I'm back. Have been for a while.
It's been crazy.
Not much time right now, but I only just noticed how terribly out of date the scrolling infobar up top is. It'll all be changed. Soon, young Skywalker....
I will honestly blog more soon. In the meantime, if anyone knows a good place where I can park a video... host it for use on this site... let me know.
All the best,
D
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Friday, November 18, 2005
GPS
On channel 3 on our onboard TV system is an info channel that cycles from heading / wind / speed information to weather information to a gps map of whereever on Earth we are.
Yesterday, as I woke, a tiny sliver of the Eastern shore of the US appeared on the screen for the first time. Delaware and Virginia were the first things to appear.
This morning, the eastern half of Florida was visible. Now you can see the whole peninsula, plus some more. You can see pieces of Kentucky, Tennessee, and other states; soon we'll be seeing the US with our EYES.
Everyone on staff/crew are in a tizzy because apparently a ship's first visit to the US in a long while is met with much hassle and perturbation by the US authorities ... coast guard inspections, customs, immigration, etc.
We get off the ship earlier than expected, though - they had to cancel the Key West overnight, and as we were to disembark the second morning we'll have to get off the ship in the evening of the 22nd after our show. They'll put us up in a hotel and we'll fly home as planned on Wednesday morning.
Yay.
Yesterday, as I woke, a tiny sliver of the Eastern shore of the US appeared on the screen for the first time. Delaware and Virginia were the first things to appear.
This morning, the eastern half of Florida was visible. Now you can see the whole peninsula, plus some more. You can see pieces of Kentucky, Tennessee, and other states; soon we'll be seeing the US with our EYES.
Everyone on staff/crew are in a tizzy because apparently a ship's first visit to the US in a long while is met with much hassle and perturbation by the US authorities ... coast guard inspections, customs, immigration, etc.
We get off the ship earlier than expected, though - they had to cancel the Key West overnight, and as we were to disembark the second morning we'll have to get off the ship in the evening of the 22nd after our show. They'll put us up in a hotel and we'll fly home as planned on Wednesday morning.
Yay.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
More Rocco?
Today, we returned to Casablanca. It was the first real adventure of this journey, and I think it will likely be the last barring unforseen at-sea incidents.
Today we went to the bazaar.
Kusadasi - remember how I said Kusadasi was insane? Well, we went back there a few times and I spent more money and haggled more and... well, the crazy pull-and-tug-myfriendmyfriendthisway-ness of Kusadasi is like 100 years of societal evolution beyond the Casablanca Grand Casbah.
From the moment we stepped off of the shuttle bus which even the heartiest travelers among us were suspect would be a terrorist target, we were hustled, to the end as we left McDonald's (the only place we could find cold drinks and water we would trust) and a little boy was trying to sell me gum...
It's like Arabian Nights but set in one of the not-so-nice parts of Mexico, plus amazing amazing amazing Arabian/Moorish/African artifacts and crafts. It was exhausting, but certainly an education into some views on America.
More to come on this. I've got a final performance of the "pop" show to do.
Today we went to the bazaar.
Kusadasi - remember how I said Kusadasi was insane? Well, we went back there a few times and I spent more money and haggled more and... well, the crazy pull-and-tug-myfriendmyfriendthisway-ness of Kusadasi is like 100 years of societal evolution beyond the Casablanca Grand Casbah.
From the moment we stepped off of the shuttle bus which even the heartiest travelers among us were suspect would be a terrorist target, we were hustled, to the end as we left McDonald's (the only place we could find cold drinks and water we would trust) and a little boy was trying to sell me gum...
It's like Arabian Nights but set in one of the not-so-nice parts of Mexico, plus amazing amazing amazing Arabian/Moorish/African artifacts and crafts. It was exhausting, but certainly an education into some views on America.
More to come on this. I've got a final performance of the "pop" show to do.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
I WASn´t ATTACKED BY PIRATES
It is entirely untrue that I was attacked by pirates on the ship this week.
That was another ship, in a part of the world quite low on my list of must-sees. In fact, everyone I know who wants to see that part of the world only wants to see it because they´ve seen everything else and want to make a tidy clean sweep.
Anyway, no pirate attack here. So far.
I was talking about the danger of pirates when I first got on board and everyone thought I was insane, that it was a joke. Wel, actually, it WAS, but... when you´re in the South Seas or off SOMALIA for the luvvagawd... there could be pirates.
Now the latest media fear-mongering is about how vulnerable cruise ships are. God, I hate the media climate in the US. Whatever your feelings on the man himself are, I recommend reading John Stossel´s book "Give Me A Break." You´ll undoubtedly find a lot you agree with, and a lot you don´t. It relates to that climate of fear idea.
Malaga today, Casablanca tomorrow. A whole other continent.
That was another ship, in a part of the world quite low on my list of must-sees. In fact, everyone I know who wants to see that part of the world only wants to see it because they´ve seen everything else and want to make a tidy clean sweep.
Anyway, no pirate attack here. So far.
I was talking about the danger of pirates when I first got on board and everyone thought I was insane, that it was a joke. Wel, actually, it WAS, but... when you´re in the South Seas or off SOMALIA for the luvvagawd... there could be pirates.
Now the latest media fear-mongering is about how vulnerable cruise ships are. God, I hate the media climate in the US. Whatever your feelings on the man himself are, I recommend reading John Stossel´s book "Give Me A Break." You´ll undoubtedly find a lot you agree with, and a lot you don´t. It relates to that climate of fear idea.
Malaga today, Casablanca tomorrow. A whole other continent.
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Retracing steps
Today I'm in Monaco, in Monte Carlo, for the final time this voyage. From here on it's an exact reverse of my first journey aboard the Voyager, except that Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay have been replaced by Captain Knute Hansen and Staff Captain Fausto Mazza.
Tomorrow and the day after we hit two of my favorite places, Barcelona and Malaga. Being that I have picked up far less Spanish on this contract than I have Russian, French, or Italian I don't know why I find these places so wonderful, but I do. Perhaps because they were my first mainland European ports. Either way, once we pass Malaga...
It's Morocco. Casablanca, then Agadir. Then Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands, then Funchal, Madeira. Then SEVEN DAYS AT SEA. Woof.
That puts us in Ft. Lauderdale on November 21 for an encounter with the US Coast Guard and immigration authorities that will by all accounts be arduous. Any ship that's been out of the US for 6 months can apparently expect an exhaustive examination and inspection. As long as I have time to ship some stuff home, I'll be happy. Then we sail to Key West, and on the morning of November 23 I leave the Voyager behind and head for home. I have so many gifts from the trip, most of which I shipped home from Spain, and have yet to arrive. I can't wait to distribute them.
Once I get home I have some stuff waiting for me as well, in addition to something great I just got the news about... click here and check in the 150's.
I have missed everyone and everything in the US. I will be going mad with the ability to enjoy things I never really cared about before, I think I will have to work very hard not to gain a lot of weight.
Anyway, life is good. Many of you will be getting calls from me once I'm back in cellphone range to catch up at length. I'm VERY excited to return home.
As long as this doesn't happen to us, I'll see everyone soon.
Tomorrow and the day after we hit two of my favorite places, Barcelona and Malaga. Being that I have picked up far less Spanish on this contract than I have Russian, French, or Italian I don't know why I find these places so wonderful, but I do. Perhaps because they were my first mainland European ports. Either way, once we pass Malaga...
It's Morocco. Casablanca, then Agadir. Then Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands, then Funchal, Madeira. Then SEVEN DAYS AT SEA. Woof.
That puts us in Ft. Lauderdale on November 21 for an encounter with the US Coast Guard and immigration authorities that will by all accounts be arduous. Any ship that's been out of the US for 6 months can apparently expect an exhaustive examination and inspection. As long as I have time to ship some stuff home, I'll be happy. Then we sail to Key West, and on the morning of November 23 I leave the Voyager behind and head for home. I have so many gifts from the trip, most of which I shipped home from Spain, and have yet to arrive. I can't wait to distribute them.
Once I get home I have some stuff waiting for me as well, in addition to something great I just got the news about... click here and check in the 150's.
I have missed everyone and everything in the US. I will be going mad with the ability to enjoy things I never really cared about before, I think I will have to work very hard not to gain a lot of weight.
Anyway, life is good. Many of you will be getting calls from me once I'm back in cellphone range to catch up at length. I'm VERY excited to return home.
As long as this doesn't happen to us, I'll see everyone soon.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Trojans, Cousteau, and Cretins
Yesterday, we hit out final "new" port of this journey. I haven't seen a couple of the places we'll port at between here and home, but the ship has been there since I joined up. I was just busy with installing the shows for a couple of the early ports.
The port yesterday? Herkalion, Crete. Are people from Crete called Cretins?
I bought something lovely for my parents there - they're remodeling the house. I can't say what it is, but between this and the couple of other things I've picked up I can say I've contributed.
Last night was our crew halloween party, and of course the entire cast was elaborately dressed for the occassion. It took a lot of crew mess mini-cereal boxes to create my cereal box replica of trojan warrior armor and helmet, but that was me.
Present on our ship and somehow at the crew party: Jean-Michelle Cousteau.
Yup. That Cousteau. He's on for a while now.
19 days.
The port yesterday? Herkalion, Crete. Are people from Crete called Cretins?
I bought something lovely for my parents there - they're remodeling the house. I can't say what it is, but between this and the couple of other things I've picked up I can say I've contributed.
Last night was our crew halloween party, and of course the entire cast was elaborately dressed for the occassion. It took a lot of crew mess mini-cereal boxes to create my cereal box replica of trojan warrior armor and helmet, but that was me.
Present on our ship and somehow at the crew party: Jean-Michelle Cousteau.
Yup. That Cousteau. He's on for a while now.
19 days.
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