Well, we will be going to the Peruvian Amazon in a few short months. We cannot wait. This will be an adventure using a 24 passenger boat/barge to navigate the Amazon. An area full of man eating fishes, face eating monkeys, pink dolphins, and g-d knows what else. Got me a floppy hat, bug spray and antacid, I am ready to rock. Stay tuned.....

Sunday Feb 26, 2012

Well we boarded the Allure. The ship is on first impression overwhelming. It is completely massive, with multiple neighborhoods. I booked a Central Park Balcony Cabin. It was an interior cabin overlooking Central Park on Deck 12. Our cabin attendant is Orlando Walters from Jamaica. A pleasant fellow, quick with the ice buckets and the water for my CPAP machine. The room is clean.This cabin is 182 sq. feet before balcony. It seems cramped and lacking in drawers and clothing space. There is a slight walkway between one part of the bed and the closet. It just seems cramped, however, the room is well insulated and we do not hear our neighbors.

Celebrity Sostice R/T BarcelonaCruising Oct 23,-Nov.4,2011

We are off on British Airways. Our prepaid seat fees and gave us better seats and a free coupon for snack meals and a bottle of soda,since the departure was 2 hours late. So far, a minor hitch but that’s travel. They checked our bags thru to BCN so we’ll see if they meet up with us. Spoke to the kids from the airport. Number 1 son, started his new job and they have him working till 4am on his third day. Welcome to the rest of your life. Our daughter is finishing up nursing school, so is in the middle of test madness, but she’s doing great. The terminal is starting to fill with fellow passengers and I grabbed a Samsung charging station to keep the batteries fresh and alive. Looked up the movie and I’ll finally get to see Midnight in Paris and Battlefield Los Angeles before I take the Ambien and drift off. We are flying premium economy and they told us we have a separate cabin of 30 people with wider seats and a lot of legroom. Yeah... By the way, Dennis is fine and full of golf stories, all of which boil down to this truism, at our level of play no matter what golf ball you use, they all sink the same. He is a modern Harvey Pennick. Board the plane, the seats were fine. Wider and with lots of legroom. The cabin crew were attentive and the food was passable, the red wine delicious. It was a Spanish tempernillo. I saw Midnight in Paris, the latest flic from Woody Allen. It is a love story to the eternal city(Paris) with one fundamental truth. All of us young or old have our own version of the good old days and we all think the good old days were the time to live, i.e., in the past. Then you find out if you get the oppurtunity to go to the Good Old days(in this case Paris in the 1920's)for those living in the  good old days their "good old days" was the Belle Epoque era of Paris(1890's). I guess the point is "the good old days" is your present and what you make of it. With that the Ambien kicked in and we’re at Heathrow.

  Sunday Aug. 14, 2011

The Plane was delayed 3.5 hours and we finally land in San Juan. We took a cab to the pier and boarded Serenade of the Seas. Beautiful ship but starting to fade. They did not have the air on and it was hot. Also the corridors reeked of humanity if you get my meaning. The staff is pleasant and our room steward Jeremy, seems nice. We start dinner and head off to the completely useless lifeboat drill in 4 languages. Vest on,Vest off and do not forget our island shopping extravaganza in the auditorium right after the drill. Dinner was okay, but they have really cut down the menu selection. Tomorrow night we dine at Chops the steakhouse courtesy of our travel agent. We went to the initial show, the cruise director was nice, the Comic clean, somewhat corny.. His lines were as slow as the elevators onboard. Wee the back on the ship on deck 9 and have a great room. It is a superior wedged between 2 suites. Since here is only one bank of elevators onboard, it is a real schelp back and forth. Between the stairs and walking to the room who knows I may only put on 1,234 pounds on the cruise. The ship is at capacity with 2398 passengers. Tonite we feel it. It is hard finding a quiet place onboard so far, so I am on my balcony typing away. Nice salsa music but loud on the deck four centrum that resonates thru out and upwards. The kids appear to be tired maybe tomorrow they will perk up. Who knows? Well its time for bed. Tomorrow should be a fun day. Cake decorating, trivia and at least 4300 food buffet items.

May 4, 2011

Well here it is the first sojourn for 2011. May 4, 2011, I depart for Deadwood, the Badlands with my spouse, sister in law and mother in law. Hope they have a lot of redeye available in Ms. Kitty’s salon.  We depart Ft. Lauderdale for Dallas to pick up the rest of the posse. We are going on American Airlines the new cattle car of the skies. You know its all optional, food comfort reclining seats and cabin attendants with warmth. Why I am doing this ?? Appeals to my Woody Allen take on life or is self  immolation of one’s self is the best policy. So we are leaving for the airport and when there, it will be time for the TSA Samba. If I am lucky, I will be body searched. At age 59, you take your pleasures where you find them. So we are off to see Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse monument, Walls Drugs the creators of those wonderful roadside signs and of course the marvelous interplay between a mother and her 2 daughters. I hope I enjoy this jaunt more than a trip to the Dentist for a root canal. 

Day 1 December 3, 2010..

We leave our home headed for the Miami Airport. We are picked up by Dennis our affable driver. He is a retired Gendarme, who drives on the side and is a Golf Course starter to supplement his retirement benefits. He always has a story to tell and puts us in a great mood. We travel down interstate 95 to the Miami airport. At the Miami Dade County line, there is a change in the atmosphere, the drivers speed faster, cut in and out of lanes for no apparent reason all rushing to get somewhere/nowhere in that never ending quest to play que es muy macho!!!! We arrive at the American Airlines terminal. I feel like we are truly entering the modern Casablanca. Endless lines of mixed mélanges of people trying to go somewhere with alot of obstacles to overcome, the ticket agent, TSA people all scurrying about all trying to make that last flight to Lisbon. 

May  1, 2008

The Journey begins...Off on American Airlines to Lima, Peru.

We are truly excited. Our driver Dennis, gets us in the mood

 with a cooler of Inca Cola. I have been groovin on Grateful Dead

records looking for a legitimate excuse to munch on Cocoa leaves.

it's the altitude Dude!!! We get on the plane.. we depart ontime and land in Lima.

Once outside the baggage area we are met and driven through

outrageous traffic and people. Police everywhere pulling over

drivers the "mordidta" starts early. We go to the Plaza Del Bosque Park Hotel for the night, in Miraflores.

This is a businessman's hotel, very clean, helpful staff and with your room you get business cards...Tres Chic!! Miraflores is the upscale part of Lima.

From Copenhagen to Iceland and Back Again  July 2010

on Azamara Cruises

JULY 12 , THE JOURNEY STARTED... DELTA WAS ON TIME ALL THE WAY TO CPH. WHAT A TREAT. CPH IS HOT . Used AZ transportation to ship. Not a good start as they kept us waiting at airport for 45 minutes with no AC. Told driver to put on air and he responded... no English. I tracked down a supervisor and we got the bus cranked up and headed for the ship . Get on ship and Seapass has me as Elite and wife as Classic. She wanted to know who else I was cruising with. This maybe an expensive vacation!!!! Nathalie the Guest relations person, apologized stating it was a home office computer glitch . We are both now Le Discoverer and my marriage is less expensive for now. We hookup with my SIL who joined us for this "chillin" adventure.