John and Diane's Lucky Number 7

[DFD1]

Great post. To me it is astounding that an entire country could be without a postal system in the 21st century.

 

Thanks again for taking the time.....Your blog has been a real treat from the very beginning....a long time ago !!

[tennisbeforewine]

Friday, May 24, 2019

Huatulco, Mexico

 

We have our first Mexican port today, but since we don’t arrive until 2:00 this afternoon, our crew friends have told us that it’s considered a “sea day” for them, so few of them will get to have time off the ship.  Bruce, the Cruise Director, asked those people who aren’t in a hurry to wait a half hour or so to get off the ship, so that’s what we will do.

 

Last evening, as we were leaving the Crow’s Nest after Trivia, I paid some attention to the brass insignia outside and realized just how many things of beauty there are on this ship.  So today, especially for those of you who’ve never been on my favorite ship, I’m going to show you part of the reason we love the Amsterdam.  I realized as I uploaded the photos that some are easy to locate while others present a bit of a problem.  I guess I should create a game, since even John didn’t recognize a couple.  Enjoy the art tour.

[tennisbeforewine]

And, by the way, the next to last severe-looking fellow is NOT Shakespeare.

[Sir PMP]

18 minutes ago, tennisbeforewine said:

And, by the way, the next to last severe-looking fellow is NOT Shakespeare.

No, that is admiral Maarten Tromp..

[tennisbeforewine]

Saturday, May 25, 2019

At Sea en route to Cabo San Lucas

 

What a difference two oceans make.  Last week we were fighting rough seas and high winds, digging out our sweaters and holding on tightly to the bars in the shower.  This week is a whole new story.  Now we’re whining about the heat and humidity and wearing the lightest clothes we have.  Ah, the joys of complaining.

 

Huatulco is located where the foothills of the Sierra Madre del Sur Mountains meet the Pacific.  There was a lot of resort development here in the 1980’s (I remember that there was a very popular Club Med located here) and people have been coming ever since.  It’s much smaller and more laid back than Cancun or Mazatlan, and it has several bays, great dining, and activities such as kayaking, jet skiing, fishing, and just hanging out at the beach.  

 

We didn’t arrive yesterday until 2:00 and were greeted with 90 degree heat and humidity a little higher than that.  It’s such a cute little Mexican beach town with families enjoying a Friday in the sand.  In fact the fun seemed to go on all day, and while I know that yesterday was the beginning of a holiday weekend at home, I don’t know what the occasion was here, but it led to a really good time.  

 

We wanted some pesos so we didn’t have to depend on dollars (which are freely accepted), so we managed to find an ATM where we withdrew about $50 in pesos at an exchange rate of 20 to 1, or 1,000 pesos.  Then we continued walking the few main streets, perfecting our delivery of “No, gracias,” for all the vendors.  The information sheet provided by HAL listed a few restaurants, and when we serendipitously came upon “Las Margaritas” in the Marina Hotel, we knew we had come to the right place.  

 

We ordered “dos Margaritas” and tried to order chips and salsa, but the pleasant waiter decided that what we really wanted was guacamole and chips.  The Margaritas were some of the best we’ve had, and we found that an order of guacamole meant a huge scoop almost covering a plate, decorated with a few chips and some chopped tomato.  The basket of warm chips meant we didn’t have to use our hands, but we would have been tempted.  A while later, John decided that two would be better than one, and when Jose brought his second, he brought me a small glassful - “uno pequeno,” he told us.  Total bill:  $15.00.

 

Then it was time to return to the ship to call our daughter and granddaughter - our last call before arriving in San Francisco.  We had a long and cheerful chat, learning about the end of school, Courtney’s PTA activities, and Jessica’s excitement about summer school (really!)  Next year is eighth grade, and she just can’t get enough of being in junior high.  I guess it’s genetic, since grandma loved teaching it for 35 years.

 

After a chance for a shower and a change into fresher clothes, we went back to find a place for dinner.  There are not only dozens of places to eat, but there are dozens of people standing outside them holding menus and assuring us that theirs is the best place to have dinner.  We decided on Dona Maria’s Lobster House, but had no intention of ordering lobster, since tonight is a Gala Night and if I wish I can have it for free.  We ordered fish tacos which were preceeded by a basket of freshly fried whole tortillas accompanied by hot, hot, hot salsa and pico de gallo.  The three tacos themselves came on a large plate, accompanied by sauteed vegetables and rice.  They were different from any fish tacos we’ve had, with the tortilla spread with mashed black beans and filled with a combination of small shrimp and chopped octopus.  Different - but pretty tasty.  Two orders of fish tacos, two beers and two Diet Cokes:  $31.00.  

 

After eating, we headed to where the action was, a large open concrete area in front of a huge stage where a mariachi band was playing nonstop.  There were about a dozen couples dancing, so we joined them briefly and then headed down for a moonlit walk along the beach.  As we passed one of the many restaurants (this one specializing in pizza and two for $8.00 Margaritas), we were hailed by a group of the singers and dancers with whom we’ve become friendly.  Their table was graced by several glasses of strawberry Margaritas and they said that the pizza was great.  Of course that price was too good to pass up, so we found a table on the sand, ordered two regular Margaritas, and sat there watching Mexican families having a good time paddling around in the water after dark.  

 

We returned to the ship shortly after 9:00, in time to catch the extremely well-attended Ballet Folklorico performance by some local dancers and singers.  At the high school where John taught there was an outstanding folklorico group, and while there were similarities, this performance was very different.  While John’s group was always energetic and smiling, this performance  began with six dancers in a slow dance, never smiling.  Next was the corn dance, with six young ladies carrying bowls and acting as though they were distributing seed to the ground.  Again, there was no smiling and the dance was quite slow.  As the dances continued, they increased in energy, accompanied by happy faces.  The last few dances were lively ones, and the finale was a combination of the more active performances throughout the evening. It was a wonderful introduction to Mexico, and the audience loudly showed their appreciation.

 

 

It was a wonderful day, and the best part was our 11:00 sailing, which gave us time to stay ashore and enjoy the cooler air of the evening as well as share time with local families enjoying the beginning of their weekend.  

[Krazy Kruizers]

On 5/24/2019 at 1:52 PM, tennisbeforewine said:

Friday, May 24, 2019

Huatulco, Mexico

 

We have our first Mexican port today, but since we don’t arrive until 2:00 this afternoon, our crew friends have told us that it’s considered a “sea day” for them, so few of them will get to have time off the ship.  Bruce, the Cruise Director, asked those people who aren’t in a hurry to wait a half hour or so to get off the ship, so that’s what we will do.

 

Last evening, as we were leaving the Crow’s Nest after Trivia, I paid some attention to the brass insignia outside and realized just how many things of beauty there are on this ship.  So today, especially for those of you who’ve never been on my favorite ship, I’m going to show you part of the reason we love the Amsterdam.  I realized as I uploaded the photos that some are easy to locate while others present a bit of a problem.  I guess I should create a game, since even John didn’t recognize a couple.  Enjoy the art tour.

 

 

We have been on the Amsterdam quite a few times and we do recognize everything.  We always enjoy touring ships -- stairwells, hallways, etc.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have always enjoyed Huatulco and watched how it has changed over the years.

 

We have only been there in the morning and had to depart around 3 PM.

 

Food looks wonderful -- and the prices were certainly great. 

[tennisbeforewine]

Sunday, May 26, 2019

At Sea en route to Cabo San Lucas

 

Our second sea day before Cabo San Lucas and we can already feel that we are heading northward.  Yesterday the skies were blue and clear and the temperature was about 80 degrees.  When we went out onto the back deck this morning after breakfast, we could tell that the temperature was now in the high 60’s with partly cloudy skies and little humidity.   Actually, after the midday high of 90 in Huatulco with high humidity, this feels pretty good.

 

Last evening was the last Gala Night for the two of us, since the third one will take place after San Francisco, where we disembark.  Usually the ship’s officers are sent to large tables on gala nights, but our friend Tim, the Environment Officer, had asked if he could host our little table, so there were three of us instead of two at dinner.  

 

We know several of the officers, although not as many on this cruise as on the WC, but it’s nice to be able to just sit and talk for two hours and learn more about each other.  Tim, a native South African, now lives with his wife and two children in New Zealand, just outside of Auckland.  He boarded the WC in Naples, and he and John got to know each other shortly thereafter.  We learned that his family in South Africa is good friends with Oscar Pistorius and his family, and he was able to give us some insight into that whole situation.  If the name isn’t familiar, just Google it and you’ll see why we were interested.  He told us that Pistorius had been a friend before he became famous, but that fame changed things and that his anger management had caused several problems before the crime which put him in prison.  It’s such a small world, sometimes.

 

Tim also told us that there was supposed to be a dog on this cruise, but that changed at the last minute.  We hope it was because HAL has learned from their last experience.  I had earlier mentioned the situation with the dogs in the Pinnacle restaurant, but we found out later from another officer that fisticuffs did indeed break out over that situation, causing Security to be called.  When I filled out my WC evaluation, I spent a couple of paragraphs on the whole dog situation.  

 

The weather has changed enough that John is able to get back into pickleball, and yesterday he spent 90 minutes playing.  He has a tennis buddy at home who occasionally plays pickleball, and I think he plans to join him to play from time to time.  I never thought I’d see it.  

 

Our other new activity is 7:00 Trivia in the Crow’s Nest.  We’d rather play during the daytime Team Trivia competition with Bruce, but the 1:00 timing of it conflicts with too many other things, including pickleball.  Isolda runs the 7:00 game, so we try to play, even though Happy Hour no longer takes place at that time.  Oh well.

 

We’re really looking forward to Cabo San Lucas tomorrow, since we spent time there with friends last May.  The only drawback is that our calling hours are 7:00 AM until only 2:00 PM, so we’ll have to have an early lunch and then catch the last tender back.  I think we’re looking forward to some (freshly caught) fish and chips and a couple of Margaritas.  What could be better?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Yes, we are familiar with Oscar Pistorius -- and the murder of his girl friend.

 

Glad John has someone to play pickleball with.

 

On our last 3 cruise our trivia games were at 5 and 7 and missed them since dinner for us was at 5:30.  Really don't like these new times.

 

You all look lovely for a Gala night.

 

Have a good day in Cabo.

[tennisbeforewine]

Monday, May 27, 2019

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

 

It was only a short stop, but it was a good one.  Thanks to a visit here last May with some friends (our first trip to Cabo), we were fairly familiar with the town and looked forward to a good wander, which was about all we had time for.  We anchored offshore at 7:00 this morning, with tendering beginning at that time.  Not only were we not ready to go ashore by then, but we didn’t think there would be anything to do if we did so.  We may have been wrong, however, because when we did get ashore shortly after 9:00, we found every bar in town not only open, but actively trying to solicit our business.  

 

One surprising thing that we discovered here was that if there are a lot of bars, there are almost more pharmacies.  It’s possible to buy almost any medication one wants, and there were a couple of quite amusing illustrations as to why people should purchase *****.  Actually, we were interested in finding a pharmacy, but all we wanted was cough drops and Chapstick, two items that we finished in the last couple of days.

 

We wandered around for an hour and a half, finding out that “No, gracias,” works just as well here as in Guatemala.  We turned down drinks, meals, silver, timeshares, and probably half a dozen other things.  We actually went into a couple of the larger shops, with the thought that there would be more people and less attention on us.  It worked.  The tequila store had not only Mexico’s favorite beverage at pretty good prices, but chocolates, blankets, tee shirts, keychains . . . you get the picture. We didn’t buy anything, however.  

 

It was interesting reading the ads in real estate windows.  It seems that there are tons of condos for sale around here, and while the prices seem right (in the $200,000 range), I wondered what the HOA’s would be each month.  But, since we’re not in the market for a second residence, it was just fun looking at the pictures.

 

When it got to be about 11:00, we decided it must be Margarita time somewhere, so we headed to Captain Tony’s, a harborfront restaurant we’d been to last year.  We began, of course, with a couple of wonderful Margaritas (rocks, salt) and then ordered tacos.  John’s were fish and mine were “pastor,” or pork with seasoning.  Each plate came with a large scoop of guacamole, which went very well not only with the tacos but with the basket of chips alongside.  Soon we were joined by Jay, the young lady who is the trainer in the gym, and her Margarita and chimichanga looked pretty darned good too.  We talked and talked, but since the last tender was at 1:30 for a 2:00 sailaway, we had to bring a halt to our eating and socializing and head for the tender at about 1:00.

 

After we returned, it was time for pickleball for John and a nap for me, since I tried to read but found out it doesn’t work with closed eyes.  It’s been a good day and, as our last port, we were very happy with it, except we would have liked to have a few more hours to enjoy it even more.  

[cccole]

Oh no......not fisticuffs in the Pinnacle on the WC.  I had a good laugh!!!!  I'm loving your last couple ports of call but also sad that "our cruise" is coming to an end.  Enjoy the last few days!!!!!  Cherie 

[tennisbeforewine]

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

At sea en route to San Francisco (and home!)

 

The skies are blue and clear.  That’s the good news.  The bad news is that it’s almost

sixty degrees outside.  I’m wearing my shorts and a sleeveless blouse and I’m beginning to feel that I should head back to the cabin to pick up a sweater.  We can certainly tell that we’re headed northward.

 

Today is going to be nearly final packing.  Shiv, the Head of Housekeeping, is going to have our four large pieces of luggage returned to our cabin and I’ll see how much more I can jam into them.  Anything that won’t go there will have to go into our “carry-on size” bags and our cute little square pull-alongs that were a “pillow gift” sometime during the WC.  Fortunately for us, the four large ones, which will be shipped home via Fed-Ex, do not have a weight limit, so I can see us sitting atop each as we try and try and try to zip them.  We received our colored tags this morning (eight of them) and we know to have our luggage tagged and outside the cabin by midnight tomorrow night.  Sometime during the night, the hardworking deckhands will come and load them on dollies to be taken down into the bowels of the ship and then disembarked in SF.  We were told that only 19 of us were disembarking, so the luggage should be no problem at all.  It’s so much better than the 10,000 pieces of luggage taken ashore in Ft. Lauderdale when the lines for porters were about 200 feet long.  

 

We’ve discovered a couple more differences between the WC and this one.  Before dinner last evening, we were talking about where to go for a glass of wine.  Since there is no music at all in the Crow’s Nest (does HAL realize how much money they lose in alcohol sales with no band there?), we headed for the Ocean Bar on Deck 5.  All I wanted was water while John had a glass of wine, and we began talking about the music.  We realized that our parents would have been comfortable dancing to it in the late 40’s and early 50’s.  Several couples danced, but since we don’t know the box step well enough, we had to take a pass.  There was a song about coffee in Brazil, but the only one we really knew was “My Candy.”  When we told Roel, our beverage server, that we might as well return to the Crow’s Nest, he said that recorded dance music doesn’t begin until 10:00 and that there are only about a half dozen people there at any one time.  

 

The other difference was noticed during dinner, when we were talking about the cute little lamps on each table and realized that there were no flowers on the table.  We asked Indy about it and he said that, other than the WC, HAL had decided to replace the flowers with the lamps.  So sad, but another way to keep from having to raise the cruise rates much higher.  I do see cutbacks, but I also notice that the fares don’t go up that much.  I’m afraid that a lot of people who complain about the cutbacks would complain even more if everything were kept the same and the prices skyrocketed.  

 

Although we’ve been missing our friends (and we know exactly what each one would order when we look at the menu), we’ve been enjoying our four-top for two for a couple of reasons.  For one, we can invite guests and have an intimate dinner as we had with Tim and will have tomorrow night with Steph and Claire, members of the Amsterdam Singers and Dancers with whom we’ve become friendly.  A couple of nights ago, we hosted Gracela, a friend from the front desk with whom we go back to 2013.  The photo is of her with Manny, her fiance and our wine steward, whom we’ve known since 2018.  Another advantage is getting to have long conversations with our waiters, especially Indy.  Last evening we spoke about Ramadan, since Indy is Muslim.  Since Muslims must not eat between sunrise and sunset, Indy awakes at about 2:30 or 3:00 AM to have breakfast, goes back to sleep, and then gets up to work at 6:00 or 6:30.  When asked if there is an Imam on board, he told us that there was, and that he is a room steward who has trained in religious studies.  It’s really interesting to get to know different people and how their lives and beliefs are different.  

 

I guess it’s time to head back to the stateroom to see if the luggage has been delivered and begin stuffing as much as possible into it.  

P. S.  The luggage is now ready - and makes such a lovely picture!

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

Cabo has changed a lot since we were first there in 1990.

 

That is a lot of food for lunch.  We ate once at the Giggling Marlin -- food wasn't bad.

 

Great pictures.

[Krazy Kruizers]

It is hard to believe that your cruise is almost over.

 

I hate packing at the end of the cruise.

 

We were very disappointed on our 21 day repositioning cruise on the Westerdam to never have any music in the Ocean Bar.

 

Love the pictures.

[FlorenceItaly]

It has been a wonderful trip.  Thank you so much for taking us along.  I imagine in some way you are ready to be home.

We will be on the Amsterdam later this year for the 51 Tales of the South Pacific cruise.  I am so excited about the itinerary, and sailing on the Amsterdam.   We will be in an obstructed OV on Deck 3.   Since the Amsterdam is the flagship for the World Cruises I am a bit surprised that the cabins are not updated.  It doesn't matter, just an observation.  The real jewel of the ship is the crew, fellow passengers and itinerary.  Have a wonderful homecoming!

[ger_77]

Kudos to you and your packing skills!  I can't imagine how I'd get everything back into the suitcases after being onboard as long as you have - particularly when there are some souvenirs to be included.  Did I count 9 pieces in total?

 

Smooth Sailing!  🙂🙂🙂

[tennisbeforewine]

ger_77, you have sharp eyes.  Yes, there are 9 bags.  Four were shipped courtesy of HAL, two we brought on the plane, two were "pillow gifts" during the WC, and one was sent by our daughter with our cold weather clothes.  The four originals will be FedEx-d home (again courtesy of HAL), and the remaining 5 will ride in the taxi with us to the Hyatt Regency in SF where we'll pick up our rental car to drive home.  

 

None of that bothers us; it's the unpacking that we dread! 

[RuthC]

There's no need to rush to unpack. That's my motto.

It was a pleasure meeting you & John on the World Cruise and getting a chance to chat a bit. And it's been delightful reading along on the portions of the trip that I didn't take.
Thank you for all the posts.

[jimbri]

I have enjoyed your review and photos.  Thank you so much for sharing your adventure.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Once you get home, you have lots of time to unpack and re-organize everything.

[DFD1]

Thank you again. Your posts have been a source of wonder and excitement....always great fun to read. 

[tennisbeforewine]

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

At Sea en route to San Francisco -  Day 2

 

The last day - at last!  I think it will have been 130 days since we boarded in Ft. Lauderdale a long, long time ago, and now we’re finally (after last night’s time change) back in the time zone in which we began, good old Pacific Time.  We are scheduled to dock at 8:00, and I imagine that by 9:00 we’ll be off the ship for the last time (at least for now) and calling for an Uber so we can collect our rental car. 

 

This, of course, should be a very relaxed sea day, but it’s not - at least so far.  I began the day by having my Kindle slip out of its case, hit the deck, and go to the great electronic graveyard in the sky.  This one was a gift to myself not too long after they first came out.  On our first WC in 2008, we brought an entire suitcase full of books and used the shelves above the TV as our library.  For 2010, however, we could carry our library in our tote bags, and that same wonderful little device has been a part of my life ever since.  Two years ago, a ship’s officer (who shall remain anonymous) had an extra brand new Kindle, and he gave it to me.  However, I was so attached to my old one that it’s just been sitting on the shelf waiting for something like this to happen.

 

I’m not sure how to transfer all my old book friends (43 pages and counting), but I do know that there’s a phone number to a genuine person who will help me do so.  I guess if all else fails, all my books are listed on John’s Kindle under “archives,” so I’ll be able to transfer them that way.  

 

After the gym and breakfast, my next steps led me to the on-board laundromat, where I did the last of the laundry, since we’d never get it back in time if I sent it out.  I knew that on this short a cruise the washers and dryers fill up early, so I was there by 8:30 to toss in that one last load.  Of course when it was done, I had to fold it and decide which of our bags would hold it (without bursting), and we’re almost, almost ready to put the bags out tonight.  As mentioned yesterday, there are nine of them, but only seven will need to be picked up, as we’re carrying two off ourselves.  Then the four Fed-Ex bags will be turned in, and hopefully will magically appear at our doorstep on Monday.  

 

As we exit the ship in the morning, we’ll have one more task.  While in Portugal, our friend Ginni purchased a couple of cheese knives as gifts for friends.  You know what a cheese knife looks like:  as dull as dishwater and unable to cut anything more challenging than a soft brie.  However, as she returned to the ship and went through security, the officer decided that it would be far safer on the ship if they confiscated the “booty” and saved it for her departure on May 16.  Poor Ginni; she forgot to pick up her gifts when she disembarked and didn’t notice their absence until she arrived back in Texas.  At that point, Rich texted us and asked if we could check to see if the knives were still on board and, if so, could we pick them up and mail the offending items to them.  That sounds simple, but it required a specific email from Ginni authorizing me to collect the knives, have the front office make a copy of her email, and then a message sent to security to enable me to collect them on our way out tomorrow.  Is nothing ever simple?

 

So . . . by this afternoon everything will be packed, luggage will be in the hallway tonight, and tomorrow we’ll be on our way south to home sweet home.  I just hope that there’s a good view of the Golden Gate Bridge on the way in.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Thanks for taking us with you again this year. Your photos were terrific.  I always appreciate your providing us with the Book Club selections. I am sure you will be happy to get back home. Assume you are doing the 2020 WC.

[ger_77]

It's always such a pleasure reading your posts - thank you for taking the time and energy to put them together for us.  The photos are an added bonus!   Safe travels home, you two!

 

Smooth Sailing!  🙂🙂🙂

[bcnvcanada]

Thanks for taking us along.  We enjoyed your narrative  and the lovely

picture. It was a joy to travel along with you.  Safe travels.