The Deep Blue Sea

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Monday Jan 31st, 2011

South Eastern Pacific Basin

Latitude 17 degrees 48 minutes south- Longitude 84 degrees 19 minutes west

We have not seen land for two days now and the seas are beginning to build up. Storm clouds are on the horizon and the wind is freshening from the southeast. We continue on a southwesterly course headed for the most remote island in the world, Isla de Pascua, also known as Easter Island because it was first discovered by Europeans on Easter Sunday in 1722. What that first visitor found were huge Moai, stone statues carved by the island’s first inhabitants. They stand about 13 feet high and there are some 890 of them scattered around the island. I have always wanted to visit this island and look forward to our arrival there. But first we have two more days at sea as we will not arrive until the 3rd of February.
Several of you have asked about this lifestyle of living on a cruise ship. Jane says that it really is not that much more expensive than living in an assisted-living facility. There are plenty of people using walkers and canes to make their way around the ship. There is always a member of the crew available to open doors and carry their food tray. The level of care is phenomenal, the food is fantastic and the entertainment has been topnotch. Free exercise classes and educational lectures during the day. Plus, there is a doctor on board that will come to your stateroom and a fully functional emergency room on deck four. As I said before, there are several people who have been on a previous world cruise. A lot of people on board have been on multiple cruises, so they get plenty of perks, like free internet time, free laundry services and their own private cocktail hour with reduced drink prices and free hor’deurves. We heard of one 84 year old lady that lives on another ship where she has her own private stateroom. She used to live in Los Angeles, but now resides strictly on the ship. She loves to dress nicely and wear her diamonds and expensive jewelry out to dinner. She could never do that safely in LA.
We met another really nice lady that is staying down on deck four. She was born in Kansas City and has a nice apartment on the Plaza. She went to private schools in Mission Hills growing up and has lived all over the world; including 21 years in Borneo. Never married and 79 years old, she spends about two months a year in Kansas City and lives the rest of the time on cruise ships. She writes articles for magazines and newspapers and was once a journalist living in Beirut, Lebanon. Every morning she gets up at 5am, then walks around the track for an hour, swims for another hour and then goes to exercise class with Jane at 7:30am, WOW. There are lots of interesting characters on this ship and I look forward to meeting as many as possible.

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Comments

[Kathleen]

Easter Island!
Ohhhhhh...you're going to Easter Island - you're SO lucky!!! Jane, please think of me while you're there - maybe you can telepathically beam images to me so I can see it all through your eyes. Or at least get some good photos!

[KansasKate]

A met a woman once who had come back to KS to take care of her elderly mother. She had been a teacher; when she retired, she sold or gave away everything. She kept only what would fit in 2 suitcases -- literally! She spent all her time travelling and had no real "home" though for legal reasons (taxes, voting, etc), I think she always used her mother's house as an official address. And this was back in the 80's before internet banking and such! BTW, as I recall, that cruise is less than what my mother will spend on assisted living during the same time period. And that's in small-town Kansas, not the sunbelt. Shipboard retirement is the way to go! We are preparing for 12-19 inches of snow between Mon PM and Wed AM, with temps well below zero by Wed PM. You have no idea how much I wish I were with you! xoxoxo

[Sis]

You so deserve . . but . .
This must be the weirdest reevaluation of lifestyle EVER!! I see you, Janie, smiling from your deck chair attendant at hand, icy beverage in hand, turquoise waters on the horizon. Talk about a 360!! Live life to the fullest, honey! This is a long time coming!

[cindy]

this is all amazing to me... i'm enjoying your blog so much... keep writing! cindy