yummy Szechuan shrimp conpoy.  I packed up and went to the same yoghurt place in the mall, where I had accessed the Internet last year.  It just used the Dubai Mall’s Internet, and, the later it got, the more congested the network.  It worked, to an extent, but would not let the AOL Desktop sign on, either.  Neither would the very good Internet in the terminal, when I got back, and Jan couldn’t get on in the Marriott, either.  I checked last year’s diary, where I found the same report.  It seems to be a funny form of censorship, either the UAE’s or AOL’s.  I am not sure.  What’s App and its brethren didn’t work, either.  Note to self, next time try Armani Hotel attached to the mall.

Elvon and I went to dinner, at the table, and the Dubai Traditional Music & Dance show, complete with whirling dervish and belly dancers.  It was very good.

Around 8:00 am, the next morning, Bobbie called to say she wasn’t feeling at all well, and wouldn’t be on the HOHO bus today.  She wanted me to have her ticket and accompany her friend, Kathleen.  I was sorry she wasn’t feeling well, but somewhat relieved that I wouldn’t have to produce a functioning AOL Desktop for her, because this wasn’t the place.  I acquiesced readily.

Elvon and I had our lovely breakfast and gym time.  I hustled him into a deck chair, and met with Bobbie and Kathleen at 10:30.  Bobbie introduced us, gave me what I needed and went back to bed, poor thing.  Kathleen and I headed off for the Big Bus.  The bus advertized WiFi on board, so I figured I would get some work out of the way on the way to the Mall, where we would board a touring version.  The WiFi was useless, it made the ship’s look good.  After about five minutes, I gave up, choosing to save my battery for a decent connection.

Kathleen and Bobbie had done the old town route the day before, so she wanted to do the beach route this time.  I had done all four routes last year, so it didn’t matter to me.  The one we chose went through Jumierah, the medical settlement, cum upscale townhouse development, to the beach, past the World Islands, the Burg AlArab, where Sandy and I had the overpriced lunch, and the Palm Atlantis.  One of these years, I will just get off at the Palm Atlantis, but you have to have a couple-three hours to allot to it.  It’s that big.  But it has interesting attractions, like swimming with the fish and sea mammals.  Kathleen had her heart set on seeing the ski slope at the Mall of the Emirates, so we continued on.  Another idea for next time is the Dr. Fish in Wild Wadi, at the same stop as the Bugh Al’Arab.  See some interesting animals; get your toes nibbled, ahhhhh.

We got off at the Mall of the Emirates and followed the signs to the Ski Slope.  We were stopped in our tracks by the admission booth.  Of course, you would have to pay.  How silly of us not to have foreseen this.  Kathleen took some pictures for the grandkids.  About half-way back towards the entrance, I got the bright idea that we should have taken the escalators up.  There might have been a view of the slope form the third floor.  But the stuffing was all out of Kathleen.  She just wanted to go back and rest.  We had a very expensive, very delicious, fancy French gelato, and called it a mall.  Back at the Dubai Mall hub, Kathleen took the shuttle back to the ship and I got on the red line that went to the old city and the souk.

At the souk stop, I found the Blue Barjeel, a riverside restaurant, where I spent a couple of hours with a coke, a plate of deep-fried kibbeh, and good Internet.  The AOL Desktop still could not log on, but I got quite a bit done, and I needed that.  By the time I was done, the sun was starting to set, so I skipped the souk and got back on the HOHO.  I was rewarded with this nice picture:

 

It turned out it was the last bus, and it ended one stop short of the Mall of Dubai.  The taxi back to the ship cost me three times what it would have cost from the souk, another note for next time.  Enjoy the expensive picture.

We weren’t sailing until 11:00 pm, so, after dinner, Elvon and I went up to the Sea View Bar, aft on deck 8, where there would be good reception.  There I was able to speak to our bankers and text with Susan, because it was morning in California.  We also enjoyed a very beautiful sail away.  Dubai is pretty at night and the weather was perfect.

 

 

March 15 was our second day in Singapore.  I  let Elvon sleep a very long time, as going out in Little India, had turned out to be quite an expedition for him.  Today was to be a easy day, consisting of not much more than a half-hour at Kandu VC, Singapore’s Dr. Fish.  I ordered breakfast from Room Service and let him sleep for 12 hours.  We then went to the gym and worked out.  But when it came time to leave the ship, he wouldn’t budge.  I do wish he was more adventurous, but I set him up in a deck chair and set off with my computer in tow.

There is an ASUS store right next door to the fish spa, and I wanted them to test my power supply.  They couldn’t do it.  They didn’t have a plug adapter.  I did browse the Transformer Books, though, and one of those will tide me over, while ASUS in the states, checks the computer out.  It’s behaving beautifully, with its amazing kludgey power supply, but I want to be sure it’s OK, and I want a more compact power supply, at a minimum.

Before I got my feet in the water at the fish spa, I met a delightful lady named Carol Farber.  We are sure we have met before on some ship or other, and we likely will again. The fish were voracious and my feet came out just beautiful.  I had a neck and shoulder massage, while I was there, used their Internet for an hour, and went back to the ship.  The entertainment was Filip Wojciechowski, a concert pianist gone commercial.  He was very good.

Back at sea and at my desk on the16th, it was business as usual.  Michael Holt came by with the interesting news that Stein Kreuse’s son, Alexander was having a birthday party tonight in the King’s Room.  He had wanted the back room in the Pinnacle, but I had it reserved for a thank you party, for all who had helped my computer back to health after its software and hardware problems.  Lucky Michael was invited to both, but he’s sticking with his first invitation, which would be mine.

We were eating in the Pinnacle and “The Best Dam Tech Team”  party went very well.  The 14 of us drank 9 bottles of wine.  I want to recognize everyone that helped me, for the record:  Nicola Smiljovic, HAL IT Manager, who was my sounding board and advisor, when Windows crashed, and my consultant, when I was considering a new machine;  Michael Holt, who gave me a day of his life in Picton, NZ, downloading, installing, rebuilding Windows, MS Office, Outlook, etc.;  Kristen O’Shea, HAL’s Digital Workshop Manager, who helped me take an Image backup, when we thought the newly rebuilt computer might never run again, as we couldn’t charge it, and helped me load MS Office on Wells’ computer;  Wells Westcott, who lent me his spare computer, until I found a power supply that worked;  Connie Fischer, cruise of ’14, who lent me said power supply, until I found one in Cairns;  Jack Parker, who lent me a plug adapter that worked some of the time, when the one they sold me in Cairns, wouldn’t fit the desk, which had lips over the outlet;  Michael Innis, Bridge Instructor and Bus 2 Monitor, who lent me a three way plug, that worked better, to extend the plug adapter they sold me in Cairns out over the lips.  SOTs, Spouses of Techs, included, mine, Kristen’s, Dee Westcott, Maggie Parker, and Gail Hanson.  Jim Detwiler wasn’t well.

We all had a wonderful time.  All these very nice, very smart, people liked each other, a lot.  The computer came too, and showed its slide show all night.

It was St. Patrick’s Day, in Thailand, and nowhere on earth is it more ignored.  You wouldn’t think there were that many places to dock in Phuket, but this was at least the third for me.  It was hot and the market on the pier was under low tents, which made it very close to insufferable.  I made a quick reconnoitering pass at it, and took off on foot.  I probably should have hired a taxi.  The only place within walking distance in that heat was a SevenEleven.  At least it had very cold bottled water.  That helped on the way back.  I bought some clothing on the dock and called it a day.  It was getting near sail away, anyway, I had not started very early.

I put on the Paddy green top I had acquired in Singapore and went to sailaway and dinner.  The entertainment was Joe West, who sings, tap dances and plays a bunch of wind instruments.  He was pretty good.

March 18 was a sea day, and I worked on Internet minutes back for one of my people, signing them up for various things, and giving what shore advice I could.  Our next port, Hambantota, however, I did not have a clue about.  Not very many cruise ships have stopped there, ever. I finished and delivered a newsletter.  When I was delivering Shorex’s copy, I found out that HAL’s tour supplier was happy to take over our wine tour, but with its own bus and guide.  I didn’t think that was exactly nice of them, after my guy had done all the work of organizing and pricing it, and I had put it in presentation format and handed it to them on a plate.  Oh, well. Far be it from me.

Happy Hour was well attended, dinner was nice and the entertainment was Grafitti Classics, a dancing violin quartet.  It’s a formula act, and last year’s troop was better.  It was still fun, though.

 Still at sea, on March 19, we had a kitchen tour at 10:00 am.  Twenty-three people attended.  It was shorter than it has been in the past and they didn’t give us a crumb, while the smell of the bakery made our mouths water.  I went back to my desk, sorted out a bunch of things and tipped her staff for the Tech Party.

We had 20 people attending the Murder Mystery, and it was a lot of fun.  Michael and I won 200 Grand Dollars each fr guessing who did it.  We are putting them, with the $2 that Elvon has collected, into a bank to help anyone in the group reach a prize he or she wants.

On March 20, we docked at a very new port, Hambantota, Sri Lanka.  As usual, by the time we had had a big breakfast, been to the gym, and I had done some work, I was late getting out.  I took the shuttle to the gate, with just a couple of crew members.  It was 7 miles to town, and I had no one to share a taxi with.  It was not that expensive, but I was a little afraid of setting out alone in a tax.  I suppose it’s silly, but the older I get, the more of a chicken I become.  I hung around the gate for a couple more buses, but no partner appeared.  The people who had gone out early were coming back.  I did find out that there was a National Park, where they saw a lot of elephants and had a wonderful time, with a $60 taxi.

It was a sad little day for me.  It did have a bright spot, though.  I got back to a recorded message from the Front Desk, that my passenger had been refunded 228 Internet minutes, when I had requested 109.  Noelle had actually gone back through her sign ons and offs, and identified more waste.  Good for her.  I like Noelle.

Sailaway was nice, and the entertainment was a half dose of Joe West and a half of Michael Bell.  We had missed him on Murder Mystery night.  He was very, very good.

The next day, March 21, was our first in           Colombo, Sri Lanka.  While Elvon was showering and dressing I put the “On Location” channel on the stateroom TV.  Barbara was waxing poetic about the Galle Face Hotel, very near the ship.  It had had a face lift since we were here last year and she could not wait to see it.  It is Colombo’s Grande Dame Hotel and I always like those.  I did some work on my computer, while it was plugged in, and took off with it on my back around one PM.  There was no rush. We were here for two days.  I considered walking, but succumbed to a $5 tuk tuk.  Good thing I did, too, as I was pointed in the wrong direction.  It’s odd.  You see a thing from the ship, but by the time you are on the ground and walking, you can’t see it anymore and I got turned around.  The tuk tuk dropped me off, five minutes later, and I entered the very beautiful Galle Face.

It’s right on the beach, of course, and all marble and dark wood.  They showed me to the bar, where there were pictures on the walls of famous writers and actors who had stayed there.  You know, Somerset Maugham and his lot.  That man went everywhere.  I chose to sit inside, where it was cool and the tables looked more conducive to working, but the patio outside has wonderful rattan furniture and is right on the sea.  I noted the lunch area, and made a mental note to bring Elvon here tomorrow.

I got a lot of work done in that quiet bar, with its excellent Internet.  It’s not the only good place, either.  Colombo is in the middle of a growth spurt, and now has a Taj and a Hilton, too, and there’s an enormous hotel, mall, apartment, office, etc. complex going up, just across the road from the waterfront.  The anchor hotel is a Shangri La.  It’s Chinese money and they are doing what worked in Hong Kong, when we were there, 25 years ago.

On my tuk tuk ride back to the ship, we witnessed a typical Colombo accident, of the kind described by Barbara.  We had stopped so my driver could explain the parliament building to me, and right in front of us a motor scooter just fell over.  The driver and passenger, both girls in their twenties, got up, brushed themselves off, and laughed when they saw that their rear wheel was all bent and hanging by a thread.  These things happen all the time, apparently.  I’m just happy no one was hurt.

When I got back, I called Marilyn and Stan and invited them to lunch at the Galle Face Hotel.  We still owe them from Club 57 in Singaopre in 2012, and this looked like a good way to pay back.  They already had a car and driver booked to go to the market and lunch at the Taj, which no one had seen yet.  We were amenable to lunch there, too, but it wasn’t on the beach.  Marilyn and Stan decided to go with our idea.

 

My next assignment is Celebrity Silhouette, August 6, 14-Night British Isles Cruise, Amsterdam to Amsterdam.  Do not post on the blog to sign up.  Email me directly.  Better yet, call Becky Jones and book it, telling her you are my client –  210-745-0124.  See the itinerary and approximate pricing at http://www.cruisepro.biz/search/enter.asp?site=X1952&dir=OfferCompare&MyOffers=3975684&B2CQuickView=1&account=Helen+Megan,+HelenMegan@aol.com

March 8 was a day to catch up between Vietnamese ports.  Saigon was going to be fun.  I had shopping partners.  I worked my travel business for a couple of hours.  One of my people came to discuss modes of transportation in Petra.  I have been there before, with a Tauck Tour and I know them all, feet, donkey cart and camel ride.  I was able to explain the site and she left with a better understanding.

After I left the desk, Elvon and I worked out in the gym and went to Dick Healing’s talk in the Wajang theater.  Dick and Dick Yetke, served in the US Coast Guard.  What most of us do not know, is that the Coast Guard has been deployed overseas in every major conflict since its inception in 1879.  Dick’s war was Vietnam and his talk was timely and fascinating.  Our table went to the Vietnamese dinner in the Pinnacle, and it was truly delicious.

On March 9, 2016, in Phu My (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam, I left Elvon sleeping, with a nice tray from room service, and went to the Queen’s Lounge for the shuttle to Saigon, where I planned to do some serious shopping.  I had a couple of partners from the group, Bobbie Reilly-Schmidt and Joan Harrison.  The roads are a lot better than they were last year and the shuttle made it in record time, like an hour and a quarter, instead of the advertized two hours.  We were dropped off at a new office tower, with a mall, with banks in it.  I used an ATM, while Bobbie and Joan changed money in a real bank, with real tellers, where you got approved in one place and got your money in another.  It was new and clean, and you got to sit down to do your business, so that worked for us.

Then we set off on the ten minute walk to the market, through the streets of downtown Saigon.  The traffic isn’t nearly as bad as it was one and two years ago.  The new highway must be relieving the city core, too.  Crossing the street is a little daunting, with all the motorcycles, but we soon found out that following Joan was a good plan.  She was the slowest of us, but she was fearless.  She just set out, never varied her pace and never looked back.  Bobbie and I just fixed our eyes on her back and followed.

I have long since learned to just use the government stores in the market, for the quickest, easiest shopping.  You might pay a bit more, but they have more choice, all in one place.  I got a nice embroidered duvet cover and pillow shams, for about $40, and a whole bunch of clothes.  By one, we were done and ready for a nice lunch.  I had noticed the Majestic Hotel on the map the shuttle had given us, and it was very near where we would be taking the shuttle back.

Built in the 20s, it’s a grande dame, with fabulous stained glass and chandeliers.  I knew the food would be good, as we had had a cooking class there in one of our previous go-arounds.   There were a few other ladies we recognized from the ship there, too, but it wasn’t crowded at all.  It’s probably because it was at least three times as expensive as the restaurants on the streets.  We didn’t care.  We were ready to pay for ambience and good authentic Vietnamese food, that we knew was safe to eat.  The Majestic delivered all that and a couple of local beers, too.  It was excellent.  It was a good day, and a good evening, too.  The Scottish MacDonald Brothers provided good entertainment.

 Back at sea on March 10, it was business as usual at the desk.  At the request of Paul, the Culinary Ops Manager, and Jacques, the Cellar Master, I have been putting together a wine tour, out of Livorno.  I have a good connection in Tuscany, thanks to having rented a very large villa there for last summer.  I got it all planned and costed and ready to take to Nyron, the Shore Excursions Manager.  We wanted him to bless it and put HAL’s liability umbrella over it, as it would be a crew tour.  So I gave it all to Nyron and he said he would take care of it.  They have a new tour operator in Italy.  Nyron will ask them to address it.

The ship has announced an Art Auction to benefit a charity in Sri Lanka.  I wonder if they’d like our phisherman.  In the afternoon, I finally got some time to work on this log.  I had a lot of catching up to do.  There was a production show tonight, called “Dance”, we like those.

Since I had never been to Cambodia before, I invested in a tour of Sihanoukville and environs, for March 11.  I hooked up with Pauline, from Bobbie, Dan, Alan and Lynn’s table.  She was a lovely tour companion.

Our guide, Vicheth, gave us a short history of Cambodia on the way out.  It was French for 90 years up to 1953, when it gained independence.  It’s a monarchy, with elections, and the current king has no heir.  The ruling party is the Khmer Rouge.  He said the people have no rights.  It is interesting that he seems to have the right to talk about it, though.  The majority of the people are Buddhist, with a large Hindu influence, like Bali.  The economy runs on textiles, rice, paper, rubber, timber, tobacco, etc.  They have labor problems, because wages are low and many. many people go to other countries for better pay.  This is particularly true of the well-educated.  I was again floored when I heard him say: “Many people earn money from corruption.”

And, sadly, they are still clearing land mines.  And, there are not too many well-educated, as the Khmer Rouge disposed of most of them in the killing fields.  They had to completely rebuild the education system.  They go to school for nine years, in Khmer.  Parents who can afford it send their kids to English or French private schools at night.  They still have to bring in skilled professionals, like engineers and doctors, from abroad.  They desperately need teachers.  There is no health, accident or property insurance, but I did see a Manulife building.  There are no pensions.  The new generation just takes care of its old.

We stopped to visit the market in Kampot, a town of 20,000.  It was a very basic market.  Then we visited a pepper plantation, and a fishing village and went to a very nice lunch.  I made a proper piglet of myself, because many of our American tourists, won’t touch an unpeeled shrimp with its head still on.  It’s a pity, as they were some of the freshest I had ever had, and had a yummy dipping sauce.  Most people had none or one.  I had about fifteen.  There was a hot, spicy soup, cuttle fish, veggies, a whole fish, etc.  I was in hog heaven.  They even gave us a nice beer to wash it down.

We visited a school and a temple and walked a beach, where we all paid a dollar to take this photo.  On the way back, Vicheth told us about Pol Pot, and how he had been educated in Paris, reading Marx and Lenin.  He became second in command to Ho Chi Minh, when South Vietnam was supposed to be given to Cambodia.  Interesting.  Sihanouk, after whom the city is named, was the much-loved first ruler.  He was responsible for Cambodia’s gaining its independence from France.  The current king is his youngest son.  I guess Vicheth, figured he had gotten to know us, because in the last hour, he shared his personal story, and how most of his family had died in the Pol Pot years, one and two at a time.  He had been a baby and somehow the remaining family members managed to protect him.  But, it was gruesome, and very, very sad.

Annie Gong, on the accordion, was the show.  Somehow I liked her better last years.  Some acts are only good once.

I had a message on my phone last night to take my “wonderful Balinese carving” to the art auction at eleven o’clock, so I did that just before I went to my desk on March 12, a sea day.  He wasn’t rejected, but put out with the rest of the art created on board or purchased on shore, like mine.

A couple stopped by to talk about Singapore options and what to do in Phuket.  That one is always a mystery to me, as in five stops there, the ship has only docked in the same place twice.  Another passenger came to talk about Singapore.  He’s a photographer, so I sent him to Jurong Bird Park, one of my favorite places, the Gardens by the Bay, and on the night Safari.

Dan stopped by to invite us to a cabin party he was having tonight.  Since it’s Saturday, we are committed to Happy Hour.  Bad timing, Dan.  He’s one of our regulars, too.  Donna Kasprick signed up to join is in Little India.  I never got to the auction, because I had a letter to write and deliver, and I at least wanted it printed before we went to the gym.

So, I did that, and took Elvon to the gym.  There we met Della Senchuk, one of my alumnae, who was there when I put the phisherman into the auction.  She reported that he had gone for $70, with a competition at the end.  It’s a good thing I didn’t go up.  I might have spoiled the outcome.  I don’t feel bad about wasting $25 at all, now, when a good cause made $70.

Thanks to Dan’s cabin party, there were only ourselves and one other couple at Happy Hour.  That was just fine.  We got to know them better.  The entertainment was Rich Shydner, and he was very, very good.  I don’t think he’ll go stale either.  His material is all very timely.

March 13 was almost a sea day, as we were due to arrive in Singapore at 6:00 pm, so I went to the desk.  I got an email that confirmed me as the host on Celebrity Silhouette, going around the British Isles in August.  That’s great.  There was a lot of traffic at my desk, talking about Singapore and pouring over my maps.

I took Elvon with me to the gym, and then out to the deck, to lounge there, while I answered emails, and worked on my log a bit.  At 6:00 pm, we docked and I turned on my phone.  There were a bunch of texts from Dave Lasker.  The Laskers and Levertons were on the Crystal Serenity at the next dock.  Unfortunately, they were leaving, just as we were docking.  So near and yet so far.   I got a very wet arm waving from deck three in the pouring rain.

I wanted Elvon to come for Chinese Food in Vivo Centre, where there are a number of good places for Chinese Food.  He didn’t want to budge off the ship.  I wanted him to come to Little India tomorrow, so we settled on getting good Chinese take-out and eating it up in the Sea View Bar, an open area, on Deck 8, Aft.

It turned out to be a very good thing he didn’t come.  It’s a long way in to Harbour Centre and over to Vivo Centre, only to find its escalators to the third floor are broken.  There were doubtless lifts somewhere, but I didn’t bother looking, since Elvon wasn’t with me.  I just climbed the broken escalators, like everyone else.  In this case, that included hundreds of knee bangers.  Those are just a couple of years older than rug rats, with more energy and propulsion.  Elvon would have been terrified, at a minimum, and it might have been worse.  They were all over the place, probably because it was Sunday night.  That’s maid’s day off in HK and S’pore, and everyone eats out.  For parents with small children, a mall kills a few birds with one stone, you see.  I found Paradise Seafood, and ordered some nice Shanghai food for a $32 S’pore dollars, maybe $23 to me.

I got it back to the ship as fast as I could, mustered Elvon, and we went up on deck.  The rain had stopped, it was a beautiful evening, and our Chinese food was delicious.  Annie Francis sang songs from the 70s and she was great.

By the time I left the ship, the next day, everyone had canceled out of Little India, except for the Westcotts and Kaspricks.  They were all wearing themselves out in Singapore, but they were tired and happy.  I found the Fish Spa, booked for tomorrow, and used their Internet for two hours.  Fifty minutes of it was a call to Susan at home.  We tried to use Viber, but the Internet wasn’t that good, and we could only hear about 10%.  So, she called me, US number to US number. I don’t know what it cost for her end, but mine was $114.  It was wonderful, but not something you would do every day.

I went back to the ship around three, picked up Elvon, and we took a taxi to Banana Leaf Apolo, an Indian restaurant, right in the Little India Arcade (48 Sarangoon St.)  Our cabbie was a second generation Singaporean, who loves his life and his city.  His father had ten kids.  He owned his own house and every kid got one when he or she got married.  That’s how it works here.  The state provides.  His daughter just got married and she got a house, too.  Anyone, who is Singaporean born, has it made.  He admits they have a lot of rules and regulations, but firmly believes that’s what keeps the peace.  All races and religions live in harmony here, following those rules and regulations.

I texted Dee when we got there and the Westcotts set out to join us.  They are staying at the Marriott, for the WiFi. I got Elvon settled in Banana Leaf, and we each had a chai and a Haagen Das.  The Westcotts arrived.  Wells joined Elvon, and Dee and I went off to do some serious damage in Bobby Pebbles’ shop, LotusMantra.  We paid about three times what Linda McMillan and I had paid in Jew Town, Cochin, for the equivalent, but we aren’t going to India this year, so we sucked it up.  We bought about ten pieces between us, got about 10% off and a free necklace each, and we love our new clothes.  We also found some fun sandals, bindi, hair toys, etc.  The Kaspricks arrived and we had a very fine Indian dinner.  It was a good night.

 

 

My next assignment is Celebrity Silhouette, August 6, 14-Night British Isles Cruise, Amsterdam to Amsterdam.  Do not post on the blog to sign up.  Email me directly.  Better yet, call Becky Jones and book it, telling her you are my client –  210-745-0124.  See the itinerary and approximate pricing at http://www.cruisepro.biz/search/enter.asp?site=X1952&dir=OfferCompare&MyOffers=3975684&B2CQuickView=1&account=Helen+Megan,+HelenMegan@aol.com

The excitement was really building on March 1.  The last of the Hong Kong preparations was to finish and deliver instructions to participants on how to get to the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and/or their respective Dim Sum restaurants.  That, and a lot of finalization, and work on travel business that was going to be otherwise neglected.  Once we hit HongKong, it would be non stop. I finalized everything for our HoiAn Cooking Class, too, as it would be right after Hong Kong and I won’t be working any more than I can help these next three days.  Opera Interludes performed again and were good, again.

 We sailed in to Ocean Terminal on March 2, at 10:00 am.  We had plenty of time for our Lido breakfast and time in the gym.  I went out and checked the location of the nearest exit to a taxi, and it was right where it was last year, the Marco Polo Hotel on Canton Road.  I met Marsha Rankin on the way and learned there was an Apple store on Canton Road, too.  I filed this information away, although I was planning to use the Marco Polo’s bar for Internet.  It was closer and the bartender was friendly and told me when it would be quiet.

At 2:00 pm, we met Wells and Dee Westcott, and made our way to our taxi to the yacht club.  I forgot to tell the taxi driver we only wanted the old Harbor tunnel, and he took us through the new Western Tunnel, which is marginally faster, but twice the distance and has a toll to boot.  It cost $258 HK.  I didn’t tip much.

We got my Canadian credit card squared away to cover the bill, settled Elvon in the Chart Room, and made for the Ship Shop, where we did some damage, but have very nice fleece jackets, should it get cold crossing the Atlantic.  Back in the chart room, the Internet was blazing fast, as we were happy to text to Jan Yetke.  Unfortunately, they were having a wine tasting that night in the Chart Room, so we got kicked out of there around 4:30.  We ended up in a teeny, tiny little room, just off it, where it was very cozy, but the Internet was still blazing fast.  It got cozier when the Yetkes and Healings got there, but we all got a ton of work done.  We were well pleased.

By this time, Elvon and Wells were in the Sailors’ Bar, where they were soon joined by HK friend, John Ball.  Eventually, the whole party assembled, including a dozen or so Hong Kong people and we repaired to the Compass Room, upstairs, for dinner.  The Compass Room is round, with picture windows on the Hong Kong harbor.  It’s a beautiful place to eat.  The food is good, too, and reasonably priced.  A very good time was had by all.  Elvon’s table included his Manulife successor, Vic Apps, and his wife, Leona, two of his Branch Managers, Kinson Leung, my twin, Danny Chan, and the Yetkes.   Mine had the Westcotts and Healings, Michael Holt and old Mensa Friends, Don Meyer and Cindy Kwok.  The third table included John Ball, Elvon’s old PR guy, Marcia Snow, Bob Miller and Marlies Baehr, Dan Samaniego, and Simon and Delia Clennell.  Simon is a Mensan, too, and a member of the Hong Kong Welsh Male Voices, who were sorely missed on the ship.  We were glad to have him at the YC, though.

We took the last taxi back, with Don Meyer and Cindy Kwok.  She insisted on the Harbour Tunnel and the taxi came to $85HK.  I gave him a hundred, and Cindy was shocked.  She had not been in the first one or it wouldn’t have been $258.  Our troubles started when we got out of the taxi.  Dan Samaniego and Michael Hold had waited for us, because the passage through the Marco Polo to the ship was closed.  It was dependent on Lane Crawford being open, and they had closed at ten.  We all walked around the hotel, where the doors to Ocean Terminal were open, but they were on the second floor.  Michael found someone, who called someone, who sent someone, who led us to the elevator, and called someone, to send someone with the key.  We got back to the cabin about one-thirty, and it was worth every minute.  What a night!

I left Elvon sound asleep, on the morning of March 3, with a room service breakfast on the table.  I didn’t expect him to get up for hours, after last night.  I met up with my haircut partners, and we made for the Star Ferry.  It’s a lovely ride on the upper deck for $2.50 HK, about 35 cents to us.  We took pictures, like everybody else.  We walked to the Mandarin, which is a longer walk than it was in my day, thanks to land fill and new buildings, like the IFC.  I talked my way across, dispensing whatever HK lore popped into my head, prompted by what I saw, and, of course, the questions of my little audience.

When we got there, we hit the Mandarin’s concierge up for the best downtown map available, and I pointed Bob to where he might find electronics, cameras, etc.  Andrea Clark, the Artistic Director, and Salon Manager, was waiting for us.  She had cut Wendy Harvey’s hair last time.  This time, she cut mine, while Ronald did Joanne’s and Bobbie had her streaks touched up to hide new growth.  We all love the shampoo process there, it’s divine.  At 11:15 am, it was Bobbie and Marlies’ turn under the scissors, and Joanne and Chas and I went out shopping in the lanes.  Once I showed them where and what, we split up, because it’s a solitary endeavor, that.  I got a few things, the very best being a fake iWatch, with an orange band.  I now wish I had bought it in every color, as it gets a lot of compliments, and I haven’t seen another since.  All it does is tell time, but that’s all I want out of a watch.

At 1:30 pm, we reconvened in The Clipper Lounge, on the rail, overlooking The Mandarin’s busy lobby.  I had a dim sum box, but most everyone else had burgers or reubens, and such like.  David Pong stopped by to pay me $3200 US, in cash, for his annual Screaming Eagle order.  The three bottles are resting in their box in the cellar at 301 Deer Hollow.  They will end up in an auction in Hong Kong, raising money for charity.  Even David doesn’t just drink them any more.

Most of the lunch bunch elected to proceed to Stanley Markey, and I didn’t argue, as, had Elvon and I not had a dinner date, I would have gone, too.  As it was, I shopped a little more in Central, utilitarian stuff, like plastic file folders.   They have now made it to the States but are still 20 times the price.  Then I popped down the MTR on DesVoeux, figuring it would save me some walking.  I don’t think it did.  You do a lot of walking underground in the Hong Kong subway.

I stopped by the information desk in the mall on the way back and found out how to cope with an after hours arrival with a handicapped person.  It took a bit of doing, but I learned that you are to drive past the Marco Polo, in the inland direction, turn left at the end of the mall, and left again to drive along the pier.  Near the ship there is a freight elevator and someone will take you up in it.

When I got back to the room, around 4:00pm, Elvon was still in bed, still in his nightshirt.  He had eaten his breakfast and gone back.  Coping with getting in and out of Ocean Terminal really took the stuffing out of him.  I mustered him and got him dressed for dinner.  Alwin Lam was picking us up at six at the Marco Polo, again.  We made it on time, and so did Alwin.  He had commandeered his AIA car and its driver, Sonny.  I think Elvon’s old 2IC at Manulife HK gets a little chuckle out of that.  I know I do.  Alwin joined AIA, in the nineties, after we had left, and still holds an advisory position.

We drove to Deep Water Bay and the Hong Kong Country Club.  We were having dinner with Alwin, Agnes, daughter Jackie Tung, her son, Maximillian, Edmund Tse and his wife Peggy, and Harry Wong, one of Elvon’s Manulife Branch Managers, back in the day.  Edmund used to head up AIA and the HK Federation of Insurers, a board Elvon was on.  I sat between Edmund and Peggy, and found her thoroughly delightful.  The whole table was thoroughly delightful, a good time with good old friends.

And the food!  When Alwin invites you to dinner, it’s a Chinese Banquet.  We had Peking Duck, two ways, Sharks’ Fin, Crab in the shell with Ginger and Shallots, Deep Fried Shrimp, a fish and pork stir fry, sweet and sour pork, a whole Steamed Fish, pork & rice porridge, fried rice, and more I can’t remember.  Alwin had a birthday coming up while he was going to be off island, so we had birthday cake, too.  Urp.  The wine served generously throughout was none other than Far Niente Chardonnay, a nod to Elvon, which he much appreciated.

Alwin came back to Ocean Terminal with us, and we told him last night’s horror story on the way.  I added my afternoon’s research.  Alwin and Sonny were up to taking care of it.  The hard part is talking yourselves past the gate to the pier, which has pretty heavy security.  The key elements were our ship cards and Alwin and Sonny’s fluency in Cantonnese.  I’ll bet it didn’t hurt that the car had official AIA plates, a professional driver, and an executive with the demeanor of a loban (big boss).  Alwin has many years of practice at that.

The car got through and drove up to the stern of the ship.  Out of the building on our left, popped a Holland America Steward, with the elevator key.  It was so easy.  We probably saved an hour of sleep.  Thanks, Alwin and Agnes, for a fabulous night.

On our last day in Hong Kong, we got up, had a cup of tea, went to the gym, and met our people at my desk at 11:15 am.  Our group was going to Ye Shanghai, in the Marco Polo Hotel.  I would never have got Elvon out the third day in a row, if I could not promise him wonderful Hong Kong friends.  We had Lloyd Chao, Helen Pakchung, Mabel Lam, Ray Wong and John Ball.  Ship friends were Marcia Ball, Michael Holt, Wells and Dee Westcott.  It cost twice as much as Jade Garden, but was well worth it.

After lunch, Elvon was more than happy to go back to the room for a nap, while I put the computer on my back and set out to do some work.  I made for that nice bar in the lobby of the Marco Polo.  I bought my Coke and got my WiFi password.  The Internet connection was terrible.  It was worse than the ship.  Who would have believed this in Hong Kong?  After a half hour, with little progress, I cut bait and made for the Apple Store up Canton Road.

I talked to one of the dozens of helpful Apple employees on the ground floor, and was directed to the basement, where I would be able to sit to work.  It was fun down there.  I was easily three times the age of the next oldest person in the place.  He would have been the father if the one year old, who was learning how to use a computer, with a lot of success, I might add.  Most of the rest were students using the blazing fast Internet to do their homework.  I did a lot of catching up until I figured I had better start hoofing it back to the ship.  We weren’t leaving until ten, but all aboard was seven and dinner was at eight.  It was an interesting walk through the mall, and I picked up another bit, but I really did have to run.  It had been a wonderful three days in Hong Kong, my old home city.  We watched the sail away from the dining room and went to bed.

Back at sea on March 5, I got up early to work on a wine tour in Livorno for Paul Kerr, Culinary Ops Manager and Jacques Loew, Cellar Master.  The idea was to put it together and present it to Shore Excursions for blessing and liability umbrella.  I had got Patrick Spencer, my Tuscany villa supplier to work on it.  Now I need to put it together in presentable form, with pricing, etc.  I also had a newsletter to write, which follows, as we were going out on tour in Hoi An, tomorrow.

Marcia came to report on her date at the Hong Kong Club with John Ball.  She had had a wonderful time, except her Southern manners were severely inflamed when John berated the taxi driver for insisting on the Western Tunnel.  He has lived in HK for 30 years and wasn’t about to be taken, for, and as, a tourist.  I guess John got a lot firmer than Marcia could take.  The taxi driver’s reaction was to dump them back at the Hong Kong Club.  Luckily it’s close to the Star Ferry, so they walked there and took it back to the ship.  Not the greatest end to a fine evening, but she wasn’t sorry she had gone.  It was a memorable experience all around.

Molly Wallace came by the desk just to chat, as did Michael Holt, who stayed and helped me collate the letters, which ran to two sheets of paper, because of the bus lists. I got them all delivered in the early afternoon, and took Elvon to the gym.

The entertainment was one of our favorites, Soul Mystique.  They are dancers and quick-change artists, from Australia.  We cannot, for the life of us, figure out how they change so fast.

On March 6, 2016, we docked in Da Nang, Vietnam.  I got up early and dressed for the weather, as printed in the ship’s “Today On Location”.  It stated a high of 73 degrees.  I dressed in jeans, a long sleeved shirt and a sweater.  We were meeting at 8:15 am in the Queen’s Lounge, so I got there at 7:45 am.  You can never be too early.  Somebody is always there first.  The people were showing up in shorts and T-shirts and I began to question my attire.  As soon as Michael and Gail arrived, I put them in charge and effected a five-minute quick change, including the trips to and from the cabin.  I guess I did learn something last night, after all.  And it was a very hot day.

We boarded our buses for the 45 minute drive to Hoi An.  Our guide told us that war-torn Da Nang was now the fifth largest city in Viet Nam and the best one to live in.  They have no homeless, subsidized schools and housing, decent wages by Vietnamese standards, and a wonderful beach to play on.  You would know it as “China Beach”.  The decent wage is about $200/month, so it’s a good thing they have subsidies.  Even so, the $200/month only supports one person, so everyone works.  There’s a lot of resort development going on.  If business takes off, the employment situation should boom.  For now, it’s still an agrarian economy. Vietnam has 93 million people and 40,000 million motor scooters.  Cars are very expensive, so they need to pay for themselves.

Hoi An is a lovely old city, with a river running through it.  It has capitalized on its charm, with a lot of tourist trade.  On our walk to and from the market, we saw a lot of clothes and such, that we would have wanted to buy, had we not been on forced march.  Some still snagged an item or two, and a few went back the next day.  A smart few, I would say, but that would have been with hindsight.

Not everyone wanted to walk to the market, so they stayed back at the restaurant to wait.  That kind of threw the tour off.  They broke us into groups of eight to go through the market, which was really nice, as eight people can learn a lot more from a guide than 28.  It did mean that we all arrived back at the cooking school/restaurant, at different times.  By the way, it was called “Morning Glory Street Food Restaurant and Cooking School.”  morningglorycookingschool@gmail.com

As soon as the folks at Morning Glory had the first 30 people back, they took them to the first floor up and started a class.  Since the chefs that I brought along with our unused tickets, all wanted to linger at the market, they were all in the second group.  My plan, duly communicated to Paul, the Culinary Ops Manager, was to have half the chefs in each group.  That had only extended to buses.  After that, we lost control, as I had no idea it was going to work like this.  We all expected one big class.

It turned out fine in the end, but a few people did miss having a chef beside them,  I had one and he was lovely to have.  Every two people had their own food supplies and gas burners.  This was serious. Lulu, the instructor who taught both classes was beyond excellent.  It also explains the staggered start.  While one class ate, the other learned and cooked.  The food was fabulous.  First we made fresh spring rolls.  Those are the ones with a raw rice paper wrapper.  They gave us each a deep fried mini roll to put in the middle, for crunch.  There are cooked noodles in there, too, and pork, shrimps, chives, mint, lettuce, flowers, chives, etc.  They were absolutely delicious.

We also made chicken and lime leaves, Banh Xeo, which is Vietnamese pancakes in rice paper, and was our favorite, and a mango and prawn salad.  The food was spectacular and any concerns, that anyone had, evaporated as we purred our way through it.  Yum, yum.  I heard a couple of people remark that they didn’t know they were such good cooks.

After lunch, we had a lovely relaxing ride on the Hoi An River, which ended in an old merchant house, a temple and a Japanese Covered Bridge tour and too long a walk to the buses, which were hard to find, to boot.  The less able bodied would have loved to have been able to skip that part, but the ones who could walk well really enjoyed it.  I got complaints that it had been mis-represented, but when you re-read the tour description, which I handed out the first day, and again the day before, the walking tour is well described.  I doubt as we could have done better.

The ship has an ongoing problem with this.  It’s not just our tours.  The Shore Excursions Manager and Location Guide re-iterate it constantly in their lectures.  The clientele is old, can’t do what it used to be able to do, and blames everyone else for it.  Interestingly, I got no formal complaints, except from one chronic complainer, who has a handicapped wife.  Most people said they loved the tour.  We’ll see what the evaluations bring.

March 7, 2016 was our second day in Da Nang, Vietnam.  I should have heeded a note I wrote to myself, to the effect that I should spend my second day at the Intercontinental Resort, where there was likely good WiFi.  But, I didn’t.  I was tired of chasing it.  I just used the ship’s and decided to go shopping.  I had broken my favorite sandals, beyond what glue and clamps could fix, and I figured this would be a good place to deal with that.

I didn’t get out any too early, as usual.  I caught the shuttle bus to the center of Da Nang, because that was easy and free.  There was a desk in the square and a couple of people dispensing advice.  I needed a shoemaker, the nearest ATM and the market.  They suggested a trishaw and I ended up with Chong, who was nice enough, English was good enough, and would take me to the shoemaker’s and market for 100 dong, about $5.  First we went to the bank, where my trusty Royal Bank of Canada ATM card couldn’t get me a dime.  I had a rather lengthy call with Heather in Toronto, where it was 1:30 am.  She said nothing was coming through that she could see and that I would see no charges.  While she was on the line, I went through it one more time, with the same result, and then tried Bank of America, which came through with 2 million dong.

Chong found me a shoemaker, who was just working right there on the street.  He offered to resole my sandals with a motorcycle tire in half an hour for $10.  OK with me.  We left them there and pulled out into traffic again.  I am a nervous passenger in these little vehicles.  We went to the local market, which was the kind I liked.  It had everything under the sun, all in a jumble, from fast food to school uniforms.  Chong had a bit of lunch while I browsed, looking for pantaloons and long shirts.  It was too local a market and I found absolutely nothing.  They didn’t have any fake iWatches, either.  We made a lot of inquiries, with Chong translating, and finally he told me he thought he knew a shop that had what I wanted.  Sure enough, there were ten or so of my ship mates, all delivered by the likes of Chong.  Things I had paid $7 for in Saigon last year were going for $40.  Bargaining seemed to be a non-starter, too, so I gave up and asked Chong to take me back.  I ended up giving him $25, and did not feel I got my money’s worth, but it wasn’t that much to me, and I do have my sandals back.

Sailaway was fun and so was juggler Tempei, later in the evening.

 

 

My next assignment is Celebrity Silhouette, August 6, 14-Night British Isles Cruise, Amsterdam to Amsterdam.  Do not post on the blog to sign up.  Email me directly.  Better yet, call Becky Jones and book it, telling her you are my client –  210-745-0124.  See the itinerary and approximate pricing at http://www.cruisepro.biz/search/enter.asp?site=X1952&dir=OfferCompare&MyOffers=3975684&B2CQuickView=1&account=Helen+Megan,+HelenMegan@aol.com

On February 23, in Benoa (Denpasar), Bali, Indonesia, we had one of Made’s wonderful taxis.  Our plan was similar to the Westcotts and Healings, only we were to start an hour and a half later, and do less touring before lunch.  Dee had booked Made and we had Wayan.  Made, being the boss, had got there much earlier than Wayan, with the result that his car was so boxed in, by the rest of the taxis, that it would have taken at least a half-hour to get it out.  He sent the Westcotts and Healings off with Wayan and waited for us.  Our plan was to go pretty much straight to the restaurant at the volcano.  We only stopped in one place, to photograph the UNESCO rice terrace project.  I don’t know how much it has really done for rice-growing in the country, but it’s very picturesque and a whole bunch of shops have sprung up near the viewing platform.  I scored $7 pantaloons, all in the same pattern, but six different colorways.

We had some rain on the way up the mountain, and a storm seemed to be threatening, but it cleared as we got near the top.  By this time Made had contacted Wayan and established that we were now the lead car, and would save places in the restaurant.  On the way in, we were approached by a couple of vendors.  One of them had a particularly nice carving of a fisherman for sale.  I examined it closely and liked the quality of the work, and the grain of the wood, with its carefully applied coat of varnish.  He wanted $100 US.  He had come down to $50 by the time we entered the restaurant, without buying it, but it was obvious we had some interest.  Why, I do not know, as we already have an Asian sculpture museum at home.

We scored a couple of tables on the terrace overlooking the volcano, and I got some interesting pictures before the storm hit.  The other car arrived in the pouring rain.  The terrace was sheltered enough for us to stay there for lunch, and it was interesting, with the thunderstorm going on.  It cleared enough for Dee to get a couple of pictures, and the food was delicious.  Made and Wayan ate with us and we learned more about the way they live.  Those spotless SUVs they drive, don’t come out unless they are making money.  They get around on motor scooters, with their wives and a couple of kids, just like everybody else.  Made has a family farm, too.  So does Eka, our dining room steward.

By the time we were leaving the restaurant, it was pouring again, and there were a lot more vendors at the door, selling not just carvings, but pencils, postcards, and miscellaneous chotzkies, too.  It was slippery underfoot and getting Elvon to the car, no matter how close Made brought it, was a challenge.  In the middle of all this, my fisherman carving vendor came down to $25 and I bought.  He wrapped it up nicely in paper and plastic to keep the rain off and gave it to me as I got into the car.  The road drops off on both sides, we were riding the caldera of a hopefully extinct volcano.

We stopped by the batik factory on the way back, got Elvon a great green shirt, and just made the ship.  It was an A+ day, until I unwrapped the phisherman.  It wasn’t the same one, by a long patch.  The carving was much rougher and the varnish had become a coat of dark brown paint.  There’s no way I’ll be paying the freight to get the thing moved across the country, when we dock in Fort Lauderdale.  . So my $25 purchase, instead of being a great bargain, was a total loss. We’ll go to a proper carving store next time. I should have known better.

Oranges from Eka’s farm were special at our table and the entertainment was excellent, Vincenzo, a Latin and Spanish guitarist.

The next day, the people, who had Made’s third car. came by the desk to tell me how much they loved their driver, Gede, and their tour yesterday.  Made has a good thing going there.  Too bad the Amsterdam comes only once a year, but word will spread.  I am spreading it here.  madeseneng_a@yahoo.com  If I had decent Internet, I’d put him up on Trip Advisor.  When I do, I will.

I did a lot of concierge work and made a few birthday cards, now that my computer is behaving so well.  I am catching up.  It’s a good thing, because Hong Kong and Singapore will set me straight back.  They are supposed to.  That’s what world travel is all about.

The entertainment was Pete Cutler, a song and dance man, and we liked him.

On February 25, we docked in Semarang, Java, Indonesia.  After time in the gym with Elvon, I set out for the mall.  It’s a familiar one and has one good store for batik.  I bought Elvon a nice brown shirt, but nothing for myself.  There wasn’t any decent Internet, so I shuttled back to the terminal, where there was.  I sat next to Romeo, our wine steward, for the Indonesian version of a rock concert.  All we wanted was the free Internet, which was pretty good.  Just before all aboard, I bought Elvon another shirt for a small fraction of the first one.  It’s not real batik, but it looks pretty good for under ten bucks.

I hopped back on board and mustered Elvon for sailaway, one of his favorite activities.  We joined a couple of our people and more joined us.  It was good fun, if a tad too early, at 3:30pm.  We had a nap before dinner.  The entertainment was “Opera Interludes” and they were very good.

February 26, found us docked in Tanjung Priok, Jakarta, Indonesia.  I will never bother to shuttle in to Jakarta.  The traffic is some of the most miserable on earth.  I did spend a little time in the pier market and more Internet catching up.  I had business to do, too.  I am booking a group of 24 for Alaska in 2017.  It’s fun on board in these ports, as many crew family members visit the ship.  Flautist Clare Langan was good, too.

We crossed the Equator, again, on February 27, but didn’t bother to kiss the fish.  No need for that much of a good thing.  I went to my desk.  People are getting serious about Hong Kong, now, and plans are shaping up, both for those who will be coming ashore with me and those just wanting advice.  HKTB did deliver the brochures in Semarang and I recorded that fact in today’s newsletter, so my people could come and get them.

I finalized all the restaurant and friend bookings that I could.  It’s an iterative process.  One couple wants to visit the GeoPark and I don’t know much about it, so I added that to an email to HK friends who will be joining us.  Someone will come up with a good suggestion for them.

I printed and delivered my letters and spent quite a bit of time with the Future Cruise Consultants.  It was Saturday, so we went to happy hour, dinner and Pingxin Xu, the Hammer Dulcimer Master.  He’s very good, but you sure see a lot of him at sea.

 At the desk, at sea, on February 28, I booked the last haircut at the Mandarin.  Her boyfriend wanted to tag along.  This was the second such request, so, I gave up.  The girls’ outing won’t have the same flavor, but we’ll still get our hair cut and lunch at the Clipper Lounge, which is always fun.  I dispensed more HK information as I worked on logistics for RHKYC.  Logistics for me, usually means something, in writing, that people can follow.  I started working on the letters, which I would publish and deliver on March 1. We had a dinner in the Pinnacle, which was a lot of fun.  We missed the show, though, as there was only one and it came in the middle of dinner.

Still at sea on February 29, Dee Westcott showed up at the desk with a USB stick full of the most glorious pictures taken scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef.  What a fabulous addition to my screen saver.  She also wanted to recommend, and have me record, Peter Yealands’ winery near Picton, NZ.  It leaves no carbon footprint at all.  Put it on the list for next time we stop in Picton.  Other than that, the day was pretty uneventful and I was able to finalize almost everything for Hong Kong and sell some travel, too.  We had a production show that night “Rock at the Opera”.  It was great.

 

 

I took a quick look at the details of my next assignment, in Singapore.  It’s Celebrity Silhouette, August 6, 14-Night British Isles Cruise and it isn’t London to London, as I had hoped.  It’s Amsterdam to Amsterdam.  So, if we want to see plays in London, we’ll have to take a plane or train over there, on the way in or out.  That’s not so hard.  Who wants to come with us?  Do not post on the blog to sign up.  Email me directly.

We pick up our story on February 16, in Cairns, Australia.  Nicola, the IT Manager, loved the idea of the 20GB-1TB machine, and so did I, but I am not buying a machine out here in the world, where the power supply is different and the warranty might not take.  Amazon is selling that one for an OEM that takes the biggest machine ASUS makes and soups it up.  It will probably be my next computer but I want to buy it in the States, even if I have to have it delivered to the ship, unless I really cannot help it.

So after breakfast and gym with Elvon, I set out with my computer and power supply.  The helpful lady at the dock told me to take a taxi to Cairns Centre Mall and the J.B. WiFi store.  The taxi rank was empty, but Stan and Marilyn were just pulling up in a cab.  They saw me and had him stop right at my feet.  I thanked them and hopped in.  The next thing I saw was Jan Yetke and another gal, calling a taxi.  They had been commissioned by the ship to buy wool for the Linus project.  I took them on and they kept the taxi, after it dropped me at the mall, and I paid them half what it would have cost me.

J.B. WiFi sold every brand of computer you have ever seen and a few you have not.  I found Scott, a funny, fat, bearded techie, around fifty.  He was great.  He couldn’t test my power supply, but he broke open one of the universal ones and hit the right tip on his first guess.  It’s positively ludicrous how many there are.  The world standards committee, whoever they are these days, needs to deal with this, but, in the meantime, I had Scott.  For a hundred Aussie dollars, I have a nasty, heavy, power supply, with a pound of plug on the end, an enormous plug adaptor, that’s also a USB charger, and 11 spare tips that likely do not fit anything I will ever own.  Never mind, it supplies power to the computer and seems to be solid as a rock.  He also told me not to waste my time with the WiFi in this mall because it sucked.  I should go to Orchard Plaza, just like Marsha recommended.  It’s closer to the ship, too.

My computer hopped on to the Internet and did its business, plenty of it.  I had Wells’ computer with me, too, because I wanted the AOL Desktop for it, just in case.  Here’s where it got spooky.  The Internet told Wells’ computer it had already used up its two hours and could come back tomorrow.  Sure enough, Wells had been in that mall, but with a different computer.  How did it know that this was his, too?  It has to be Microsoft…I just kept working on the backlog on my own computer, which was running fine.  When I thought to look at the time, I had less than twenty minutes before all aboard.  I packed up the two computers and Elvon’s Kindle and hoofed it back to the ship on the double, making it with five minutes to spare.

It was a nice sailaway, with Alan and Lynn, Dan, Bobbie, Michael and Wells, who was waiting for Dee, whose dive tour was late coming back.  That’s where I found out Wells had been on the web in Orchard Plaza.  When Dee arrived, we also found out that Donna Kasprick had made her 100^th dive, with Dee as her dive partner.  There’s none finer.  Dee has over 2500 dives and takes fabulous underwater pictures.  The event has been recorded for posterity.

The entertainment was Dale Kristien, the West End’s long running star of Phantom.  She was wonderful.

The next day, when we were cruising the Great Barrier Reef, Donna stopped by my desk with Dee’s picture of her on her hundredth dive.  She had already told her son, who was sad not to have been her dive partner for it.  Dee texted him a beautifully worded message that covered the situation and then some, classy gal, our Dee.  Connie and Jim came to pick up their power supply and I was pleased to report that they could now keep it, I had a better fit, and I now owned it.

Lynn & Alan stopped by to book a Pinnacle Dinner and have a chat as did Marcia.  We were all interested in what Blanc de Blanc at the Sydney Opera House was, and Marcia had been.  It turned out it was all singing, all dancing, tassels, contortions,  acrobatics, nudity, the ultimate in adult entertainment.  The Sydney Opera House?

Marsha Rankin came to say that Jake, the Fitness Instructor, was killing her, but she had lost twenty-one pounds and her back hurt a lot less.  You don’t see her with her walker much, anymore.  Wells and Dee Westcott celebrated their 35^th wedding anniversary in the back room in The Pinnacle and we were honored to have been invited.  It was a lovely party.

We were still Cruising the Great Barrier Reef on February 18.  I had some time to work, but I also had a presentation to prepare.  It was just Kathy and Mike at the table with us, which was nice for a change.  The entertainment was Greg Andrew doing a tribute to Elton John.  We’ll give that one a miss next time.

At sea on February 19, I solved a bunch of problems at the desk, one of which involved Bali.  Made Seneng, a former HAL dining room steward, runs a little business out of Denpasar.  His drivers are all friends, mostly ex-HAL employees, and they speak good English.  I emailed madeseneng_a@yahoo.com  for two cars, one for us and one for the Cohen party.  Dee Westcott had already got her own.

The Old Time Radio Show was fun.  There were eight of us.  Some did not hear well, and missed a lot of the jokes, but it was still a fun, raucous, evening, and the food was very good.  We got out in time to catch a second helping of Patrick Murray and Matilda, too.  I love that dummy!

February 20, we were docked in Darwin, Australia.  Elvon and I had breakfast in the Lido, worked out in the gym, and I tried to use the onboard Internet to avoid taking the computer off again.  It was ridiculously slow, even in port, so I logged out and loaded the thing into my backpack.  The Darwin Hilton provided good WiFi in its bar, another day in a nice city, sacrificed to the call of duty.  Doc Gisella Schlosser and her SOB (spouse on board), Chas Stutz, had been out on their bikes in a bag.  I met them in the terminal.  They were coming to our table tonight and, since it was Saturday, I invited them to happy hour in the Crow’s nest, too.  It was a good one, Dan Samaniego came, as did the Laurins, Healings and Westcotts.  Everyone enjoyed the Doc and Chas.  The entertainment was a movie, which we gave a miss, so I could get up early and work on my Hong Kong presentation.

So, the next day, I got up an hour early and finalized the slides and handout for Hong Kong. Gail Janney was at my desk when I opened.  She was upset and announced she was getting off at the next port.  She has glaucoma in her right eye, and something happened when the photographer’s flash went off back in Panama.  It has been steadily getting worse since then, to the point where she is all but blind in the eye and very, very concerned.  She came for advice on how to arrange her travel.  I told her she would have to get our Doc on board to write a letter explaining why it was necessary to fly back and/or to put the doc in contact with her insurance company.  If she ever wants to see a dime of their money for travel costs, they have to know before the travel is started.  They would probably help her book it, too.  It would also be good to have a professional opinion on whether flying would be okay or whether it might cause further damage.  She decided to wait a day or two, as we are at sea, and try to get an opinion.  I offered to put an appeal out in the newsletter I was writing today, and I did.

I finished the newsletter, delivered it, and retired to the promenade deck with Elvon and a bunch of Hong Kong brochures.  My talk is tomorrow.  We did go to the show at ten, though, it was another production number, and we like those a lot.

Since I was speaking at 4:00 pm, I went over my talk in the cabin before going to my desk.  It’s a good thing I did, because it was a very busy desk.  It usually is when I have just published a newsletter.

Thirty-two people came to my talk on Hong Kong and walked away with maps and handouts.  The HKTB stuff was two years old, because the shipment I had expected in Sydney never arrived.  I had put a tracer on it and am pretty sure it was Carnival’s fault, but that was no help.  I also re-ordered and expect fresh supplies from them in Indonesia.

Paul Adams, a comedian, was the show, and he was very, very funny.  It looks like he is making it up as he goes along, so his comedy is ever fresh.

 

I haven’t had time to pull the details of my next assignment.  If you want to check, it’s Celebrity Silhouette, August 6, 14-Night British Isles Cruise.  I gives us an opportunity to see plays in London and friends in Dublin, and we’ll have our Montreal time, on the way in or out.  Who wants to come with us?  Do not post on the blog to sign up.  Email me directly.

With a sea day on February 9, I am happy to report that the software on my computer is almost complete and mostly updated.  The power supply, however, seems to be losing ground.  It looked like the trouble was at its connection to the computer, which is worrisome, as it might be the power supply end, or it might be inside the computer.  A cracked mother board is fatal.  I limped along, fiddling to get the connection and holding it in place with whatever I could find.  I got through desk hours, which were easy, compliments on the Canaletto dinner, sign ups, etc., and I PhotoShopped Michael’s pictures from our wine tour and got them on to my screensaver.

The Build your Own Boat judging was held in the afternoon, and a bunch of us went to cheer Jacob Abecassis, who had made a miniature Amsterdam.  He had put his heart and soul and about two weeks of his time into it.  It was beautiful, but it broke a rule, when he painted its hull to match the ship’s.  They wouldn’t let him put it in the hot tub to prove it could float.  Two sailboats, made by both halves of a Dutch couple, were seaworthy and proved they could carry a cargo of a dozen cans of Coke.  They weren’t nearly as pretty as Jocob’s, but they beat him handily.  So sad.

 The next day, February 10, we docked in Sydney.  Australian customs give you a hard time, but that was OK.  We were there for two days.  Debbie Amos was picking us up around and we were going to do some shopping and meet up with Sue Jamieson, from Hong Kong, who was on holiday there.  It would have been nice had there been WiFi in the terminal while we waited, but no such luck.  The only negative about this cruise is the time wasted on the endless search for WiFi, because of the high cost and low quality on board.

Debbie picked us up around noon, and she had done her research, on where we could get a needlepoint kit, for Linda Linthicum.  Off we went to Mossman and a darling little needlepoint shop that had everything.  Linda had only asked for “colorful, wool, $100-200”.  We gave this directive to the shopkeeper and she came up with a very whimsical, very colorful snail.  Debbie and I loved it and Linda did, too.  If she had not, I knew whom I could give it to.

Then we went to David Jones, the big department store downtown, and paid an obscene amount to park the car, but David delivered.  Elvon now has two new green V-neck sweaters, different shades, different weights.  You have to know him to know what a victory this is.  Then we had a snack and a cup of tea, looked around a bit more, bailed the car out and went to pick up Sue at the Modern Art Museum.

By this time we were ready to go back to the ship for a bar tour and dinner.  Elvon had a nap, while Debbie, Sue and I went to the Crow’s nest for a glass of wine.  When it was time for the Neptunes to start playing in the Ocean Bar, we went down there, for another glass.  Sue loves to dance, particularly tango, and we have dance hosts on board, who can accommodate.  Around a quarter to eight, we picked Elvon up in the room and went to dinner.  Mike and Kathy were on an overland excursion, so there was room at the table.  We could have used the Pinnacle, but the dining room has a better menu and more of the feel of a cruise ship.  It was lovely to have our dear friends join us for dinner and nice to see them exchanging coordinates.  Our friends usually like each other, so it was no great surprise.

The second day in Sydney, we were going to Dim Sum at Zilver.  They call it Yum Cha in Australia, but there’s no difference I can see.  Elvon decided to stay back, as he was tired after our outing yesterday.  I had prepared a sheet, with the address of the restaurant and four ways to get there.  The address read 1477 instead of 477, but, bless their hearts and brains, everyone found the place.  Some of us found it a little later than others.  I was in the terminal three-quarters of an hour early for the shuttle to Paddy’s Market.  Molly and Ivan Wallace were there a half hour early.  I made the bad decision to stay in the terminal for the air-conditioning.  By the time I got to the shuttle there were only three seats left.  Since there were three of us, that should have been OK, but Molly walks with a cane, and an able bodied couple raced past the Wallaces, so I stepped back to stay with them.  Then I made another bad decision, which was to take the shuttle to The Rocks as it was closer.  It was also in the middle of the worst traffic in Sydney.  Our cab cost twice as much and took three times as long.  I absorbed the entire cost of it, of course.  My bad.

This resulted in our being about twenty minutes late and the natives at the first table got restless.  Michael Innis tried to solve it by just having them put whatever came along on the table, so there would be some food. I saw at a glance, that most of it was not what I would have chosen, but it doesn’t matter at Dim Sum, everything is so cheap.  It’s really hard to spend $20 a person.  Our table was just the Westcotts, Wallaces and us, and they all insisted on paying for me, for all I do.  No protest was effective.

Off we went to Paddy’s Market, where we split up to shop.  I scored a nice fleece for $25, and a few other bits and we did get the Paddy’s Market shuttle back to the ship. My email brought a nice offer from John Ball, a HK friend.  The Hong Kong Club was having it’s 170^th Anniversary party on March 3, and could I get him a date from the ship?  I left a message on Marcia’s phone to come to my desk first thing in the morning.  Did I have a deal for her!

Arnold Donald, President and CEO of Carnival, Stein Kruse, CEO of Holland America Group, and Orlando Ashford, President of Holland America line, with his wife, Samantha, and son Jackson, boarded.  Hazel Donald and Linda Kruse have been on board since Fort Lauderdale.  There was a bang up sail-away, with free drinks.  We just topped that off with a plate of pasta and called it a night.

The next morning, Marcia was first to my desk, her interest piqued by my phone message.  She’s delighted to accompany John Ball to the Hong Kong Club’s festivities.  Why not?  It’s bound to be fun on some, if not many, levels.   I billed her as a “tall, blond Southern Belle” and sent John a picture.  I like the idea of Snow and Ball, it has a certain je ne sais quoi.  That was a bright spot but I had a lot to be unhappy about.  I had a newsletter to write and it was getting increasingly difficult to get power to the computer.  I put a pathetic plea into newsletter for a spare computer or power supply that might fit mine.   Once I got the letter out, I went to see Kristin in the Digital Workshop and she showed me how to take an image backup, which I did.  She also found an angle that worked, so I waited there until it charged.  I also took normal data backups and asked Henk if the ship could loan me a computer until HK, when I would replace it.  It could not.

There was a huge Australian Beach Party at the Lido Pool, but I couldn’t face it.  I was practically in mourning for my computer.  Elvon and I ate quietly, almost alone in the Dining Room.

Early in the morning on February 13, another sea day, the Captain was on the blower.  We were supposed to be sailing to Mooloolaba, where Hannah Amos, my AOPi daughter and Debbie’s real one, was going to come spend a day with us.  Alas, it is not to be.  The port authority there has closed the port, due to a storm.  The captain will have to find us another berth, somewhere in Australia.  His job sure is interesting.  I have my own problems, the power supply is increasingly iffy, and I doubt it will work at all very soon.  The laundry came back missing a bra.  I had three identical ones with me, so our cabin steward just took a picture of one, and had it back in a few hours.  Technology is truly everywhere, except right in front of me, where it needs to be.  I have been in communication with SquareTrade, who carry my ASUS’s warranty, exploring options.  The warranty expires in three weeks, so it will be good to have a claim filed.  I have a lot of people in HK who can help me find a new one, but will I then be able to cover it?  My computer leads a hard life, with all the moving around, sea air, sloppy owner, etc.  I often collect on a warranty.

Limping along, I got Bobbie Reilly-Schmidt an appointment for a haircut at the Mandarin, too.  Now we are three.  In answer to my plea, Wells Westcott loaned me a spare computer and I took it up to Kristin, in the Digital Workshop, where we installed Office 2007, from the download Michael took in Picton, which was still on one of my external hard drives.  Isn’t that nice?  The solution to the software problem is now helping with the hardware problem.  We now know we will be docking in Townsville, of which no one has ever heard, but we’re game.

Jack Parker showed up at my desk with two “universal” power supplies with 24 tips each, but none of them fit.  The computer industry needs to get its act together on this one, like it has done with the USB.  He also tested the voltage on my ASUS power supply and couldn’t get a reading.  That may or may not mean the power supply or its tip, is at fault.  At least I am up and running on Wells’ computer and backing up manually three times a day, while I look for a permanent solution.  I did manage a little logging.

It was a fast day for us and a quiet night at our table.  Three tables over they were having a wonderful time.  That one contained four of our people, Dan Samaniego, Alan Laurin and Lynn Blair, and Bobbie Reilly-Schmidt.  The entertainment was Patrick Murray and his Jamaican puppet, Mathilda.  It was hysterical, particularly as Mathilda was a dead ringer for Theresa, my Jamaican friend in Montreal.

Valentine’s Day, February 14,  I left a note at the desk that I would be there after Orlando Ashford’s special presentation and Q&A in the Queen’s Lounge.  The whole ship goes to this, as it is the place to make our concerns felt and to learn about the future of Holland America.  Orlando has been on the job for 14 months now, and he has a good grasp of the situation.  He’s an excellent presenter and we felt good about just about everything, except the Internet.

We were especially excited about the newest ship in the line, the Koningsdam.  It looks just wonderful.  Orlando said we would all get a chance to board when we dock together in Civitavecchia on April 15.  I can hardly wait.  Steve and Tricia Harrold, whose Napa cat sit gig last summer turned into care-giving for both of us, will be boarding that day.  We have clearance for them to board the Amsterdam, early that morning, to join us for one of our pig-out breakfasts, before they board.  That will be a really fun day.

Steve and Tricia are going to have fun on the Koningsdam, too.  They’ll get to blend and bottle their own wine.  I just have to figure out how I am going to buy them that add-on.  The on board restaurants and entertainment look awesome, too.  I must get myself a gig on her next year.  Speaking of next year, the Amsterdam’s Grand World team will remain essentially unchanged, with Captain Jonathan, Hotel Manager, Henk, GR Manager, Christel, and Cruise Director, Gene.  This is good.  We like all these people.

Gerald Berkhoff, Mariner Club Manager, gave a nice presentation, too.  The first grand world was on the Statendam in 1958, but HAL hosted a ‘round the world university at sea, as early as 1926.  It was on the Rijndam, with 500 students, many of their parents and all the necessary professors.  Wouldn’t that have been wonderful?

Orlando promised to fix the Internet.  I’ll believe it when I see it.  Other lines have tackled the problem with some success.  HAL’s has been minimal.  He answered 18 questions in all, about things like smoking, future itineraries, the possibility of six-star memberships, because if the huge gap between five-star and President’s club.  We can expect better in-room TVs on the Amsterdam, and the Prinsendam to stay around for another 5-10 years, but they won’t be building anything that small again.  The economics are not there.  Big ships, like the Koningsdam, won’t be doing Grand Voyages, though.  The Amsterdam is much more capable in blue water and she’s good for another 15 years.

Connie Fischer and Jim Detwiler were sitting just behind us.  They had been DV people last year but their travel agent had switched allegiance, so they are not in the group this year.  I told them about my computer woes, and she thought her power supply might fit my computer.  Lo and behold, it does.  We are now sharing a power supply and I am back in business on my own computer.

There was a five-star Mariners’ lunch that day, and we were seated with Bunny and Horace, and Gert and Sigrid.  They were all very nice people and we had business travel in common.  It seems to be a common thread.  Most of the people you meet, on these long voyages, traveled or moved a lot, for business.  Many of them have been in the services, fighting the wars, others have worked or taught abroad, but travel seems to be a taste you acquire by doing.

I started researching ASUS Zenbooks and found some amazing ones for the price I paid for this one.  They are in the very same 13” case, but how about 20GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD?

It was Valentine’s Gala night and I decided it was time for my pink wig.  The professional photographers took a great picture of us with the execs, but I won’t have that for you until the end of the cruise.  The people at the next table wanted pictures, too, so here’s one of theirs:

Finally, on February 15, we docked in Townsville.  I did the usual shore day stuff, plus my email, put the power supply back in my desk drawer for Connie to pick up, and left the ship around 2:30 pm.  It was a shame, as Townsville turned out to be a wonderful town.  They get about two ships a year and our arrival was a surprise to them, too, but they really rolled out the red carpet.  With a mostly volunteer work force, they manned a shuttle into town and a free Hop On Hop Off Bus.  I took it but didn’t have time to do any hopping off. It made a nice loop along the strand, showing off their beaches and hotels, and rolled back to where we started.  Everyone was very friendly and happy to see us.  It was delightfully un-touristy.  That probably won’t last, as Holland America, for one, will now doubtless start calling regularly.

The entertainment was Patrick McMahon, who sings the songs of Kenny Rodgers, Neil Diamond, Johnny Cash, et al, not quite as well, but adequate for our purposes.  We like our live entertainment before bed time.