Day 194 - Aruba

Sniff, sniff. Today was the last port day. All that lies ahead are sea days & then it's home to face the music. 


Thankfully, I made the most of this precious day! Jaco was able to come off the ship today, but not until 1230 or 1300. I went off early in search of WIGS!!! Today was the day! Or so I thought! I had asked the Port & Shopping Guide on the ship, but unfortunately her advice didn't take me far. She sent me to a hair salon. Well, that works just fine for people who HAVE HAIR! I need a place for people who don't!


I asked a fellow on the street & he sent me to Bon Bini. After walking & walking & walking forever, I finally found it. Do you remember the old store chain, I think it was called 'Robinson's'? Well, it was a like an expensive dollar store with fewer aisles. AND NO WIGS. They sent me to another hair salon. 


I walked & walked & walked back to the main mall & asked the cab drivers if they could take me to a beauty supply store. They new the area, but had no clue where the shop was located. After 2 cabbies managed to successfully frustrate me & unsuccessfully help me, I gave a good 'ARGH!' & marched over to the concierge desk. Thankfully the lady working there new the address & told the cabbie where to take me. I just get into the cab & he decides he doesn't like a live animal in his cab. (Valentina was trying to keep cool in her little bag) Are you kidding me? Last time I was here, I was told I HAD to take a cab, as animals aren't allowed on the bus. Another 'ARGH!' moment. So, he drives me out of town & into another business district. As we turn off onto a deserted dirt road with no other cars, I begin to worry. Oh dear, where is he taking me & is there really a wig shop around here? Sure enough at the end of the road, there is the shop. He tells me to see if they will call a cab for me, as he doesn't want to wait. I hop out & run to the door. Locked. Closed for lunch. Missed it by 10 minutes. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!???? ARGH! ARGH! ARGH! NO!!! I am near tears! 


I return to the car & tell him they are closed. We go back to the mall. That was the easiest way I have ever lost $18 in my life. Cabbie driver did soften up a little - he called his daughter & she gave him the name of another place to try for wigs, but they were also closed for lunch. I had to meet Jaco, so there wasn't enough time. No wigs from the Caribbean. Sigh.


Valentina & I walked back to the ship, she'd had a good walk this morning & we saw a lot of Oranjestad! I walked into the terminal & the first person I saw was Jaco! He asked if I was ready for the beach & I told him I had to get my swimsuit, but otherwise, yes. Oh dear. The queue to return onto the ship was long & not moving. They have a power outage. Crud. 


We waited about 25 minutes to get back on the ship. Then we waited another 15 to get off. We asked at Information for a good beach & away we went. We ended up at the Hilton. The amenities were nice, but the water wasn't near as nice as the previous visit. The sand was almost muddy & there was plenty of seaweed, neither of which I encountered last cruise. 


We did, however, manage to score some loungers for free from a lovely family who was just leaving. They offered them to us & we jumped at the chance! Valentina made friends with a couple from Boston this time. The mother of the couple took Valentina away for awhile & cuddled & cooed over her. She was missing her dog something fierce! 


We played in the water for a bit & then lounged in the shade/sun. Jaco & I shared a fruit smoothie & Valentina cleaned the glass afterwards. It was wonderful to spend some time with Jaco & Valentina & have such a beautiful place to spend it in! None of us wanted it to end! 


We shared a taxi back to the ship with a couple from the UK. Jaco had to return to work & I was wiped from a full day of walking, heat & sun. (That's not a complaint, either, btw!) I went up on deck to watch sailaway & grab a bite to eat. My heart began to get heavy again - thoughts of packing & eventually goodbyes creeping into my mind.


But, there are still a few sea days ahead. I will take every chance I get to soak up the sun & spend every free moment Jaco has with him!


Lekker slaap,
Maria, Jaco & Valentina
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Valentina scores some cuddles from Boston!

Back in the water with Papa

Great family photo, minus the shake!

That's better! Although someone is missing a smile!

Not sure where this face came from! Salt water?

Forget the wind in your hair, there's nothin' like the breeze in your ears!

Refuge on Papa's back! (Papa looks handsome here!)

Going out on a limb.

I think she's longing for snow here?!

Swimming for shore!

Excuse me, but you're blocking my sun! And you're on MY lounger!

Now this is the life!

Workin' on her tan!

I love palm trees & blue skies!

Sailaway

The runway

Sea Princess & Oranjestad

Valentina charms the spa girls. She wanted a pedicure, but they were booked.

Day 193 - Bonaire

I do love Bonaire! The water is an absolutely gorgeous colour & so inviting! Even to a land lubber like myself! I’ve never been a strong swimmer, although I do enjoy a good scuba dive from time to time. I had planned on diving in Bonaire, but with the migraines as of late, I decided that perhaps a snorkel would be better.

I left the Sea Princess shortly after we docked & boarded the Sea Cow. Yes, the Sea Cow. We putt-putted over towards the marine park (Oh dear, as I’m typing this, I’m in the TBC & some Asian fellow just hocked up the biggest loogie of his life. I think I’m going to be ill) ---- Meanwhile, back on the island… We had two snorkel spots. There was quite a wind & a current, so we were given instructions to swim against the current, thus making returning back to the boat in 45 minutes a much easier swim!

As I don’t feel comfortable ‘naked’ in the water, I donned a snorkel vest & pumped that baby up! It was so full that whenever I would turn in the water to look at a cool fish, my vest would pop up towards the surface on the other side! Hey, at least I wasn’t sinking!

The sea life was pretty amazing! The reef was right below us & there were plenty of fish everywhere you turned! They also have fire coral, so I was very cautious not to get too close to anything! I can never remember the names of the fish, but they were beautiful! Take my word for it! :o) I did see a spotted eel hiding in amongst the coral. It was beautiful & moved so gracefully!

Swimming in the ocean always makes me want to pee, so the first thing I asked for when I got on the boat was ‘Where is the loo?’ Huh? No loo? Oh dear! I could barely straighten up I had to go so bad! I have huge issues with going in the ocean & I’ve only done it once in my life & that was a life or death situation! I could tell by the way things were headed it was going to be a similar situation!

I had also incurred a migraine while I was snorkeling! Are you kidding me? Of all the times & places! So instead of pretty blue fish, I saw auras! Argh! Thank goodness it only lasted 15 minutes & I had Advil in my bag!

The second site for snorkeling was even better! We were really close to the coral, which meant the coral was really close to the surface. It was a beautiful dance of sunshine, water, coral, waves & fish… This is the life! And to make things even more spectacular, I saw a turtle! Hooray! I was hoping for a seahorse, but I will take a turtle any day! I absolutely love being in the water & experiencing life as a fish or any other sea creature! I will say that scuba diving is far more exciting than snorkeling, as I couldn’t get deep enough to get a closer look at the reef & all it had to offer. Oh Lord, please don’t let the chemo ruin my lungs. I would love to scuba dive again one day!

Back on the boat & we were headed back to the Sea Princess. I visited with a lovely couple from San Francisco who were on their 1^st honeymoon. He gave me his business card & perhaps I will see them if I’m able to visit Jaco in a few weeks. While we sailed back to shore, a flock of seagulls hovered over the boat. The gal from San Francisco stuck up her hand like she had food & sure enough, the gull tried to take the bait! He didn’t get any food, but managed to break the skin on her finger! Yikes!

I nipped back on board to see what Jaco was up to & if Valentina was back. Yes, where was she? That is a great question! One of the Shoppies had offered to dog sit for me while I went on tour. Daniela saw Valentina the last time we were in Bonaire & fell in love with her. Every time I would visit the shops, she would ask where Valentina was. It became a ritual to swing by & let the girls get some cuddles in. I always had to giggle, as Valentina would smell like sweet perfume by the time we left!

When I returned, Valentina was still out on her date. As I would learn later, she was enjoying the lap of luxury. The resort they went to had large cabana beds & there was Valentina all sprawled out on her very own queen size cabana! What a girl! The resort staff told Daniela that dogs were not allowed, but Daniela simply shrugged & said, ‘She’s a Service Dog.’ And that was the end of that! So little Tweet Pea enjoyed a day of sun & sand & people waiting on her hand & foot. I can just imagine her in a past life. She must have been royalty being carried around by her servants, who fanned her with big, feathered fans. What a life!

I took the chance to venture out around the town again. There is really only one touristy street, so I strolled around & enjoyed another Rainbow Sherbet (I know, not on the diet!). I found a t-shirt with a little saying that has now become one of my favourite lines. It reads: Allergic to Land. Yup. That’s me! Gotta keep movin’! I bought Jaco a t-shirt with a map of the Caribbean & the flags of each island. It’s a neat way to see where you’ve been!

I’m starting to get sad… Tomorrow is our last port day! I don’t want the cruise to end! They have been getting massive amounts of snow back home & ridiculous storms! Nooooooo! I don’t want cold weather! I love the sunshine!

In any case, sleep well & here’s to a last day of sun, fun & adventure!

Maria, Jaco & Valentina

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Sailing out to our 1st snorkel stop

We're here! Let's get in!

Self portrait of a transplanted fish!

Little yellow fish

Check out the spotted eel! 

Little blue fish

Little stripy fish

Lotsa fish!

It's a snail! (iridescent - bottom left)

Coral near the surface

The flash really changes things!

Pretty colours

Super cool blue fish

I love to see the water from below

Off to school fish

Savouring every minute of this!

She doesn't want to get out!

Funky fish

Snorkel spot #2

Finger slicing seagulls

Day 192 - Grenada

Today was a short port day. We sailed at 1400, which meant all crew & passengers had to be onboard by 1330. By the time I got myself organized & then Valentina organized, it was nearly noon when we exited the ship.

Today was Sunday, so no wig shopping for me. :o( I thought I might get lucky & find something in the terminal, but no. I took Valentina for a walk over to the water taxi station & on our way there, a local girl & her Mom stopped to visit with Valentina. They were very impressed with her. They wanted to know if she had puppies & when I said no, they told me I needed to come back & make sure she had puppies on the ship next time so they could get one! Yeesh, they really liked her! They were selling spice necklaces, so I bought one from them. I bought some last time I was here & they are delicious! The have nutmeg, cloves, lemongrass, cocoa beans, and saffron(?) on them. Grenada is known as the Spice Island.

I found a shirt for Eddie. He had been mentioning a particular pirate shirt he was after – ‘The beatings will continue until morale improves’ but he wanted a white t-shirt & they are generally in black. One of the shops in the terminal had white ones, so that would be his thank you gift for taking Jaco & I out during our visit.

I also met a security guard who was a pleasure to visit with. She has 5 children & offered one to Jaco & I if we can’t have our own. :o) I told her our story & she is going to pray for my health to return quickly.

I must say, the people in the Caribbean are incredibly helpful. I have been here many times before, but I don’t recall everyone being this hospitable. It’s wonderful!

I went back to the ship & headed upstairs for a bite to eat. I ended up sitting with 2 wonderful couples from eastern USA, Pennsylvania, I think! We had a great chat & I hope I’ll bump into them again throughout the rest of the trip. They are going to have a great time!

Tonight was also formal night and Jaco had to do his ‘wave’ when the Captain introduced the Senior Officers onboard. The Captain approached me after the introductions were finished & said hello. I worked the Captain Stenzel previously & he is a wonderful man. He would officiate the weddings & I always thought he put a little extra TLC into the ceremony that many others didn’t. Anyhow, he saw Valentina’s bag & clearly didn’t realize I had a dog inside. He asked me if I’d just arrived & had I been dropped off, luggage & all? I didn’t want to tell him, no, there’s actually a dog inside, so I just laughed along with him. He & Jaco will be leaving on the same day.

Jaco & I decided to go for pizza after the ‘wave’ & then a few portraits with Valentina & Eddie. Oh dear, we had quite the crowd! I’m sure I’ll be hearing about it tomorrow! NOTE TO SELF: Wear dark glasses & big hat!

Just another day in paradise! Here’s to a wonderful sleep & a fine day in Bonaire tomorrow! Lekker slaap!

Maria, Jaco & Valentina

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Look near the bottom of the shot - on the rocks...

Big building across the street from the terminal area

Jaco doing his 'wave'

Out for Pizza

Portraits

What a pair!

Happy girls!

Eddie joins the family!

Day 191 - Barbados!

Oh bummer. Today was May Day. A public holiday in Barbados. Which meant that ALL the shops were closed. No wigs for me! Pooh. I was so disappointed. I spoke to a lady in the terminal & she told me they had every colour, shape & size of wig you can imagine. Hmpf.

Eddie & I went ashore about 1130. Valentina was not allowed off & Jaco had plenty of work to do. He had wanted to come ashore, but it was the other Doctor’s turn.

Eddie & I stopped at the Post Office in the terminal, where I bought the remaining postage for my postcards. I asked the lady behind the counter, Jascinta, about the wig shop. She said it would definitely be closed, but she knew a lady who made them & said she would try to get ahold of her. She left me her cell number to call her back in a bit to check & see if she’d had any luck tracking the lady down. Unfortunately she didn’t, but how sweet of her to try! Wow!

Eddie wanted to go to the Malibu Rum Distillery, which was right beside the beach. I wasn’t objecting to anything, so I said sure! Away we went. The beach was beautiful. That is an understatement. I am of the opinion that Barbados has the best beaches & the best water. And that opinion was definitely reinforced today. Oh. It was breathtaking. I didn’t want to get out of the water. And for me, that is rare. Usually 15 minutes is more than enough for me. But not here. I was in the water for a good 1.5 hours! There was a bit of a swell, but the water was so warm & refreshing. It was truly perfect. I could have stayed a few more hours!

When I returned to the terminal, I was poking in & out of the shops when I spotted the Del Sol shop. I remembered Collet telling me about her Mom making friends with the lady at Del Sol. Collet had told me to stop in & say hello from the family. It had been a year since Collet’s family had been in Barbados & I wasn’t even sure if this was the right location, but I thought, what the heck! Worth a try. Sure enough, the young lady working there remembered Peggy & the family! It was brilliant! How cool to meet her! We exchanged Facebook names & I’ll be sure to let Peggy know I met her friend! The young lady’s co-worker had been to Canada & we share a love of shopping, so we were talking about all of our favourite shops. She was quite impressed to learn that Alberta doesn’t have the PST that some of the other provinces do. They were talking about visiting during Stampede. I would love to show them around ol’ Cowtown! Ha! I love a small world!

Back onboard, Jaco & Valentina were having a wonderful time together. Jaco even gave Valentina a bath this evening. Now that was cute! He’s really going to miss having us around! I’m going to miss having him around. The days are dwindling rapidly & I’m not excited about that in the least. My heart is already heavy at the thought of goodbye. Again.

Anyhow, I’m going to try & get to bed somewhat early tonight so I can break the cycle of crummy sleep patterns! Here’s to a fun filled day in Grenada!

xxxxxxxx

Maria, Jaco & Valentina

Having a nap waiting for Eddie

I love the beach!

Oh yeah.

Just another day in paradise.

Finally found a good beach hat!

Writing in the sand

Yup, she's in the water!

Pretty clouds

Eddie, Jens & Jenny

The sky from below the surface

The beach

My Argentinian friend, Eddie

Leandre & Co @ Del Sol - She knows Collet & Co!

My 2 Favourite Beings!

Remember how I said Valentina likes to get in on the action?!?

Papa's turn for a nose cleaning.

Mama's turn for a nose cleaning.

Valentina's turn for a nose (& body) cleaning

She's not lovin' it!