LAS VEGAS

ARRIVAL IN SAN FRANCISCO PIER 35

CHOCOLATE BUFFET

DOWNTOWN ACAPULCO

AND AGAIN

EATING AGAIN

PANAMA CITY

ONE OF OUR SCARY TABLE MATES

SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA

PANAMA CANAL LOCKS

Cabo SAN LUCAS

Acapulco, Mexico

Huatulco, Mexico

Cartagena, Colombia

Photos

Dinner on the Millenium

Las Vegas

We tried to go for a swim yesterday but someone puked in the pool so they had to close it. The LA crowd has arrived and the place is crazy. Everyone is walking around with a glass of booze in hand. Actually, they are staggering.

Tonight we saw The Jersey Boys which we absolutely loved. I could hardly sit in my seat. It was one of the best shows I have ever seen.

Bye for now. I am still looking for the rhinestone sneakers! I hope I can get them with high heels.

More Las Vegas

We took a walk on the Strip this morning and it was quite nice. I guess the crazies are still sleeping. We went to the new hotel, Palazzo, for breakfast and window shopping. I would feel guilty even going into one of those stores. It's all Cartier, Michael Kors, Versachi, and those are the least expensive of the lot. But it's fun to window shop anyway and see what all the foreign visitors are buying. Besides which, they only go up to size 4, which would fit nicely on my pinky toe.

I sat down at a video poker machine and promptly lost $20, but it was so much fun. I'll be back for more later. We are walking over to Caesars Palace this afternoon to see their new Forum Shops which I can't buy anything in either. But at least it's a nice walk. There also is another shopping center down the road a bit if I can talk El Cheapo into visiting with me. At least there I can possibly afford to buy something. We will also return to the scene of the crime, Treasure Island, where we were married and I slouched down the aisle to Elvis singing The Hawiian Wedding Song.

This town is changing by the minute. Everytime I walk down the street they have finished another building. It's really fun even if you don't gamble. There really is a lot to do. We have previously done most of it so we will continue visiting the different hotels and every so often I will drop some more money into another video poker machine. Jerry is happy because it is keeping me out of the stores. This is surely better than freezing our fannies off in Alaska.

I guess it's time to visit the Glitz and Glitter Store so I can find some gaudy, glitzy, garrish article of clothing to remind me of this trip. If it doesn't sparkle I don't buy it.

Photos will follow as soon as I figure out how to get them on.

Lively Las Vegas

Greetings from Sin City. They really never sleep here and the place is crawling with illegal immigrants. If ICE did a raid here half the city's population would be gone. Last night was awful what with those little Mexican guys giving out porno pictures. I am writing a letter to the local daily newspaper.

Most of the visitors are from other countries and they have absolutely no manners. They push and shove everywhere they go. And they talk very loudly in whatever language they happen to speak. The good thing is they are buying everything that isn't nailed down so the LV economy is booming. Building is proceeding at a very fast clip, with new hotels going up by the minute, as well as new additions to the older ones. They build on 24-hour shifts here so things get done in no time. Something Florida needs to learn. Completed buildings and other projects are money and they know that so things get done in no time.

Last night we went to a comedy show and sat in the first row. Of course, we both got picked on. It was pretty funny. The comedian was Louie Anderson. You might not know his name but you would surely recognize him. I guess we will take a walk this morning before it gets too hot. Actually, this is the perfect time to come here, since it doesn't get that hot this early in the season. In fact, we got married here around this time of year so we are actually celebrating our anniversary this weekend and it was completely unplanned. Actually, we were supposed to take another cruise to Alaska but there is a big storm there right now and we both hate the cold with a passion. Time to go there when there is nothing else to do. In the meantime, we'll party it up here. If nothing else, it's just fun watching the weird people walking around. Believe me, that is a show unto itself. Bye from sunny Las Vegas. We are returning on Mothers Day. Happy Mothers Day to all the moms out there. I have to go now. I have to get myself one of those glitzzy LV hooker outfits and rhinestone sneakers.

Where in the World are they?

Don't ask me how, but somehow we ended up in Las Vegas, of all places. This is kind of how it happened. We spent a few days with the family in Santa Cruz and suddenly we realized that we were freezing cold. Didn't get enough time with them, but I will come back for a few weeks this summer to continue where we left off. I especially want to raid my sister's closet.

We rented a car and drove through the lovely California farmland and high desert and here we are; in the middle of Las Vegas Blvd. walking around and gawking just like the rest of the dumb tourists, except we speak English! The illegal alien pimps are line up all along both sides of the street handing out photos of the available girls. It's pretty disgusting.

Well, the dry heat has knocked me out and I can't keep my blootshop eyes open any longer. By sheer miracle we got tickedt for The Jersey Boys on Friday night and we're excited about that.
Love to all from Sin City. Right now the plan is to return home on Mothers Day.

The Pacific Ocean

At Sea in the cold, grey Pacific Ocean. The weather has definitely changed. I can’t even sit outside. The buffet lines are even more crowded because they can’t find anything else to do but eat. I am still attending my enrichment programs and attempting to learn new things. The shows have been fairly good. Best are the comedians. They actually got some funny ones. Last night was formal night. Some of the passengers looked like cavemen. I guess they threw all their good clothes overboard. There are a bunch of ancient hippies from the Bay Area onboard so I am not that surprised.

Went to a chocolate buffet last night. Thank goodness for Prevacid. I think we both O.D’d! This is the last day and tonight is the last dinner I have to have with the table from Hell. They are so scary. I think it’s time to end this cruise. Two weeks with some of these people is a little too much for my well-being. Also, I can’t wait to see my family. We are still undecided as to the next leg. I just know that I have to get off this boat!


Till San Francisco, I bid you a fond farewell from the high seas. I have to go out on the veranda and look for whales now.

The outstanding highlights of these two sea days have been:

Yesterday we got stuck in the elevator. Serves us right-we should have taken the stairs.

Today the abandon ship alarm went off. The captain had to get on the horn to apologize for the “malfunction.” I think 28 people had heart attacks.

Love to all…P & J

Cavbo San Lucas

Greetings from Cabo San Lucas. We had to tender the ship here and the water is extremely rough. The captain had to move the ship several times to even make an attempt. Finally, he put down a few life boats and we were brave enough to be one of the first ones off. The waves were really high and I literally took a flying leap into the lifeboat, so far that I almost flew clear out the other side. What a graceful clutz! Cabo is now very built up and is still nice, clean and with gorgeous beaches. The water was a little cold but still swimmable. The vendors came to us so we didn’t have to go anywhere to shop. Just sat there on my chaise lounge, under my umbrella, margarita in hand…lady, you want to buy silver (not real) bracelet, necklace, tee shirt, carvings, ceramics, beach wraps, kites, tattoos…all without moving a muscle. I was tough as nails and bought nothing.

There was a Carnival ship tendered next to ours, so the town was overflowing with drunken, tattooed passengers. There was a couple sitting near us who a fellow came up to and greeted warmly. Seems the men met in prison and recognized each other’s tattoos. Such is Carnival. Lots of serious deep water fishermen here who think they died and went to heaven. If you like fishing, this is the place. My husband wore a seasick patch on the tender so I guess he is not one of them. Speaking again of the tender, one of our female passengers had to be helped onboard because she was so drunk she couldn’t even stand by herself. There were no ambulances at the pier this time because they couldn’t get any of the sick people on the tenders. Best not to get sick at all. The super reds didn’t make it to dinner once again. I think he couldn’t find a clean shirt. But the artists made it. They went parasailing and lived to tell about it.

That’s all from Cabo. The Sea of Cortez is still beautiful here and Los Arcos and Lover’s Beach is still a gorgeous photo. Wonderful place for a get-away. And if you love to fish, this is the place for you.

Now it’s time to head for San Francisco and my family. Can’t wait. I miss them and I miss California. Oh wait…they just made an announcement that someone missed the boat and is coming in a small local boat to catch the ship. What a riot. He has to jump on to this moving behemoth from that little boat, or fly to SFO at his own expense. Guess he made it. They sort of pushed him from one boat to another. How embarrassing for him since they announced his name and cabin number. The fun goes on. Oh, how I am dreading the last few dinners with the weirdos. If it weren’t for Terry and Sandy I think I would have sacrificed myself to the sea gods by now.

The water and air are beginning to chill and so am I. Bye from beautiful Cabo San Lucas.

Acapulco and Beyond

Well, we survived Acapulco with it’s multitudes of chicklet sellers and people wanting to take us to visit their family business in the local flea markets. We did however, find a Woolworth, of all things, and went in just to see what they had. It was a time warp back to the late 50’s but they had everything being sold these days. We wandered about the old part of town near the zocalo, the town square, which could have been anywhere in Latin America. It’s the same all over the world; the central plaza where everyone goes to socialize. We then headed for the hotel zone hoping to find a beach because it was very hot. We took a local bus for 40 cents each. No air conditioning, of course. Plus the added attraction of screaming babies, terrorist two-year olds and old ladies chattering endlessly. After glaring at Jerry with a death stare he finally agreed to vacate his seat. That was just after a 300 pound Mexican teenager sat down next to me, squishing what was left of my profusely sweating body. So we finally vacated the bus from which the only thing missing was live chickens.

We continued to walk through various hotels which were beautiful but had no beaches since they were perched high on cliffs. Dummies! We should have known we were near where the famous Mexican cliff divers did their daily encounter with death. Boy, are we stupid. We have been here at least three times before. How could we have forgotten about that. Just goes to show you what walking around in a 90 degree polluted city can do to your mind. So, just before I killed Jerry he agreed to return to the ship, but only if we could take the 40 cent bus back. The man spends thousands on a cruise and has to take the 40 cent bus! Actually, upon pain of death I made him take the 50 cent bus back…it was air conditioned, sort of. We managed to get off at the wrong stop and had to walk for blocks to find our way back, but we made it and threw ourselves in the ships’s pool and were revived instantly and I didn’t kill him, as I should have Dinner was almost bearable that evening since the super red (ultra rednecks) didn’t make it. Rumor was that he was repairing a Mexican tractor.

Next day was a sea day which was uneventful. Jerry got up early to secure chairs in the Solarium. You have to get there early to stake your claim, since those old folks are faster than greased lightning when they want that certain chair. They will knock you over with their canes to get the one they want. The only time they are faster is when they are in the buffet line.

That evening we had dinner with our friend, Lubi, who works for the purser’s office on this ship and who we met on the Constellation a few years ago. We had a fun evening with her, catching up since that cruise. She was the one who talked us into going to Macedonia that year, and we had a good laugh about that. It was so good to see that a bright young lady is being recognized and promoted in this company. So now it's two sea days till Cabo San Lucas. Love to all, P & J

Cabo San Lucas