Our second Sunday at Sea and doing our usual Sunday routine. Biggest change is the temperature has dropped back into the high 60’s and low 70’s today, but we are closest to the Sun, so this is somewhat misleading. Carol is down for a bunch of Foo Foo stuff today while Steve watches football and reads, but he did agree to take Tango lessons (he did draw the line at line dancing lessons, however, which Carol and her friend Jenny will do solo). Today we were introduced the “The Thong” (NOT to be confused with “The Thing”). Folks, we are talking about 250 pounds of prime pork roaming the deck here, wearing (seriously) a thong pulled right up you know where. It was an OMG moment for both of us… Steve was sunning on the Sun ... read more

Swells and winds are up a bit this morning, so a little more rolling around. Big graduation for us today! Although this will not really happen until tonight while we sleep, this will be our first crossing of the Equator on a ship, which of course, means that we were low-life, scurvy-infested pollywogs requiring punishment, which was altered at 1100 this morning. Called to the Sun Deck by the Captain of the ship, all pollywogs were required to attend trial by King Neptune and his Court, and supplicate to his orders for torture and punishment for our crimes against the sea. They picked a few passengers to stand in for the rest of us (Thank God), but the ship’s crew really took some serious gas. Neptune’s “Doctor” (ship’s physician) really got into “disemboweling” a ship’s officer ... read more

Our faux SAR made us about 90 minutes late getting into port, so we had a mad-dash for the gangways once the ship tied up. It was another “tender day,” and the wind and seas were both very high, with 90-degree heat and 100% humidity thrown in for good measure. The tenders chopped so much that water came up over the bow and doused everyone on the top deck. We are getting our sea legs back, A week ago and we would have both been queasy, but no problems today. We headed out to Mombacho Crater Volcanic National Park. Great guide today, who very thoroughly explained the history of Nicaragua during the 90-minute trek. We stopped at Lake Nicaragua for photos of this huge lake and the volcanoes that surround it. Again, we are quite taken ... read more

Hooooo Weeeee….. Welcome to the tropics! Opened the balcony door this morning to 85 degrees and 100% humidity at 0700…. OPPRESSIVE… We ain’t in Pollock Pines anymore, Toto. Today we are off to tour a working coffee plantation and visit the original capitol of Central America, Colonial Antigua. As Steve lived in numerous parts of Asia for three years while serving in the Air Force back in the early 70’s, the culture shock was not nearly as great as it was for Carol when we hit the bricks. Dozens of people selling everything mobbed us the minute we hit dry land. We pushed through the street hawkers and got on our bus (we HATE touring this way, but little choice is left to us here) and headed out through lush sugar cane fields toward 12,000 foot ... read more

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday – which on sea days in our family = Day Off!! Slept in late and awoke to VERY hot and humid conditions, calm seas, and almost no wind except from the passage of the ship. Almost 90 degrees by Noon, and the Captain came on and warned everyone to use their sun block, stating it will be this way until we hit Southern Chile, well below the Equator. No more winter for two months almost! Steve hit Jimmy HARD (Carol says, “Hard enough to double him over”) this morning (of course, Carol had her sensible assorted fruits for breakfast). Very interesting event during breakfast… From the navigator’s map on our stateroom T.V., it appears we are about 25 – 30 miles off the coast. While eating we passed (or they passed us) a ... read more