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31 de janeiro 2007 vacation, day seventeenWas there a point in going to bed? We were up at 3:10, to leave the hotel at 4:10. Once we arrived at the airport (approx. 4:30) the cabbie told us that we couldn't use a credit card. Lyndon had to find an ATM in the airport and get $20, while the meter was running. Our taxi drivers in Winnipeg prefer credit cards since carrying cash is an invitation to robbery. Anyway, we didn't have any trouble finding the United counter and getting our boarding passes. The line up for security was long, but moved quickly once security opened for the day. Everyone had to remove their shoes, and they kept announcing that the security level had been raised to orange. I had planned to buy a bottle of water once we were through security, but everything was still closed because it was so early in the morning. Can someone tell me why everyone insists on calling a plane an "airbus" now? I don't think any staff referred to them as airplanes all day. Our plane to Chicago was completely full. We tried to sleep during the flight. We didn't have to claim our luggage or do customs in Chicago, so we just had the long walk to our next gate. Lyndon bought us breakfast from Quiznos, and we waited until our flight was called. Then we had to walk outside to get to our small (two seats on each side of the aisle) plane; it was a much longer walk than I expected, and we were cold by the time we got to our seats. All larger carryon also had to be handed over to be put into cargo space since the overhead bins were tiny. Lyndon was worried about the breakable souvenirs in his small suitcase. We landed in Winnipeg shortly after noon. Customs was no problem, and all our luggage arrived! We wrestled it into a cab and went home, shivering in our light jackets. Then it was the usual process of turning up the furnace, turning on the water and water heater, unpacking, laundry, sorting mail, buying groceries, etc. We were bagged from our early morning, and Todd & I were feeling sickish so we went to sleep at 9. 2007 vacation, day sixteenMonday 2007 01 29 Last night we slept on land again! Actually, nighttime was great on the ship - it rocked me to sleep. We had egg/cheese/meat HotPockets for breakfast. Today wasn't as warm as yesterday, but we still sat by the pool a bit. We went to WinnDixie to stock up on Airborne and Mounds, both not available in Canada. We also went to two dance stores, relying on the GPS to direct us. At the first I bought a dance skirt (swishy!), and at the second Lyndon got one pair of dance shoes and I got two pairs. Later we went back to the Galleria Mall. I bought a sweater and two shirts. Oddly, both shirts are polka-dot, which I've previously strictly avoided. What's gotten into me? My purchases were from White House, Black Market and from Macy's. We brought McDonald's back for lunch, and ate out on the patio. I've been quite dizzy today; I hope I get my land legs soon. At least I've not had any nausea the whole trip. If you've got to have any seasickness, this is the kind to get! Todd didn't want to return to the Tamarindo Cafe, so Lyndon went to fill the rental car with gas and get a sub for Todd. Then Lyndon & I went to Tamarindo to enjoy one last supper of authentic latin food. The evening was taken up with packing, trying to ensure that none of the suitcases were over 50 pounds. I don't know why the Rodeway (which advertises itself as a cruiseport and airport Inn) doesn't have a scale for guests to weigh their luggage. We watched most of Heroes but it was confusing since we'd missed two episodes during the cruise. 2007 vacation, day fifteenSunday 2007 01 28 We were up early to get breakfast while the Horizon Court was still serving it. The ship was at Fort Lauderdale before 7 but docking seemed slow. We finished the final packing of carry-off items and left our room so that it could be cleaned for the next cruisers coming aboard later today. We couldn't take our flowers off the ship due to U.S. laws, so Lyndon took them to the Wheelhouse to be given to the Melodics that evening. We found comfortable chairs in the internet lounge, and settled in to wait until our color (orange) was called to disembark. Periodically they'd announce delays due to US customs, and I think that some folks with early flights out likely missed them. It was a long line to get off once they did call our color, but once we were inside the terminal things moved along fine. We got a taxi to take us to Sunshine car rentals, which is near enough to our hotel that Lyndon can walk back after returning it tomorrow evening. Sunshine was quite busy, and I had a nice chat with Linda while we waited for our husbands. They are from Ohio and had just gotten off a seven-day Carribbean cruise, I think with Holland American. It was a first-cruise for them too. Once in the rental Saturn with all our luggage, we went to a diner for lunch. It was a popular place, and the food was good. Lyndon & I had gyros, Todd had a pizza burger. Then we went to the hotel, and were able to check in a bit early. Our standard hotel room feels so big after 10 days in a tiny ship's cabin! Todd latched onto the TV and the laptop (free internet at the Rodeway) while we unpacked a bit. Later we booted him off the laptop so we could watch a Pretender episode on DVD. We went to the Tamarindo Cafe for a delicious supper. I had shrimp, rice, and plantain. Good service there too; Lyndon wants to return tomorrow! We went to Publix to get some fruit, water, and frozen HotPockets breakfast for tomorrow. We sat in the sun out by the pool. It has been good to have lots of time to read on this vacation. This pool is larger than the ones onboard or the one at our previous hotel, but it isn't hot enough to want to get wet. 2007 vacation, day fourteenSaturday 2007 01 27 Today is the last day of the cruise. Todd isn't happy about that; apparently our homebody has finally found a vacation that he likes! We spent time relaxing on deck, reading. We met with Sean to confirm our music for tonight's Ballroom Blitz. We practiced our dance up on the Sports Deck, sharing space with basketball players and shuffleboarders. We met Todd & Heather in the cardroom so they could use the laptop to watch Todd's Strongbad Emails DVDs. We danced at the Wheelhouse, and then said goodbye to the Melodics. They appreciated that we'd completed "You Made A Difference" cards for them; I think they're more commonly used for stewards and waiters. We had a lot of packing to do. It is tricky to do this right. They request that you put out your suitcases before supper, but that still left us with quite a lot of stuff that we needed this evening, like dance shoes, etc. The Ballroom Blitz was at 9:15. There were only 4 couples so it was a short show. There were more people watching than I'd expected. Lyndon & I were the first couple up, and we're experienced with dancing in front of audiences so I didn't expect any trouble except for the rolling of the ship. However, we were immediately BLINDED by the spotlights! Apparently we've not danced anywhere with good lighting before. It was a bit odd to dance blindly, but I guess my occasional practicing with eyes closed paid off. We did Charleston and LindyHop to In the Mood and didn't have any major problems, and then we enjoyed watching a Cha Cha, a Tango, and a Waltz. Rebecca then had all of us up and each couple was given a rose and a bottle of champagne. The audience voted with applause for a "winner" which was us, and we got a bouquet of flowers and a bag of Princess stuff. 2007 vacation, day thirteenFriday 2007 01 26 We were up and ready to go this morning, for our only ship-organized excursion. Our tours were the first to be sent off by tender, because we were going to the mainland. The ferry took us directly from the Coral to Playa del Carmen on mainland Mexico, so we never actually set foot on Cozumel island, which is our port for this stop. (Other passengers tendered to Cozumel from the ship.) The wind was from the north and the waves were high! The ferry ride was quite the experience. It was a large catamaran. Wow, did we rock from side to side! Apparently it is uncommon for the sea to be that rough in that area, but we made it. A few people apparently got seasick but thankfully not anywhere near where we were sitting. Lyndon & Todd took Bonamine and wore their seabands. We were all glad to get off at Playa del Carmen, although dreading the return trip! We were assigned to a guide, and followed him to bus #12. A few people complained about the walk through the city streets to the bus lot, which made me wonder whey they bought an excursion that specifically stated that it included a lot of walking. If they weren't willing to walk in the shade of Playa del Carmen, what were they going to do in the sun at Tulum? The bus was comfortable, although the guide talked (via microphone) through the entire drive out. About 10 minutes short of Tulum, we stopped at a co-operative which sold all sorts of handcrafts, jewelry, and souvenirs, as well as water, pop, chips, and ice cream. We were let loose there for about 30 minutes but it was a madhouse since all the tour buses were stopping there. We bought a 1.5 litre Coke, and ice cream for Todd, and admired the items made of carved volcanic rock. Tulum was great. Ignore the overly-long walk from the parking lot, and we were glad to have the extra bottle of water that Todd though would be necessary. The site was just as I'd pictured it. I had seen some photos online, and read a bit about the specific site, as well as about Mayans in general. Todd had written a short paper about Mayan life too. Tulum is gorgeous and intriguing. It is a rare Mayan city built right at the ocean. It is enclosed on all three land sides with defendable walls. Inside the walls are many buildings and temples, a few of which are built on top of the sea cliffs, making a striking visage. There were LOTS of people there, but folks were friendly and would wait when they noticed you were composing a photo. There were also lots of iguanas sunning themselves; Todd enjoyed spotting them. There were pole dancers close to the parking lot, but we didn't get very close to them. I'd seen video online and also heard that they can get quite demanding of money if you go near to watch. Lyndon bought a "cold" coconut and we drank the milk, then he took it back for them to open it for us, and we ate the fresh coconut. Todd didn't care for either. We bought Todd a sub from Subway before getting back on the bus, which proved to b ea good idea once we opened our included lunch/snack, whose sandwich was an uninspired shave of ham and slice of processed cheese on white bread. Lyndon enjoyed his Mexican taco chips, though, and Todd enjoyed Cheetos cheesies. The guide didn't prattle during the return drive. Todd played DS, Lyndon napped, and I watched the countryside along the sea. Back in Playa del Carmen, we were given nearly an hour to shop before meeting the ferry. We looked at silver, and found cufflinks for Lyndon, and earrings and a pendant for me, after some misadventures with a Mexican ATM. The ferry ride back to the Coral was so tame that it put me in a very cheerful mood. Photographers tried to sell us the family pics they'd taken as we arrived at the mainland, but Todd's eyes were closed in our photo, so they didn't push us very hard. The transfer of passengers from the ferry onto the Coral took a very very long time. We were all quite tired after a day with a lot of walking, although we were glad that we had quite a bit of cloud while we were at Tulum. We went to the show featuring vocalist Laurie Miller and Carl Strong. Carl's material wasn't as funny tonight, and some of it was repeated from last night. We danced a bit at the Wheelhouse, of course. 2007 vacation, day twelveThursday 2007 01 25 I was too concerned about sleeping late this morning, and woke up many times through the night. We had no trouble tendering onto Grand Cayman; fortunately we were ready early enough to get going before most of the ship's tours were organized. They used local boats as well as Coral's tenders, so that speeded up the process a lot. It took a bit of walking to find our meeting place, but we were there before 8:30 anyway. Cathy & Bill showed up soon after, and Charlie (sent by Shawn) came to pick us up. He drove us to the marina, explaining various aspects of life on Grand Cayman while he drove. I would much rather return to Grand Cayman than to Jamaica - it is much more laid back and relaxing. The water is amazingly clear! Our weather was fabulousy: sunny, 28 degrees, basically NO wind or waves. However, Grand Cayman is completely flat and a dangerous place to be during a hurricane; most people leave the island for higher ground when a hurricane is expected. Charlie boated us out through mangrove trees to the "stingray city." The rays there are tamed, accustomed to the people and to being fed. The sandbar is natural, and the water was about 4 feet deep. As soon as we'd hopped overboard, the rays came over to investigate us. They expect to be fed by whatever is atop all the legs on their sandbar! Shawn had provided squid for us, and Charlie showed us the safe way to feed a ray: make a fist, tucking in your thumb, with most of the squid piece sticking up out of your fist. Then just present your fist underwater in front of a ray, and they'll swim over your hand and suck the squid up. Their suction is very powerful. There were very large female rays, and some smaller males. They's graceful to watch. Their undersides are unbelivably soft. Charlie held one and we fed it a lot so it would be happy to stay with us, then he showed us her gills and helped us give her a kiss (which is supposedly good luck). Shawn was also there with a couple he was taking on a waverunner (sea-doo) tour, so he was able to take photos of us with the rays. Hopefully the photos turn out well! From the stingray city we went to the barrier reef, then to coral gardens, to snorkel. We saw many fish, a moray eel, and big starfish. Charlie was good with helping Todd snorkel; the lifevest Todd wore kept him afloat and Charlie steered him around. Unfortunately Todd brushed up against some coral and scraped his leg. Charles swabbed it down and it did stop bleeding then. We were fortunate to have only five on our tour. Many of the large boats were PACKED with people, which isn't our idea of a good time. On the way back to the marina, Charle nosed the boat into a secondary waterway in the mangroves, and pointed out four iguanas. Shawn drove us back to the pier, with a stop along the way to change a flat tire! We had a quick bite to eat at friendly Breezes. We had to have some Jerk chicken since we didn't get any in Jamaica. Also enjoyed seasoned french fries with sea salt, served with citrus aioli. We found a place to buy a few postcards that Lyndon wanted in case his underwater photos aren't good. He also bought a Tshirt that he'll share with Todd (who doesn't need any more Tshirts!). The tender back to the ship was unusual in that we repeatedly bumped rather hard into the other tender that was disembarking in front of us. After showering off the salt, we read in deck seven's shade and enjoyed the very very calm ride due to the very very calm seas! It was formal night again- the one I'd been looking forward to because I knew that lobster was on the menu. I wasn't disappointed! The waitress even removed the lobster meat from the shells for us, which is a great way to eat lobster - all the taste, none of the mess. Clams Casino as an appetizer, and well as a seafood soup. A very ocean-centric meal. Todd chose not to attend this formal night. He has been enjoying a lot of independence on this cruise. We've had two suppers with him, and a few breakfasts. We went to hear the comedian, Carl Strong, who made Lyndon laugh so hard that he cried and lost his breath. Taff & the stage band were great, as usual. I am disappointed that we don't get a chance to dance to them at all. Salt's (identical ship & itinerary) cruise had two big band dance evenings, with music by Taff and the stage band. We went to the Wheelhouse for a while during the Melodic's set, but my long dress and flat shoes didn't make for a good dancing combination. Todd missed Carl's first show and begged to be allowed out late to see the second show. We agreed, making him promise to come in quietly and get right to bed. I didn't hear him come back to the room, so we assume all went well. 2007 vacation, day elevenWednesday 2007 01 24 The biggest downside of an inside stateroom is that you've no sense of time without a window! We slept until almost 9:30 this morning. Lyndon & I had a quick breakfast before the Cha Cha lesson, again in moderately rocking conditions. We spent an hour out in the sun and wind before the Mexican-themed buffet lunch. Deck 7 was our shady place to lounge and read in the early afternoon. Todd joined us for supper in the dining room; it was Italian night. My eggplant appetizer was wonderful, and the shrimp entree was very good too. Our tablemates were from northern California. We danced a bit in the Wheelhouse (Melodics), this time including a Cha Cha in the mix of Swing and Merengue. I should mention that the Wheelhouse Bar is very masculine-looking, with dark colors and heavy leather chairs and sofas. 24 de janeiro 2007 vacation, day tenTuesday 2007 01 23 By the time we’d finished breakfast we’d been docked in
Costa Rica for awhile and all the tours had left. It was raining so we weren’t anxious to go ashore. The rain was gone by the time we were done, so we scooped
up Todd and went into Limon. We had to
say ‘no’ to about 10 offers for taxis or tours, and about 6 offers for
manicures and braids. Then we got out
of the dock area and went into the town. We stopped at Pops for ice cream, which Todd pronounced a
close second to Jamaica’s. He asked,
“Why don’t they make it this creamy at home?” There is a cruise ship docked on either side of us: one is Carnival and the other is Celebrity; both are smaller than the Coral Princess. So there are a lot of cruisers in town and on tours today, but I think in an upcoming port there will be a total of nine ships in port with us. Quote from Alex Garland: My sense of balance still thought I was at sea, and I was swaying drunkenly from side to side.
23 de janeiro 2007 vacation, day nineMonday 2007 01 22 We intentionally slept through the first transit of the locks, and were in Gatun Lake by the time we went up for breakfast. We watched the tendering of those who'd booked tours; the boats are smaller than I expected. Tendering seems to take quite a long time, so I hope we are able to make our rendevous time in Grand Cayman. There were a lot of ships in Gatun Lake, and even more to be seen once the Coral made her way out of the locks again. The locks were a very interesting process; Lyndon & I watched from the aft of the ship for a while, then from the front (which was a much cooler place to be). Todd was with Heather, whose mom was making sure she watched the process too, calling it a field trip. Lyndon & I shopped at Pier 6 in Cristobal. Lots of Panama hats for sale! Actually, it was a lower-pressure sales environment than I expected. It was a flea-market set up with many stalls or tables, whereas Ocho Rios (Jamaica) was almost entirely expensive air conditioned duty-free shops. Cristobal's vendors were friendly but not pushy. Yes, there were the nearly-naked Indians there selling their wares; their drumming was impressive. Elaborately-dressed young women and men also performed traditional dances in the flea market area and posed for photos. Their costumes reminded us of Nicaragua. After buying some souvenirs, we ate some of the best shrimp I've ever had. Yeah, the plate was too expensive but I'm still glad we had them! We danced a bit at the Wheelhouse (Melodics), then went to the Ballroom Blitz practice, then to the Bayou Cafe to hear the Denise Canby Trio. Gil & Pat came to the Bayou too, and sat with us, but since they dance to opposing kinds of music, we were rarely at the table at the same time. I think the Denise Canby Trio is the most musical of all the lounge groups we've heard. Todd went to see the act tonight, which was comedy and magic; he enjoyed it. 22 de janeiro 2007 vacation, day 8Sunday 2007 01 21 Lyndon is not feeling so good today. Since we left Jamaica the boat has been rocking a lot more, and it is making him nauseous. I feel a bit loopy but not annoyed. After breakfast (more delicious bacon!) we did some laundry before the Salsa lesson. An hour on the warm deck was nice, and neither of us got burned. The youth apprently had a sim-golf competition today, and Todd brought back the medal for first; his Grandpa Olfert will be proud. Our cabin steward is Juao from Portugal; he is probably close to my dad's age. It is somehow odd to have a man of his age cleaning up our cabin... We listening to the Arc Trio for a while in the early evening, but didn't hear anything danceable. We went to the Ballroom Blitz practice and were delighted that they included one swing song amid the waltz and Latin music. We also practiced Merenge and Salsa. Rebecca would like us to exhibit Swing on the final evening of the Ballroom Blitz, so we'll have to choose a song. We returned to the Wheelhouse Bar; the Melodics played two lindyhops in a row. 21 de janeiro 2007 vacation, day sevenSaturday 2007 01 20 We went on deck after breakfast to see our approach to Jamaica. We were docked by about 10, and there was a long line for debarkation. Todd was grumpy about waiting in line, but he eventually went forward a bit to talk to another teen who was also waiting in line. We went by taxi to Coyaba Gardens and Mahoe Falls (www.coyabagardens.com). It is a beautiful place, very lush and enjoyable. Todd enjoyed spying out the various types of tiny lizards that live in the gardens. The weather was warm; it did rain for a while. It wasn't bothersome, but I could still feel the ship's movements even while on land. We wandered around the duty-free shopping area by the dock before reboarding the ship. We had some ice cream there, which Todd pronounced to be the best he's ever had. After a late lunch onboard, Lyndon & I went on deck to read, and I had the pina colada that Tammy insisted was integral to a carribean vacation. It was pretty good for a drink that contains rum. Todd was at a pizza party with the teens at supper. We went back to the Wheelhouse Bar to dance to the Melodics again. They're a family musical group from the Philippines; the front singer's husband plays piano and keyboard, his dad plays electric guitar and the mom plays bass guitar; everyone sings. They're very friendly and very accomodating of requests. The front singer told us that we must enter the Ballroom Blitz later in the cruise, but we're not ballroom dancers so I dont know whether we'd be able to make that work. Dancing onboard when the ship is rocking reminds me of our gig on St. Vital Center's portable stage! We met some ballroom dancers from Baltimore (with a winter home in Florida): Brian & Bonnie. We'd seen them Jiving, so I asked him to dance when a Jive song came on. He seemed surprised but we had a good dance. Later he told me that he had NEVER been asked to dance before! He'd switched partners around the circle in classes, but at social events apparently the two of them only dance with each other. Lyndon did that Jive with Bonnie, too. For every lunch and supper I've had at the Horizon Court, I've enjoyed mashed potatoes. Mmmmm, mashed potatoes make me happy. I've had bacon at every breakfast. And I think I've had fresh pineapple at EVERY meal. Is Wendy the only one reading this? No other comments! 20 de janeiro 2007 vacation, day sixFriday 2007 01 19 The ship rocked me to sleep easily! The Horizon Court was very busy at breakfast. Lyndon bought a coffee card because the syrup-based free stuff just wasn't cutting it for him. Mid-morning we went to a martini demonstration and got to taste an apple martini (yummy!). The bar staff did some bottle juggling/tossing before they started making martinis. (They also made Cosmotinis and Old Blue Eyes.) It was an Asian themed lunch at the Horizon Court, but the sushi wasn't very good. We had Cuba off in the distance most of the day. We took Merenge lessons after lunch; that was fun. It was formal night, so we got spiffed up and went to the dining room. We sat with two couples who farm in Saskatchewan, and another couple from Iowa. The food was alright, but not necessarily better than in the Horizon Court buffet. Todd was glad to have fettucini alfredo. After supper we went to the Universe Lounge to see a juggler. Then Todd headed back to Off Limits and Lyndon & I danced a bit at the Wheelhouse Bar. 2007 vacation, day fiveThursday 2007 01 18 Packed everything up again, although this time we weren't carefully weighing the big suitcases. When we returned the rental car, an employee drove us to the port, which was very helpful. Embarkation was painless. Porters took our luggage, then we stood in a line outside (but in the shade) and th line constantly moved forward so it didn't seem like a long wait. Our carryon was screened, and we had to sign a form stating that we didn't have any Norwalk symptoms. We registed by floor (we're on Baja level) and then it was onto the ship. The Coral Princess is about as I expected, given that I looked at a lot of photos online before our trip. Some areas (like the atrium) are a bit over the top, but mostly it is not tacky. Lovely pool decks, and very tasty food. There are many large houses by Port Everglades. Folks came out to wave us off, or waved from their hottubs. There were a few smaller cruise ships, many personal boats and seadoos, freighters (including a Chiquita hauler), and a coast guard boat equipped with a machine gun mounted at the front. The Goodyear blimp circled above. We went to the Wheelhouse Bar for a bit after supper, and were able to dance to a few songs. Nice wooden dance floor there. Later all three of us went to hear Bill Vader, a comedian. He was funnier than I was expecting! The stage band and Coral Princess dancers opened the show; although not always synchronized, their aerials were impressive. I do feel more ship movement than I expected, but it really does not bother me, except perhaps to make me sleepy. 17 de janeiro 2007 vacation, day fourWednesday 2007 01 17 We had a few more beach strolls today. It was warm and very relaxing. There's no fishy smell here at the shore, either. We did some driving around too, finding the hotel we've reserved for after the cruise, and getting a few other last-minute purchases. Mexican food for lunch. Lyndon taught Todd how to use the mask and snorkel that we got for him; I did some laundry and took some photos! We walked back to Primanti for supper, which was very tasty. There have only been (youngish) guys working there both times we've been in, and they seem to actually really care whether you're enjoying the food. Some vacation photos are now available here: http://community.webshots.com/album/557073324PMBSMs 16 de janeiro 2007 vacation, day threeTuesday 2007 01 16 Our 19th anniversary! Slept late, then opened some anniversary cards during breakfast. Around 11 we all drove a bit north to Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, where I'd read that there was interesting snorkeling off the beach. Todd & I read on the beach while Lyndon snorkeled. (read his blog to hear what he saw) We had our anniversary walk-on-the-beach, as I'd planned. I wish we could ALWAYS celebrate this way. Quick lunch at a Greek place, then home to shower before going to the Sawgrass Mills mall. Although we didn't see the whole place, I'd confidently say that Sawgrass Mills is much better than MOA. We bought cologne for Lyndon, sandals for Todd, and a puse and hat for me. Shortly before 8 p.m., Lyndon & I headed off for our anniversary supper at Mango's. The food was delicious; I had crab bisque, then "boneless roasted pork loin topped with a mushroom demi glaze, served with smashed potatoes." I also enjoyed a virgin MangoLada: blended mango slices and nectar, pineapple juice and creme of coconut. Oop Bop Sh'Bam played at Mango's tonight and they were very good. Six musicians on a tiny stage, and they seemed to really enjoy themselves, especially just jamming. We danced about five songs. The only issue was that the floor was very sticky, likely from Florida's humidity. By the way, our GPS has been a great help navigating here. 2007 vacation, day twoMonday 2007 01 15 Today we rented a car and went to the Galleria Mall, where we had lunch at Mama Sbarro. The ziti was delicious, but it was odd to pay for our (buffet) food by the pound. When I first read the sign I didn't understand what they meant, but they do actually have scales at the tills. Your plate is weighed and you pay $6.49 per pound. Later we got groceries, then Lyndon & I walked on the beach for about an hour. There were a lot of small blue jellyfish washed up on the beach. There are tiny lizards on the grounds here at Vistamar. They're shy. Uninspired supper at Burger King. Todd stayed at Vistamar while Lyndon & I went to the Hollywood Beach bandstand. It was a popular event, and very crowded. Not much of the music was swingy. We were delighed that our suitcase had arrived while were were out. So we were only denied it for about 24 hours. I'm glad to have my shoes now, and the guys are very happy to have their toiletries. I really enjoyed the weather today! Oddest part of the day: When I tried to meet Lyndon at the car this evening, I had trouble leaving our suite. A raccoon was waiting outside our door, very persistently expectant. I'm not sure if the previous guests of this unit (they were here for two months) fed this creature, or why he thought that he had to stake out our door! My concern was that the raccoon would get inside our room, which seemed like unnecessary excitement to me (memories of trying to chase a squirrel out of a shed...). 15 de janeiro 2007 vacation, day oneSunday 2007 01 14 Four airports in one day is what it took to get a 50 degree shift in temperature today. (Winnipeg > Toronto > Philadelphia > Fort Lauderdale)
In Toronto, Todd was hot in the waiting area so he removed his jacket and zipped off the bottoms of his pants. Then it turned out that we had to walk outside to get to the plane. He was surprised to be walking through the falling snow in shorts and a Tshirt, but he didn’t complain.
We sat in the plane on the Toronto tarmac for around 30 minutes, waiting for wheels-up because Philadelphia had a ground-traffic delay.
Finally had a meal in the Philly airport. Todd enjoyed pizza and a caeser salad, while Lyndon & I shared a Japanese plate and a California roll.
Worth noting:
So the guys didn't have their toiletries, and Todd was not impressed by having to share one toothbrush among all 3 of us. We're missing some clothes and some shoes, and all our books, so we are hoping to receive that suitcase soon. Apparently they've located it and are rerouting it to Fort Lauderdale. The hotel is good, but far removed from stores. We walked many blocks last night and finally found a 24-hour pizza place and small corner grocery store. I'm not complaining though - the weather was fabulous for walking and we had the breeze off the ocean. 10 de janeiro hair woesMy hair refused to be whipped into submission this morning when I was testing ideas for formal hairstyles. I don't know why I was surprised - it has never submitted before either. ...and they call me a pessimist! Only an optimist would keep believing that this hair could do something glamourous. My hair just doesn't do an up-do. I guess I'll have formal nights with informal hair. </pout> |
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