We are back from our ostensibly "last hurrah" cruise. And so, of course, we're working on plans for the next one...par for the course. This post will be short on words and long on pictures because, well...a picture's worth a thousand words, right? And who wants to read that many words?
We had a wonderful time! Being out on the ocean (in calm seas) is one of my great joys. It reminds me of the greatness and majesty of God. I still can't figure out how water manages to hold up thousands of tons of steel, but that's a topic for another time.
Our ship was the Carnival Sunshine, and the thirteen day cruise had seven ports and five sea days. All but one of the ports we've been to one or more times on previous cruises, but it's always fun to go back. At each place, we got off the ship and walked around the immediate area for an hour or so. Most of our time was spent on the ship in deck chairs, reading or, in my case, crocheting, or, in Mark's case, in the hot tub. Apart from a day or two with a few scattered showers, the weather was consistently warm and breezy, providing a much needed break from the chilly rainy climate we left behind.
Our one new port on this cruise was Amber Cove, Dominican Republic. What a beautiful green island! We contemplated an excursion there called, "Tastes of Dominican Republic," or something like that. It was a five and a half hour excursion that included visits to a coffee plantation, a chocolate factory, and a rum factory -- with tastings and lunch. Since we didn't plan it into our spending budget, we decided to save it for next time... if there is a next time.
I do love food. Food seemed to be the center of most of our activities. In Saint Thomas, I had to stop at the Belgian Chocolate Factory. While we were there, we had a light lunch at "Gringo's Cafe & Bar" where I indulged in a "Mexican Mudslide"-- coffee, ice cream, nutmeg and rum (of course)-- blended together. It was amazing! In Saint Maarten, my primary goal was to go to the French side and eat French pastries. Once we docked there however, my pastry cravings had subsided and I decided it wasn't worth spending the money for taxi fares just to gorge myself on sweets (probably my only bout of self-control during the entire cruise). In Aruba I found more chocolate. At our stop in San Juan, Mark and I found a little restaurant that served up Mofongo, one of Puerto Rico's traditional dishes that we both love. The dish is made with fried plantain topped with a saucy meat. It's delicious. One of these days I'll learn how to make it myself. In Amber Cove, we had a cup of their signature coffee and a dish of homemade mango ice cream (Mark passed on the ice cream).
But the highlight of the food experiences was the "Chef's Table." This is a special multi-course gourmet dinner hosted by one of Carnival's chefs, which includes a tour of the galley. It's an elegant meal, catered to a maximum of twelve or thirteen guests. As it's served, the chef describes each dish and how it was prepared. The whole event lasted about three hours and included a short time of entertainment by a "magician" who delighted us all with card tricks and such. We got back to our cabin about nine thirty, and I slept sitting up most of the night. As a matter of fact, I spent most nights sitting up, at least for the first three or four hours. It is the price of too many breads and sweets and eating too late in the evening. Toward the end of our cruise, I was making better choices and managing the indigestion somewhat.
For some reason, I decided to take along with me some remedies for a cold-- elderberry syrup and nasal decongestant, just in case. And I'm glad I did, About half way along, I came down with a head cold that lasted two or three days. There must have been a few sickies on that boat, because I wasn't back two days when I came down with a nasty stomach virus that kept me in bed (or in the bathroom) for a day and a half. I guess that's the hazard you face when you spend two weeks confined on a ship with four thousand or so random people.
We are indebted to my brother, Paul, and his wife Amy for allowing us to park our motorhome in their driveway for the duration of our cruise. We added a couple days on each side to spend some time visiting with them.
My final note before I close is dedicated to my beautiful furry companion of almost nineteen years, Sweetie Pie, our calico cat. We had made all the preparations for my brother, Lee, to take care of her in our absence--the original reason for parking our RV at Paul's. A few days before we were scheduled to leave on our cruise, Sweetie started showing signs that she wasn't well-- wobbling when she walked, listlessness, incontinence, and not eating. She was skin and bones. It was with great difficulty that Mark and I decided it was time to say goodbye to her. My haunting fear was that she would die while we were gone, alone and feeling abandoned. That wouldn't do. And we didn't want to saddle Lee with the responsibility of dealing with a sick and dying animal. So with sadness of heart, we bundled her up and took our last trip to the vet. She fell asleep peacefully in my lap on January 13 after living a long and comfortable life. I will miss her.
