A Couple of Days at Sea

We left Tromsø at 9:30pm on Saturday, February 22 and we were planned to head to Bodø the next day. But the Captain made an announcement that there was bad weather and rough seas in the
Bodø area and he felt it was too dangerous to try and dock there. So he made the call for us to just cruise the Norwegian Sea for the next two days and head down to Stavanger. We should arrive in Stavanger sometime around noon on Tuesday, February 25. So now we just have to fill our time on board the ship for the next two days.

They have lots of things planned - talks and lectures, movies, meet ups and games. There is some shopping on board, lots of food and plenty to drink. So I don't think we will be bored. 

We did end up attending a couple of lectures and we did go to a LGBT cocktail meet up and visited with our friends Michael and Marina. Other than that we watched a couple of movies on our TV in the cabin, did some reading and surfed the web. We also enjoyed the views from the ship. There were times when we didn't see anything but water but other times gave us some incredible scenery. We also encountered all kinds of weather. We had snow, rain, wind, clouds and sunshine. 

But after two days at sea I am ready to get off this ship and do something. I am looking forward to seeing Stavanger. 

One More Day in Tromsø

We are still docked in Tromsø until 9:30pm when we will depart for Bodø. Thomas and I have a Panoramic Tour of Tromsø today at noon, so the morning is at our leisure. We ended up going to breakfast at around 8:30am and then returning to the room to get things ready for our excursion. I did get to edit some photos and do a little blogging before we had to go to the Star Theater at 11:45am to meet our group for the tour.

At noon we boarded a bus and we drove to the university. The University of Tromsø – The Arctic University of Norway (Norwegian: Universitetet i Tromsø – Norges arktiske universitet) is the world's northernmost university. Located in the city of Tromsø, Norway, it was established in 1968, and opened in 1972. It is one of eight universities in Norway. Here we went to the planetarium to see a 30 minute film about the northern lights. It was so interesting and was helpful in understanding what we have seen on this trip. After the film we took a bus tour of Tromsø and our tour guide gave us some history and facts about the area. The tour lasted about two hours and then we headed back to the ship.

Once back at the ship we decided to take a walk around the town. So we headed out and visited some of the shops and stopped and had coffee. We enjoyed just wandering around and taking in the sites of the arctic town. We spent about two hours in town before heading back to the ship.

Back on board we relaxed for a while and then joined our friends Michael and Marina for dinner in the World Café. We had a pleasant meal and nice conversation. It was a good visit and relaxing. After dinner we returned to our room. I decided to use the tub in our room and soak in a hot bath. I watched TV for about 30 minutes while soaking. Once out of the tub I hopped in bed and did some editing of photos. But it wasn't long before my eyes started closing and I decided to get some sleep.

*** At around 5:00pm the Captain made an announcement over the ship's intercom system - he even broke into the stateroom speakers. He told us there was bad weather and rough seas around Bodø and that he made the decision not to dock in Bodø tomorrow. It is just too dangerous to try and dock in the town. So, now we have two full days of cruising the Norwegian Sea as we head down to Stavanger.

 

A Very Busy Day in Tromsø

 Today is going to be a busy day in Tromsø. We have two excursions scheduled. One is this morning and last six and a half hours and the other is this evening and is five hours. We were up at 6:30am and we showered and dressed, packed our day packs and then went down for some breakfast and coffee. Then we returned to our room and made sure we had everything we needed for our day out. Then at 8:45am we headed to the Star Theater and met our group for our excursion.

Our first excursion of the day was Lifestyle of the Sami. We were driving about an hour or so out of Tromsø to a Sami camp for a reindeer sleigh ride, a visit with the Sami and some lunch. We left the ship and drove for about 30 minutes and our tour guide gave us a nice history of the area and we got to see some of Tromsø. We stopped a couple of places so we could take some pictures. One of those places was a beautiful little village nestled along a incredible scenic fjord. After our stop at the fjord we headed to the Sami camp.

Once at the camp we were given the opportunity to change into a snow suit to stay warm during our sleigh ride. But to be honest it really wasn't that cold and it was beautiful. The sun was out, the snow was glistening and the temperatures were about freezing. It was perfect. We met three men and they gave us a brief talk about safety around the reindeer and the we headed to the sleighs. They had the reindeer hooked up to the sleighs and they had four sleighs hooked together. There were three groups like this. Each group got one of the Sami men and they led the reindeer and our group on a sleigh ride around the area. The views were spectacular and it was just magical. The ride last about 30 minutes and then we returned to the camp. We got some chances to take some pictures, see some Sami crafts and then we went into a lavvu for some coffee, cake and a talk. We learned more about the Sami people and their history as well as their more modern way of life. It was interesting and the men we had talking with us were so welcoming and gracious.

After our visit with the men we then went to a cafeteria where they had made some traditional Norwegian stew for our lunch. We had the stew and some flatbread for lunch and it was all delicious. Once we were done with lunch we had some time to visit with the husky sled dogs. They were so fun and full of energy. Around 2:30pm it was time to board the bus and head back to the ship. The drive from the camp took us about 50 minutes. This excursion has been my favorite so far. I loved learning about the Sami and I loved the reindeer.

Back on the ship we got cleaned up and got our things ready for our excursion this evening and then we went down to dinner. We ate in the World Café and had a nice meal. When we were done eating we returned to our room and got some warm clothes on and gathered our jackets and backpacks and headed down to the Star Theater at 7:15pm. Our excursion left at 7:30pm to drive outside of Tromsø to find a dark area to view the northern lights. The excursion we were on was Chasing the Northern Lights and we ended going to two different areas. It all turned out to be a bust. There was a lot of cloud cover and we didn't see anything. Finally, we boarded the bus and headed back to the ship. The Pool Grill was open so we could get something to eat before heading off to bed. We had some fried chicken and potatoes.

Back in the room I felt like I needed a shower after being around the reindeer and huskies and being on the go all day. So after a quick shower it was straight to bed. Luckily, our excursion tomorrow isn't until around noon. So we can sleep in.

Spending Another Day in Alta

Today we are still docked in Alta. There are some excursions but we didn't sign up for anything today. So we decided to have an us day and stay in our cabin and relax. We woke up around 7:30am and we had scheduled room service for breakfast at 8:00am. They brought everything right on time and we sat at the table in the living area, opened the curtains to be able to see the beautiful scenery and enjoyed a quiet and relaxing breakfast with mimosas since we had a complimentary bottle of champagne in our cabin. After eating breakfast Thomas went lay in bed and read. I decided to blog, edit photos and just get some things organized. I really enjoyed staying in and relaxing.

Around 1:00pm we decided to go have a light lunch at the World Café. We ate a small lunch and relaxed and had some coffee while we enjoyed the snowy landscape around the dock in Alta. After eating we returned to our room and decided to take a nap. After an hour nap I watched a movie and played a few games on the computer. We also filled out a few surveys on some of the excursions we have been on. Then around 7:15pm we headed down to the Explorer's Desk to turn in the surveys and then to The Chef's Table for our 7:30pm reservations. We had a table to ourselves tonight and we enjoyed a special meal together. Tonight's menu was as follows . . .

* Amuse Bouche - Lobster Terrine paired with Frontera rose, Cabernet Sauvignon , Chile
* First Course - Tea-Infused Arctic Char paired with Vollmer Cuvee, Dornfelder, Spatburgunder, Germany
* Sorbet - Red Currant & Ginger
* Main Course - Juniper Berry-Marinated Red Deer Loin paired with Frontera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile
* Dessert - Maple Syrup Cake paired with Sandeman Fine Ruby Port, Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Douro, Portugal

This meal was good but not as good as the other night. But I have to say I have enjoyed eating at this restaurant.

While we were eating they announced that there was northern lights activity but we decided not to run up to Deck 8 from Deck 1. We hope we get another chance later on.

Back at the cabin after dinner I decided to take a bath and relax a little more before bed. There is a TV in the mirror above the bathtub so I decided to watch a movie. I didn't finish the movie in the bath so I sat in the living room and finished that and did a little blogging. It is time to get some sleep - tomorrow we have excursions all day - it will be a busy one.

We Made it to Alta

Our ship pulled out of Narvik sometime around 6:00pm last night and continued cruising north towards Alta all night and most of this morning. It was close to 11:00am when we docked in Alta. It was beautiful cruising this morning. Mountains all around us covered in snow. It was way to cold to sit on the balcony but we had the curtains open and just sat there for an hour watching the magnificent scenery. Then around 8:30am we went down to the restaurant for breakfast. We continued enjoying the fantastic views while eating and sipping coffee. After eating breakfast we returned to our cabin to get things together for our excursions this afternoon and evening. Once we had everything ready I ended up spending time editing pictures and blogging while Thomas read.

We pretty much hibernated in our room all morning and up til the time of our first excursion. At 3:00pm we headed down to the Star Theater to meet our group. When they called our number (which only took 5 minutes) we headed to the bus. The excursion we were on was a bus and walking tour of Alta. We drove for a little bit while our tour guide gave us a history of Alta and the surrounding areas. Then we started making stops and getting a chance to take pictures. The two main stops were at the Northern Lights Cathedral where we got a history of the church and got to see an exhibit about the northern lights. After about an hour here we made our way to the Alta Museum. Here we had a short slide show about Alta, the northern lights and rock art in the area. Then we had time to view a couple of exhibits, take pictures and do a little shopping. At around 4:45pm we headed back to the ship. During our excursion it snowed - sometimes just a little flurry and at other times it was coming down hard.

When we were back on the ship we headed to our cabin to put our things down, and get ready for the next excursion later that evening and then we headed up to the World Café for some dinner. After eating we returned to the cabin to get our things then it was back down to the Star Theater around 6:45pm to meet our group. Once our number was called we boarded the bus and headed to Pæskatun. We went to this place in hopes of seeing the northern lights. They had a few little areas set up with cakes and warm beverages for us and they talked to us about the northern lights and then we just hung out in hopes that we would see something. Unfortunately, it was snowing off and on and it was very cloudy so we didn't get any activity. After two and a half hours here we went back to the bus and headed back to the ship. Back on board we returned to our cabin and shed all of our warm clothing and then went up to the Pool Grill for a late night snack. They had Tex-Mex food for all of the night excursions - they had beans, rice, jalapeno shrimp, chicken fajitas, guacamole and chips. It was actually really good. By the time we finished eating and got back to our cabin it was 11:30pm. We were both tired but I felt like I needed a shower. The excursion tonight had some fire pits going and I was stinking of smoke. After showering I edit a few photos but my eyes were closing so I called it a night and went to sleep.

Even though we didn't see any light it was still an incredible day. Loved all the snow everywhere - it made the place look magical.

Above the Arctic Circle in Narvik

All day yesterday we cruised the Norwegian Inside Passage heading north. At some point we crossed into the Arctic Circle and this morning we docked in Narvik at around 9:00am. Last night I woke up around 3:00am and looked out our balcony door and it was snowing. It was coming down hard and fast but since we were on the water nothing was sticking so I couldn't tell how long it had been snowing or how much had fallen. But is was beautiful to watch. This morning we woke up around 7:00am and it had stopped snowing and we were getting nearer our destination. At 8:00am we went up to the World Café for some breakfast and coffee. The place wasn't too busy and we had a nice relaxing morning as we ate and watch as the ship docked in Narvik.

After eating we returned to our cabin and got our things. Then we went down to Deck 1 to disembark so we could take a shuttle into town. The shuttle was less than a five minute ride into the city. We wandered around a bit and really didn't see much. We thought there may be an old part of town with shops and restaurants but we didn't find anything like that. So after about an hour we decided to walk back to the ship. It was a pleasant morning, it snowed a little and it wasn't too cold to be walking and it was beautiful.

Once back on the ship we had some coffee in the Explorer's Lounge and relaxed for an hour or so. Then we returned to the room where I edited photos and blogged while Thomas read. Around 3:00pm we headed down to the Star Theater for our 3:15pm excursion. This was a bus and walking tour of Narvik. Once we were loaded onto the bus we drove around the town while our tour guide gave us history about Narvik and the area. We made stops at a few locations around town - Narvik Marina, Narvik Church, the Arctic Train and Ankenes Church. It snowed most of the time we were out but it wasn't bad. The snow actually made the town beautiful and serene. The tour lasted about two hours and then we were taken back to the ship. Thomas and I changed and then went down to dinner in the World Café. Tonight they had seafood and some traditional Norwegian dishes. It was all very good.

After dinner we were in our cabin - Thomas was reading and I was editing photos when they made an announcement that there was aurora borealis action. We just went out on our balcony and got to see it from there. It wasn't very bright or big but now I can say I saw the Northern Lights. I took a few pictures - they didn't come out great but you can see the lights. The trip is fulfilled now that we have seen the lights, everything from here on out is all icing on the cake.

Sometime tomorrow we will arrive in Alta where we will be for a couple of days. I am enjoying this trip tremedously.

A Relaxing Day at Sea

We left Bergen yesterday afternoon and we spent today just cruising the Norwegian Inside Passage. Thomas and I started our day at 8:00am when we got up, showered and dressed and then went down to breakfast in the World Café. We didn't have to be anywhere at any specific time so we had a long, peaceful breakfast while sipping coffee and enjoying spectacular views. It was almost 10:00am when we headed back to our cabin.

In the cabin we relaxed - Thomas read and I edited pictures and did some journaling. We decided to skip lunch since we had a big breakfast and just relax in our room watching the beautiful scenery. Then around 1:00pm we decided to roam the ship. After about a half hour we ended up in the Explorer's Lounge where we had some coffee and enjoyed the views through the two story glass front of the lounge. We spent an hour in the lounge before heading outside to walk on the upper deck for more unobstructed views. The weather at this time was incredible - about 44°F and sunny - just beautiful!

Finally, we returned to our cabin and watched a movie - Rocketman. I loved it, good movie and incredible music. Then we got changed for dinner and went down to the reservation desk to check on a few excursions. Once that was handled we went to a cocktail meet for LGBT guests. There were about 12 people there and they served us drinks and we had some great conversations with people from Australia, Mexico and France. We spent about 30 minutes at the meet before heading down to The Chef's Table for our dinner reservations at 7:30pm. The Chef's Table is a specialty restaurant that you can make reservations at but it doesn't cost anything extra. The menu is a fixed menu and is served in five courses with wine pairing for each course. Tonight we had a Cantonese inspired dinner that included . . .

* Amuse Bouche - Hot and Sour Soup paired with a Vollmer, Riesling from Germany
* First Course - Fried Prawns paired with Muscadet, Melon de Bourgogne from France
* Granita - Coconut infused with lemongrass and ginger
* Main Course - Wok-Fried Beef paired with a Terra Molino, Tempranillo from Spain
* Dessert - Chilled Mango Cream paired with a Domaine Uby 4, Gros&Petit Manseng from Gascony, France

It was an incredible meal - everything was delicious. And the couple we shared a table with was great company - Jonette and Richard from Sheffield, England.

All in all it was a fantastic day and we finally got to rest from our flight situation getting here. Tomorrow we will be in Narvik and we have the morning free to explore and then an excursion in the early afternoon.

The Best of Bergen and Mt. Fløyen

Well, it is a new day and we have an excursion to see Bergen. We only got about four hours of sleep since we needed to be up early to get ready, have breakfast and make it to our excursion at 8:15am. We got up at 6:00am, took showers, dressed and got our things ready for the day. Then we went to the World Café for breakfast and coffee. After eating we made our way to the Star Theater to get with our group for the excursion. We were in group 5 and when they called our number (which we only had to wait for 10 minutes) we made our way to the bus to meet our tour guide.

The morning was cloudy and rainy. But we were excited to see Bergen so the weather didn't matter. We had coats, gloves, hats and rain gear so we were ready to go. For the first thirty minutes of the excursion we drove around Bergen while the tour guide gave us some history of the area. Then we made our first stop of the morning at St. Mary's Church and Bryggen. The tour guide talked a little about St. Mary's Church and then we walked around Bryggen while she gave us the history of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. We spent about an hour wandering the passageways of the area before heading back to St. Mary's Church. Our next place to visit was The Hanseatic Museum and Schøtstuene. Here we got a history lesson on the trade merchants and on music. A young woman played us some traditional music on the recorder. It was a wonderful little concert. After the music we spent a little time looking around the museum and then headed back to the bus. We drove to a couple of spots for some photo ops of Bergen and then went to the National Theater for a quick look. Then our last stop was at the funicular that would take us to the top of Mt. Fløyen. We spent about 40 minutes at the top of the mountain and had time to take pictures, walk around and visit the gift shop. Then we took the funicular back down the mountain and then made our way to the bus and then back to the ship. Even though we had rain pretty much all morning I really enjoyed seeing and learning about Bergen.

Once back on the ship Thomas and I had to do an immigration check which took about 15 minutes. Then we went back to our cabin and met our steward (Wayan). He gave us a tour of the cabin and showed us all the bells and whistles. Then at 1:00pm we had to go to an emegency drill which lasted about 25 minutes. While at the drill we met up with friends (Michael and Marina) we had met on our cruise this summer from Amsterdam to Budapest. We spent a little time after the drill talking to them and then we needed to get some lunch. We ended up having burgers at the World Cafe. While we were eating lunch the ship pulled out from the dock and we began our cruise leaving Bergen behind. By this time we were tired. We didn't get too much sleep last night and then the day had been busy since we got up. So we ended up taking a nap.

At 5:00pm we woke up and got dressed so we could go to dinner. We had reservations at Manfredi's for 6:00pm. We arrived at the restaurant and were seated at a table for 6. Soon after we were seated we were joined by two other couples - Steve and Cindy from Gillette, WY and Dick and Carol from Athens, GA. We had a great meal and the company was wonderful. We had some nice conversations and it turned out to be a fantastic evening. After eating we decided to call it a night and we returned to our cabin. I ended up watching a couple of movies and editing pictures. I also did a little blogging until I got tired and headed to bed. Tomorrow is a day at sea so we don't have to be up at any particular time. Looking forward to a relaxing day tomorrow.

And Off We Go

To begin our trip to Norway we left our house at 11:00am to head to the Albuquerque Sunport. We parked and took the shuttle to the airport. We checked in at the American counter and the agent asked if we wanted to upgrade to first class for $100 each. We decided to do it as a treat for Valentine's Day and since we had saved $3000 on our trip. This gave us priority boarding and better seats. Our seats were 1A & 1D - next to each other. We got drinks before takeoff and lots of attention. The seats were extremely comfortable and roomy. We also were served a lunch - we chose ham sandwiches, chips and cheesecake. Everything was served on real dishes and with real silverware and cloth napkins. We also had a snack of a bowl of mixed nuts. It was an incredible flight.

We arrived in Chicago (at Chicago O'hare Airport) about 5:00pm and the flight attendant told us where to go to get the shuttle to the international terminal. We checked in with them and we were given a green ticket for the shuttle. Once at Terminal 5 we turned in our ticket and then proceeded to find our gate. We found a departure board with our flight to Copenhagen and noticed that our flight has been delayed 40 minutes. So instead of leaving at 10:05pm we are leaving at 10:45pm. I am hoping we don't miss our connecting flight tomorrow from Copenhagen to Bergen. We will just have to wait and see what happens.

Walking to our gate we were accosted by chaos and noise. There were so many people everywhere and it was a little overwhelming. We tried to find an area that was more quiet so I could call Viking to see what would happen if we missed our flight. They weren't much help and just said we needed to talk to the airline. We decided we would not worry about it until we arrived in Copenhagen tomorrow. I am sure it will all work out. So now that we checked on that and found our gate (M13) we decided to get something to eat. The area where the food is located was busy and noisy so we walked for a while and found a nice quiet place and then Thomas went and got us some food. It was much calmer where we sitting and we could relax until our next flight. We had some teriyaki chicken bowls and read and worked on the computer for a while.

About 45 minutes before our flight we headed to the gate so we could be sure to hear the announcements when they started boarding. Boarding was a slow and crazy process. The plane was full and it just seemed to take forever. We got settle in our seats (40A/C) which were at a bulkhead with great leg room. But we were also at an exit so there was no where to put anything. There were no overhead bins above our seats so we had to store our bags a couple of bins down the aisle. There were also no pockets or cubbies in front of us to put things in so we had to hold out stuff or put it in the overhead bin. We were both tired and a little cranky so we just closed our eyes and rested. We didn't eat or watch movies. We didn't read or journal. We just closed our eyes and waited for the long flight to be over. Finally, after seven and a half hours we landed in Copenhagen. Since our flight ended up being over an hour delayed we missed our connecting flight. So we had to go to the travel center and get moved to the next flight. We arrived at the counter and they checked our flights and we had already been booked on the next flight our to Bergen at 4:50pm. Because of the delay and us missing our flight they gave us vouchers for 75,00 Krone (so 150,00 for both of us, which came to about $22) that we could use at a few places in the airport. So we were able to have a snack while we waited for our next flight. We found out that about ten other people from our cruise missed the same flight we did. When we made our way to our gate for the flight we met about 20 other people that were going on the cruise and we were all on this flight to Bergen.

When they finally got us boarded we were so happy. We really wanted to get to the ship and get settled and rest a bit.

So the flight took off and everything went well, Thomas and I just closed our eyes and rested for the little over an hour flight. When it was time to land we were all happy we were almost done with flying. But as things can change we had a problem. The weather and winds were really bad in Bergen and as we made our approach we started having bad turbulence. The plane was rolling side to side and the pilot was having a hard time controlling the plane. So, he aborted the landing and went up again. He circled the area for about 15 minutes and made a second attempt. Still couldn't land so back up we went. After this second attempt he made an announcement that we had been diverted to Oslo. It took about 35 minutes to get to Oslo and when we landed he told us they were going to refuel the plane and then we were heading back to Copenhagen. We were not happy campers. But I guess it is better for us to be safe. So back to Copenhagen we flew and once back at the airport they moved us immediately to a waiting plane that was much bigger. Then we took off and headed to Bergen. It was a little over an hour until we arrived in Bergen and this time we were able to land. Once we landed and were able to deplane I was so happy to be on the ground. We made our way to baggage claim to meet a Viking representative. Once all our bags were collected we made our way to a waiting bus to get shuttled to the ship. Once at the terminal we had to be checked in and with the corona virus we had to have a five minute health screen. Finally, on the ship we were issued our stateroom keys and were able to get up to our cabin. It was now 12:30am and it was seven hours and 40 minutes since we first left Copenhagen. There were no food places open on the ship but they do have 24 hour room service so we could get something to eat from there but when we arrived in our room we found that they had left us sandwiches, cookies and a bottle of wine. So, we ate quickly and then took showers and finally at 2:00am we were ready for bed. It has been a full 36 hours since we woke up on Friday, February 14 at home and we are really tired. We will try to get some sleep since we have an 8:15 excursion in the morning.

Searching for the Northern Lights

It is time again, we are off on another adventure. Today is Valentine's Day and Thomas and I are leaving this afternoon for a trip to Norway. We are taking a Viking Ocean Cruise called In Search of the Northern Lights. Our cruise was scheduled in January but we got an email from Viking asking for people to volunteer to change to another date. I called them and they offered us a $3000 refund, they took care of changing our flights and we got a room upgrade from a Deluxe Veranda to the Explorer Suite. It was a deal we could not pass up. And since we are both retired it was a doable change. So we leave today and will be flying from Albuquerque to Chicago to Copenhagen to Bergen. It is going to be a long trip but we are excited.

Seeing the Northern Lights has been on our bucket list for a long time and we are hoping we get to see them. If not, we will still get to visit Norway and we are looking forward to that as well. We are traveling on the Viking Star and our cruise starts in Bergen, Norway and ends in London (Tilbury), England. It is a 13 day cruise and we will be visiting the following cities . . . Bergen, Narvik, Alta, Tromsø, Bodø and Stavanger. Our cruise passes through the Norwegian Sea and the North Sea. The cruise ends in London (Tilbury) - we don't have any time to visit here since once the ship docks we have to make our way to the airport for our flights home. We are both looking forward to this trip and we are keeping our fingers crossed that we see the Northern Lights.

Arriving in Cuba

This morning is overcast and cloudy with a light drizzle. Thomas and I woke up around 6:30am and went out onto the balcony to see the beginning of the day. Today we anchored off the coast of Cuba at Cienfuegos and will be tendered onto shore for our excursions. We don't meet for our excursion until 9:00am. So we showered and dressed and then went for some breakfast in the World Café. We returned to our cabin around 8:00am and got our things ready for the day. We need our passports, visas, custom forms, ship ID card and our shore excursion tickets. Of course, I had my camera with extra batteries, our hats and sunglasses, and some toilet paper, wet wipes and hand sanitizers. We were warned that some of the public restrooms lack toilet paper and soap. So once we were ready we just did a little reading until it was time to go to the meeting area for the tender to shore.

We arrived at the Star Theater at 8:55am, were told we were in Group 6 and then we found seats to wait until we were called. At 9:05am they called our group and we made our way to Deck A and climbed aboard the tender. It was a 10 minute ride to the dock. Once on shore, we made our way through customs. First, we entered an air conditioned building where a man watched a computer screen. We noticed a camera on the wall that pointed to about head level. When we reached the computer we saw on the monitor a thermal image on the heads of the people walking through. We assume they were checking people for a fever to make sure no one was sick - not sure if that is correct or not. Then we entered a second building with agents at booths where we had to turn in our customs forms, give one half of our visa and get our passports checked. Then we went through a gate and were directed to the bus for our excursion.

On the bus, we met our guide (Letty) and headed for our first stop - Laguna Guanaroca. The bus ride lasted about 30 minutes. We parked in front of a small hut with a covered patio area. There really wasn't a parking lot, we just parked in the grass off the road. Our guide divided us into two groups and then we had to wait for a second guide to take our tour of the park. The weather was overcast and cloudy but luckily we had no rain. When the guide for our group showed up we headed out for the tour. We followed a small path for a little while. Along the way our guide pointed out a few things. We saw large ant hills along the trail and termite nests in the trees. We also saw some calabash trees (Crescentia cujete) along the trail. The tree produces a gourd like fruit that they use to make maracas. The trail led to a small dock area where we saw some small row boats with rowers. We were divided into small groups of three to a boat. So me, Thomas and Deanne got into a boat and our rower took us out into the lagoon. He paddled out to the middle of the lagoon where we saw a flock of about 26 flamingos. Our rower paddled us around the lagoon but didn't get too close to the flamingos and we were able to get some pictures. The lagoon was beautiful - surrounded by mangroves with some views of mountains in the distance. On our way back to the docks our rower took us to the edge to the mangroves and caught a small crab that was climbing up one of the trees. I loved being on the water and seeing the flamingos in the wild. Then we got off the boats and then finished the trail and returned to the patio area. When the second group returned we got back onto the bus and headed to our next destination - Jardín Botánico de Cienfuegos. The drive to the botanic garden took us about 15 minutes. We stopped at a visitor center and picked up a guide for the gardens and then drove a short distance down the road. The bus stopped and we all got off and then the bus continued down the road. Our guide walked us along the road and talked about the trees and plants along the way. We learned about bamboo, different fruit trees, flowers palm trees, banyan trees and brazil nuts. After about an hour the tour ended and we returned to the bus and headed back to the port. Our drive took us abut 45 minutes and we got a tour of the outskirts of Cienfuegos and then the city itself. Most of the buildings were run down and needed a lot of TLC. You could tell that once upon a time it was a beautiful place with lots of color and splendid architecture. I loved the lagoon and gardens but would have liked to see more of the city. We made it back to the dock and boarded a tender and we were taken back to the ship.

Once back on the ship we headed to the World Café for a late lunch but it was closed so we ended up at the Pool Grill. Thomas and I had a burger and fries and we just sat and relaxed by the pool and enjoyed the afternoon. After an hour and a half we headed to our cabin where we took showers and rested for a bit. At 5:00pm we met Dave and Deanne in the Explorer's Lounge for a drink. We relaxed and talked and then at 6:00pm we headed to Manfredi's for dinner. We had reservations in this specialty restaurant (no extra charge) for a nice, special, delicious Italian meal. The meal was so good and we all enjoyed ourselves. It was a quiet, relaxing dinner that lasted two hours. After dinner Thomas and Dave went back to the cabins and Deanne and I went to the Explorer's Lounge for another drink. An hour later I was ready for some sleep.

We had a great day in Cienfuegos and a wonderful meal back on the ship. We have to be up early tomorrow for our trip to Havana so it is time to hit the pillow.

A Relaxing Day at Sea

Yesterday afternoon we left Key West and started cruising for Cuba. And today we have the entire day at sea with nothing planned. I did get up at 6:00am and go to the fitness center. I walked on the treadmill for about two miles and then went onto the jogging track and did one lap.

Wintergarden

After walking I returned to the cabin to shower and get dressed. At 8:00am Thomas and I met Dave in the restaurant for breakfast. Deanne decided to go to the World Café. After a nice breakfast I returned to the cabin to get some papers filled out - we need visas to get into Cuba so we needed those filled out as well as a customs form. We also needed to fill out a disembarkation form and an embarkation survey. It took me 30 minutes to get all that done. Then I took everything down to the guest services desk to get checked and turned in.

With all of that completed I decided to wander the ship and take pictures.

Explorer Lounge

Last night Deanne and I had a drink in the Explorer Lounge but we only saw one small area of it. So this morning I explored the entire area (both levels). I have to say that I think is the most beautiful and relaxing part of the ship. And my second favorite is the Wintergarden. I didn't get to see the entire ship but I did get a lot of pictures. Then at 11:00am we all went to the Star Theater for a lecture about Cienfuegos. It was called Port Talk - Cienfuegos. We learned a little history and a little about the culture and then we got some information about the excursions we are going on while in Cuba. The talk lasted about 70 minutes and by this time we were ready for lunch. We ate at the buffet in the World Café and just relaxed as the ship glided through the water.

After lunch we returned to the cabin, did a little reading, organized a few things and relaxed. At around 3:00pm Deanne and I headed to the spa.

We did the Nordic Bathing Ritual. This was described in the spa booklet as . . .
Bade [Bathing] - The tradition of alternating sauna bathing with cold dips or snow runs in our Nordic culture. It detoxes the body, relaxes tired muscles and boosts circulation.
And this is how it is done . . .
* Relax in the sauna
* Dip into the cold plunge
* Heat up in the sauna again
* Step into the refreshing snow grotto
* Repeat as many times as you like

It was invigorating and relaxing all at the same time. After enjoying the ritual we found a couple of lounge chairs and relaxed for a while before returning to our cabins to get ready for dinner.
Thomas and I met Dave and Deanne in the Explorer Lounge for a drink before dinner and then around 6:30pm we headed to the restaurant. Thomas had Caesar Salad, Szechuan Style Beef Tenderloin, and Walnut Cake. I had Shrimp & Corvina Ceviche, Gambas Sauté Provençal (shrimp with rice), and Maple Pecan Bread Pudding. Another incredibly delicious meal. After dinner we walked around the ship a bit and then returned to our cabin. It has been a relaxing day and now we are ready for Cuba. In the morning we dock in Cienfuegos - I am truly excited about the next three days.

Cayo Hueso, Key West, The Conch Republic

Cayo Hueso translates to 'Island of the Bones' which was what Key West was named when Ponce de Leon arrived in 1851 to find nothing but a burial ground. Later the name was changed to Key West and then for a short period of time it became The Conch Republic in protest of a blockade on US1. To get a better history of the island go to The History of Key West. So, as you can guess, today we are in Key West, Florida.

Surise

Why did the chicken cross the road?

My day started at 6:00am when the alarm went off. I got dressed and made my way to deck 2 to the jogging path. I met Dave up there and we walked a couple of miles. It was a great way to start the day and we got to see the sunrise as we walked. After completing the two miles I returned to the cabin and took a shower and got changed. Then Thomas and I met Dave and Deanne in the World Cafe for breakfast. Here there is a buffet but you can also order eggs the way you want. So we had a leisurely breakfast and made plans for the day. At around 9:00am the ship docked in Key West. To get into town we had to take a trolley. We docked at a naval base and you are not allowed to walk through or take pictures. You can only leave and enter on the trolleys and you have to show your ship card and a government photo ID. So we took a shuttle which dropped us off in Mallory Square.

"Embracing Peace" by Seward Johnson

From here we walked along Front St. for a while and then turned around and went back to where we started. Then we walked down Duval St. for a while. We just enjoyed looking at everything and went into a few shops. Around 11:15am we got back on the trolley and returned to the ship for lunch. We ate again in the World Cafe at the lunch buffet and then relaxed in our cabin for a short time before leaving the ship again - this time for a guided Trolley Tour. We were on the Old Town Trolley Tours which is one of those hop-on/hop-off tours. There are 13 stops on the tour we took. For the most part we stayed on the tour until we got to the stop for the Southernmost Point of the Continental United States. We got off the trolley and walked about three blocks to the marker. We had planned to all take a picture here but when we arrived we noticed a line that was almost two blocks long of people waiting to do the same. I just went and got a picture of the marker and then we decided to just walk along Duval St. back to Mallory Square to catch the trolley back to the ship.

The trolley driver/tour guide was extremely talkative and funny. One story he told was of the three names that Key West has had as I mentioned in the title and first paragraph. The interesting part was the name 'The Conch Republic'. It started with a blockade by the border patrol to fight illegal drugs and immigration. This was an inconvenience to tourist and Key West relied on tourism. So, to fight this they decided to secede from the United States in 1982. Of course, this only lasted a short time (only a minute), and then The Conch Republic surrendered and then demanded one billion dollars in foreign aid to rebuild their nation. You can read more about this at Our History - The Conch Republic. Their motto is "We seceded where others failed.".

Once back on the ship we went to our cabin, showered and changed for dinner and then joined Dave & Deanne for  drink in the Atrium. While having drinks the ship left Key West and we set sail for Cuba. At 6:30pm we headed for the restaurant for dinner. Tonight Thomas had the chicken and I opted for the destination menu. I had Key West Conch Chowder, Cilantro Crusted Grouper and Key Lime Pie. All were amazingly delicious! After dinner Thomas and Dave went for a walk around the ship and Deanne and I went and worked on a jigsaw puzzle and had another drink. We weren't worried about making it an early evening as tomorrow is a day at sea with nothing planned.

Sunset

We thoroughly enjoyed our day in Key West but we would have loved more time. No problem, we will plan another trip just to visit the Keys. So far the trip is definitely living up to expectations.