The Cruise

I have to apologize for missing my usual posting day. I have been in bed sick for several days.

My husband Ray and I went on a 16 day cruise. It was so interesting and eye opening. We started by flying to Ft. Lauderdale Florida on December 6^th and getting on the ship on the 7^th. We sailed south past the Bahamas and then turned west. After 3 days of sailing we docked at Cartagena, Colombia. We took an excursion where we rode through town on a bus. It was so sad. So many buildings were falling down and yet that was where the people were living. There were long cement buildings with openings in them about the size of a garage door. Inside you could see folding tables with coolers on them that dispensed liquid. There was also what looked like food that appeared to have been prepared at home and brought in. These were little cafes, and there was at least one on every block.

The excursion guide was so informative and friendly. He talked about the drug exporting that goes on there and asked us not to judge his country by the drug traffic. He told us how much he loves his country, and how wonderful most of the people are. He begged us to let the world know that only a very few people in the country are involved with drugs and that most of their people are good people. He really touched my heart.

Then we sailed to Colon, Panama. There we took an excursion where we rode on a bus deep into the rain forest. We went to a little community called Gamboa. It was beautiful there. Along the way we went past what looked like an army barrack with a wire fence around it. The guide told us that it was the prison where Noriega is being held. We continued on down the road and came to a breath takingly beautiful hotel. We got on an aerial tram which took us up to the top of the rain forest where we traveled around for an hour. We traveled back to the boat and got up the next morning to the sight of us traveling through the Panama Canal. That was very interesting, and we got a certificate for it. We also got a certificate for crossing the equator.

We docked in Manta Ecuador, Lima Peru, Arica Chile, La Serena Chile, and Valparaiso Chile, taking various excursions along the way.

The ship, the Celebrity Infinity, was amazing. When we got on board they had Christmas decorations scattered around on the ship. Each night during the night they would add more decorations. By the time we left the ship on December 22, the whole ship was beautifully decorated.

While on the ship you are treated like royalty. They clean your bedroom and bathroom every morning. Around four PM they would bring a tray of canapés for you. In the evening you go to a wonderful restaurant for a five star, three course dinner. I had a different appetizer, soup or salad, entrée, and dessert every evening. You can actually have more than one of each if you would like. We saw people having two entrees and three desserts, and that is perfectly fine with the waiters. They put your napkin on your lap and replace your silverware with each course. We had a waiter named Igor. He is from Serbia. By the end of the cruise we felt like he was an old family friend. We exchanged email addresses with him and plan to keep in touch. He has a two year old and a six month old child. He has to be away from them for about nine months at a time to make a living for them. I signed one of my books and we gave it to him. He was thrilled. So were we.

There were three of us couples who went on this cruise together. When Manley and Mary, Steve and Elisa, and Ray and I would finish our dinner we would go to the big theater on ship where we would see a fantastic show each night. We saw jugglers, acrobats, singers, dancers, and the most incredible violinist I have ever heard. After the show we would go back to our rooms and find that they had cleaned the bedroom and bathroom once again. They had also turned back the covers and put chocolates on our pillows. We would get into our bathrobes and go out onto the balcony where we would sit for about an hour and listen to the waves lapping against the side of the ship. What a relaxing way to end the day.

The last day on the ship my husband came down with what we thought was a cold. The day after we got back I came down with it also. Actually I believe it turned out to be the flu. We have been in bed for days, aching from head to toe and running fevers. We are finally on the mend, thank goodness.

Even with all of the royalty treatment, it is good to be home. As beautiful as South America is, it made us appreciate what we have here in America. I imagine that no matter where you live, when you travel it is always good to come back. After all, there is no place like home.