Norma and Tom's Great Adventure

Today's post is actually going to be a compilation of what’s been happening over the last few days. Please understand that Internet service is rather spotty when you’re out on the ocean. Consequently, uploading pictures is quite a challenge. I think I need to make a visit to the computer lab if I’m going to succeed with this. CARTEGENA, COLUMBIA We arrived in Cartagena after enduring some rolling waters brought on by strong winds. It was difficult to walk a straight line even when we hadn’t consumed any alcohol. Tommy opted for a bike tour of the city while I took the easier option - a bus tour.  We both saw pretty much the same things. The Vaults are old prison cells that now house shops of dubious quality. The street hawkers are very aggressive here and the women who stroll the area wearing Carmen Miranda headwear expect to be given money if you take their picture. I saw one of these ladies accosting a man who swore he had already given her money. She kept insisting othe...

Uh oh...it appears that we had a stowaway in our luggage!    I am Gnorbitt, the Roaming Gnome If I had my way, I’d never go home And even though I'm quite mellow I can be a  very  sneaky fellow When Norma and Tom started to pack I looked around for a comfortable sack. A bright blue bag with plenty of pockets Yeah! That’s the ticket  Just the right billet  for someone who’s knitted. There was no reason to delay, so I hopped right in without making any din 'cuz we’d soon be on our way  heading out from Miami Bay. It’s was worth the ruse  to get on board this cruise We’re heading out to see the world So, Captain, let the sails unfurl  because adventures await where the tide determines our fate. 

It’s going on midnight and I seem to have the whole promenade deck to myself. The temperature is balmy and the seas are calm as our ship slices through the water heading south through the Caribbean towards our first stop: Cartagena, Columbia. It’s our first night at sea after a hectic couple of days boarding the ship, getting oriented, unpacking and organizing our cabin. Having met and observed some of our fellow passengers it is obvious that this is not the kind of crowd we typically run with. Tommy has quipped that we are on the Kohl's deck rather than the Tiffany or Nieman Marcus deck. Despite not having had a facelift, wearing designer clothing, nor being able to lay claim to having already completed multiple world cruises, it appears that the crew is not going to discriminate against us because we come from more modest means. In fact, they just can’t seem to do enough for us. It’s been white glove treatment from the moment a chauffeur driving a Cadillac Escalade picked...

“Let’s go see the world,” we said.  Australia's on fire, New Zealand has a spewing volcano, Sri Lanka had a bit of an uprising recently, and now there's talk of World War III starting.  Hmmm....this may be much more of an adventure than we planned for! Regardless of things beyond our control, we are boarding the Crystal Serenity tomorrow (Monday) afternoon and will set sail on Tuesday. As my niece, Bonnie, is fond of saying, “It will all be fine.” And she’s usually right.  With all the stress of the preparation phase behind us now, we are ready to relax, have fun, learn more about the world, and meet new people.  We wish you could all join us, but as many of you have told us, you plan to live vicariously through this blog.  So now, dear friends and family, it’s time to get out your maps and get ready to follow our progress as we sail around the world. Who knows what may lie  ahead. Norma