Hawaiian musings

Tuesday and more Enchantment pics

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 07:02:00 +0000

More food pics & ice carvings from the Enchantment cruise.

So... today went okay. I had a couple no-shows so my day was easier than planned. I still stayed busy and didn't get out of the office until about 6pm. When I got to work I had a "secret Santa" gift waiting. I'm not sure who it is from, I brought it home and put it under my little Christmas tree. I took in the ornament I got yesterday and had all my co-workers names put on, and left it hanging on my supervisor's door. My supervisor really liked it!

Tomorrow I have another busy day and will be joining my old co-workers for a potluck lunch & gift exchange.

Okay... time to sign off!

Aloha!

- Kris

Good news, bad news?

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 07:01:00 +0000

I thought I would post some pictures from the Windjammer Restaurant on the Enchantment. It was the "cafe" that was open most of the day/night.

I had my Endoscopy today. The doc said it came out good, everything looked fine. I guess that is good news/bad news. I still don't know what causes my tummy pains when they occur. He looked at my MRI results but didn't seem to think that the divided pancreas was the cause because if that was the case, it should show up in my labs. So... I don't know anything more than I did before. The procedure itself sucked. First, I almost passed out during the IV insertion. I haven't done that in a long time. The technician first asked me if anyone had difficulty getting an IV in me, then she did it on the right hand (normally I have it done on the left hand or inside of the left elbow). That was after I had to hang my right arm suspended while making a fist. The Technician did get it on the first time, that was good. But then I was almost to the point of passing out. So, she put a cold cloth on my forehead and a cold pack under my neck, she also leaned me back in the chair. I was okay after about 5 minutes and then I was able to walk back to the procedure room unassisted. Ah... the things you do in the name of medical science! *wink*

I did get the day off, because I was not supposed to work for 12 hours. So, this afternoon I went and saw the movie "Blind Sided." It was a REALLY good movie. I also picked up a couple ornaments. After that I was worn out, so I came home and slept for a few hours this afternoon.

Tonight I've been catching up on emails and watching some junk TV. Nothing too exciting.

Okay... time to sign off, it's about time to take the dogs out for their last walk of the night before going to bed. I still need to get my stuff ready for tomorrow (work). I'm supposed to have a busy day.

Aloha!

- Kris

Christmas decorating...

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 05:52:00 +0000

My little (artificial) tree, it's just over 3' tall. I finally got it decorated last night!

I bought a holiday tablecloth & red placemats. Then I got my Christmas dishes (that I got at a christmas party back in 2003 or so... for awhile they were my ONLY dishes, when I was a student here). I decided to set my table for Christmas. I think it looks nice. I also got a stocking holder & put my stocking up by the table there. (thats my coin jar in the middle of the table).

Today Nikki & Guy came over for dinner. It was good to have them here. I just saw them Friday and will be seeing them again for Christmas and then next Sunday as well. They called to let me know that they were down at the bus stop, so I started to walk down there with the dogs. I was happy when Peanut recognized them when we got close to them. Bruno didn't know what to think though. He wasn't sure about Peanut going up to strangers wagging her tail & wanting to lick them all over. Later in the afternoon though, Bruno took a nap on Guy's lap (they both took an afternoon siesta).

I got the pie out (Chocolate Peanut Butter cream pie) that I won last night in the Chinese auction, and went to take a bite and it was sour! YUK! So... I tossed it. Then I made a 7-layer bar mix that was REALLY good! (Too good!).

I missed my friend Betty's phone call this afternoon. Darn it! I had my phone ringer turned down. I also missed text messages from my youngest daughter. But, I did hear the phone ring later & it was her. She was at my nephew's house baking cookies today. My nephew & his girlfriend (partner, soon to be wife?) had some friends over. They had the same last name as my maiden name. I guess they started talking and found out that their dad is my cousin. (I guess I thought Dwayne had passed away, but found out otherwise today). I realize that they live in the city where I grew up, but it's still a small world!

Other than that, I have a short work-week this week. I am off tomorrow because I have an Endoscopy scheduled in the morning. I'm looking forward to seeing the "GI" doctor tomorrow, because he'll have the results of my MRI which says that I have a divided pancreas. It'll be interesting to see what he says about it. Apparently it might be the result of a birth defect, that wouldn't show up because most often it is asymptomatic. It sounds like the only way you might find out you have one, is through testing for something else (like my MRI to help determine if I have gallstones). The way it is fixed is endoscopically (which is what I'm having done tomorrow, is an endoscopy). It'll be interesting if the doc decides to fix it, or if he can.

Anyway... I'm off tomorrow. Then I work Tuesday and Wednesday and get a half day off on Thursday (Christmas eve). Then I'll be off for the three-day weekend. (YEA!).

Okay... I'm going to sign off. I'm watching "Survivor." It's the finale. I'm also listening to the nightly fireworks. Some people sure must spend a LOT of money on fireworks! It'll continue to get worse until New Year's Eve.

Aloha!

- Kris

Holiday parties...

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 09:08:00 +0000

This was the welcoming that greeted the ship in Cartegena. I just thought I would post a couple pictures tonight... I'm really tired (I stayed up WAY too late last night, and for no other reason than I didn't feel like going to bed... so I played (and researched stuff) on the computer and then fell asleep on my couch with the dogs curled at my feet).

I slept in until about 9, but then had to get up and go run some errands and do some shopping. I dropped my cans off for recycling, picked up some puppy pads & dog food, picked up a TV/Entertainment shelving unit to put under my TV. (I had a black, cheap, pressed wood shelving thing, but it wasn't very sturdy, so I wanted something that looked a little nicer). I got it set up this afternoon (after putting it together) and it looks good. I cleaned my fish tank (I'm amazed that my fish are still alive!) and it looks great sitting on the shelving unit. I'll take a picture of it one of these days. I do have my Christmas tree out, but it isn't set up. I did get my kitchen & bathroom cleaned up and swept the house and mopped my bedroom, the hallway and the kitchen. I still have some cleaning to do between now and tomorrow at lunch time when Guy & Nikki come over.

This evening I went to the "meet-in" Christmas party. It was held at the Phucket Thai restaurant. My favorite oriental restaurant is still "Little Village." There were at least 20 of us at the party and we did the "Chinese" auction thing. My gifts did about the best (they were taken until they couldn't be taken anymore). I had taken the pizza set (pizza pan, rack, wooden paddle, cutter, and pie shaped spatula). Everyone REALLY liked that one. The other thing I got was a set a nesting metal bowls, that went over really well too. At the end of the trading and such, I ended up with a Peanut Butter Chocolate Cream pie from Ted's Bakery (they make the best pies on the island!). I figured it would work well for when Guy & Nikki come up for dinner tomorrow.

After the Christmas party, I went to Bubbies' for Ice Cream for some desert. They make the best home-made Ice cream. I ran into some friends there, including Alicia, she is flying out tomorrow. She's moving over there to join her husband Tom. They were married a couple months ago.

I got home late and just caught myself dozing on the couch. I thought I'd better get my blog done and get to bed! And with that, I'll sign off.

Aloha!

- Kris

Friday night

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 09:52:00 +0000

Work was okay today, had a meeting first thing to discuss clients and then about lunch time we went over to the company party. The party was very loud though, with a bunch of different things going on at once and it was a little too much sensory overload. I finally sat outside on the patio (of the building we were in) where it was a "little" more quiet. We didn't stay for the whole party, we went back to work for about another hour to wrap things up and then got off at 3. (I left about 3:20). I did some grocery shopping on the way home.

My friend Goldie called me about 5:15 to let me know they were going to start letting people into the Arizona Memorial area at 5:30. I was to meet Guy & Nikki there as well. So I hustled and got there. Nikki & Guy had already gotten there and had gotten a ticket for me as well (whew!). So, we were all on the same boat. *smiles* It was the first boat of the evening though, they went out a little earlier than last year. I think I wish we had been on a later boat, because you don't enjoy the lights on the boats as much. I *do* love singing along with the Christmas carols though.

That's probably something I would enjoy, getting together with some friends to go Christmas caroling each year.

Guy, Nikki & I went and got a bite to eat after the boat ride and did a little shopping. I bought a glass shelving unit to put my TV accessories on, I have to pick it up tomorrow (I didn't have enough room in my car to pick it up tonight). After the shopping, I took Nikki & Guy home, but we drove through downtown so they could enjoy the City lights (which are always beautiful!).

Okay... bedtime, it's midnight and I have a busy day (with chores mainly) tomorrow.

Aloha!

- Kris

Pics of Santa Marta, Columbia

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:17:00 +0000

Beaded jewelry laid out for sale at this beautiful pull-off area.

Looks rather isolated, think they would mind if you & I joined them? *smiles*

Street vendors

The mounted police!

Okay... it's almost midnight & I have to get up to go to work tomorrow so I'm not going to stay up and write much. Work was busy today, moreso this afternoon when I had to facilitate meetings all afternoon. I didn't leave work until after 6 and then went to a co-worker's house for a Christmas party. They are new to Hawaii and have come from spending about 12 years in the Anchorage area of Alaska. I had a great time!

I didn't get home until about 10:30pm and have just been reading through my emails (got yours Bette!), and posting pictures to this blog.

I need to sign off and take the dogs out one more time before bedtime (in hopes that Peanut won't wake me up so early!).

Aloha!

- Kris

An electronic Christmas card for you!

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 08:05:00 +0000

Make a Smilebox greeting

Pics from Dunns River Falls

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 06:34:00 +0000

I thought I would post some more cruise pictures, these are from Dunns River Falls in Jamaica. I had a great time climbing the falls (but sure was sore the next day!).

I got to work this morning and was the only Social Worker there. One started his vacation today, another was sick and the rest were down at our main office for the morning. Fortunately it was pretty quiet, just had one walk-in to deal with. Then I had a regular client that was supposed to come in this afternoon, he came in this morning. So... I saw about 6 clients this morning and then got to work on paperwork & documentation this afternoon. I did go over and have lunch with my former co-workers, it's good to stay in touch with them. I ended up leaving work about 6pm.

Tonight I've just been watching "The Unit," although I should have been cleaning. I need to pick up my livingroom, clean off the table and I still need to unpack at some point! Tomorrow night I have a Christmas party with some co-workers and then Friday I have my out-of-town visitors coming over. I also have another party (a "most of the day" celebration at work) on Friday. It's that time of year!

Okay... time to sign off.

Aloha!

- Kris

Long day at work...

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 07:18:00 +0000

Can't remember if I posted this before. It was when I drove down to Key West. The southernmost point in the Continental US.

So, I had a long work day. The morning started off slow, but then it was one client after another starting about noon. I stayed late doing paperwork and making a couple calls to clients. My co-worker that I share a workload with is going on vacation tomorrow (today was his last day), so I needed to review his more serious clients with him, so I can cover for him while he's gone.

Time to sign off, the news just finished & now I need to take the pups out for a walk.

Aloha!
- Kris

Just a short blog

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 08:04:00 +0000

Aerial view of Diamond Head.

Just a quick blog because I got home late. Work went fine, it was relatively quiet. Tomorrow will be busy though.

After work I got to go to dinner with some friends at PF Chang's. It's a Chinese restaurant. We ordered quite a bit of food and shared it family style. It was MMMMM good!

Okay... signing off because it's after 10pm. I've been online with my good friend Michelle in Las Vegas for the last 20 minutes or so.

Aloha!
- Kris

The end of another weekend...

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 04:56:00 +0000

This is just another picture I took last night as the sun was hitting the water.

I had a fairly good day... took it easy this morning and watched about 4 hours of the Travel Channel. It was focused on China... of course, then I started looking at cruises to China (I'd like to see the China Wall). I'm already thinking about what my next BIG cruise will be (after Europe in May & November this coming year). I'm tossed between Asia and Antarctica. I'm leaning towards Antarctica because I think they are going to start limiting tourism in the area to maintain the ecosystem. At some point, I'd like to take a cruise to the Galapagos Islands... but that's down the road a couple years probably.

Anyway... this afternoon I finally made it down to Ala Moana beach. It was a *perfect* beach day. It wasn't too warm and it wasn't too cool, and there was a gentle breeze. I know if I have said it once, I've said it a hundred times... I love laying on the beach in the sun, listening to my IPod. *smiles*

Tonight after dinner I've been doing some laundry and cleaning the kitchen (a chore in itself, since it had dust all over from when it got tiled before I went on my cruise). I've got company coming within the next couple weeks (Guy & Nikki are coming out on Friday to go with me to the Pearl Harbor Lights... so I have to have the place in some semblance of order before then!). I still haven't even finished unpacking my suitcases!

Not much else to write about tonight... all is good in Hawaii! *smiles*

Aloha!

- Kris

Hawaiian Sunset

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 07:26:00 +0000

This is one of those "lucky I live Hawaii" moments... what a beautiful sunset tonight! I was in town running errands (I didn't make it to the beach today, but maybe tomorrow?). I found myself down at Ala Moana mall just before sunset, so I went over to Magic Island to watch the sunset, something I haven't done down there for so long. (See what I miss when I'm not there!).

Today has been a relatively quiet day. I took it easy this morning and called my snowbird friends Guy & Nikki and talked to them for awhile. They are coming down later this week. I'm going to take them down to Pearl Harbor this coming Friday night to go out on the Pontoon boat to see the Navy ships & subs all decorated for Christmas. Then, Sunday they will come over for dinner.

Anyway, after lunch I took a package to the Post Office to mail (wow... were THEY backed up!). Got a package mailed to my youngest daughter & got something sent off to my friends in Australia (and mailed 1 more Christmas card). Then I headed down to the Convention Center. I had signed up for the Honolulu Marathon (which is tomorrow) and I wanted to pick up my bib number. There's no way I could walk it tomorrow (or ever at this point it seems). So, this will be the last time I register for it. After walking so much while on my cruise, I realized I'll will be lucky if I can do the Great Aloha Run in February. It's just my arthritis. I'm REALLY feeling it when I try to go up or down stairs. Guess I'll need to make an appointment with my doc, just taking Tylenol doesn't do it anymore.

Okay... I'm going to sign off. I've been watching "It's a Wonderful Life." That should be an annual Christmas tradition.

Aloha!
- Kris

Enchantment pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 08:32:00 +0000

Waiting for my snorkeling trip in Jamaica.

Looking down on the Solarium pool (which can be covered in inclement weather)

Chef's carving down in the Centrum area on the 1st day.

Part of the shopping area...

The theater

Outside on the pool deck.

The kiddie splash pool on the pool deck.

Looking up from the Centrum area

Anybody for a game of ping-pong?

Let's jump on the treadmills....

Wave to the bartender in the Schooner lounge

Looking down into the Centrum area from about the 8th floor?

Anybody want to do some rock wall climbing?

How about jumping on the trampoline? (I kept meaning to do this, but either I wasn't wearing appropriate clothing, or it wasn't the operating hours. Oh well, maybe next time.

So... I will continue to post some of my cruise photos daily for awhile. I hope you don't mind.

Today was a very busy day but I didn't see a single soldier. I went in first thing this morning for my MRI, I did fine with that.. I'm not claustrophobic at all (just can't sit or lay still for long! LOL!). I should know the results within a few days (or at least the doctor will). I decided while I was there at the hospital, I might as well go ahead and get my labs drawn (all *9* tubes of it!). So far from what I can tell has come back, my Anion Gap is low (value is 2), my Bicarbonate is slightly elevated and my PTH is slightly elevated. My cholesterol is a *little* high, but not unreasonbly so. The rest of the results I still need to wait on.

I got to work thinking we had a staff meeting this morning, but my supervisor called in sick today, so that was one less thing to worry about. I did have a two hour training this morning though and a two hour training this afternoon. (This morning was on drug & alcohol abuse, this afternoon was about Traumatic Brain Injury). In between I had a luncheon to go, honoring the new employees of our company and saying good-bye to some that are leaving. AFTER work, I had another function, a special going-away dinner for one of those who are leaving (She's a nurse and we've worked together closely on one case in particular).

Monday I need to take in some trinkets (or goodies) to put in everyone's stockings. I need 31 items. So... I picked up some little holiday bubble blowers (they are about the size handed out as wedding favors) and I picked up some holiday bookmarks. I also have a couple Christmas exchange parties coming up, so picked up some gifts for that (one is a 7 piece Pizza baking kit... with a pizza stone, rack, one of those paddles you get the pizza out of the oven with, there's a pizza cutter & server). I also got a set of metal bowls. Both were reasonably priced and will make good gifts. I try to get things I wouldn't mind having myself.

Okay... time to sign off. I've already taken the dogs for their walk. It was a beautiful clear night out. According to my computer it is 75 degrees up here where I live.

Aloha!

- Kris

My 2nd cabin (with balcony)

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 06:35:00 +0000

It was a small balcony, but it was still nice to be able to step outside and sit on the balcony.

So... today at work went fine. I had a meeting this morning with one of our head bosses (along with my supervisor & co-workers). We are trying to justify the need for more Social Workers in our department. The head boss will have to go up the ladder to justify the need to his bosses and keep going up the chain. I just hope it doesn't take forever. I met with two clients this morning (in addition to the meeting), but this afternoon I just had to staff a case (with the client present) and everything else was okay and quiet. I enjoyed listening to Christmas music and doing my computer documentation. And I was able to leave work on time today. YEA!

Not much going on tonight. I'm getting ready to head to bed (after I take the pups for a walk). I've got to be up early and go in for an MRI before 8 am! I think I have to be there at 6:45 in the morning. UGH! They are doing the MRI to make sure I don't have any gallstones. (Still trying to figure out why I have stomach pains occasionally).

Aloha & Good Night!

- Kris

My 1st cabin...

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 06:40:00 +0000

I thought I would post pictures of my first cabin on the cruise ship. Tomorrow night (if I remember, I will post pictures of the 2nd cabin).

Today wasn't too bad, I had a couple no-shows, so that made it easier. My client that was in a crisis yesterday was better today, so that was a relief (I was praying the client would do better today). I had lunch with my former co-workers today, it's always good to see them and spend time with them. My former supervisor was there as well. After work I went grocery shopping, I needed to get some food to get me through the next week or so.

Tomorrow I start off the day with a meeting and then I have a couple appointments scheduled in the afternoon and have to present a case in the afternoon to a staff meeting. It shouldn't be too bad.

Okay... not much else to write tonight.

Aloha!

- Kris

Home with the Puppies

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 05:54:00 +0000

Some of the towel animals I had in my room at night on the cruise. It was a delightful surprise to come back to my room in the afternoon/evening to see what my room steward had made for me that night! *smiles*

So... today. Of course it was jumping into work full force. I think I saw 6 regular clients and then I had a walk-in client in a crisis mode that I spent a couple hours with. I barely got to eat lunch today. I was wishing it was Friday by the end of the day.

Tonight I got to get my puppies, Peanut recognized me first, Bruno wasn't sure, but soon he realized it was "mama." They've been sleeping quite a bit since getting home. They haven't eaten much, I suspect that Auntie Barb spoiled them! *smiles*

I had plans to be in bed early, but realized that "The Biggest Loser" Finale was on and since I've watched almost the whole season, I figured I needed to stay up to see who watched (although I did cheat and found out who wins online).

Okay... time to sign off... so I can finish winding down before going to bed.

Aloha!

- Kris

From Panama to Hawaii

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:13:00 +0000

Panama City from across the bay...

Well, it's been a LONG day, flying from Panama City, Panama to Hawaii. No problems with flights, although the flights from Panama to Miami & then from Miama to LA were COMPLETELY full... not one empty seat! The one from LA to Hawaii was only about half filled, so that was nice. I took some Ambien & slept as much as possible on the flights so that I can hopefully be more rested for work tomorrow. On the flight from Miami I met a nice young girl (who looked a LOT younger than the 28 years old she said she was). She works for RCCL and was transitioning from cruises going out of NYC to San Diego where she will be traveling on the Mexican route. She's from Mexico City originally, so I'm sure it will be nice to be closer to her home turf. Her name was Adriana and she works with children. I do have to say, she was a great Ambassador for RCCL and represented them well!

Okay... bedtime for me, work will come early (since it is already 1:20am and I have to be there at 7:30am). ugh!

Aloha!

- Kris

Panama

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:17:00 +0000

At the locks...

Across the bay with Panama City in the background.

Hello! I am writing from Panama City, Panama. It’s been a long day and I didn’t get to post my blog last night because I was packing until almost midnight. I had a nice last dinner with my new friends (and I did see a couple of them today along the way). Everyone had to put the suitcases outside the cabin door by midnight last night and then keep their carry-on luggage with them. My alarm was set for 6:15am (ugh!) and I had to be downstairs by 7:30am (after breakfast). We were herded out like cattle to the customs section at the terminal (port). It was VERY hot there and I was sweating buckets. Thankfully I got a porter to help with my luggage and I was able to go to a shorter line. We finally got on busses (those of us who had booked the ship’s excursion to Panama City). Thankfully the busses were air conditioned. Our first stop was at the Miraflores Locks and we were fortunate to watch a ship go through the locks while we were there. Of course, I took quite a few pictures! Our guide spoke to us in English & in Spanish. I’ve almost got Spanglish down! *smiles*

Our next stop was at a mall for some shopping. It was a HUGE mall (Albrook Mall). I don’t know what I expected, I guess a “local” shopping area with crafts and such. Anyway, the bus dropped all of us off about 10:45 and was to come back at 1:30. They then took some of the people out to the airport who had to catch an earlier flight. I think there were at least 20 of us on the bus that were staying at a hotel at least overnight. Two of the women who sat at my table each night for dinner (Rose & Barb) are staying here at the Radisson, where I’m staying. This is a REALLY nice hotel! It’s fairly modern. There’s a mall across the street and a Casino across the street. I spent quite a bit of time in the mall and went to the Hard Rock Café there & got my T shirt. I walked over to the Harley store, but it was closed. (Because it is Sunday). I then hired a taxi and got a little bit of a scenic tour of the Panama City area. The same guy is going to come in the morning and take me to the airport.

Okay… I’m wiped out. I would love to go take a bath (which I *can* do here… not so on the ship) and I need to re-pack my stuff a little and then hit the sack. The taxi driver is supposed to be here at 6am. I’m hoping I will be able to sleep on the plane on the way home. I don’t believe I will be posting tomorrow night as I don’t get in until I0:30pm and I am going into work on Tuesday. As it is, I will probably be up until midnight tomorrow night.

Aloha!

- Kris

Sloths, Wild Monkeys & Me (Saturday)

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:11:00 +0000

I had another great day on my cruise, it is our last full day. Today we were in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica. Puerto Limon is where Christopher Columbus first discovered Costa Rica. I went on my ZIP LINE tour today, something I have looked forward to for a long time. The tour began at the pier with a bilingual guide on an air conditioned motor coach. We were given an introduction of Costa Rica and provided with a lot of cultural information. Once our tour arrived at the Jungle Breeze Welcome Center, the staff gave us a safety briefing and gave us our harness equipment.

Our tour consisted of 13 platforms and 12 zip wires stretched across the length of the rain forest throughout 1.5 miles. The Jungle Breeze Canopy system was built with double steel cables, a twin pulley system and the safest rope breaking system. I felt very safe! We did have one person who chose to get off after the 4^th platform (there were about 3 platforms we could choose to get off if we felt we couldn’t handle it). Other than the heat and humidity, I did fine. I wouldn’t mind having a Zip Line in my backyard! *smiles*

What was really neat is that we saw several Sloths and a group of wild monkeys. We saw the monkeys on the way out, along with a couple of the sloths. But then as we were leaving, there were a couple sloths very near the road. One of them actually came down and crossed over (swung over) to another tree. We felt very fortunate to see them.

Our tour got back about 2:30, too late for lunch (I had some watermelon up at the Jungle Breeze place), so I wandered into town for some more souvenirs. There was a guy painting on feathers, so I bought a picture he had painted (and framed) that has a turtle on it. I want to hang it in my bathroom when I get home. I did eat in town… at Burger King! *smiles* I was a little hesitant to eat anything local (I was a little worried about the possibility of getting sick). There was also a Pizza Hut in town, but no McDonald’s (amazingly!).

As I write this, I’m in my cabin, I’ve had a nice, cool shower & we are getting ready to depart. Soon it will be time for dinner & then I will need to come back and try to pack all the stuff I’ve bought on this cruise! YIKES!

I don’t know if I will get the chance to post tomorrow night or not. Tomorrow morning I am scheduled to disembark at 7:45am and then will take the ship’s excursion up to Panama.

I do have to say, that I’ve enjoyed the second half of this cruise MUCH more than the first half. I’ve been very pleased with the Waitress we have for our table (Michelle and her assistant Chantelle), I’ve enjoyed the friends I’ve met, and most of the crew I have met. Tonight I also need to write my guest satisfaction form. It will be more positive than it would have been at the beginning of the cruise.

Aloha from Costa Rica!

- Kris

P.S. Sorry I didn’t get this posted last night, I got busy packing (and had used up all my minutes for the internet on the ship anyway).

Day 7 Sea Day

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 03:58:00 +0000

With the Captain of the Enchantment... *smiles* he's so handsome!

A bountiful fruit display at the Caribbean Pool Party last night...

Last night after I wrote my blog, I went upstairs to the Pool deck for the Caribbean Pool Party and bought my one and only alcoholic drink. I had a great time, had some great food, watched one of the chefs do an ice carving of a horse and then I went and sat in the Jacuzzi from midnight until 1:30am chatting with a young couple from California.

Today has been a good day at sea. I stayed in bed until about 11:30am (although I did get woke up by the phone ringing about 8:30am, by the time I answered it, the person was hanging up). This is what vacationing is about… resting. I got up and went upstairs with my swimsuit on and my swimsuit cover dress, fully planning to spend time at the pool today after lunch (brunch?). I had lunch and then went to the Casino to try my hand at playing in a slot machine competition. No luck. I did win some money at the slots finally (and at blackjack or whatever the game was that I tried to play), but then spent my earnings later tonight. After the Casino, I ran into one of my tablemates & we sat out on the deck chatting awhile. She’s a retired Postal Service clerk from Houston; she’s a really nice person and does quite a bit of traveling (and cruising!). The next thing I knew, it was time for Bingo. I thought I would give it another try. I did get a BINGO! But ended up sharing it with about 7 other people so I got a whopping 7 dollars, plus change! LOL!

Later I checked mail and then went down to my cabin to change and get ready for formal night. It was nice, all the regulars were at the table and we took pictures & exchanged emails. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know my tablemates. *smiles*

After dinner they had a “70’s night” in the Centrum (center area of the ship, that is multiple stories). Of course I knew most of the songs and everyone had a good time. They had the “Mod Squad” out there and then brought out the “Village People” (part of our entertainment crew and our Cruise Director staff). It was really nice to see the Captain there enjoying the music as well, and I was able to get a picture with him. He’s from Croatia; I will be traveling to his hometown next May. *smiles*

Okay, I’m going to sign off so that I can go post this and then I’m headed to ladies night at the Lounge, it is billed as “Shippendale’s” this should be interesting!

Tomorrow I’ll be trying Zip-lining for the first time, we will be docking early in Costa Rica and will be there about 10 hours. My tour is 4 hours, so I should have some time to wander around Puerto Limon afterwards before re-boarding the ship. Tomorrow night will be packing (darn!).

Aloha!
- Kris

Cartegena

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 02:39:00 +0000

At the base of the Mud volcano...

No COMMENTS please! *smiles* (everything is sagging!)

In order to resist attacks, Spanish Crown hired the services of European military engineers to carry out the construction of Cartagena's distinguishing features. This project took 208 years, and resulted in seven miles of walls surrounding the city, the San Felipe Fortress, fortifications on every point and narrows, and the Fort of San Sebastian de Pastelillo.

Hola, Como esta? Bien? Y tu. I had a great day in Cartegena today. I started off the day headed about 50 miles out of town to the Volcan de Tortula, (okay… the volcano of mud). I shared a cab with some of the others from Cruise Critic, after some negotiating, it ended up costing us $50 each to ride out and back. Once there we had to pay a $5 admission fee, and then once we were done, they wanted a tip for every person, i.e. the person that massaged you while you were in the mud, the little boy who made sure your flip-flops were waiting for you at the bottom of the mud volcano and then made sure they were clean when you got done rinsing off in the lagoon, and then there were the ladies who rinsed you off in the lagoon and the guys that took your pictures. One of the guys who went with us gave a woman a tip and she wasn’t even the one that rinsed him off, so he had to turn around and tip the woman who actually rinsed him off!

The mud bath. Going up the stairs wasn’t bad, but there was a ladder to get down into the mud, which was very slippery (none of us slipped). I was the first one in our group to go down into the mud (and therefore got the best & longest mud treatment/massage). A guy up on the top offered to hold our cameras and take our pictures (for a nice tip of course!). Once you get down to the bottom step, you were instructed to just lay back and you just kind of laid on top of the mud. It was a very weird feeling to stick your hands down in the mud (I did it when I was laying on my stomach… and it wasn’t hard to keep your head out of the mud laying on your tummy either). As you laid in the mud, you got a very rejuvenating massage and were encouraged to cover your face with mud. The mud was body temperature, maybe a degree or two warmer and they had us with our heads in the shade, which was nice. I don’t think today was as hot as yesterday. We spent about 20 minutes to a half an hour in the mud, then it was time to exit the mud. Trying to move around in the mud was difficult. It was so buoyant! I don’t know how deep it was, I tried, but could not touch the bottom. As you were getting out, it was best not to get near the ladder as the person in front of you reached the top, because there they attempted to scrape off as much of the mud as they could (less to wash off in the lagoon that way). So, if you were near the ladder, you got splattered with mud! Remind me if I ever do it again, NOT to wear a two piece! Your bottom retains a LOT of mud and it took me about 5 minutes to get enough of the mud out to where I could at least get UP the ladder with my bottoms remaining on my body. The others in the mud bath were nice… they said not to worry, with all the mud, they couldn’t see my rear anyway! LOL!

I finally got to the top and then went back down the stairs where a young kid was waiting with my flip-flops and he guided me to the lagoon where I sat and let a woman rinse the mud (at least most of it) off of me. They had bowls to pour the water over your head to rinse out your hair. One guy in our group (who was the first in our bunch to make it to the lagoon) was instructed to take off his swimming trunks… he instantly became shy! LOL! Heck… I pulled MINE off with almost no hesitation (there wasn’t nothing there they hadn’t seen before anyway, and Karen did likewise). They needed them off to rinse out the swimsuits. We all joked about it (and stayed under the cover of the water while they rinsed the suits). We later chided each other about going skinny dipping in Columbia! Once out of the water, the young boy met me with my rinsed flip-flops for my short walk back up to the taxi (and where everyone waited around like vultures for their tips). We dried off and hopped in the cab for our ride back to the ship. On the way back we went by the San Filipe Fort and stopped just long enough for some pictures and then headed back to the ship for a late lunch and a SHOWER!

After lunch there was a trip to the Old City (Ciudad Amurallada). It’s a beautiful old city. We got a drive around the city and then stopped by the old dungeons (Las Bolvedas Shops) to do some shopping. I probably spent more than I should have and probably what I liked the most that I bought was a “rain stick.” These are made of bamboo and are about 2’ long, there are seeds or something inside and when you tilt them from one end to the other, you can make it sound like gentle rain. One of my co-workers had asked me to find him an unusual musical instrument (we were thinking something like Mariachi’s but without the handles… I couldn’t find those, but I found the bamboo pipes that you blow on (think of like a harmonica… two rows of small bamboo of descending (or ascending) that you blow into like a coke bottle to make sound), and then I got him a rain stick as well. I’ve also bought some Columbian coffee as well. (I don’t drink coffee… they are for gifts to co-workers when I return). I also bought a light-weight white dress/lounger (I can wear it around the apartment to relax in) and a white embroidered shirt with some white crop pants (I had better wear white under them, you can see right through the material! I also bought myself some small gold & emerald earrings. I guess Emeralds are what you are supposed to buy when you are in Columbia. After shopping at the Dungeon our cab took us over to the Hard Rock Café so I could pick up my Hard Rock Café tee shirt. They didn’t have the magnets (which are always shaped like a guitar) and their tee shirt selection was limited. But, I did get a(nother) tee shirt. From there we headed back to the ship, and wandered around the duty free shop. I got a “Columbia” milk chocolate bar, some pure Columbian Vanilla and a magnet. My shopping is complete.

I got to dinner a little late, but I have the “any time” dining, so it’s not a problem. I sat with my usual tablemates and entertained them with my stories about the mud bath & volcano. I brought my camera with me to show them what it looked like.

Dinner. I had deep fried mushrooms for my appetizer, and a vegetarian pizza with goat cheese, tomatoes, spinach & cheese on it. I could only eat half. I got a small slice of white chocolate cheesecake for desert.

Tonight at 11:30pm they are having an ice carving show up on the pool deck and then they are having a Caribbean Pool party, complete with a barbeque buffet. I’m hoping I can stay awake for it. I went up to get in the Jacuzzi, but they have them all closed except for the one in the Solarium and it was standing room only. I guess I will pass on that for tonight.

Which reminds me, when I got back to my (new) room, the steward (Beverly from Jamaica) had made a towel into a bat which she had hanging from a hangar. It was darling! I took a picture of it and will share it later. I guess when I return to Hawaii I will have to do a blog on the various towel creatures and another on the different melons & pumpkins carvings (and fruit carvings). I am *so* thankful they allowed me to switch rooms. The new steward is more attentive and she has provided me with the extra towels I requested (I asked three days in a row downstairs & only got them 1 day). I also have extra pillows on my bed and the bathroom doesn’t smell like urine! (whew!). I also enjoy having the balcony view and waking up to seeing the land passing by and watching the docking of the ship. I wish my vacation on the ship weren’t ending in a few days. (I think it’s Thursday and my ship docks on Sunday in Panama). Tomorrow is a sea day and then Saturday we are in Costa Rica (I’m looking forward to my zip lining there!). Sunday we arrive in Colon and I head to Panama City via the canal (for a stop & look there).

Okay… time to sign off.

Aloha!

- Kris

P.S. I STILL feel like I have mud in my ears! Thank goodness I have Q-tips along!

Santa Marta

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 01:54:00 +0000

Santa Marta at dusk

The fingerling rays of sunset...

I had a great day in Santa Marta today. Santa Marta was founded by Rodrigo de Bastidas in 1525, and he was thought to remain there for quite some time, but the traitorous soldiers under his command rebelled and tried to assassinate him, wounded, the "CONQUISTADOR" made his way to Cuba where he later died.

I hooked up with Karen & her husband Tom, we had a TINY cab and went up to the Simon Bolivar estate. Simon Bolivar is to Columbia, what George Washington was to the US. It *was* interesting. San Pedro de Alejandrino Village was built in the 17th century as a country estate outside the city limits it was the sitting for many significant events in Colombian history. In 1830 don Joaquin Mier y Benitez, offered his home to the liberator Simon Bolivar as a refuge for this last days, it was later declared a national monument by the Colombian Government, not only the interior of the house has been restored and conserved, but the many gardens have also been brought back to their former by National Tourism Corporation.

From there we went several other places, we went to one of the famous beaches, we went to the Cathedral. The Cathedral was the first in the city, it was built in 1529 by Fray Thomas Ortiz, a Dominican Brother, it was given the name Church of Santa Ana and n 1533 was promoted to the rank of Cathedral, it was located in a place historians have made unable to the determine with precision, behind the convent of Santo Domingo near the outlet of the Manzanares branch that bordered the Calle del Rio, which is today Carrera 2. In 1156, an Historian described the walls of the cathedral as "Built with the barrel boards carried by the river when it swelled.

We went to the Gold Museum (which wasn’t what I expected). The Customs House is an historical and architectural monument, and has been beautifully restored and preserved. It is now the new Headquarters of the Bank of the Republic's Gold Museum in Santa Marta, an exhibit describing the customs of the Pre-Colombian Community that is accompanied by a small yet priceless collection of Tayrona Gold and Pottery pieces.

We also went up to a look out over the fishing village of Tyrona. The Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta - this is a unique place in the world where perpetual snows and warm beaches of the exotic Caribbean Sea are united capriciously to create the conditions for the Tayrona Nature Reserve.

We got back to the ship about 1:30. I did pick up some souvenirs and decided I wasn’t done shopping, so I agreed to meet Tom & Karen down by the dock about 2:45. We then walked all over town for about two more hours. We found out when we got back on board that the heat index today was about 105 degrees. Yowza!

I showered quickly and then went up to the top deck to catch the sunset. It was absolutely gorgeous, especially AFTER the sun went down. I took several pictures of the reddish colored rays shining up from the sea.

Dinner was great again tonight. I had a crab & shrimp salad for my appetizer and then I had a seafood pasta for my main course. Desert tonight was a sugar-free steamed vanilla custard with fruit. (Most of the other deserts either had coffee or alcohol in them, neither of which I prefer). Karen & Tom joined our table tonight and we were entertained by the waitresses & waiters dancing around to a “Simon Sez” type song. Then they had all of us get up and do the Macarena. (I guess we needed to work off our dinner a little). We have a great waitress at our table, her name is Michelle & she is from the Philippines.

I’ve gotten several phone calls from Guest Relations today, checking on how I’m doing (maybe that was after I told them I am a stock-holder?). Right now they’ve asked me to go look at a stateroom up on the 7^th floor, to see if I would be interested in changing rooms. I’ll go look & see if it is worth packing everything up & moving. Well, as an addendum, it looks like I will be moving. The room on the 7th floor is a balcony room, it looks really nice. When I went to Guest Relations, I met Rosa, who is in charge of House-keeping and she had another young girl take me up & show me the room. So... I'd best sign off... I've got some work to go do. Oh yea... last night was NOT a formal night, the next formal night is on Friday (a sea day after Cartegena) and apparently they will be serving lobster that night. MMMM!

Tomorrow is Cartegena, which is where I'll be doing the mud volcano. YEA! I'll also pick up another Hard Rock Cafe tee shirt. We have a long layover there, we don't leave until about 9:30 tomorrow night.

Time to sign off!

Aloha!

- Kris

Rude Awakening

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 03:41:00 +0000

Sunset tonight...

So… this morning I was awaken about 6am. At first I thought it was someone just trying to get into the wrong cabin, that they were trying their (electronic) key in my door, but the noise kept repeating itself. So I got up to see what was going on and was SHOCKED to find them laying new carpet in the hallway! The noise I heard was the scraping noise as they were peeling the carpet from along the edges of the wall. I said something and the guy just kind of shrugged his shoulders and said something about having to get it done at some time. I *did* lay back down and slept til about 10:30am, but when I got up I went up to the Guest Relations to file a complaint. WHY in the world did they feel the need to replace carpeting at 6AM????? They could have at LEAST waited until 8 or 9am. That would have been a little more reasonable. OR they could have done it when most everyone was off the ship! Guest relations offered to let me change rooms for my inconvenience, but it would have been to exact same cabin on the 4^th level and I did NOT feel like packing and unpacking again (now, maybe had they offered me an upgrade or something, that would have been different!).

I also found out why it was so stinky yesterday (it smelled like a sewer down here). Apparently they had a sewage back up on the 3^rd deck. One of the Cruise Critic bunch stayed in his cabin yesterday while his wife went out and he said that they shut the water off for about 4 hours yesterday. My bathroom still smells like urine. I asked one of the attendants if he could have someone bleach the floor (it looks like there is a urine stain in front of the toilet that has been there since I got on). I think they scrubbed the floor a little, I found a wet throw-away rag in the shower this morning. (I take my showers in the morning). I’m half tempted to go to the store tomorrow in Santa Marta and see if I can pick up a half gallon of bleach and bring it back to poor on the bathroom floor myself.

Other than the rude awakening, the day has been okay. I finished reading my book “The Lost Symbol” by Dan Brown while lying by the pool this morning. I guess I should have turned around at some point, because I sunburned just the right side of my body. *smile*

I also watched the sunset tonight, the sun set on the water, surrounded by clouds. It reminded me of all the wonderful sunsets I *used* to watch in Honolulu with Bette, Walt, Guy & Nikki… I miss those days. Between my job and where I live now, I don’t go watch the sunset as often as I would like.

Dinner tonight was good. I had clam chowder for an appetizer and then for the main course I had a Cheese Ravioli type dish (I can’t remember the Italian name). Which reminds me, last night was the “Italian” night at dinner and just as dinner was finishing, all of the waiters & waitresses lined up on the staircase and serenaded us all with an Italian song. They did a GREAT job… and there wasn’t a single Italian among them! I’ve been having dinner with the same bunch of people; we still had room for three more at our table, but no extra guests tonight. We’ve had two different couples on two different nights, but we must scare them off or intimidate them (just kidding), because they don’t come back. I saw Rose & Barb earlier today at the Solarium when I was there, and noticed that one of them (Rose?) had her leg propped up. I didn’t know if it was something new or something she had been dealing with since before the trip. They are taking it easy on this trip because they have both had hip replacements recently and are wanting to get well enough for their trip to Nepal this next year. Anyway, come to find out, Rose (?) apparently got some kind of infection in her left ankle. I had noticed it was swollen and red. She said she had to go down to the infirmary (to see the doctor) and they had to give her some IV antibiotics. She said it was a good thing she was sitting down when they told her how much she had to pay, it cost her $900! But… she did get IV twice and she got antibiotics & pain meds. They don’t accept any insurance on board either and told her she would need to bill insurance herself, that they would give her a bill. Wow. Sure hope I don’t need their services!

Tomorrow the ship will be in Santa Marta. I don’t know what I will be doing yet. Karen (from Cruise Critic) and I were talking; we may hook up and share a taxi when we get to the port. I need to look at the sight-seeing recommendations that were provided by one of our Cruise Critic bunch.

Okay… time to sign off, it’s about 10:30pm. I went to the Jacuzzi after dinner (I skipped the dinner show). I enjoy the people I meet & talk with there in the Jacuzzi. I made sure I got a towel this afternoon because there doesn’t seem to be a way to get one in the evening. On the Millennium, towels were readily available, even at night. You just grabbed a fresh towel whenever you needed one and threw the other in the dirty laundry tub. On the Enchantment here, you have to sign out towels one at a time (basically) and if for some reason you lose track of your towel (or it gets taken), you have to shell out $20. per towel. So far I haven’t lost one (and they aren’t even worth taking… they’ve been around the block once or twice, I’d rather buy a NEW one if I want one to take home).

Time to sign off so I can take my computer up and sign on to the wireless (I don’t have wi-fi access here in my cabin).

Aloha!

- Kris

Jamaica, Ya Mon!

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:39:00 +0000

I made it to Jamaica today and hopped on a shore excursion with about 20 others (not TOO many!). We went out on a Catamaran, and our first stop was to do some snorkeling – that was so-so. There was more coral & live fauna, but less in the way of fish (than we have in Hawaii). After snorkeling for about an hour, we then went on over to Dunn’s River Falls. I climbed the 600’ waterfall (it goes up in stages, so it wasn’t too hard). They had everyone make a human chain and that way we could help each other up the falls (as the water was coming down). It was refreshing & fun, but my knees are reminding me how old I am tonight. You only live once, right?

After coming back to the dock, I came on board, took a shower & changed into dry clothes and then went back out for some shopping. I bought a “Harley” shirt, a “Hard Rock Café” shirt & magnet, then I went to Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville and picked up a shirt there as well (I’ll need a new dresser for all my tee shirts!) *smiles*

I enjoyed dinner tonight with the same people I’ve been eating with. For an appetizer I had a scallops dish & then for dinner I had some garlic tiger shrimp. Both were delicious. Desert for me was a Raspberry Panna Cotta, which was just right.

After dinner I stopped by the Casino, I should have quit while I was ahead… but donated more money to the machines. I’ll give it a couple more nights & try again.

The show tonight is a “Broadway” show with the Royal Caribbean singers. I went for awhile, but I don’t want to stay up too late, so I came to my cabin to write up my blog so I could get it posted tonight at a reasonable time.

That’s about it for today. Tomorrow is another sea day (and another FORMAL night). I’ll enjoy another relaxing day. The weather today was fantastic, you couldn’t have asked for better. Hopefully the good weather will continue.

Aloha!

- Kris

1st Sea Day - somewhere south of Cuba

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:39:00 +0000

Today has been a sea day. After sleeping until about 8:30am, I went up and got some breakfast. (Once again, the Mille had more breakfast options & they were spread out more). I had some scrambled eggs, bacon and a small Danish treat, along with some Orange juice. I then went to the “Meet & Mingle” that the ship put on for those who belong to the Cruise Critic boards. Normally they put a note on your door letting you know when it was, and I didn’t get one, so this morning I called down to Guest Relations, and even though I was about the 10^th person to sign up, they didn’t have me on the list. Someone posted last week that the Meet & Greet was going to be today (Sunday) at 10am, but I didn’t know where it was. So, after I was able to convince the Guest Relations person that I wasn’t just trying to crash the party, they let me know where it was. And the crew put on a nice shin-dig. They gave us all a RCCL gift and then had door prizes (I didn’t win one), and they had some drinks & snacks for us. It was good to meet some of those I had been emailing with. I also got to meet the person who is trying to arrange the mud volcano trip in Columbia (Cartagena) so that was good!

After the meet & greet I wasn’t feeling very good (I had taken a muscle relaxer because my back was having some spasms last night when I laid down to go to sleep), so I think it was just the effect of that kicking in. So, I wandered over to the Solarium and dozed (off and on) by the pool for a couple hours, then came down to my cabin for a quieter nap. I skipped lunch (I wasn’t hungry anyway). I got up about 3:30 and went upstairs for Bingo. Another comparison time… I think the cards were more expensive, it seems to me that for $25 you got the cards & a couple sets of pull-tabs). The four pack of six cards cost $32, the pull tabs were $5 each for a strip of 5. I didn’t win anything at Bingo or on the pull tabs. No worries. One difference between the two ships is that on the Mille, they gave away about 5 drawing prizes each game (that’s when I won the dinner to the specialty restaurant & the Internet minutes on the Mille).

After Bingo, I checked my email and was thrilled to find out that UH beat NAVY in football on Saturday night. The last time I had checked last night, UH was tied with Navy at 17-17. UH beat with a final score of 24-17. Now they just have to beat Wisconsin in order to be Bowl eligible. I won’t be home for that game either. (Biggest bummer of this trip is missing the last two home games).

Then it was time to get dressed for formal night. I just wore my long black skirt with a black top and a shawl. Dinner was nice; there were some new people on the table, as well as two sets of people who were there last night. Tonight I met Kelly from Nashville, she was there with her mom from Fredericksburg, VA. There was also a cruise critic couple at my table, they are from Las Vegas (I can’t remember their names though!).

After dinner the Captain had his meet & greet. That was nice. He’s a handsome young(ish) captain from Croatia. I think he’s from the town I will be visiting when I go on the cruise next May. I never met the Captain of the other ship; just saw him from afar, when he was on the stage. This meet & greet was done in a smaller venue area, so it seemed more personable. I got to shake the Captain’s hand (he has a nice firm handshake! *smiles*).

I’ve decided not to go to the show tonight because I don’t want to be up so late tonight. Right now I’m in my cabin writing this, listening to my IPod over some small speakers I brought with me. I’m actually listening to Christmas music. Which reminds me, today they put the garland and the greenery around the ship and it looks really nice.

Tomorrow I’m doing my first shore excursion with the ship (I didn’t do any on the Mille). I’m going on a Catamaran to go snorkeling and then I get to climb Dunn’s River Falls. I’m looking forward to it! I’ve got to meet down at the pier at 9:30am.

This is what I will be doing: “Set sail on a magnificent catamaran, a state of the art vessel, and experience the beauty of Ocho Rios. Cruise along the beautiful north coast to the spectacular Dunn's River Falls, where you will have the opportunity to climb the 600-foot waterfall. Re-board the catamaran for a short sail to the Marine Gardens for snorkeling. After your 45-minute snorkel, enjoy pirate's brew and fruit punch during the return sail to your cruise ship.”

It should be fun, and I’m looking forward to it. Which reminds me… we sailed past Cuba today! I never thought I would do that (but knew the ship should get close on this cruise).

Okay, time to sign off. I’m not going to post any pictures tonight. I may post one or two tomorrow night. The internet connection is SO slow though, it eats up a lot of my minutes to upload pictures. So pictures will be limited during the cruise.

Aloha!

- Kris