Wednesday, February 12, 2020

In Ocho Rios, Jamaica

84 degrees with very bright sunshine at Ocho Rios (8 Rivers) Jamaica at 1 pm Wednesday.  We have been too busy to do much blog posting.  Have recorded about 2.5 hours each day of the music with Goldwing Express performing with their guest performers Alex Leach, Alan Sibley, Denny Yeary & Shelia Reine Yeary. Goldwing Express is made up of Bob (Pops), Paul, Steve, and Shawn Baldridge.
One of the days is HERE      and another days is HERE



This photo and photo below are one evening at supper.  The two ladies at our table are cousins from near Toledo, Ohio and the girls all get along well.

 Got off the ship at Grand Cayman Island on Tuesday by riding in and back on a tender.  Walked around quite a bit and watched a group get ready for diving

 This church was open; it had 3 or 4 denominations listed on their sign.



 About a dozen people getting ready to get in the water.  They had a long introduction by two instructors and we didn't stay until they got out into the water.  Had watched for about 45 minutes.

 Talk about fresh fish.  There were two guys cutting up fish that just came out of the water and taking them to a couple of the restaurants there on the beach.



Back on the ship we were waiting here for the music to start.  Pops (Bob) and his wife Joyce are in this picture along with one of the entertainers Alan Sibley from Mississippi.




Our main server is Uan, from Indonesia and he has quite a giggle.  He is 59 and considering retiring next year.  Says he works 8 months and then has 2 months off.  He had been working ships for 20 years.  He had an 8 year old and a 15 year old at home.  He is really short and bounces all over the place - said he has 6 tables he is responsible for.


Beef tongue I had last night as an appetizer.
See how short Uan is; they hand write our order and then put into the computer so when they go to the kitchen it is ready to be picked up.  Phyllis, Pat and the two ladies from Ohio did a kitchen tour yesterday and said it was amazing how everything is set up. They serve 5,000 meals a day including passengers and crew.




Photo taken at breakfast this morning.
Photo of Pat taken this morning at breakfast.  Light in windows behind her make it a little dark for her face.
I had smoked salmon on Bagel then broccoli and cheese with scrambled eggs. Different, but good.
Walking along the pushy exhibitors along the pathway both from and back to the ship at Ocho Rios Jamaica.
We hired a driver for a couple hour tour away from the ship through some of the town and up onto the hillside.  There are some mountains on this 30 mile long by 10 mile wide island that are as tall as 7,000 feet.  Lots of natural water impediments and rivers with waterfalls.



Looking down at a waterfall.


We had walked down some very steep rough path that was covered, roughly, with cement.  A guide held onto Phyllis most of the way and then he took our photo.


I took video during the drive and the walking down this trail, which I will upload and give you a link tomorrow.

This is Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville that he owned and played at here in Jamaica


The girls were given flowers at the path going down to see the waterfall.  This photo was taken after we were off the tour and at, guess what, another big tourist sales area.
The videos, photos take a lot of time editing and uploading.  This blog, when uploading photos, takes several hours to make.  Hard getting them all done along with the other activities we have.

More tomorrow, probably.  We just left the port at 5 pm here on Wednesday and will be at sea until Saturday morning about 7:30 am.

Monday, February 10, 2020

Arriving at Cozomel

77 degrees as we near dock in Cozumel about 7:15 am on Monday

Pool near aft end of ship

Some of Sunday's entertainment by Goldwing

Some of Sunday's entertainment by Goldwing

Some of Sunday's entertainment by Goldwing
Here is link to Sunday's Bluegrass program CLICK HERE
At the piano bar one evening

Getting unpacked

Getting unpacked

At the required "Muster" drill

Waiters dancing at evening meal

Huddling to keep warm at outdoor "Dive In" movie
Up and ready to go to breakfast and spend some time on shore at Cozumel.
Later, Lynn

Friday, February 7, 2020

On our cruise tomorrow

66º at 9:15 pm Friday.  And, it is still; almost eerie after all the high windy days we have had.



I just took this photo of the full
moon from my back yard.  Really bright.
















Went to First Baptist Church in Pharr, TX this morning to sing with the Barbershop chorus for Memorial Service of one of the founding members of the group.  He started when they were formed in 1992 and sang until about 5 years ago.  We did not know him, but he had a lot of friends in the Chorus who did know him
 In the "warm up" room 
before our entering
the sanctuary.
This quartet sang a number and later in the service about 22 members of the Chorus sang, from the back of the sanctuary, another song.






Following the service,
we spent some time at
Costco which is only about
a mile from the church.
Least expensive gas we have
gotten for many years.









Later in the afternoon we enjoyed a meal of deer sstrogonoff from couple in the park who had got the deer in Minnesota.  Served with lettuce salad and a few things people brought.  Delicious.


Salad table

We are about packed, ready to leave for Galveston early in the morning.
Pic taken before a performance.
Noodles and deer in gravy

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