Look Ma' I'm flying.

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Continuing from my last entry with "lasts”….

This voyage is our last time that we are going to be sailing to Panama, and Costa Rica. Next week will be the last time we sail to St. Maarten, St. Lucia and St. Kitts. We will be changing runs. This means that our home port will move to Tampa Florida, from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. We will sail to Grand Cayman, Belize, Costa Maya and Cozumel.

I was lucky enough this week to have Panama port off. I really wanted to go and see the Panama Canal, and I tried very hard to get a crew pass for the tour - it was sold out though. Catherine was going to be filming the tour and she really wanted me to go on the tour with her, but I could not. So Jeanette and I decided that we would get off the ship nice and early and meet up with Jenalle. Jenalle was one of the dancers that signed off last week. She is dating a man from Panama and has decided to stay with him in his home country for a while. And she decided that she would meet up with the ship so we could all go out for lunch. So it seems that I was wrong, that it wasn’t the last time that I would see some of the Entertainment Cast that I thought I would not see for sometime if not ever.

Jeanette and I sat in the market area of the port and chatted. We talked about almost everything under the sun and it was amazing. It isn’t everyday that you can find genuine people to talk to about anything and ever feel as though you are being judge or have things taken out of context. I have said lots of times that it is very hard to explain to everyone at home about what this position is like unless they know someone else or have themselves worked on a ship. So it was an opportunity to talk about all of life’s little quirks and personal dreams. It was just what was needed.

After realizing that Jenalle wasn’t coming for sometime we decided to go to the free zone. In earlier entries I talked about the free zone being a place which primarily sells things wholesale, however there is the odd store that sells things retail - cheap too. I was in the mood to shop too, which is always a dangerous thing. You see I have decided that life is to short so I am going to spend my money - or that is my pipe dream at the moment. So I am considering purchasing a LapTop, perhaps an Apple, but who knows. But back to the free zone. I found an amazing pair or hiking boots that I wanted to buy, really badly but they didn’t come in my size. Seems as though size 12 is a rarity in Panama. We walked around for a while, in the hot sun and managed to find a store that Jeanette bought two pairs of Airwalks for 20$. It was the deal of the day that is for sure. After shopping - I didn’t buy anything…and baking in the sun we decided that we would head back to the port market area. As we were walking through the gates, a car pulled up and honked the horn. Normally I would never even have looked as horns being honked happens ever 2 seconds in Central America, but I did look. It was Elmer and Jenalle, in their car. It was perfect timing. They parked and we chatted for a while. Then we went for lunch with Jenalle at the Iguana Café. It was so nice to see a familiar face. But I think that she was happier to see us. She just kept on saying that it is so nice to be around people who can speak English fluently. Being in Panama she is surrounded by Latin dialects - although she loves them, she needs to have thoughtless conversation too.

That night was a crew party called, “Crew Lounge Under the Stars”. It was very relaxing to hang out with good friends with nice music and great conversation in guest areas wearing out own clothes. We don’t get to do that often.

Everyone has been a little upset this cruise that we will no longer be going to Panama and especially Costa Rica, because it is so beautiful and lush. And to top it off we had a boat drill in the morning which means that no crews are allowed to leave the ship without performing an Emergency Drill. After which I worked until 12pm. Jeanette came into the training centre and asked me if I wanted to go on a local tour operator’s tour. We are never advised to do this, but we thought why not? It would be our last time in Costa Rica, why not make some memories. We decided that Zip Lining through the Costa Rican Rainforest would be an amazing adventure. Jeanette is afraid of heights, and although I am not, I am not a huge fan. But again, when will I ever be able to say that I got the chance to Zip Line in a Costa Rican Rainforest. So on our drive to the Canopy we prepped ourselves and talked about how great it was going to be, never once talking about the intense fear we would feel 210 feet above the Rainforest’s ground.

When we got there we were given a brief talk about the facility and what it was. Then harnessed up and brought over to the ‘baby line’. Baby my ass!!! For someone who has never done this, it is scary. The guides were amazingly friendly and showed us how we would need to position ourselves and what not while zip lining. One of the guides took pictures the entire time we were there and the others assisted us along the way. I cannot explain the feeling that goes through your body when you hear the screeching of the cables as you soar through the canopy. Every sense is touched. You see the amazing views, you hear the wildlife and your equipment squeal while traveling, you smell the flora and fauna, you touch the metal handle bars of the equipment and taste the random mosquitoes and flies that are in your way from platform to platform.

This was truly amazing.

Jeanette and I just were in awe. At each platform you saw a different view of the Rainforest, and I couldn’t help but remember what it was like to be in Grade 1 and 2 and learn about the Jungle/Rainforest and wonder what it would be like to be in the canopy. Well today I experiences what I thought of as a small child, and although I don’t have a tail to hand from limbs or wings to soar I can definitely say I have eyes which saw some amazing sights. There were 13 different platforms that we needed to travel to. If you can imagine snakes and ladders the board game - zip lining was like going from space 100 down to 1 on a diagonal path. Our bodies shook with excitement, fear, and general exhilaration.

After the tour we traveled back to the port where we dock and I managed to run quickly into the vendor areas and purchase a Rosewood box. I love it. I would love to have looked more but as it was we were late getting to the ship so I wanted to make sure I purchased something memorable without spending to much time.

Since Costa Rica, I have seen the new cast conquer their nemesis of Take Two, one of the production shows. They did a good job. They were all concerned and some of them actually told a lot of us not to come as it would make them nervous. But they did a fine job.

More of my friends are signing off this week to go on vacation. Jen the Assistant Cruise Director who is a good friend, Eniko the Barista who treats me so well when I am craving a Café Mocha and some of the entertainment techs all sign off. I will really miss Jen. She has become a lended ear, a laughing buddy and someone whom I can be a little pessimistic with - something I desperately need once and a while. I will her alike all others the best of luck on their next adventures.

Vanessa and I are starting to prepare for our new cruising route to Cozumel, Costa Maya, Grand Cayman and Belize. It should be very exciting, but in saying so the preparation for it all is overwhelming somewhat. I am sure that we will both take the relocation cruise - where we make the ship all shinny and new-ish without passengers on it - to sleep.

This week was so full of excitement once again and I am happy to have lived it.

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Photos

In the Canopy
Me on one of the platforms waiting to soar through the rainforest on a zipline.

All strapped in.
Jeanette and I before we embark on our zip line adventure.

Jeanette
Although apprehensive Jeanette overcame the enternal struggle and had an AMAZING time.