Discover 7 Continents with Bill & Mary Ann as we sail on the 2012 World Cruise

[WCB]

Report # 94 April 2, 2012 Monday Day at Sea # 4

 

During our walk on the promenade deck, Captain Mercer announced that we would be transiting the narrowest part of the Rab el Mandeb strait around 9:30 or 10am. At that point, we began the entrance to the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aden. This shallow and narrow body of water is lined by Aden, Yemen on the starboard side on the north. On the portside, we were looking at Eritrea and Djibouti on the south. This has got to be one of the most tense hours of sailing as far as security was concerned. The deck was full of extra guards, and even more guests who were outside to see the strait. For some reason, we do not remember sailing this portion of the trip during the daytime. Last year, we had come from Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, and Muscat and Salalah in Oman, so we could have been sailing this portion at night.

 

There were a few other ships sailing in the opposite direction, but the best sighting was of a pod of huge dolphins. They appeared in the waves created from the ship, perhaps feeding on the fish we disturbed. We also spotted some small white seabirds, the first sign of life since we left Mumbai.

 

We also had some entertainment at the aft pool in the way of a pool party. It was a very good thing that it started late, at 3:30pm, because the heat was unforgiving back there today. We had a following wind, but since the ship was flying at 21 knots, there was hardly a breeze. We spent the majority of our time in the water, while watching the crew set up the drink stands, umbrellas, and decorations of tropical plants and flying flags.

 

The Amsterdam orchestra played for two hours during the fun activities. Bruce and his staffers recruited passengers to compete in contests poolside, but not in the pool. Of course, the games are designed to make all look ridiculous and silly, but as long as we are not the "chosen ones", we have fun watching.

 

Susie, Woody, Barb, Sky and Ellen joined us to watch and also participate. Sky is always game for just about anything, and today he did not disappoint us. He ended up winning three prizes for participating, even if he did not win any of the games. As the audience, we also were awarded Amsterdam stick pins for our collection. At the end of the games, Bruce and his team of five all jumped in the deep end of the pool fully clothed. That was a first for a world voyage.

 

Now the best part of the party was the food. They got creative this afternoon by serving skewered fresh fruit and breaded chicken pieces. Following these, were delicious mini-hamburgers with tomato slices and relish. But there was more with servings of the best pizza squares topped with tomato slices, pear slices, mozarrella cheese and basil. Sure glad we did not eat lunch. This will do until dinner. Special drinks were being pushed, the cucumber lime smash. Barb thought they should be free for all, but no, they were the usual $5.95. Oh well, it doesn't hurt to ask. The last time drinks were free was when we sailed away from Ft. Lauderdale in January.

 

And guess what? The lounge chairs had been thoroughly scrubbed free of the sticky dirt that had built up on them. We were happy to see that by speaking up, the job got done. Now we will watch to see how long they stay sparkling clean.

 

The party lasted well beyond 5pm, and was a nice break from having so many quiet sea days. Before we knew it, dinnertime had arrived. We were finally back to our group of five, but that will change for the next few days ahead of us. Barb has a President Club dinner tomorrow, and Ellen has arranged for company at our table. On the 4th, we will be leaving at 4:30pm for our overnight in Luxor.In fact, our table will be empty that evening, because it is Ellen's birthday, and she and Barb are eating elsewhere. Terry was invited to dine with Susie and Woody. We may or may not make it back to the ship on time for dinner on the 5th. All should be back to normal by the 6th.

 

The entertainment this evening was Part 3 of an Independant Film Festival, where four comedies will be critiqued and voted on for the best film. We think we will pass on this one. By the way, the clocks went back one hour last night, and will go back again tonight one hour also. One of us really appreciates the extra sleep.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[WCB]

Report # 95 April 3, 2012 Tuesday Day at Sea # 5

 

There was a noticable difference in the weather when we went outside this morning. The wind had picked up to 20 knots and was coming from the north. There were whitecaps in the sea, although it was not too rough. The Amsterdam has traveled a distance of 2506 nautical miles from Mumbai with 279 nautical miles left to reach Safaga late tomorrow afternoon. On this 88th day of the world cruise, the ship has traveled a whopping 30,013 nautical miles since leaving Florida in January. How's that for a bunch of numbers!!

 

Today was an interesting one with a lunch with a group from our travel agency in the Pinnacle Grill Restaurant. Hosts Ellen and Tom have been giving these special meals for all of their clients since the beginning of the trip. Since many folks were on segments, they treated those people first, saving us for the last party. That is, those of us who did the full world cruise. We filled the room, enjoying the set meal of shrimp bruschetta appetizers, a 5 onion soup, and our choice of entrees.............crab cakes or a petit filet mignon. Most of us ordered the beef, and were glad we did. It was fork-tender and done just right for us.....medium. Dessert was a sweet mini chocolate volcano treat. Wines were served, although we opted for our usual diet Cokes. That's funny....a decadent dessert with diet Coke....go figure? We were in good company with Terry and Sky, who we know well, and Joe and Silvia Oakes, who we got to know better. Joe is an interesting character, who has written a book on his unusual travels over the decades. He is also an accomplished watercolor artist, and showed us two paintings he did to give to our host Tom, who went on the overland to see tigers in northern India. He never did see a tiger in the wild, so Joe painted him his choice of two designs. Pretty nice of him.

 

We spent the rest of the afternoon poolside. What a change from yesterday however. There was little heat in the sun, and the wind was getting cooler by the minute. Even though the desert flanks us on both sides going up the Red Sea, we do not feel the heat from it. The country of Sudan is to the west of us, while Saudi Arabia is to the east. The ship is still sailing at 18.8 knots, and the guards are still on watch on the promenade deck, but we feel the threat of pirates may be behind us at this point.

 

At 5:30pm, we watched a movie with Gwyeth Paltrow and Tim McGraw about a country music star. Even though we love country music, we found the movie to be very depressing.........more about the dark side of the entertainment business. Guess all that glitters is not gold.

 

Dinnertime came soon, and we joined our full table of invited guests. They were mother and daughter team Lynn and Barbara, Fran, and guest chef Paulette and her companion Darrel. She is a star as well in the cooking world, having written many cookbooks and produced videos of foods from around the globe. We have heard many good reports of her demos, since they tend to teach simple and quick recipes that you can use at home. We found out that Darrel and Paulette will also be going on the overnight trip to Luxor tomorrow, so it will be nice to know someone to go with.

 

Complimentary wines were served at dinner tonight, with a note in poetry form saying that the wine was in celebration of outrunning possible danger during this long stretch of sea days. Whatever the reason, all seemed to appreciate the treat. Of course, we were offered Cokes, and gladly accepted.

 

The clocks went back 1/2 hour this evening, giving us that full hour we needed to be back to somewhat normal with the time difference from home.

 

Tomorrow, we will be in Egypt, and hopefully on our way to Luxor around 4:30pm if all goes as panned. Can't wait..........

 

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[DFD1]

Hope you have a great time in Egypt. Stay safe.

[earl_m]

Glad there was no Problems!!

[Essiesmom]

MS Amsterdam arriving Sharm El-Sheikh, from AIDAblu:

 

 

 

[NMLady]

THANKS, Essiesmom, for those awesome photos of the Amsterdam. Those, coupled with the excellent narrative, lets us be there more completely.

[vivavegas]

This has got to be the trip of a lifetime!:D:) Thanks for sharing a detailed review as you continue on your journey. Photos are awesome too!

[WCB]

Report # 96 April 4, 2012 Wednesday Safaga, Egypt Day One

 

Well, here we are, finally back after our 2 day excursion, much richer for the experience, but tired none the less. We shall make the effort to catch up on the days we missed writing, even if it takes a few more days to accomplish it.

 

To our surprise, the razor wire was being removed from the ship's sides early this morning. Several workers, wearing heavy duty gloves, handled the bundles of sharp wire with care as they slowly cut the ropes and hauled it onboard the promenade deck. Guess we are totally out of danger now. That is good to know.

 

We gathered our stuff to take overnight. Our instructions were to keep it light, and we did just that by bringing one of the bags that we got as a gift recently. In fact, we filled it with more water (bottles) than we did clothes and toiletries. The shore excursion gal, Leandra, had cautioned all of us that there would be no water provided on this tour, even though we were paying a fairly high price for the excursion. Our biggest concern was not the fact that we would have access to drinking water, but we would not be able to drink the water unless it was bottled. Not even brushing our teeth with bathroom water was recommended. Anyway, we were set to go at 4pm, when the ship would anchor in the bay outside Safaga.

 

But first, we had a birthday party to attend for Ellen, our lovely hostess, who proudly turned 60 something. She invited us along with a dozen close buddies for a special Pinnacle Grill lunch. We ordered the delicious hamburgers with skinny fries, and relished every bite. Knowing that dinnertime would probably be around 9pm, we knew this lunch would satisfy us for the rest of the day. We also ordered dessert, just in case the burgers weren't enough. Of course, Kim, the manager, came in the back room with a birthday cake and candles. Ellen's face lit up like she was 10 again. She is one person that delights in the nice things people do for her, because what goes around, comes around, as our moms used to tell us. Ellen tells us she was born with a "happy" gene, and we agree. The afternoon flew by as we lingered over the meal.

 

Around 4pm, we headed to the Queens Lounge to join our group, who were already waiting patiently with their bags. Our passports were handed to each of us as we entered the room, then we waited until the tenderboat was ready to take us to shore. Everyone's labeled luggage was taken at this point, so it could be loaded all together by the ship's fellows. Only those of us going on an overnight tour were allowed to go to shore. There were 60 of us on the HAL tour, and a handful of independant people going to Luxor in small buses or private cars. We were all supposed to be convoying with guards, but that did not happen for all. The cars and vans were delayed, leaving them on their own.

 

There were three buses for the 60 of us, and we got on bus # 19, and headed for the back seats. That way we could spread out and be able to see out of both sides and the back window. No fighting for those front seats on the bus, because we feel those guests would be the first ones to fly through the windshield if there was an accident, God forbid. At least there were many extra seats, so if people chose to sit alone, they could. And they did.

 

As the buses wound their way out of Safaga, we were very glad to have chosen this tour. There was not too much in town for tourists from what we saw. Perhaps a few cafes and hotels, but not a really clean place to walk around. The Egyptian people don't seem to notice the garbage that lays in the streets and hillsides. Old habits die hard, or not ever here. That was one reason we never left the ship when it was docked here last year.

 

By the way, two other ships were docked here.............the Discovery (former Pacific Princess) and a Thompson vessel. They also had a line of buses parked by their ships, probably offering the same tours we were doing.

 

Our ride was supposed to be 3 1/2 to 4 hours for the 222 kilometers to Luxor. As we climbed the stark naked granite peaks surrounding the seaside port, we arrived to a truckstop complex, perhaps an hour drive from Safaga. It was here that our lead guard vehicle must have broken down. We sat patiently for over 40 minutes, being told by our guide that there was an accident blocking the road up ahead. Well, that made no sense, because the traffic was going around us to continue, and traffic was coming from the opposite directions. We think our guide got the wrong story. Our convoy resumed operation by 6:20pm, losing over 40 minutes. We later heard that the guard's car broke down, and we had to wait for a replacement car and driver before we could continue.

 

Speaking of guards, it came as a surprise to us that we only had one car leading us, with no backup vehicle. Eleven years ago, while on our way to Cairo, we had armed guards on each bus (10 at that time), and hummers.....one at the lead and one at the rear. Guess there are less problems on this run to Luxor. We'll never know. Some of the independant groups had fallen behind, and were not part of our convoy. However, we were told that the small bus of independants had an armed guard. He proudly showed his twin holstered guns to that group, hoping that they felt more secure.

 

The long ride was not boring as most folks led us to believe. There was a huge expanse of desert, but once we neared the outskirts of Luxor, we traveled through miles and miles of city streets. And very slowly at that. By now, it was dark, and the numerous Islamic mosques were lit up with green and white lights. Many locals, all men and boys, milled around the streets and corners. It seemed that the heat of the day was over, and the older crowd was drawn outside to cool off. Most of the men were dress in the customary long robes, with turbans around their heads. Women were a rare sighting, as were the kids. Any woman that may have been outside, attracted the wrong kind of attention. It was not unusual to see men working in the fields, harvesting or tending to crops. Since it is so much cooler in the evening, we think the area is watered to keep everything alive and green.

 

When we finally arrived to the hotel, it was close to 9pm. The name of this hotel was the Sonesta St. George, and was definitely a five-star show. Built right on the Nile, this hotel has 328 guest rooms, several of which have balconies that have a view of the river. The check-in process was the easiest yet. Envelopes containing our room keys were laying on a table for us to pick up. We were located on the 6th and 7th floors. What a nice surprise it was to open the door and find a luxurious suite awaiting us.

 

But first, dinner was waiting down on the outdoor patio right on the Nile River. Several tables were set with salad fixings, breads of all types, soups, and entree items. These included a beef stew with rice, roasted potatoes, and steamed veggies. Near that layout, was the BBQ chef who was offering crispy chicken, ground lamb fingers, some type of fish, and beef chunks....all with special gravies or BBQ sauce. A table containing desserts finished the ample meal. Bottled water, soda, tea and or coffee were complimentary, but beer and wines were extra.

 

While we ate, a belly dancer entertained us for a short time. Of course, we did not have our cameras, so Bill went off to get his. In the meantime, the young dancer proceeded to leave the stage and dance among the guests, mostly the male guests. Ha-ha, too bad Bill had gone to get his camera, because he missed the display. Well, he didn't miss too much, because the consensus was this girl was not the best dancer we have seen. Naturally, the men disagreed.

 

By 10:30pm, the buffet service was over, and most everyone had wandered off to bed. We were enjoying the warm breezes and continued to walk around taking photos here and there. Paulette, our guest chef, and Darrel walked the grounds with us, comparing notes on the meal we just had. Riding up in the rather small elevators, we happened to be with one of the managers of the hotel. He asked the four of us if we would like to see the view from the 9th floor, and of course, we agreed. He unlocked a large door from the ballroom, and a balcony presented itself. Here we could see the view of the mountain of the Valley of the Kings. It was lit up eerily with grey-blue spotlights, giving it an unreal image, unlike anything we have ever seen. Perhaps we appreciated the site more so, because up high, we were away from the lights of the city and hotel. Thanking him, we all rode back down and headed off to our rooms.

 

The room accommodations were opulent with an unusual bathroom set-up. The shower/jetted tub was controlled by a keyboard with many options. I for one, was afraid to press anything for fear of what it would do. There were shower heads on the walls and the ceiling, as well as heating lamps, and spa jets. Music was also an option. Gosh, I wasn't even sure how to fill the tub, let alone have a sauna or a spa bath. Would have loved to figure the whole thing out, but it was nearing midnight, and we needed to be up very early tomorrow morning. A simple bath would suffice. And to put it delicately, the toilet was also another automated toy of sorts. Other guests had already commented on the heated seat, and the many options you had by pressing the buttons on the wall panel. We heard a very funny story about a gal pushing the bidet button, only to find it had the strength of a garden hose (they were adjustable). It would not shut off, and for fear of flooding the bathroom, she quickly read the directions and pressed the 3 second off button. It worked.

 

The bed size is worth mentioning, since it could have accommodated three or four people. We have never seen beds so wide and long, but oh, did we like that or what? Watching TV was different since most of the stations were in Arabic. All but CNN, but we have so much of that on the ship, the best option was to turn it off and get some quality sleep. Tomorrow should be a long and busy day.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[Pete Jackson]

Bill and Mary Ann, what a wonderful description of what is a very exotic place! Thanks for sharing.

[WCB]

Report # 97 April 5, 2012 Thursday Luxor, Egypt Day Two Part #1 Morning Valley of the Kngs, Queen Hatshepsut and Habu Temples, Colossi of Memnon

 

We were waken up abruptly at around 4am with the sounding of the prayer call coming from the hundreds of minarets in the city of Luxor. Who needs an alarm clock? You can guess how powerful that melody is when it comes through closed doors and windows of a hotel. The chanting continued long enough to wake the local chickens, who followed with crowing incessantly.

 

A lovely breakfast was served, starting at 6am, in a different restaurant in the hotel. They offered everything you would find in a full service restaurant, with the exception of anything pork. Being a predominately Muslim country, pork is not served. No ham, no bacon. We were given an hour to eat, clean up, and be ready to meet our coaches by 7:30pm. The best part of this was that we would be much earlier to the first site at the Valley of the Kings, about a 45 minute drive from Luxor. It was a much cooler time of day to do this visit.

 

The Valley of the Kings, the city of the dead, was used for burials from 1539 and 1075BC. Up to date, 63 tombs have been found, with more evidence that suggests many more are waiting to be discovered. These Theban Hills, which we saw lit up last night, are dominated by a peak called al-Qurn or The Peak. Since it is pyramidal in shape, it is believed to be a reminder of the Giza Plateau and the Great Pyramids of Cairo. These burial chambers had been constructed centuries earlier and plundered. It was thought that the new tombs in this valley would be a safer place for the final resting place of so many later rulers. Were these robbed of their treasures as well? Yes, they were also, even though special tomb guards watched over the necropolis. Perhaps they are the ones that tipped off the grave robbers.

 

There were no cameras allowed in this sacred site. We were required to leave all cameras in the locked and guarded bus, or risk getting arrested for not complying. It was actually better to buy the cheap postcards from the unrelenting vendors. Gosh, these guys never let up all day long. Maybe it is due to the fact that tourism is down, and the country is hurting due to political upheaval. But you can only take so much of the hasseling. Our guide firmly told us not to engage these vendors, don't look at them, and don't even say NO. Saying NO, means a possible YES to them. If we happen to be interested in the trinkets they were selling, she said bargain hard or ask for her help. At this site, a book and postcards were good buys, and useful for info. Yes, the book was written in English.

 

Once through the entrance building, we climbed aboard trams which brought us to the beginning of the valley. That saved a long walk in the hot sun. Thinking that the vendors would stay back at the complex, they surprised us by hopping onto the trams to continue to haggle with us. Everything they sold was one dollar, like carved figurines, or pharoah heads, scarabs, or even pyramids. But if you went to buy one for $1.00, they quickly said, no, they are 2 or 3 or more dollars. With those tatics, they sold little if none.

 

We were led into three tombs in the hour we were there. Each was intricately painted with wall and ceiling carvings depicting the story of each pharoah. Natural minerals and dyes were used to enhance these carvings, and although they have been enhanced somewhat, our guide said they remain close to the original colors. Descending down a gentle wooden walkway, we entered each chamber to the burial spot where some tombs were still in place. These tombs weighed several tons, cut out of solid granite, and were probably moved down each shaft greased with fat. How the lids were ever removed to pilfer the bejeweled mummies is a mystery.

 

We had the opportunity to see King Tutankhamon's tomb, but since he died at such a young age, his spot was the least adorned tomb in the valley. It cost an extra $20. per person, but we felt our time was better spent in the other chambers. At least, the sun was not as hot this time of the morning, and even the shafts were fairly cool the deeper we got. The most heat came from the vendor that relentlously followed us trying to sell his ibis bird and beetle scarab, a good luck bug. We finally came to a fair price, and he happily went on to the next customer. For the two items, he had started out with $70, and ended up selling for $15.

 

Leaving this complex, we had to walk through a maze of tented shops with numerous souvenier items from Egypt. Unfortunately, there was no time for shopping, and the husbands were happy campers.

 

On the ride to the next site, we passed by Howard Cater's home while he worked here in the early 1900's. He was the famous English archaeologist who, along with Lord Carnarvon, discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun and his treasures. The objects found with the boy king were believed to be the most finest and valuable ever discovered. Most of it was removed and shipped to the Cairo Museum, where we saw these treasures 11 years ago.

 

Our next stop was for photos only at the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, a short drive from the Valley of the Kings. She was a Pharoah, but also a woman, which was forbidden at that time. So she wore a false beard and dressed like a man. Her mortuary temple was cut in the sheer limestone cliffside complete with white terraces. We only had time to take photos from the gate, which was OK with all of us. It was one temple that you could only see from the outside anyway. Somehow, we ended up bargaining for yet another ibis bird rock carving. Now we have a pair.

 

Our next stop was not on our original itinerary, but was a really good one. It was at the Habu Temple, another short distance from Queen Hatshepsut's Temple. We were given no printed information on this site, but we can say it was built differently from the other sites, and was equally as impressive.

 

The next photo stop was at the Colossi of Memnon, two immense statues of Amenhotep III, that had once guarded the entrance to Amenhotep's great temple. All that is here are the statues, since they were moved from the banks of the eroding Nile River. The actual temple is gone we believe. We encountered a problem here with an elderly local man, who would not leave us alone to photograph the statues. He insisted on standing next to one of us, we think to try to get a tip. He even attempted to grab my cotton scarf I had just bought to wrap around my head turban-fashion. He would not take NO for an answer. With that, we just headed straight for the waiting bus, and were glad to leave. We have never seen these guys so bad to the point it could ruin your visit.

 

There was one more important temple to see before lunchtime, but this seems like a good time to take a break.

 

To be continued.........................

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[newfarmers]

Report # 82 March 21, 2012 Wednesday Phuket, Thailand

 

Phuket, Thailand was our destination today this fine warm and humid morning. But instead of docking in Phuket today, like we normally do, we had been bumped by two ships, one being the Seabourn Quest. So, instead we were anchored off the west coast in Patong Bay. Helping with the tendering process, were two much larger local boats that each held at least 150 people.

 

Phuket is Thailand's most populous and most visited island. Obviously, tourism is the biggest industry here, where the inland areas produce rice, rubber, cashew nuts, cacao, pineapple, and coconuts. This was the first time we have seen the west coast, since all the tours we have done took us out of the cities. Patong was the epitome of a tropical paradise, mixed with food stalls, hotels, small shops, discos, and "knock-off" vendors block after block. It has come a long way from the sleepy fishing village it once was.

 

Both times we have visited Phuket, we took a tour to the Phang-Nga Bay area and James Bond Island. A little different excursion was Phi Phi Island and Khai Island by speedboat. Phi Phi Island is a familiar name due to the film, The Beach, being filmed here several years ago, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. It was such a scenic area, we wanted to see it for ourselves.

 

The tender ride to shore was a long one, followed by a really long walk on a narrow floating dock to get to the shoreline. This would prove difficult for the hanidcapped if not impossible. There was a total of 50 guests doing this tour. Hundreds of mini-vans lined the beachside road, but we had two buses waiting for us at the end of the line of vehicles. It was neccesary to transport us from Patong on the west coast to Phuket Town on the east coast, only a 12 mile drive. With all the traffic, it took us 40 minutes to get to the small marina. At least we had some sightseeing along the way. Buddism is the main religion, and there are numerous temples on the roadside. Other faiths here are Hindu, Muslim, and Christian. The ancient Asian temples were the most photographed.

 

Our guide relayed some info about the devastating tsunami that hit this coastline in 2004. That day, he had a tour group up high at a temple, when he saw the wall of water coming. And his memory of it was painful as he described how many of his friends lost their whole families that day. He was glad to have been able to help evacuate the survivors days after the tragedy. To look at the city's shoreline now, you never would have known how badly they were damaged or washed out to sea. Much is new and sparkling. There are big warning signs, showing the path to take in case of a tsunami.

 

We boarded the high speed boat, only to find that it was built with high sides, where you could not see anything while traveling. Seeing that was going to be a problem, we planted ourselves on the back seating, right in front of the engines. Sure, it was going to be noisy, but at least we could see out the back and had some fresh air? and a little sun. Did we mention that Captain Jonathon and his wife were on this tour? Guess who had the raised seat right across from the boat driver? Of course, the Captain, and his buddy who was long with them. At least the wives were down with the regular folks, watching the side of the boat. The only way to see anything, was to stand on tiptoes or on the seating, while holding on to the roof railing. At least we got some great pictures of the limestone monolithes that appeared out of nowhere on our way to the islands.

 

Our first stop was at one of the Phi Phi Islands, Noppharat Thara Beach, where the movie was filmed. Surrounding this beautiful stretch of white sand beach are steep tropical limestone cliffs. The water in this little bay was emerald green, but a little murky with the dozens of gas-powered boats that anchored there. We never saw so many bikini-clad tourists, mostly from all other foreign countries. It was definitely a younger crowd, like the one we saw on James Bond Island back in 2009. There must be a time limit for the boats that land here, since we had to wait for a spot to back into the beach.

 

There was a small roped-off area for swimming, and that's what we all did. Since we were allowed only 1/2 hour, we did not even spread the towels on the sand. One of us stayed back with our stuff, while the other, Bill, went on the trail to see what was inland. He discovered that there were tents for backpackers, restrooms, and a snack bar. Would have been nice to have more time here, but we did not. Seems like on tours like this, we are always running late. The joke of the day, was that we would not be in trouble arriving back late, since the Captain was with us.

 

We all boarded the boat, walking in the surf, shoeless, then climbing the little ladder to the seating. Some people needed more help than others, and we always question why they insist on doing these tours. At one point, a man slipped and fell on the boat, while steeping on a wet lifejacket. That must have hurt his back and his pride too. Thinking back, we were over-crowded, because at least 5 or more passengers got on this boat by accident. Our guide said that's OK because we were all going the same way.

 

We drove into another tight little bay for sight-seeing. These cliffs are strange with trees and shrubs popping out of the rocks. These islands are all protected under the National Park. Another set of monolithes had the swallows that used to make their nests in the caves. These have been plucked by locals who hung from the top, then plucked these nests from the cliffs with long sticks. The nests are a delicacy used in soups, and command a hefty price. It has been stopped and is illegal to harvest these in this area now. The nests are made from the spittle of the birds, not twigs and sticks like regular bird nests.

 

The next stop was brief, with a snorkeling opportunity from the boat. Now this was where many folks should not have gone into the water. Knowing that once you got in there, you only had 10 minutes to swim until you needed to come back. The guides threw banans pieces in the water to attract the colorful fish. Bananas? Guess they'll eat anything. Some of the larger fish were parrotfish and long-nose white fish. And as expected, some ladies had difficulty getting out of the boat and up the ladder. It took four of the guides to haul them out. One elderly man was being hauled back, like he was having breathing problems. Anyway, the 1/2 hour was gone in seconds, and we were on our way.

 

It was time for lunch, where we landed at another island. We were treated to a wonderful Thai buffet. Admittedly, the food was not as spicy as the locals like it, but we were pleased with the dishes of rice, fish soup, BBQ chicken legs, and sweet and spicy chicken. In no time, the pans were empty. We all got beer, soda, and waters with the meal. Fresh fruit was the most delicious. The pineapple does not get any better.

 

Our guides continued serving all the drinks we wanted and even slices of cold watermelon as we headed back to the marina. This speedboat exceeded 40 MPH as we made our way back. The only downside were the fumes we had to endure from the hot engines. The guests that had ridden in the extreme front of the boat, had to move back with us because it was too rough riding up there. We were jammed like sardines in a can!

 

Once back at the marina, which had turned into a mudflat with the tide going out, we boarded the buses for the ride back to the pier. On the way back, we noticed the gem and souvenier factory where we always stopped on the ride home. Hurray, we were running late, and did not stop.

 

We had 5 minutes to check out the stands near the pier landing, becuase the last of the tenderboats were gathering the late-comers. Sailaway was due at 4:30pm, and was already underway. We did pick up two Thai purse, one which we gave to Terry, who never left the ship today.

 

There were 6 of us for dinner, including Tom M. He always is fun to have, because he told us about a visit he had on the Seabourn Quest today. A very nice ship, although smaller than the Amsterdam, the Quest is an upscale experience according to both Tom and Ellen. And of course, it is new, so she showed well.

 

We have 2 days at sea, thank goodness, then we will be in India, another exoctic destination.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

 

Just catching up on the blog as we have been in Thailand for two weeks.

 

Loved the posts from Singapore and Vietnam. We stayed in Singapore for three days after our two week cruise on Legend of the Seas from SHanghai ended.

 

We stayed on Phi Phi Don and hired a long boat for the morning to visit Phi Phi Ley. When we arrived at 'The Beach' we were only the second boat but more soon started arriving. I'd imagine we were snorkelling where you eventually arrived when the masses of large sped boats from Phuket and Krabi started arriving. Most of them were full of Chinese we were told.

 

Yes, we too love Thailand, and look forward to returning again in the not too distant future.

 

Thanks again, haven't even started day two in Thailand.

 

Pete and Al

[WCB]

Report # 98 April 5, 2012 Thursday Luxor, Egypt Afternoon Day Two, Part Two Karnak Temple

 

Well, our afternoon continued with a stop at the world's largest temple, Karnak. It is located on the east bank of the Nile River, with the city of Luxor built around it. A wide avenue houses rows of ram-headed sphinxes, correctly named Avenue of the Sphinxes. At one time, this avenue linked the Karnak Temple to the Luxor Temple, a short distance away. The plans are in the works to connect these sites sometime in the near future.

 

Once inside the main entrance, we walked into the Hypostyle Hall, a colonnade with 134 immense and richly decorated columns. An obelisk belonging to Queen Hatshepsut and another one are situated here. The sister obelisks to these exist in different places around the world, such as in Rome. There is a Sacred Lake in the rear of the temple, and it is used during part of the Sound and Light Show every evening. Unfortunately, we would not have the time to see it on this visit. It took over 1000 years for the Egyptians to build the entire complex around the inner sanctuary.

 

When our guide set us loose to take photos, we ran into many locals who had a bad habit of hiding among the columns. You would hear "pssst" coming from behind a column, followed by a robed fellow trying to get us to follow him for better pictures. You only fall for that trick once, because it always ends up in the same place...............they want money for taking pictures you would have taken without their help. More vendors were trying to push their trinkets too. Only they had grown tired from the heat of the day, and gave up much faster than the morning guys.

 

By now, we were all dragging, and really ready for a relaxing lunch back at the hotel.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS Even though it is out of sequence, today is Sunday and we want to wish you all a very Happy Easter!

[cruz chic]

Happy Easter! I really am enjoying this thread. Thanks so much for all the time and $ you devote to it.

[WCB]

Report # 99 April 5, 2012 Thursday Luxor, Egypt Afternoon Day Two, Part Three Hotel Lunch & Luxor Temple

 

After our very busy day, we were more than ready for relaxation and lunch. We found both back at the Sonesta St. George Hotel at the lunch buffet restaurant overlooking the pool. But first, we had been asked to check out of our room, then bring our bags down to the lobby. It would have been nice to clean up a bit, but we were told lunch was waiting. In hind sight, we could have taken our time, because lunch was a buffet and we had over an hour to eat it. Oh well, this way was crowd control, and they could not chance any of us taking a nap or something (many people needed one by now).

 

The buffet was elegant with a full salad bar and various types of bread. The bad thing was that none of us wanted to take a chance eating anything vegetable that had been washed in their water. It looked beautiful, but could be lethal. We made up the difference with generous helpings of cheese-topped chicken breasts, fish, veal stew, rice, assorted cooked veggies, and a tasty lasagne with ground lamb. The dessert table consisted of the same dishes that were offered last night. There were few cake-like desserts, but plenty of gelatin-based pies and tarts. They even had fruit-filled jello with whipped cream. Bottled water, sodas, coffee and tea were free, but beer was extra. Our tablemates ordered Luxor beer, 16 ounce cans, and they cost $5. each. Not a bad price for a hotel we thought.

 

By 3:30pm, we identified our bag to be put on bus # 19, then boarded our coach for the short ride to the Luxor Temple. This complex had been connected to the Temple of Karnak with the Avenue of the Sphinxes, over one mile long. This temple is surrounded by the modern city of Luxor, with the temple ruins right in the center of town. It reminded us of some of the ruins in Rome, where high-rise buildings dwarf the Roman columns and statues. This smaller temple was begun by Amenhotep in the 16th century BC, then added onto by later pharoahs, including Ramses II. Now if we listened correctly to our guide, it was a common practice for other religious groups to take over temple remains over the centuries. The Christians had occupied this complex, tearing down columns to create a church in the courtyard. That no longer exists, but a Muslim mosque survived here, built on the roof of one of the temple structures. It is such a strange site, it was left in place, although it really does not belong to the original time period.

 

We left the temple at 4:30pm, but had one last stop that we had expected, but not looked forward to. It was the dreaded obligatory shopping stop. However, it was disguised as a rendevous with the other 2 buses, so we could convoy back to Safaga. Whatever the reason, we chose not to leave the bus. Actually, most of us did not go inside the fancy shop. Lucky for us, it lasted only 15 minutes, and we were on our way by 5pm.

 

The bus driver took a different route out of Luxor, shaving off at least 1/2 hour of the drive. The scenery changed from the green agricultural fields to dry desert within miles of leaving the Nile River. All we saw on the way back were occassional guard houses and tents. It was neat to see the sun go down, and the full moon rise over the sand dunes. The moonlight was so bright, we could have read a book.

 

The ride took over 3 hours, and we missed our 8pm dinner by 1/2 hour. There had been an Egyptian BBQ at the Lido pool, but we decided that a room service meal of a cheeseburger and triple-decker club sandwich would do just fine. We were told it may take 45 minutes to arrive, since many other returning guests had the same idea. So we took a walk on the promenade deck for awhile to stretch our legs.

 

Last year, while stuck in this same port, we witnessed hundreds of migrant workers gathering their worldly possessions on dollies and their backs, then leaving the pier. We were told they were traveling from working out of the country, somewhere in the Middle East. It was like watching red ants in a disturbed nest. The same thing occurred tonight, although, when we returned from our trip, the pier was empty. During our walk, tractors appeared, pulling large carts full of huge plastic bags with furniture and household stuff. Within mintes, several men came running to offload these bags out of the still-moving carts. More guys came to rifle through the piles to claim their things. A carful of baton swinging police drove up to keep order in the crowd. Just being there, kept them civil, we think. We were so mesmerized watching this fiasco, that we forgot our meal was coming. Usually, the room service fellows will not leave your food unless you are there. But when we got back to the room, our food was waiting on the bed. Perhaps our nice room steward was here to let him in.

 

Enjoying every bite, we soon retired to bed to get ready for one more day in Egypt, Sharm el Sheikh, 75 nautical miles away. The ship was scheduled to leave Safaga at midnight, but we heard that since some groups did not get back in time, departure time was delayed an hour or so.

 

And so ended our excellent adventure to Luxor, Egypt.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[WCB]

Report # 100 April 6, 2012 Friday Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt

 

There were several strikes against going to the port of Sharm el Sheikh today. First of all, we had been scheduled to dock here, but for some unknown reason, we had to drop anchor and tender ashore. We arrived to this port at 7am, well before anything was open. To complicate matters more, today, being a Friday, most everything was closed due to their religious Muslim holiday. And the last point was we had to be back onboard by 12:30pm. Unless you were on a shore excursion, there would be little time to do anything. So for all those reasons, we decided not to leave the port gates.

 

Located on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, Sharm el Sheikh proved to be strategic for the Egyptian Navy as a naval base. International peace talks have been held here as well. The most recent events involve ousted Mubarik, who is reportedly hospitalized somewhere in the city. Religious history dates back to the 4th century with St. Catherine's Monastery built at the foot of Mt. Sinai. It was here that Moses saw the burning bush. Today, there are 25 Orthodox monks living at the monastery. Pilgrims are drawn here to this sacred place where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God.

 

We have been here three times in the past, so we were not missing much. In fact, last year, this port was cancelled due to the civil unrest that was happening at the time. It really is a unique resort town, offering glamorous accommodations, beaches, snorkeling and scuba diving, restaurants and shopping centers. We have enjoyed riding camels in the desert to a bedouin camp, snorkeling in the Red Sea off a beach in Ras Mohammed National Park, and sailing on a glass bottom boat in the Na'ama Bay (pretty touristy). Today we chose to walk around the pier, since we were still tired from our overland excursion to Luxor. Well, at least one of us was still tired.......

 

Two other ships were docked. The Aida Blu was in our spot, and the much smaller Discovery was in the other slip. We were reminded by our good buddy, that the Discovery was actually the old Island Princess, not the sister ship, Pacific Princess. We have sailed on both of those ships many years ago, and thought they were "the bees knees", as they were the very same ships that "The Love Boat" series was filmed on. Boy, that brings back good memories.........

 

Once we tendered over to shore on an almost empty boat, we encountered the first of many taxi drivers who wanted our business. They began offering us a ride to town for $20, then $10, and finally $5. Yeah, it was cheap to go there, but how much to come back? We found out when we talked to a nice British couple getting out of a cab. The man was irate, because they charged him $18. to get back to the pier after a 20 mile round trip. If you were not aware of their tricks, you could chance missing the ship, especially when it was leaving so early today.

 

Needing to take a walk, we found our way around the bay to the little yacht harbor situated by the police station. On the beach, we saw many stranded purple jellyfish on the sand. Dozens more were floating by in the surf. Recalling Barbara's talk about swimming here, she said these jellies were harmless, but do you really want them all around you while you swim? Not us, that is for sure.

 

From here, we made our way to the gangway of the Aida ship, where passengers were disembarking, and the newbies were boarding. We spoke to one of the crew members, who told us this ship was a German-speaking one, and their itinerary was a repeating 7 day cruise. Many families with younger kids were checking in and going up the gangway. From the people we saw, we guessed they were about half the age of the passengers on our ship. And they were definitely all European, mostly Germans and northern Europeans.

 

We also spoke to an elderly couple on the Discovery. They had boarded in Safaga the day we were there, and were on their way to Israel and nearby countries for a 14 day cruise. It was fun listening to them tell us about all their different cruises and their favorite places to visit. Like most of us, we all like to go to places with warmer weather. This desert surely counts for warmer weather. Wishing them a safe trip, they also wished us well and thought it was swell that we were on a world voyage.

 

By the time we were ready to go back to the ship, the line for the tender boat was 100 people long. All the bus tours had come back at the same time, and with no shade or water, people were getting pretty cranky. The general consensus was everyone wished we could have stayed here longer. But we needed to get to the entrance to the Suez Canal by 10:30pm in order to get our name on the list for the convoy tomorrow. At least that is what Captain Mercer told us at the sailaway party.

 

Once we re-boarded the ship from the tenderboat, we had to turn in our passports once again. The sailaway party was underway when we joined the crowd at the aft pool deck. Meat empanadas were being served, and were so large, they filled us up. Sailing out of the harbor was really nice, watching the many dive boats coming back from their morning jaunts. The water was so clear, we could see hundreds of the purple jellies floating all around the ship. From our past trips from here, we know that the weather should remain warm for the next two days, then it will get cooler, even downright cold when we enter the Mediterranean Sea. We stayed outside, absorbing the rays of the sun like lizards, loving every minute of it, while chatting with friends. We are starting to get the feeling that many folks are getting sentimental now that the days of this cruise are slipping away quickly. Since today is # 91, there are only 21 days, or 3 weeks left until we will be back in Ft. Lauderdale. Where has all that time gone????

 

Tomorrow, we shall transit the Suez Canal.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[bet410]

Report # 98 April 5, 2012 Thursday Luxor, Egypt Afternoon Day Two, Part Two Karnak Temple

 

Well, our afternoon continued with a stop at the world's largest temple, Karnak. It is located on the east bank of the Nile River, with the city of Luxor built around it. A wide avenue houses rows of ram-headed sphinxes, correctly named Avenue of the Sphinxes. At one time, this avenue linked the Karnak Temple to the Luxor Temple, a short distance away. The plans are in the works to connect these sites sometime in the near future.

 

Once inside the main entrance, we walked into the Hypostyle Hall, a colonnade with 134 immense and richly decorated columns. An obelisk belonging to Queen Hatshepsut and another one are situated here. The sister obelisks to these exist in different places around the world, such as in Rome. There is a Sacred Lake in the rear of the temple, and it is used during part of the Sound and Light Show every evening. Unfortunately, we would not have the time to see it on this visit. It took over 1000 years for the Egyptians to build the entire complex around the inner sanctuary.

 

When our guide set us loose to take photos, we ran into many locals who had a bad habit of hiding among the columns. You would hear "pssst" coming from behind a column, followed by a robed fellow trying to get us to follow him for better pictures. You only fall for that trick once, because it always ends up in the same place...............they want money for taking pictures you would have taken without their help. More vendors were trying to push their trinkets too. Only they had grown tired from the heat of the day, and gave up much faster than the morning guys.

 

By now, we were all dragging, and really ready for a relaxing lunch back at the hotel.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS Even though it is out of sequence, today is Sunday and we want to wish you all a very Happy Easter!

 

Very interesting reading your account of the overnight to Luxor! We were on bus 18 - and now with only 18 days left of the cruise, we still have not met you in person! Maybe before the cruise is over!

 

We also very much enjoyed that shore excursion and did not envy those who opted to take the single-day tours!

[WCB]

Report # 101 April 7, 2012 Saturday Suez Canal Transit

 

The Amsterdam began her transit through the Suez Canal at 6am, after joining a convoy of cargo ships. The concept for this canal was begun in 1845 when a French diplomat and engineer, Vicomte Ferdinand Marie de Lesseps, wanted to see his dream completed. But it wasn't until November of 1896, before this important stretch of water was opened. The final cost was $100 million dollars, although three times that was spent on repairs and improvements.

 

The length of this canal is 118 miles, and saves 7,350 miles to get to the Mediterranean Sea from Egypt. Normally, it takes 15 hours for the transit, with an average of 50 ships transiting a day. The toll is $205,600. There are no locks, since the water levels of the Red Sea and the Mediterranean are the same.

 

The ship entered the canal at Port Suez while we were still sleeping. By breakfast time, we were already heading for the Great Bitter Lake, all part of the canal, where many cargo ships and freighters were anchored, waiting their turn to convoy south into the Red Sea. About 14% of the world's shipping, or 25,000 cargo ships use this canal yearly.

 

One of the highlights of doing this transit are the Suez Canal Rolls that were served from 6 to 9am in the Crows Nest, on the promenade deck, and also on the bow. Orange juice and coffee were available too. The next time we will have these treats are when we transit a very different canal, the Panama Canal in May, after the world cruise.

 

It was very, very hot today, compared to last year, when we had sat up on the bow watching the slow transit. Today the flies were so pesty, they drove us inside. There was hardly a breeze to be found. Still it was fun watching the local fishermen, waving to us as we sailed by. Even the guards in the tents and old shacks waved at us. It was much better to see waving hands instead of the guards with rifles and guns we saw on our way to Luxor. There is no doubt that this canal is heavily guarded by the shoreline, as well as the skies. Jets and helicopters drifted over often.

 

The ship reached the end of the canal at Port Said, where we sailed into the Mediterranean Sea. The temperature dropped at least 20 degrees too as we picked up speed leaving Egypt behind. We did spend a few hours in the sun at the aft pool, but we bet this may be the last day for warm sunshine for awhile.

 

The dress code for dinner was formal with the theme of the evening being Arabian Nights. When we sat down at our table, two ladies dressed in full burka garb sat down next to us. Who in the world were they???? Someone we knew, for sure, but who? It could only be Susie and Eloise, who would love to pull that trick on us, but we were not totally sure. After one minute, they got up and walked away, probably laughing behind those veils. Terry thought they were two of the waiters playing a trick on us. Later on, they took off the veils and it was Susie and Eloise. Anyway, we had company again to fill our table with Julie, the ship's crew rep, Lynn and daughter Barbara, and speaker Mel and his friend Ruby. We even got presents this evening........two Mova World Globes in a silver color. We already have two golden globes from the 2009 world cruise. Barb questioned how are we expected to get these home. The liquid in them is supposedly flammable, so you cannot take them on the plane, even in your checked luggage. The last time, we shipped them in our duffels that HAL shipped home 2 weeks after we got back. We also received certificates for sailing the Suez Canal, signed and dated by Captain Mercer.

 

The show "Simply Broadway" was presented by the Amsterdam singers and dancers. We saw part of their rehearsal while going inside from the bow this afternoon. Don't think we will miss too much by going to bed early.

 

Tomorrow's port is Piraeus for Athens, Greece. We will be spending two days there.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 102 April 8, 2012 Sunday Day at Sea

 

Happy Easter to all!! We woke up to another beautiful day, but much cooler and way rougher due to high winds and waves. The Amsterdam is now heading north-easterly into the Aegean Sea where many of the Greek Islands are located. Too bad we are not stopping in Crete or Santorini on the way to Athens. Guess there is not enough time to do it all.

 

The big event for today was the Easter Brunch Grand Show Buffet, which was held in the lower dining room. In fact, the waiters had started setting up the tables and removing the chairs last night after we finished dinner. One heck of a lot of work goes into this spectacular display.

 

From 11 to 12pm, the doors opened for viewing and picture-taking only. We knew not to go at 11am, because there is always a line out the dining room and up the stairwell. It wasn't much better at 11:30pm, but we did get into the room rather quickly. Long tables were set with decorative breads, pastries, carved veggies, and tray after tray of hors d'oeuvres. Watermelons were carved in the most exotic designs, and flowers were created out of root vegetables. We have heard that fruit and veggie carving is an art that is passed from fathers to sons in the Philippines. These fellows are probably further trained by the folks at the HAL school in Jakarta. From what we saw today, they have done an excellent job.

 

The most outstanding displays were the carvings of dragons, melon heads, and flowers. A real cooked turkey was turned into a veggie head bird with green melon tail feathers. Someone got really creative with three roasted chickens, dressed with carrot shoes and heads, sitting on pineapple chairs, all playing instruments, like in a live band. They were just as funny viewing them from the back as well as the front. Hundreds of penguins were created from water chestnuts and blueberries. They were sitting on a large iceberg tinted blue. There were trays of fish, prime rib slices, chops, and thinly sliced meats of ham, salami, and cheeses. Dozens of lobsters and towers of prawns hung from an ice sculpture, waiting to be eaten with cocktail sauce. One separate table held large serving pans of eggs benedict, chicken a la king, and other brunch-style hot foods.

 

Those with a sweet tooth would soon be in sugar heaven with the desserts they offered. Chocolate-dipped strawberries, cakes, and tarts were displayed in all designs and shapes. A 2-tiered fountain flowed with melted white chocolate with skewers of fruit nearby to dip into it. Since we knew we would not partake in the actual meal here, we helped ourselves to a couple of foil-wrapped chocolate Easter eggs, which were placed in large bowls in between all of the trays. It wouldn't be Easter without them. We do remember there was a time that large decorated chocolate Easter eggs were given to each of us in our room, but that has not happened for a long time. We did get cards wishing us a Happy Easter from the staff and crew.

 

We spotted Chef Bernie on the way out and told him this was his best display ever, which brought a smile from him from ear to ear. He and his team deserved all the compliments we could give them.

 

We spent some relaxing time at the aft pool when the clocks went ahead one hour at 2pm. Even though we had not traveled east very much, the time is different in the Mediterranean than in Egypt. We hate those days that we lose one hour, even if it is done during the afternoon. It is the only time that we feel the difference the next few days by being tired for no good reason.

 

Easter dinner was a casual one, but we did manage to fill our table with guests. Friends Mel and Helen, a nice couple from Florida joined us. Poor Mel has been trying to recover from a nagging cold, which has left him with a terrible deep cough. This virus has been going around the passengers for the last month, and has been hard to shake off for most. That can be worse when you are in your 80's like Mel. Other guests were Lynn and her daughter Barbara, who have become almost permanent guests now. We ended up talking well past showtime, which was a group from Spain, Trio Pasion Espanola, featuring fiery Latin music.

 

Tomorrow, we will be in our first European port of Piraeus, Greece for the overwhelming city of Athens. Hope there will not be any demonstrations!

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[DFD1]

Photographs for this amazing blog were mentioned in a previous post. Would someone please post a link to them.

 

Mary Ann & Bill...Thank you again for this wonderful record of your cruise. It's such a treat.

[WCB]

Report # 103 April 9, 2012 Monday Piraeus, (Athens) Greece Day One

 

The Amsterdam docked very early in the port of Piraeus, Greece, the stop for Athens. Not only is Piraeus a major port in Greece, but it serves as a most important trading port in the entire Mediterranean. It is a major shipping and industrial center, and serves as a ferry dock to almost every island in the eastern portion of Greece.

 

We booked a tour with our travel group, with Ellen escorting 40 of us on one bus. That sounds easy, but it turned out to be a nightmare for Ellen, since 11 of the group were either in wheelchairs or scooters or using canes. That would normally not be a problem, but the tour description did not say there was a long walk down a busy narrow street to get to the restaurant. It was a long walk for the able-bodied guests.

 

The weather was not nice today. The skies were mostly blue and the sun was out early on. But that turned on a dime, and the black clouds brought some rain with them. We knew to layer our clothing, but failed to bring umbrellas this time. By the time we met our group in the Ocean Bar, the handicapped people had already gone down to the bus, which was good. Barb, Greg, and Heo were also along, so we knew lunch would be fun.

 

The ride was short to get to our first stop at the all marble Olympic Stadium. Even though it was not printed in the tour description, we were able to get off the bus to get pictures. It also doubled for a pit stop. In the distance, we could see the Acropolis, the high hill on which the Parthenon is built. That is, what is left of the ancient structure. We have yet to be here, when there was no scaffolding erected around the temple. It is in a constant state of repair. On our way towards this site, we passed Hadrian's Arch, and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. We would not have time to climb to the top of the Acropolis today, since our tour was strictly for site-seeing. To tell you the truth, the best pictures are taken from below the hill.

 

We continued on towards the center of Athens and passed Constitution Square, The Royal Palace, and the Greek Parliament. In front of the Parliament, stood two Greek National Guards, dressed in traditional garb. It includes a 400 pleated skirt (like a kilt), and large shoes with black pom-poms. If you happen to be here at noon, you can witness the changing of the guards, where they do a high-step walk to exit and enter. We saw this done in 1997, on our first visit to Athens.

 

We passed by the National Gardens, the University, and the Library, all impressive ancient buildings.

 

Lunch was on the agenda, but we would have to walk there from Constitution Square in the Plaka district. The street was restricted to small cars going in one direction.....no buses were allowed. This proved to be a problem with the people in wheelchairs and scooters. The sidewalks were uneven, proving to be a challenge for the rest of us. Walking ahead, we waited for the group at the Mitropoli Cathedral, another church scaffolded for repairs. By now, it had started to sprinkle, and we all wanted to get out of the weather. It had turned cold and windy as well.

 

The restaurant was just a block away, tucked in between shops and alleyways. Hermion Restaurant advertised exquisite Greek and international cuisine. We all squeezed into the small cafe, and were served a choice of drinks.........water, soda, wine, or beer. We chose the Mythos beer and it was good and cold. Sitting with Terry, Barb, Greg, and Heo, we shared two bowls of Greek salad with sweet fresh tomatoes, crisp bellpepper slices, romaine lettuce, and kalamata olives. Extra virgin olive oil and vinegar in bottles were added by each of us according to our tastes. Crisp bread and rolls were served with a spicy cheese spread. Cheese and spinach quiches were served with a square of moussaka. The entree was a double serving of grilled chicken breast, lemon flavored roasted potatoes, and vegetables. Wow, what a lunch. The meal was ended with slices of tangy oranges and sweet apples.

 

Since some of our group had had a difficult time walking to this restaurant, Ellen made a decision to get taxis (10 euro each) to take these guests back up the hill to the bus stop. Sounds easy, but it was not. Our guide spent most of her lunchtime calling for three taxis, because more than the disabled demanded a ride back. We never thought that people could be so hard to please. Most of us took our time walking and window shopping along the way. The bus was not even there when we gathered at the square. Traffic is so bad in this famous area, that cars, taxis, and buses cannot stop for long or they get ticketed. We saw several riot police standing on every corner. With all the trouble that Greece has had in the past two years, anything could go down in the way of riots or demonstrations in these main squares. We sure did not want to linger too long, and were happy to finally see Ellen arriving in the last taxi with her last 2 charges. She will need more than 2 glasses of wine tonight.................

 

We got back to the ship by 3pm, and just in time to have missed the heavy rain. While working on pictures and reports, a storm dropped heavy rain for hours. Needless to say, we did not intend to leave the ship tonight. Originally, there were three of us at dinner, Barb and us. Terry had decided to go to the movie "War Horse", which was shown in the showlounge at 7:30pm. Ellen joined us later in the meal when the entrees were being served. She was finally free to vent about the excursion today which she labeled as the "worst" tour she has ever done. We don't know why, but one man laid into the guide, and actually brought her to tears. Unbelievable. There was nothing wrong with our tour today, it was just mis-labeled by the HAL folks, misleading folks into thinking it was OK for the disabled. So Ellen had a few more glasses of wine, and her day ended on a better note, we think.

 

For some reason, we were totally exhausted tonight. Perhaps the cold weather, the walking, and losing one hour yesterday caught up with us. Since we kept tomorrow open, with no tour, we did not have to get up too early. This way we can explore Piraeus, the port city we have never really seen.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[WCB]

Report # 104 April 10, 2012 Tuesday Piraeus, Greece Day Two

 

Today the weather looked a bit more promising. It was still cloudy and cold, but the heavy showers were gone. All we had to deal with today were a few sprinkles and a very chilly wind. The umbrellas were taken just in case.

 

This was the first time on this trip that we over-slept, which meant that we must have needed the extra rest. The bad thing was we missed our breakfast in the dining room. On port days, the time for La Fontaine's breakfast is from 7:30 to 9am. So by 9:30am, we found our way to the Lido, where we got juice, coffee, and a plate of pastries. We also tried a triangle of cheese quiche, a slice of ham, and some turkey bacon. The ham was better than what is served in the dining room.

 

Knowing that things don't get going in Greek cities until later in the morning, we spent some time trying to email. For some reason, we ran into problems and decided to try again later. Once again, we were unable to get offline and checked off. And the internet gal, Jaquie was gone, so we had to leave a note for her letting her know when we actually tried logging off. That way, if it stayed on all day, we would not lose all of our minutes.

 

The plan was to stay in Piraeus, since we have toured Athens numerous times, but have never seen this city. Armed with maps, we left the ship after 11am, taking our time walking the streets. Trying to cross a street is a feat in itself. Cars do not slow down or stop, so you have to be most careful. Speaking of cars, the majority of them are small, like the "tennis shoe" cars. The problem is there is no place to park. Lots of people take chances and double park, or block crosswalks. We had the feeling that the local police are more concerned with keeping the peace than ticketing the offenders. This country has been having so many problems with their money or lack thereof, that riots occur without warning almost everyday. Demonstrations did happen yesterday, we heard, but not in the areas we visited. Hope that remains the same today.

 

Following the route the bus took yesterday, we found our way over the hill to the private yacht harbor, a much more people-friendly and pretty harbor. We walked from one end to the other, running into Barb and Ellen, who had come over in a taxi to find a restaurant with a view. They were opening up slowly after noontime, but most of the cafes remained empty. One cafe owner asked where we were from, and explained that the clouds and the cold kept the locals inside today. If this were summertime, you would not get a seat anywhere easily. Of course, tourism has dropped since the country began having problems. The sites we visited yesterday pretty much told the story with far fewer people touring. That means fewer jobs, and the cycle goes on and on.

 

Local people don't get moving early in this part of the world. They are more laid back, but come alive at night, according to the cafe owner. We continued walking towards the shopping area of Piraeus, by turning away from the small harbor, and walking uphill. Quite by accident, we ran into Susie and Eloise who were in search of a typical Greek cafe for lunch. Woody had stayed on the ship with a good book, and the last time we saw John and Diane, they were on the mini-train, which had driven them over the hill from the ship for 5 euro. We strolled around the shops, some touristy souvenier stores, others high-end clothing shops. Nothing was a bargain, and we were not approached by any street vendors. Oh yeah, one fellow was playing an accordian, soliciting money. What a difference from Egypt.

 

Having taken scores of photos from one end of the harbor to the other, we had worked up an appetite, and pizza was sounding good. Few places offered it, but there was a fancy Pizza Hut, and that was where we ended up. This clean restaurant was on the harbor with a view of the boats. And the family size margharita pizza we split was excellent. It was a bit pricey compared to the pizza at home, but this was a full service restaurant, not take-away. It was great to sit and relax and watch the locals go about their business.

 

We did do a little shopping in the nearby Carrefoure grocery store. It had four levels, accessible by escalators. And on the way back, we stopped at a smaller store, where we found more room snacks and Coke Zero for a reasonable price.

 

All aboard time was 4:45pm, with a required muster drill at 5pm. By the way, 64 passengers left today, and 30 newbies got on. This next segment is 6 days, Athens to Barcelona, with a port everyday. By the time the muster drill started, the sun began peeking out of the clouds. It figures. There was an advertised sailaway party in the Lido pool area, but when we went there, no one was there. Guess it had been moved to the Crows Nest, but it was not announced. Perhaps it would interfere with the first dinner seating at 5:30pm. So we went to the aft deck in the freezing wind to film the sail out of the harbor. We ran into Sky, who told us that the ferry operators had chosen today to go on strike. He had intended to take his bike on a ferry to a nearby island and go bike riding. It was probably not the best day to do this anyway, since he may have had problems getting back before the ship left.

 

Six of us were at dinner tonight, where delicious primerib was served with Yorkshire pudding. This entree, a favorite of ours, has been the best quality of beef so far on this cruise. And the dessert of baklava was a great way to end our stop in this side of Greece.

 

Tomorrow, we will be in Katakalon, for Olympia, Greece.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS Remember when Henk, the hotel manager, joined us for dinner and ranted about the independant shore excursions taking away HAL's business? Well................guess who joined a Cruise Critic tour to Luxor? The captain's wife!

[erewhon]

Thank you for the daily reports of your cruise.

Wonderful to read.

[eyekos]

Hi Bill and Mary,

When I was on board the Amsterdam, I bought a water color painting at the silent art auction (for the Orphanage in Sri Lanka) and the artist is Susie Woodworth. You mention "Susie" in your blogs......would this be the same person? Whoever painted the picture did a fabulous job and the artist is truly talented! I just sent it out for framing this weekend!

Alexandra

[cccole]

Mary Ann and Bill - Once again your writing style makes us feel like we are cruising with you!!! From your dinner table, excursions, fellow passengers, and sea days to buying snacks in port. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Cherie

[cccole]

Photographs for this amazing blog were mentioned in a previous post. Would someone please post a link to them.

 

Mary Ann & Bill...Thank you again for this wonderful record of your cruise. It's such a treat.

 

I lurk on their friends Greg and Heo's blog. cruisedownunder.blogspot.com. Fabulous pictures.