To Curacao

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Day 135 Monday 27 July

At sea southerly down the East coast of USA

29c cloudy some rain



Breakfast then Zumba Gold and Zumba then Gail walked the deck and I put our washing together to go to the laundry. I went to a lecture on water which was quite interesting. Gail went to choir practice. When we had both finished we went to see "Maid in Manhattan" starring Jennifer Lopez and Ralph Fiennes which neither of us had seen right through before.



Later we played Crib with Geoff and Margaret and sort of watched the Rugby League where the Cowboys thrashed Parramatta. After dinner we went to watch Diane Cousins a Welsh singer/comedienne we had seen twice on the way over. Same show entertaining but predictable.



Day 136 Tuesday 28 July

Charleston, South Carolina

31c steamy



After an early breakfast on the outside decks we went down to the Vista Lounge to wait for our tours. Because we were going on separate tours we were separated and did not see each other until much later in the day.



I boarded a bus which took me to the wharf for the ferry to Fort Sumter. The guide was introduced himself as a military expert but lost me when he started talking about "Us"and "them" with regards to the Civil War. At the wharf there were some big posters inside the jetty but we didn't really have time to read them before we got on a really long line to get on the ferry out to the fort. On the way out a Park Ranger gave us a short historical background to the role of the fort in the start of the Civil War. When we landed on the fort I listened to the guide for a while but all he wanted to talk about was the guns which was his area of expertise so I headed off to read all the panels which were very informative. I got a good idea of what happened when the war began.



We were there for about two hours then went back to the pier past the air craft carrier "Yorktown" which is moored there. We got back in the bus and drove around the streets of Charleston looking at the houses and mansions which were really beautiful. We also went through the university and then on to the Citadel the Charleston Military Academy where the guide had trained and evidently had a role and we got the indoctrination speech about the ethics of the Academy including how important their "Honour System" was. That's where he lost me really.



We drove a little more through the streets then back to the ship. I had a drink and a bite to eat then walked up to the shopping area which was about a mile away and walked through looking for a shoe shop. There were no men's stores but heaps of women's, finally I found a outdoors supply store that had shoes and found shoes that were exactly what I needed. As I walked back to the ship I went a little past where the ship was and walked back along the shore. As it was hot the kids were playing in the fountains to cool off as they do in America. As I got near the ship I met Gail who was going for a short walk.



Before I met Ron I had been on a trip out to Magnolia Plantation and gardens established in 1676 as a rice plantation which along with indigo was the basis of Charleston's first wealth. This plantation has belonged to the same family for 17 generations. The home, the 3rd on the site contained contains contents from before the civil war that was hidden by the loyal slave manager even though the original home was burnt. Had a 45 minute drive around the swamps and old overgrown rice paddies and saw alligators and beautiful blue herons & other birds. A really interesting trip, back in town we drove past many of the beautiful old Southern Mansions and historic city highlights. Then walked through the historic market place. Very hot.



Later we watched the sailaway and had a drink to two then had dinner in the bistro and went to the show which was a vocal impressionist Paul Tenner who was good.



Day 137 Wednesday July 29

At sea through the Bermuda Triangle

31c some rain



After breakfast we went to Zumba then Gail went walking and I went on the rowing machine. I went to lectures on the Bermuda Triangle and then on Apollo II from the science lecturer who was actually there at the launch which was really interesting while Gail went to choir. After that we watched a movie "And So It Goes" with Michael Douglas and Dianne Keaton which wasn't bad. Interesting how many movies there are now starring older stars, must be something to do with grey power.



After the movie we played O Hell with Geoff and Margaret. As it was a formal night I had to iron my dress shirt and the laundry was full with 5 men, no women. We got dressed then went to an early show "Made in England" which was a production show featuring mostly Elton John songs. The singers and dancers are quite good but the costuming does not seem to be as good as on the Ocean Princess.



We had dinner and then went to another show by a Vietnamese juggler which was ok but only just.



Day 138 Thursday 30 July

At sea South through the Sargasso Sea

30c some rain and wind



We did Zumba Gold and then Zumba then Gail went walking and I did some writing and other computer work. I went to a lecture on money which was probably the most boring lecture I have ever been to and Gail went to choir.



We went up on deck and had a swim and read, first time we have done that since we joined this ship. Then we had a couple of games of table tennis and played Crib with Margaret and Geoff.



We had a pre dinner drink in our cabin then went to dinner. The show was a performer we had seen before on both cruises so we didn't bother and had an early night.



I finished "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed about a woman who walks the wilderness trail from Mexico to Canada, well almost. It is probably the best book I have read this year.



Day 138 Friday 31 July

At sea through the Windward Passage

30c light rain



We did Zumba and then Gail walked around the deck and I went to the gym and rode the bike for about 20 minutes. From there I went to a lecture on Climate Change. I think he presented information to support his viewpoint that it is water vapour that is the problem. Gail went to choir and then to a rum tasting and bought some rum.



After that we had a cup of coffee then went and played mahjong with Marg & Geoff. We had a pre-dinner drink in our cabin then after dinner went to the show which was the singer impressionist we had seen a couple of nights before. Not as good this time because he didn't sing as much and tried to be a comedian. Proved he is a good singer.



Day 139 Saturday 1 August

Curaçao an autonomous Dutch colony

27c clear skies



We arrived in Willemstad at about 7.30 and had breakfast looking at the town. It is a very colourful town with the houses all painted different bright colours. Because Gail finally had coverage on her phone we rang Shani and Mitchell and talked for a while. We left the ship just before 9.00 and walked up town through the walls of Rif Fort and along the side of the harbour entrance.



When we reached the Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge between Otrobanda where we were and Punda which is the main section of the town a small container ship was coming out so they closed the bridge. The bridge is a swinging bridge that rests on 16 pontoons and swivels from the Punda end right across the entrance and is tied to the Otrobanda wall as the ship and the pilot boat go through. As a result we had to catch the ferry across the entrance. The ferry only runs when the bridge is closed.



Once in Punda we walked up to the floating markets where boats that are about 20 metres long come over from Ecuador which is only 65 kilometres away to sell fish and fruit and vegetables. From there we walked through Central Market which sold mostly clothes and household goods. Then we walked around the town following a self guided tour. All the buildings were brightly coloured with the government buildings all in a strong yellow. The most interesting of these is Fort Amsterdam which is now the Governor's Palace. The Governor is appointed every 5 years by the King or Queen of Holland.



We went back to the ship and had a drink and a bite of lunch then went back to pier to join a tour to go across the island to the Hato Caves. On the way we stopped at the Curaçao distillery where they make the Curaçao liqueur which is usually blue although we did taste 4 other colours. From there we drove to the caves which require a 49 step climb to reach the entrance. They are limestone caves but because the rainfall is low they are not as spectacular as some other caves like Jenolan but they were good. We did see three wild iguana in the bush.



From there we drove back into town and went to the museum which was an old Dutch Mansion and showed how the prosperous people lived in the 19th Century. They also had some examples of poorer homes in the grounds to show the other side of life in those times. While we were there we saw some orioles, the national bird of Curaçao in the trees



We got off the bus in town and walked back over to Punda and walked some of the streets we had not walked down in the morning. We had a drink in a bar on the sea front and then another in a bar along the harbour. We walked back across the bridge and watched people enjoying themselves in a big open square called Brionplein. The bridge has arches of lights all along it and they started to come on so we stayed long enough for it to get dark so the lights would be good to photograph then walked back to the ship.



We had something to eat and went out on the deck where they were having a Caribbean Deck Party where we had a dance. Then we went back to the cabin and talked to Shani and Mitchell again on Skype.



People in Curaçao speak their native language which is a mixture of five or six languages but when they start school they learn in Dutch. After 2 years they start English and Spanish and in their last four years of school they have to choose between French and German. School is compulsory from 6 to 18. The population is 154,000 and it is a mixed race society. 82% of the population is Catholic. The main exports are potassium and oil. For about the last 5 years their water has been desalinated which they like much better than when they had to boil the sea water then condense it and drink the condensed water.



Day 140 Sunday 2 August

At sea through the Windward Passage into the Caribbean

30c humid



Gail woke up in the middle of the night with a severe case of diarrhoea which we managed through the night. She also had tingling in her hands and feet so it was not a good night. The next morning we went to the doctor and he gave her heaps of tests and said that he did not think she was infectious so he would not confine her to the cabin but he did not want her going to the bistro.



Basically we stayed in the cabin and she slept while I read watched TV and did some computer work. At 5.30 she went back to the doctor and he was pleased with her progress but did not take the catheter for the blood tests out and said to coma back in the morning at 8.00am. We went to the early show and to dinner and then to bed.

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