Catching Up

We ate dinner last night with Gertie and George from New Orleans. They were still celebrating the Super Bowl. Well maybe celebrating is too strong. George cracked his lips when I mentioned the game. Gertie worked overtime to cover up George?s lack of conversational skills. Herb and Thelma, our other two tablemates are transplants from Brooklyn now living in Atlanta. Herb tells the story, then Thelma corrects it. "That didn?t happen on the trip to Greece. It was when we were in Mesopotamia." "No, it was Greece." They wanted to talk with me about skiing at Beaver Creek but alas I haven?t been there AND I don?t ski. A huge disappointment. The 24-hour eat anytime buffet suits us better. Lovely glass tables surrounded by windows overlooking the front of the ship.

I'm enjoying the cruise much more than I thought I would. The ship is a floating 5-star hotel. One's every need is provided. It's pure delight to sit in a deck chair and stare oneself into a coma while looking into the horizon for who knows how long. I also enjoy walking the promenade and smiling at the other people in a staring stupor. Good for the soul.

It's great not to constantly have to pay and tip for meals. I thought possibly it could be boring but there is always something going on. You can even paint pottery or learn Spanish if you want to.

Oh but the excursions are dreadful for me. Just to get off the ship, you need to meet up as a group and then be herded like cows to the gangway, then the tender, then the tour bus or boat. And I really don?t like being one of a thousand tourists descending like locusts upon the town. I remember being on the other side of the experience while living in Hawaii.

Acapulco Bay is beautiful from the ship. Semi-circle of mountains with white buildings, trees, blue water. In town, the unpleasant smells, intense heat and constant saying "no" to vendors zapped my energy. So far, Mexican ports are not my cup of tea. But they have reduced Robert and me to the stage of bursting into laughter at nothing at all. I think we must have been siblings in another lifetime.