Well, we were to have visited Punta Arenas, in the south of Chile, yesterday ... but we never landed! Because we left so late the night before we didn't arrive until late afternoon, instead of early morning ... AND the ship is too big to dock at the wharf in Punta Arenas, so we would have had to go ashore by tender (see below) ... AND the wind was so strong that the tender would not have been safe ... AND the authorities said NO. We felt as thought we were lost at sea! Oh well, we had a wonderful journey through the Beagle Channel.
The day began for us in a funny way. We keep the TV in our room on the GPS channel all night, so anytime we wake up we can see where we are. I awoke about four am, and saw that there was a glacier coming up, so I grabbed a wrap and went out on the balcony ... and there it was! I raced inside, woke John and told him to grab something warm (it was 7C outside), grabbed the camera, and disappeared outside again. John blearily grabbed - a bath towel - and joined me!! The channel was narrow, and we were only 30-40 metres from the face of the glacier, towering above us, and then disappearing back into the mist and darkness ... Oh to have had a nightscope camera to have filmed it - and to have filmed John in his bathtowel!!!
We saw other glaciers at a distance during the day, and glorious views of thousands of islands as we sailed through channels to the Magellan Straits and the bay at Punta Arenas, where we left the Chilean pilots, but did not stay. The scenery was so magnificent that we shared our balcony with friends for much of the day, and the whole day felt like a party.
For those, particularly Jim, who've been asking details about the Carnival Splendor, here are some details ... It is 952feet long, and weighs 113,300 tons, holds 3006 passengers and 1150 crew. We cruise at about 20-22 knots (about 40 km hour), powered by 2 main propellers and 6 thruster propellors which move us in and out of docks, instead of using tugs. The main drive unit is powered by a 21 megawatt synchro-propulsion drive, powered by 11,000 volt, 75.6 megawatt generators driven by 6 twelve-cylinder motors.
The less mechanically minded, like me, might also like to know that there are 40,000 lights, 5,000 smoke detectors, 500 automatic fire doors, 19,000 km of electric cable and 360km of water piping. I was talking to a man yesterday whose sole job on board is to change failed light globes!!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Around the Horn ... to the end of the world!
We've done it! We've sailed right around Cape Horn - not just round the end of South America, but right around Horn Island. We had great views, but it was FREEZING cold ... we would run up onto deck (unfortunately we went around anti-clockwise, so had no view from our balcony), take photos in 5C temperature with 6metre swells and winds of 60 knots (100km per hour), then flee back to our cabin, where we'd gather, laughing and shivering, with friends, before another foray ... it was great ... but possibly we'll remember the hot chocolate as much as the view!
From there we sailed northwards to Ushuaia, the most southerly town in Argentina, which calls itself 'Fin del Mundo', the End of the World. Yesterday we travelled by bus across Tierra de Fuego to Lake Ensanada, surrounded by grey rocks and dense beech forest, then to a station where we boarded a little train. This train, originally used by the prisoners who were Ushuaia's first white inhabitants, runs on a 60cm track, even narrower than a cane train. The one-and-a-half hour trip through the National Park was wonderful, the skies were blue, the day was a warm 11C - it was truly memorable.
Back in the city of Ushuaia we walked through the tourist-oriented streets to a museum in the old prison, meeting an Aussie on his way to Antarctica in a little Russian ship berthed beside us - the 48 passenger vessel looked so small compared to our 3,000 passenger vessel ... but they were able to leave on time, where the wind was so strong against our 14-storey "wind wall" that our departure was delayed for five hours. The only bonus of that was that when we left, about 11pm, we went out on deck just below the bridge ... and what should we see as we slowly turned, but four seals catching the fish we were disturbing, highlighted in the lights from the bridge. We were alone on deck, absolutely enthralled ... a VERY special moment!
From there we sailed northwards to Ushuaia, the most southerly town in Argentina, which calls itself 'Fin del Mundo', the End of the World. Yesterday we travelled by bus across Tierra de Fuego to Lake Ensanada, surrounded by grey rocks and dense beech forest, then to a station where we boarded a little train. This train, originally used by the prisoners who were Ushuaia's first white inhabitants, runs on a 60cm track, even narrower than a cane train. The one-and-a-half hour trip through the National Park was wonderful, the skies were blue, the day was a warm 11C - it was truly memorable.
Back in the city of Ushuaia we walked through the tourist-oriented streets to a museum in the old prison, meeting an Aussie on his way to Antarctica in a little Russian ship berthed beside us - the 48 passenger vessel looked so small compared to our 3,000 passenger vessel ... but they were able to leave on time, where the wind was so strong against our 14-storey "wind wall" that our departure was delayed for five hours. The only bonus of that was that when we left, about 11pm, we went out on deck just below the bridge ... and what should we see as we slowly turned, but four seals catching the fish we were disturbing, highlighted in the lights from the bridge. We were alone on deck, absolutely enthralled ... a VERY special moment!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Across the Patagonian pampas
We're heading rapidly for the Horn, but stopped yesterday at Puerto Madryn, about halfway between Buenos Aires and the bottom of South America. Puerto Madryn is a town of some 50,000 people, mainly set up as an area to smelt aluminium (notice that WE use the last "i", because we're not under the influence of a ship full of Yanks yet!) from Australia and Brazil.
We drove some 17km south of the town, to Puerto Loma, to watch the sea lions, but John refused to go penguin hunting (for little Magellanic penguins) - the Americans are fanatical about seeing their first sight of a penguin!
Instead we headed 80km across the pampas, to Gaiman, a village set up by Welsh immigrants 130 years ago. It's still very Welsh, and we listened to a Welsh choir while we ate a "Welsh tea". For us, though, the joy was in the pampas - very like Australian saltbush country ... all that was missing was the ant hills! We saw a few "merinos Australiano" (they run 3 to the acre, we're told), a few horses and two hereford steers, but the countryside was otherwise flat and empty. We had a beautiful day, weatherwise, but we can imagine it would be pretty bleak with a cold wind blowing across. The only other animal we saw was roadkill - as we looked, we both said "kangaroo!", but it was a guanaco that was slower than the traffic!
The weather's getting colder, and the swells are getting bigger - about 3 metres today. The ship handles it well, but it IS wobbly! We're OK, but two of our friends have "Gone to bed with Dot" ... the anti-seasickness patch they wear behind one ear. Nothing's going to put us off the superb food - I've just had crab and oyster cakes for lunch, while John had Chicken and tortilla soup and spicy Caribbean fish ... followed by dessert, of course!
We're still getting a little Australian news on CNN, and really appreciate the family and friends who keep us up to date. Love to all of you.
We drove some 17km south of the town, to Puerto Loma, to watch the sea lions, but John refused to go penguin hunting (for little Magellanic penguins) - the Americans are fanatical about seeing their first sight of a penguin!
Instead we headed 80km across the pampas, to Gaiman, a village set up by Welsh immigrants 130 years ago. It's still very Welsh, and we listened to a Welsh choir while we ate a "Welsh tea". For us, though, the joy was in the pampas - very like Australian saltbush country ... all that was missing was the ant hills! We saw a few "merinos Australiano" (they run 3 to the acre, we're told), a few horses and two hereford steers, but the countryside was otherwise flat and empty. We had a beautiful day, weatherwise, but we can imagine it would be pretty bleak with a cold wind blowing across. The only other animal we saw was roadkill - as we looked, we both said "kangaroo!", but it was a guanaco that was slower than the traffic!
The weather's getting colder, and the swells are getting bigger - about 3 metres today. The ship handles it well, but it IS wobbly! We're OK, but two of our friends have "Gone to bed with Dot" ... the anti-seasickness patch they wear behind one ear. Nothing's going to put us off the superb food - I've just had crab and oyster cakes for lunch, while John had Chicken and tortilla soup and spicy Caribbean fish ... followed by dessert, of course!
We're still getting a little Australian news on CNN, and really appreciate the family and friends who keep us up to date. Love to all of you.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Montevideo's marvelous!
We've just come back from touring the capital of Uruguay, Montevideo ... and we've voted it the best place we've visited in South America ... it's clean, uncrowded, picturesque, friendly and small. The city is built on a peninsula, and you can see water from almost every street. It's 34C today, but it's not humid. The River Plate seems much cleaner here than in Buenos Airies (actually, in BA the water looked like the jokes about the Yarra - too thick to swim in and too thin to plow - it' MUCH worse than the Yarra!). The whole place was a delight!
The ship is berthed right next to the memorial to the Graf Spee, the German warship which was sunk (by its own captain) here in 1939. Other memorials around the town are large and bronze, including two wonderful (huge!) collection pieces by a local artist - one of horses pulling a coach out of a bog, the other of oxen pulling a cart out of another bog - both are life size, and wondrously realistic. The area is flat except for one small rise - obviously there were a lot of bogs!
Now we're off to spend the rest of the afternoon in the whirlpool, then sit on our balcony and watch our departure - when we left BA yesterday we set the whole port alive with sound - the Carnival Splendor sounded its horn, then two other cruise ships nearby set theirs going to farewell us, and the whole port area resounded ... it was a wonderful experience as people on the wharf and the passengers and crews of nearby ships all waved us off! (This is the second-largest passenger ship ever to have visited South America)
Cape Horn, here we come ... we head south this afternoon - will stop in Puerto Madryn in 2 days time, then it's off to the Cape.
The ship is berthed right next to the memorial to the Graf Spee, the German warship which was sunk (by its own captain) here in 1939. Other memorials around the town are large and bronze, including two wonderful (huge!) collection pieces by a local artist - one of horses pulling a coach out of a bog, the other of oxen pulling a cart out of another bog - both are life size, and wondrously realistic. The area is flat except for one small rise - obviously there were a lot of bogs!
Now we're off to spend the rest of the afternoon in the whirlpool, then sit on our balcony and watch our departure - when we left BA yesterday we set the whole port alive with sound - the Carnival Splendor sounded its horn, then two other cruise ships nearby set theirs going to farewell us, and the whole port area resounded ... it was a wonderful experience as people on the wharf and the passengers and crews of nearby ships all waved us off! (This is the second-largest passenger ship ever to have visited South America)
Cape Horn, here we come ... we head south this afternoon - will stop in Puerto Madryn in 2 days time, then it's off to the Cape.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
It takes two to tango!
Back on board after our second day in Buenos Aries, and we're footsore ... not from tangoing (can you imagine John and I doing the tango?!), but from walking. Yesterday we walked around the city, watching people, admiring the shops, shopping for leather goods, eating empanadas for lunch, then headed for La Boca, a very colourful area in the poorer suburbs.
In La Camanita we spent 3/4 hour watching a delightful tango performance - two men looking so-o-o Argentinean (one with one eyebrow right across his face, the other super-super-smooth, with slicked down hair, moustache etc) and 2 very world-weary women. Could they dance! Wow! All it cost us for front-row seats was the price of a diet Coke.
After wandering the tourist shops we walked throught the back streets to a bus - past a street market, dozens of dogs, crawling babies ... and that was just on the road! The bus driver had no change so he gave us a free ride back to town - a terrific cheap afternoon.
Many people from the ship paid over $100 to see a tango performance in the city last night, but we hear that it was no better than what we saw - and those of us who stayed on board were treated to a superb Argentinean folkloric performance - the tango, lots of gaucho and caballero dancing, and what we at home think of as Andean music - fantastic, and free!
Today we went on a tour, 'In the steps of Evita' ... and it, too was terrific. We've really e4njoyed our time here - it's a really multi-layered city.
Thanks so much to Jim, David and Stephanie for updates on the situation at home - you're all in our thoughts as we set off for Montevideo, and then southwards.
In La Camanita we spent 3/4 hour watching a delightful tango performance - two men looking so-o-o Argentinean (one with one eyebrow right across his face, the other super-super-smooth, with slicked down hair, moustache etc) and 2 very world-weary women. Could they dance! Wow! All it cost us for front-row seats was the price of a diet Coke.
After wandering the tourist shops we walked throught the back streets to a bus - past a street market, dozens of dogs, crawling babies ... and that was just on the road! The bus driver had no change so he gave us a free ride back to town - a terrific cheap afternoon.
Many people from the ship paid over $100 to see a tango performance in the city last night, but we hear that it was no better than what we saw - and those of us who stayed on board were treated to a superb Argentinean folkloric performance - the tango, lots of gaucho and caballero dancing, and what we at home think of as Andean music - fantastic, and free!
Today we went on a tour, 'In the steps of Evita' ... and it, too was terrific. We've really e4njoyed our time here - it's a really multi-layered city.
Thanks so much to Jim, David and Stephanie for updates on the situation at home - you're all in our thoughts as we set off for Montevideo, and then southwards.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Wonderful Rio!
Rio is everything they say it is! It's dirty, it's crowded, but it's beautiful, and full of excitement. The only thing we missed was the sunshine!
We were woken at 6am by the ship reversing its motors as it berthed. There was the centre of Rio, right in front of us, and, shining whitely in the only shaft of sunshine we saw all day, above all was the Christ the Redeemer statue, accented by swirling clouds.
We went on a tour which took us to the harbour below the Sugarloaf Mountain, to Ipanema and to Copacabana, to the wonderful modern conical cathedral, and, because our guide was an architectural nut, past dozens of wonderful buildings. It's a week to Carnaval, but we went to the Sandromo to watch the set-up ... we saw SO much.
When everyone else went back to the ship, we got in a cab for a crazy ride through the slum areas to Botafogo, looking for somewhere to replace John's sandals - he's worn out one pair already!! We spent a couple of hours in a mall, feeling proud as we navigated our way with limited Portugese, then, good Brazilian sandals in hand, we caught a local bus - about $2 Australian for a 10km ride.
This was the best day we've had in Brazil - despite the rain, Rio is everything they say ... we recommend it!
We were woken at 6am by the ship reversing its motors as it berthed. There was the centre of Rio, right in front of us, and, shining whitely in the only shaft of sunshine we saw all day, above all was the Christ the Redeemer statue, accented by swirling clouds.
We went on a tour which took us to the harbour below the Sugarloaf Mountain, to Ipanema and to Copacabana, to the wonderful modern conical cathedral, and, because our guide was an architectural nut, past dozens of wonderful buildings. It's a week to Carnaval, but we went to the Sandromo to watch the set-up ... we saw SO much.
When everyone else went back to the ship, we got in a cab for a crazy ride through the slum areas to Botafogo, looking for somewhere to replace John's sandals - he's worn out one pair already!! We spent a couple of hours in a mall, feeling proud as we navigated our way with limited Portugese, then, good Brazilian sandals in hand, we caught a local bus - about $2 Australian for a 10km ride.
This was the best day we've had in Brazil - despite the rain, Rio is everything they say ... we recommend it!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Sun, sand ... Salvador!
Salvador de Bahia, with 3 million people, is the oldest city in Brazil. We didn't stay in the city, but travelled by bus to Praia do Forte, about 80 km away. Here we visited the remains of the oldest (European) house in Brazil, now a museum, and then a turtle research station. P-do-F is an exclusive holiday area, reminiscent of Noosa 20 or so years ago, before it went 'upmarket'. The people are SO friendly.
Travelling with 3000 people, everyone picks up a 'wog' at some time - John's had an awful cold, Frances a severe case of vomiting and diahhorrea (Brazilian belly??). When John and the rest of the tour party went to a restaurant for lunch in P-do-F, she sat on a nearby patch of lawn, and promptly fell asleep ... only to wake up with a crowd of about 50 locals surrounding her! They'd brought a man who spoke good English, offering to escort her to a doctor nearby (free!). From old men, mothers with children, teenagers on motor scooters, everyone wanted to help ... MUCH embarrassment, but what wonderful people!
The other delight of our day was a lizard (iguana?) about a metre long. When we first sighted him on the grey branch of a poinciana tree, he was grey and white. He moved to a green bush nearby, and became light-and-dark green. Does Brazil have chameleons? We must find out!
Our hero of the day is the 10yo who bowled out Ponting! Good on him! What wonderful donations at the cricket! When is the day of mourning? We know there is to be one, but no date given.
Travelling with 3000 people, everyone picks up a 'wog' at some time - John's had an awful cold, Frances a severe case of vomiting and diahhorrea (Brazilian belly??). When John and the rest of the tour party went to a restaurant for lunch in P-do-F, she sat on a nearby patch of lawn, and promptly fell asleep ... only to wake up with a crowd of about 50 locals surrounding her! They'd brought a man who spoke good English, offering to escort her to a doctor nearby (free!). From old men, mothers with children, teenagers on motor scooters, everyone wanted to help ... MUCH embarrassment, but what wonderful people!
The other delight of our day was a lizard (iguana?) about a metre long. When we first sighted him on the grey branch of a poinciana tree, he was grey and white. He moved to a green bush nearby, and became light-and-dark green. Does Brazil have chameleons? We must find out!
Our hero of the day is the 10yo who bowled out Ponting! Good on him! What wonderful donations at the cricket! When is the day of mourning? We know there is to be one, but no date given.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Feeling closer
Thanks to those who let us know about the fires - we ARE getting CNN now, so are keeping up to date at last - have even been able to read street signs in Yea!
Yesterday we went to Olinda - no, not Olinda in the Dandenings, but an earlier one - a World Heritage area established in the 1500s by the Portuguese ... it's on a hill above the Brazilian city of Recife (said "Hea-ssiff"), looking over the city and the sea like a view from the Dandenongs, so we wonder if the Aussie one was named after the original.
Most people on the ship caught buses, but we shared a taxi with two friends - our driver, Valdi, spoke some English, but it gave me a good chance to practice my (extremely limited) Portuguese. We went to St Francis' monastery, decorated with wonderful P-gese tiles, and a great painting of the Last Supper, with a cat eating the scraps under the table! At the top of the hill we visited the Cathedral de Alto Se and lots of craft shops etc, then headed back downtown towards the VERY smelly river and the beautiful beaches. Recife has over 3 million people, most housed in huge highrises, so it's an interesting city from the sea. The illusion of sophistication, however, is soon dispelled when you realise that just about every road is still cobblestones, with problem areas still dug up by a man with a shovel, and the cobblestones replaced by hand, knocked into place with a hammer!
As we travel east, we're only 12 hours (13 for those with daylight Saving Time) away from you - we're feeling closer to you all the time! Fond wishes to all F&J
Yesterday we went to Olinda - no, not Olinda in the Dandenings, but an earlier one - a World Heritage area established in the 1500s by the Portuguese ... it's on a hill above the Brazilian city of Recife (said "Hea-ssiff"), looking over the city and the sea like a view from the Dandenongs, so we wonder if the Aussie one was named after the original.
Most people on the ship caught buses, but we shared a taxi with two friends - our driver, Valdi, spoke some English, but it gave me a good chance to practice my (extremely limited) Portuguese. We went to St Francis' monastery, decorated with wonderful P-gese tiles, and a great painting of the Last Supper, with a cat eating the scraps under the table! At the top of the hill we visited the Cathedral de Alto Se and lots of craft shops etc, then headed back downtown towards the VERY smelly river and the beautiful beaches. Recife has over 3 million people, most housed in huge highrises, so it's an interesting city from the sea. The illusion of sophistication, however, is soon dispelled when you realise that just about every road is still cobblestones, with problem areas still dug up by a man with a shovel, and the cobblestones replaced by hand, knocked into place with a hammer!
As we travel east, we're only 12 hours (13 for those with daylight Saving Time) away from you - we're feeling closer to you all the time! Fond wishes to all F&J
Monday, February 9, 2009
Thanks David, for letting us know the terrible news from Victoria in your blog comment - as you can see from the previous blog, we've been totally out of contact. We're feeling for everyone in Victoria - a blog comment might be the best way to let us know how you're getting on.
God Bless!
Frances & John
God Bless!
Frances & John
Back in the Southern Hemisphere
Apologies for our non-communication ... when we crossed the equator, the ship lost all web communication for two days! We feel totally cut off - particularly as our emails don't seem to be coming through either!
Fortunately, this is a wonderful way to be cut off - life on board the Carnival Splendor is totally sybaritic ... we wake in the morning, watch the sea from our bed, discuss whether to get up for breakfast (which we do, eventually, as it's too good to miss). Then we go to the library, and the web cafe, before meeting friends for lunch. Sometimes we even exercise in the afternoon, before a superb dinner, a show, drinks with friends etc etc - or else we go ashore, and soak up the great places we visit.
Yesterday we made our first Brazilian visit, to the city of Fortaleza ... yes, you've never heard of it ... but it's HUGE - about 3 million people - with more highrises than Brisbane and Melbourne combined. We went to the cathedral (really modern and simple), a market, and several of the beaches ... saw very few locals as this was before midday - even the first mass, for the early risers, doesn't start until 12 noon, as most people party on until 5am, then sleep most of Sunday.
Tomorrow we go to Recife, and the World Heritage town of Olinda. We're not doing this on an organised tour, but on our own - it will be interesting to see how we get on!
Fortunately, this is a wonderful way to be cut off - life on board the Carnival Splendor is totally sybaritic ... we wake in the morning, watch the sea from our bed, discuss whether to get up for breakfast (which we do, eventually, as it's too good to miss). Then we go to the library, and the web cafe, before meeting friends for lunch. Sometimes we even exercise in the afternoon, before a superb dinner, a show, drinks with friends etc etc - or else we go ashore, and soak up the great places we visit.
Yesterday we made our first Brazilian visit, to the city of Fortaleza ... yes, you've never heard of it ... but it's HUGE - about 3 million people - with more highrises than Brisbane and Melbourne combined. We went to the cathedral (really modern and simple), a market, and several of the beaches ... saw very few locals as this was before midday - even the first mass, for the early risers, doesn't start until 12 noon, as most people party on until 5am, then sleep most of Sunday.
Tomorrow we go to Recife, and the World Heritage town of Olinda. We're not doing this on an organised tour, but on our own - it will be interesting to see how we get on!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
From the Caribbean
Two days in the Caribbean, and we're feeling homesick ... we couldn't get over the similarities between the islands and home!
Dominica is, of course much more mountainous than the Sunshine Coast, and MUCH poorer, but almost every plant we saw was one that we knew from home. Birds were different - a great big Sisserou parrot, and tiny green humming birds, but we even saw many gum trees and sheoaks, as well as almost every plant we have in our garden. We travelled to a splendid waterfall, drank rum punch, and admired the marvelous cricket ground, donated by the Chinese Government!
Barbados is MUCH wealthier - near Bridgetown, the capital, are hundreds of million-dollar mansions, but all across the island people seem to have a comfortable lifestyle. We hired a car, and took new friends Janet and Collette (sisters from Pennsylvania who sat on the floor with us while we waited out the bomb scare as we were boarding in Fort Lauderdale) on a tour of the island - they were impressed that we could handle a right-hand drive car! John had a great talk with Garfield Sobers' cousin - with so many American tourists, anyone who loves cricket is greatly welcomed!
Lunch was at Bathsheba, on the far side of the island, fried flying fish eaten in a little shack with red, green and yellow shutters, then we headed back through spreading canefields, past herds of Nubian goats and more familiar plants. There was a Pirate Party last night, but we went to see a ventriloquist perform instead - the entertainment is terrific.
Rougher today, now that we're out in the Atlantic - 12 foot waves, we're told. Some are suffering, but we're still enjoying the wonderful cuisine - and walking lots, so that we don't roll home!
Dominica is, of course much more mountainous than the Sunshine Coast, and MUCH poorer, but almost every plant we saw was one that we knew from home. Birds were different - a great big Sisserou parrot, and tiny green humming birds, but we even saw many gum trees and sheoaks, as well as almost every plant we have in our garden. We travelled to a splendid waterfall, drank rum punch, and admired the marvelous cricket ground, donated by the Chinese Government!
Barbados is MUCH wealthier - near Bridgetown, the capital, are hundreds of million-dollar mansions, but all across the island people seem to have a comfortable lifestyle. We hired a car, and took new friends Janet and Collette (sisters from Pennsylvania who sat on the floor with us while we waited out the bomb scare as we were boarding in Fort Lauderdale) on a tour of the island - they were impressed that we could handle a right-hand drive car! John had a great talk with Garfield Sobers' cousin - with so many American tourists, anyone who loves cricket is greatly welcomed!
Lunch was at Bathsheba, on the far side of the island, fried flying fish eaten in a little shack with red, green and yellow shutters, then we headed back through spreading canefields, past herds of Nubian goats and more familiar plants. There was a Pirate Party last night, but we went to see a ventriloquist perform instead - the entertainment is terrific.
Rougher today, now that we're out in the Atlantic - 12 foot waves, we're told. Some are suffering, but we're still enjoying the wonderful cuisine - and walking lots, so that we don't roll home!
Monday, February 2, 2009
All aboard! ... ?
Well, here we are on the Carnival Splendor - at last! We were due to board at 1.30 Saturday Afternoon, in Fort Lauderdale, but spent the next 8 hours shut in a shed with 1200 others! Somehow, there was a bomb alert, so we waited ... and waited .... and waited, knowing that those on board ahead of us were eating a delicious lunch and drinking champagne - while we sat on a floor and waited hours for water! We're luckier than some, though - 500 or more people tried to board without a Brazilian visa and were turned back - if they get one in Miami today, we'll meet them in Barbados on Wednesday.
Eventually we made it on board the Splendor at 9.30pm - so tired that we didn't unpack until after lunch on Sunday. But it's worth it, now that we're here. our stateroom is roomy and bright, with a glass-fronted balcony so that we can see the world go by - yesterday we saluted Samana Cay where Colombus first landed in 1492, and San Salvador, his second island stop. If the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria "sailed the ocean blue", they were luckier than us so far - the Caribbean is a very gloomy sea so far, but we hope that it will be sunnier in Dominica tomorrow.
The Captain's cocktail party tonight - John resplendent in evening dress, of course - and we'll join new friends there ... sharing a corner of concrete floor with strangers soon develops friendships! Fortunately the ship is so big that there's LOTS of walking, so we hope that that will counteract the superb meals we're eating ... we'll see. We've heard of fires in Victoria - hope all is well for all of you.
Eventually we made it on board the Splendor at 9.30pm - so tired that we didn't unpack until after lunch on Sunday. But it's worth it, now that we're here. our stateroom is roomy and bright, with a glass-fronted balcony so that we can see the world go by - yesterday we saluted Samana Cay where Colombus first landed in 1492, and San Salvador, his second island stop. If the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria "sailed the ocean blue", they were luckier than us so far - the Caribbean is a very gloomy sea so far, but we hope that it will be sunnier in Dominica tomorrow.
The Captain's cocktail party tonight - John resplendent in evening dress, of course - and we'll join new friends there ... sharing a corner of concrete floor with strangers soon develops friendships! Fortunately the ship is so big that there's LOTS of walking, so we hope that that will counteract the superb meals we're eating ... we'll see. We've heard of fires in Victoria - hope all is well for all of you.
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