WEEK 9

 

21/09/23 NEW YORK

Sailed into New York early morning before sunrise and had another beautiful day in the Big Apple. Our embarkation started in Canada so we all had to go through immigration on arrival and took a while before we could get out of the port area.

We did our normal stops and then I walked to the public library in 5th Avenue, have been to it before but it is just so impressive and beautiful, I love it. Took a few videos to give you the feel of the place and landed up in the giftshop where I bought us a map of the world to put up at home and think could be nice to put markers in all the places we have been to on our travels.

These 11 years have been good to us and have been to so many places in the world ,hubby has been to a lot more that I have but what a privilege even laughed at all the funny things that have happened on the travels and flights while talking about it the other afternoon and am so thankful got to go to Russia and see the Hermitage Museum and its people, feel so sorry for them for they are lovely people with a horrible man in charge, don’t even want to think what has happened to all the tourist shops and tour excurtions that helped the locals survive financially, some were doing 2/3 jobs.

Might enlarged the map but now days I think they can do that with the new big photocopy machines. Got the kids each a pocketbook “Stuff every woman should know by Alanna Kalb and ‘Stuff every man should know by Brett Cohen. Just though was something different and special, words on a wall in the library also made an impression:

“I firmly believe that a good education is the most cherished gift an individual can receive” by William Rand Kenan,Jr hoe mooi is dit nie. Geen wonder hulle se kennis is mag nie! I was going to look for the chocolate shop but with all my rondloping and popping in here and there, ran out of time and had to take a brisk walk back to the ship before our cutoff time, so that will have to wait for next week.

I have decided to be like an Ostridge and berry my head in the sand regarding the hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean would rather not know anything and trust our Captain who is in charge of the ship and hopefully won't take us into anything dangerous as I said before is not like you can say stop, I want to get off, so we go in FAITH. We arrive in Bermuda on Friday and leave again on Sunday afternoon.

21/09/23 @SEA

Well, was I thankful for calm seas on this cruise so different than last week and really appreciated it. Realized that the weather plays an important role in your cruise experience so keep to the best time of the year and don’t just choose a time when the cruises are cheaper, it can be costly and not so nice if you hit bad weather! Not that good weather is a guarantee anytime of the year.

Did not do much yesterday did not get to the gym for my brisk walk yesterday back to the ship had me sore in places I did not even know I have, haa haa. Myself in pyne ingestap! So, besluit vandag is n rusdag.

22/09/23 Bermuda

Arrived early morning on a beautiful day with another MSC ship in port so that was good to see. I spent my morning on a lounger in the observation lounge while waiting for hubby to finish before he could get off. My favorite spot on a day like today for all the passengers get off and you have the place to yourself. Peace and quiet with the most beautiful view over the ocean with all its different shades of blue and turquoise.

We decided to walk to our special place near Glass Beach in the Dockside Area so after a quick ice cream off we went. I made a stop at Glass Beach for some photos, so hubby carried on until he found his spot under a tree on the green grass with stunning views over the ocean. Realize what 1 tree can do when you are looking to get out of the hot sun and the shade it gives!!! We should plant a lot more on this place we call, earth.

It was just so special to relax in the shade with the beautiful view, so we ended up lying on the grass in the shade and just chilling in our special spot on this island, will always have a special place our hearts of our time we spent here. I decided it was time to cool down and off I went while hubby stayed behind, the water was not so warm, but I had a nice swim. The heat not so bad anymore so very glad for that, was about 25 degrees today and humidity not too bad either think nearing the end of their season on the island.

The poor plants and trees took a hammering with the hurricane winds that came close with our last visit, they are scorched from the salty winds but just like nature, are already starting to shoot again in places, amazing how resilient plant can be.

Hubby had to get back and I made a few other stops and spent the afternoon walking around and ended up at the Bone Fish Grill for a Bermudian Cocktail while enjoying some free Wi-Fi. Toe was dit tyd vir sterk koffie n double espresso na die cocktail.

Sien uit na vanaand want ons gaan op n date aand en besluit om eerder weer by die Frog en Onion n draai te maak en ietsie nuuts te probeer.Sal dalk more net vining afklim om wind te kry voor ons weer more middag vertrek diep see toe.Hubby will be working so he can’t get off tomorrow.

23/09/23 BERMUDA

We went on our date night and is so nice to walk around at night in any port just so different to the day experience. Hubby had a burger and I tried fish which was not great but the Bermuda coffee I enjoyed had rum and cream in it. Spent yesterday on the ship lying around on deck 17 in the front of the ship and joined hubby for lunch, was lazy and did not feel like walking around in the end or as planned. Was glad when the captain informed us that the latest hurricane is not going to affect us so was good to hear. Going to be in New York on Monday morning for my last visit before I get off, so got a few things I want to do, hubby on duty so he will not be joining me and this will be my last blog post from New York, will try and post my next cruise blog before I get off the ship to return home or from JFK.

My flight back will be a first for me flying from JFK to Atlanta and then directly to Johannesburg get there too late to catch a flight home so must spend the night and catch an early flight the next morning. I should make a list of all the different airports I have been too and flights I have taken to get to the ship all over the world. Not looking forward to loadshedding and water problems but is HOME and as they say THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME.