ALASKA CRUISE BLOG 2015

How much has melted? That was my first thought in April when I heard we were going to Alaska. I was thinking about the Mendenhall Glacier, a fast-receding glacier I had visited for the first time in 2012. A quick internet search showed that a feature I was keen to visit, a huge ice cave at the bed of the ice, had collapsed in 2013. I wondered if I would be able to visible recognize the melting that had occurred since my last visit. Fast forward to July. A big group of us (Tim, Nik, Marine, Christine, Becca, myself) took a taxi ride to the West side of Mendenhall Lake, opposite from the visitor center. I've never been to the visitor center despite having been to the glacier four times now. The visitor center's claim to fame is that it was under ice during World War II. In a testament to how fast glacier are disappearing, it's now about 2 miles from the ice front. We hiked along a nice trail for about two miles and then things got a bit "full-on". The lake level has risen over the old trail and so we had to take off our shoes and hike through the chilly, silty glacial waters. As we got closer to the glacier, the trees got smaller and smaller, indicating that there had been less time since the land was covered in ice. Scrambling over some exposed, low-angle bedrock we got our first enormous view of the ice. The lower reaches of glacier are tortured: 5-story tall crevassed towers of ice fight each other to break off into the proglacial lake. We just had enough time to carefully make our way up a loose moraine and step onto the ice for about 10 minutes. A nearby wall of ice, plastered onto a south-facing hillside and now orphaned from the main glacier trunk, was dislodging huge chunks of ice down towards our path. We had to re-navigate to a safer route. We had tricky time walking on the ice without crampons. We ended up grabbing big rocks to use as a brake in the event of a fall. I'm not sure they would have been that useful, but they provided psychological comfort. We then backtracked and made it to the trailhead with a cozy 15 minute window before our taxi returned us to the boat. The variety of food we enjoyed throughout this trip was delightfully extensive. Eating on vacation always has many perks. Being able to bring together ten of my family members to share food with will be memories in my mind for a lifetime. Even though dinner was our only obligatory meal each day, most of us spent breakfast, lunch and shared snacks together daily. There are not many things I enjoy more than having a meal with loved ones. Every day including our last one on the ship, most of us started our days with breakfast at the buffet. The food was similar each day but we all agreed that waking up to an already prepared meal was always delicious. One of my most enjoyable moments each day was waking up and walking sleepy eyed to the twelfth floor of our cruise ship and walk through the lines of the buffet. Once food and coffee in hand, we would meet and share our breakfast at the back of the boat that had an open air seating area. Even though most days were quite chilly, I never have the opportunity to eat breakfast facing the open ocean with the chilly Pacific Ocean air blowing through my hair. Lunches were spent many places for our group. Some wandered back to the buffet several hours after consuming breakfast while others took advantage of the other restaurants on board. A group favorite was O’Sheehan’s Bar and Grill located mid-ship which contained Irish fare and coffee cocktails as well. Many lunches and afternoon snacks were consumed here, making it a meeting point for many of our group each day. One of my personal favorite meal was found in Skagway, Alaska at Skagway Fish Co. Tim and I were in search of Alaskan King crab and our cravings were delightfully satisfied here. We ordered a pound of King Crab, two king crab cakes and a couple of Alaskan IPA’s. To say we were enthusiastically pleased would be an understatement. The crab was so fresh that a simple crack to the shell showed us that large chunks of succulent crab literally fell from each shell. It will be hard to eat crab back in California for us now. My all around highlights from this cousin’s trip come from our nightly dinners with one another. Each and every day we met Tsar’s Restaurant at the Aft end of our ship. We changed times daily to accommodate certain activities. As we all enjoyed three course meals and bottles of wine, we caught up on our daily lives back home and our days’ worth of events in Alaska and on the ship. Each night we sat in different formations around the table to enable new discussions and to ensure we were able to talk to one another. Being stuck in the corner of an eleven-person table for a week gets a little boring after about day two. There is not much better than hearing stories and inspiring insights from your grandparents after a long hike to an Alaskan Glacier or a stroll through a little city on the coast of Canada. This trip was one that will stay with me forever because of the time I was able to spend with my family. I am heading back to Los Angeles from Seattle Airport with a grateful heart! Skagway - by Jen Skagway was so beautiful! Christine, Becca, Drea and I set out from the ship in the morning planning to just wander around and explore the town. We stopped in several stores for souveniers and went into an old tavern that had been turned into a museum. It was great to learn about many of the characters who lived in town during the gold rush days. While we were strolling and window shopping we ran into a booth offering bus tours of the area for significantly cheaper than what was offered on the ship and we decided to go for it! We were taken on a tour of the area and saw several waterfalls, glaciers and valleys. We had some really breathtaking views and took some amazing pictures. The tour actually crossed into Canada, something we weren't told about prior to booking it so we didn't bring our passports. It ended up being fine but there was a lot of confusion on the bus as several others were in the same situation. Bridge lessons! - by Drea One of things Jen and I were most excited about for this cruise were to get bridge lessons from Grandpa Bill. Jen had a lesson about 5 years ago, but I've never played. We both love cards and have been wanting to learn the game. We knew that we couldn't ask for a better teacher than Grandpa Bill and a better setting to learn than on a cruise. On our first day at sea, several members of our travel group dropped in for our lesson. But, later in the cruise it was just us die-hard card sharks that stuck around. We learned conventions, rules of play and how to think like a bridge player. It is definitely a complicated game, but we had so much fun learning from Grandpa Bill and can't wait to play more!

COSTA RICA BLOG #1

COSTA RICA BLOG #1, Saturday and Sunday – Tim After arriving mid day Saturday and taking the shuttle bus on a short trip from the airport we started exploring the grounds of the resort. Costa Rica has been so different from what I have ever seen before. Our hotel is surrounded by empty beaches and jungle in any direction! In our first days here we have seen wild iguanas lying in the sun everywhere that don’t seem to care too much about people, monkeys howling at us, the biggest vultures you could imagine, spiky puffer fish, long skinny fish with teeth like barracudas, and so many small crabs that they make the rocks look like they are moving. Hands down my favorite part of these first days though were exploring miles of deserted “secret beaches” and finding really cool tide pools deep enough to jump off the rocks into. Exploring Costa Rica so far has been one surprise after another. Can’t wait to see what the next adventures await. Monday and Tuesday – Andrea After spending two days traveling and exploring, I’ve been inclined to take it easy. I watched from the beach as Nikki, Tim and Brad paddle boarded and kayaked, but the majority of our time has been spent the last two days lounging and swimming leisurely. It’s rained so far every day at least once, but even that is nice in Costa Rica. I was chatting with some of the local venders that have set up shop on the beach right in front of our hotel, and one guy was pulling his table in a little bit. He said he thought it was going to rain, and sure enough – not two minutes had passed before the rain began to fall. But it cleared five minutes later and the pool and beach were once again enjoyed by the hotel patrons. Nikki, Tim and I enjoyed massages on the beach yesterday. Jennifer arrived just as we were finishing, safe and sound. Just like us, the travel had taken its toll on her. But the best about Costa Rica is that nobody has a schedule or agenda, including the locals. I predict that she’ll be rested and ready to explore with us in no time.

COSTA RICA BLOG #2

COSTA RICA BLOG #2 Best trp I’ve ever had. Ziplining has always been on my bucket list as well as Tims’. So naturally, when we signed up for our excursion with the entire group in tow, we were beyond thrilled to be able to mark ziplining in the jungle off of our “to do” lists. The ziplines were just the icing on the cake. We started our day off bright and early and took a bus ride to the first stop of the day. We were greeted by many helpful workers and escorted by our tour guides to horse corrals. After we were set up on our horses, each with a personality of their own, we headed up a rather steep and bumpy ride. To our surprise, after the first zip through the jungle in our harnesses, we were told that we had nine more lines to go! All of us assumed that we would do one, possibly two, zip lines through the canopy. Our guides laughed at this and explained that there were a total of ten. After zipping through various parts of the treetops, hanging all sorts of different directions, we landed at the bottom. With our hearts racing and adrenaline pumping, we excitedly changed and headed to the 400-meter waterslide. The waterslide was far from a lazy river, as water rushed through a hand operated canal and flooded the cement slide that we sat on. At some points in the huge slide I couldn’t believe that something like this was legal and we all agreed that it would be a lawsuit waiting to happen in the United States. It ended in a warm pool and we were greeted with dry towels and fresh oranges. We were thrilled at this half of our day and little did we know, there was still much more! We had ignorantly assumed that lunch would consist of packed sandwiches and bottles of water. We were taken as a group to a small restaurant above a swimming pool, in the jungle. The food was absolutely delicious, completely organic, and we all agreed that it was our best meal of the trip yet! After lunch, our group was guided to another part of the jungle where we received a mud scrub all over our faces and bodies. After these dried, we washed off in the cool river and walked up to a beautifully crafted cement swimming pool that had a natural hotspring flowing into it. Our group had perfect timing and we had the pool to ourselves for the majority of the time. After this relaxing part to our thrilling day, we dried off and changed, just in time for the summer rain to start pouring. The trip home was spent by almost all of us dozing in and out from our exhausting but amazing day. We all had dinner and turned in early for the night so that we could be up and ready around 5am to depart to Nicaragua the following day!

COSTA RICA BLOG #3

BLOG #3 Jennifer Today started very, very early. We departed our hotel at 5AM bound for Nicaragua! We stopped in Liberia for breakfast and coffee before we headed to the boarder. We were informed that there is an extensive inspection process at the border. We say a long line of trucks waiting and we were told they can wait for up to three days to cross! Luckily, it didn’t take quite so long for us. We spent 1.5 hours or so waiting for our passports to be inspected and the van to be searched for drugs. It was pouring rain most of this time but clear skies by the time we made our first real stop! Our guide, Gustavo, spent most of our 15 hour day regaling us with a wonderful account of the history, politics, economics and geology of Costa Rica and many parts of Latin America. I should note that while I like to think I inherited many wonderful qualities from my Grandfather – including a quick wit, keen intelligence, rugged good looks and the ability to hold my liquor – memory for names, dates and places was not one of them! I’m sure that Grandpa Bill will be able to share many details of what we learned today, but I’ll just share a few highlights. Costa Rica is a pretty remarkable country. They don’t have a military. The vast majority of the country has access to water, electricity, phone and internet services. They have compulsory education through the 9th grade. Their infant mortality rate is below 4 per 1000 births! According to our guide, the country is 20% upper class, 60% middle class, 10% lower class and 10% poor, although I’m not sure how those categories are defined. This is all compared to Nicaragua which is closer to 70% poor and 30% wealthy. Our first stop in Nicaragua was at beautiful Lake Nicaragua. The lake is humongous! It is large enough that it has high and low tides and at one time was home to a type of shark. We passed this lake throughout the day and each time I thought it must be the ocean because of how massive and distinct it looked from each location. We stopped in a town and did a little shopping before heading to see the Volcano Masaya. Entering the park we passed a sign informing us in Spanish that if the Volcano were to erupt, they were not responsible for any damage we suffered. We were also given helmets before exiting the car, but luckily this activity seemed much less dangerous than our helmeted activities from Wednesday. Brad really enjoyed exploring the edge of the volcano and we all attempted to take great pictures each time the steam cleared. Next we headed down for lunch in the beautiful and historic town for Granada. I was greeted upon arrival by a bird dropping his blessings on me from the sky. Lunch conversation oscillated between Brad’s passions (earthquakes) and Jen’s passions (railing against capitalism). At the end of lunch, each gentleman at the table was given a card with information on how to rate the restaurant on Trip Advisor and “like” them on facebook. Being the feminist of the group, I think my face showed my obvious displeasure with being deemed unworthy to review the establishment. Luckily Grandpa Bill slipped me the card he had received so I can voice my indignation! We continued with a driving tour of Grenada making stops at a church, a railroad station, the town’s first hospital, and finally a park where we could do some more browsing. While in the park, most of us were approached by young children asking for money and some in the group were very touched by this reminder of the privileged life we lead. I’m unsure the degree to which we may have encountered the same if we had toured a town in Costa Rica. Our guide gave us such a favorable impression of CR and made it seem that Nicaragua is much worse off in nearly every measure. I got the impression that while many in CR live modestly, it is not nearly to the same degree of poverty that we are used to seeing in Latin America. I’m curious to know what this country is like away from the resorts. After the park we started our 4 hour journey back to the hotel. Gustavo continued to share the history of Costa Rica since the 14th century! Unfortunately, the day caught up to us and several people fell asleep in the van. We stopped again for customs where once again it was raining. I’ve been led to the assumption that it simply always rains at the Costa Rica-Nicaragua border. We had a few snacks in the van and perked up immensely enjoying great conversation and catching up until we reached the hotel. It was a long day but a wonderful opportunity to learn about two distinct and fascinating countries. Everything we saw was beautiful and everyone had a great time! I should also mention that we learned that today is Mother’s Day in Costa Rica! So, Happy Mother’s Day to each of our moms and to Dottie! We wish you could be here with us! Jen

COSTA RICA BLOG #4

COSTA RICA BLOG #4 I just spent a week in Costa Rica with my family. Here’s the summary. Costa Rica is amazing. The country has an enlightened democratic government, nice people, and natural beauty. I am going to come back here. My family is awesome. One nice thing about getting to spend time with them is that I can learn more about myself from our similarities and differences. We ate dinner together each night and enjoyed great conversation. Our trip was a mix of active and passive vacationing. We rode zip lines and horses and swam in rivers, hot springs, the ocean, and swimming pools. We also just hung out and relaxed by reading, napping, enjoying meals, drinking Costa Rican coffee and beer, and socializing with other tourists. We spent one day in Nicaragua. I thought a lot about analogies with the current violence in Egypt while in Nicaragua. The poverty in Nicaragua shows that disregarding human life in foreign policy is bad. I thoroughly enjoy our family’s annual vacations.

MEXICAN RIVIERA BLOG #3

MEXICAN RIVIERA BLOG #3 12 AUGUST 2012 It was amazing! Thank you so much Grandpa for the once in a lifetime trip that I will never forget! Honestly, I can say that my favorite part of the trip altogether, was being able to spend so much time with family. I live the farthest away from everybody, because most of the family is located in the bay area right now. So, living in the LA area, I hardly see my brothers or my cousins anymore, let alone my Grandpa! Tim and I went snorkeling at Lover's beach, and took a pretty awesome boat tour through the different beaches in Cabo San Lucas. This was also a great highlight to the trip. Can't wait to see everyone again! Hopefully for Christmas! NIKKY I have to admit, I was very nervous about my first cruise. I have a genetic predisposition towards worrying (Hi Mom!!) so I found more than a few worries to mull on in the days before we departed. Ironically, the one thing I just didn’t expect was feeling seasick! It definitely took me a few days to get my sea legs. I felt like my brain was in a fog for the first couple days at sea and I was continually bumping into walls. But, after I adjusted, I found the fun and excitement that Grandpa Bill has been blogging about for all these years!! My favorite part of cruising had to be our nightly dinners. Every night we had dinner together at a beautiful table overlooking the ocean. We were served by some amazing and friendly people who knew us by name and remembered our drink orders and coffee preferences after the first night. We were able to try some interesting new foods (although I tended to stick with the chicken) but my favorite part was the conversation. I don’t know how it is even possible, but after so many backpacking trips and holidays Grandpa Bill still has new and interesting stories to share!! Well, new might not be accurate – many were stories from his childhood and the early years of his adult life – but new to us! I really love being able to get to know my grandfather as an adult. I think that is privilege that not many people get. It’s one that I was not able to have with most of my grandparents. During the trip, one of my cousins dubbed Grandpa Bill “The Most Interesting Man in the World” and it is definitely a title that fits. Not many people would have the patience for a rowdy group of 20-somethings ready to party on a cruise, but he embraces it with open arms. I feel like I learned something new about him and from him every day and that is something that I will treasurer forever. It was so amazing getting to bond with Brad, Tim, Nikky and Danny. I think we are all growing up to be such awesome people with varying interests and talents. We spent a lot of time talking about the impressions we had of each other growing up and it’s interesting to see how we have matured since then. So, in closing, I loved the sunshine, margaritas, dancing, comedians, tours and the beautiful ocean views. But, mostly what I’ll remember is the laughter and the stories. I love this tradition of family vacations and I hope it continues!!! JENNIFER This cruise was so so much fun. Getting to know the wait staff, having everyone on the boat know us, laying in the sun, buckets of beer, touring Mexico, dancing for a week straight, and being with family to share it all could not have been any better. I think if I had to pick just one my favorite part of this cruise would be snorkeling at “lovers beach” in Cabo. The fish, the water, the beach were perfect. I thought it was so cool to be able to swim in the Pacific Ocean on one side of the beach and the Sea of Cortez on the other. Definitely an unforgettable experience. TIM What is it about going on vacation that makes me happy? First of all, I was lucky enough to go on a cruise to México and see a beautiful place with people selling me nik naks left and right. Some people get bothered by the constant seller but I also did buy $200 of stuff for only $40. Second, meeting new people every night and all day was a trip in itself. I barely got off the ship and I noticed I had a new friend request on Facebook from one of the people I met. Lastly but most of all, I love spending more time with my new family. Last year we all went on a trip to Cancun and it was amazing meeting everyone for the first time “officially.” But this time now that we have all the introductions out of the way, I wanted to get to know my family on a more intimate level. Tim, Nikki, and Brad all have a strong connection with each other that is entertaining to watch on its own. However, I was being accepted to join the bond they share when Brad is stoked to go out for the “best night ever” at the club with his cheesy smile and while dancing with lots of women. Jennifer and I also made a good connection this trip even after watching each other puke, although she had to endure my “awesome” smell of vomit a few more times than me. Putting this all together leads me to believe that the destination isn’t what’s important. The journey of how we get there is what counts. Even though family is what I think about most, I’m sure that you want to know about the cruise itself. And all I have to say is WOW. Imagine the best hotel you have ever been too and put that on water. Then on top of that there was entertainment all day and all night and great food for every meal. DANIEL The best parts of the trip were the things that we did as a group. The dinners every night and especially the classy dinners; eating lunch at a jungle river in the mountains near Puerto Vallarta; drinks in Cabo; walking around the boat on the sea days. The best of the best was going out at night and tearing down the club. BRAD For a grandfather to have a week alone with his grandchildren, five of eight, is a precious pleasure with which few have been blessed. I’ve been blessed. It was great fun watching each gain his or her “sea legs” and deal with the mal de mer that usually goes with first cruises. It was wonderful seeing the five bond and get to know cousins in a real sense. I was amazed to listen in on dinner conversations and the sharing of their lives and interests and, in the listening, get to know each a little better. And I was pleased for the opportunity to have a “one on one” with each, something that is next to impossible to achieve at family gatherings at holidays. Our trip was definitely the high point of my year and an experience I hope we can repeat in the future. We all hope that Gram and our three missing cousins Acan join us next time. GRANDPA BILL

MEXICAN RIVIERA bLOG #2

MEXICAN RIVIERA BLOG #2 10 August 2012 Our first day at Cabo San Lucas was for exploration. I hadn’t been to Cabo San Lucas for a dozen years and I was interested in seeing what changes had occurred since my visit. My recollection of “Cabo” was a well developed water front with lots of boats for hire and a scattering of private boats moored in the marina. I recalled the little town adjacent to the marina having unpaved streets and a growing handful of stores to serve the needs of the local residents. I found an expanded marina with many more boats for hire and scads more private boats. The walkways adjacent to the marina were filled with vendors hawking their services and ready to bargain to get a potential customer on board. The little town that I remembered has grown. The streets are now paved and lined with hundreds of shops catering to the tens of thousands of vacationers that visit Cabo each year. I walked about a mile away from the marina on sidewalks that seemed to continue up the hillside as far as I could see. On my walk I didn’t pass a single grocery store or any of the mundane businesses that once occupied the area. Everything was tourist oriented. I found a spot where I once bought some used tires from a local Llanterra (tire shop) that now featured a Jack in the Box store. Brad opted to explore the beaches to the west of the marina. He walked along the beaches that extend, at low tide, almost to the cape. He decided that he would like to come back one day soon to climb the rock formations that form the Cabo. Tim, Nikky, Daniel and Jennifer explored several of the cantinas that lined the marina walkways. All had a great day at Cabo. Some of us signed up for shore excursions on the second day at Cabo. Brad chose a SCUBA tour that promised to teach the use of scuba gear and a parade of tropical fish. On his return he was ecstatic about using scuba gear for the first time and reaching a depth of 45 feet in open water on his first outing. Tim and Nikky signed up for an afternoon of snorkeling. At the last minute the snorkeling trip was cancelled by the ship’s staff. No reason was given for the cancellation. On shore, they found that they could get the same trip to the same location for $20 per person rather than $60 per person. They had a great adventure watching a gazillion mackerel swim by and almost as many colorful tropical fish. Jennifer, Daniel and I opted for a boat tour of the bay in a glass bottomed boat. We poked in among the snorkel people to watch fish through the glass bottom of our boat. We saw mostly mackerel and an occasional flash of color from one of the tropical species that the snorkelers could see much better. Our trip took us out to the Cabo where we could see the two seas meet: the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez. Among the rocks at the cabo is a beautiful rock bridge and a wave carved window through which you could see the Pacific Ocean while sitting in the Sea of Cortez. The sea was a bit bouncy but we managed to enjoy our trip around the bay. As Jennifer, Daniel and I left the dock where we ended our trip, Brad magically appeared and the four of us sought out at local cantina where we could share our adventures of the day. The weather was hot and humid and the ice cold Mexican beer was really welcomed. An overnight sail at maximum speed brought us to Puerto Vallarta, our last day ashore and our cruise turn-around point. I had made reservations on line for a city tour that sounded interesting. The tour was scheduled to begin at 11:00 am local time. The night before we were told on board to set our clocks ahead one hour which we did. What we didn’t know, and weren’t told, was that it was the ship’s time we were coordinating our clocks with not the real time on shore. This was a brand new concept for me. When we arrived a half hour early for our 11:00 booking we were told that the tour had left already. Fortunately the company representative understood such problems and was able to call the in motion tour guide to solve the problem. Our tour group had already completed a tour of the Church of Guadalupe, the oldest still operating church in the area, and were ready to move on with the tour. A decision was made by the tour guide to give the tour group its promised “hour of shopping” early rather than later so that we could catch up with the tour. We loaded into taxis and sped across town to meet the tour with about twenty minutes left of the planned shopping stop. It appeared that the tour group wasn’t aware what had happened and we were pleased to be on our tour. As such tours go, ours was a fun one. We made the obligatory stop at a jewelry store where we were served virgin margueritas and a chance to buy some jewelry at a great discount. Some did. We then were taken on a route pass some marvelous hill/cliff side homes overlooking the Pacific Ocean. We imagined that this must be where the well-off folks of Puerto Vallarta lived. The homes were beautiful and the sea views spectacular. Our route quickly took us into what the guide referred to as an “almost rain forest”. The dense lush vegetation made us wonder why it was “almost” a rain forest. Our guide explained that the area we were in had about forty inches of rain a year while the city we had just left had about twenty inches of rain a year. We left the main road on a narrow winding dirt road that followed a small stream back into the forest. A couple of miles into the forest we came to a small village and our destination, a wonderful thatch roofed open-air restaurant. We were told in advance that the menu would be described to us, which it was. There was a choice of a half dozen entrees, beer and water. We found a table for the six of us and decided that a mixed platter. meant to serve three, looked good. We ordered two platters and beer and bottled water all around. The food was marvelous and enjoyed by all. The fish was especially good but there was chicken, pork and shrimp as well with rice and a green salad. As host of the day I was a bit shocked by the bill of $140 for our jungle lunch but in retrospect it was worth every penny. Our return trip provided a fun stop at a tequila factory where we were going to be shown how tequila is made. After a brief look around at the stock of tequila for sale, we were seated in a semicircle around our host who told us all we needed to know about tequila. First, we were told to shake a bottle of tequila before buying it. If foam shows at the top of the bottle we shouldn’t buy. Second, we were taught to inhale and blow out twice before taking a shot of tequila….all at once….followed by another inhale and exhale. With this instruction, we were each given a shot of tequila. Inhale/exhale, inhale/exhale, down she goes. We started off with the strong stuff and I found it burned a bit on the way down. Following the first serving we were poured a second and a third and a fourth and then we stopped counting. Some of us stopped drinking. The middle aged lady next to me took five straight shots and began an attempt to take over the instructional job from our host. A whole bunch of tequila was sold. It’s my guess that few from our ship were aware that they couldn’t take the bottles on board. The bottles would be confiscated at the gate and returned just before the end of the cruise. They never did show us the factory or how tequila is made. Who cares? There was a lot of animated talking during our bus ride back to the ship. And some took a nap. All in all our potential missed tour turned out pretty good. The last two days of our cruise will be ‘at sea’. Our cruise group has learned how to find the fun spots on the ship and how to make the most of the late evening entertainment. I don’t imagine that much of what’s going on will be missed. Friday night will feature another “Elegant” dining opportunity so we’ll all put on something special and look forward to something extra special on the evening’s menu. Life is great! Our love to all, Grandpa Bill, Brad, Jennifer, Daniel, Tim and Nikky

MEXICAN RIVIERA BLOG #1

MEXICAN RIVIERA CRUISE BLOG #1 7 August 2012 The first day of our adventure went like clockwork. Daniel and Tim spent the night at our house and we had no difficulty in leaving at 5:00 am as planned. We picked up Brad as scheduled and dropped the truck off at the Westin Hotel parking lot and arrived at the airport at 7:15, ahead of schedule. Jennifer met us there and we walked through a deserted airport to our assigned gate feeling that there must be something happening we hadn’t heard about because of the absence of the usual airport crowds. We met Nikky at the Long Beach airport on schedule and found the Carnival shuttle bus waiting for us with open arms. When we arrived at the cruise terminal we once again were surprised by the absence of travelers. We walked through the registration process without a moment of waiting in line and walked onto the Carnival Splendor, our home away from home for the next seven days. We arrived on board before noon and the signs posted let us know that our cabins wouldn’t be ready until 2:00 pm. We headed for the buffet on the 9th floor and a lunch that all of us needed, or at least we thought we did. After lunch and a little ship exploring, we headed for our staterooms. Unlike the rooms that I had selected in April, our rooms were at the very front of the ship. I had requested “Ocean View” cabins amidship, usually the most comfortable for first time cruisers. The side by side rooms turned out to be just fine and we unpacked a few hours later when our bags were delivered to our cabins. The Carnival Splendor is one of Carnival’s thirty cruise ships. I would call it a medium sized ship, as ships go today, with a passenger capacity in excess of 3000. Unlike other cruise lines I’ve used, Carnival does not provide passengers with the specifics of a ship tonnage, capacity, etc. The only information I could get on board, short of using the internet at fifty cents a minute, was by word of mouth. The ship was built in Italy and put into service in 2008. Its Captain was from Italy. The crew was from all parts of the globe each wearing a name pin that displayed a name that was impossible to pronounce and the country each called home. As I knew in advance, Carnival is a “low-end” cruise line that caters to families and folks looking for a less expensive cruise. Facilities for the under twelve set are really great. The offerings for adults are limited but offerings for children seem endless. The daily program offered dance lessons once a day, drink mixing demonstrations, Bingo and not much more. There was no Bridge Lesson/Game which seems ever present on most cruise ships. I asked the Captain, at the usual Captain’s welcome (sans booze, if you can believe it) about the absence of a Bridge Game and he seemed not to understand what I was talking about. He asked a Senior Officer next to him what Bridge is (in Italian) and the officer nodded in the negative. I told the Captain I hadn’t found the Card Room and he knew what that was and asked the underling where the card room was located. Another nod indicated that the ship doesn’t have a Card Room. What the ship did have was a huge casino and lots of handy watering holes. The ship’s theater, “Spectacular” reflected its name. It appeared to have seating for 1,500 or more with only a handful of seats behind poles. Our first day “at sea” was relaxing. I did my usual hour walk on the 12th floor outdoor track followed by a half hour in the ship’s well equipped gym. Our group generally skipped breakfast or rather had breakfast when most folks were eating lunch. The night time activities on board are endless for the twentys/fortys set and I’m told we took full advantage of all that was offered. Our second night’s meal was “Elegant” night (a Carnival term) and we dressed up and looked very special. On the previous evening I had informed all that one of the great things about cruise dining is that one can order extra of something one likes. On our Elegant Night menu we found special things like a crocodile appetizer and a lobster entrée. When I ordered a double portion of lobster, those at our table knew in their hearts that Grandpa Bill was about to be shown as telling stories for their entertainment. When my double order of lobster arrived there was an immediate placement of additional orders. Brad ordered a total of three orders of lobster. Cruising can be fun!! Today will be the first of our two days at Cabo San Lucas. Our plan is to go ashore about noon and see what we can see by walking around. The ship is too large to use the pier here so going ashore requires using the “tenders” (life boats). We arrived here at 9:00 am and all with shore excursions will be tendered ashore first with those, like us, without excursions to follow. Thus, our noon departure. The last return tender will leave the dock at 5:00 pm and all will spend the night on board. Tomorrow some of us have shore excursion tickets but today we will be on our own. Love to all from…………… Grandpa Bill, Brad, Jennifer, Daniel, Tim and Nikky

LIMA PERU 2012 BLOG #5

LIMA PERU 2012 BLOG #5
I’m on my way home after two of the most interesting weeks I’ve known in recent years. When I was invited to participate in the 2012 Lima Rotaplast Mission, I had a small idea about what was ahead. I knew that volunteers, under the auspice and financing of Rotary, traveled to strange places around the world to provide surgery for children who were born with cleft palates and lips. Two members of our Rotary Club had participated in the past and have given talks about their experiences. What I’ve learned from my experience in Lima is that there are some truly awesome individuals in this world and that I’ve had the privilege of knowing and working with a number of them.
Most of the twenty six members of our team had served on several Rotaplast missions and nearly all were already signed up for future missions. With rare exceptions, the professionals left full time practices to serve with Rotaplast. All of the nonmedical volunteers, with the exception of the Mission Leader, paid their own expenses with the exception of their hotel accommodations. One of the local Rotary clubs in Lima provided morning snacks and lunch each day as well as serving as host for a farewell appreciation dinner. Dinner each day was at the volunteer’s expense
I had heard our club members who had participated in previous Rotaplast missions speak of long work days but I didn’t realize what that meant. Our team’s work day began with a bus pick-up at our hotel each day at 7:00 am. We rarely returned to the hotel before 7:00 pm and on several days the return was after 9:00 pm. The surgeons were on call each night in the event that a patient was having difficulty. Each day was followed by a “happy hour”, to which participants contributed, where the team anjoyed relaxing and sharing the events of the day.
It was amazing to me to observe the medical volunteers and the endurance they displayed. I never once heard anyone mention fatigue or the stress of the busy day. Each day I saw these medical volunteers intensely involved in the skilled work they performed, bustling about seeming always to be on the run. If one of the medical folks completed his or her surgery assignments for the day, he or she always seemed to find some supportive involvement with surgeries yet completed. And all of this tireless effort accompanied by smiles. I was amazed.
In all, the team completed approximately ninety surgical procedures. While cleft palate and lip repair was the primary function, several patients received surgery of the nose that related to his or her deformity. The vast majority of patients were very small children; many less than a year old. A small number of older children and a few adults were also treated. One patient, a lady, was seventy-four years of age and had lived her whole life with her birth defect. One of her sons had heard a radio broadcast reporting on the Rotaplast Mission and decided to try to get surgery for his mother. He drove several hours to pick-up his mother to bring her to the clinic where she was interviewed, evaluated and accepted for surgery. The lady seemed frightened but patiently went through the process. On the final clinic day she was seen looking as though she was afraid to smile with her new lips but a twinkle in her eye showed the joy in her heart. One boy of about eight years of age was evaluated and found to have club feet and clubbed hands along with his cleft palate and lip. A decision was made by the surgical team to see if something could be done. After a study of X-rays, it was determined that it might be possible to make the boy’s thumbs functional. I watched much of the surgery and was amazed at what was accomplished. The boy went home with the potential for being able to grasp something with hands for the first time in his life.
The smiles of joy on the faces of parents and the hugs of appreciation received by volunteers perhaps explains in part why some volunteers have been serving on Rotaplast missions every year for dozens of years. Accounts are related by these veterans about 19 hour flights followed by eight or nine hours of auto travel over rough roads to remote places where one can’t eat the food safely and one needs to share a thin mattressed bed with another. Now I know why they return to do it again.
Rotary is all about “Service Above Self” and I witnessed first hand on the Lima 2012 Rotaplast Mission what that really means. The team of volunteers, only a few of which were actually Rotarians, demonstrated to me how our motto really works. Their tireless devotion to people in need left me with an indelible memory of their service and a personal challenge to devote my few strengths, time and resources in a more significant way as I attempt to fulfill my obligation to place “Service Above Self”.
Incidentally, each Rotaplast Mission, of which there are a half dozen or so a year, costs approximately $80,000. Rotaplast has been in existence since the eighties and has provided tens of thousands of youngsters around the world with a new look and new life.
Love to all,

Bill, Grandpa Bill, Dad

LIMA PERU 2012 BLOG #4

LIMA PERU 2012 BLOG #4
Imagine getting ready for a Sunday drive. You get the kids in the car, load in the picnic lunch(there aren’t many McDonalds outside of Lima) and the fishing rods (just in case you pass a promising looking stream or lake) and then you get the tank of oxygen and place it conveniently where all in the car can reach it. This is real life according to an account shared with a new Peruvian friend. Less than two hours east of Lima the road climbs from sea level to over 12,000 feet and even the locals admit to having problems with altitude sickness. The sudden change of altitude does strange things to most of us and the tank of oxygen is the most effective means of saving the day. I recall our recent trip to Macho Pichu w here we found “oxy-shots” available at the airport and at our hotel.
Not many of the nine million residents of Lima would make such a trip. As a matter of fact, there’s not much to be seen or do if you do make the drive. There’s plenty to do in town and if you’re a Lima resident you’re too spoiled by the weather to chance getting cold for nothing. Limans are used to two seasons; summer and winter. Since Lima is situated in the desert (Lima is the second largest desert city in the world. Do you know the largest?) , one would expect high temperatures in the summer. Actually, summer temperatures range between a high of 89 and a low of 69. Winter on the other hand is wet. Locals complain about the constant “rain” although no one owns an umbrella or a raincoat. The “rain” consists of an almost constant fog that locals call a drizzle. Now that sounds pretty wet but in actual measures the drizzle amounts to an annual average of 2.4 inches. And oh yes, the winters are “cold”. The daily highs and lows are about ten degrees lower than summer readings.
By the way, L:ima is the fourth largest city in South America. Can you name the other three. If you you add Mexico City, Lima is the fifth largets city in Latin America.
Lima, and this part of the world, has a long history of devastating earthquakes. Historical accounts list some major quakes that “leveled” the city on several occasions. One local friend told me that “…we know that every four years there will be an earthquake” with a certainty that made me a believer. The city center has many buildings that appeared to be built in the middle to late nineteenth century suggesting that something big must have happened th. No one tell me what happened and all seemed not to care. The hospital where we are working is one such building. It is old and not in good repair but it does provide the primary source of health care for poor people in the area. Several modern hospitals exist where services are available for those who can afford it. Patients in “our” hospital spend the night in open wards with forty or more beds side by side
While I was impressed by the number of cars on the streets, I was surprised not to see a parking lot for patients’ cars at the hospital. I was told that most who are served by the state operated hospital don’t own cars. Some of our patients came from homes that were hundreds of miles from Lima; usually by bus
Archeological studies indicate that the Lima area was inhabited as early as 14,000 BC. On Sunday I visited an archeological site that once was a city built of mud bricks dated somewhere around the 5th or 6th century. Spanish explorer Francisco Pizzaro sailed into Callao Bay in 1535 and named what was the beginning of Lima “La Ciudad de los Reyes”, the city of kings. Pizarro immediately defeated the Inca leader Atahualpa and took over his empire. Spain ruled the country until 1821. During the next several centuries, Lima played an important role in supporting the sea trade routes from Europe and the far east. Because of the valuable cargoes carried to and from the city, pirates and privateers roamed the coast attacking ships at will. The problem was of such an extent that the Spanish built a wall around Lima in 1687-89 to protect inhabitants from attack from the sea.
Peru is another of the South American countries that gained its independence from Spain in the 19th century. In 1820 a group of Argentine and Chilean patriots, led by Jose de San Martin, decided that Peru should also be free so they traveled to Peru. Fearing the worst, the then Spanish Viceroy invited San Martin into Lima hoping to save his loyalist guards from harm. What the history books call the War of Independence drifted along for several years but was officially ended on July 28, 1821. The next several years where unsettling but the new country got its feet on the ground by 1850. About that time, guano exports became a big thing and Peru’s economy was off to a good start. Why guano? Guano was an excellent source of nitrate and an important ingredient in gun powder.
Lima is the home of the oldest higher learning institution in the new world. The National University of San Marcos was founded on May 12, 1551 and is the oldest continuously functioning university in the Americas.
I had an opportunity to spend some time at the Museo Nacional de Arqueologia, Anntropologia e Historia del Peru. Well organized and maintained exhibits tell the story of Peru and its people from its known beginning in 14000 to the present. Artifacts are displayed that show the growth of skills and products as the country grew. A book I recently read hypothesized that when people became farmers instead of hunters and gatherers they had time to devote to things artistic and political. The pottery displays effectively demonstrate this idea as household pottery changed from functional things made to do a particular job to jugs and bowls that were intricate in their design and color. The concept I read about seems proven by these exhibits.
Like almost every place in the world, there is more to see and do than time permits. The few days I’ve spent in Peru were a marvelous learning experience that I found very enjoyable.
Love to all,
Bill, Grandpa Bill and Dad

LIMA PERU 2012 BLOG #3

LIMA PERU 2012 BLOG #3
After several days experience, I now know what a “sterilizer” does. It goes something like this. Surgeons use trays of instruments that are fitted out with the specific instruments needed for a particular procedure. Each tray is exactly like all others designed to support the named procedure. The instruments used in the operating room are sterile as is all else, as much as possible, that comes in contact with the patient. My job as sterilizer is to insure that the instruments delivered to the operating room are clean, sterile and that the tray has all of the instruments expected.
As each surgery is completed, the tray of instruments used in the surgery is delivered to the area where I work. A Peruvian lady specifically trained for the purpose washes the returned instruments and delivers them to me. I examine the instruments to determine that all of the instruments that need to be on the tray are present. Some of the instruments need to be reassembled; a task for which I have been trained. I count and recount the instruments and note the number on a card that is placed on the tray. The tray is then placed in a machine, an autoclave, that is designed to create steam and maintain a temperature of 270 degrees Fahrenheit for a minimum of three minutes. The process takes about thirty minutes per tray except when the washed instruments brought to me doesn’t include all of the instruments that are supposed to be on a specific tray. This leads to a search that may include a return to the operating room where the tray was last used, an examination of other trays that may have been used at the same time as the incomplete tray and an occasional search of waste cans in the area where the missing item may have been inadvertently tossed. If the missing item cannot be found, a replacement must be taken from a supply of “extras” so that the tray will be complete for the next surgery. When a surgeon calls for a specific instrument during a procedure, he or she needs to know that the needed item will be available.
Since most of our days so far have been 10 or more hours long, I have had the opportunity, when no trays need my attention, to walk freely among the operating rooms to watch the surgeons at work. My presence in the OR area requires that I wear scrubs at all times, a hat and covers on my shoes. Whenever I enter an operating room while a patient is present I must wear a face mask. A number of times the operating surgeon has invited me to put my head next to his or her head so that I could look directly into the mouth of the patient’s mouth. This was a totally new experience for me and one that I found fascinating. Often there were Peruvian doctors and/or doctors and nurses in training gathered around the operating table observing the procedure. The surgeons often kept up a continual dialogue explaining everything that was happening. In some instances, two of our team’s surgeons worked together on a single patient. Most often, the “scrub nurses” supporting the surgeon were Peruvian nurses who normally assisted Peruvian doctors in the operating room. Our surgeons each took the time to train the Peruvian nurses in the techniques that were expected by the American doctors. I found our surgeons to be very patient with the training process that they found necessary.
This was my first experience working closely with a group of medical professionals. Many in our group had served on pervious Rotaplast missions. I was impressed with several qualities that were present among the medical professionals. Although we worked long hours each day, starting early and ending late, none of the professionals ever seemed to tire. Each moved rapidly from one task to another never slowing down. Everyone smiled and joked even after a fourteen hour day. Most of all, each demonstrated an intensity of purpose that I imagined was the product of knowing that what was being done would be a significant benefit to the patient being served. My first few days as a part of the Rotaplast team gave me a new understanding and appreciation for those who choose to serve as medical professionals.
Love to each and everyone,
Bill, Grandpa Bill and Dad

LIMA PERU 2012 BLOG #2

Lima PERU 2012 BLOG #2
Our first day of real activity involved the registration of potential candidates for the kind of surgeries we will perform. About 75 victims of cleft palate and/or cleft lip answered the advertised call for patients who wished to undergo surgery to change their particular problems. Potential candidates appeared at 8:00 am to begin the process of evaluation and selection for the process. Candidates lined up outside the clinic door with full anticipation of waiting most of the day to be interviewed and evaluated. Only one or two adult candidates came alone. All of the rest came with a family member or two and began the waiting for a call to be interviewed.
The first step involved registering. Clerks were waiting at a table to get specific information from candidate. Name, age, address, telephone number and specifics about how far they had traveled were duly recorded on data sheets that became a part of the medical record for each. Following registration, candidates were evaluated by a surgeon who took notes on each candidate’s problem and possible strategies for its correction. Next, each candidate was interviewed and evaluated by an anesthesiologist to determine if each could withstand anesthesia and its potential complications. Then a pediatrician examined each candidate to determine wellness in terms of the demands of the planned procedures. A dentist examined each patient to determine the implications for dentistry following corrective surgery. And finally, the candidates’ vital signs were determined and made a part of the patient’s record. At every station, several photographs were taken for future reference.
At each evaluation station, the doctor and the other professionals responsible for the examination made a crucial decision regarding the patient’s eligibility. Green dots were awarded those patients that showed signs of profiting the most from corrective surgery. Blue dots were awarded patients who showed and need and potential for success but with a lesser degree of need than those awarded green dots. These would be scheduled for surgery if time permitted. Red dots were given to those candidates that the medical professionals deemed unsuited for corrective surgery. Poor health, problems too serious to be corrected, lack of an obvious need for corrective surgery and/or a combination of some of these usually denied the corrective surgery being sought.
After the evaluations began, one wall of each examination room began to display post-its with notations regarding the patient and a colored dot denoting the decision resulting from the examination. The post-its were arranged in order of acceptability with those deemed worthy of surgery on the left and those least able to profit on the right. Each candidate was evaluated at each station with consultation following disagreements by evaluators. The final selection was evaluated by surgeons and the administrative nurse who made the final decision about scheduling surgeries.
All of this was accomplished on Wednesday, the second day of the team’s presence in Lima. Some experienced volunteers recalled such days when 150 or more potential candidates were evaluated with the process beginning at 8:00 am in the morning and ending at 10:30 at night. Our day of evaluation was completed by 4:00 pm.
Following the completion of the evaluation process, Parents and their children gathered in the courtyard outside of the building we used to wait for the announcement of candidates that had been chosen for surgery. Hope was written on the faces of parents in the crowd as names were read. Wide smiles were seen on the faces of parents when the name of their child was read. These parents who had been waiting since before 8:00 am showed no sign of weariness, just eager anticipation that their child might be chosen for a new look and a new life.
Surgeries are planned to begin on Thursday; our third full day in Lima. When we arrived we found that the surgery rooms were being painted. Everyone knew that we were going to be needing the rooms six months before our arrival. For some reason yet explained, the maintenance was scheduled making it impossible for our team to begin surgeries as planned. The first surgeries will probably not begin until noon rather than 7:30 am as planned. None the less, the team will be prepared and on the job at the earliest possible moment. Some of our team expressed disappointed with the lack of cooperation exhibited by the hospital. There seemed to be little regard for the fact that each team member had paid more than $1500 for a plane ticket to come to Lima plus the cost of meals and such would add. Additionally, most team member were either losing earnings from their individual practices or vacation time that was being used for the trip. There was no griping from team members but rather regret was expressed that the limiting of the use of facilities simply meant that fewer children could be scheduled for surgeries.
My role on this second day was to assist the registration desk. I spent several hours setting up file folders that would later be used to record all of the patient data necessary for the evaluation and eventual surgeries. I spent an additional three and a half hours recording patient data in a computer data bank that would eventually list the procedures used with each child.
During the remainder of the day I was able to observe the evaluation process in operation. One surgeon showed me a one year old child that exhibited a classic cleft palate. Looking into the child’s mouth I could see the hole on the top of the child’s mouth that allowed one to see the inside of the child’s nose. The child was chosen for surgery.
At our second night’s cocktail hour get together, one of the surgeons gave a talk, supported by a computer generated set of pictures, that described the surgical process used to repair cleft palates. We were also given some information about the causative factors leading to such conditions. Heredity, environmental factors (ie pollution) and cleanliness were described as known contributors. Some countries have a greater incidence than others. Africa, India and South America have a high incidence of cleft palates while Europe and the United States have relatively few. The U.S. has about 7500 cases a year. Peru has about twice that number. The presence of a cleft palate begins to show in infants as early as the 6th week of gestation.
I’m learning a lot and meeting a number of wonderful, dedicated and interesting people.
Love,
Bill, Grandpa Bill and Dad

LIMA PERU 2012 #1

Lima 2012 Blog #1
On January 6, 2012 I received a call from fellow Rotarian Tom Fox who was quick to explain that as “Mission Director” for the ROTAPLAST 2012 mission to Lima, Peru he had a big problem. Due to a heart attack with one of his volunteers, he was short two positions for a ROTAPLAST mission to Lima, Peru that was scheduled to leave on the following Sunday night. He asked if I would be interested in becoming a member of the mission team as one of the non-medical participants. After discussing the idea with Dottie, I called Tom and told him I would be glad to volunteer.
ROTOPLAST is a little known program operated by Rotary International that focuses volunteer effort to help children who suffer from cleft pallet. Rotary volunteers visit foreign countries and perform operations on children for whom there is no other opportunity to recover from the abnormality they were born with. Volunteers pay their own expenses to third world countries where need exists and no other programs are available to meet the needs. Rotary International pays for the surgical supplies necessary for the project but the rest of the costs are covered by volunteer participants. Visit the website rotaplast.org to see what has been accomplished over the past decade. It is truly amazing.
My Rotary friend, Tom Fox, has participated in 16 missions to date. Another member of our Pleasanton Rotary Club is currently the President of the ROTAPLAST board of Directors and has devoted her vacations for the past half dozen years as a volunteer visiting dozens of countries in the process. When we had our introductory meeting, as we waited for a connecting flight in Miami, I was impressed with the number of our 26 member team of volunteers who were repeat volunteers; many who had served on a half dozen or more missions in the past.
Our Lima, Peru Mission follows the pattern established some years ago. A local Rotary club does what is necessary to recruit children who have cleft pallets and are appropriate candidates for corrective surgery. The local effort takes at least a year and includes doing whatever is necessary to make facilities available for the surgeries. The ROTAPLAST information states that it takes about seventy volunteers to make the program work. Our team from the United States usually consists of 27 volunteers. The Lima 2012 Mission Team had 26 members.
The team I will be working with has the following make-up; 1 Medical Director, 3 Surgeons, 4 Anesthesiologists, 2 Pediatricians, 6 Nurses, 1 Speech Pathologist, (non-medical) 1 Mission Director, 1 Interpreter, 1 Medical Records Manager, 1 Post-operative Assistant, 1 Photo Journalist, 1 Quartermaster, 2 Ward Coordinators and 1 Sterilizer. I was the “Sterilizer”; a position that has yet to be defined to me but one, I am told, is very important.
The schedule for our mission begins on the first day after our travel with an orientation at the hospital where we will be working and training for our respective jobs. The next day will be devoted to interviewing the potential patients to evaluate their needs and determine what procedures will be helpful. We have been told that some cases will be rejected because of conditions beyond the scope of the mission but most will be treated. Seven days of surgery are planned and it is expected that approximately 100 children will leave with repaired pallets and lips.
Our flight from San Francisco, via Miami, was a 12 hour affair, plus a two hour lay-over in Miami, that provided an opportunity to catch up on sleep, for those who caught the 6:00 am flight out of SFO and an opportunity for team members to begin to get to know one another. Our Mission Director asked us to travel in khaki slacks, navy blue blazers and white shirts so that we could identify one another. It was interesting to me to learn that our team, while mostly from California, has Rotary volunteers from six other states.
I’m really excited about this new experience and the opportunity to work with the dedicated individuals in our mission group. A quick look at the group makes it obvious that I am the senior member of the group. I hope I can keep up and do my share.
Love to all,
Bill, Grandpa Bill and Dad

Cancun August 2011 Blog #4

As our final full day was among all of us, there was some sadness, but much celebration as it was Christine’s 19th Birthday. The day mostly consisted of lying by the pool or getting in some last minute shopping downtown, not to mention Brad taking out the catamaran one last time. Andi and Christine won a game of bingo, and received prices of a hat and a bag, where Andi happened to mention to the announcer of the Bingo game that it was Christine’s birthday and he then preceded on getting the entire hotel to sing to her Happy Birthday, much to her dismay. Later on, everyone meet up in the Lobby for some cocktails and then walked over to the Steakhouse, which all agreed was the best of the three specialty restaurants at the Hotel. After a delicious meal, some cake, and singing, everyone scattered into different directions, either back to their rooms, the bar, watching the artists paint, or towards the theater. As Bill and Dottie headed off towards bed, everyone else thought about what they were going to do that night. As Christine headed back up towards her room, she discovered a surprise from the hotel, another cake, champagne, a card, and they also gave her a set of maracas, and a mini sombrero. Nicky, Tim, Brad, and new found friends Sophia and Don headed off towards another fun night at the Congo, while Christine, Jen, Andi, and Danny went and tried out Senior Frogs. After some bull-riding and beer drinking contests, Danny left to go party at Congo, while Andi, Jen, and Christine headed back towards the hotel. It turned out to be another awesome day on an overall awesome trip, and as Christine said “a great way to celebrate her Birthday.”

Chich'en Itzá

Sunlight plummets into an expansive limestone cavern through an opening in the ceiling. The rays fall through a plume of dust and incense and ultimately dive into the emerald colored depths of a subterranean fresh water lake. "Fresh" is the critical descriptor. Although the Northern Yucatán Peninsula is a rainy place, you wont find any lakes or streams to swim in --or to drink from. Here, highly permeable soils quickly drain water to the subsurface. It is this reality that belies the importance of the city "at the mouth of the well of enchanted water," literally, Chich'en Itzá.

Chich'en Itzá archeology and anthropology are intimately related to the Earth sciences of geology, hydrology, and astronomy. The site is literally named after the cenotes, or natural limestone sinkhole-caverns, some of which were used for drinking water and others for ritual sacrifice. The architecture at Chich'en Itzá is famous for its astronomical calibration, allowing, for example, for the illumination of a certain serpentine facade on only the equinox days.

The monumental architecture of Chich'en Itzá is constructed from the same limestone that houses the underground lake we visit, a rock that formed in warm tropical waters millions of years ago. Limestone was the building rock of choice for the Mayans as it was for the Egyptians at Giza. The same rock type is also to be found on the facade of the Empire State Building and the foundation of the Athenian Parthenon. Limestone is heavy, easy to cut, and, --perhaps most importantly to the anthropologist-- preserves both fine-scale carvings and monumental pyramids over time-scales of millennia.

I leave the tour group at Chich'en Itzá, perhaps wanting to feel the aura of the place rather than have it dissected for me. I can always read up later, I figure. I feel a sense of loss knowing that climbing the central pyramid is not longer permitted because it is seen as a liability risk after a California woman fell to her death in 2006. I take an expansive view of the site closures, figuring that my respectful footsteps pale in comparison to centuries of looting and intentional desecration. Wondering in an abandoned section of the ruins, I stop next to an enormous iguana and watch as the forest retakes the curvilinear forms carved in stone. A trail of ants carry away chunks of a tropical plant. I imagine that I am an early explorer, and have just come across these mysterious structures for the first time.

-Blogger of the day, Brad

Travel Update!

Well, our Monday was equally as enjoyable as our weekend here in beautiful Cancun. Most of the grandkids ventured into downtown yesterday to try out their haggling skills with much success. Andi was able to talk someone all the way down to $50 from a starting price of $110 for a ring. Andi and Christine then ended up making a somewhat extended trek from downtown to the WalMart in the heart of Cancun. All of the grandkids have enjoyed experiencing the real Cancun including several flea markets and many local restaurants.
Brad arrived on Monday evening and we had our first dinner as a whole group. Bill’s grandkids and Dottie’s grandkids have enjoyed getting to know each other better and learning more about our new extended families.

Dottie and Bill have continued working very hard. They arrive at their pool side office early in the day and continue entertaining clients late into the evening at the lobby bar.

The grandkids have continued their exploration of Cancun night life. Andrea, Brad, Danny, Tim and Nikky went to the world famous Coco Bongo where they were treated to quite a show of lights, music, acrobatics and trapeze in addition to the usual drinks and dancing.

On Tuesday Brad and Tim spent much of the day out on a Catamaran. Brad spent a lot of time teaching Tim how to sail while Tim spent most of the time just enjoying the water and sunshine. Andrea, Christine and Jennifer ventured back into Old Cancun for another after noon of shopping and continued to find great deals on gifts for family and friends.

Everyone has been able to practice their Spanish which has been enjoyable for some and a challenge for many! Tomorrow Andrea, Brad, Danny, Tim, Nikky and Christine will venture to Chichen Itza and learn more about the histories and traditions of the ancient Mayan civilizations in Mexico!

Cancun August 2011 Blog 1

Hello friends and family! Welcome to the first installment of our Cancun blog! We have landed and arrived safely after a somewhat prolonged entrance into Mexico at the airport for the grandkids. Dottie and Bill were able to zip through customs and passport checks due to her “wheelchair necessity” while the grandkids were delayed for nearly two hours. Yet by 7 we were all checked in and ready to officially begin our vacation.
Danny, Tim and Nicky decided to embrace the spirit of adventure and check out the nightlife in downtown Cancun Saturday night. They found a plethora of bars and clubs downtown and enjoyed a full night of drinking and dancing. As luck would have it, Bill was just getting his day going as they were turning in, and they exchanged salutations as they passed each other on their way.
Most of Sunday was spent by all lounging by the pool. Tim and Nicky embarked on a parasailing journey while Andrea, Danny, Jennifer, Christine, Bill and Dottie worked hard on their tans. The weather was very cooperative, and the pool was at near bathwater temperature. It was a much needed day of leisure for all parties, taking in generous quantities of pina coladas and strawberry daiquiris.
The entire family convened for dinner at the buffet, and all continue to be impressed by the variety of cuisines offered at there. Everyone enjoyed a wonderful meal with even better company. The grandkids have plans to explore downtown again while Dottie and Bill keep the lobby bartenders company. Everyone is thoroughly enjoying vacation thus far. On Monday Brad arrives, and the crew is excited to greet him and quickly show him the ropes of our fabulous hotel.
Bogger for the day. Andrea

CANCUN APRIL 2011

April 14, 2011

Cancun, Mexico

Birthdays are always a cause for celebration. Our motto is *The More The Merrier”. This year was the big “Eight O” for Bill and Dottie decided that the gift he would appreciate the most was a trip to a place he had never visited - Cancun, Mexico. She made all of the arrangements without his knowing and didn’t announce his surprise until she couldn’t keep the secret any longer.

She was especially pleased that she could arrange an air flight that was non-stop from San Francisco to Cancun. She had made the trip several times in the past and recalled the hassle of stopping somewhere in between to change planes after a lay-over. The six hour flight was packed but comfortable. We were surprised to find as we met different people during our ten day stay that everyone seemed to come to Cancun on a non-stop flight. We talked to people who flew from London, Vancouver, Minneapolis, Toronto, New York and Atlanta on non-stop flights. We thought this quite amazing until we learned that Cancun has more than 28,000 hotel rooms and a tourist season that is in full swing every month of the year.

The hotel that Dottie chose was one that she had used on her several previous trips to Cancun; the Riu Caribe. We asked what the Spanish meaning of Riu is and learned that it is Spanish but the name of the owners rather than a word. The Riu brothers have been building and buying shoreline hotels and resorts around the world for several decades. They own more than 100 hotels that feature their name and are considered one of the leaders in the resort hotel business. Cancun currently has three Riu resorts with a fourth under construction next door to the Riu Caribe.

As a frequent visitor to Riu Caribe, Dottie was non plussed as we entered the magnificent lobby entrance to the hotel. On the other hand, Bill stood with his eyes wide with amazement as he soaked in the grandeur before him. To say the least, the Riu Caribe was one of the most amazing buildings he had ever seen. The grand lobby displayed stair steppe balconies of the first four floors with hanging plants and vines bringing the outside into the lobby. Potted palms and plants seemed to be everywhere. Two large ponds in the middle of everything featured dozens of large sea turtles in recognition that this part of Cancun is known as Playa Tortugas (sp for Turlle).

The hotel featured one large Buffet and three smaller specialty restaurants. The four bars on site seemed always to be just a whistle away. And the best part of all…all food and beverages were included in the price of our room. It was the first time in memory when check-in didn’t require a credit card on file.

It seemed that every room at Riu Caribe had an ocean view . The first room we were assigned had a palm tree just off our balcony and Dottie knew there should be a view. She

stamped her food, just once loudly, and we were ushered into a corner room with an acre or so of balcony and thirty feet of sliding glass doors for enjoying the view. It wasn’t hard to conclude that we had been given one of the hotel’s finest rooms.

Our first day was devoted to Dottie teaching Bill what one does at a resort hotel in Cancun. After a wonderful breakfast, we ambled down to the pool area ready for swimming and sun. We swam, we read, we did Sudoku and we people watched. Since we arrived several days before the end of Spring Break, the people watching was marvelous. Dottie provided a continuing commentary on the various styles of bikinis that paraded by our chaise lounges tucked under a palm frond umbrella. It seemed the most popular bikini style was something she called a “thong” bikini with a top half seemingly spun from dental floss. Tatoos that aren’t normally observable on the street seemed to be the in thing. The body art ranged from pithy little words like “Live Life to the Fullest” to a full sized AK47 that covered one girls outer leg from hip to ankle. There seemed to be twice as many guys as gals as they bunched together in the pool and at the poolside bar soaking up the sun and the free booze. With an open bar at the ready we were a bit surprised that the crowd was quiet and relatively inactive. It wasn’t until about 4:00 pm each day that the hearing of most seemed to diminish and it became necessary to shout in order to be heard.

Each day was filled with a series of activities at poolside. Volleyball games, exercise classes, bingo, trivia contests, various tug-of- war contests and more provided something to do for the doers and something watch for the watchers. Several of the activities were designed specifically for the teen and pre teen kids that were ever present. For the most adventuresome, there were daily scuba diving lessons in a special pool designed for the purpose.

The pool area was divided into three different areas. One end was shallow and best arranged for the youngest of children. The large middle pool was where the 20’s 30’s action took place and a third pool seemed best suited for those who wanted a quieter spot for their sunbathing. There was also a strip of beach, about 300 yards long with palm frond umbrellas and chaise lounges for those who like sand between their toes and salt water for their swimming.

The hotel provided night time entertainment in a large covered pavillion. We attended one show that featured a Michael Jackson wanna be and a film telling the story of Michael Jackson’s career. Since the shows all began at 9:30, we opted out in favor of getting some sleep to be ready for the next day.

Cancun is all about enjoying one’s vacation. There are things to see and do to meet the needs of all. Night club action outside of the hotel covers everything that one could imagine. We spotted a casino in “old Cancun” for those who want to gamble. There are boats to take you everywhere, wave runners to rent, parasailing opportunities, motorcycles to rent and dozens of places to visit. Mayan temples and ruins are everywhere and Isla Mujera 20 minutes east by ferry to visit. We were told that there are even nude and semi-nude beaches for sun bathing if you’re into that kind of thing. Dottie’s rules were we weren’t.

Our first adventure away from Riu Caribe was a ferry ride to Isla Mujera for a day’s visit. Isla Mujera (sp. Womanly island) is an island about six miles long and a half mile wide. We rented a golf cart to tour the island from one end to the other. We saw several hundred homes that were obviously vacation homes and many more that housed the island’s inhabitants that worked in the shops and restaurants catering to tourists. We drove to the southern end of the island where the ruins of a Mayan temple overlooked the Caribbean Sea to the south. At the little park set aside for visitors, we saw a huge statue of an Iguana with a real live iguana resting in its shade. A visitor that we talked to at the site told us that there were a half dozen iguana at his hotel, all of which were three feet long and larger. We were told that the iquana are herbivores but we decided not to try to pet the one we saw. We petted the statue instead.

One of the “Seven Wonders of the Modern World”, Chichen Itza, is about 115 miles from Cancun. Dottie added the day long trip to our itinerary as a special birthday gift on Bill’s birthday. The two and half hour bus trip took us through the desolate Yucatan Peninsula where we were told the soil is worthless for growing anything except scrub brush and a few palm trees. The Yucatan Peninsula has no rivers or lakes. One would guess that grass for feeding cattle should be possible but it is not. It wasn’t until we reached the opposite coast of the peninsula that we found a few small Mayan villages. We were told that until the late 1980’s, the Mayan people had no electricity, no sewage systems, no water systems and no schools. As Cancun began its development, the government came to the area and did what was necessary to keep the Mayan villagers in place so that they could be a part of the growing tourism industry. We stopped at one village so that we could shop in a store where most of the merchandise was produced by the local villagers. We bought a rock. Actually, the rock was a large piece of obsidian that can be used to soothe tired muscles and such. It works.

Chichen Itza is one of more than 200 Mayan cities that have been identified in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Belize. Most of the cities have identifiable pyramids similar to the one at Chichen Itza. The Chichen Itza site was built around 450 AD. The city was deserted around 1441. Historians believe that a war with a neighboring tribe was the cause but not all agree. Spanish explorers arrived on the Mayan Peninsula in 1451 but there is no record that they visited Chichen Itza. The site was discovered by archeologists in 1839 but further exploration of the site didn’t begin until 1925 when Mexican archeologists began excavation and research. We were told that only 90% of the Chichen Itza site has been uncovered.

Our visit to Chichen Itza was accompanied by one hundred five to ten degree heat and humidity in the low 90’s. We were provided with large umbrellas for shade and we carried water. None the less, some in our party of 40 had difficulty along the way and many opted out of the tour before it was complete. All had an opportunity to see the main pyramid that symbolizes Chichen Itza. We soon realized that we were the senior members of our grouup but we made it through the most difficult part of the tour. Our tour included a wonderful buffet lunch that featured a number of Mayan dishes and local dancers who performed Mayan dances.

Prominent at the site is one of the largest pok ta pok playing fields built by the Mayans. Pok to pok is a game played with a solid ball of rubber about 9 inches in diameter. The game had great religious implications for the Mayans. It is believed that the players represent the major stars in the heaven and the ball represents the sun. Two teams play against one another with the objective is putting the ball through a stone ring high on the side of the stadium wall. The players may not use their hands, feet or heads to move the ball. Only hips, knees and elbows, each covered with a wooden padding, may be used to move the ball. The game ended when the ball passed through the vertical hoop. And then, the captain of the victorious team was put to death in the middle of the playing field; the highest honor that could be achieved in the Mayan culture. The players, somewhat like modern day professional athletes, were treated like gods by their respective communities.

On our return trip, our bus stopped mid way to allow us to tour a cavern with religious significance that we missed. The cavern had the usual stalagmites and stalagtites but lacked the refreshing coolness one usually expects in such places. Some of our group stripped down to their bathing suits and swam in the tepid lake at the bottom of the cavern. Most agreed, however, that the best part of the stop was the coconut milk served in freshly cut coconuts outside of the cavern.

Our ten day visit to Cancun was a really great experience. We purposefully left a number of things undone and places not visited so we would have reason to return. This was a fourth trip for Dottie and she claims she hasn’t begun to see all that she has on her list. As if one needs a list………………….

Love to all,

Gram and Grandpa Bill, Mom and Dad, Dottie and Bill

HOLYLANDS CRUISE bLOG #4`

HOLYLANDS/CRUISE
BLOG #4
Ahhh Venice! We decided immediately that Venice must be one of the great places in the world. The Pacific Princess moored at the island port of Venice, the only place in town where we would see motorized vehicles, where we boarded a “water bus” which took us to the San Marcus “bus station”. A short walk behind our guide escort took us to Hotel Saturnia where we would stay for the next three nights. The Saturnia boasted four stars but would probably be awarded a maximum of two in San Francisco. None the less, it was comfortable, in the center of things and blended in well with the aged buildings in the neighborhood. After all, it wouldn’t be right to have a 30 story Hilton planted in the middle of a 15th and 16th century city.
Our first walk about the neighborhood was with the admonishment from the helpful desk manager that an unusually high tide was being experienced and the next day would be better for visiting the Piazza San Marcos. We were dying for a piece of real Italian Pizza so we headed out anyway. Sure enough, the tide was in and the large plaza in front of Basilica di San Marcos was covered with several inches of water. This was obviously not an unusual condition because platform walkways, about 24 inches high were in place so that the several thousand tourists in the area could take their pictures without getting their feet wet. Since it was about that time, we found a sidewalk restaurant facing the Canale Grande, and enjoyed lunch and an opportunity to people watch. We were immediately aware that Venetian footware is noticeably unique. Many of the ladies were wearing fashionable but obvious rubber or plastic boots so that they could walk through the tidal waters while keeping their tootsies dry. Very practical. After lunch we strolled across the Piazza di San Marcos on the raised walkways and noticed that the tidal waters were receding. Merchants surrounding the piazza were busily sweeping the remaining water out of their shops and from in front of their shops.
Our hotel hosts proudly announced that a complimentary tour of Murano came with our room. We knew we wanted to visit Murano so we signed up. Dottie’s Mother and Joe had visited Murano many years ago and brought home a chandelier that was a focal point in the entrance hall of their home. Our “taxi” driver arrived at the hotel and led us to a nearby water taxi that would take us to the island of Murano. On the way to the taxi, our guide stopped short and addressed us in Italian (we think) expressing concern that a large puddle left over from the high tide blocked our way. His look suggested that the whole gig was off because of the puddle. Bill quickly solved the problem by carrying Dottie “over the threshold” style walking through the almost ankle deep puddle. Dottie reacted with cool and aplomb as though such was an everyday occurrence, all the while knowing in her heart of hearts she was going to be dropped with each step. Venetian water taxi drivers each has his favorite short cut and our driver was no exception. He avoided the open sea by winding through Venice backroads giving us an eyeful of how the 60,000 residents of Venice live and where they work.
Our “free” tour of Murano consisted of a glass blowing demonstration as the only audience in a room with bleachers for fifty or sixty. We watched as a man attached a glob of molten glass on the end of a six foot pipe and then put the glob in a roaring furnace blowing through the pipe to form a lovely little vase. He added a couple of handles to the vase and cut it from the end of his pipe as a finished product. He then put another glob on the pipe and within 60 seconds or so fashioned a small horse complete with mane and flowing tail. Very impressive. Then we were led away from the furnaces to a show room of Murano glassware with some other stuff thrown in to provide a complete inventory. One room was full of marvelous chandeliers and various lighting fixtures while other rooms displayed beautiful crystal sets and objects of art made from glass. It was obvious we were expected to buy something which we didn’t. We knew that there were many similar shops on the island of Murano and we suggested that we would like to visit them. We were assured that we could but our “free” taxi wouldn’t be available to take us back to Venice. That’s the way it is with freebies. We decided that we had seen what we wanted to see at Murano so we returned to Venice. We were glad we went.
The coughing and sneezing of fellow passengers during our cruise finally caught up with Bill and Dr. Dottie “decided” that it was time to take a day off. She had already gone through the shared bugs earlier in our trip. We stayed in all day with food sent up from the kitchen below. It was a day well spent because we were both reenergized for our next day of touring in Venice.
It’s hard to believe that little Venice has 56 churches most of which date back several centuries. We decided we had to visit a few but not all. We focused on Santa Maria del Giglio, Santo Stefano and, of course, the Basilica di San Marcos. Each church had a unique story about its construction, funding and reconstruction. Each was beautiful in its own way. In most cases a wealthy individual put up the cash for construction to commemorate a special event or just to make certain that his family name wasn’t lost in history. The Basilica di San Marcos, St. Marks, was something else. It was impressive in its size and the considerable art work seemingly everywhere. We made our visit with easily a thousand or more tourists who took pictures with their digital cameras even though signs were everywhere prohibiting cameras and talking loudly even though “Silencio” signs were equally evident. We spent an hour enjoying the remarkable beauty of San Marcos. We paused for a while in a small chapel where we lit candles for loved ones in our lives that we have lost.
We (Bill) decided that we simply had to see the Ponte di Rialto, the famous bridge that was built in the 16th century. We found it after a good deal of meandering that took us by hundreds of shops whose intent that no tourist should leave Venice with any money left in the wallet. We window shopped but didn’t buy all that much. We finally found the Rialto bridge where we stopped at a nearby sidewalk café for a lunch next to the Grand Canal. Our final “to do” for the day was satisfied when we hired a gondola for two to take us back to our hotel, singing gondolier and all. We passed dozens of gondolas on our way some of which were loaded, maybe overloaded, with Japanese tourists who smiled and waved as they passed us looking a bit romantic and carried away with the moment.
At 5:00 am on our final day, a water taxi picked us up at the landing at the rear of our hotel and took us on the first leg of our trip home. A timely flight to Madrid where a long wait on the tarmac ultimately informed us that our bird wasn’t going to fly. American Airlines put us up in a five star hotel in a lovely suite readying us for our flight home a day later. We were really looking forward to stepping off the merry go round and the extra day left us totally exhausted. A good time and lots of fun can do that you know. And then, as we were waiting for our plane to take-off at Miami, we were told once again that our plane couldn't fly. We off loaded a sell-out crowd and boarded a second plane of the same maker. It only cost us an hour and we were pleased that our experience on Sunday wasn't repeated. Enough already! Granddaughter Andrea picked us up at 12:45 am and we were in our own bed for the first time in three weeks by 3:00 am. Life is good!
If you ever have an opportunity to visit this part of the world, don’t let it pass. We know, you can take a camel ride in lots of places but in front of the Pyramids of Giza is special.
Love to each and everyone,
Gram and Granpa Bill, Mom and Dad, Dottie and Bill

Holylands Cruise Tour #3

HOLYLANDS CRUISE 2010
BLOG #3t
One should never read things written after the work is “completed”. A reread of the last two blogs led to the conclusion that fun writing should not be attempted when the TV is on in the room especially when the ability to multi-task diminished with the trip “over the hill”. All of which leads to the following correction. Ephesus and The Acropolis are NOT on the list of the “Seven Wonders of the Modern World”. These are great wonders of the past but they didn’t make the list. The Temple of Artemus at Ephesus was on the ancient wonders list but it didn’t make the new list. Sorry about the misinformation.
Our next stop at Port Said, Egypt did allow us to see one of the “Seven Wonders of the Modern World”, The Pyramids of Giza. We knew in advance that the shore excursion to see the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx involved a three hour bus ride from Port Said to Cairo and a three hour return trip. Our bus trip took us through the fertile fields on the west side of the Nile and the Suez Canal. Our well informed guide filled the hours of travel with a constant flow of facts about the history of Egypt and the development of civilization a long, long time ago. Somewhere in the discussion of Pharaohs and the reuse of some names by past Egyptian leaders, Ptolemy I,II,III………and so on, we were jolted from our state of polite listening by the announcement that there were actually nine ladies who used the name Cleopatra. The Elizabeth Taylor version that we know and love was actually Cleopatra VII and reported to have been adorned with an ugly hook nose and looks leaning toward the ugly. No mention was made of her significant measurements but she made the movies so they couldn’t have been all that bad.
Our visit to the pyramids was in the company of several thousand other folks who came out to fill their memory cards with pictures from all angles. To make our visit complete, there were several hundred camels with keepers named Ali waiting to pose for pics with tourists astride and maybe even to provide a short ride through the desert. We dutifully did both to keep the local economy rolling. Our guide warned us in advance about how much to pay for such privileges adding that some of the richest people in Egypt sell camel rides at the pyramids. Our new best friend in Egypt, Ali the camel man, almost had a heart attack when we offered him $4 US for our ride instead of the $50 he requested. We wanted to add a couple of bucks for the act he performed but in Egypt you just have to do what your tour guide says.

After a memorable hour in the sifting desert sands around the pyramids, our bus took us through downtown Cairo to a boat on the Nile hired to provide a boat ride and lunch. We apparently were very lucky that our tour was on Friday. Custom dictates that Friday and Saturday constitute the weekend in Egypt with schools and most businesses closed. Even on the “weekend” the Cairo traffic was unbelievable. Cairo is a city of 25,000,000 during work days and 22,000,000 at night. It seemed to us that each of the 22 or 25 million owned a car with most of them on the streets of Cairo as we passed through. We imagined our boat ride/lunch on the Nile would be on an open boat with box lunches. We were pleasantly surprise when our boat turned out to be a beautifully appointed floating palace with liveried waiters, live music and a marvelous Egyptian buffet luncheon. We guessed that there were about 200 tourists on board sharing a wonderful time. Our boat plied the waters of the Nile as it coursed through the most elegant and expensive part of Cairo. Ten story condo and apartment buildings lined the river with their expansive balconies adorned with all kinds of plants and trees. An occasional five star hotel was sandwiched in between where people lived adding elegance to the shoreline scene.
Following lunch we were treated to an Egyptian Folkloric Show that was billed as steeped in Egyptian tradition. The show focused on a group of musicians, playing mainly drums, and a beautiful young lady dressed in not much that displayed a lot of belly. She kept the attention of all for the best part of an hour doing some nice things that might be referred to as naughty in some fuddy-duddy circles. When she tired and left the room, presumably to take a cold shower, she was replaced by a Whirling Dervish who spun around in circles so long that many in the crowd were becoming borderline nauseas. As a part of her performance, the Belly Dancer person worked her way through the audience giving us a close-up look at her costume. She was followed by a photographer taking shots to sell as black mail. We were fortunate enough to have her come to our table and we dutifully bought the commemorating photo. The photo turned out so well we decided on the spot to use it for our Christmas Card this year. Unfortunately, we were so pooped when we finally returned to our ship we left the 8 X 10 photo on the bus leaving us back at square one regarding our Christmas greeting for 2010
Along the way we learned that of the eighty million people in Egypt, 25% cannot read or write. Two-thirds of the illiterate are over the age of 60. 40% of the population is under the age of 20 and the country’s population is increasing at a rate of over one million new citizens each year. The 25 public universities are currently creating more graduates than the economy can employee and out migration of Egypt’s educated young people is of great concern to the country’s leaders. 90% of the population is Muslim and 10% profess to be Christian. The vast majority of Christians are members of the Orthodox Church, an off-shoot of the Catholic Church.
The next day the Pacific Princess docked at Alexandria, Egypt. After three straight days of twelve hour tours we decided that Alexandria sounded like a great place to crash, do some laundry and catch up on our Sudoku. Alexandria, named after Alexander the Great, grew and flourished as a seaport and center of culture. The Romans made it one of their capital cities but as the Roman Empire fizzled out so did the city. However, during the Byzantine period the city once again came alive. When St. Mark brought Christianity to Egypt, Alexandria became a theological powerhouse and a center for theological debate. The Moslem conquest in the 7th century changed the character but failed to keep the commercial life strong. Only the rule of Mohammed Ali (not the boxer) in the 19th century began a revival of the city’s commercial life. The opening of the Suez Canal diverted some business away but Alexandria continues to reign as Egypt’s second largest city.
We looked forward to our stop at Dubrovnik, Croatia. At one time, Dubrovnik was a commercial competitor with Venice. With the disintegration of the Roman Empire, Dubrovnik suffered as many other cities in the region from the raids of barbarian tribes. For the next 1500 years or so, periodic attacks by various neighbors ravaged the city and then rebuilt it in our own image. In the process a wall w as built around the city in an attempt to make such attacks difficult. It wasn’t until 1991 when the country of Croatia became a reality that Dubrovnik gained a sense of the possibility of a secure future. We signed on to a tour that took us first to the small town of Cavtat, a few miles south of Dubrovnik, where we strolled through the small downtown area and visited the two churches in town. The architecture, as that in Dubrovnik, is Byzantine and quiet unique. Earthquakes in 1667 and 1713 devastated much of the area but we were told that the subsequent rebuilding was done with an effort to maintain the original style of buildings as they were repaired.
At Dubrovnik, we were treated to a folkloric show featuring dancers and musicians that displayed traditional music, dance and costumes. The Croatian dancers were quick on the feet and presented an amazing show that we appreciated. What we didn’t appreciate was the down pour we experienced when we walked from our bus to the folkloric venue. We were drenched the skin to the point that our only thought was to return to the ship and some dry clothing rather than take a twenty minute stroll through the walled city. Those who took the walk declared that they didn’t believe that it was possible fo become so wet so fast.
Our final stop before arriving at Venice was Ravenna, Italy. Ravenna is a good starting place for visits to Bologna and the small Principality of San Marino. We opted to do our own thing with a tour of Ravenna. As yet another walled Byzantine city, we enjoyed the narrow winding streets that surrounded an active downtown business community. The names on the shops were not familiar but the prices for stylish clothes and such suggested that there must be a lot of wealthy folks in Ravenna who can afford such prices….think Nordstrom’s or better. Ravenna boasts the fact that it was the last gasp capital of the Roman Empire just before its end. The Emperor moved his court to Milan and then Ravenna to be closer to the front lines in Rome’s battle with Gothic tribes under the leadership of Alaric. In 409 AD, Alaric, no dummy, bypassed Ravenna and the Roman army entirely to capture and sack Rome. From that day on, the days of the Roman Empire were numbered. The last emperor of Rome was disposed in 476 AD.
Tomorrow we leave our home for the past twelve days on the Pacific Princess and move into Hotel Saturnia in Venice, Italy for the remainder of our trip. One of the wonderful things about cruising is being able to unpack and put everything in the closet or drawers, just like home. The downside is that eventually you have to pack it all up again. Which is what we’re going to be all about for the next hour or so.
Trying hard to keep smiling……………………………………..
Love to all,
Gram and Grandpa Bill, Mom and Dad, Dottie and Bill