Non-puzzling-202 days away from home.

As a special request from a friend, I will now start adding posts here and there about our travels around the world. Hopefully one or two of them will have puzzles inside. 

As you may know, George and I have embarked on a 6 month cruise around the world.  I've been posting photos of our travels on Facebook, but will endeavor to do the same here.  Not all of these posts will be about puzzles, but there will be any in here that I find. Of course, I wouldn't be me without having puzzle posts in the works. Have no fear my dear puzzle friends, I've plenty to tell you about.

We are onboard the Oceania Insignia. It is a vessel that holds 684 passengers and 400 crew. The ship is not like your normal ship as far as passengers are concerned.  The majority of course are older than I am but they all seem to be in very good health.  In the past, the passengers on the cruises were often feeble.  Here the focus is on education and adventure.  The cruise ship bills itself as having the best food at sea. I would beg to differ, but then I'm a fussy eater.  Having said that though, I was able to get a blue steak! 

Our cabin is 220 square feet give or take with a veranda.  While this may seem small, it really isn't. It is set up rather nicely with a sofa and table and desk area to relax in.  The shower is tight and I can't imagine how larger people would use them.  We brought along 9 suitcases; two of which we have already thrown away.  One lost a wheel on the way to the ship and the other we knew was in bad shape when we sent it. The steward told us to go to the front desk for compensation, but it simply isn't worth it.  We can always pick up a new suitcase. 

I also brought along two folding storage footstools that I purchased at Aldi's of all places. With one placed on either side of the table, it makes for a nice little area.  Currently they hold the remainder of our wine and we will restock as we go along.  I am sure we will go wine shopping in Hawaii and again in Hong Kong.  The cruise line has generously allowed us to bring along 60 bottles of alcohol for the journey.  

I also brought along a number of folding storage cubes to put socks and swim gear etc. in.  There are 2 cupboards under the area where the ice bucket is and these fit in rather nicely.  All of these were purchased at the dollar store of all places. 

Of course we also have the hanging shoe bag and the obligatory magnetic hooks.  Be warned though, only the 100 pound hooks really work on the walls.  They are magnetic, but the wallpaper on top really discourages use of magnets.

The final 'necessary' item I brought along is a magnetic whiteboard monthly planner.  This is filled with our excursions and special dinners, etc.  It helps me remember things I am doing.  We have whiteboards in both Puzzle Palace and the Museum for reminders and I didn't want to not have one here for the next 6 months.  It is mounted to the door so I see it first thing in the morning when I use the loo.  

The suitcases we kept are all stored open under the bed and hold the extra toothpaste and floss necessary for the trip as well as all the swag and other items we have picked up along the way.  Our scuba gear is all in a suitcase in the closet.  If we acquire too many puzzles and other stuff along the way, we will mail a few boxes of stuff home from Hong Kong. There is a post office very near to where the ship will be docked.  (Along with a massive shopping mall.) 

There are no children on board but there is one dog. I really don't understand how that got on here.  Thankfully the owner is not allowed to take it into the indoor dinning venues.  Imagine my shock when I saw it at the outdoor café.  I love animals, but am of the mind that they do not belong where people are eating.  

All staff and passengers must be vaccinated (and many are boosted) to come on the ship.  Masks must be worn while in public areas unless eating or drinking and most people adhere to this mandate.  We have many stops along the way that require a nasal swab to make sure we haven't contracted covid.  Having said that, there are a few cases of COVID on board now as I type this, and 4 people were disembarked in Key West with COVID.  I guess they tested negative when we got on and then tested positive after embarkation.  There are also a few fools who remove their masks as soon as they go ashore or who are constantly drinking a bottle of water to avoid the mandate.  These few have spoiled the fun for the rest of us.  I don't wish anyone to get sick, but it seems to me that if you don't take the time to protect yourself, you get what you get.  

Sadly since we left Florida we have had 2 stops cancelled.  We were to go to Acapulco  and Guatamala but because of COVID on the ship, the ports were closed to us. I read that Mexico closed to all ships so it wasn't just us.  After I wrote this, I read the news that they have opened up again, but I believe it is too late now to go there.

Life at sea is wonderful once you get used to the motion of the boat. I spent the first 4 days being nauseous.  Because of past cruises I came prepared.  I brought my extra strength motion sickness tablets along, popped 2 pills a day and made it through without tossing any cookies.  Although....I did go to a breakfast for the Around The World travelers had a mimosa and then went to yoga.  Big mistake.  Yoga and mimosas do not mix.  The ship has been very good.  I asked for Ginger tea and saltines and they brought me a box of both.

What is a girl to do?  We took no puzzles with us. As is our usual, we brought our Eurorails game, and a bunch of escape room games, a few decks of cards and 3 puzzle books to while away the time on our round the world cruise. We enjoy playing Hand, Knee, and Foot.  If anyone is on this cruise with us and would like to play, please contact us in room 7109.  You also can't miss my beautiful lover; he has the longest beard on ship right now.  We've got the decks and a score sheet on the iPads. 

And George being George has once again brought along a 3d printer.  Last time we took a long cruise in 2018 we brought along a DaVinci Nano.  It didn't really work for us.  But it did work for Oskar.  When we finished our cruise, the next trip we took to visit with him, we brought it along and gave it to him as a gift.  He used it for a bit, but then got his own much nicer printer and there has been no stoping him since.  

This time we bought a tiny little thing to bring along on our trip.  We brought along 2 rolls of filament and hope to be able to produce a number of puzzles along the way.  Before we left he built a spool feeder so once we put the filament in, we will stick with one color until the reel is finished.  This is actually designed for children, but you know George and his 3D printers.  This one is a cute little thing. It's probably no bigger than 12"x12"x8".  

The best part of this?  I finally got my Christmas gift from last year.  He taught me how to use it!  I've been going crazy printing off those little business card puzzles.  I can't do crystal puzzles on the ship so I am doing those instead.  Once I started printing these things, we ordered 12 more spools of filament and sent them on to George's son in San Franscisco.  We will pick them up when we arrive there.  That should last us the rest of the cruise, but if it doesn't, we will buy more in Asia.

Of course George has already pre-printed a large number of bucolic cubes to give away on the ship as we go.  This is a great way to meet people and to break the ice.  So far, people have enjoyed attempting to solve them. Perhaps after another month or so at sea someone will have solved it.  

One of the first things he printed was a 3d necklace for me. George made them earlier for Marti and Maryann and I wanted one.  He also gave one to the girl that cleans out room. 

For the curious, here is the itinerary as it was on the day we left Florida.  There have been quite a few changes but we don't mind.  It's all part of the adventure.  Originally we were to spend a month in Australia and New Zealand.  It is the main reason we booked the cruise.  After much deliberation thought, we decided to go ahead and book it anyway.  We also realize that there will be many more changes as we go along.  So far we have lost two ports and we expect to lose more as we go.  No bother, we love the lazy sea days.  

Tuesday, December 21	Miami, FL
Wednesday, December 22	Key West, Fl
Thursday, December 23	At sea
Friday, December 24	At Sea
Saturday, December 25	Cartagena, Colombia
Sunday, December 26	Panama Canal (Full Transit) (Cruising)
Monday, December 27	At Sea
Tuesday, December 28	Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Wednesday, December 29	At Sea
Thursday, December 30	Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala
Friday, December 31	At Sea
Saturday, January 1	Acapulco, Mexico
Sunday, January 2	At Sea
Monday, January 3	At Sea
Tuesday, January 4	San Diego, CA
Wednesday, January 5	Los Angeles (San Pedro), CA
Thursday, January 6	Los Angeles (San Pedro), CA
Friday, January 7	At Sea
Saturday, January 8	San Francisco, CA
Sunday, January 9	San Francisco, CA
Monday, January 10	At Sea
Tuesday, January 11	At Sea
Wednesday, January 12	At Sea
Thursday, January 13	At Sea
Friday, January 14	At Sea
Saturday, January 15	Honolulu, Oahu, HI
Sunday, January 16	Honolulu, Oahu, HI
Monday, January 17	Kahului, Maui, HI
Tuesday, January 18	Nawiliwili, Kauai, HI
Wednesday, January 19	Lahaina, Maui, HI
Thursday, January 20	Kona, Hawaii, HI
Friday, January 21	At Sea
Saturday, January 22	At Sea
Sunday, January 23	At Sea
Monday, January 24	At Sea
Tuesday, January 25	Nuku Hiva, Marquesas Islands
Wednesday, January 26	At Sea
Thursday, January 27	Rangiroa, Society Islands
Friday, January 28	Papeete, Tahiti
Saturday, January 29	Papeete, Tahiti
Sunday, January 30	Papeete, Tahiti
Sunday, January 30	Moorea, Society Islands
Monday, January 31	Raiatea, Society Islands
Tuesday, February 1	Bora Bora, Society Islands
Wednesday, February 2	Bora Bora, Society Islands
Thursday, February 3	At Sea
Friday, February 4	At Sea
Saturday, February 5	Pago Pago, American Samoa
Sunday, February 6	Cross International Dateline (Cruising)
Monday, February 7	Apia, Samoa
Tuesday, February 8	At Sea
Wednesday, February 9	Suva, Fiji
Thursday, February 10	Lautoka, Fiji
Friday, February 11	At Sea
Saturday, February 12	Mystery Island, Vanuatu
Sunday, February 13	Ile des Pins, New Caledonia
Monday, February 14	Noumea, New Caledonia
Tuesday, February 15	Noumea, New Caledonia
Wednesday, February 16	At Sea
Thursday, February 17	At Sea
Friday, February 18	Alotau (Milne Bay), Papua New Guinea
Saturday, February 19	Alotau (Milne Bay), Papua New Guinea
Sunday, February 20	At Sea
Monday, February 21	At Sea
Tuesday, February 22	At Sea
Wednesday, February 23	At Sea
Thursday, February 24	Komodo, Indonesia
Friday, February 25	Celukan Bawang, Indonesia
Saturday, February 26	Celukan Bawang, Indonesia
Sunday, February 27	Benoa, Bali
Monday, February 28	At Sea
Tuesday, March 1	Semarang, Indonesia
Wednesday, March 2	At Sea
Thursday, March 3	At Sea
Friday, March 4	Muara (Bandar Seri Begawan), Brunei
Saturday, March 5	Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
Sunday, March 6	Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines
Monday, March 7	Coron, Philippines
Tuesday, March 8	Manila, Philippines
Wednesday, March 9	Manila, Philippines
Thursday, March 10	Salomague, Philippines
Friday, March 11	Kao-hsiung, Taiwan
Saturday, March 12	Kao-hsiung, Taiwan
Sunday, March 13	Taipei (Keelung), Taiwan
Monday, March 14	Ishigaki Island, Japan
Tuesday, March 15	At Sea
Wednesday, March 16	Kochi, Japan
Thursday, March 17	Nagoya, Japan
Friday, March 18	Tokyo (Harumi), Japan
Saturday, March 19	Tokyo (Harumi), Japan
Sunday, March 20	Shimizu, Japan
Monday, March 21	Kyoto, Japan
Tuesday, March 22	Kyoto, Japan
Wednesday, March 23	Hiroshima, Japan
Thursday, March 24	Busan, South Korea
Friday, March 25	Nagasaki, Japan
Saturday, March 26	Kagoshima, Japan
Sunday, March 27	Amami Oshima, Japan
Monday, March 28	Okinawa (Naha), Japan
Tuesday, March 29	At Sea
Wednesday, March 30	Shanghai, China
Thursday, March 31	Shanghai, China
Friday, April 1	At Sea
Saturday, April 2	Xiamen, China
Sunday, April 3	Hong Kong
Monday, April 4	Hong Kong
Tuesday, April 5	At Sea
Wednesday, April 6	Hanoi (Halong Bay), Vietnam
Thursday, April 7	Hanoi (Halong Bay), Vietnam
Friday, April 8	Hue, Vietnam
Saturday, April 9	Hue, Vietnam
Sunday, April 10	Nha Trang, Vietnam
Monday, April 11	Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam
Tuesday, April 12	Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam
Wednesday, April 13	At Sea
Thursday, April 14	Kampot, Cambodia
Friday, April 15	Bangkok (Laem Chabang), Thailand
Saturday, April 16	Bangkok (Laem Chabang), Thailand
Sunday, April 17	Ko Samui, Thailand
Monday, April 18	At Sea
Tuesday, April 19	Singapore
Wednesday, April 20	Strait of Malacca (Cruising)
Thursday, April 21	Phuket, Thailand
Friday, April 22	At Sea
Saturday, April 23	Yangon (Thilawa), Myanmar
Sunday, April 24	Yangon (Thilawa), Myanmar
Monday, April 25	Yangon (Thilawa), Myanmar
Tuesday, April 26	At Sea
Wednesday, April 27	At Sea
Thursday, April 28	At Sea
Friday, April 29	Cochin, India
Saturday, April 30	Mangalore, India
Sunday, May 1	At Sea
Monday, May 2	Male, Maldives
Tuesday, May 3	At Sea
Wednesday, May 4	At Sea
Thursday, May 5	Mahe, Seychelles
Friday, May 6	Mahe, Seychelles
Saturday, May 7	Mahe, Seychelles
Saturday, May 7	La Digue, Seychelles
Sunday, May 8	At Sea
Monday, May 9	At Sea
Tuesday, May 10	Zanzibar, Tanzania
Wednesday, May 11	At Sea
Thursday, May 12	Nosy Be, Madagascar
Friday, May 13	Mayotte, Comoro Islands
Saturday, May 14	At Sea
Sunday, May 15	At Sea
Monday, May 16	Maputo, Mozambique
Tuesday, May 17	At Sea
Wednesday, May 18	Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Thursday, May 19	Mossel Bay, South Africa
Friday, May 20	Cape Town, South Africa
Saturday, May 21	Cape Town, South Africa
Sunday, May 22	At Sea
Monday, May 23	Luderitz, Namibia
Tuesday, May 24	Walvis Bay, Namibia
Wednesday, May 25	At Sea
Thursday, May 26	At Sea
Friday, May 27	At Sea
Saturday, May 28	Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe
Sunday, May 29	At Sea
Monday, May 30	Lome, Togo
Tuesday, May 31	Takoradi, Ghana
Wednesday, June 1	Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Thursday, June 2	At Sea
Friday, June 3	At Sea
Saturday, June 4	Banjul, Gambia
Sunday, June 5	Dakar, Senegal
Monday, June 6	At Sea
Tuesday, June 7	Mindelo, Cape Verde
Wednesday, June 8	At Sea
Thursday, June 9	At Sea
Friday, June 10	Santa Cruz, Tenerife, Canary Islands
Saturday, June 11	Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands
Sunday, June 12	Agadir, Morocco
Monday, June 13	At Sea
Tuesday, June 14	Lisbon, Portugal
Wednesday, June 15	Oporto (Leixoes), Portugal
Thursday, June 16	La Coruna, Spain
Friday, June 17	At Sea
Saturday, June 18	Honfleur, France
Sunday, June 19	London (Tilbury), England
Monday, June 20	London (Tilbury), England
Tuesday, June 21	Amsterdam, Holland
Wednesday, June 22	Amsterdam, Holland
Thursday, June 23	At Sea
Friday, June 24	Waterford (Dunmore East), Ireland
Saturday, June 25	Dublin, Ireland
Sunday, June 26	Belfast, Northern Ireland
Monday, June 27	At Sea
Tuesday, June 28	At Sea
Wednesday, June 29	At Sea
Thursday, June 30	At Sea
Friday, July 1	St. John's, NL, Canada
Saturday, July 2	At Sea
Sunday, July 3	At Sea
Monday, July 4	New York (Manhattan), NY
Tuesday, July 5	New York (Manhattan), NY

Having been to Key West many times we did nothing more than rent bicycles and ride to a liquor store to get some champaign. Yours truly forgot to take ours out of the wine cooler before we left. Oh well, it will be properly chilled when we return from our adventure. 

We got off in Cartagena, Columbia and took a taxi to the old town.  Our fun when we go ashore is to have a mission every time.  It is always the same.  To find puzzles and cordials from the country we are in.  We accomplished both.  Today our cordial was an aniseed type liquor.  It is definitely a sipping drink.  This time we only bought a small bottle and I'm glad of it.  

The puzzle we found is a three dimensional gecko jigsaw.  Not what we usually get, but nice all the same.  

The city has 11 miles of wall surrounding it.  Still in tact and people are even able to walk on it. Our guide didn't know how many cannons are on there.  I guess my Spanish sounded too Nicaraguan to him.  He didn't understand me at all when I asked questions using the language.  He joked about not understanding Nicaraguans when they speak.  I guess it's a funny thing with them.  People everywhere seem to dislike immigrants.  There was also the oldest standing Spanish Fort.  An impressive sight.

Next up came the crossing of the Panama Canal. It is a real marvel to see.  This is my second time going through and George's fifth.  Even though I've done it before, I enjoyed it as much today as I did the first time.  We spent the day in the room or on the balcony watching the process.  

Again we passed under the Bridge of the Americas.  Another impressive structure. 

In Puntarenas Costa Rica we had a real adventure.  George suckered me into going zip lining with him. I am terrified of heights and I had cancelled the excursion once only to have him rebook it.  Nice lover I have here.    I managed to relax on the 1 1/2 hour bus ride to the mountain only to have my heartbeat climb to 130 as soon as we got off the bus.  There was a 1/2 hour cable car ride up the mountain and having been on one many times in Hong Kong I was just fine.  

When we were ready to strap in, the man helping me gave me a few extra minutes to gather my courage and I took off!  It was terrifying.  All I could think was why did I step off that platform.   I made it through the next 3 zip lines with much the same feeling. At one point my heart rate got up to 157 bpm.  But by this time the anxiety was lowering and I was beginning to feel a bit better about the whole thing.  By the time we hit line 6 which was the longest, I had the confidence to hold my phone and take a video of the area around me.  It was the most stunning view! I shall post that later as we have no access to youtube on the ship.  When we finished all 10 lines, I didn't want to stop.  I asked the guide if I could go again, I'd even pay!  No dice.  It was lunch time and that was that.

We had a nice local meal. I chose the beef with mushroom gravy and George had the chicken.  Of course both came with rice and black beans.  We also had a local beer.  After lunch we saw the butterfly habitat and a guide took us around and we tasted a number of the plants.  While I enjoy lemon grass and oregano, I didn't like them fresh, but the peppermint was lovely and refreshing. 

On the way back to the ship we did the usual stop at a tourist trap.  This was fine.  I purchased two puzzles.  A monkey jigsaw and a bird ring box.  Of course these are not our usual choices, but they are locally made. 

We also bought a columbian coffee liquor.  We haven't opened it yet, I had too much wine at dinner. I just had to have the bottle with the monkey peeking out around the side.  Kitsch but it's a monkey how could I not?

 Speaking of wine.  I love Oceania's policy of allowing us to bring wine on board. We brought along 2 cases of Emeritus and don't mind paying the $25 corkage.  I bought 3 bottles of a 2014 Chateau Fombrauge Grand Cru from the menu.  We drank them but I didn't think they weren't as good as what we brought with us.  The only complaint I have is they don't pump the wine and the bottles we bought from the ship oxidized overnight.  Since then, whatever we have left over we bring to the room and pump.  It stays better this way. 

Back on ship during dinner the announcement came telling us of COVID cases and that the next port would be cancelled.  People are taking bets on whether Oceania will cancel the rest of the cruise but I for one hope they do not.  I want to continue this adventure where ever it takes us.  

Today is a sea day, as is tomorrow.  What do we do to entertain ourselves? George is beside me in bed working a Logidoku puzzle (Sudoku on steroids) while I write this post.  We will have lunch in 1/2 an hour or so then return to the cabin for a nap and some more puzzle printing.  I brought along a few books of puzzles to work on and will do a crossword or two this afternoon while the puzzle cards are printing.  

Of course with every ship there is swag. Oceania is no exception.  On Christmas Eve we received 2 Around The World jackets and baseball caps.  

We also got our gold pins and a silver tray.  The tray is great.  I am now using it to store all the ginger chews I brought with me and the nightly pillow chocolates that I haven't eaten.  George likes his and eats them religiously.  I prefer to wait as I've usually had something small for dessert and don't want anything else.  

When we got on board the ship we were given two reusable water bottles and I have been using them diligently.  A few nights later we received a special Oceania gold member tote bag and two more ball caps.  

And for those who asked, yes, they still use the blue Bulgari amenities. 

This evening we will have dinner at the Polo Grill. George is in the mood for steak and I want lobster.  The seas are calm and all is right in our world.  

I'll post about our further adventures here when we have something to tell.  As of now, we are just hoping and praying and crossing fingers and toes that we make it to New York on the Fourth of July.  I really want to see the fireworks.