| Flag: | Date: | Port: | Comment: |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
10th Jan. 2025 |
Oranjestad Aruba DWI |
On board by 14:00 |
 |
11th Jan. 2025 |
Kralendijk Bonaire DWI |
a.m. Centre p.m. North |
 |
12th Jan. 2025 |
Willemstad Curacao DWI |
Hato Caves and Willemstad |
 |
14th Jan. 2025 |
Cartagena de Indias Colombia |
Historic Getsemani Photo Walk |
 |
16th Jan. 2025 |
Panama Canal |
Bridge Commentary |
 |
18th Jan. 2025 |
Manta Ecuador |
a.m. Town p.m. Ship |
|
19th Jan. 2025 |
Guayaquil Ecuador |
Guayaquil Highlights tour |
 |
21st Jan. 2025 |
Salaverry Peru |
Moche Pyramids tour |
|
22nd Jan. 2025 |
Callao Peru |
Lima Panoramic tour |
 |
23rd Jan. 2025 |
Callao Peru |
Flight LA8099 to Sao Paulo Brazil |
| Flag: | Date: | Port: | Comment: |
I awoke naturally at six o'clock and finished packing. I then had to prepare another Azamara bid, this time for South Africa. At ten o'clock I ordered a Streamline taxi. It was driven by a Greek man who grew up in Johannesburg. He told me about the Greek island of Thassos, which I haven't visited, just offshore from Kavala, which I have visited.
I caught the 10:50 National Express coach (£34) as usual, sitting right at the back with the view down the aisle. We had ten minutes of loading time at SoToN and got to LHR T5 on time at 1:15. I used the toilet here and ate my lunch of cherry tomatoes and dried apricots, but I had left my Boots sarnies in the fridge at home. I had a 50p small bottle of apple juice to drink.
I then caught the Piccadilly line tube train four stops to Hounslow Central (not West nor East). I had a £45 room in the Travelodge as usual, but this time a square room on the third floor. I made myself an instant decaff coffee and started updating this blog. At three o'clock I walked the 250 yards to Hounslow High Road, where I bought a lot of snacks to eat that night and the next day. I spent the evening working on my laptop and watching television. I went to sleep just after ten o'clock, having done just over five thousand steps, equal to just two miles of walking during the day.
I awoke at 4:50 to a police siren, forty minutes before my alarms, as had happened the last time that I had stayed at the Travelodge in Central Hounslow. I had two cooked sausages and the rest of my pint of milk as an early breakfast.
I left the hotel at 5:40 and only had to wait two minutes for the tube train to Terminal Four, which I can't remember visiting before. KLM check-in was quick, but I had to apply for a last minute rush Aruban Visa which cost £130! I then walked outside to photograph my KLM plane through the fencing.
Back inside T4, I took a dispersible aspirin and finished my bottle of water before security, which was also quick. I then found a charging point with a great view of a huge A380 double decker, where I could update this blog. We took off forty minutes late, but arrived in Amsterdam on time. I had a seat in the middle exit row, so I had lots of legroom. We were given a large oat cookie to eat and a small bottle of water to drink.
There was snow on the Chilterns and a good view of the new HS2 viaduct over the flooded Colne valley. We flew along the north side of the Thames estuary and then out over the North Sea. At Schiphol, we were parked on the taxiway and had to use a bus to tour around the huge airport.
At the terminal, I had a short walk to my next gate, where I updated this blog again. Boarding was straightforward and I had a window seat, so I could store items up against the wall. We sat on the taxiway for a time, burning off excess fuel to get beneath the takeoff weight limit, as the flight was at the very limit of a fully laden two engined Airbus A330.
The first round of the trolley gave us a bottle of water and a wet wipe. On the second round, I chose the beef meatballs with sweet red cabbage and mashed potato to eat. There were some salad bites and a warm roll with a piece of Dutch cheese (it was KLM!) I had one can of Heineken beer to drink and had a Christmas tart for dessert. I forewent the tea or coffee and slept for a couple of hours.
I awoke to a second bottle of water and a chocolate brownie. My earphones didn't work well and there were no movies I was interested in, so I just glanced at the moving map, as I played FreeCell and Hearts all afternoon.
The black lady next to me went to the loo a couple of times, so I was able to get out easily and I never had to ask her to move. She was staying on the plane for the next stop at Bonaire, where we would also be the next day. She used the free wi-fi on board to text her friends in the Papiamento Creole language, which is a mixture of all the colonial masters: Portuguese, Spanish, English, French and Dutch. The two flights cost Azamara $821.
We landed half an hour late as we had been routed over Northern Ireland and Newfoundland. Passport control and baggage reclaim were OK, but there was no transfer for me. I paid $35 dollars for a taxi, which was repaid on the ship, but he took me to the wrong hotel! The receptionist there phoned my hotel to confirm my reservation and their address. I then paid $20 for another taxi, which I didn't claim for, to take me to the Best Western Aruba Boutique Art Hotel.
I went to sleep at 12:30, but it was now only 8:30 on Aruban time. I had done just over seven thousand steps, equal to nearly three miles of walking around the three airports that day. I had used: one train, two planes and two taxis during the day.
I awoke at six o'clock as usual, but it was now only two o'clock on Aruban time, so I went back to sleep. I got up at ten o'clock, which was now six o'clock on local time, with two mugs of decaff coffee from the machine in my room. I had a snack bar that I had brought from Hounslow to eat for breakfast.
At 6:30 I headed north from my hotel as the dawn broke, thinking that I was on the north coast of the island. When I spotted the huge hotels on the beach, I realised that I was on the west coast instead. I walked the half a mile to the beach, resisting the temptation of breakfast in MacDonald's restaurant. I then walked along the beach, heading south for a quarter of a mile, before returning to my room. It was already getting hot and humid as the sun came up.
Back at my hotel, I watched the PBS UK channel on the telly, as I updated this blog. With the Azamara Journey not due to dock until lunchtime, I remained in my air conditioned room all morning working on my laptop. Just before noon, I checked out ($200 repaid on the ship) and took a $25 (ditto) taxi to Oranjestad, but Azamara Journey hadn't yet arrived. I walked to the casino where the doorman let me deposit my bags and sit in the air conditioned comfort.
At 1:30 I walked back to the port and was held up at the gate, even though I was the only person embarking that day. At two o'clock I met CD Stephen Millett from Pennsylvania and New York City at the gangway and was led to reception for my safety briefing. I dropped my bags in my double state room midships on deck six with an obscured view through a lifeboat. I then met ACD Justin from Orlando who wanted me to do a TV interview at three o'clock.
At 3:30 I left my unpacking until later and headed ashore. I caught the free electric tram/trolley car, but it only did the western half of the route, so I walked the rest of the way along the main street. I headed south alongside the river to the coast, where I photographed the iguanas on the prom. I continued to the marina, where I took pictures of the freshly caught barracudas lying on the board walk. I photographed Fort Zoutman, before walking back to the ship via the fishing harbour.
At 4:40 Ritchie set me up ready to give my forty five minute talk on Bonaire to a small audience. The sun was shining and we were in port until late so I didn't stand a chance. Before the lecture started, I chatted to a Norwegian man from the Oslo Fjord area near Hvitsten, but he didn't know about the underground Munch art gallery at Petter Olsen's organic farm, although his wife did know about the farm (Rammegarden).
At six o'clock I joined CD Stephen and ACD Justin for the solo travellers dinner in the MDR. There were four single ladies and two gents present. I had the egg drop soup, the Caesar salad, the lamb and the no sugar added lemon tulip dessert to eat. I had one glass of red wine and a pina colada to drink.
At 8:15 I went to the musical duo Max & Kyra Milian's excellent show time with the six members of the band. They included songs by the Beatles, by Queen and Amy Winehouse (Valerie), plus some American artistes too. At nine o'clock I retired to my state room to finally unpack. I went to sleep at ten o'clock having done sixteen thousand steps, equal to over six miles of walking during the day.
I got up at 6:15, as the dawn was breaking. I had been given a large carrier bag and two drinking water flasks, the latter could be filled from the water fountain right next to my state room. At seven o'clock I had my usual cooked breakfast without eggs al fresco a la veranda with the view of Bonaire and Klein Bonaire from the rear of the ship. I had just one glass of orange juice to drink.
Back in my state room, I updated this blog and listed the tours I would like to escort. In the Cabaret theatre I handed my wish list in and departed from the ship. I whizzed around all the main sights of Bonaire, but I soon emptied my new water flask and had to head back to the ship.
At 10:15 I was already back in my state room. I watched my Bonaire talk on the television, but had trouble keeping awake. At noon I lunched al fresco a la veranda overlooking Kralendijk town and Bonaire island. I had the corn soup and two small pork chops to eat. I had two glasses of sparkling water and one glass of carrot and apple juice to drink.
I then slept for eighty minutes. At two o'clock I ventured out again into the 87 degree heat. I walked north along the prom, all the way to the yacht marina. I came back alongside the main road, as it offered some more shade.
Back at the ship, I updated this blog and went over my next lecture. At five o'clock I gave my thirty five minute talk on Willemstad, Curacao to a better audience than the first one the previous day. I showed both videos at the end.
At 5:50 I went to the solo travellers get together, where I met Clarissa the German lady from Iceland and Ann from Eugene in Oregon, who I had sat next to the previous evening. The former had a dinner date at the pool BBQ, so I led Ann down to the MDR where we joined a sharing table. Kathy from Kentucky was already ensconced and we were then joined by Karen & Richard (not the Carpenters) from Pennsylvania. I ordered the minestrone soup, but it never arrived, so I made do with the Mediterranean salad, the prime rib of beef and the no sugar added cherries jubilee. I had two glasses of the Merlot red wine and several of the sparkling water.
At 8:30 I caught the end of the local brass band with a team of drummers performing by the pool BBQ. At nine o'clock I went to the Journey band playing jazz in the Cabaret theatre, but slipped out after one jam session. I just don't like jazz as you can't dance to it! Back in my state room, I updated this blog. I went to sleep at 9:45 having done nearly sixteen thousand steps, equal to over six miles of walking during the day.
I awoke at 6:40 ready for my usual cooked breakfast al fresco a la veranda. It had been raining in the night so the deck was wet. I had just one glass of carrot and apple juice to drink. I then re-presented my credit card at reception, as it had initially been rejected. Halifax had texted me to check that it was mine and I had had to reply YES to allow the ship to try again.
At 9:15 I checked in to the Cabaret theatre to collect my bus number 5 sticker for my complimentary tour ($69), which had been my second choice for escorting. We walked out to the coach and then drove across the island to the International airport on the north coast. Here we visited the famous Hato caves with the usual stalactites and stalagmites. I had last visited them twelve years previously. We then drove back into Willemstad, where we had a one hour guided walk around the town centre which finished at noon.
I then walked back to the ship, where I had the asparagus soup and the mixed grill al fresco a la veranda. I slept for forty minutes, before venturing back into the town. I circled both the Punda and Otrobanda districts, including being on the famous pontoon bridge as it swung open.
Back at the ship, I was too tired to go swimming. At five o'clock I hosted the solo travellers including Hazel from Derbyhire & Kathy from Kentucky. At six oclock I led Ann, Paul, John, Clarissa and Odette to the pool deck, where I asked the Maitre d' to give us a table for eight. I had the salad starter, the soup, the saltimboca pork and the mousse dessert to eat. I had two glasses of the Merlot red wine to drink.
At nine o'clock I went to Max & Kyra Milian's second showtime, where I sat with John. I enjoyed all the Piano Men numbers, including Elton, Jerry Lee, Stevie and Billy, but less so the Soul Divas. Kyra bravely began singing Whitney's "I will always love you" (written by Dolly) a capella, before the six piece band kicked in. I went to sleep at 10:30 having done over seventeen thousand steps, equal to nearly seven miles of walking during the day.
I awoke at 7:15, but it was now only 6:15 on Colombian time. At seven o'clock I had my usual cooked breakfast al fresco a la veranda, but the sun was already very hot. At nine o'clock one of the chaps at reception struggled to photocopy my social foxtrot handout, so I left it with him.
When Bayu came to service the room at 9:45, I did six circuits of the two side promenades as the top deck track was getting far too hot. At 10:45 Ritchie set me up ready to give my thirty five minute talk entitled "Cartagena de Indias: UNESCO World Heritage Site" to a nearly full house. At the end I had quite a few questions to answer. At noon I lunched al fresco a la veranda on items from the Officers' BBQ next to the pool. I had one glass of fruit juice and one of sparkling water to drink. I then slept for eighty minutes.
At two o'clock I listened to Diane Lake's excellent forty minute talk on Vincent van Gogh. She ended with the usual montage of his paintings soundtracked by the Vincent song, but it wasn't Don Maclean singing it. I took notes for things to add to my talk on VvG.
Back in my state room, I updated this blog and uploaded my pictures from the ABC islands. At four o'clock I did six lengths of the warm pool in the hot sunshine, followed by five minutes in one of the hot tubs. Here I chatted to a chap from Ottawa who came originally from Roumania.
At five o'clock the Name that Tune quiz ended and Rishi set me up. The small circular dance floor was full for my social foxtrot workshop. I taught the basic, the promenade and the sways (without the touches) with the help of Odette. Halfway through someone bumped into the sound mixer which packed up working. Odette spoke to CD Stephen who was passing to get Rishi back, so I could play some more Victor Sylvester music.
At 5:45 I did one slow foxtrot with Sheila from Dundee and two other couples joined in. I took my laptop back to my state room and touched base with the Shorex man. He told me to go to the Cabaret theatre at eight o'clock in the morning. Back in the living room I hosted ten solo travellers, including Hazel and John who both had dinner dates elsewhere.
At 6:25 I popped down to the Discoveries MDR to bag the Captain's table for nine of us. They told me to bring them down ten minutes later. I was sat with Odette, Kathy, Caroline, Clarissa, Paul, Ann, Glenna and Sandra. I had the French onion soup, the Caesar salad with anchovies, the pasta rigatoni and the no sugar added coconut ice cream to eat. I had just one glass of Merlot red wine and many glasses of still water to drink. When the party broke up at nine o'clock, I updated this blog.
At 9:30 I went to the excellent Club Crooner production show with five musicians, four singers and two dancers. They began with some Frank favourites like "Fly Me to the Moon", followed by two of Judy's numbers: "The Trolley Song" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." They also did some more modern numbers including Tom's "Delilah" with audience participation. I went to sleep at 10:30 having done less than seven thousand steps, equal to less than three miles of walking during the day.
My alarm awoke me at six o'clock as the dawn broke. At seven o'clock I had my usual cooked breakfast, minus any eggs, al fresco a la veranda. At eight o'clock I reported to the Cabaret theatre, where I was allocated my first choice Historic Getsemani Photo Walk ($119).
At 8:30 group six was dispatched and I walked out on to the quayside to meet guide Paola and driver Juriel. (Later in the day she was the first guide of this cruise to find me on Instagram.) We had just a dozen guests in a new minibus to look after. We had our first stop at the foot of St. Philip's Castle. Next we climbed up on to the old city wall for views across the Gethsemane district and over the harbour back to the castle. We wandered through the pretty suburb admiring the great murals.
At the Di Silvio Trattoria I paid $10 for a Club Colombia beer, but most of the guests bought coffee. Six little old ladies, who shouldn't have been on a strenuous walking tour in the first place, asked for the minbus to take them shopping. Luckily we had a local tour escort in tow as well, so she accompanied them, whilst I carried on, with the other half of the party, for the second half of the walk. In Bolivar Place another couple peeled off, so I only brought four guests back to the ship. Here I hopped on to the shuttle bus along the quayside.
Back at the ship I had the cream of carrot soup and the mixed grill al fresco a la veranda for lunch. At 2:15 I slept for forty five minutes, before frittering the afternoon away as there was no shuttle bus back into the city. At four o'clock I did six lengths of the warm pool in the hot sun, followed by five minutes in one of the hot tubs. I got my waltz step sheets photocopied and posted my tour report into the shorex drop box. I found out that the canal transit would be from 7 am to 5 pm in two days time.
At five o'clock I taught the waltz to just five guests, as dinner had already started in preparation for the evening's excursion. One German couple from Cape Town struggled with the basics, so I couldn't progress very far. Afterwards I had two plates of tapas in lieu of dinner.
At six o'clock I met Kathy from Kentucky & Clarissa from Germany at the solo travellers meet up. At 6:45 deck eight was called down to the fleet of fifteen coaches lined up on the quayside. At 7:15 my deck six was summoned down and I ended up on bus number fourteen sat next to Odette. We drove into the old city to get to the refurbished Heredia theatre, where we were given a glass of white wine to drink. We sat in one of the many boxes on the second floor, but I could only see half of the stage.
At eight o'clock the Barranquilla's Carnival Folkloric show began, with a succession of lively dances and songs by a large ensemble of gaily costumed locals. There were eight musicians at the back of the stage, with the various dances performed across the rest of the area. The excellent show lasted just forty five minutes and then we had to wait for our bus number to be called out. On the way back to the ship I was sat with John, who had been disappointed with the Cartagena Naval Museum on his morning tour.
Back at the ship, we were given a glass of bubbly as the house band played on the quayside. As I was tired, I went straight to bed, giving the classical guitarist a miss. I went to sleep at 10:30, having done nearly eleven thousand steps, equal to over four miles of walking during the day.
I awoke at 6:10 and got up at 6:30. At seven o'clock I ate my usual cooked breakfast al fresco a la veranda overlooking the container port. I had one glass of carrot, apple & orange juice and one of sparkling water to drink.
At 7:45 I walked around the quayside to the cruise terminal to view the various birds on display. I went in two of the aviaries and also saw the famous multicoloured macaws, Amazon parrots and pink flamingos. Back at the ship, when Bayu came to service the state room, I did just a couple of lengths of the side promenades as the top deck was too hot.
At nine o'clock I touched base with ACD Justin and arranged to meet him again at two o'clock. I then worked on my Panama Canal slides. At 10:45 Ritchie set me up in an already half full Cabaret theatre. The Captain came on to the blower with the Canal timings, so I was able to skip over the slightly later ones from last year. The earlier timings explained why we were leaving Cartagena as I spoke. At eleven o'clock I gave my forty minute talk to a nearly full house. At the end I only had a few questions to field.
At 12:30 I dozed for half a hour before lunching on the split pea soup and the mixed grill from the buffet. I also had one small piece of cheese bread with butter and some smoked Cheddar slices to eat. I had just one glass of sparkling water to drink.
At two o'clock I met up with ACD Justin who gave me the printed version of the canal timings. We agreed to meet at 7:20 the next morning to go to the navigational bridge to give my commentary. Back in my state room, I updated this blog.
At three o'clock I went to the Destination Ambassadors presentation on Peru & the Incas by Alfredo and Erika. When the audience participation started at 3:15, I slipped out. At four o'clock I did six lengths of the pool in the hot sun and spent five minutes in one of the hot tubs. At 4:45 Rishi set me up ready for my five o'clock rumba workshop. I got eighteen guests to do the basic, the New Yorks, the underarm turns and the cross checks (shoulder to shoulder).
At six o'clock I hosted the solo travellers, leading them down at 6:30 to the Discoveries MDR. I was at the head of the table with Glenna, Paul, Hazel on my left and Clarissa, John & Ann on my right. Here I had the clam chowder, Caesar salad, lamb shank and no sugar added butter pecan ice cream. At 9:30 I sat with John & Ann at the Six Strings production show. This was a rock oriented performance featuring the songs of the Beatles, the Stones and the Eagles amongst others. There were five musicians playing, but the keyboard player was again missing. I went to sleep at 10:30 having done seven thousand steps, equal to nearly three miles of walking during the day.
I awoke to my alarm at six o'clock and was out on the top deck at 6:30 to watch the approach to the Gatun Locks. We had already passed under the Atlantic cable stayed bridge and the start of the ill-fated narrow French canal. I had two Panama buns (custard doughnuts) and one Danish pastry on the top deck. I did 13 circuits of the jogging track, equal to one mile of walking, as the sun rose before it got too hot.
At 7:20 I rendezvoused with ACD Justin and he led me up to the navigational bridge. He showed me how to use the intercom and I met the Captain. I then began my running commentary. After we left the Gatun locks, the Captain left the bridge and the Staff Captain took over. I talked about the Gatun Dam and the various ships we sailed past.
During the long crossing of Lake Gatun, I went walkabout. Just before noon we reached the Gamboa half way point, just ten minutes late, so I returned to the bridge. At noon CD Stephen came to do his daily announcement and he asked me to stop commentating after the Centennial Bridge, to let the people around the pool have their siesta. I talked about the Culebra or Gaillard Cut through the Continental Divide, the Centennial Bridge and approach to the new Cocoli Locks, before leaving the bridge.
At 1:30 I lunched on the tomato soup and the mixed grill al fresco a la veranda in the hot sun as we approached the Pedro Miguel Locks. I went inside the air conditioned Observation Lounge to watch the passage through these locks and the Miraflores Lake that followed. I chatted to a black couple originally from Michigan, but now living in Florida. When we got to the Miraflores Locks I retired to my state room. Here I slept for nearly an hour, despite having had a full strength coffee in the morning. When I awoke, I updated this blog and sorted out my cha cha music.
At four o'clock I did six lengths of the warm pool in the hot sunshine and then spent five minutes in one of the hot tubs. At 4:45 the Music Trivia session started fifteen minutes late, so that my cha cha workshop couldn't start until 5:10. I taught the cha cha basic, New Yorks, underarm turns, outside checks (shoulder to shoulder) and the hand to hand figure.
At six o'clock I hosted eight solo travellers including Hazel, but she was dining elsewhere. I led Kathy, Paul, Glenna, John, Clarissa and Ann down to the Discoveries MDR. I had the potato soup, the spinach salad, the pork scaloppini and the mixed ice cream (strawberry, cherry brandy and rum & raisin) to eat. I had one glass of the Merlot red wine and several glasses of sparkling water. At 9:30 I went to the Cabaret Theatre thinking that CD Stephen would be doing a second house of his personal cabaret, but it was an ABBA disco, so I retired early. I went to sleep at ten o'clock having done only eight and a half thousand steps, equal to over three miles of walking, during the day.
I awoke at 5:30 having slept for seven and a half hours. I got up at 6:30 ready for my cooked breakfast at seven o'clock, but without baked beans. I had one glass of sparkling water and a regular cappuccino coffee to drink.
At 9:15 I did ten circuits of the top deck jogging track, equal to three quarters of a mile of walking, but then it started to rain. At ten o'clock I went to Diane's interesting talk on how she became a Hollywood scriptwriter. She mentioned David Lean's Dr Zhivago and Lawrence of Arabia, which I cover in my talk entitled "Around the world in eight David Lean movies" (I have given you the first two, can you name the other six?)
At eleven o'clock I gave my forty minute talk on Plate Tectonics. One gentleman congratulated me on using Thomas Kuhn's theory of scientific revolutions. At noon I had the mushroom soup, the mixed grill and the mixed ice cream to eat al fresco a la veranda, but it was overcast. I had just one glass of sparkling water to drink. I was sat with three Aussies from Brisbane. I then slept for nearly an hour, before working on my Volcano talk, researching the Ecuadorian & Peruvian volcanos.
At 4:15 I did six lengths of the cool pool, as the sun came out and then spent five minutes in the hot tub. Just after five o'clock, I taught my samba workshop. I began by the teaching the Party Samba sequence dance to cover botafogoes and voltas. I then did the samba basic, samba whisks and samba walks.
At six o'clock I hosted John, Glenna and Ann at the solo travellers get together. We were joined by ACD Justin for the first time. John had a hot date, so at 6:30 I led just Glenna and Ann down to the Discoveries MDR. I had the smoked salmon chowder soup, the Greek salad, the veal and the mixed ice cream. I had TWO glasses of the Merlot red wine and many glasses of the sparkling water.
Back in my state room, I updated this blog. At nine o'clock I went up to deck 11 for the star gazing session. One of the guests had a laser pointer to point out the planets Jupiter and Mars. The former was next to the stars Castor & Pollux. We had the two main stars of the Orion constellation (Rigel, Betegeuse) pointed out to us and also nearby Sirius, the Dog Star.
At 9:30 I went to Laszlo Pap the Hungarian Violinist's show time. He played "As Time Goes By", a medley from Phantom, the Meditation from Thais and the theme from Schindler's list amongst others. He had five backing musicians, including the pianist, who had been missing from some previous shows. I went to sleep at 10:35 having done only six thousand steps, equal to just over two miles of walking during the day.
I awoke just before six o'clock, half an hour before my alarm. I had a continental breakfast of ham, cheese and a toasted English muffin al fresco a la veranda as we berthed in Manta, Ecuador. At eight o'clock I reported to the Cabaret theatre, but I hadn't been allocated a tour to escort.
At 8:30 I caught the shuttle bus through the port to the large, new cruise terminal. I walked east along the beach, before heading in land. The large Pacifico shopping mall didn't open until ten o'clock, so I walked west along the new promenade as far as the new Megapark. From here I turned inland to photograph the Ethnographic museum, but it was closed on a Saturday. I found the large, new Catholic church and then walked back to the huge, new shopping mall. I caught the 11:30 shuttle bus back to the ship, sat with Kathy from Kentucky.
Back at the ship, I had my first (and only) Swiss cheeseburger and chips of the cruise by the pool. I then slept for over an hour, before getting ready for my afternoon and evening duties. At three o'clock I gave my forty minute talk on Volcanoes to a diminished audience, as I was clashing with King Neptune's visit by the pool. This was to celebrate crossing the equator at three o'clock that morning.
At 4:15 I did six lengths of the pool and spent five minutes in one of the hot tubs. At five o'clock I led my thirty minute Social Tango class with a dozen participants. I taught the basic figure, the Corte (or Cut) and the rocking steps to an appreciate audience. Afterwards I touched base at the Shorex desk to find out that I was escorting the Highlights tour of Guayaquil the next day.
At six o'clock I hosted the solo travellers as usual. Odette, John, Glenna, Clarissa, Paul and Ann attended, but only Glenna and Odette joined me for dinner in the Discoveries MDR. Here I had the seafood soup, the Caesar salad, the rack of lamb and the mixed ice creams to eat. I had two glasses of the Merlot red wine and two glasses of the sparkling water to drink.
At 8:30 I gave the game show sessions a miss and updated this blog instead. I went to sleep at ten o'clock having done nearly fifteen thousand steps, equal to six miles of walking during the day.
I got up at six o'clock as the dawn broke over the estuary we were traversing. I went up to the top deck to take some photographs and drank a glass of lime juice. I then sat in the forward observation lounge as we berthed in the commercial port. At 7:30 I had another continental breakfast of cold roast beef and dark red Italian ham with smoked cheese on a toasted English muffin.
At nine o'clock I departed from the Cabaret theatre out on to the quayside where I met guide Jefferson. (Later in the day he was the second guide of this cruise to find me on Instagram.) We had 34 guests to look after on the Highlights of Guayaquil tour, which was my third choice to escort ($104). The drive into the commercial capital and largest city of Ecuador took thirty minutes.
Our first stop was at the Malecon riverside promenade. We then walked around the city centre, before reaching the Centennial Square in front of the cathedral, where we saw lots of green iguanas. Here we got back on the coach and drove only half a mile north to the Anthropology museum and the district of old wooden houses.
We got back to the port on time at 13:15, but had to sit in the coach for one hour, whilst they tried to sort out problems with the gangway. I rushed to get lunch before the buffet closed at 14:30. I had the mixed grill sat with Glenna on the rear veranda. I then slept for one hour.
At four o'clock I did six lengths of the HOT swimming pool and spent five minutes in one of the hot tubs. At five o'clock no technician had arrived to set me up, so I had to pop down to guest services. Richi came quickly and set me up, so I started my rock 'n' roll workshop at 17:10. I taught the rock jive basic, the underam turn and return, and the change of places with the change of hands.
Just before six o'clock Ann, Odette and myself bagged a table undercover by the pool. Back up in the Living Room, I found Glenna, so we descended to the shared table. Clarissa, Caroline and Paul then arrived to complete the group at the White Night dinner party. I had the mixed grill from the BBQ, a cheese plate and the crepes Suzette to eat. I had two glasses of the Pinot Noir red wine to drink.
At 7:30 it started to rain, but we were all undercover. The crew parade and dance night were then moved down to the Cabaret Theatre, where I sat with Clarissa, Odette and Glenna. Here I did a jive with Sheila the Scottish lady and a cha cha with the lady from the couple that had come to all my dance workshops. When they played Shania's "Man, I Feel Like a Women" we did the Electric Slide and then an easy line dance with lots of arm waving.
Songs included Ed Sheeran's "Perfect" and Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up", led by CD Stephen with his long hair down and ACD Justin with his deeper voice. The band played for an hour and three quarters non-stop, finishing with "YMCA". The disco carried on with the Macarena and the Cha Cha Slide, finally ending at 10:30. I went to bed at eleven o'clock having done over fourteen thousand steps, equal to nearly six miles of walking during the day.
I awoke at eight o'clock, having slept for eight and a half hours. I had smoked salmon with Swiss cheese on a toasted English muffin al fresco a la veranda in the hot sun for breakfast. I had a glass of sparkling water to drink and the rest of the bottle to take away as usual.
Back in my state room, I worked on my Oceanography lecture. The Captain's Question & Answer session finished at 10:55, so I only had a short time to set up and show my Oceanography animated GIFs. I then gave my forty five minute talk with lots of video clips.
At noon I lunched on the cream of chicken soup, the gammon and some mixed ice cream. I then slept for an hour and a quarter, before watching my Oceanography lecture on the TV. Afterwards, I uploaded my photos from our Ecuadorian ports.
At 4:15 I did six lengths of the cool pool in the hot sunshine and spent five minutes in one of the hot tubs. At 4:55 technician Rishi hadn't arrived so I high tailed it down to Guest Services to have him paged. I got started at 5:05 recapping six of the seven dances that I had taught, not including the samba. Towards the end CD Stephen came to watch.
At six o'clock I hosted the solo travellers as usual including John & Kathy. A huge school of dolphins was split into two groups by the ship. At 6:30 I led Ann, Glenna, Paul, Odette and Clarissa down to the Discoveries MDR. Here I had the turmeric soup, the raclette & kale Caesar salad, the sirloin steak and the no sugar added butter pecan ice cream. This was my first and only sirloin steak of the cruise to celebrate the completion of my first Azamara contract of seven lectures and eight dance workshops.
Back in my state room, I updated this blog. At nine o'clock I went to the second star gazing session. One of the guests pointed out the three planets Venus, Mars & Jupiter with his laser pointer. He continued with the Orion constellation as before, so I slipped away.
At 9:30 I enjoyed Laszlo Pap the Hungarian violinist's second show. He played a selection from Fiddler on the Roof, Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany's and the fabulous third movement of the Mendelssohn violin concerto. He was accompanied by the five Journeymen, but the latter piece had a full orchestral backing track too. I went to sleep at 10:35 having done only four and a half thousand steps, equal to nearly two miles of walking during the sea day.
I awoke to the dawn at 6:20, ten minutes before my alarms. At seven o'clock I had Italian red ham with Swiss cheese on a toasted English muffin al fresco a la veranda for breakfast. They didn't have sparkling water available, so I had a glass of soda water instead. The map of Trujillo at the Guest Services desk was the original city in Spain, not the one in Peru!
At eight o'clock I picked up my escort sheet in the Cabaret theatre. I was given my first choice tour to the Mochican Pyramids ($139). At 8:30 group number eight was called forward and I walked out along the quayside to the coach. Here I met guides Oscar and Cinthia with driver Wil(l)der. The driver went wrong in both the port and en route, but we got there after just half an hour. We drove past the huge Pyramid of the Sun (Huaca del Sol) to the Pyramid of the Moon (Huaca de la Luna). The latter had exceptionally well preserved bas relief murals with some original colouring from around 800 AD.
We climbed up to the top of the pyramid for views across to the other, larger pyramid. We saw the large white mountain behind and the smaller black mountain in the distance. We could see the enormous modern metropolitan area of Trujillo a few miles away. We then drove a short distance to the archaeological museum, which had large amounts of the Moche pottery and small amounts of their metalware. They perfected gold plated copperware, but the Conquistadors took most of it back to Spain.
Back at the ship, I decided not to take the shuttle bus into Trujillo. I lunched on the minestrone soup and the minute steak, but the veranda was full, so I had to eat inside for a change. I then slept for an hour, before updating this blog and working on my Guayaquil photographs.
At 4:15 I did six lengths of the warm pool and spent ten minutes in one of the hot tubs. Here I chatted to a Roumanian man who now lives in Florida. Just before six o'clock I met Shar, originally from Lancaster, and now living in Florida. We were joined by the usual gang, including Hazel and Ann, but they ate elsewhere as did Shar.
At 6:30 I led Clarissa, John, Glenna, Paul and Kathy down to the Discoveries MDR. Here I had the crab cake starter, the French onion soup, the Thai shrimp noodles and the no sugar added butter pecan ice cream to eat. I had two glasses of the Merlot red wine, but the waitress said that that was the last bottle left, so I will have to go over to the Pinot Noir instead.
Going in to the Wanderlust production show in the Cabaret theatre, CD Stephen and ACD Justin congratulated me on my work. They asked if I might be able to stay on for the next Chilean cruise, but I had to decline the kind offer as I have commitments at home. In particular, I only have two weeks to update my South African lectures, ready for my first cruise on the Azamara Quest.
The show began with the autumnal fall in New England and continued with the winter in Northern Europe. Spring took place in Asia and summer in South America. The two dancers did a lovely Argentine Tango demonstration dance, whilst the five musicians played. The four vocalists provided the songs throughout the show. I went to sleep just after 10:30 having done nearly twelve thousand steps, nearly equal to five miles of walking during the day.
I awoke at six o'clock as usual, half an hour before my alarm. At seven o'clock I had two croissants with smoked salmon and smoked cheese to eat. I had one can of soda water to drink. I then worked on my Plastic Pollution lecture. Rishi set me up and at ten o'clock I gave my lecture to a smallish audience.
At 11:30 I had an early lunch of clam chowder soup and the mixed grill al fresco a la veranda in the hot sun. I had just one glass of sparkling water, getting to keep the rest of the bottle. At one o'clock I checked-in to the Cabaret theatre. Bus number 5 was called down at 13:30 where I met guide Viviana and driver Jorge at the brand new coach on the quayside. We had 32 guests to look after on the Glimpse of Lima 'mild' tour, which had not been on my wish list.
We had a slow drive into the city, before visiting the lovely Santo Domingo monastery. Crossing the main square, one of the six Scottish ladies fell down a kerb and the guide had to administer first aid. We then went into the Cathedral for a brief visit. Back at the coach we drove south to the seaside resort of Miraflores, before driving back to the port along the coast road. I had to fill in an accident report form, which the lady then signed.
We arrived back at 18:10, so I rushed to drop my tour report off at the Shorex desks, before warning the solo travellers that I would be a little late. I rushed to get changed into my going home outfit, before returning to the singles meet up. Clarissa and Hazel were eating elsewhere, so I led Paul, John, Glenna, Odette and Ann down to the Discoveries MDR. Here I had the seafood starter, the French onion soup, the lamb chops and the no sugar added ricotta cannoli dessert to eat. I had two glasses of the Merlot red wine and two of sparkling water. At the end of the meal, we said our goodbyes.
At 8:30 I went to ACD Justin's excellent "Say Yes" Cabaret. He included "That's Amore" with audience participation and a Les Mis medley. When singing "Don't Rain on My Parade" he substituted Azamara for Mr Arnstein and then finished with the Impossible Dream.
Back in my state room, I finally got packing, putting my case out before ten o'clock. I then updated this blog, before going to sleep at 10:30. I had done nearly seven and a half thousand steps, equal to three miles of walking, during the day.
I awoke to my alarm at six o'clock, having slept for seven and a half hours. At 6:30 I had two croissants with Swiss cheese and Italian air dried ham for breakfast al fresco a la veranda. Back in my state room, I finished packing up.
At eight o'clock I left the ship, speaking to CD Stephen on the quayside. I found my suitcase under the awning and a porter towed it to the coach. On board I said hello to Kathy from Kentucky. It took a while to get to the airport in the morning rush hour traffic.
At the airport, a LATAM lady helped me with the check-in machine and I was all done in a few minutes. Security was fairly quick, but passport control took fifteen minutes. The first clerk was unable to process me, so I was moved to another operator. He had to do a lot of scanning and typing, until I was cleared.
I found my gate with a view of our plane, an Airbus A321, but there were no power outlets. I had one snack bar to eat, that I had bought in Hounslow. I updated this blog, but didn't have much battery power left. We took off at 1:30, just twenty minutes late. I then slept for forty minutes.
At 3:30 we were given a warm cheese and tuna panini sandwich, some fresh fruit cocktail and a single chocolate to eat. There was no beer, so I had a cup of red wine (vino tinto) to drink. We lost two hours flying south east to Brazil.
We arrived in Sao Paulo on time, but there was a long line for the single security check open for connecting passengers. I found a charging station for my mobile phones, but the power socket had a deep hexagonal recess which I couldn't access. We were loaded early into our Boeing 777 and I again had an aisle seat. The two flights had cost Azamara $966 with South American airline LATAM, which I was pleased with. During the day I had done six thousand steps, equal to over two miles of walking around the two airports.
We took off after midnight and the plane was plunged into darkness, so I thought we weren't going to get supper. There were no movies of interest, so I listened to some Saint-Saens symphonic poems on the excellent proper headphones. However after one hour service started and I had two pieces of Brazilian flank steak with potatoes and onions to eat. The dessert was fresh fruit and I had a can of beer to drink.
I then slept for twenty minutes only to be awoken by the two young girls sitting next me wanting to get out. I continued sleeping for another six hours, until I awoke at eight a.m. which was the usual six a.m. of my body clock. I listened to some classic opera arias, before breakfast was served. I had the warm cheese and ham sandwich with some more fresh fruit to eat. I had one cup of regular coffee to drink.
We arrived at Heathrow on time and everything at terminal three was quick. We had lost another five hours flying north east, so I missed the 14:30 coach. Instead I caught the four o'clock National Express which, as usual visited terminals four and five. We had a short layover in SoToN, getting to BoMoH on time at 19:25. I then had a Kurdish taxi driver who got me home at 19:40. I went to sleep at 21:30 having done only three thousand steps, equal to just over one mile of walking during the day.
It was another fabulous cruise with eight lectures, eight dance workshops, five tours, five new ports, two new countries, one new cruise line and one new cruise ship to add to my record!
One of my agents wrote: "I am thrilled we are able to get you onboard Azamara Journey. You will be our first representative and I couldn't think of a better person to be our first Ambassador"
Later he wrote: "I have had an email from the team at Azamara, who are thrilled with the work you have done onboard and have been receiving great feedback from the guests. Thank you for all your hard work onboard, I am so pleased to hear that you have had a great time. Thank you for being such a great representative of Peel (Talent Agency), we appreciate it very much."
Guest John wrote: "It was a great cruise and a pleasure meeting you, listening to you, and dining with you. Maybe we'll be shipmates sometime in the future."
Guest Monica wrote: "Hello! Years ago, I once took our son Mike on a shopping trip for a toy when he was four years old. As we left the store, he said, "Oh Mom, it was like a long, good dream." I feel that way about our cruise. All of it was absolutely wonderful. I so enjoyed gathering with you and my dance partner Lesley every afternoon at five for a new dance style. We took a couple of pictures one afternoon and I wanted you to have them. I hope you are at home, unpacked, and having some downtime. Thanks for providing such a wonderful time for us on two days notice! I also very much enjoyed all of your lectures. Hope our paths will cross again someday."
Her friend Lesley from Cartmel, Cumbria wrote: "We both really enjoyed your talks - thought they were great and I loved the dancing!"
Towards the end of the cruise it transpired that Clarissa Duvigneau was actually Her Excellency the German Ambassador to Iceland, based in the German Embassy in Reykjavik!
1) "Aruba & Bonaire: The first two ABC Islands" 2) "Willemstad: Capital of Curacao the third ABC Island" 3) "Cartagena de Indias: UNESCO World Heritage Site" 4) "The Story of the Panama Canal" 5) "Continents Adrift: the Story of Plate Tectonics" 6) "Volcano! The Story of Volcanology" 7) "Oceanography: the Sciences of the Seas" 8) "Talking Trash: Plastic Pollution in the Oceans"
1) Social Foxtrot 2) Ballroom Waltz 3) Social Rumba 4) Social Cha Cha 5) Samba, beginning with the Party Samba 6) Social Tango 7) Rock 'n' roll (Rock Jive) 8) Revision of Six Dances Taught (not the Samba)
199 Cruises 52 Cruise ships (see below) 16 Cruise lines (see below) 13 Solo traveller meet ups and dinners 13 Night cruise 8 Dance workshops led (see above) 8 Lectures given (see above) 7 Mixed grill lunches 6 Cooked breakfasts 6 Continental breakfasts 5 Tours escorted 5 New ports (Kralendijk, Manta, Guayaquil, Salaverry & Callao) 4 Lamb dinners 4 Lifts 4 Flights ($1787) 4 Destination lectures (A&B, C, CdI & PC) 4 Enrichment lectures (CA:SPT, Volcano, Ocean & Plastic) 4 Guest entertainer shows 3 Taxis ($80) 3 Production shows 2 Beef dinners 2 Pork dinners 2 Pork lunches 2 Hot tubs 2 Pool side dinners 2 Cabarets (CD Stephen & ACD Justin) 2 Star gazing sessions 1 Carnival show ashore 1 White Night dinner 1 Running commentary 1 Aruban Visa ($130)
Captain Cruise Director Stephen Millett Ass. Cruise Director Justin Schneyer Shorex Manager ? Stage Managers Ritchie & Rishi Cultural Lecturer Diane Lake Destination Lecturer Martin P. Lee
* Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines * Saga Shipping Company * Voyages of Discovery * Seabourn (Carnival) * Princess (Carnival) * Cunard (Carnival) * P&O (Carnival) * Celebrity (RCCL) * Silversea (RCCL) * Regent SS (NCL) * Oceania (NCL) * Marella (TUI) * Ambassador * Azamara * Crystal * Viking
Black Prince Black Watch Borealis Boudicca Balmoral Braemar Bolette Silver Whisper Silver Spirit Silver Wind Silver Muse Silver Moon Silver Dawn Celebrity Silhouette Celebrity Solstice Celebrity Eclipse Celebrity Edge Celebrity Apex Saga Rose Saga Ruby Saga Sapphire Saga Pearl II Quest for Adventure Spirit of Adventure (Old SofA) Spirit of Adventure (New SofA) Spirit of Discovery Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) Queen Elizabeth (QE) Queen Victoria (QV) Queen Mary 2 (QM2) P&O Arcadia P&O Aurora P&O Oriana P&O Iona Oceania Sirena Oceania Marina Oceania Riviera Viking Sky Viking Saturn Crystal Symphony Crystal Serenity Seabourn Odyssey Seabourn Sojourn Ambassador Ambience Ambassador Ambition Regent Seven Seas Mariner Regent Seven Seas Splendor Sapphire Princess Caribbean Princess Azamara Journey Marella Explorer VoD Discovery