I did not expect that.....

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Well, believe it or not I began writing a very long update about 3 days ago, and in the middle of it my internet card ran out and I lost the entire entry 😞 So, I'll try to get everyone up to speed.

After my first week of cruising, we arrived in San Diego to get rid of the old guests and pick up the new ones. While I was on shore, I went shopping and got some new clothes that fit my strict dress-code requirements (pair of nice khakis and three polo shirts--aeropostal). I then spent the afternoon walking around, stopping in different stores and coffee places to soak up the city. I wish I had more time in San Diego, cuz there seems to be a lot to do. But, after a few short hours, I was back on my ship, prepping for my first show. I've finally gotten my routine down. I eat between 5:30 and 6:30pm, followed by a cup of lemon tea with honey. I then go to my bar before we open for a quick rehearsal/sound check, then to my room for a shave, shower, and if there's time, a nap. By the way, a lot of people ask me if I get seasick, and the answer is no. Just the opposite, in fact! The rocking of the ship makes me feel like a baby getting rocked to sleep. Some days/nights however, aren't as pleasent as others. On a normal sea day, we get waves between 2-5 feet high. This is a pretty normal, not causing much stumbling in the hallways. A few nights ago, we were getting rocked constantly with 12-16 footers, and those really do cause woozy feelings. On a side note, I was having a drink with the Captain not to long ago, and I asked him what was the most exciting thing he's encountered on the high seas. He told me a story about how his ship one night got rocked by a 50 ft. wave!!! It apparently left a dent in the ship the size of a semi-truck. Luckily the hull wasn't breeched, and they didn't take on any water. I asked him what they did, and he said "We kept sailing....we were two days away from the nearest port."

So, after we left San Diego, we had two days at sea, which proved to be quite refreshing for me. My first week was very hectic, getting adjusted to the new job, finding my way around the ship, and attending all the different meetings and drills. During those two sea days, I had zero drills and only one meeting each day with my Supervisor, which lasted a total of 10 minutes. I got to relax, hang out with my friends, and catch up on some much needed sleep. The first week I wasn't getting much sleep, but this week I find myself getting between 6-8 hours every night!!

Our first port was in Puerto Vallarta....I'm struggling with remembering what we did that day.....I wanna say drinking....??? 😊 Totally kidding!!!! While there was definitely some of that, this day was far from unforgettable. So, previously in the week, a bunch of my friends were talking about going bungy jumping in Puerto Vallarta, and asked me if I wanted to. I obviously said no.....you guys know me. That sort of thing is not my bag, baby. But they told me that afterward they were going to go to Crystal, which is that fantastic place on the ocean that I told you all about in my earlier entry. So, I was elected the bungy jumping camera man for the afternoon. I went with four other people...DJ Dan, of course, the two Alicias and Megan. Those three girls work for Club HAL, the kids program on the ship. They are a lot of fun. Anyway, we take a cab ride 20 minutes up these winding roads until we reach this fantastic cliff edge that over looks one of the bays in Puerto Vallarta. A truly amazing sight!!! Don't worry, I took pictures. At the cliff edge, there is a man-made structure/bridge/gangplank that goes up up up into the sky and over the cliff edge. Down below the end of this bridge contraption is the bluest water you'll ever see in the world. The bungy jump itself is bigger than most, or so I'm told, rounding out at about 77 meters. My friend DJ Dan is no small person by any means, and when he went, his hand almost touched the water, maybe missing by 10 feet or so. Next to go was Alicia Bush, who is by far the craziest person I've ever met in my life. She took a good six minutes to build up the courage to let go, but the video I took of it was priceless. Watching her body flail around like a ragdoll as the bungy sends her back up will bring a smile to anyones face. Alicia Blake went next, and all was good. Megan, who earlier said that she was all about going, decided to opt out at the end, so she and I were taking pictures and talking about how crazy our friends are. At that time, I did something I didn't expect.....maybe it was the booze, but all of a sudden I started thinking "I wanna do it". Now, you all realize how unlike me that thought was. But I just couldn't shake it. I kept thinking "When you tell this story, do you want to be an on-looker, or a participant?" SO, without any pressuring from my friends, I decided to pay $55 to a man named Miguel. I signed my life away and then began the walk up to the top. Remember, 77 meters.....yeah, it's a long way down to say the least.

Meg said that she would do it if I would, but that she had to go first. I was fine with that, because my strategy going into this event was "Don't think about a damn thing!!! If you think, you won't do it." So I continued drinking my tequila/squirt in a can concoction and just went with the flow. Meg and I got up there with DJ Dan holding my camera. Once we were at the top, Meg backed out and said "Ok, you go first Charlie." So Miguel strapped me in to my life-harness, and informed me that since I was doing an upright jump (Hell no, I'm not diving head first strapped by my ankles.....HELL NO!!!!), I'd have to exit the platform backwards......WHAT?!?!?!?!

DJ Dan takes my camera, and begins filming a video. Miguel gives me the go ahead, I look into the camera and say "I just wanna say that I love you Mom and my whole family". I took about ten seconds to get hyped up, and then I actually jumped off backwards. Me. Bungy Jumping. I did not expect that.....


The next day in Mazatlan (yesterday), I did something else I didn't expect. I rented a jetski with Alicia Bush and we went zooming around the Ocean going 50mph. Alicia, like I said, is a thrill seeker (her idea to go bungy jumping the day before), so while she was driving and I was clinging to her for dear life, she decided to take a sharp turn at top speed, causing the both of us to literally FLY and SKIP across the water like pebbles in a pond. When I looked up, I was fifty feet from the jet ski, and my sunglasses were gone. Later that day, we got back and I discovered a wicked bruise on my right bicep.....I did not expect that.

Today we are in Cabo San Lucas. The plan was to ride the dolphins again, but I'm beginning to find out that while the crew on board make a lot of plans, they very rarely follow through with them. So, as soon as my day opened up, I decided to update you all on my life here in Mexico. Today, I'm still planning on getting off the ship, but I'm thinking para-sailing instead. Why not, right? 😊

Love you all, and miss you tons. I'll be calling again in San Diego on the 21st.

--Charlie

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