bmwhlw Posted November 3, 2010 #26 Share Posted November 3, 2010 Hi Karen I am enjoing your posts so far and look forward to your Holy Land posts as we are on this cruise next October and are so looking forward to it. Can not wait to read more. Heather Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
California Native Posted November 5, 2010 Author #27 Share Posted November 5, 2010 Disclosure…this was written yesterday morning ..we have now been to Mykonos and are approaching Rhodes..but I don’t have time to do the tweaks…the info 0is still accurate I will write up Mykonos and Rhodes later today and hopefully post tonight or in the morning since we at sea before we hit the Holy Land Kalimera Everyone Thanks for such positive feeback. I made DH a promise when I started doing this if any negativity was posted on this thread or the facebook page I would stop. We are on our way to Mykonos and should be arriving shortly We are planning on going to Delos on our own if the tidal conditions are working the ferries favor. AZ offers this shorex but in fine print it said not during the month of Nov….so we will be winging this with our fingers crossed So, DH had a bit of an adventure yesterday in Athens I wont keep you in suspense, and will just fast forward to the “key” parts fortunately for you Im blogging…DH likes to tell these little stories s..l..o..w..l..y build up the suspense I learned to appreciate that this is one of his wonderful traits or should I say accept that since I discovered he doesn’t come with a remote control that allows me to fast forward He had wandered into an old Greek Orthodox church off of Ermou streetIts peaceful and quiet, he’s taking it all in and all of sudden he hears someone screaming into a megaphone and then chanting in the square that this little church is located in…those of you that have traveled to Europe know that no matter how noisy the traffic is outside of old church you cant hear anything inside…as he begins the brain process of thinking what the ? and then following it with this cant be good. Megaphone guy is going a little nutso and whipping his kool aid followers into quite the frenzy..(sorry DH doesn’t speak Greek, so no translation available) DH begins contemplating his options.. *Seek refuge in the church..its been done for ages for a variety of reasons *Find a hidden tunnel underneath the church that will lead all the way Piraeus or at least Monstraki Square *Make a run for before it gets bigger and the riot police with tear gas pay a visit He peeks outside once again and sees the crowd is growing..He decides to make a run for it and is successful with his escape option DH now decides that perhaps he should just head back to Piraeus and surprise me with an earlier arrival and join me in being lazy. Its now 1;15pm Adventure #2 coming up He heads to Monstraki Metro Station, goes to buy the ticket and notices RED tape across the entrance…universal translation no matter what language you speak…NOT GOOD!! STRIKE!!! As he steps aside from the ticket window to begin formulating plan B He overhears a couple saying in English that they needed to get to port for a cruise. He approaches them and asks them if they are with AZ, they confirm this…they are now in the same boat together and decide to team up. They ask one policeman outside if there is a bus, his English is limited, but he is helpful..he circles an area on DHs map, they head there Stopping along the way to ask another policeman who speaks excellent English and fine tunes these directions. They find the bus and fortunately all of Europe throws all safety considerations out the door and they are able to join the rolling sardine can. From description I have heard from the 3 of them ..you couldn’t turn around it was so packed in there for quite some time..it wasn’t until the very end of the ride that there was space to exhale. What should have been a 15 minute metro ride and 15 minute walk to the ship became about a 2 hour diversion. DH made it back to the ship just a few minutes after our pre arranged turn on the cell phone time. The other couple still had to go back to their hotel in Piraeus, get their luggage And then check in for the cruise. We chatted with them later in the evening and they barely made it to the ship. We also spoke with other CruiseCritic members who were able to get on the very same metro around 12 noon and the caught a cab from the metro station to the ship. So sometime between 12 noon and 1:15pm a strike was called. This was not announced. Besides all of that… He had a wonderful day..he went to 3 lesser known museums that he said Turned out to be real gems and that he felt I would love seeing. He said he enjoyed them so much that he would be more than willing to visit them again with me. So, if you have been to Athens before and are looking for something new to do…you might want to investigate the following Museum of Greek Folk ArtHe said with this museum it was 5 floors of traditional costumes Throughout all the islands and mainland, in addition to jewelry and wedding attire. Museum of Greek Musical InstrumentsHe said with this museum not only you could see the musical instruments but they had headphones next to each piece so you could hear each of them Museum of Folk Ceramic Art The CruiseCritic party was at 6pm. Our roll call for this cruise has been filled with quite a few savvy travelers and most importantly they are all really the nicest people. Eric DeLay our cruise director hosted the soiree with many of the officers attending Wine, Champagne and other drinks were passed around. Hot and Cold treats Accompanied. Coconut Shrimp (delicious!), samosas, pot stickers and a wide range of canapies. We met all of our tour buddies that we are sharing the Israel Days with. The rest of Time (accept for the transfer back to Rome) We are on our own! DH and I were quite wild this evening with 2 glasses of Champagne and staying up until 11pm attending the Welcome show hosted by our EXTREMELY talented CD Eric..this show introduces you to the upcoming entertainment for your cruise and a several tidbits of how AZ wants you to enjoy your cruise. AZ really wants your cruise to be A+, if something isn’t to your standards or not Executed in the manner that you have received on other cruise lines then just ask. They are not mind readers. There;s over 600 passengers onboard and each one has their own expectations, wishes etc of what a perfect cruise should be. and not one of them could be the same….so make sure to do your job and communicate whats best for you. We did that and I have to tell you each one has been executed flawlessly. Afterwards, we continued socializing with several of our roll call members! Ive read a lot about the general statements of the demographics of AZ cruises. We actually have had several people ask us if we would prefer to be on a larger ship because there;s more to do. This is before they had even spoken with us for full 5 minutes. Unfortunately, people generalize and assume too much. While we are in our early 40’s, we are usually in bed by 9pm since we are up quite early as we want to be the 1st into port. The ports are why we are here onboard. The 9:45pm show is too late for us. However, we have seen a few of them when its been a sea day the following day. This morning we both woke with a bit of a headache the fact of the matter is 2 glasses of champagne is 1 too many. Last cruise we had a fascinating conversation with a couple in their 80s.. He didn’t have his hearing aid turned up so we talked louder. They had wonderful stories to share with us about actually riding on the Orient Express, they were able to hold the alcohol better than us and when we said adieu they were going to the dance class… What Im trying to say is….age is really just relative. If you look past that, you just might find a person that has a kind heart and good soul. Time to catch the tender to Mykonos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redtravel Posted November 5, 2010 #28 Share Posted November 5, 2010 shops are limited by the space....more important to have things you might need for the cruise than christmas decorations Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare uktog Posted November 5, 2010 #29 Share Posted November 5, 2010 I absolutey understand your wish for little gfts, I would like to see range of small. light good quality items that would make nice gifts and that there is a little variety in this range so repeat cruisers can find new gifts. Our Christmas tree is now a talking point and every year friend check it out for the new decorations - it tells of our holidays since we got together. Ranges from a shell angel from Grand Cayman, to a leather boot from Cody, bright red holly decorated mini flip flops from Hawaii, Mini paper Lanterns from our Quest trip to Vietnam. It takes me hours to decorate the tree as I reminisce! Could I ask if you could find out who will be captain, staff captain and hotel director for the transcanal at the end of Janaury - also is Edwin on board as the Housekeeper - sorry to be asing such detail Am loving all your reports A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jade13 Posted November 6, 2010 #30 Share Posted November 6, 2010 How did you get three bottles of Champagne? I know one is for past passengers at least at Explorer level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
California Native Posted November 6, 2010 Author #31 Share Posted November 6, 2010 This is a c an p from a word document on a netbook...please excuse all spacing and other mistakes... Today we are at sea and the Daily Pursuit is full with all sorts of fun things to do. This ship is small, but it offers a wide diversity of activities. Just when you think a day at sea is coming up and you can do nothing, a lot fun and interesting options are dangled in front of you as if they were a sparkly bauble or something Today..this is the tentative.. Breakfast buffet…love their breakfast options, Im not really breakfast personProbably because Im not really a morning person. When we have a early port time I usually sleep to the very last possible second…and then DH sweetly whips up something special for me…(as in bringing me back a croissant from the buffet). However, AZ has bagels with 6 kinds of schemer I;ve trained the omelette chefs to make me a Breakfast Hashbrown scramble the trick is the right kind of potatoes must be on the buffet..cubed, sliced or loosely shredded..you put them on a plate but a bowl is better ..then you go to the omelette station and have them cook up whatever add ins strike your fancy…they then add those to the potatoes and at the last minute sprinkle some cheese on top. YUMMY!!! (there are no eggs involved in this concoction) Im also loving the quiches…they do quiches REALLY well…if AZ had a local land outlet..I would use their quiches for when I throw a brunch DH is a breakfast CONISSEUR..it is his favorite meal of the day. I don’t know where he puts it all, but I always joke with him.. Did they ask you to leave because they needed food for the rest of the passengers He is loving the smoothie bar, waffle station..(which I also dabbled in) The waffle bar has 10 topping options…really the waffles are just there to hold your whipped cream, caramel or chocolate sauce, and fresh fruit Moving on… 11am enrichment lecture on Egypt with Niki Sepsas. AZ needs to just put this guy on permanent retainer. 1130am senior officers party for Le Club Voyage Sorry officers, but Niki trumps you 12 noon Ping Pong tournament for DH and I plan on getting together with one of my CC buddies at this time. We are sharing a tour together and after emailing back and forth for a couple months we decided to chat on the phone…So, its been great finally to meet in person 12 noon Pool BBQ served by the officers…Definitely Will do this…they do a great job and options are plentiful… 2pm Comedy Magic..a nice afternnon show 2:30pm Le Club Voyage Wine Tasting We didn’t do this on the last cruise and had planned to do it This cruise, BUT if we do…..We would never make it to the Captains dinner tonight…we are such light weights!!!!! 3:30 High Tea…we are going to this since our dinner wont start until after 7pm 6:45 meet for drinks before our dinner with the Captain with our Le Club Voyage hostess Nathalia 945pm Our CD Eric De Gray will do a show tonight and we would like to see it…BUT Israel is in the morning and we want to be well rested and not only do we have Israel it begins our 4 day immersion of the Holy Land 2 days Israel and 2 days Egypt. It would of made more sense to me for this show to be scheduled on our 1st sea day after Egypt. Oh well, they do have quite a few entertainers for us coming up so maybe that’s the reason Now, the above is the list that interested us and we highlighted but that’s just a very very very small fraction of the activities offered today There;s Scrapbooking, Darts Challenger, Spa stuff, Tournaments in the Casino, another round of Penthouse Bingo (BTW a CruiseCritic member won the other round) , Spinning Class, various Trivia type games. and the list goes one… I’m also going to try to find time to do my Mykonos and Rhodes Days and lounge on one of those wonderful double lounge chairs with DH while we reading our magazines… Have a great day everyone…. K. PS Jade13…2 of the bottles were for Le Club Voyage Discovererand 1 arrived last night from Heiki Uktog..I will check for you if I still haven’t gotten back to you in 5 days ask me again The next 4 days after today will be crazy after each Israel day we will probably eat and the collapse. On Egypt we are overnighting off the ship Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
California Native Posted November 6, 2010 Author #32 Share Posted November 6, 2010 as always this is a c and p please excuse all mistakes..im typing on a netbook. Mykonos! 7am-9pm this was on Nov 4th (2 days ago) What a beautiful day..the weather was wonderful which made tidal conditions perfect for the ship to tender and for those of us who were interested a side trip to Delos We tendered in about 8:30am and headed to straight to the Delos ferry ticket shack which was about a 1 minute walk. The next ferry was scheduled to leave at 9am, as we were waiting for departure We wandered over to the local fish market and then a few of the side streets The Star Princess was in town with us once again (we saw them in Santorini on the last cruise..they were docked clear across town and needed to pay for a shuttle in or walk for quite a distance. When the ferry departed we have several of us from AZ and about 2-3 shorex from Princess. I was here 6 years ago with my mom and theres been a few changes theres an actually ticket office into Delos right at the pier the museum is open while small its loaded with great artifacts the small snack shack/souvenir shops is no longer available and is boarded up a couple large houses have been built of to the side of the ferry dock Every single person headed to the left..so DH and I went right we had all of this section of Delos to ourselves and really only crossed paths with several others at the museum. The ferry schedule to return was a small disappointment for several of us..the next ferry back was at 11:30 or then not until 1:30pm I know this is set up for shorex and it is offseason, but a 12:30 ferry option would have been perfect. Most of the AZ DIY travelers we rode over with all opted for the 11:30am We made it back to island of Mykonos and decided to eat lunch on the island We went up to a local resident and asked where they would go for a delicious Lunch…. He pointed us down an alleyway and said you will like them they are delicious and cheap we’re pretty sure we know where we are going and I;m the 1st to step inside this narrow but long restaurant at the table in the very back are 3 gentleman straight out of central casting for the roll of a Greek sea captain. They are older the deep creases in their face show the signs of years of knowledge, on each of their heads is the sea captain hat, they are sipping coffee, smoking cigarettes, talking in Greek loudly while flipping the worry beads I turned around to DH and said…I’m thinking this is the right place If it was appropriate to do, it would have been the perfect Kodak moment We had a delicious lunch of overstuffed chicken souvalki pitas, the best we have Ever had throughout our travels in Greece. Add to it a coca cola light and bottled water and lunch came to 5 euros Now, its time to explore When you travel in off season you avoid the crowds, on the flip side you need to contend with limited hours or complete closures and we encountered a few of those on Greek Islands. We were able to go to the Archeological Museum which was small but interesting its definitely worth wandering into. The 3 other museums were closed along with a Smattering of Greek Orthodox churches.. We then decided the best way to get to the windmills was to wander throughout the Alleyways enroute…make sure that you look up and down and through nooks and crannies that are postcard perfect pictures to be found eve The Star Princess people have all vanished as their curfew is rapidly approaching. We had some great chats in Santorini and Mykonos with several of their passengers, as they were heading to Athens and we just left and they had just been to Naples and we might end up there if we cant get into Sorrento And as we rounded the corner and looked to our left..there they were!!!! Those beautiful landmarks that confirm that you really are in Mykonos We hiked on up and ran into some ship people. We asked how their day had been so far and where had the been… He says…some girl put this to do list for our itinerary up on her website and I just printed it out and we’ve been following it. DH says to them oh can we see it? They say sure, we look at it and DH says… oh that’s from our website!!! I must say that makes be so happy that we,ve been able to help others have a great experience!!! We chat for a bit more, take a ton of pictures of the windmills and the scenic Views of the ocean, little Venice and just sit there taking it all in… We are sooo very relaxed! Which is saying a lot for this Type A personality girl who is married to a tech guy who needs to think precisely for a living. We then wandered down to Little Venice take more picture and some of our CruiseCritic buddies are there and they offer to take pictures of us with Little Venice in the background. We have not see Mr. Petraues all day, weve searched everywhere.. We’ve seen ducks, pigeons, cats and dog, but no pelican. We have asked locals Along the way throughout the day. We heard he made an appearance around 930am Around the tender area, but hasn’t been seen since. They really should put a GPS tracker on him or something Sadly he remains elusive. Which means that we need to return! We found a Christmas ornament, and a headband for me. (I like to collect hair accessories as a souvenir..they are lightweight and yet Totally unique and always remind me of our great adventures whenever I wear them) My other suggestions are sandals, canvas tote bags, and scarves We headed back to the ship about 530pm This evening we dined in the dining room. DH had prime rib as his main course, it came with Yorkshire pudding Which was his 1st time trying and really liked it!!! I had a steak, but switched out my potatoes for the horseradish mash potatoes OH YUM!!! And then for dessert we shared the Bananas Foster …Delicious AZ doesn’t do the Flambe, like Princess does. I know Princess has cut back on it and almost discontinued it..fire safety an all… but I wish DH had this experience of seeing it done. After dinner, we listened to the harpist for awhile. I heard this is her last cruise and then her vacation begins… Israel in the morning!!!! Ciao Ciao K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulchili Posted November 6, 2010 #33 Share Posted November 6, 2010 K, Enjoying your posts - sounds like you are having a ball! Keep 'em coming.. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
California Native Posted November 6, 2010 Author #34 Share Posted November 6, 2010 Dinner with Captain Jason was wonderful we were joined by a few other couples all from Britain and Scotland, very fascinating! It was interesting to hear that for many of them San Francisco is their favorite city in the states and a few of them had spent quite a bit of time in California. For my California readers out there... one of them had actually travelled to Oroville of all places and they were quite impressed how much we knew about the Cornish miners throughtout our Gold Country Turns out our Captain is married to a California girl..she,s a SoCal girl but out of respect for thier privacy thats as much as I will narrow it down. When it was learned that we would be traveling to Gibraltor next year as part of our Spain, Portugal trip in just a few months everyone chipped in with tips and advice on dealing with the monkees!!!! I will be investigating the plastic snake suggestion!! A very nice touch was the rose that each of the women received at the end of dinner Israel in the morning. Immigration check bright and early then at 8am we are off to explore! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgg Posted November 6, 2010 #35 Share Posted November 6, 2010 Hi Karen, We're having a great time reading about your trip. Nikki Sepsis and his wife were dance instructors on one of our Azamara cruises. I asked Nikki one night if it was possible to teach someone how to lead. He was so nice. First he took me out on the dance floor and made it possible for me to look like a dancer. He then took my husband aside and showed him how to lead. My husband loved to dance, and he looked good out on the floor, but it was hard to know what I was supposed to do. Nikki was the perfect instructor. Now I never have to wonder what the next move is or what direction I'm supposed to be going in. Nikki probably wouldn't remember our names. But we definitely remember him. I hope you'll mention this to him. Thanks again Nikki. We loved to watch you and your wife dance. And now we feel lots more confident. We'd love to see you on another cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare uktog Posted November 6, 2010 #36 Share Posted November 6, 2010 Dinner with Captain Jason was wonderful we were joined by a few other couples all from Britain and Scotland, very fascinating! It was interesting to hear that for many of them San Francisco is their favorite city in the states and a few of them had spent quite a bit of time in California.For my California readers out there... one of them had actually travelled to Oroville of all places and they were quite impressed how much we knew about the Cornish miners throughtout our Gold Country Turns out our Captain is married to a California girl..she,s a SoCal girl but out of respect for thier privacy thats as much as I will narrow it down. When it was learned that we would be traveling to Gibraltor next year as part of our Spain, Portugal trip in just a few months everyone chipped in with tips and advice on dealing with the monkees!!!! I will be investigating the plastic snake suggestion!! A very nice touch was the rose that each of the women received at the end of dinner Israel in the morning. Immigration check bright and early then at 8am we are off to explore! Oh did Captain Jason tell you about his gorgeous little son? We saw him when he was Staff Captain on Quest in the Eastern Med. His son arrived on board when he was in Istanbul (he was 3 months old at the time and he had not seen him since he was 4 weeks old) and it was so lovely to see him pushing the buggy up the pier at Sinop a couple of days later. I do so hope he is on board through to February! I am glad the Scots gave you good advice for Gibraltar - the monkeys are persistent! Do enjoy Israel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
California Native Posted November 8, 2010 Author #37 Share Posted November 8, 2010 Today is Day 2 in Israel Yesterday was fascinating, thought provoking and a bit unexpected We shared a private tour with another couple. At a later date. I will give the name of the tour company and a review We were all required to go through Israeli immigration and while Ive had to these type of things elsewhere in the world ..the line for this was insane..Thankfully, since I have a type A+++ personality we were Number 10 and 11 if you missed this small window, there were at least 150 people lining up 5 minutes after us and growing like bunnies. By 715 the Israelis STILL had not begun and the entire ship has circled the jogging track gone back down the stairs to deck 8 So, we clear woo hoo..and because I know they can do extensive Bag Searches I make sure that my pain meds will be a non issue I had verified all of thisahead of time with the Israeli embassy BUT I just felt it best to double check…no problem.. Thank Goodness.. We have been been given an immigration card to keep with Us and then we have to turn it in at the end of our stay We want a stamp in the actual passport. Not happening We have asked several people and the answer is a consistent No! We watched the ship being searched by 20-30 year old guys Wearing tshirts and jeans…the earbud gave them away and then When you look closely at them..you think is that the outline of a Gun or walkie talkie under their shirt tucked into their belt… Anyway, we are off the ship on Israeli soil. While we make it a point to not discuss religion or politics when we travel the fact is we are on a Holy Land cruise. So this post will refer to that… We were both raised Catholic, but would consider ourselves Christians who try to practice the golden rule, ten commandments Etc etc. We also believe that you don’t have to be in a church to feel god or a sense of peace., We are joined on our tour with 1 other CruiseCritic couple that we have corresponded with. Very nice and they have done quite a bit of bible study which they don’t flaunt, but when they do mention something it adds another dimension to this. Our 1st stop is where Jesus’ 1st miracle took place The wedding in Cana where he changes the water to wine Now a few of you on this board who have been around for awhile might remember what happened to DH and I when we were planning our wedding. As Catholics we were required to do counseling etc etc. When it came out that we knew ahead of time that was I not able to have children and take the vow to go forth and procreate we could not be married in the Catholic Church this had everyone is disbelief and it was taken to the 3 largest archidioceses in Northern California to be overruled. It was not. Along the way some pretty awful things were said to me about how God decided I wasn’t worthy to be a mother and btw our local churches charge to up 2,000USD for the sacrament of marriage So, fast forward to yesterday..our guide said to us..would you like to renew your vows at this church on the site where Jesus performed his 1st miracle at the wedding in Cana We said sure…We were taken into a private side chapel with our guide, our traveling companions. A priest from Cameroon and a local nun were there… The door is closed behind us He begins the wedding vow renewal prayer which is so emotional. We repeat vows to each other, by now we are both crying as this simple blessing in a church was all we ever wanted. Our rings are blessed with Holy Water and a prayer is said over us The priest didn’t ask if we were Catholic, he didn’t ask if we were going to have children and he didn’t ask for money This is exactly how Jesus would have wanted it to be Later on in the day, I realize how much peace I feel inside. I know longer feel like I’m holding onto that pain and anger We experienced… When, we planned our Holy Land Cruise, I was excited to Experience all of the history this area has to offer… I had no idea I would be so touched in the manner I was The day just kept getting better…. more later need to get ready for Day 2.. We are going to Jerusalem and to float in the Dead Sea with 2 other couples from our roll call! K. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
takemewithyou Posted November 8, 2010 #38 Share Posted November 8, 2010 K - very touching and beautiful story - so happy for you that you were able to have such an amazing experience!!! A memory of a lifetime! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare uktog Posted November 8, 2010 #39 Share Posted November 8, 2010 What a beautiful thing to happen - that would mean so much to us if we were to be on a cruise in that area and that happened Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jade13 Posted November 8, 2010 #40 Share Posted November 8, 2010 We have been been given an immigration card to keep with Us and then we have to turn it in at the end of our stay We want a stamp in the actual passport. Not happening K. K, you are better off. If you have the stamp you may not be able to get into some other countries. Not that you would want to go anywhere that is against Israel (we would not), but many see it as a security issue not to have that stamp in their passport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
California Native Posted November 8, 2010 Author #41 Share Posted November 8, 2010 Thanks everyone... We are back on the ship safe and sound from Day 2 in Israel not sure if all of you know that Im also doing some posts on AZ facebook page.. under OurPassportStamps Travel Page they also announced their own brand new blog on facebook which is different from Bill posting over here I havent checked it out yet, because Im guarding my internet minutes I want to add AZ knows from the Captain on down that Im posting in both locations. me, my DH and our website, blog, facebook page have never been paid to play. AZ knows that Im voicing my opinion as I see and as I experience it Since Ive been sharing A LOT of positive comments I will throw out a small issue I have (I can see Heike, holding her breath right now wondering what it is) Heres the problem The soft serve ice cream by the pool grill closes at dinner time Im forced to go to ice cream cart and choose between at least 6 flavors, 2 types of cones and 10 or so toppings I need OPTIONS and by removing the soft serve ice cream I feel really limited... there you have...AZ is not perfect Im learning to deal with it 2 days of Egypt begins in the morning..not sure if I will be bringing the netbook off the ship when we overnight in Cairo…probably, Floating in the Dead Sea was so cool..The blister I got in Istanbul from the torrential Downpours which flooded by shoes and socks had healed and that is why you didn’t hear any Blood curling screams in the middle of your night last night!!! Haahhahahahaahahaha I had to wear highly inappropriate walking shoes (cute flipflop like sandals) ever since to make sure the blisters Wouldn’t flare up once again and screw up and longtime dream of mine to do this…. Tomorrow Im going back to the walking shoes with treads on them 10 billion year old marble is waayyy to slippery for my comfort level in this part of the world!!!! Ciao Ciao K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marbella Posted November 8, 2010 #42 Share Posted November 8, 2010 I, too was being very conscious of your precious internet minutes & didn't want to use any of them BUT I have to tell you how very much we have been enjoying your wonderful and witty blog. We will be passing each other as we board on Sunday. Your renewal of your vows brought tears to my eyes as well! How generous of you to share! Continued smooth sailing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jade13 Posted November 8, 2010 #43 Share Posted November 8, 2010 K, I'm loving reading your posts. Btw, I think I would leave the netbook on the ship, unless you plan to carry it everywhere in Eqypt. I don't know if they take these things at the museums, but it's not worth the risk for just one night....I would not leave the ship with a phone though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vival Posted November 8, 2010 #44 Share Posted November 8, 2010 Hi I also am enjoying reading your posts. Your experience of renewing your vows is very moving thank you for sharing it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jade13 Posted November 9, 2010 #45 Share Posted November 9, 2010 K, I'm loving reading your posts. Btw, I think I would leave the netbook on the ship, unless you plan to carry it everywhere in Eqypt. I don't know if they take these things at the museums, but it's not worth the risk for just one night....I would not leave the ship with a phone though. That was suppose to say I would not leave the ship overnight without a phone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
California Native Posted November 9, 2010 Author #46 Share Posted November 9, 2010 oops Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
California Native Posted November 9, 2010 Author #47 Share Posted November 9, 2010 Thanks Everyone! We have a cell phone which we having been packing alll along with us into port each day. We havent needed to use and Im hoping to keep it that way!!!! Netbook is staying onboard Captain Jason has his very cute little one onboard, and I think the Staff Captain has his..both very well behaved. We had 2 additional ones last week of crew member, not so well behaved but not little terrors as i;ve seen on other cruises DH is almost done shaving, which means I need make this cozy blanket into a super hero cape. A sea day would really be a good idea about right now! We are bringing food off the ship, some we picked up in grocery stores along the way and some the ship has encouraged us to take On Israel Day 1 we had an afternoon cookie break provided by Mosaic Cafe. I know tasting local food in port is part of the experience..and I have so far...dont forget I ate buffalo mozzarella sandwhich at the farm, St Peters fish at the Sea of Galilee and there was falafel yesterday.. and theres been plenty more. But Egypt has a very strong reputation about food poisoning from a variety of sources. I have not forgotten how horribly sick I was last year for 6 weeks with my whole food poisoning episode http://ourpassportstamps.com/FoodPoisoning2009.html ..so Im not taking any chances...though we are eating dinner at the Meno Oberoi in the famous indian restaurant Ok folks...time to wrap this up.... I need to go have a sip of some go go juice (diet coke) and turn the motivation dial up until it hits tilt.. forgot to mention this which is HUGE for all of you that have some form of chronic pain When I was floating in the Dead Sea I felt no pain for that timeframe if chronic pain is a issue for you, make sure you take the time to go to the Dead Sea..so you can have reminder how wonderful being pain free feels even for just a few minutes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
California Native Posted November 9, 2010 Author #48 Share Posted November 9, 2010 That was suppose to say I would not leave the ship overnight without a phone. Jade...I knew what you meant I think many of us who have posted or at least lurked for awhile get to know each others writing style... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MightyQuinn Posted November 9, 2010 #49 Share Posted November 9, 2010 But Egypt has a very strong reputation about food poisoning from a variety of sources. ..so Im not taking any chances...though we are eating dinner at the Meno Oberoi in the famous indian restaurant Notwithstanding your food poisoning issues, I think you'll be A-OK dining at the 'Indian Restaurant' at Mena House Oberoi. We stayed there back in the day when we traveled to Cairo as part of an extensive land trip in Egypt. We ate a few meals in several of the venues, including the famed Moghul Room. Nothing but sheer delight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orchestrapal Posted November 9, 2010 #50 Share Posted November 9, 2010 Thanks Everyone! forgot to mention this which is HUGE for all of you that have some form of chronic pain When I was floating in the Dead Sea I felt no pain for that timeframe if chronic pain is a issue for you, make sure you take the time to go to the Dead Sea..so you can have reminder how wonderful being pain free feels even for just a few minutes! Thanks for pointing this out! Over a period of years I spent 1 month at the Dead Sea each Spring. My arthritis and severe Psoriasis are all but gone for the last 25 years. The salts both in the Sea and in the air are a wonderful curative that American doctors don't want you to know about. European health plans pay for their patients to come to the Dead Sea.:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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