Salsas 49ers

San Francisco 3/21/09 & 3/22/09

2009-03-21T15:51:00.001-07:00

3/21/09 ~

We made it off the ship today and are now cozied up at the Chancellor Hotel with free wifi! Yeah ~ no more paying $100 for each 250 minutes. K3cruiser is stashing her luggage with us as she makes her way around SF today & is invited to dinner with us with ( Annie, Allan, Shirley, her husband, Ruth & I) before she heads to the airport for a late flight out.

Tomorrow Ray (Rat) from San Francisco, Carol & Jim from Placerville & their friend Debbie from San Francisco & Nancy from Pacifica ~ will all meet in Pacifica to smuze! Carol & Jim will pick us up in the morning here at the Chancellor Hotel and we all will spend the day together catching up, dining together and sightseeing. The wonderful benefits of cruising with friends along the way.

More later on!

3/22/09 ~

The cable cars drive up and down the hills on Powell street right below our window at the Chancellor Hotel - We awakened to clanging, horns honking and bells ringing and knew that the cable cars were on the move again. We had breakfast about 830am at Luque's Restaurant in our hotel along with several other Salsas 49ers who are staying here as well.

Carol and Jim picked us up at the Chancellor Hotel = 1030am. We put the scooter in the trunk and drove down the 101S connecting to Route 1 South along the coast watching a racing wind whip over the water causing whitecaps everywhere and waves crashing over the rocks and then onto a very wet and sandy shore.

We stopped at "Nicks" in Rockaway Beach near Pacifica (see picture above) and Jim wrapped up Ruthie in his Jacket (see picture above) while we walked around and the wind whipped around us until we got to cold and we all headed inside and hung out in the bar having hot coffee to warm up until Rat & Debbie arrived.

We ordered our meals =1230pm. At about 130pm Nancy, another fellow cruiser showed up and joined our group. We all and sat at the same table until = 315pm chattering about our Salsas 49ers cruise memories and everyone's else's plans for their next crusies. See picture above.

And then we all said our goodbyes ~ standing in a wild wind hugging each other and finally the 4 of us climbed in Carol's Camry and headed back to San Francisco.

We drove past Bart's above ground rail & what we think was the Carnival Pride? in quazi dry dock having some refurbishments and also saw the new baseball field close by.

Carol & Jim dropped Ruth & I off at our Hotel =4pm and we waved wistfully goodbye.

It is so much fun getting to spend quality time with all of our beloved friend's from cruises gone by . . .

I will treasure each of you in my heart . . .

You all are so precious to me!

. . . & that goes also for every Salsas 49er and any other fellow cruiser I met on board the Carnival Splendor.

Last day at sea ~ 3/20/09

2009-03-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

We are finishing up packing today & saying goodbye to all. This cruise went by just too darn fast!

Los Angeles (Long Beach)~3/19/09

2009-03-20T14:19:00.000-07:00

Everyone must get off today!

We had a late breakfast, made a few phone calls looked out the windows at long lines waiting to get thru customs ~ shook our heads and and then headed back up to our cabin to pack.

At approximately 2pm Goose called last call and requested all passengers left on board to exit.

We got off and walked pretty much straight thru the customs building out the other side where people were sitting waiting for them to open the doors and let them back on board.

The complimentary red mini bus called the ‘Passport” was up & running and is w/c accessible with a great ramp.

They put Ruth on first & strapped her down & then let all others on board. The seats filled up and then everyone left over reached for the hand holds as we rolled towards Shoreline Village & The Convention Center where there were many shops like Wal-Mart & Borders.

We choose to stop at Shoreline Village.

It was mostly boats of all sizes docked with several little shops running along its dock.

We got many wonderful pictures, saw the sights & sat in the sun talking to fellow passengers from the ship.

Around 4pm we headed back to the mini “Passport” bus stop & = 7 buses past us by full to the brim with passengers heading back to Queen Mary stop & the Carnival Splendor before we found one that was empty.

Once we got off the mini bus at the Queen Mary it was a hop skip & a jump back on the ship. No Lines – Hurrah!

Wednesday ~ 3/18/09

2009-03-18T23:14:00.000-07:00

Today was farewell day for several of us.

1)
Jean and Jeanette are getting off in Los Angeles so Jean arranged a farewell luncheon in the Gold Pearl Dining Room with Shirley, Annie, Alan, Ruth, Me, Jean and Jeanette. After a fantabulous lunch - We took a picture of all of us. *See picture(s) . . . when I get them uploaded. J

2)
Mickeylive and several passengers got together today with = 30 to 40 computers and mass produced over 1000” Mickeylive 49 day Carnival Splendor 2009 Snapshot Rally” CD’s and then hand delivered one to each cabin requesting them.

Each person who wished to ~ contributed one picture. And boy ~ were there ever beautiful shots taken by ~ all of little ole us!

“m@mickeylive.com” has the original pictures donated by all ~ and now ~ so do we!

3) At 3pm the Salsas 49ers gathered on the back of the Lido and said our farewell’s to all. Some of our group is getting off in Los Angeles and going home and others are headed to the Carnival Pride to cruise home in style thru the Panama Canal.

What a life!

Deb, the book exchange person opened her large suitcase & set up shop on a table for 6 & boy ~ has our book table grown. * See picture

Several people dropped off books & a few people took one to read here or on their way home.

Somewhere in that time frame we all headed outside on the back of the ship for a photo opportunity. . . . *See Picture

On Friday we will have the last book exchange and after that we will be contributing any of our left over books to the Crew Library!

When Deb packed up the books at the end of our Salsas 49ers get together ~ her large suitcase was full & overflowing into 1 very large bag.

Tomorrow is the dreaded walk thru customs day for all passengers ~ with or without luggage! Start time is = 730am for people leaving the ship & all others going on tours & last call they say will be around 2pm. They told us they will not clear the ship for anyone to get back on until everyone gets off with Sail & Sign Card, Customs form and Passport in hand.

Ruth & I ~ after breakfast will go back to our cabin & do some packing (ugh!) & wait until closer to 12N to get off & go thru customs.

Our Los Angeles paperwork says there is a complimentary mini bus called the ‘Passport” which will transports passengers to & from the downtowns major attractions and business center, i.e.: Queen Mary, Shoreline Village, The Convention Center and East Village Arts District.

So we try our luck at getting Ruth’s scooter aboard & go for a ride with the possibility of getting off and checking a few places out!

See you tomorrow in Long Beach, California!

The Casino & Celebrating St Patricks Day 3.17.09

2009-03-17T21:33:00.000-07:00

Today is St Patrick’s Day!

I spent the day looking for more green things to put on our dinner table. And by Jove ~ I found some.

A Kelly green bag from a purchase awhile back turned into dark green shamrocks & a lime green sheet of cardboard paper I found in a box at the scrap booking seminar ended up as shamrocks as well.

I confiscated 4 green plastic cups from the Lido & then went to the Gold Pearl Dining Room = 5pm and assisted Martina set up our table.

First I put down the Senior Frogs Green Scarf in a diamond pattern & created a 4 leaf shamrock with the green plastic glasses around our flower vase - then I put above everyone’s plate a shamrock ~ one dark & one lime green & so on & scattered the rest of the shamrocks around the table.

I put on Martina’s green beads around her neck & since Peter was sick I put my green crocheted butineer on Ken's lapel instead.

And now we are ready to really celebrate St Patrick’s Day along with Ken Byrne who is Irish thru & thru!

Everyone loved the table & we had a surprise from the table ~ 1 floor above us ~ after we finished our meal about 10 green balloons came floating down from above onto our table putting an exclamation point on the day!

Ken danced & a jig for us to Irish music and then sang Danny Boy!

Ah, the memories!

**I almost forgot another most important thing we did today around 2pm ~ I found some one else's pictures of our last slot pull - Check out the pictures above. We had so much fun. We did one Salsas49ers slot pull each leg & cause we had some left over money we had a 2nd slot pull on our 3rd leg.

Puerto Vallarta~3/16/09

2009-03-16T22:10:00.000-07:00

We got up around 830am and made it to breakfast around 915am & were ready to get off and wander around 1030am.

Ruthie strapped her scooter ramp on to the back of her scooter~ for just in cases.

We decided instead of going on a tour to walk to the New Mall & Wal-Mart. Along the way we met up with Annie, Alan and Shirley and continued on with them.

We walked along the inside of the pier where the Disney Magic docks and when we got past the Capitania De Puerto Harbor Master’s office we turned right toward the gate which once thru put us right across the street from Wal-mart and to the far right is the Mall.

Once across the street there were ramp cut outs all along until we got just across the street from the mall where we enlisted a big security guard to assist us up and down 2 curbs.

Once up on the sidewalk again there was a ramp on the far left leading right up to the top of the stairs and that led us into the Mall thru sliding glass doors.

The Mall is very new with a Star Bucks, Hagen Dass, Chili’s, Nike, Radio Shack and a multitude of other stores and restaurants.

Annie & Shirley decided to both have there hair done so we split up.

Not long after that we found Betsy and Ken in a Senor Frogs outlet store and we both bought a few green items to use for St Patrick Day tomorrow since Mexico doesn’t seem to know what St Patrick’s day is or celebrate it down here!

We walked together with Betsy & Ken thru the rest of the Mall and took a few pictures outside of our ship across the way & pointed out the quickest way to walk back to the ship.

On the way to Wal-Mart we met up with those same two curbs and no ramps – so we got out Ruth’s little ramp and used it to get across.

Once we got into Wal-Mart it seemed if every one of the Splendor passengers had gone shopping. And most of them were heading directly to the “Farmacia” for cold remedies, cough drops & Antibiotics.
We wandered thru a huge store and I found 3 mangoes to bring them back to the ship to enjoy.

Once thru the register line I gave my Mexican change to the bagger girl and we found the door and headed across the parking lot back to the ship.

Once across the busy street we knocked on the window of the little building next to the closed gate we had come out of & the guy inside came out & opened it & let us thru shutting it behind us.

We took pictures as we slowly meandered back to the ship.

I headed back thru the same parrot caged area I had walked thru before but the guard caught Ruth & about 5 other people and made them go out and around.

I found a quiet seat in the shade, people watched & waited for Ruth to find me.

But she never appeared.

She must have decided to go shopping across the street at the Flea Market . . . so after about 20 minutes of people watching I headed back on the ship, found some friends and had lunch & a cold drink.

Acapulco, Mexico~3/14/09

2009-03-14T11:06:00.000-07:00

Acapulco, which is virtually synonymous with luxury, is a place where the rich and famous come to escape. Take the scenic highway for a striking panoramic view of the beaches and mountains, and note the beautiful homes and lush gardens as you pass through Las Brisas. And make sure you take time to see the thrilling cliff diver’s plunge into the turbulent waters of Le Quebrada.

Both Ruth and I have been to Acapulco, Mexico many times so we took our time getting up and getting off the ship. We let all the passengers on tours and first timers to this port get off first and then we followed slowly behind around 10am.

The Splendor was docked right across from Port San Diego in a most beautiful spot ~ where from any angle you can see the shoreline of Bahia de Acapulco and its ocean lapping at its shores of the bay with fishing or pleasure boats bobbing in the water or people getting ready to go swimming or just coming back in from a pleasurable dip on a very hot day.

We headed into the terminal stopping to look in a few shops & noting that the internet café upstairs was already plum full with a line awaiting their turn, so we headed outside and began to head for the shops where we were greeted by a young man who asked us what we wanted to do and when we told him we wanted to walk to the flea market and also find a internet café on the way back he said he would be happy to walk along with us to show us the way to his uncle’s shop.

Ruth rode along in the street most of the with our guide walking along side her & in approximately 10 – 15 minutes we arrived and they had a homemade ramp already waiting for Ruth to get up 2 steps into their shop.

We looked y everything and then continued looking at the other multitude of stalls selling there wares. Neither of us bought anything but it was fun to look.

Next we walked about 1.5 blocks to an open air internet café where it cost $1.00 / 1 hr of time. I used 45min to upload pictures to this blog & then we headed back to the ship.

When we crossed the last busy street we were again on the malecon and we tipped our guide and told him we would be ok on our own from then on.

We turned left and walked along the malecon for about 1 hour. Watching people scurry here and there, colorful busses whipping past us, fisherman gutting and preparing their fish for sale, girls cleaning out their catch of mussels, people on the beach sitting on lanai’s under bright blue umbrellas, people resting in restaurant’s right along the beach eating something delicious & or sipping ice cold beer, and from anywhere you stood or sat you could see the bright colors of the “Splendor” against a gorgeous blue sky.

After about a mile or two we turned around & headed back the way we came and past a girl carrying bowls with veggies on a tray on her head ready for anyone who was hungry to pour a hot scoop of broth over them making a wonderful lunch to sit & eat where ever your heart delights.

We saw several venders selling shaved ice drinks and 3 guys with a long pole clipping Mangos out of the tree tops & filling their bag for later on.

The day was hot with a scrumptious breeze ~
We stopped and sat on benches in a park under the trees not far from the terminal and enjoyed watching a mother swing her baby in a hammock, while other women were cooking meat and preparing sopas, and other people were getting ready to board a sight seeing boat that would take them around the bay.

All in all ~ an absolutely wonderful day.

Later on = 3pm after we had boarded the ship and had lunch Ruth caught sight of what appeared to be a new bridge with a ramp leading up 2 floors and across towards Fort San Diego and never being able to get into the fort before due to steep stairs in the front ~ Ruth curiosity got the better of her and she headed out once again on her own to see if she could get to Fort San Diego via the ramp. And she discovered that ~ absolutely, yes she could get to Fort San Diego via ramps all the way ~ if only she had enough battery power left over in her scooter battery to get her there.

So, with that knowledge tucked under her hat ~ she turned around & headed back to the ship with a blinking battery light.

Next time we come to Acapulco, Mexico we will turn left and head for that Bridge made specifically for walkers and scooters and the like & see what Fort San Diego has to offer.

Manta (Quito), Ecuador~3/10/09

2009-03-10T19:59:00.000-07:00

This is our last port in South America . . .
Boo ~ Hoo!

Manta, Ecuador’s sister city is Long Beach, California. It is hot and humid with an average temp of 80 – 85 degrees F.

The small port of Manta is the gateway to Ecuador and its capital, Quito, the second highest capital in the world. Ecuador has one of the world’s most varied terrains: the Galapagos, 600 watery miles to the west, and to the east, the Andes, home to Ecuador’s important cities, including Quito. Founded in 1534 and one of the best-preserved cities in South America, Quito was designated a World Heritage Site in 1978 by UNESCO. Population = 235,000 people.

Manta attracts tourists during the entire year because it is a port with many advantages, located on the bay which has given it the characteristic of being, “The door to Ecuador on the Pacific Ocean.” Its location is strategic for north & south bound vessels at the center of the Ecuadorian coastline.

The fishing (especially ~ Tuna) industry as well as tourism are the most important activities of the city.

Monte Christi is located at the foot of the Monte Christi hill, (20 minutes from Manta) & is the birthplace of the general liberal revolutionaries in the history of Ecuador, Eloy Alfaro, the 16th president of the Republic.

This town the home of the original “Toquilla Straw hats” is known worldwide as the “Panama Hats.” Here you can visit the Lady of Monserrat Basilica & many small souvenirs and handicrafts shops, and the museum of the Largacha sisters.

Dirk, our Naturalist & port specialist told us that there is precious little to do here in Manta so Ruth and I decided to use the ~ Hop on Hop Off Shuttle Bus ~ today.

We ended up in a van with a driver and a guide for just the two of us – The guide who asked if he could practice his English with us ~ lifted Ruth in and out where ever we stopped to shop or look around and Both driver & guide ~ stowed her scooter in the back of the van.

We left the pier, where again “no one” is allowed to walk and drove along the Malecon Escensio to the beach for views & pictures and then continued on towards the Artisan Marketplace where we found many artists at work carving Ivory Nuts into animals of all kinds & others making Panama Hats plus lots of other treasures.

Both Ruth & I bought carved Ivory Nuts. I got a parrot & Ruth got a turtle.

Once we were done looking & shopping we got back in the air conditioned van & drove thru the city past the terminal which has no amenities or services available to passengers and continued along Ave 4 de Novembre to the Paseo Shopping Mall.

Stepping inside it felt like we were right back home. We immediately found a Farmacia and I bought 1 box of Halls cough drops / 12 pkgs each for $3.60 US. They sell the same pkgs on the ship for $1.99 each.

We wandered around inside and took the elevator upstairs saying hello to fellow passengers from the ship as me met & passed each other.

The internet shop on the 2nd floor was full with a long line waiting so I decided to wait to put my pictures in from many of our ports past on another day. The price for internet use in Manta is $1.50/ hour.

We found one more shop of interest called ”Linea Verde” ~ where I bought a T Shirt & Ruth bought a Shift.

Again we loaded into the van and slowly drove back to the ship with our driver pointing out paces of interest and slowing for me us to take pictures along the way.
Tonight we are having our second Crossing the Equator Ceremony Poolside beginning at 1130pm and culminating at 12 midnight with Mexican Buffet and Elite Show band Music.

Lima (Callao), Peru~ 3/8/09

2009-03-09T21:22:00.000-07:00

The alarm was set for 6am. Ruth and I were up and eating breakfast at the lido a little after 630 am.

Per Jean, our fearless leader’s instruction, we met our group of 21 in the Splendor Lounge and all got off the ship together at 730 am.

We climbed aboard the small free shuttle vans that everyone must take to get off the pier and piled out at the terminal to patiently wait for our tour bus. The terminal has no services with the exception of 2 fairly clean Bathrooms wit running water but no other amenities.

We met Ricardo Galvez our Tour Guide ~
You can find info regarding his tours at ~ http://www.tagtourperu.com/
tel: 4511 998822707
and his driver, Pedro, riding towards us in a plush, fancy and comfortable BMW Tour Bus
= 8 am. We all pretty much had our own set of 2 seats as people scattered towards the back of the bus. Ruth sat in the jump seat & we stowed her scooter under the bus in the luggage bay.

Our tour began with Ricardo telling us a little about Callao and Lima History.

Callao, founded by Pizarro and the Conquistadores, is the gateway to Lima. The Peruvian capital is the cultural and economic heart of the nation and once served as the seat of power of the Spanish Empire of South America. In 1988, its historic center was declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its historical buildings from the Spanish colonial era. Tourists cannot miss the catacombs of the Convento de San Francisco and the monumental Plaza Mayor with its 16th-Century Cathedral and the Presidential Palace.

We all took in the sights along the way on a 10 km ride from Callao to Lima where we got out of the bus & walked around to see & take pictures of the Plaza the Armas, which has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

One of the pictures I will put here later is of Ruth sitting in the driver’s seat of the bus – waiting for everyone to get off before they lift her down. She makes a pretty good driver, don’t you think?

Running along two sides are arcades with shops: Portal de Escribanos and Portal de Botoneros. In the center of the plaza is a bronze fountain dating from 1560.

Located in the Plaza is the Cathedral, with splendid carved stalls, silver covered altars surrounded by fine woodwork, mosaic covered walls bearing the coat of arms of Lima and Pizarro. Next to the Cathedral is the Archbishop’s palace. And standing in front of it was Chilean policeman in full gear and shields at the ready. I asked to have my picture taken with all the muy bonito guys & they obliged me. Ooh la, la!

Next we all walked & Ruth rode along on her scooter via curb cuts to the XVII century Monastery of San Francisco, famous for its Silvillian tile work and paneled ceiling in the cloisters, the catacombs under the church.

When we entered the gate, Mass was taking place & there were 2 children feeding the pigeon in the square while other people busily ambled along going here and there.

Ruth made it thru most of our tour of the Monastery on her scooter but could not go down the steep steps into the catacombs.

We did a little shopping inside the church from a man who intricately carved gourds of all sizes with llamas, children, & Peruvian life as it once was. His prices were very inexpensive.

We loaded up the van once again and headed thru old colonial streets in the centre of the city to
modern Lima ~ the district of San Isidro & Miraflores.

On our way we paralled the beach and stopped at Lovers Park overlooking the ocean. There were ocean and park views to take pictures of as well as a huge sculpture of two lovers in the middle of the park. Many towns’ people were enjoying sitting on the grass in the sun taking in beautiful views, while their kids ran around and played.

We loaded up the van once more and drove to the Indian Market where we had arranged to spend 1 hour looking & shopping.

The Indian Market is isle upon isle of a multitude of Peruvian handicrafts& jewelry shops. Prices were reasonable and everyone came away happy with their purchases.

We loaded the van up once more and began our 17 km ride back to Callao in our plush, BMW bus!

Our driver dropped us off right at the ship where we found several stalls set up while we were gone selling Peruvian wares and you guessed it we all went to see what they had and shop a little more!

Quodos, Jean ~ This was a absolutely wonderful Tour!

Arica, Chile~3/6/09

2009-03-07T20:09:00.000-08:00

Arica is bordered by desert sand dunes and fertile valleys fed by the melting and life-giving snows of the Andes, this city is located in the heart of some culturally fascinating attractions. Known as the “City of the Eternal Spring” Arica was founded in 1570, Arica is Chile’s fifth-oldest city and a commercial gateway for neighboring Peru and Bolivia. It is a city rich in heritage and home to both a splendid neo-Gothic church with wrought-iron details designed by Gustave Eiffel in 1876 and to pre-Columbian treasures from the Chinchorro culture dating back to 5,000 b.c.

We arrived late in Arica = 1230pm and our group of 7 headed out to get on the free shuttles because you cannot walk on the pier at all . . . to what we thought to be awaiting w/c taxi van. Not!

Our tour company is Joanne Duncan C of ~
http://www.andeanduncantours.blogspot.com/
andean_duncantours@vtr.net
Tel: 56-58-314829
Cell: 09-5258095

Since the ship was late gave our w/c van to someone else so we had to wait about 45 minutes for another w/c taxi van.

While we waited, we all sat on a low wall facing El Morro ~ the symbol of the city & took pictures ~ of a huge rock mountain with a statue of Christ (15 tons & 10 meters high made of bronze by a Chilean sculpture Raul Valdivieso on top. We could see Saint Mark’s Cathedral from our perch across the main square where several handicraft tents were selling their wares until the van arrived.

Annie, Allan & Shirley climbed in the back row of 3, Jeanette and Jean & Graciela our guide got in the next 3 seats, The driver and I assisted Ruth into the front 3rd row of seats & I helped lift the scooter in beside her on the rest of that seat, while the driver and I got the 2 front seats & then we were off!

We passed the fish meal market on the right and the international market on the left and the Casino, the University, the famous fluvial ship which withstood 2 tsunamis, and the Bird Sanctuary at the mouth of the of the Lluta River on our way to the Lluta valley.

Along the dusty road we veered off and drove over what looked like a rock road called “Colcas de Huaylacan” (Underground deposits for storage) where Chileans in 1100 – 1500ac had once dug deep holes near the riverbed to keep things cool & fresh and deposited things like corn, manioc, squash, sweet potatoes, dehydrated alpaca meat, potatoes & quinoa from the antiplano. They would also keep their tools, clothes & decorative items there.

We continued along this road getting closer and closer to the Desert Mountains until we turned into a working goat farm.

It is such a dichotomy from this lush green area to the Sandstone Mountains looming ahead.

We left the goat farm and headed for the Poconchile (pre Inca town and 17th century adobe church) and then began to climb the Pampas “Quebrada del Diablo” (high plateau) where we began to see spectacular views below of green valleys against the very high desert mountains.

As we drove our guide passed around different containers of foods specific to Chile for us to look at & or try, including their version of popcorn, quinoa and two different varieties of Olives, cocoa leaves used to help prevent high altitude sickness & are high in caffeine and freeze dried potatoes.

We drove up & up the dry & treacherous zig zag roads to the top and then down the other side and made our way to what Ruth kept asking for – where are the geoglyphs?

We stopped to view Cerro Sagrado (Sacred Hill) Geoglyphs & Tropilla (Caravan of Llamas) Geoglyphs both 1000 - 1400 a.c.

Once we were finished taking pictures we headed for the Chilean Agro ~ an Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Market ~ filled with a multitude of produce from the Azapa valleys and also a great variety of olives.

We ended out tour right where we began ~ across the street from El Morro and all of us headed over to the handicraft market.

*FYI - There are no services available at this pier ~ not even a Bathroom.

*FYI ~ Ed Chan & Bonnie Low left us today at = 4pm for San Francisco & Betsy and Ken Wong stayed aboard the ship to enjoy the cruise. They sat at a very, very empty table in the dining room tonight as most of us got back late from our tours.

We joined them Sat night March 7th and found we now have a full table of 10!

Ray, Toni, Naomi, Al are new & Joan, Freda, Ruth, Betsy, Ken and Grace.

Again, we have a delightful table full of wonderful new friends!

3 / 4 ~ 5 /09 Fun and Sad Days at Sea

2009-03-05T17:34:00.000-08:00

On 3/4/09 Ruth & I did our usual kicking around & found a warm place to sit without a draft for working on cross stitch where we could still see the ocean rolling by.

Everything went as usual & we = ½ ways to Arica, Chile our next port . . .

At dinner the 6 people who sat with us the night before left & we were absolutely blessed with 5 wonderful Chinese friends all from San Francisco.

From the left over ~ Ed is the oldest at 73 ~ a wannabe cowboy ~ hat, jeans belt & all ~ who immediately ordered a bottle of wine to share with everyone at the table & wanted to know which one of us single girls was going to ballroom dance with him this cruise ~ Ken is one & only single man at our table, then came Bonnie (Dennis’ wife), Betsy (Ken’s wife), Ken, a retired Engineer who brought his sheet music & was looking for a place to practice the piano & Dennis, a retired Dentist who chattered right along with the rest of us all thru dinner.

We all had the best time at our table that night ~ talking & laughing ~ never dreaming what was going to transpire the next day.

3/5/09
Ruth & I got up and headed out of our cabin a little before 9am – swung by arts & crafts & found out they were making visors again, so we left and went to the Splendido Dining Room for breakfast.

Once we got seated ~ the purser’s desk started calling for Ed Chan to please call 777 ~ .then they changed to Dennis Low & continued calling for him over & over with more & more urgency.

The ship’s staff began to combing the ship – looking everywhere in every nook & cranny.

Both Ruth & I looked at each other & knew immediately that they were looking for our tablemate Dennis from last night. And this was confirmed by a security officer who showed both of us his passport / picture.

After about the 10th call from the purser ~ Goose our Cruise Director came on the microphone and notified everyone that we had a man overboard & that we would be turning around & heading back to do search & rescue to the destination in the ocean that he was last seen ~ which was somewhere between 430 & 5 am this morning.

Around 3pm we arrived where he had last been seen & the Chilean Authorities directed our search & rescue in a grid pattern. We ~ North & South & them ~ East & West.

Goose made announcements every so often during the day keeping all the passengers informed. Everyone was somber.

Approximately 6pm Goose came on & announced that our man over board had not yet been found & that the Chilean Authority had released us to go on to Arica, Chile & they would continue the search.

At the Captain’s Cocktail Dinner tonight our dinner table was so empty tonight ~ Just Joan, Freda, Ruth & I.

Day 32 ~ Santiago (Valparaiso), Chile~3/3/09 & begining of Leg 3

2009-03-04T12:08:00.000-08:00

The alarm went off way to early this morning. We had breakfast in the Lido & then headed off the ship at 8am to deck #1 ~ where they said the wheelchairs and scooters could get off ~ Not!

Ruth sat on her scooter at the top of the ramp for over 15 min waiting for Carnival staff to bring a lip for the ramp . . . Again ~ Not!

So I finally went back up to the top of the ramp and told Ruth to stand up and have them assist her up the mega first step onto the ramp and then have them lift her scooter up on the ramp and once there ~ she could get back on and navigate the ramp on her own.

While she had been waiting at the top of the ramp I had already arranged for a w/c van with a real w/c ramp & it was now sitting at the bottom of the patiently waiting for Ruth ~ to take us to the terminal because there was no way she could climb into Valparaiso’s shuttle buses with 5 steps straight up waiting for all walking passengers.

Our Ship is docked in a huge cargo port and no one was allowed to walk anywhere except on and off the ship.

The shuttle ride took about 10 minutes. Our tour group had all gone ahead of us – Jean, Jeanette, Shirley, Annie & Allan and were waiting for us.
We arrived at = 830am.

In the terminal there are the following services available ~ telephones (Chile has *$5 dollar phone cards), internet, coffee shop, taxi office, money exchange, gift shops & most important Nice, clean bathrooms ~ including a large accessible bathroom.

It took us about 10 more minutes to find our tour guide & driver amongst the 100 or so tour buses, taxi’s & vans plus a myriad of guides waving signs looking for their people.

However, once we boarded our taxi van ~ we were off = 845 am to explore Valparaiso & Vina Del Mar.

Founded in 1536, Valparaíso is Chile's oldest port city recently declared a World Heritage by UNESCO. Prior to the construction of the Panama Canal (1914), the port of Valparaiso was the most important in the South Pacifica as ships from around the world called here once they crossed Cape Horn or the Strait of Magellan.

Valparaiso consists of two completely different areas, the lower area (next to port) is known as the El Plan, and the upper level is a place of Mass dwellings and known as El Plan Alto.

Our tour explored a labyrinth of streets that stretch over many tiered hillsides facing the bay and we rode on one of many “Anscensor’s” antique funicular’s (wooden cable car elevators) used to transport the resident’s “Portefeios”& tourist up and down very, very steep hills past numerous steep & winding roads.

We saw imaginative architecture and bright colors of the centenarian homes built by the first Europeans to settle here.

Breathtaking views and a panoramic lookout point of the Pacific Ocean awaited us at the “21 de Mayo” promenade.

We visited La Matriz church, “Plaza Sotomayor” with its impressive Naval Heroes Monument & the Ex Governors Palace, and the Justice Tribunal building.

En-route we passed Plaza Victoria, the National Congress building and the Santa Maria University.

Contrasting the aged elegance of Valparaiso I the “Garden City” of Vina del Mar. Vina del Mar is renowned for its beautiful avenues lined with immense old trees, well kept parks, popular resorts,, long shady beaches and holiday fun.

Upon arrival to the city we saw the Vina “Flower Clock”, impressive Presidential Palace, Brunet and Wulff Castles, and the posh Vina del Mar Casino & luxury Hotel.

In Vina Del Mar ~ Jean, Jeanette, Annie, Allan & Shirley got out of the van in a busy shopping area and were given exactly 30 min to look around while Ruth & I, the driver &our tour guide continued to explore the nuances of Vina del Mar.

FYI:
For those of you interested in using this tour service when you are next here ~

SouthExcursions ~
Ingeborg Zahn
operations@southexcursions.com
Tel: 032-269-1612
Cell: 09-967-49729

Our tour guide & driver brought us back to a very busy Valparaiso terminal = 130pm. There were many people dragging suitcases behind them and only one very busy line winding its way thru the terminal for new passengers with their sail and sign cards in hand & back to back passengers to wait for & get on a free shuttle to the ship.

Once outside ~ the same handicapped van Ruth & I had used before was parked to our right loading another couple with a scooter so we headed over to it & asked if we could join and rode back to the ship with them.

Day 30 &31 ~ Fun Days at Sea ~ 3/1 & 2/09

2009-03-02T18:40:00.000-08:00

Seems like this cruise is quickly slipping by. We are already at the end of the second leg. 2 Relaxing days were had by all.

On 3/1/09 ~ we met Zydecruiser ~ “Bill” from CruiseCritic.com at the Salsas 49ers meet & greet = 4pm & sat and talked for about 1 hr. He has a great site – If you haven’t already seen it – check it out at www.zydecruiser.com

3/2/09 ~ We are saying goodbye this evening to 4 wonderful people sitting at our dinner table #437 ~ Jo, Dave, Donna & June ~ if you are reading this ~ I will miss you ~ and please do keep in touch.

Ezriah & Marie who have sat with us for 2 legs now are moving to late seating so Ezriah can see the “sail a ways” better ~ so that leaves Joan & her cabin mate who we have yet to meet ~ plus of course Ruth & I.

I took a picture of Martina our waiter & Peter our assistant waiter & had one taken of Ken singing & another with Ken, Ruth & I.

We have got to get up really early for our tour tomorrow in Valparaiso & Vina Del Mar ~ so I will say goodnight!!

Puerto Montt, Chile 2/28/09

2009-03-02T18:39:00.000-08:00

Puerto Montt is the Pacific's entry point to Chile's Lake District, a verdant strip of land surrounded by lakes, rivers, volcanoes and of course, the Pacific Ocean. The city itself is situated on hills that climb in a V-shape from the natural harbor. It usually rains every day in the summer, but when we arrived, we were told it had been sunny for almost a week.There's actually plenty to see just by walking around the town, and great shopping opportunities at the artisan's markets and malls, but most guests chose a shore excursion because there are so many diversions in the region. Want to hike up a volcano? Try your hand at fly-fishing? Kayak under waterfalls or go whitewater rafting? It's all available here.

We ( Marilyn, Steve, Les, Joyce Ruth & I) ~ got up very early & were ready at 745am for tendering into the Puerto Montt Pier and arrived just before 9am to terra firma. We met Carlos Nado our tour guide who speaks perfect English – email & tel.
Our tour includes on the way to the mountains a quick Puerto Montt City Tour then heads to Puerto Varas & Llanquihue Lake, an Llama & Emu Farm with a absolutely beautiful view of Osorno, the Petrohue Falls in the Perez Rosales National, Emerald lake, an Frutillar and afterwards the local Fish market & Angelmo the local market place. See below for more specifics on these areas.
Puerto Varas: is located about 12 miles northeast of Puerto Montt, this "City of Roses" is quaint and charming, perfect for a nice walk along the shores of Lake Llanquihue with the reflection of the cone-shaped, snow-covered Osorno volcano always present. There's a great craft market and several cafes to enjoy a nice coffee and a raspberry kuchen.

Petrohue Falls and Vicente Perez Rosales National Park: The gorgeous route through this national park on the way to the foot of the Osorno Volcano takes you slightly off the main road to these falls. Created from an eruption of the Osorno several centuries ago, the large volcanic rocks form the basis of the multiple cascades. The falls aren't high or as impressive as Niagra, Victoria or Iguazu, but there are several pathways and bridges that traverse the river, offering incredible photo ops, especially with the ever-present Osorno in the distance (and the sound is nice too). It is for these views that people love visiting this region. *This park is not scooter friendly.

Frutillar: This small hamlet perfectly preserves the German and Austrian architecture from the immigrants in the late 1800's; talk about a picture-perfect postcard view! The town edges onto Lake Llanquihue, is filled with flowers and timbered chalets, and if you're lucky, you'll be there for the Semanas Musicales de Frutillar, a series of weekly outdoor concerts (mostly classical, some jazz) held during the months of January and February. *** We stopped at one of these timbered chalets café’s on the way back for many fruited varieties of German cheesecake & coffee ~ yummy! ~ See picture of café.

Feria Artesenal Angelmo: The artisan market stretches for blocks and blocks, and is reportedly the best place in all of Chile to purchase Chilotan products (woven items of wool and alpaca) from Chiloe, an island off the coast near Puerto Montt. You have to bargain, but even if you don't, the posted prices are low enough to make you want to empty your wallet. Baskets, hand-spun and hand-dyed wool sweaters, blankets, Chilote ponchos, hand-made boots, leather goods, carved wood figurines, jewelry and alpaca rugs are all offered at the craft market. To give you an idea of the great prices ~ Alpaca & silk scarves went for $4.00 each, shawls, $8.00 each and sweaters = $23.00 each.

Scenic Chilean Fjords & Glacier Cruising 2/26 & 27/09

2009-02-26T05:45:00.000-08:00

2/26/09 ~ The Pacific coast of southern Chile is a fjord land, similar to the fjord lands of northern Europe. A dissected region of islands, channels, inlets, straits, and bays, the Chilean fjords are very sparsely populated, with only a few towns and cattle ranches to be seen along the shores. The Chilean fjords extend south into Tierra del Fuego, the territory at the southern tip of South America that is divided (often contentiously) between Chile and Argentina.

Dirk, our naturalist and Goose, the cruise director have been talking over the intercom telling us what we are passing and seeing along the way. Everyone has found a prime seat near a window or braved the cold all bundled up outside.

One of the first things they told us to see is the Amalfi Glacier ~ see picture above.

Ruth and I have found our same seats in the Black Pearl dining room at a dinner table next to a window. It is warm in here with no drafts. Ruth is better & now I have come with the same cold that is ravaging this ship. Darn!

Later on in the day about 4pm when the Salsas 49ers were just beginning to gather in the Lido they called us over the intercom to come and see Popius and Brushin Glaciers. I took pictures but thru the rain, fog & mist I could not get a great shot of its enormous beauty. Imagine the Amilia Glacier above only 5 -10 times bigger.

About 11pm we hit the Pacific Ocean to begin our travels toward Puerto Montt and the Carnival Splendor began to rock & roll with treacherous 25 ft or higher swells. And the rough water kept it up for the night and throughout the next day.

2/27/09 ~ The weather is dreary & cold today. The fog keeps you from seeing more than 2-3 feet past your camera hand.

Tonight is Cruise Elegant Evening on board.

Strait of Magellan Cruising ~ 2/25/09

2009-02-26T05:42:00.000-08:00

There were rumors flying today as to why we did not sail on time last night ~ the ship said high gale force winds but the sea was so calm ~ others said 2 ambulances arrived =1030pm and took 2 people on stretchers away. We sailed soon thereafter over calm seas but not soon enough to get us to Punta Arenas on time.

The sun rose today on a very beautiful crisp day. A flat sea, majestic snow covered mountains looking much like iridescent transparent glass & fingers of puffy white clouds painted on a gorgeous blue sky.

We had planned to tender in & go with Les & Joyce, Marilyn & Steve, Mike & Linda, Ruth & Carlos Galindo our tour guide on the Punta Arenas ~
“Otway Sound Penguin Rookery Tour”
Email: galindotour@hotmail.com ~ but we did not get the pleasure this time around.

Instead we cruised through the Straits of Magellan & the Beagle Channel & saw majestic beauty including the Cross of the Seas ~ see pictures.

Ushuaia, Argentina~ 2/24/09 (6am-6pm)

2009-02-24T08:17:00.001-08:00

Happy Mardi Gras everyone at home!

Ushuaia is the southern most city in the world and one of two main cities on the island territory of Tierra del Fuego. Surrounded on three sides by towering peaks, the city is located on the border of the Beagle Canal and offers unforgettable scenery and a National Park framed by the sea, forests, lakes and mountains. This protected land includes the beautiful Lakes
of Fagnano and Roca and the southernmost sub-Antarctic forests. Once a small fishing village,

Ushuaia is today a welcoming, busy town with a growing population, at present numbering about 50,000 inhabitants. *(see picture I took about 730am of Ushuaia above)

We (Kay, Debbie, Allan, Annie, Shirley, Jean, Jeanette Ruth and I met in the Splendor Lobby at 8am and disembarked soon thereafter.

All of us were layered & bundled up because the ship told us it would be very, very cold & windy here ~ well . . . the sun was out, the sky was a gorgeous clear blue, and the sea was as flat as glass.

We headed towards town and found tethered to the pier several catamarans.

We choose one called Canoero Catamaranes of Ushuaia ~ (http://www.catamaranescanoero.com.ar/) or (reservaslosyamanas@amet.com.ar) or
(tel: 54-02901-433893/15513291) which would take us on a 2.5 hr Beagle Channel Sailing Excursion leaving at 930 am offering the classic Sea Lion Island with a multitude of Cormorants & the Les Esclaireurs Light House for $40.00pp.

This company also has a 6 hr excursion to see all of the above plus the Magellanic Penguin Rookery for $60.00pp.

What was supposed to be a freezing cold day turned out to be the most beautiful crisp day . . . People began to shed jackets, gloves, hats and other layers of clothes and leave them on tables & chairs as the air turned warmer and they all headed outside to the front of the vessel or up above to take a multitude of pictures.

They regularly served us free Mate, Regular Tea or coffee plus jelly filled cookies and coffeecake cut into squares as we slowed and almost stopped to take pictures of the sea lions, cormorants and the Lighthouse as well as most beautiful scenery.

We got great shots of the Carnival Splendor passing it on the way back in to the pier.

Once we disembarked everyone headed off on their to explore this pristine little town on a hill and found a Casino & shops filled with” End of the World” souvenirs, handicrafts, and a most beautiful stone set in all metals called Rhodochrosite. My favorite color was the Rose color.

Ruth made her way pretty good on her scooter ~ Up the steep hill to get to the main street thru town. Most all curbs had ramps but some shops including the internet café had a step up and in so I hurried in to add pictures to our last blog and start the next one. Internet charges here are $3.00 / hr.

A trivia fact about Ushuaia ~ for most of the first half of the 20th century, the city was centered around a prison for serious criminals. The Argentine government set up this prison following the example of the British with Australia or the French with Devil’s Island; escape from a prison on Tierra del Fuego was similarly impossible

All passengers did as they were told & boarded the ship getting ready for sail away at 4pm.

We watched from our dining room table as a Princess ship sailed into the Harbor and let down anchor and also saw 2 ice breaker ships heading out to cruise in the Antarctica. Brrrrr!!

And to our surprise ~ you guessed it ~ we were still sitting tethered to the dock until = 11pm. They said there were gale force winds and we were safer staying at the dock than sailing. We were also informed around 9pm that we would be missing our next Port ~ Punta Arenas, Chile and would be getting more time sailing in around & thru the Strait of Magellan with commentary from our Naturalist, Dirk.

2/ 23/ 09 . . . Cape Horn Cruising

2009-02-24T08:08:00.000-08:00

Cape Horn Cruising
Named after the city of Hoorn (in the
Netherlands) it is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile. It is widely considered to be the southern tip of South America. Cape Horn is the most southerly of the great capes, and marks the northern boundary of the Drake Passage; for many years it was a major milestone on the clipper route, by which sailing ships carried trade around the world.

At 2pm ~ Goose, our cruise director came on the intercom and told everyone we were on our final approach to Cape Horn.

Ruth and I found a warm seat on the Starboard Side of the Black Pearl Dining Room and watched as we began to see the islands and rocks near Cape Horn and it was thrilling to watch them grow in size and mass as we sailed closer.

About 3pm Goose came on again and told everyone to move to the port side so we could begin to see Cape Horn in the distance looking exactly like the pictures we had pulled up on the internet prior to leaving home.

Here it was the tip of the world, the end of Patagonia, the beautiful and fearsome Cape Horn and here we were beginning to pass it on a beautiful calm day with full view and no signs of danger what so ever. It was wonderful.

"Patagonia" which essentially is the last 1000 miles, north to south of South America which encompasses Argentina on the east and Chile on the west. It is an area roughly 1000 miles long by from 600 miles wide on the northern end down to about 100 miles wide on the southern end and is as barren and wild throughout as land can get on this earth with territory ranging from the almost tundra like land near Puerto Madryn to interior desert like land and some rainforest to the extremely high and rugged mountains of the Andean Range slopping down to the more livable region of middle Chile and the uninhabitable region of lower Chile except for small areas such as Ushuaia, Argentina and Punta Arenas, Chile.

Not long after 330pm we were close in (within a mile) to the actual Rock called "CAPE HORN". We could see the statue of the Albatross, Lighthouse and the Chilean Flag flying overhead.

The Captain sailed around Cape Horn Island leaving the Atlantic Ocean and crossing into the Pacific Ocean then around to the Atlantic Ocean once more.

One of our lifeboats was dropped down and a few officers went over to procure a stamp denoting our sailing around the Horn from the Chilean Officials for the ship and our certificates we will receive later on. The winds were 57 knots and swells were 15 feet.

Sometimes you could see clearly and at other times the fog and mist obliterated all.

Around 4pm we headed up to the Lido to see what the Salsas 49ers were up to and found a few of our folks who will now forever be known as the “Polar Bear Club” braving the cold wind and rain and sitting in the Jacuzzi!

We stayed inside where it was warm and continued to watch as the Captain and the Chilean pilot steered the ship toward Drakes Passage where we will drop anchor near Ushuaia at 12M.

Puerto Madryn, Argentina~ 2/21/09

2009-02-21T06:59:00.001-08:00

We docked early and were cleared for tours & passengers to disembark between 7 & 8am.

We met Shirley, Annie and Alan and finally got Ruth and her scooter off a very slender, steep and bumpy gangway even though officers told us they thought it may be too steep . . . Where there is a will there is a way!

Then we inspected all the free shuttle buses & decided the littlest one would work the best . . . so we waited & waited & waited for it to return.

The city of Puerto Madryn lies in the northeastern region of the province of Chubut, on the wshores of Golfo Nuevo. Founded on 28th July 1865 when 150 Welch immigrants arrived. The port is named in honor of Sir Jones – Parry whose estate in Wales was named “Madryn.” Today it is an important centre for tourists visiting the natural attractions of the Peninsula Valdez and coast plus a major port for aluminum processing & fishing.

The main places to see in Puerto Madryn are 1) Punta Loma: a sea lion rookery, 2) Peninsula Valdez: a UNESCO World Heritage Natural Reserve & 3) Punta Tombo ~ the biggest continental penguin rookery. To get there you drive over & back on dusty, bumpy roads & then a fairly long walk over sand & aggregate – which we elected not to do at this port. Information, prices & reservations for these tours can be found at http://www.southernstargroup.com.ar/ or southernstargroup@gmail.com.

3 km south of the city is the Puerto Madryn Eco Center with a $6 entry fee & an Oceanography & Natural Science Museum with a $2 entry fee.

Once the little shuttle appeared a young good looking Puerto Madryn man picked up Ruth & placed her in the seat in the bus while I assisted the driver with putting the scooter in the back trunk.

Once our group was boarded onto the shuttle they let the passenger line fill in the rest of the seats & we drove toward the beach on a very long pier that passengers & crew were absolutely not allowed to walk on & turned left & soon thereafter we were paralleling the beach.

It was about 15 min drive to the shuttle stop of downtown. Along the opposite side of the beach were many very nice handicraft stores where they sold Leather goods, Wine, Alpaca wool Indigenous Artwork, Patagonia wool clothing, silver & an assortment of Mate cups & Bombilla spoons.

I found an internet café that sold time for $1/hr & I even got change back from my $1.

All street curbs had ramps but many stores had a step up to get in. In the middle of town was a very modern 2 story mall.

We walked southwest into the city about 2 blocks to a open air marketplace in a park where the trinkets were much less expensive than the stores across from the beach & you began to notice more & more trash left laying around on the ground.
Shirley waited in a long line to have a local finger artist paint a tile in 3 min for her ~ the Orsono volcano, penguins and a hungry orca were displayed! It turned out beautiful.

Around 3pm we were on our same little free shuttle headed back to the ship.

Montevideo, Uruguay ~ 2/19/09

2009-02-19T10:22:00.000-08:00

Just so you all know = Ruth’s voice is better – those Chinese herbs from Annie worked!

After breakfast ~ Ruth & I met Shirley, Annie and Allan = 930 am in the Splendor Lounge and headed off the ship on deck 0.

The pier / port is right next to the town of Montevideo, Uruguay making it easy to walk into & around the town.

We tried our best to get a van to take all of us including Ruth’s Scooter on a 2-3 hr tour but could not find a taxi big enough to fit all 5 of us and a scooter. The prices for a tour varied from $20 – 25 / hr up to $80.

So we found a free shuttle that took us to a Leather shop in the middle of town called Plaza Independence & of course before we began to explore we went into their Leather store to browse.

Once we took all the pictures we wanted of Plaza Independence and it statues and buildings we headed West down Sarandi Street – where there were multitudes of shops and street vendors selling all kinds of stuff.

Most everyone was selling antiques, books, chackies, crocheted or knitted wears & some version of what is called a “Mate.”

Mate is an essential part of Uruguayan culture. You see many vendors and locals sitting & sipping tea (Yerba) out of a mate thru a Bombilla.

The Mate is the recipient or cup used to prepare and drink the infusion (tea), and is made from a specific type of gourd. The word mate comes from Quechua, indigenous language and originally meant the gourd itself, although it has now come to be used for the drink as well. The mate gourd must be “cured’ before it is used as a recipient fir the infusion / tea.

The Bombilla is a straw like utensil, usually made of metal that is used to drink and also to filter the tea leaves. It is a long hollow tube with a flat, narrow opening at one end, used to drink from, while the end that is inserted into the tea leaves is shaped like a closed, flattened sieve covered with tiny holes. The bombilla used today dates back to the 18th century.

The Yerba; (tea) comes from the dried crushed leaves of the llex paraguariensis plant, known as the yerba mate plant. This shrub of small tree is native to South America, and is grown in temperate or warm regions of Paraguay, Brazil & Argentina. Yerba mate contains a notable amount of caffeine, falling roughly halfway between tea and coffee in terms of its caffeine content. But iIt also contains highly nutritive substances like vitamin A. The chemical composition of yerba mate gives the drink a highly stimulating & tonic effect, in addition to its diuretic & vasodilatory properties.

Look out below!!!! J

Here are the instructions on ~
How to prepare mate:
1. Fill the mate = 2/3 of the way with yerba.
2. Tilt the mate so that the yerba falls to one side, leaving an empty space on the the other side from the bottom of the gourd to the opening.
3. Pour a bit of warm water into the open space, keeping the mate tilted, until the yerba absorbs and expands
4. .Place the bombilla into the mate, at the center of the open space, while covering the mouthpiece with your thumb.
5. Finally, fill the mate with hot ( but not boiling) water to prepare the infusion.

We meandered thru a tree filled square looking t more antiques & Mate’s then decided to turn North and walk about 6 blocks downhill back to the ship.

Ruth faired well on her scooter – most curbs had ramps or were low enough for her to bump up and down them without to much problem.

The arts and crafts store we entered right before went thru the gate at the pier – had the Mate I had been looking for a day long with my name on it ~ it is a gourd covered with black and white cowhide and rimmed with silver. Just my cup of tea!

A few more steps and the ship was in full view.
We all headed onboard for libations and a light lunch being it was after 2pm.

Buenos Aires, Argentina ~ Day 2 ~ 2/18/09

2009-02-19T10:21:00.000-08:00

Toady we met the same 8 people and headed off the ship = 845pm.

We boarded the shuttle and met our tour guide Tito & driver, Diego at 9 am ~ all snuggled into our tour van.

We had about 1.5 hr’s to kill before we headed out to the country so we requested to go back to the Aluminum Articulating Flower to walk in the park to get better pictures. Once we got them we then headed to the Rose Gardens to see the Andalusian Garden Harbor & Fountain, rose gardens with beautiful lake & a white Victorian bridge.

And then it was time for us to take a drive on a Buenos Aires freeway & head to the country for a “RANCH TOUR IN THE PAMPAS” ~

The pampas evoke stirring images of Argentina's prosperity. We arrived at the Estancia "Santa Susana".

Gauchos riding their horses escorted us from the gates & welcomed us all with a drink & empanadas - meat pie, or corn pie with wine or orange juice.

We all wandered around the Sprawling ranch ~ in several directions ~ Some visited the Hacienda, others went into the gift shop, while others went for a horse & cart ride around the ranch or others climbed up on & rode the multitude of Ranch horses.

The ranch bell rang signaling to all it was time for lunch ~ and everyone headed to the family style dining room & found the table designated for their own personal tour group.

Waiters dressed up as gauchos served lunch, the traditional “asado” barbecue, wine, beer, and other drinks. We were entertained with music and Tango dancing.

The most exciting spectacle was yet to come, as gauchos demonstrated skills astride their horses.

An absolutely wonderful & beautiful day until we all were riding home in the van on the very busy freeway – an we all heard a thud ~ thud, whackidy whack noise originating from the back driver side tire - & you guessed it, that back tire lost its retread.

So, Diego got out and changed the tire while all of us stood on the side of the freeway taking pictures as if this was just another part of our tour.

Made for an exciting day.

When we boarded the ship = 445pm they were already ½ way through with the life boat drill – and the ship sailed on time at 5pm.

Whew – a close call!

After dinner Ruth & I decided to take an early evening a get some extra sleep tonight. I took a shower & washed my hair and when I opened the BR door ~ Ruth was already in bed sound asleep.

= 10pm Shirley & Annie knocked on our cabin door to give Ruth a Chinese throat remedy to suck on to make her voice come back & make her feel better . . . Hope it works!

2/17/09~3/3/09~Buenos Aires, Argentina~Santiago (Valparaíso), Chile ~ Day !

2009-02-17T14:50:00.001-08:00

Ruth & I met Jean & Jeanette, Susan & Ray, Marie, Shirley, Annie & Alan at 830am in the Splendor Lobby & as soon as the ship cleared we headed down to deck one to disembark.

There was a free shuttle that took us through stacks & stacks piled high of containers to the terminal where we scurried thru & found our www.Defrantur.com tour guide Tito & Driver Diego who had been waiting for us since 9am. We piled in the van leaving the front row open for Ruth & her scooter ~ see picture.

Today we are did a ½ day private tour of Buenos Aires visiting Plaza de Mayo, Cathedral, Government House, San Telmo (Antique district), La Boca (Italian district), Caminito St., Madero Port, Palermo Park, Recoleta (Fashion district), Colón Theatre, the Obelisco which marks the intersection of Avenida 9 de Julio (the world’s widest boulevard), nice monuments, museums, typical neighbourhoods, architecture, churches, with many photo opportunities in the most interesting places.

We ended our tour walking around the Recoleta Cemetery. Not only is Eva Peron buried there, but the ornate mausoleums of the rich and famous that line the labyrinth of walkways provide a unique historical glimpse into the wealth and opulence that was once Argentina.

On our way back we drove slowly past the Plaza Naciones Unidas where there is an Aluminum & Steel Reticulating Flower that is opened & closed by the presence & absence of the sun. ~ see picture.

When we returned to the ship = 1500 new passengers were in process of boarding the ship.

I found an internet café which cost $3.00 for 1 hr ~ so I arranged to come back out later to work on my blog.

I left the ship after dinner at 7pm to take the shuttle to the terminal & the sun was still bright in the sky – A very strange sight because I am used to the sun going down at =530p~ ish in California.
Ruth contacted some form of Laryngitis from one of our past cruise dinner tablemates and her voice has all but disappeared. She is taking extra Vitamin C, Zink cough drops & lots of TLC.

2/16/09 ~ Day at Sea ~ Happy President's Day!

2009-02-17T14:40:00.000-08:00

First ~ Happy President's Day!

Last day of Leg 1 Cruise is today ~ we got up late & are taking it easy working on craft projects, saying goodbye to old Salsas 49ers friends & 7o our tablemates leaving the ship on 2/16/09 and will be meeting & making new cruiser friends & 6 new tablemates tomorrow on 2/17/09!

Above is a picture of Ruth & I all dressed up for Captains Goodbye Party.

One of our tablemates favored Karaoke & was chosen to play Ricky Martin in the Carnival legends show ~ picture above is Paul with a Carnival Dancer after the show.

Day 15 ~ Rio de Janeiro~2/14/09

2009-02-14T16:36:00.000-08:00

First and most important ~ I want to wish everyone a Happy Valentines Day.

Last night upon arriving at our cabin after the show ~ 2 of our fellow female passengers left us pink & red goodie bags filled with heart goodies, a flashing heart bracelet, a heart pen and lots of candy plus 2 valentines each. Thank both of you so much ~ Kay & Deb! We feel special!

After a quick breakfast Ruth & I headed off the ship = 945am to meet up with Ian & Lilian in the Cais do Porto at 10am ~ friends of Ruth’s who will be cruising together in Asia & just so happen to live right here in Rio De Janiero, Brazil.

As we made our way thru the terminal there were telephones, Internet, Post office, Gift & Snack shops.

Ian & Lilian were patiently waiting for us at the door of the terminal where we greeted each other & then walked thru the rain to the main gate.

Ian brought the car around ~ we stowed Ruth’s scooter in the trunk ~ & were off to see the city thru the wet raindrops which we prayed would soon disappear . . .

We drove past Candelaria Church, Municipal Theatre, Lapa Aqueduct & Arches, Metropolitan Cathedral, Modern Art Museum, Gloria Church, Museum of Brazilian Republic & thru the tunnel Sta. Barbara where you could begin to see Corcovado ~ Statue of Christ the Redeemer peak out from behind the clouds.

We continued to make our way to the foot of Urca, Pao de Acucar ~ Sugar Loaf Mountain at Guanabara Bay ~ where we took pictures of the cable cars coming down and going up the mountain.

From there we headed to & paralleled Copacabana Beach and made our way to the Forte Copacabana.

Lilian bought 4 tickets and we headed into the forte, unloaded the scooter from the car & toured the Forte and their museum getting many wonderful pictures ~ noting above us on the top of the hill over the Forte there was a brand new Ferris wheel.

Below us were fisherman’s boats set out on the sand to dry & fishmongers selling their catch of the day. When we finished at the Forte ~ Ian & I walked a little way to get the car and as we past a group of elderly women dressed in bright colors singing and celebrating Carniva, I got a great picturel.

Once we loaded up the car we headed past Copacobana Beach & the Copacabana Palace sighting many sand scupltures and continued paralleling Ipenema Beach & Leblon beach until we came to a beautiful Vista Point where we parked to take a few pictures looking back on many beautiful hotels behind them a watched the huge waves crashing on the Leblon shore.

We retraced our path back along the beaches watching as walkers, sunbathers, surfers, joggers, sand sculptors, etc came alive on the beach as the warm sun peeked thru the clouds and dried up the rain for just a little while.

We stopped for lunch at Taiping Restaurant in the Shopping Rio Sul mall (I think) ~ where mostly the locals eat ~ away from the tourist areas.

And after a leisurely lunch we all headed back to the Carnival Splendor and said our goodbyes to a absolutely wonderful couple that I will not soon forget!

Thank you ever so much Ian & Lilian ~
You are precious!

PS. We were supposed to set sail at 6pm . . .
Well we were still docked and boarding passengers and crew arriving late from their tours at 830pm – I think we finally set sail out of the Rio Harbor = 9pm. And now the ship is doing a bit of rock & roll making up the time!

Salvador, Brazil 2/12/09

2009-02-12T07:45:00.000-08:00

Ruth & I met up with a very nice Chinese Family ~ Shirley ~ daughter & Annie & Allan ~ her Mama & Papa in the Splendor Lobby at 830am sharp & headed to deck ”O” to disembark the ship.

The terminal is across the pier and once inside it offers services such as telephones, post office, Internet, Currency Exchange, Snack shop & of course Souvenirs. Once we got US exchanged for Real’s & change for the “Lacerda Elevator” we headed out of the terminal with map in hand. Pretty much everything with the exception of beaches is within walking distance.

About 3 long blocks to your right we bumped into the Baia de Todos os Santos Harbor. We had brought along Ruth’s Scooter Ramp in its sling on the back of her scooter for her to use just in case of no access but found they had ramps immediately upon wanting to cross a very busy street – a young Salvadorian man came up and stooped traffic and guided Ruth across 3 lanes, along the side of the road past the closed Mercado Modelo (marketplace) where Shirley, Annie, Allan & I caught up.

The view from the lower city where we were standing & snapping pictures was looking out on the Harbor, Forte de Sao Marcelo and several beautiful buildings done in Baroque architecture.

But the best is yet to come ~ there are 2 parts to this city ~ a lower city & an upper city.

We again found ramps for Ruth’s scooter and walked across another busy double street to the Elevator Lacerda (R$5 pp ~ local coins needed) & rode it up at least 15 floors up to the Historical centre ofSalvador ~ Pelourinho –preserved as Hertiage of Humnanity by UNESCO – its 450 colonial town houses have now been restored and the area has been revitalized economically, socially & culturally ~ where we found views even more magnificent views / sights overlooking the lower city & whole harbor below. ~ see pic

We explored Pelourinho Square & the headed to our left following & listening intently to an escorted tour as best we could. They led us past several statues, lots of tourist shops, outdoor cafes & 2 more squares ending our trek in front of the Sao Francisco Church in the Terreiro de Jesus District.

Where guess who we found ~ Martina, our waitress out scouting the territory too! *see pic

When we left the ship it was early and not all of the stalls were open but on the way back all was in full swing. A political parade marched past us playing musical instruments, waving posters ~ as well as pulling a old white VW van with a blue rope that surrounded all the marchers, musicians &VW van!

We continued our trek retracing the way we came ~ back down the Elevator Lacerda and this time the Mercado Modelo (marketplace) was bustling & open for business with all kinds of vendors positioned outside in stalls calling & nabbing at you for business. Once we made it thru & out the opposite door . . . we decided to walk on the opposite side of the street back & all the time we found streets with ramps for Ruth’s scooter until we were almost across from the terminal bldg – so, we got out Ruth’s ramp & positioned it so Ruth could ride down off of one curb & up on the next ending out walking tour in the terminal bldg.

In the terminal Ruth & I decided to sign up & wait in line to use the internet – 15 min = $1.00 US, 30 min = $2.00US etc. I was never so glad to get out of there when we were done. The crowd kept pushing in, getting closer & louder every few minutes.

By = 3pm we were safely back aboard our home away from home, the Carnival Splendor!

Later that evening after dinner our waiter Martina & the Matri D, Ken ~ sang and danced for us - see pics above.

BTW - they do this every other night . . .

Day 11 ~ Recife & Olinda Brazil ~ 2/10/09

2009-02-10T17:53:00.000-08:00

Our day began when the alarm went off at 7am.
Both Ruth & I got up, dressed & headed for the Gold Pearl Restaurant where they are beginning to know us for our quick breakfast ~ 1 Egg Benedict each, 2 quarter size round hash browns, 2 pork link & juice.

Once done we headed for the 3rd deck near the purser’s desk where we met Shirley, Annie, Allan, Jean, Jeanette & we all headed off the ship together.

We were met by colorful Recife dancers who were happy to pose with anyone for free. ~ enjoy Ruth & my picture!

The free shuttle buses were lined up & ready to transport all passengers at the appointed drop off point in the middle of Recife about 5 miles from the pier where the ship is docked.

We stowed Ruth’s scooter under the bus & the driver lifted Ruth up and carried her up 3 stairs setting her down on her feet at the top where they had saved both of us a seat. And the rest of the = 30 other people riding with us got on.

Driving along you see graffiti everywhere. Once we got off the shuttle bus we found the boss of the taxi van tours and arranged a tour of seeing both Recife & Olinda ~ 4 hrs of sightseeing for $20.00 pp, including Ruthie’s scooter!

Our City tour started =10am included the Pernambuco Culture Center, where we got out and inspected all the handmade goods sold out of the cells of a prison-turned-crafts-market, we drove past Republic Square to see the Teatro Santa Isabel, the Palace of the Governors and the iron bridges that span the Capibaribe River.

We continued on 9 KM to Olinda, Brazil’s old colonial capital declared World Historical Monument by UNESCO, is few miles from Recife. Olinda boasts of beautifully preserved 16th and 17th Century buildings, markets, wonderful artisans & gorgeous views.

We finished our tour = 2pm & headed back to the Ship to quench our parched lips :-) ~ & fill up our tummy’s yet once again!

Another wonderful day had by all!

Day 9 ~ Fortaleza, Brazil ~ 2/8/09

2009-02-08T11:17:00.000-08:00

The ship arrived in Fortaleza, Brazil at 7am ~ we got out of bed at = 8am & headed for breakfast in the Gold Pearl Dining Room & then debarked for parts unknown = 930am.

The shuttle from the dock offered all passengers a 7 mile ride into the City Central market for $10.00 round trip, so we took them up on it.

The tour bus guide scooped Ruth up in his arms and carried her up into the bus & deposited her in the front seat & I assisted the bus driver to stow Ruth’s scooter underneath 7 then I climbed in too.

Along the way we passed the Metropolitan Cathedral, Jose de Alencar Theatre, Museum of Ceara, the center of tourism & the fortress of Nossa Senhora da Assuncao & we ended up getting off at the Central Market – the most popular handicraft market to but local souvenirs.

On the way back the bus took a different route & we paralleled the beach. Even though it is beautiful & looks like it would make a great place to walk – we were told not too. By the time we got back to the ship we heard 3 people from our cruise were mugged in that area to . . . we were told before we came to leave our jewelry & watches in our cabin safes & hang on tightly to cameras & other personal possessions.
We personally never felt threatened & had no problems.

Day 8 ~ Crossing the Equator ~ 2/7/09

2009-02-08T11:16:00.000-08:00

Crossing the Equator, the imaginary line dividing the Northern and the Southern Hemispheres, can be an exciting experience. Discover the secrets of the law of physics when you are moving from one Hemisphere to the other. Fill a sink with water and observe how the water drains. Clockwise, counterclockwise, or no spin at all?

Crossing the equator is a rite of passage for cruisers who have not crossed the legendary line before. To make it more memorable, a ceremony is performed with King Neptune to mark the occasion. Those who have not crossed the equator before are referred to as "Pollywogs" (Slimy) and those who have are referred to as "Shellbacks" (Trusty).

See pictures of when we crossed the Equator, our own King Neptune, his Wife, & Crew, the Knotty Nurse, & our own Cruise Director ~ Goose!

The mid ship pool area & the upper deck were so crowded at 1pm with people I couldn’t get any good pictures ~ so you will just have to visualize the following . . .

The crossing the equator ceremony was over in a flash ~

To assuage King Neptune, 3 cruiser’s were called up to take on all other “pollywogs” / newbie’s to crossing the equator’s punishment –
The 1st got to kiss a stinky fish,
The 2nd had 3 eggs cracked on his head
and
The 3rd got a bottle of Foster’s beer poured over his head.

And then, King Neptune’s Crew threw the ships 1st officer into the pool, uniform & all!

And the crossing the equator ceremony was completed . . . all “pollywogs” are now considered ~ bonafide “Shellbacks!”

After the ceremony ~ All cruisers aboard received a certificate stating we all are now ~ certified ~ Trusty ~ “Shellbacks!”

At the Salsas 49ers Happy Hour this afternoon the Cabin Door Decoration Winners were announced ~ First place went to Kay ~ K3cruiser, 2nd runner up went to Alice ~ Kronk & 3rd runner up went to Sandie ~ Sandie123. Congratulations to all!

And for all those people from our Salsas 49ers group that finished their books ~ Today was the first of our Book exchanges.

Days 6 & 7 ~ Fun Days at Sea ~ 2/5/09 & 2/6/09

2009-02-08T11:15:00.001-08:00

We have been relaxing & really getting into enjoying ship board life ~ participating in all activities that interest us.

Carnival’s “Freddy” found Ruth at our Salsas 49ers ~ Happy Hour.

The other pics are from our crossing the equator day.

Barbados ~ 2/4/09

2009-02-08T11:12:00.000-08:00

Got up at 6am (ugh!), dressed & headed for breakfast in the Lido Restaurant = 630am.

The ship docked alongside Carnival Victory, Celebrity Summit & the Thompson Destiny and was cleared for debarkation around 730am.

Ruth & I headed off looking for the local taxi rank. Found “Terry Grosvenor “ our tour guide for today who stated he would be happy to escort us to see his beautiful island in his taxi van for $25.00 pp We were off on our tour by = 830am with 6 other people plus Ruth, her scooter & me.

We left Bridgetown and followed the coast North past the West India Rum Factory, Summerland, Holetown and stopped and got out and took pictures at St James Parrish Church. We then proceeded North East past Waterhall, Apes Hill Club then South and upward to a viewpoint called Highland Adventure Center where we saw beautiful vistas, greenery, flowers & the infamous Barbadian Green Monkey.

Our tour continued thru St George ~ south past Harrison’s cave, Wildlife preserve & the Flower Forest. Then we turned South East past Gun Hill Signal Station and headed for St John’s Parrish Church where there we took pictures of many beautiful Vista views, a very old cemetery, flowers, architecture & stain glass windows.

We then headed back the way we came past Orchid World, Francia Plantation House, a very old sugar mill and into Bridgetown from the East where we again paralleled the Careenage (where big and little boats sailed thru & docked along the piers). We saw Central Bank, St Michael’s Cathedral, the Parliament bldg, Independence Square before we dropped off two of our fellow couples on Broad Street to shop & we continued to parallel the wharf until our ship came into view. An overall wonderful tour of Barbados.

Later after Ruth & I had lunch at the deli onboard ~ Ruth went out again and rode her scooter thru a park like setting on the ocean front until the sidewalk ran out where she crossed the street and found the Pelican Craft Center . . . A series of bldg’s all with little shops filled with specialized Barbadian Arts & Crafts. She met some new cruising people there and they walked along with Ruth as she made her way on her scooter back to our ship.

As for me, since I had precious little to no sleep last night – I curled up in our cabin in my bed under my warm down comforter in & took a little nap . . .

I feel so much better now!

Dominica ~ February 3rd, 2009

2009-02-03T10:14:00.000-08:00

The ship docked at 12 Noon at Woodbridge pier about 15 min from the center of Roseau. Oveer the houses we could see the Carnival Victory docked there. We had so hoped we would dock at the center of Roseau, but sadly no. We debarked after lunch around 1pm, found a $2.00 shuttle and headed to town. I immediately found an internet café to copy and paste info off of my thumb drive into my Salsa’s 49er’s blog. Then Ruth and I wandered around the little oceanfront town until the heat got to much for us and we headed back for much needed air conditioning found on our spacious ship and a ice cold drink on the Lido deck around 430pm. Enjoy the rainbow we saw on our way back to the ship - It had just started to rain.

2nd day at Sea ~ 2/2/09

2009-02-03T10:09:00.000-08:00

Met up with about 7 female passengers in a sunny spot with a beautiful view at the back of the Lido Restaurant and taught a beginner crochet class. They left after 1 hr with the beginnings of a Potholder or a Scarf.

For lunch we found the Mongolian Grill and the Taste of the Nations Indian Grill. Yummy!

The rest of the day was restful until all had to dress elegant for the 5pm Captain’s Cocktail Party and 545pm Captain’s Dinner.

No sooner than we ordered dinner more excitement erupted . . . a lady in distress & her husband were weaving there way thru the tables and had made it to the left of our table near the next waiter’s stand which had his plates of food piled up on it & about that time the lady grabbed her husband coat jacket as she passed out and fell with a thud to the ground pulling her husband and the dishes down on the floor around her. There was bedlam for a little while & then the Doctor came and eventually took her to the Medical Facilty.

Later on we watched the best spectacular show I have seen in a long while starring the Carnival Splendor Dancers called ~ “Fiesta Latina.” The costumes, voices and dancers were absolutely fantastic!

1st day at Sea . . .

2009-02-03T10:08:00.000-08:00

We explored this magnificent ship today. The Carnival Splendor is113, 300-tons, is 952 feet in length, has a cruising speed of 22 knots and carries 3,006 passengers. While on the Carnival Splendor we are enjoying delectable dining, endless entertainment and friendly casinos; it's just a small part of the "Fun Ship” onboard experience. With so many things to do, we don’t know where to start. One thing's for sure; we never want it to end.

1/31/09 ~ Embarkation Carnival Splendor

2009-02-03T10:07:00.000-08:00

Oblivious to all & rested beyond measure ~ we awoke around 9am and headed for a continental breakfast ending at 10am that we almost missed. Josie of Yellow Cab met us around 1230pm and dropped us off at Pier 21 and a porter sent Ruth in her scooter to the front of the line. We passed about 3 blocks of people all lined up waiting to get in. And before long we had our room key / sign & sail cards and =130pm were walking aboard the Carnival Splendor.

Our cabin when we found it was a surprise . . . not much bigger than a postage stamp!
Smallest modified w/c accessible cabin I’ve ever seen. There is next to no storage & almost impossible for Ruth to turn around in. With some jockeying it’s do-able.

No lifeboat drill today and when the Salsas 49ers met on the rear Lido deck at 430pm rumors started flying . . .

Now y’all need to sit down & belt yourself in cause the excitement starts here – well at least for us lucky ones on board looking down on what was happening below . . .

There was a real live bomb threat!

They cleared the terminal of 1500 or so anxious, hungry & thirsty wannabe cruisers, & all Carnival staff immediately and sent in the bomb squad who promptly set out a cute little robot bomb sniffer. We watched it go ever so slowly 1 by 1 to thousands of still to be loaded suitcases sitting like soldiers on the pier.

There were boxes & boxes of perishables
& food to be loaded left exactly where they had been deposited. Nothing moved for about 3 - 4 hrs, then with the all clear ~ they started embarkation and the loading suitcases & food all over again.

By 10 pm all 1500 weary, hungry, tired and cranky passengers were on board and we pulled up anchor around 1030pm heading for the open sea and immediately hit rough waters due to stormy weather. Hang on folks . . . it’s rocking and rolling in here.

Around 11pm after the show we headed back to our cabin & found that our luggage, which had been held hostage on the pier, had finally arrived . . . Hallelujah!

It is now 230AM adjusted time so I will say goodnight

1/30/09 AA ~ LAX – DFW – FLL

2009-02-03T10:05:00.000-08:00

After a mostly sleepless night we boarded American Airline at 730am Friday in LAX for a wonderful plane ride to DFW & ran to make the second plane which was equally pleasant. And 2 very tired travelers’ reached the Comfort Inn Airport/Cruise Port South (FL243) 2520 Stirling Rd, Hollywood, FL, US, 33020 via a w/c taxi around 7pm. We decided not to go to the meet and greet at Bimini’s Boatyard cause horizontal our bodies were pleading fir horizontal time. So we grabbed a quick bite at Taco Bell next door and were in bed by and asleep by = 8pm. A bed never felt so good.

Our Trip of a Lifetime has begun . . .

2009-01-29T23:23:00.000-08:00

Ruth & I left Santa Barbara today around 730pm on a late Coast Flyer Bus. And for the first time I got a queasy tummy sitting in the back of a bus. The bus driver put on a film for us to watch, “Blades of Glory” . . . Remind me never to rent this movie! We arrived at LAX between 930 & 10pm & headed upstairs to the Intl Airport Lounge and found the computer section and now we both are up & running.

~ Currency Converter ~

2009-01-24T16:03:00.000-08:00

~ Flags from 10 countries along 1 South America Cruise ~

2009-01-23T14:19:00.000-08:00

~ Our Cabin Panorama 1005 Door Sign ~

2009-01-23T14:02:00.000-08:00

~ Maps & Itinerary of our cruise ~

2009-01-23T13:50:00.000-08:00

Our Passports & Brazilian Visa's in Hand

2009-01-21T16:55:00.000-08:00

Ruth & I are both breathing signs of relief . . .

After much hand wringing ~

Due to an Embassy in SF losing Ruth's passport & Brazilian Visa . . .
& me not hearing a word from ZVS for close to 40 days ~

The wait is now forever over.

Ruth's new passport & her necessary 3 Visa's arrived Monday ~1/19/09 and my passport & Brazilian Visa arrived today ~ 1/21/09.

Hallelujah!

Except for finishing packing our suitcases
& making sure they each weigh no more than 50 lbs ~
We are pretty much ready to go . . .

* 10 days and counting.

Can anyone spell E*X*C*I*T*E*D!

Presidential Inauguration Day ~ Jan 20, 2009

2009-01-18T11:19:00.001-08:00

Time Magazine Cover

No ~ Not Cruise related ~ but ~ “World” related . . .

Barak Obama’s “Presidential Inauguration Day” . . . TUESDAY, JAN. 20, 2009

An Article From the historic Election Day . . . Nov 4th, 2008.

"How Obama Rewrote the Book" By Nancy Gibbs Wednesday, Nov. 05, 2008

The Article begins :
"Some princes are born in palaces. Some are born in mangers. But a few are born in the imagination, out of scraps of history and hope. Barack Obama never talks about how people see him: I'm not the one making history; he said every chance he got. You are. Yet as he looked out Tuesday night through the bulletproof glass, in a park named for a Civil War general, he had to see the truth on people's faces. We are the ones we've been waiting for, he liked to say, but people were waiting for him, waiting for someone to finish what a King began." . . .

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1856914,00.html

“I am asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about change in Washington . . . I’m asking you to believe in yours.”

“ . . . There is much work to be done. But now, all Americans hold within our hands the promise of a new beginning. “

How will YOU remember . . . Barak Obama’s “Presidential Inauguration Day” ?

So you will know Who is Who :-)

2009-01-09T17:23:00.000-08:00

Top picture is Grace & bottom picture is Ruth.

The Beginings Of Our Cruise Review ~

2009-01-08T17:52:00.000-08:00

Read along as Ruth & I travel on a Cruise Ship called "Carnival ~ Splendor" all the way around South America.

Our trip begins with leaving Santa Barbara, California on 1/29/09 via “Coast Flyer” heading towards the Los Angeles Airport. In the wee hours of the morning we will wave goodbye to Los Angeles & land for a spell in Dallas Fort Worth & end up in Fort Lauderdale on 1/30/09.

We are meeting up with 290 + fellow Cruise Critic . com members. We have chatted with all of these people on this cruise ship chat board for the past year and will board with them on 1/31/09 along with a total of =3000 other cruisers, many of which are staying on for all 3 legs of this cruise just like we are.

Our Port & at Sea days are:

Jan 29, ... Los Angeles
Jan 30, ... Los Angeles to Ft Lauderdale
Jan. 31, ... Ft Lauderdale
Feb 1, ... at sea
Feb 2, .... at sea
Feb 3, ... Dominica
Feb 4, ... Barbados
Feb 5, ... at sea
Feb 6, .... at sea
Feb 7, ... Crossing the Equator
Feb 8, ... Fortaleza, Brazil
Feb 9, ... at sea
Feb 10. ... Recife Brazil
Feb 11, ... at sea
Feb 12, ... Salvador, Brazil
Feb 13, ... at sea
Feb 14, ... Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Feb 15, ... at sea
Feb 16, ....at sea
Feb 17, ... Buenos Aires, Argentina
Feb 18, ... Buenos Aires
Feb 19, ... Montevideo, Uruguay
Feb 20, ... at sea
Feb 21, ... Puerto Madryn, Argentina
Feb 22, ... at sea
Feb 23, ... Cape Horn Cruising
Feb 24, ... Ushuaia, Argentina
Feb 25, ... Punta Arenas, Chile
Feb 26, ... Strait of Magellan
Feb 27, ... Chilean Fjords
Feb 28, ... Puerto Montt, Chile
Mar 1, ... at sea
Mar 2, ... at sea
Mar 3, ... Santiago, Chile (Valparaiso)
Mar 4, ... at sea
Mar 5, ... at sea
Mar 6, ... Arica, Chile
Mar 7, ... at sea
Mar 8, ... Lima (Callao), Peru
Mar 9, ... at sea
Mar 10, ... Quito (Manta), Ecuador
Mar 11, ... Crossing the Equator
Mar 12, ... at sea
Mar 13, ... at sea
Mar 14, ... Acapulco, Mexico
Mar 15, ... at sea
Mar 16, ... Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Mar 17, ... at sea
Mar 18, ... at sea
Mar 19, ... Los Angeles, CA (Long Beach)
Mar 20,.... at sea
Mar 21,.... San Francisco, CA ~ Chancellor Hotel
Mar 22, ... San Francisco, Ca ~ Chancellor Hotel
Mar 23, ... San Francisco, Ca to Santa Barbara, Ca

To take a look around our beautiful ship & home for the next 49 days ~

http://www.carnival.com/cms/fun/ships/carnival_splendor/default.aspx?shipCode=SL

Once there, To see where our ship is ~ on any given day ~
Click on the “Ship Webcam” box on the upper right side of the Splendor page . . .
Or hover your pointer over the cameras to see what the ship looks like . . .

Or Try this ~

http://www.kroooz-cams.com/carnivalindex.html

On L side of page, Click on Carnival / Splendor & Under picture displayed, click on Bridge Cam (Front View) , Aft Cam (Back View), or Location Map (Where the ship is right now)

Or ~ Enjoy the following ~

Gail / Cruisinlivin ~ South America website ~ for all 3 legs of our Carnival Splendor Cruise

http://www.zedinc.com/mgadventures/2009southamerica/

"Carnival Splendor Round The Horn by ZydecoCruiser" ~ will be joining us Feb 17th - Mar 3rd & they have all kinds of information & pictures on their site ~ Enjoy!

http://www.zydecocruiser.com/splendor_09/index.htm

*Please feel free to come back here often to read up on what exciting things Ruth & I are doing on board ship, what we see & learn about all the ports we will visit along the way & who knows if I figure out how ~ You may even see some pictures posted here that one of us has taken.