Here I am, an old timer just feeling my way along trying to
start a blog.
Some of my siblings, nieces, nephews and other friends, not to mention two sons, say
they have enjoyed my travel reports and other observations so I’m going to give
it a try. I don’t know that I have anything unique or earthshaking to say but
sometimes just repeating observations made by others or commenting on the world
around us might have value.
Printed below are the reports I sent from our recent
voyage celebrating our fiftieth wedding anniversary. We sailed from San Diego on January 20, 2015 on the Holland American cruise ship MS Veendam traveling five days to Hawaii, six days around the islands, five days to Ensenada and then back to San Diego.
Internet connections were sporadic and slow so the dates noted are the dates I sent the report not necessarily the date written. Pictures are nothing fancy since they were taken with my phone camera.
Internet connections were sporadic and slow so the dates noted are the dates I sent the report not necessarily the date written. Pictures are nothing fancy since they were taken with my phone camera.
Islands – 1/23/15
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| Departing San Diego on the Holland American MS Veendam |
Here on the MS Veendam, we are a small island of humanity,
bobbing our way across the ocean on our way to the Hawaiian Islands celebrating
our 50th anniversary.
My parents lived on Orcas Island, a part of the San Juan Islands
in northwestern Washington State when I was born. Although, since I was
the firstborn child, my mother took the old mail boat, Osage, from Olga to
Bellingham so she could give birth in a hospital.
My wife, Ikuko, was born on Kyushu, the southernmost main island
in Japan and our second son was born on the main island of Japan, Honshu.
My first TDY (temporary duty) in the Army was at Helemano Radio
Station on the Island of Oahu. My last TDY some twenty years later was on the
Island of Barbados.
I'm not sure of the significance of all this island
business. Maybe I should go buy lottery tickets when we arrive on the
island of Maui.
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| Anniversary Couple |
Some people think that they are an island and what they do in
life is their own business and it doesn't affect others.
In a dramatic example of how we sometimes affect each other,
four hours after we sailed on Tuesday our captain announced that one of our
party had a medical emergency and after consultation with the Coast Guard and
other powers that be he decided to turn the ship around and return to San
Diego.
For examples of more voluntary choices that impact the lives
others, we need look no further than our TV room, local movie house or
even our kitchen. The shows we choose, the movies we watch even the food
we eat affects others.
In our consumer society supply is driven by demand so when
enough people choose option A, more of A is provided and/or the price goes
up. The inexorable law of supply and demand works unless government
inserts its influence into the equation. Sometimes the choices made by our
fellow travelers may seem unenlightened to us but I suppose my choices might
appear bad or illogical to them.
When we complain about trashy TV shows, violent movies or the
demise of our favorite newspaper we can only blame ourselves because our
choices (collectively) are what drive those results.
Two years ago I enjoyed buying kale for 79¢ per bunch. Last I
visited my favorite produce stand the price was $1.79. It seems lots of
folks are now choosing to add kale to their diet.
Of course, these thoughts aren't new to me. Many years ago in a
famous poem of the same name John Donne said, "No man is an island. .
." He saw the interconnect between people and the impact of local actions
on events far away.
So, how should I act and choose? Well, maybe The Golden
Rule is a good start. I'll try to be thoughtful in my actions and try
harder to see their impact on others and good old Mother Earth.
Meanwhile, next time I go shopping I'm going to buy kale thereby
encouraging farmers to grow more and eventually bringing the price down.
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| Fiftieth Anniversary Cake - 1/22/15 |
Oceans – 1/25/15
Today I've been thinking about the ocean.
When we left San Diego she was a bucking bronco treating us like a rookie
cowboy. Swells were running five to seven meters so you can imagine how we were
holding onto the railings and grab bars. Being our first day at sea I even had
to pay my respects to the porcelain god near the dining room.
Yesterday was smoother and we enjoyed a fine
day of cruising on a placid ocean. Perhaps I should say on a pacific ocean for
this ocean was named Pacific by Magellan because of its pleasant contrast to
the stormier waters of the Atlantic.
This morning the fickle ocean was feeling
frisky again and kicked up her heels with swells running three to five meters.
It has been a little rough but I have my sea legs now so that makes it more
enjoyable.
This afternoon (Friday, 1/23) I'm relaxing in
a deck chair on the shady starboard side of the promenade deck enjoying 73
degree breezes and watching the swells roll by.
Sometimes I wonder how the early explorers
felt as they sailed on these same waters. Without accurate maps, weather forecasting,
knowledge of high and low pressure systems and nothing but rudimentary
navigation skills it's no wonder they imbued the oceans with emotions and did
their best to appease King Neptune.
We sail along with the knowledge that we are
at so many degrees west longitude and so many degrees north latitude, the
swells are a result of the low pressure system to our northwest, there is no
rain in the forecast and we should have a better connection to a satellite
later this afternoon so we can send and receive email again.
What enormous change we've experienced, much of
that change happening during the last century.
Another thing that strikes me about the oceans
is that they seem smaller now. The first time I crossed the Pacific it
took 23 hours on a DC6 with those four propeller engines droning and
heterodyning. It seemed to take forever.
Another time I crossed courtesy of the Navy on
the USNS Sultan, one of the last troopships. No stabilizers on that one. Come
to think of it there was no room service either. In fact the bunks were canvas
and stacked six deep. Pretty grim it was and made me wish to be back on that
DC6.
Today we cross the oceans in comfort in
just hours, thinking nothing of flying to Europe or South America or even
Australia for a few days of vacation. What would the sailors of the past think
of such a thing?
It makes me wonder what new oceans will be
crossed in the next century or two. Will our children's grandchildren or their
grandchildren travel to our moon or Mars for a vacation, or for that matter
will they cross interstellar space using a means of transport yet to be
discovered? Just as the clipper ship sailors couldn't have imagined the
way we travel today, we can't imagine how those folks generations in the future
will travel.
Meanwhile, in my more prosaic world, I
need to get dressed for dinner as our ship sails the Pacific Ocean plodding
along at fifteen knots toward Hawaii.
Communications – 1/26/15
Because of the difficulties we've been having
with our internet connection while sailing to Hawaii I've been thinking about
communications.
When I was young we didn't have much in the way of outside
communication. During the war (WWII that is) we lived near Seattle and had
a newspaper delivered daily but when we moved back to Orcas Island in 1946 there
was no daily paper available. We didn't have a radio and I don't recall
having a telephone either.
In the early fifties we had an AM radio in the living room and a
simple black dial telephone in the dining room. The radio was turned to
the news and weather report in the morning and sometimes to the old radio shows
in the evening. The daily newspaper brought us news of the world and Life
magazine and the Saturday Evening Post bought more news, pictures, columns,
short stories and editorials. Not that we subscribed to those magazines but
they were available in the library or the barber shop.
The first television I remember was at my paternal grandfather's
house in 1951. I don't remember the make but the screen was about 12
inches wide, rounded on both sides and flat on the top and bottom. Black and
white of course and on a good day there would be a slightly fuzzy and shaky
picture. On a bad day the reception would be so bad you could hardly see the
picture for the snow.
When transistors replaced vacuum tubes in the mid-fifties it
started the trend toward portable communications. We could actually carry a
radio around in our hand. Little did we know the changes that would take place
over the next fifty years.
Fifty years ago wanting to communicate while traveling I would
have written a letter or post card, mailed it at a convenient stop and hoped
for an eventual reply. Today I suffer withdrawal if I don't have access to the
internet when I want it. It's been quite a ride from communication via
the Post Office to communicating via satellite.
In addition to the egotistical rewards of instant communication
there is the practical side.
This afternoon our captain came on the PA system telling us that
the Coast Guard had contacted the ship to help with a rescue at sea. We were to
be diverted from our course to attempt to rescue the downed pilot of a small
plane.
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| CG plane on station |
For more details you can click on the following link:
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| Veendam tender returning to ship with pilot |
Quick communion, GPS and a skillful tender crew along with the
sheer luck of proximity made a hero of the Veendam.
The first seating in the dining room was a little delayed but we
were rewarded with another announcement from the captain that the survivor was
being attended to by the ship's medical staff and that he was in good spirits
and in apparent good health.
Maybe communication can have a downside. When I see people
engrossed in their personal communication devices ignoring their neighbors or
even dinner companions I wonder if we are progressing technologically but
regressing socially.
Activities, or Not – 1/27/15
Cruising is a different kind of vacation
compared to most. Instead of the group-think and group-do of organized tours or
even self-directed activities of families or a group of two or three couples,
cruises are a bit more eclectic. There are activities for almost every
taste.
Holland America ships are mid-sized ships carrying 1300 to 1600
passengers so we don't have the climbing walls, driving ranges and other
activities that a large number of passengers would support but there are many
choices nonetheless.
Dining options include the regular dining room, early, late or
open seating, buffet lines open pretty much all day with a late night snack
hour from 10:30 - 11:30, afternoon tea at three, hamburger and hot dog grill
open all day, pizza bar open from 2 until 10 pm, Mexican food bar open most of
the day and two specialty restaurants requiring reservations and an extra fee
open for two or three meals a day. In-room dining is always an option so no
need to ever be hungry on a cruise ship.
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| Parrots (artificial) guarding a bar on deck |
Dance music is offered ranging from ballroom to the latest
popular music and several genres in between. There is even a classical duo of
piano and violin playing in one of the venues from 6 till 10 each
evening.
For those who want to be fit there are many classes plus the gym
is open around the clock. Walking around the Lower Promenade deck four times
equals one mile and the swimming pools are open pretty much all the time,
although when the seas are rough it's like heavy surf in the main
pool.
The Spa is available for those in need of beautification or
massages or skin cleansing or hair cutting or perming.
For those of a more cerebral bent there is the library with
books of all kinds, puzzles from crossword to jigsaw, internet capable
computers, and board games from chess to Parcheesi. There are several
computer classes, also classes on how to make the most of your digital
camera.
Mass is celebrated daily with other denominations meeting on
Saturday and Sunday and the Chapel is open daily for private devotions or
meditations.
Friends of Bill W. (AA) meet every afternoon as do the
LGBT folks. Strangely enough both are scheduled at 4:30 every afternoon. Guess
they are mutually exclusive categories.
There are cooking classes, drink mixing classes, and card
playing classes. There are movies, bingo and tastings of cheese, wine and
martinis. And the Casino is open 24 hours a day when at sea.
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| Main stage theater |
There are game shows, dance shows and local attraction shows by
the pool or on the upper deck. Also on the upper deck are the basketball court
(surrounded by netting), deck shuffleboard and, at 10:00 each evening, an
astronomy observation meeting.
When in port there are many excursions available, for an
additional fee of course.
Altogether there are enough activities to keep a person busy 36
hours a day.
There is also the option of reclining in a deck chair pretending
to, or actually reading a book.
Watching people is one of my favorite activities.
Some people are on vacation but seem to be rushing about, busy
all the time. I don't know but maybe they are afraid to relax. Relaxation and
doing nothing might lead to introspection and that might be a little scary.
Mostly it's each person's choice. As our Cruise Director, Mario
says, “Do a little, do a lot or do nothing at all. It's your vacation."
Lahaina – 1/27/15
Yesterday morning we anchored at about 9:30 off the coast of Maui,
right in front of Lahaina. We were delayed a little by our diversion to pick up
the downed pilot but the small delay was well worth the result of saving a
life.
Since we were anchored off the coast, we had to use the ship's
tenders to go to the beach. It was a
short trip of about 10 minutes each way
and gave us a chance to see the ship from a different perspective.
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| Tender at Lahaina dock |
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| The Lahaina Banyan Tree |
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| Under the Banyan Tree |
Whale watching tours were a popular excursion with lots of
passengers signing up for the trip out into the channel to watch for the whales
wintering in these waters. As it happened, the ship lay at anchor with the
starboard side (where our cabin is located on deck 10) facing that same channel
so we probably had a better view, and certainly a more comfortable view, of the
whales spouting and breaching not far from the ship.
The dining room had lots of empty tables so the stewards had
more time to answer my questions about their homes, families and experiences
sailing the world on Holland America. I think I mentioned that most of the
cabin and dining room stewards plus deck hands and engine room workers are from
Indonesia. They have interesting stories to tell. Tony, our wine steward,
has been sailing 14 years; he gets to see his family only once a year but is
going to stick it out so he can retire when his time comes.
We sailed from Lahaina last night at 11:00 and docked in
Honolulu this morning. But that's for the next installment.
Honolulu – 1/29/15
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| Gliding into Honolulu harbor |
We weren't in a hurry to disembark since we don't usually sign
up for the excursions. Speaking of which, I haven't said much about them for a
couple reasons. First, we have vacationed on all four of the main islands so
have seen most of the sights already. Second, many of the tours don't appeal to
me.
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| Sunrise over Honolulu |
The helicopter tours especially seem a waste of time and money. A
good documentary delivers much more information not to speak of the much higher
quality views. Maybe it's the bragging rights that appeal to some people.
"We flew over Waikiki beach. We flew over the lava flows. We flew over
Waimea Canyon." might sound sexy but it's no comparison to actually
walking on that beach, or lava, or canyon. As I said I think even a good
documentary is better.
Mini-submersibles, whale watching, glass-bottom boats and
paragliding are other examples of things not on my bucket list. Even if they
were appealing to me I'd probably do my own negotiations with the local vendors
rather than pay the inflated prices that the company charges. And speaking of
inflated prices I'll give you an idea in a different report of how the cruise
lines make money despite the comparatively low advertised prices.
"But," as a good friend sometimes says, “I
wander."
Back to Honolulu. Yesterday we took a free shuttle to Wal-Mart
because I knew that it was just a couple blocks from Ala Moana Mall, the
biggest mall in Honolulu and probably in the islands. We wandered around
the mall, and it really is a big mall, for a couple hours. There are lots
of Japanese tourists so plenty of local branches of Japanese stores, many signs
in Japanese, special shuttle buses for Japanese and wherever we looked there
were sushi, ramen and other Japanese restaurants. Of course all the stores have
clerks fluent in Japanese available to speak to those big spenders from the
East.
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| Nap time |
Since we were to be in port for two days the dining room was
only about a third full with many passengers off enjoying the city and I had a
chance to talk to our assistant dining steward. Nyoman (pronounced like Newman)
hails from Bali.
He is the third child and so is called Nyoman (third child). He
says the custom isn't so strong anymore now that families are having only a
couple children but in his part of Bali in the old days when they had ten or
more children there was a name for the first, a name for the second, etc.,
through number four then they would reuse the names for number five through
number eight. If there were more children they'd go through the series again so
there might be two or three siblings named Nyoman.
Today we decided to go back to Ala Moana Mall and have ramen in
one of the Japanese restaurants, Shirokiya. The ramen was excellent but the
gyoza we also ordered was nothing to write home about, as grandpa used to
say.
After lunch we caught the number 8 city bus to Fort DeRussy on
Waikiki. The fort has a large recreational park and is an island of green right
in the heart of Waikiki. The Army Museum there is worth a visit. A couple
features that stick in my mind from a previous visit are the disappearing shore
gun (WWI vintage) with much of the original concrete bunker construction still
preserved and the reconstructed punji stake pit in the Vietnam portion of the
museum. The pit is hidden until you round a corner and if it weren't covered
with glass you'd step right on those stakes. It gives a quick jolt of
adrenaline I'm here to tell you.
We went through the museum a few years ago so walked across the
park to the Hale Koa Special Services hotel instead. While there we visited the
little PX and I traveled back in time by getting a GI haircut.
Back to the dock, through that ever-present security and abroad
ship we were just in time for dinner and a sunset sailing from Honolulu
overnight to Kauai.
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| Lihue airport and lighthouse at first light |
Nawiliwili – 1/29/15
Overnight we moved from Honolulu toward Kauai
at a reduced speed of about 10.5 knots because there is a government regulation
requiring cruise ships to navigate the narrow channel at Nawiliwili during
daylight hours only.
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| Nawiliwili breakwaters |
As we entered from the SE we were required to make a Z-shaped
maneuver to get around these breakwaters and enter the inner harbor. Fortunately
there was a tug waiting to assist in case the wind overcame the ship's
thrusters. With a little help from the tug we made it around the corners and
safely to dock.
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| Friendly little tug |
As we were edging sideways into the berth I watched another
cruise ship slowly approach and negotiate that same channel, again with the
assistance of the friendly little tug. This ship was the Pride of America, the
Norwegian Cruise Line ship with the all American crew that specializes in
cruises around the Hawaiian Islands.
I've heard that the crew of that ship is more
interested in
flirting and otherwise socializing with fellow crew members than providing service
to the paying passengers. I think this is a case where I'll accept the
scuttlebutt as true and avoid first-hand experience.
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| Pride of America negotiating breakwaters |
We are in Nawiliwili just for a few hours today. The Gangway
went down a little after 0830 and "all aboard" is at 1630 so in the
intervening eight hours those who are going ashore will wait until those who
have booked excursions have loaded into their buses, then stand in line waiting
to go ashore, then load into the shuttle buses to the souvenir shops, wait to
catch the shuttle back to the ship, stand in line to get through security and
finally make
their way back on board.
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| Sunrise over Nawiliwili harbor |
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| Pride of America and Pride of Kyushu |
I've heard of people who book continuous cruises instead of
going to a retirement home. They say the price is about the same but the food
is better. The medical care probably isn't as good but you could save
burial costs by opting for a burial at sea and have them just drop you over the
side when your number comes up. Hmmmm, I wonder if my long-term medical care
policy would cover such an arrangement?
I forgot to mention service in the paragraphs above. That's the
thing that makes cruise ships special. Competent and friendly people who
can make the customer happy are what brings the passengers back.
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| Mini-Schnauzer towel art |
I must say it's a pleasure to be pampered.
We are preparing to sail. It's about four on Thursday afternoon
and I'm relaxing in a deck chair watching the waxing gibbous moon sailing up
into a warm tropical sky. I guess there's something about that also that makes
cruising attractive.
Cruising Schemes - 1/30/15
Earlier I promised to comment on ways the
cruise lines make money despite low advertised prices.
Since just yesterday I touted the pleasures of cruising it's
probably only fair to balance the equation today by mentioning some of the ways
they make the money it takes to stay in business. For, make no mistake, as I
used to explain to my customers when I was in business for myself, there's no
free lunch. If I lost money on every contract I would have soon been out of
business.
In the case of Holland America (the only one I know much about),
the published fares aren't all there is to the bottom line.
When we first started cruising prices were somewhat higher but
most things except alcoholic beverages were included. Tipping was optional and
little white envelopes were available at the Front Desk so tips could be given
discreetly at the end of the cruise.
Today things are different. For starters there is a $10/day per
person tip charge to our on-board account "for our convenience" to
eliminate the little white envelopes.
Drinks such as juices, water, tea and coffee are still included,
except bottled water (1 l) in the stateroom which is $3.25 per, plus a15%
service charge. Alcoholic beverages are all on the "extra"
list as are all sodas and mixers, again, plus that 15%. There is a package deal
available for drinkers for a charge of $44.95 per day which includes all drinks
with a price of $7.00 and below. That deal comes with the caveat that all
persons in the same cabin must purchase the package. Oh, yes, the 15% applies
here too. Alcoholic beverages run five bucks and up ($10.95 for VS cognac) so
if a couple were heavy drinkers the $99.45/day might be a good deal for
them.
There are two "premium" restaurants on board. They
require special reservations and cost "a nominal extra fee" of $15 for
one and $29 for the other. That's per person, plus the 15% of course.
Internet access is another money maker. On this trip we are
fortunate to have access to shore cell towers when in port or anchored close in
but when at sea or in foreign ports, unless you have a satellite phone, you're
dependent on the ship for access to the world. The smallest plan is 100 minutes
at seventy five cents per minute and they range up to the one thousand minute
plan at twenty five cents per.
Then there is the casino which is open when the ship is at sea. The
odds on the table games are a little worse than the Indian casinos at home and
the slot machines are pretty tight but, hey, it's the only game in town so some
people are in there a lot when at sea.
Shore excursions are sold on board and give early access to the
gangway and the ship will wait if you are delayed getting back, as one busload
was yesterday in Nawiliwili. The downside is the premium price for the
convenience. Same tours are available at the various ports at declining prices
depending on how far from the landing you walk.
On-board shops range from clothing and sundries to liquor,
jewelry and art. I'm not sure of the financial arrangements but it looks like
some are operated by the company using low cost employees but changing high
prices. Others appear to be operated by concessionaires paying the company a
commission.
The Spa attracts lots of business from old ladies (and some men)
trying to stay young. Massages, haircuts and perms, exfoliation
treatments and other guaranteed youth restoratives are on offer with daily
special package deals.
All the above being said, I think I am happy with the
arrangement. If a person wants to play the big spender, which some do, it helps
keep the cruise price lower for those of us who are more frugal. The basics are
good and the frills are expensive but help the company make a profit.
The meals in the dining room are unfailingly good; the foods in
the other dining areas are good and the buffet offers plenty if you feel like
dining in your shorts and Tshirt (or even bathing suit). The stage shows
are sometimes appealing and at other times the selection of dance or listening
music is plenty good.
I wish the internet access were better but I can live with it. In
the past I've carried my laptop but this time thought I'd get by with just my
phone and tablet. It turns out I wish I had my laptop just for the full size
keyboard. The phone is convenient and takes decent pictures but it is tough to
make any speed typing only with thumbs. The tablet is larger and I can use the
Swype function to speed up the data entry but it's not even close to a
keyboard. The voice recognition on either leaves a lot to be desired.
But, as I say, I can live with it. If I could speed
things up I'd probably just bore you with excess verbiage and trivia not asked
for.
So, there you have the other side of the coin regarding the nuts
and bolts of the cruising experience. If you have questions or want more
information let me know and I'll try to get give honest answers.
The Big Island – 2/1/15
Yesterday morning we anchored off Kailua-Kona
in calm seas on the sunny side of the Big Island.
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| MS Veendam at anchor off Kona |
Hulihee Museum is worth a visit if you are in Kona. The displays
of furniture and room settings from the last of the Hawaiian royalty are good
and the explanations by the docents are even better, but if you get there check
out the floors which are all Douglas fir clear vertical grain old growth lumber
brought over in the old days from the Pacific NW.
We took the tour a couple years ago when we vacationed here in
Kona so didn't go through this time but when we went through that time I had a
hard time paying attention to the commentary because I was so busy admiring the
floor.
The oldest Christian church in Hawaii, built in 1820 by
missionaries, is also located here in Kona and is worth a visit. Again, since
we went through it last time we were here we just admired it from the outside
this time.
We were treated to a dinner in the Italian restaurant tonight. We
were seated right next to a western
facing window so watched the sunset hoping
to see the green flash. Didn't see the elusive green flash but were treated to
an amazing sunset along with our first course.
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| Sunset from Kona |
Overnight we traveled around the north end of the Big Island and
docked in Hilo this morning a little after sunrise. Speaking of sunrise, it's
interesting to compare the times of sunrise and sunset at the different
locations even though the time zone is the same.
Today, here in Hilo toward the eastern part of the time zone,
sunrise was at 0655 and sunset will be at 1811. Two days ago when we were
in Kauai, toward the western part of the time zone, sunrise was at 0716 and
sunset was at 1824.
Of course, theoretically there should be about an hour
difference between the eastern and western edges of the same time zone since by
definition they split the earth into 24 zones to match its time of rotation. In
reality it isn't that easy. Various zones are stretched, shrunk or otherwise
gerrymandered for political and other reasons. In fact, it seems there are a
couple time zones in southeast Asia somewhere that are only 30 minutes wide.
Ikuko didn't want to leave the ship today so I decided to walk
into Hilo and look over the farmers market. It turned out to be three miles in
and three miles back to the ship so was quite a walk. Interesting scenery and
friendly joggers made it seem shorter and the farmers market itself was worth
the effort.
The market produce section alone was about the size of our Pike
Street Market but the handicrafts area was many times larger with several massage
booths, acupuncture tables, fortune tellers and other such specialists in
relieving tourists of spare dollars.
On the walk back to the ship I detoured through the memorial
park for the victims of the 1960 tsunami that wiped out a good part of the town. It
is an interesting memorial to mankind's seemingly unquenchable desire to
rebuild in areas fraught with danger. There had been previous tsunamis in that
area just as there have been previous hurricanes in our coastal areas and
avalanches in our mountains. It seems short term pleasure overrides long term
danger and human memory is short.
Back toward the entrance to the cruise ship terminal there is a
large traffic circle where tourist buses and taxis can queue up to load and
unload passengers. I saw there was a green area in the middle so since there
wasn't a vehicle in sight I took the short cut direct from the gate toward the
passenger entrance and admired some bonsai trees that were struggling to
survive amidst the sand and gravel in the center of the circle.
Little did I know but I had trampled on forbidden territory. A
couple of guards began to blow their whistles and one came out waving her arms
saying that I couldn't be out there because I might get run over. I explained
that I was admiring the little bonsai trees that were almost as old as me. She
was mollified a little but told me to be careful not to get run over. I
didn't point out the obvious. There still wasn't a vehicle in sight.
I should know by now after dealing with the military and other
government officials, not to mention the TSA folks, for all these years: Never
mess with officials single mindedly doing their jobs.
Oh, well. We sail soon for another relaxing few days on
that great Pacific Ocean. No traffic circles, barricades or taped off cross
walks out there.
A Day at Sea – 2/2/15
Today is Monday, the day after the Seahawk's
debacle. We have returned to more or less normal. Ikuko actually got a
good night's sleep despite saying she wouldn't sleep a wink due to replaying that
terrible ending in her mind.
Today promises to be a normal day at sea so I thought it'd bore
you by recounting the day's activities.
Out of bed at 0630 I took a nice hot shower, recorded my blood
sugar and blood pressure readings and headed up a deck to the Lido (buffet
dining area) for a cup of tea while I read the little four-page recap of the
day's news placed in our cabin door slot each morning by our steward. (See, I
told you I would bore you.)
The daily news recap is published each day in five editions. The
American edition is picked up from the NY Times, a Canadian edition, a British
edition from the BBC, an Australian edition, and a German edition which is
published in German from Der Spiegel.
After the tea and news I went by the library to pick up the
daily NY Times Sudoku (easy and hard) printout and talk to our friendly
librarian, Bonnie, (again) about the abysmal internet service. Bonnie said she
would review my internet account and post credit for those times when I signed
on but couldn't send or receive.
Worked the Sudoku puzzles while Ikuko was making herself
presentable to the public and then we went to brunch. We have decided that two
meals a day are plenty for us so we eat brunch around ten and dinner at the
early seating scheduled for 1730.
Back down to the lower promenade deck, we walked four laps to
get in a mile then Ikuko went upstairs while I walked another mile and counted.
There were eighteen people on the sunny starboard side and seven on the port
side relaxing in deck chairs. Most were reading with five reading electronic
devices with the other readers doing it the old fashioned way. One lady was
knitting, some were chatting and a few were sleeping. I counted only thirteen
walkers but the ship is a little bouncy due to the swell so some walkers may
have decided to wait for flatter seas. There were two older gentlemen sitting
in the seats near the stern watching the wake. I suppose they are hard of
hearing like me since several of the walkers cover their ears as they round the
stern because of the noise of the props, engines and rushing water in that
location.
I was going to comment also on the age range of the passengers. There
are a few younger folks in their forties or fifties but most of the pax range
from sixties up through nineties. I saw a young child near the pool one day but
that's the only one and she may have been part of one of the ship's company's
family. On one cruise the ship’s doctor was middle aged with a couple of
younger children but I don't know about this one.
Our captain has a cute Dutch accent but he actually lives on
Mercer Island. He appears to be in his early sixties and I don't know if
he has his family with him or not. Most of the crew don't have a choice whether
to bring families but I think some of the entertainers have theirs.
Probably part of the perks for the better (read pricey) ones.
In any case, it's hard to tell but I would guess Ikuko and I fit
toward the lower middle range of the age spread of passengers. The
entertainers, teachers, librarian and others who help provide classes, games
and other diversions for the passengers are mostly younger although some of the
musicians are older.
On previous cruises I've seen single male escorts who have
arrangements with the company to keep the single older ladies entertained. They
usually are seen in the dance venues asking the single ladies to dance. I haven't
noticed any this cruise. I also haven't noticed many single women with their
eye cocked for eligible men. Then, again, that might be a factor of the age
group.
Our daily program had alerted us that there would be a time
change at noon. Usually the time changes take place in the middle of the night
so this one was a little different. At noon the captain came on the speakers to
remind us to move our watches forward one hour. He also gave us an update
on the weather and sea conditions and reminded us to help prevent the spread of
illness by using the hand sanitation stations located at strategic places
throughout the ship.
New to me this cruise are the automatic hand washing devices
port and starboard at both ends of the Lido. They are activated when hands are
inserted in the holes. The device sprays sanitizing liquid and a rinse via
revolving nozzles and in ten seconds you are ready to dry with the paper towels
provided and off you go with sanitary hands.
It was such a tiring morning that when I returned to the cabin I
decided to take a short nap and went outside and soon fell asleep in the warm
sun. Tried to take a selfie but didn't do a very good job. I really need to get
one of those selfie poles that were so popular when we were in Korea last year.
I think I mentioned earlier that our cabin is on the starboard
side of the ship. On the way out from San Diego we were traveling from cold
weather to warm so our northward facing balcony was comfortable with just the
warm breezes. Now on the way back from warm to cool l am glad we are on the
southern facing side and can take advantage of the sun as well as the warm
breezes. Soon enough we'll be back in Seattle in the midst of winter and these
warm memories will come in handy.
We'll also get to see the full moon in a couple more days or
nights.
Still with me and not bored yet? Did you know where the terms
starboard and port come from?
In the old days before rudders were invented ships had a
steering board mounted to the stern on the right side of the ship. This was
known as the "steerboard" side (eventually corrupted to starboard).
When the ship tied up at port this side had to face away from the dock because
of the awkward steering board and so the left side was always facing the port. So
there you have it, maybe. Out here I don't have access to Google so you'll just
have to trust my increasingly defective memory.
After that rejuvenating nap I decided to head back up to the
Lido deck and sit by the pool while I wrote awhile. While walking through the
buffet area I was tempted to have some ice cream and a cookie but there were
ten people in line so that reinforced my resolve to have only two meals a day.
Although I did debate whether ice cream and a cookie could even be
counted as a meal. Surely a little snack on occasion wouldn't hurt?
It was cool and breezy on the deck by the pool so after writing
awhile I decided to go back to our cabin. On the way back through the Lido I
resolved the snack debate in my favor and decided to have a small Caesar salad.
Well, it was a small salad but I couldn't resist taking half dozen anchovies to
go with it. Mmmm, tasty.
Back in the cabin it's time to read awhile and review our
options for the rest of the day. The main show tonight is a comedian so instead
I think we'll go dancing after dinner. There is a decent orchestra playing
ballroom dance music in the Ocean Bar so if the ship isn't dancing too we'll go
there.
Tonight is a formal night so we'll need to spend a little extra
time preparing. Well, one of us will anyway. I can hop into my clothes in no
time and my beard and hair style are a piece of cake. The ladies now, that's a
different story. Nowadays on the formal nights the guys aren't decked out in
tuxedos like they once were. Now it's just coats and ties but most of the
ladies look very nice in gowns and jewelry.
So there you have a rambling account of one man's day at sea. Of
course, there are plenty of options and people send their days in
different ways. The main thing is to do your own thing and enjoy. :-)
Life – 2/4/15
 |
| Cancer walkers |
Today Ikuko and I celebrated life by joining
with about 50 of our fellow passengers "on deck for a cause" in a
five kilometer walk around the deck. In return for our donation we received T
shirts and wrist bands. There was inspiring music at the start/finish line and
fruit and cookies for those who wanted a quick snack after they finished.
The Holland America cancer charity is relatively new but has
raised millions of dollars for cancer research and donates to cancer research
in several countries including the UK, US, Australia, Canada, Germany and the
Netherlands.
 |
| Cancer walker with a walker |
We walked in honor of brother Harry, sister Retha, brother
Keith, sister Sue and sister Darla, cancer survivors all. As a survivor myself
I was in the front rank of the walkers as we started off around the deck
celebrating life and survival.
There were other survivors and I was surprised by some of the
old folks struggling to get around the deck including one man wearing a knee
brace, a woman with a cane and one old man pushing a walker who could only do
half a lap between rest stops.
Life is everywhere about us. I'm pleasantly surprised by
the live flowers in our room each morning, the orchids in the Lido at every
table, flower arrangements at the entrance to the dining room and a huge one in
the center of the main floor. On our tables in the dining room the flowers are
changed daily and range from huge white daisies tonight to beautiful
chrysanthemums a couple days ago.
And, of course, we are sailing over the source of all life on
our planet. The ocean seems empty but even here in the middle of nowhere
the ocean teems with life.
We don't see many birds because they aren't attracted to a big
hunk of steel but back in the old days when garbage was thrown over the side
the birds flew right along looking for handouts. I mentioned earlier about
crossing the Pacific on a troopship. Every afternoon the kitchen detail would
bring the garbage up to the poop deck and the accumulated leftovers and garbage
of 24 hours would fly over the side, much to the delight of the bird hangers
on.
The nonedible garbage sank or found its way to the great Pacific
gyre, where it may be to this day, some fifty years later. Not much
different from the days of my youth on Orcas Island when Grandma would ask me
to take the garbage down and throw it in the "salt chuck." The birds
and crabs had a feast on the edibles and the nonedibles in those days were not
plastic so eventually mostly rusted or oxidized away.
Nowadays we are a little more enlightened and understand that
life, both wild and human, needs a little help to make it on this little planet
we call home. Out here in the middle of the Pacific it seems deserted but just
over the horizon there are billions of people. Whether they are American or
Australian or Peruvian or Chinese they all want some of the good life for
themselves and their children. And we can't just throw away the leftovers
and trash of that good life. Even this great ocean isn't deep enough to
swallow all those leftovers.
Better to make new life out of the old by recycling more, buying
less, and making more homebrew. Of course, it's difficult in the modern world
to go back to the old ways of subsistence gardening and small family farms. In
fact there aren't many small family farms any more let alone people who know
how to till the ground or plant seeds.
~~~~~~~~
Well, I was on a roll last night writing and thinking about
life. Feeling pretty optimistic when the news came on about the pilot burned
alive in that cage. It quickly deflated my optimism about life and goodness. When
humans(?) can do those kinds of things to other humans it makes me wonder about
our future. Maybe next we'll be treated to a video of adherents to the only
true religion flaying alive their heretical captives.
Then again, people under the influence of extreme parts of
religions tend to do some pretty barbaric things. It hasn't been that
long ago that the European inquisitors used exquisite torture techniques to
expose heretics and witches.
When we read of such things in history books it is a little
removed from everyday reality but when we get a play by play with living
(dead?) color delivered straight to our living room it makes gruesome
beheadings, and now, burning alive confined in a cage particularly barbaric and
inhumane.
So, what can I do to combat such craziness in the name of Islam,
or any religion, or even nonreligion, for that matter?
I can name evil for what it is. We have no problem calling
the Nazi exterminations evil; likewise Stalin's purges, and those of Pol Pot or
even those of the Tutsi's. Just because evil is committed under the umbrella of
religion is no reason for me not to call it evil. It is not
"misguided religious zealots“ but evil, pure and simple, and I must not
hesitate to call it that.
I must make the difficult choice to support and defend military
action to rid the world of this kind of evil even though I know it will require
sacrifices of blood and money. It may also require personal sacrifices in
that I may be called intolerant and a war monger. I cannot hide behind the
fiction that someone else will take care of it. Moreover, I can and must give
my support to those individuals and organizations that are advocates of such
action.
I can look for the good in life and in people and encourage and
support good choices and good actions, whether it's doing the recycling
mentioned above or walking to the store or doing more volunteer work for my
favorite charity or VFW Post.
I can act in ways that support life and the good. My actions may
not carry national significance or even influence city or state wide decisions
but I can and must do whatever I can to support the good and life. If I can do
nothing more than give my neighbor a good word tomorrow, at least I can and
will do that.
If my little bit of support for life and good can encourage
another person to do the same and that person does the same and so on, perhaps
there is hope for our collective future. I hope so. The alternative is too
grim to contemplate.
Cruise Wrap – 2/6/15
This is our last day at sea since we arrive in
Ensenada, Mexico, tomorrow around noon. From there we sail tomorrow evening for
our return to San Diego early Saturday morning.
Yesterday we walked the deck during the windiest day so far. The
swell that has been with us since we left Hilo continued and the wind was a
steady 40 mph. The wind was from the starboard bow so every once in awhile the
bow would throw a wave high enough that the wind would blow some water onto
that part of the deck just behind the bow bulkhead that protects the first
couple cabins. The lower promenade deck is number seven so that water was
about forty feet above its normal place. Fortunately there weren't many
waves that broke that high so we didn't get wet on that side of the ship.
The other (port) side was a different matter. Being the lee side
I thought that would be the dry side but the wind was eddying around and over
the ship and bringing with it the fine spray from the waves so the entire
exposed deck was wet and there was even salt water dripping off the life boats above
our heads. It was a misty spray and the temperature was about 68 so it didn't
bother us much. I did have to wash the salt off my sunglasses later though.
When we were up on the top decks later I saw that the entire
port side of the ship was wet with that spray. The wind, in its own way, can be
just as powerful as the ocean.
After Ikuko went in I thought I'd verify the distance around the
deck that is always noted as being one quarter mile. Despite the swells it
wasn't hard to count paces and the way I walked (cutting close on the corners)
I made it out to be 1,267.5 feet per lap, so 52.5 feet shy of a full quarter
mile. Although I must say that if I had walked around the full outside portion
of the deck it would have more than measured up.
It might seem like a ship like this is a small thing but if you
took the standard high school track, squeezed it in from the sides, thereby
lengthening it, it would be the same size as the promenade deck of the Veendam.
The surface on the ship is teak so it makes a comfortable walk and even when
the wind is calm the movement of the ship creates an apparent wind equivalent
to our forward speed. Always refreshing is a walk around the deck.
We ran away from the swells sometime during the night. When I
woke during the night at first I thought we had docked but no, it was just the
lack of swells that made it so quiet. I had to look outside to confirm and
there was the full moon reaching for Orion's belt in a clear night sky. Even
with the full moon I could see many more stars than we can see at home in the
sky washed out by the city lights of Seattle.
The brass throughout the ship would make a drill sergeant
proud. No lacquered brass here. No matter the time of day there is always
someone polishing brass. Of course, the cleaners and polishers don't stop with
the brass. Since contagious illness is always a worry aboard ship all the
touchable surfaces are cleaned and disinfected several times a day. Even the
high and relatively inaccessible surfaces are cleaned routinely by workers
using extendable dusters. The carpets are cleaned with standard, canister
vacuum cleaners but in the dining areas the workers use cordless, backpack type
machines which are very quiet and seem to have extra fine filters so the dust
is contained and not just blown around.
I talked with the captain yesterday. He'd came up behind me at
one of the sandwich counters in the Lido buffet and while our sandwiches were
being made I asked him questions. First I offered to let him go ahead of me
since he was in uniform and on duty. He laughed and thanked me but said he
always wore his uniform when on cruises but that he was currently off for
lunch.
Earlier I mentioned that he and his family lived on Mercer
Island but he told me that they had moved to Bainbridge Island after finding a
place over there with a price too good to resist.
We ate dinner in the Pinnacle Restaurant tonight. It is one of
the two specialty restaurants on board and charges an extra fee ($29/person)
for reservations. The service was even better than in the Rotterdam dining room
and the selection and quality of the food was likewise better than the already
high standard in the regular dining room. In my judgment the experience was
worth the extra fee and we will probably do it again on a future cruise, if we
go on one.
Our captain and his wife came in about an hour after we sat down
and dined with a group of eight at the next table making small talk with what
were probably the occupants of some of the luxury sites. Can't figure out
why we weren't invited to one of his dinners. ;-)
~~~~~~~~~~
Continuing on Friday afternoon.
We continued to be blessed by favorable weather overnight and
today with warm breezes and seas devoid of swells. It's nice to have the ship be
a stable platform under foot. I must say, however, that even with the big
swells it’s not uncomfortable once sea legs are acquired, usually 12 to 24
hours. The ship has a good stabilizer system which, according to the
captain, eliminates eighty percent of the rolling motion but it can't eliminate
the pitching (up and down, fore and aft) motions caused by the ship riding up
and over those big swells.
 |
| Ensenada pilot preparing to come aboard |
We picked up the "piloto" about eleven this morning,
sailed into Ensenada and were safely tied up by noon at "Ensenada Cruise
Ship Village." We could see there were photo ops with appropriately
garbed locals at the bottom of the gateway but Ikuko and I decided to pass and
are hanging out on board instead for the duration of this short stop.
Incidentally, this short stop is required by the Jones Act, with
a last major revision in 1920, enacted to protect US shipping. This act
requires cargo and passengers carried between US ports to be carried on US bottoms,
with certain exceptions. So, since the Veendam is a foreign flagged vessel it
cannot carry passengers beginning and ending in the US ports without making an
intervening stop in a foreign port. And,
here we are in Ensenada. The
same rationale applies to the cruises that round trip to Alaska out of Seattle,
which is why they stop at Victoria on the way home. There's more (a lot) to the
Jones Act than this but it does explain those quirky little stops in Victoria
and Ensenada.
 |
| Ensenada Cruiseport Village |
It also explains why the Pride of America, which I mentioned in
an earlier report, can sail around Hawaii forever. It is US owned and has
an all-US crew.
On the way from San Diego out to the Islands we were on the
shady side of the ship so didn't notice but on this leg we could see the steady
progress of the sun as it crept further into our cabin as each day of
northeasterly sailing carried us away from the tropics toward the remainder of
winter in Seattle. When we left Hilo we were at approx 19.7° north latitude and
when we reach San Diego we'll be at approx 32.7° north latitude so will have
moved north about 13 degrees. By the time we get back to Seattle we'll
have moved about 28 degrees north of Hilo. The sun will still be low in the sky
when we reach home but the days will be getting longer. Yeah!
We'll be sailing soon and tomorrow morning will be hectic what
with getting off the ship and over to the airport so I'll get this off to
Charlie tonight so he can post it. I'll have a few more pictures later when I
get back home to high speed Wi-Fi.
Until then, we've enjoyed our cruise, I've enjoyed reporting on
our doings and I hope you have enjoyed reading about them.
Also, many thanks to Charles Anderson for taking me under his
wing, dedicating a spot on his website to our adventures and saving me the hassle
of trying to send individual reports to each of you.
Happy traveling,
Harold and Ikuko
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