Last Day

We had the final formal night of the cruise last night.
I'm not a dress up kindofagal, so almost spent the evening in the cabin, but D dragged me down to the dining room in something passable. The maitre d' even complimented me! I could have kissed him!
Sat next to a travel writer who was trying to escape the holidays at home in FL. He took this cruise, will hop back on the ship a few hours after we land to do the return to LA, then do the same again to come return to FL in mid January. Interesting guy- but he says it gets pretty lonely living that way.
The guy across from us was from Lichtensten (who knew???)! I asked him if he shut the door on the way out, which he found very amusing. Told us the story about a hobo and the president that is unrepeatable...
My hair (you may be interested to learn) is finally growing out but still bears the undeniable traces of the hatchet job it enduring at the local hair cut factory. Hence, no selfies on this trip. I longed for a hijab....
Today is mop up operations. Clear out the cabin, pack everything, print out boarding passes, try to understand all the printed instructions.
Thanks for joining me on this adventure.

Now THIS is what I came for...

Great trips to Costa Rica and Colombia! Although the scenery was lovely and the people interesting, let's face it, I came for the wildlife!

So-in honor of my inarticulate pals south of the border- I'll just post a few of their pix! Most of them were in the Colombian National Aviary, but some were in nature-

More later...

Dateline- at sea- and Nicaragua

Forgive me, dear pals for neglecting you-
The days are sea are seductive. Although I had had planned to finish the rough draft of my next play by now, somehow I don't seem to get much of anywhere.
But I have been reading. As of today I'm in the middle of book #5- Susan Orleans' The Library Book, about the great fire in the LA Public Library in 1986. Terrific!
But now- to catch up- (I may skip around a lot here- )

The knee continues to be cranky and I get tired a lot. The internet is dicey, so even if I’m ready to chat with you, the computer won't necessarily cooperate.

But- here is another update.

We arrived in Nicaragua. David had a bellyache, etc. and didn’t go on our tour, but I headed out on a very tame tour of a small town and a ranch next to a lake with volcanoes. Nothing (literally) to write home about. The tour buses were all escorted by cop cars and motorcycles, which (the guides assured us) were just to make sure that we didn’t get stuck in traffic jams. (????)

Now back in the old days, I always thought Daniel Ortega was a good guy and the Sandinistas were on the side of the angels to throw out that nasty Samosa guy and his goons. According the the guide, this isn't the prevailing view among young folk here these days. He groused about taxes and the fact that the nation owns the wind generators, etc. that provide most of the nation's electricity.

Speaking of politics-hardly anyone we've met on the boat does. It's just too explosive and folks just don't want to go there.

Talked to an English couple at dinner tonight and they said people have asked about what's up in their country with Brexit and all, but the Americans keep their traps shut about home. I think that there are a lot of Trumpsters on the passenger list, though. 

We hit Panama City yesterday. My knee banned me from joining the aerial tram ride up into the rainforest, alas, so I gazed longingly at the stunning skyline. I want to come stay here for a while! The architecture is amazing.

I especially liked one skyscraper in the shape of a sail (at the right of the bottom picture). Alas- I found out it is the Trump Ocean Club International- though his people have since been removed from the board and his name has been removed from the property...

More later- I promise- including an amazing story of our sojourn in Costa Rica and the transit through the big canal today...

Oh- one other thing (not related to the trip, but related to me)... today was the day my first radio play was recorded in LONDON! It should be up on the web in about a month. I'm sooooooooooooooo excited....

Dateline:Mexico

We hit the shores of Mexico and went on a guided tour of the outskirts of beautiful downtown Huatalco yesterday.

I love the land here- high mountains, very wild looking.

The tour was called Towns And Traditions (or, as we called it, the Quaint Villages tour).

These were no villages as I had imagined them. At most there were two or three buildings and a couple of houses. Which were built of (for the most part) scrap and cement block, in really odd configurations.  This was not a tourist mecca.

This was not whitewashed. 

They get water twice a week, and little to no electricity.

We stopped first at a family shop where grandma made tortillas and tamales for us, mom served the mescal, and the handicapped daughter made embroideries. 

ANCIENT #1:  (To daughter)  Are you on Facebook?

DAUGHTER:   Yes.

I wish I had gotten her info. 

Then off to a straw weaving place where the family members made hats, mats, fans, and baskets; a nopal feast; and a wool weaver. I (who buy NO souvenirs on trips) was swept away by a stunning blue rug. D went to pay for it with his card, which kept getting declined (as did several other people's). But the weaver wasn't ready to lose the sale, and he followed the van to the port with us, where we were able to get the card working again. Success....
 

More in a moment...

Alas- and an apology

Yesterday was the first shore excursion day- Tequila and tacos.
David enjoyed himself.
I, however, slid to the floor (for no apparent reason at all) and whacked my knee, thus rendering myself only semi-mobile. Ended up in sick bay and was pronounced OK, though in need of ice and meds.
The cabin steward was beyond marvelous, even to the point of lending me his own ice bag! The security guy was very well mannered, as well. And then, this AM, I received these as a get well bribe from the ship!

Today, I'm much more mobile and circumambulating the boat on the promenade deck (so THAT'S what those are for!)- 2.8 laps = 1 mile.

Finished reading my first book, 99 Glimpses of Princess Margaret, yesterday. A real tell-tattle, gossipy, dishy kind of book with great  depth of research into the tabloid archives. And, as if that were not enough, the author throws in some dreams and fantasies to round out the hefty 400+ pages.

Today I finished reading an entirely different kind of book. Birds, Art, Life- a precious, arty reminiscence of a year of bird watching as dealing with depression. Ho hum. There must be a middle road...

Aside from that, and sighting dolphins sporting off the starboard, life is quiet on the Coral Princess. We drink at the Crooners Bar each night surrounded by Rat Pack graphics and themed drinks. 

We dined with a newly-retired from IT couple from Long Island, an older couple from TX (she a former IRS agent and he a disc-jockey and country western singer) and a couple from PA who were giving out no personal information and left early.

More as life progresses.

Cheers-

Eating the Lotus

I am not a person who finds it easy to relax. I'm always pushed (it seems) to do something- anything- or sleep.
But this ship has turned me into a Lotus Eater.
I read.
I eat.
I chat.
I walk.
I read some more.
I walk around and explore the halls with boughs of holly- fa la la...

I woke up at 2 AM today and wandered over to the Library (about 100 yards away from our room) where I wrote and read for a couple of hours before dropping into bed again.
Many of the other cruisers are friendly.
Such as a guy who ran a trucking business out of Cicero. (One wonders...) He know one of Al Capone's drivers (was there more than one?) but swore he enver had mafia troubles because he's Polish. The wife is quite taken with David.
Ran into my Sacramento twin from another mother  on deck yesterday morning. We think alike. We mirror life experiences. We laugh a lot. We keep showing up at the same events/places on the ship.
This morning-an historical costume maker/designer from LA formerly employed as a forklift driver. taught me everything there is to know about how bustles evolved. Her husband is a former engineer, now a re-enactor in the Medieval field.
Most of the passengers on this ship are OLD. Older than me, even.
(A real cruising moment from David, who was on the elevator going up to dinner yesterday.  Two of the ancients were chatting. )
Ancient #1:  So you look familiar. Where have we met before?
Ancient #2:  At breakfast this morning.
(I kid you not.)
I was on the 14th deck near the pool where many bodies were sunning themselves in various states of undress. A few ancients passed by.
Ancient #3:  I used to sit in the sun like that all cruise long. Day after day. As long as the sun was out.
Ancient #4:  That's why you got the cancer.
Sunrise yesterday- 

More as things progress.

Twas the night before...

OK. So Uber's scheduled for 6AM tomorrow.
I've checked the weather both here and in LA and so far so good, in spite of all the dire warnings the web posted earlier.
No delays with the flight so far, though it may be a bit early to check.
I've tracked the ship, The Coral Princess, (south of Ensenada heading north).
 You can track it, too, at https://www.cruisemapper.com/?imo=9229659

The luggage is packed (waaay too much, I know).
The house is set for Marigold and the sitter, including the radio which will be tuned in quietly all the time to NPR, her fave station.
I went out yesterday to buy something fancy for formal dining night.
Ended up getting a terrific workshirt that I love.
(And dug up a couple of beautiful things in the closet that will do for fancy duds).
And the final 3 shore excursions are locked in-
1-   Rivas, Lake Nicaragua, and Scenic Drive   https://www.princess.com/excursion/exDetails.page?t=&exType=S&tourCode=SJ1-120

2-   Panama's Rainforest Aerial Tram     https://www.princess.com/excursion/exDetails.page?t=&exType=S&tourCode=PC1-350

3-   National Aviary of Colombia in Cartegena-  https://www.princess.com/excursion/exDetails.page?t=&exType=S&tourCode=CTG-355

So, if all goes as planned, I'll be on board and unpacked by this time tomorrow and cruising the decks.

More as things progress.

Plans, plans, plans

So even though I'm looking forward to a reading vacation, its obvious that from time to time we're going to have to leave our ship and explore exotic locations, quaint villages, heart stopping nature, and unusual natives.
So we pulled up the list of shore excursions available from the Princess Coral, trimmed our first picks down to a few dozen together, then pored over the semi-finalists for our faves.
These, dear friend were the top five winners and the ones that will punctuate our reading orgy...
Number One- Viva Tequila and Taco Tasting!  Which, in addition to visiting Puerto Vallarta, Mexico's, lovely cathedral and natural setting (and taking a photo op with a 10' seahorse statue topped with a naked cowboy) you get to sip the perfect margarita and make tortillas. salsas, quesadillas and tacos. At the end, we get Certificates of Experienced Tequila Tasters and they'll bring on the dancing girls. 
This was David's top pick, and how could I resist?

Number Two- Rural  Communities and Traditions! We start this one with a tortilla and tamale making session in verdant Huatalco, Mexico. after which we head out to banana and citrus plantations, wander through a medicinal plant garden and watch the locals weave their wares.

Now that your appetite's whetted for adventure. I'll continue with the final three (but not the least- and including my person favorite) selections.

I'll also figure out how to correct this posting glitch!



Bon Voyage- almost!