Well, another story without photos... but another example of what a small world we live in... Still being in Singapore, I've composed my evenings of mostly three options. First, if I'm feeling tired from a day of work or just in the mood to keep things low key, I walk over to an internet wifi spot here on base and check email, write a blog, research my departure route for when I transfer, etc. Go back to the ship early and get some extra sleep. Second option, I'm tired of the food on the ship (same fruit and veggies day in/day out), and I feel like hopping on the MRT (train) or walking to a nearby hawker stand or mall. I make a couple of hours of it, maybe drop by the Starbucks to use ... read more

A day of diving planned... the only one on the cruise due to the holidays and short port periods. P.S. Never dive with a cruise ship. That's a note to self and to others who are experienced divers. On many different levels, it wasn't the way I like to dive. This may be boring to the non-divers who read this, just a warning. Cruise ships cater to laziness, lets be honest here for a moment. Going from point A to point B is taken care of through money. It's a requirement for many people's vacationing... not all, but many. Certainly not my requirement, I am satisfied to have a fruity drink and a spa. Now, is diving a lazy sport? Not in my book, though the ability is there to some extent. It's what I ... read more

After our departure from Miami, we spent our first full cruise day underway. It was quite relaxing, getting acquainted with the ship that isn't a ship (it's more like a floating mall) and enjoying the good food and entertainment. We pointed toward our first port of call, Labadee, Haiti a.k.a. the Fake Town. C'est vrai? Yes, I said Fake Town... authenticized with a few native Hatians and what have you got? A cruise island town built specifically to rake in money. Haiti seems to instill a lot of fear into people, and I can say that it's with good reason. With a history rich in violence, it seems that people have much to fear as an outsider or an insider. Between uprisings, civil unrest and coups up until about a decade ago... well, you can google ... read more

With all this time sitting in Singapore, I decided it was high time to get more exposure to spirituality going on around here. I've long commended Singapore in its mecca of cross-cultural flavors. I set out with Brittany to walk the streets for 2 days, exploring as many spiritual centers as possible. We started at the Yishun station, only a few miles away from the ship. It's the drop off point for the bus that runs from the ship to the train statin every hour. Of course, no walking tour is complete without stopping at Starbucks. It's very warm in Singapore, but it was an early start for us and the Starbucks is next to the station too. Around every corner, it seems there is a spiritual center of some sort. Just on the bus ... read more

There are a multitude of activities to do on base in Subic Bay, it's a good thing, else I might have succumbed to the disturbing activities off base... NO! Not those that I've discussed previously, I'm talking about spending way too much money on massages everyday. That's the only other productive, though still possibly shady, activity that I will participate in off the base. There's a yacht club, zoo, marine world, a few nice restaurants and a cute little beachfront area. While Jeremy was still around, we decided to check out the Zip-line company. I invited Steve along, one of the watchstanders who is also an Army National Guard Major. He's the SAR swimmer who filled Kyle's SAR spot on the ship. He's a great guy, with a quick wit and just enough country to ... read more