Bowling in Dubai to Snorkeling in the Red Sea....

Hello everyone,

I can't believe how close it is coming to the end this contract….I have been having the time of my life and I'm glad that I'm getting to share this experience through this blog with you….I'm glad that I started it and I'm glad that YOU read it!!!

Lets not waste anymore time...

Monday, April 18th we had our Embarkation day of our next cruise in Dubai but luckily I had the morning and early afternoon off. I headed into the city via shuttle bus to be surrounded by this fake and futuristic city. Its so hard to explain because this place doesn't look real…just really strange. Made it to the Dubai Mall (one of the largest in the world) which is next to the largest structure on Earth and wow…what a massive thing that is. From a distance…it really doesn't look that big but once you get next to it….WOW…just incredible. The Dubai Mall was equally jaw dropping…4 levels of this MASSIVE, MASSIVE mall where you could have ANYTHING that you wanted…just incredible. Looking at the directory…I felt like I was reading a novel…chapter one, restaurants…chapter two, mens stores…etc. I made my way up to the food court, which was massive and you would never guess what was there….TACO BELL!!! Yes, I was in heaven for that meal…even though it didn't taste like HOME Taco Bell…it was Taco Bell nonetheless…haha. Afterwards, I had the mission to post some of the pictures for the past 2 months up on Facebook so I really took advantage of the free wifi. Eventually, I had to make it back to work embarkation for the day…only an hour AND we only have 272 guests on the ship…out of the 540 that it can hold. Can we say, ghostship…haha. Afterwards, Lesley, Jodie, Greg, Jen, myself and our new cruise director David headed back to the mall. We had a great meal at TGI Fridays and enjoyed the 'dancing fountains' that were giving a show outside. This city was just incredible….just very weird and futuristic. Afterwards, we all split up and got a few things that we needed to get and then were going to meet up later. Once we got back together, we had decided to go bowling….yes thats right….bowling in Dubai…haha. We finally got a taxi and told him to take us to the Bowling Alley and we had SUCH a great time. The first round…didn't go so well for me…I haven't played in a long time…a little embarrassing cause there were these kids next to us that were incredible and then you look at what I was doing….putting my head down in shame…haha. Don't you find that is always the case in bowling…always these young whipper snappers that can bowl circles around you…cause back in my day…woah, sorry…old moment..haha.  The second round however, I must have TOTALLY switched inside because I bowled the best game….EVER. I have NEVER played that well before ….whoosh, it was a lot of fun though. Afterwards, our taxi guy took us to the famous hotel that is in the shape of a sail and we took a few pictures….it was a really great end to the night in Dubai.

Tuesday, April 19th we were at Dubai again only for the half day so there wasn't really enough time to go out in the city. I woke up not feeling very well so I decided to stay on the ship and get as much rest as I could. The rest of the day was a sea day and we had the normal duties that we normally have….it was a relaxing day.

Wednesday, April 20th we were in Muscat, Oman and I woke up with NO VOICE and we have a show this evening….oh great….not the best time to lose my voice. I went off the ship with everyone because I thought some fresh air would do me well instead of the stupid air on the ship AND because it was the last day at a port before the crossing to Egypt and I wasn't about to stay on the ship for an extra day…haha. Went into the town and there wasn't much to do there except go into the bazaars and shop. It was cool because there was a entire building with little side streets with shops EVERYWHERE….it was nuts. It was INCREDIBLY hot this day…not humid but just dry heat…it sucked. After walking around for a while we couldn't decide on what to do so we walked through the shops again and we got a few things that sparked our interest before. Eventually it was time for me to get back to the ship for a duty that I had which was alright…I was quite bored in the city. Later in the evening, we pushed off the port and began our 5 sea day journey to Egypt. By the way, the show that evening went quite well….which I don't understand. I literally could not speak in the morning and I didn't think that I could do the show…so I made sure that I didn't speak all day long. I have to send a HUGE thank you out to my voice professors at school for teaching me the correct way to sing and what to do when you're ill…I'm lucky I had such great professors. 

Thursday, April 21st to Monday, April 25th we spent our time at sea in the Indian Ocean and eventually making our way to the Red sea traveling to Safaga, Egypt. During our sea days…we were in the Samoan pirate danger zone so all the windows on the ship had to be shut…the lights were all turned off at night and it was just strange and spooky. We felt that we were in a prison because we weren't a loud to go outside on the decks that we normally could use. We all had to go up on the highest decks during the day and at night…you had to take a flashlight with you because it was PITCH BLACK. I went out on one of the decks during the night one time and it scared the crap out of me…imagine night time at sea…with NO light around…a little freaky. I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS OUR LAST HUGE CROSSING THAT WE HAVE FOR THE REST OF THE TIME ON THE SHIP….HOOORAH!!!!

Tuesday, April 26th we were FINALLY in Safaga, Egypt where I was on a all-day excursion to see the Temples in Luxor…which was awesome. The day started very early and boy, did the weather confuse the crap out of me. I thought that it was going to be warm…I mean we are in EGYPT…but no, it was quite cool and windy…whoosh, too cold. We had a 2.5 hour drive through the Sahara Desert which was cool because not many people can say that they have driven through the Sahara. Eventually it got a little boring because looking at sand for 2 hours…not much happens or interests the mind…haha. We eventually got to the first Temple (which I can't remember the name of) and it was so cool. The entire day it was really hard for me to believe that it was made SO long ago…it just didn't seem real. It was cool to see all the different things carved into the wall and the stories that our guide told us…it was really interesting. He told us why all the faces of everything Egyptian were gone and it was because the Christians came along years after (when they have gained control of the land and temples) and didn't like that people had prayed to other Gods…so they thought that they would deface all the statues/paintings/carvings that had faces…so you could never see what they looked like…which I found interesting. When we went to the top of this building, we were shown a carving that was in the ceiling that showed the astrological signs (Libra, Taurus, etc.) and that it was a creation from Egyptians that the Greek / Romans took credit for it…stole from the Egyptians…which I thought was VERY interesting. Eventually, it was time to head back to the bus to go to Luxor (another hour away) to get a wonderful buffet lunch at the Sheraton. Our next stop was an even older Temple, which was so cool and was showcased in one of the James Bonds (which I thought was really cool).  Walking around this place it was so remarkable to think that they made everything by hand…and had to build everything with sand and mud…just something that you can't explain unless you see it. Our third and last Temple was the oldest of them all (4500 BC) and I just couldn't understand how well preserved everything was. I said to one of the guests that it was hard to believe that it was as old as it was because it looked brand new. Our tour guide said it is because it doesn't rain here…there is NO humidity, so there is no corrosion of the building / stautes…which is incredible. Afterwards, we had the long 3.5 hour trip back to the ship, driving the the Sahara again in the pitch black. Something that made me laugh at the beginning but later kinda made me nervous was the signs about camels. In Ohio, we have the deer caution signs which is normal because they might run out in front of your car in a treed area but seeing a camel caution sign just made me laugh. Would scare the CRAP out of you if you were driving down the street and almost hit a CAMEL..might hurt you AND the camel…I just kept having that visual in my head…haha. During our drive in the PITCH black desert…it was so cool to be able to sit in the bus and look at ALL the stars…it was just great. Had a LONG but very eventful day…

Wednesday, April 27th we again were in Safaga, Egypt but I was on IPM so I had to stay on the ship. I was actually okay about it because I was still exhausted from my excursion the day before….I needed to catch up on my rest…whoosh, needed that relaxing day.

Thursday, April 28th we were in Aqaba, Jordan where David, Cody, Lesley and I went out on the town. We headed out on into the town to be greeted by something that made me stand there with my mouth open. THERE WAS A BAR/RESTAURANT called 'FRIENDS'….it was a bar that was the themed by the long running TV sitcom, 'Friends' and if you know me…you know how excited I was…haha. I was so bummed because it was closed at the time we were there but you better believe that I took a picture of it…haha. We finally decided where we wanted to go and got a taxi to a beach/snorkel area near to the city. We had a great lunch in a hotel and the decided that we wanted to go snorkeling in the Red Sea…how many times can you say you've done that. It was such a cool experience but WOW…I was freezing my butt off. The sea was SO cold out in the area where the coral was, but I was trying to enjoy looking at the coral and fish and everything but whoosh…freezing…haha. Afterwards, we went back to the hotel and laid out in the sun for a while…to warm up. After staying there for a while, it was time to head back to the ship and head off to our next port. 

Friday, April 29th we had a half day in Sharm-El-Sheikh, Egypt where all of us got off and enjoyed the day together. Taking the shuttle bus into the city, you can defiantly tell that this city was made only due to tourist. It was so English / Americanized…it was ridiculous but I will say, the people that worked there in the shops were EXTREMELY rude. I understand that their tourism is down by A LOT right now because of all the unrest in the area but you would think that they would want to have your business…not piss you off. They would yell at us and tell us to get out of their shop if we didn't buy anything…not a fun time. After a while, we all found everything that we were looking for and Jodie, Jen and myself were hungry..so we went to TGI Fridays….see I told you it was Americanized…haha. While having lunch, we got to watch the Royal Wedding on the TV and I just sat there and had to take everything in…having lunch at an American restaurant in Egypt while watching a Royal English wedding…..wait….what? After lunch, it was time to catch the shuttle bus back to the ship but not after going by an area in the city where the ex-Egyptian president was located…which was really strange to see. Of course I didn't see him but there was SO many police outside the building and the bus driver told us who it was…it was just strange. Once getting back on the ship, we were told that we were going to wait another hour to leave the port because the wind was so strong…the ship wasn't able to leave. During this time, we all got together and David (our new cruise director) taught us a yoga class, which during the class the ship was trying to leave but got pushed by the wind and hit the port…it was that strong. Now, we were suppose to leave at around 3:30 and we didn't get out of the port until 8:00 that night…must have been strong wind…whoosh, what a crazy day.

Saturday, April 30th we traveled through the Suez Canal heading our way back to the Med. I can't believe that we have made it back to the area that I started about 8 months ago…wow. In a way, it has been a short amount of time because I have seen so many things in a year but at the same time…it has been a long time away from the states and I'm looking forward to getting home and being with family and friends again. There wasn't anything special about the Suez Canal…not a cool as the Panama Canal but always fun to say that I've done it. 

Sunday, May 1st (I can't believe that we are in May now…wow) we were in Alexandria, Egypt…heading out on a crew excursion to the Great Pyramids and Sphinx. The ride out there was quite long so I made sure that I caught a nap on the bus ride…I was TIRED. When we arrived, I couldn't believe that I was seeing one of the "7 wonders of the world". The height of these pyramids are a lot higher than I thought and I can't imagine what it was like to build them. When I was there…I kept singing to myself, "Go down, Moses…way down to Egypt land. Tell old, Pharaoh…to let my people go" (thats a little joke for those people that have ever sang in a choir…haha). Later, we went to see the Sphinx and to tell you the truth…I thought that it was going to be a lot bigger than it actually was. Don't get me wrong…it was AWESOME to see it but at the same time, I thought…"really, thats it?" Afterwards, we had a 3 hour drive back to the ship so again…I got to sleep a little on the trip back and also sit there, trying to take in the fact that this was the last place I would visit until I can say…."I've circled the globe".

Saturday, May 2nd we were heading our way to the last port of this voyage, Athens Greece where I could say, "I've circled the globe". Its a lot of overwhelming feelings coming to this moment in the contract because I know that its coming to the end but at the same time…I can't believe of all the different culture, beliefs, cities, people…that I have seen around the world. How in every place that I visited…everyone is so different but at the same time, everyone is just the same. Something that I have seen (that makes me tear up just thinking about it), is how in everywhere I've gone…doesn't matter if it was the San Blas Islands of Panama to the busy town of Hong Kong….from the eery streets of Vietnam to having one night in Bangkok….from the crazy Tuk Tuk ride with Babu in India to bowling in Dubai…one thing has stuck out to me more than anything….the sense of FAMILY. Now the word 'family' can be justified in many different ways…from your real family…or those people that don't have a family but consider their closet friends, THEIR family. Just looking at everywhere I've been…it didn't matter if it was the richest area or the poorest area…you could tell people were happy because they had their family. That's something that I feel that we take advantage of…that we don't look and go, "wow…I'm so blest to have these people in my life that love and support me" but instead take advantage of the fact that they are there and don't really appreciate them, until they're gone. I feel sometimes we get so wrapped up in our beliefs or politics or stuff that really doesn't matter and that breaks up the unity, the bond that we should have as a collective group. Its the constant reassurance that we have the BEST people around us…the loving energy that makes us wake up and go out into the world and think, "I can do anything….because I am loved". Remember, we only have this one life….YOU take advantage of it….live in the PRESENT, enjoy the NOW…don't be tied to a future or past. So today, why don't you call your parents, your kids, your FAMILY and just say I love you and thank you for always being there…..you never know when that opportunity might be taking away from you.

Our next cruises itinerary is: Athens, Greece on May 3rd / At Sea on May 4th / Taormina, Sicily, Italy on May 5th (HAPPY BIRTHDAY ME!!!) / Sorrento, Italy on May 6th (Happy Birthday Jodie) / Civitavecchia (ROME), Italy on May 7th / Monte Carlo, Monaco on May 8th / Barcelona, Spain on May 9th and 10th / At Sea on May 11th / Malaga, Spain on May 12th / At Sea on May 13th / Lisbon, Portugal on May 14th / At Sea on May 15th / Bilbao, Spain on May 16th / At Sea on May 17th / St. Peter's, Guernsey, England on May 18th / Southampton, England on May 19th. 

I hope that everyone has had a wonderful start to their month of May and Happy Mother's Day to all the mother's out there…especially mine :-)

Until Next Time,

Jason

Pretzels, Tuk Tuks and a surreal and grateful experience....

Hello Everyone,

Well, its getting closer and closer to the final days that I'm on the ship. Currently we are on the cruise that will bring me back to the Med. and I can't believe that I'll have circled the globe….thats a little intimidating isn't it? Only 5 more cruises to go….

Well, lets not waste any time…here's what happened during our Singapore to Dubai cruise :

Monday, April 4th we were in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Jodie, Greg, Jen and myself had a great day out in the city. We got off the ship early in the morning cause we heard that it took a while to get into town. We couldn't decide if we wanted to take the train in or just a taxi…but we eventually decided to go with the taxi, safer incase the train system was confusing. We were all really tired this day so it was nice to rest our eyes a little bit during our 45 min. journey into the city. Once we got there….these HUGE towers were right in front of us and I knew that I've seen them before (I think that they are in one of the Rush Hour movies….I could be wrong though). They are these twin towers that are connected by the 45th floor….so I thought that it would be cool to go up there. Unfortunately, the observation deck was closed this day, so we couldn't go up there. Instead we went inside this mall that was next to the building and WOW….what a beautiful and clean mall. Now, whenever I go to a mall, it is tradition that I get a pretzel and it has been a while since I've been able to get them…they don't have Aunt Auntie's Pretzels over here, so bummer no pretzel again…but wait…what is this smell….where is it coming from….follow it, follow it….HOLY CRAP, THERE IS AN AUNT AUNTIE'S PRETZEL!!!!!!!!!!!!! Needless to say…I got a few…but felt like the biggest dork because the other guys don't understand that tradition…I can't explain it, just something that I remember from my childhood whenever I would go to the mall with my parents….you knew that you were good, if we got a pretzel…haha. ANYWAY…we had a great lunch at Nando's, this chicken place that I don't think that we have in the states…its an English thing but WOW…really really good. Afterwards, I saw on the mall map that there was an aquarium next to the mall…so I suggested that we head over there and just go to the aquarium. We had a great time looking at all the different animals that are on this side of the world and how different they look compared to whats over in America and/or England….very interesting.  Afterwards, the girls went off and did their own thing and Greg and I went up to McDonald's to get some food. While we were waiting, Greg likes to do this thing called, "Death Stroke" to people…where he will touch them and then act as if he didn't just pet their arm or something…haha. Well, he 'death stroked' this one woman that was working at McDonalds and she turned and looked at him with her eyes so big that we both though she was going to run and jump on him…like a loose tiger out of its cage, as we said she looked like. We both got so nervous that we just laughed out loud….SO hard laughing that I started to cry…Whoosh, what a great time. After the death strokes of ALL death strokes, we headed back down to meet the girls to get our taxi back to the ship and enjoy the sail away heading towards our next port.

Tuesday, April 5th we were in Penang, Malaysia where I was on IPM and couldn't get off the ship. Had the normal IPM day of duties and being bored watching the films on the ship. Heard that the guys had a great day out on the beach, where Greg parasailed (ehhh…I wish that I would have been able to been there and done that as well). According to Greg, it was a great experience except the fact that he had to land on the beach…HIMSELF. Instead of bringing him back on the boat..they landed him on the beach. He said that he was nervous of the fact that he would land in the trees and knowing my luck….I would have landed in the trees…maybe it was a good thing that I was on IPM.

Wednesday, April 6th we are in Phuket, Thailand and I was really excited to experience this city…as I was told that it was cool place. Unfortunately, there was a taxi union strike against the ship, even to the point that the Captain was out there trying to reason with the people. Needless to say, we couldn't leave the port. Luckily they had brought vendors inside and we could do some shopping up right there off the ship. I bought a few things that I wanted to get and also bought myself a cool pair of pants that I now use as pajama pants….one of my favorite things I've bought throughout this cruise…haha. The rest of the day, we spent laying out up on the top deck and just enjoying the sun and nice weather. 

Thursday, April 7th and Friday, April 8th we were at sea heading towards Colombo, Sri Lanka. We had a nice crossing since the Indian Ocean is as smooth as bath water….which is really nice. We had our normal duties and actually got to enjoy the pool sometime playing water volley with the guests. It was a totally different age group this cruise and we had some lovely people on the ship, two in particular Harry and Robert who I met during the Transatlantic cross back in October. It had been 5 months since I'd seen them last and it was lovely to have them back on board. Also, got to have a lovely meal with them during the cruise…what great guys…and glad that I've made such a good friendship with them.

Saturday, April 9th we were in Colombo, Sri Lanka and wow, what an eye opening experience that was. Jodie, Greg, Lesley, Cody and myself got off the ship and we asked to be taken to the closest shopping mall…as we wanted to get some food. The drive there was just shocking, as it was REALLY run down. This was the place that got hit by the Tsunami in 2004, even though this city wasn't hit…you could tell that they were still struggling. We asked our driver to take us to a cash exchange…so we could change over our Thai and Malaysian money. He took us to this building that looked a little shady and I felt like I was in Sex and the City 2 (strange reference…I know), when they go in the back room and do that 'special sell'….haha. We walked into this really nice jewelry store and as the girls exchanged some money…the others were acting as if we were interested in stuff…just to make the guys feel better…that we weren't taking advantage of them or the English equivalent "taking the piss"…haha. It just felt really strange to be in this odd, cave like building, just to get our money exchanged…whoosh. We eventually get to the shopping area and were SO disappointed because it was NOTHING that we wanted and also…didn't smell the best. We walked around for about 5 or 10 mins because we were told that there was a McDonalds here….NOPE…so that just pissed us off more. Eventually we left and I thought that I saw a McDonalds down the street when we parked. We walked to the end of the street and I was right….there was one in the distance. Greg, Jodie and Lesley got into a Tuktuk to take them to the McDonalds but Cody and I walked there….it was like a few NY blocks….we could do it…haha. Once we got there…it was so cute because there was a little Malaysian kid birthday party. When we were having our lunch, we all talked about the fact that we all had a McDonald's birthday when we were younger and how cool you were, if you had one….HAHA…hilarious and I actually remember my McDonald's birthday…which I think, is a little sad…haha. After celebrating our coolness…haha…we all said that it was time to go back to the ship and go lay out by the pool…since we have NEVER taken advantage of the benefit that we have…12 - 4 on a port day, we can use the pool. All 5 of us got into one of this Tuktuk and drove back to the ship. HOLY CRAP that was an adventure in itself because those things should only carry 4 people including the driver…so actually we had 6 people on this thing including the driver….haha…what a blast. Once we got on the ship, we had a great time at the pool and really enjoyed our time talking and being with each other.

Sunday, April 10th we had a half sea day and then made it to Cochin, India a day early…which was nice. Greg, Jodie, Lesley, Jen and myself headed out together and we were heading towards a very nice hotel that the ship told us to head to for the day. Getting out of the terminal was so scary and I now know what its like to have paparazzi around you all the time. We had a SWORM of 40 taxi drivers trying to get us to go with them…screaming and tapping us to get our attention. My dad / protector mode kicked in and I told the girls to walk ahead of Greg and I so that they weren't behind us. I made all those guys understand to back off and that we didn't want to go with them. The walk took us about 5 mins to the hotel and all the way there…some of them were following us…did they not get the hint….WOW. When we arrived at the hotel, there was an Elephant there greeting us. Jodie and Lesley had never seen an Elephant before so they were excited and got a picture with it…which was cool. We got into the hotel and what a beautiful place it was, 5 star service and just beautiful lobby…I'm sure that it would be quite expensive to stay there. During our stay, we had a great meal and a wonderful time at the pool, where we had a make shift photo shoot with my camera….I've just found some really cool gadgets on my camera….a little late, no? After a wonderful day at the hotel, we decided to head back to the ship. It was shocking how calm and quite it was walking back. There was trash everywhere and I just couldn't believe that I was in India…just very shocking. Greg had the idea, since we were pretty much harassed earlier that if a Taxi driver asked us if we wanted a ride walking back…he would turn, look at them and scream, "NO!!!" Holy crap, I don't think any of us have laughed so hard….because two taxi drivers got an ear full of NO…HAHA!!! When we returned to the ship, we were all just exhausted and just chilled out of the rest of the evening.

Monday, April 11th we were in Cochin, India again and I spent the day with Greg and Lesley AND marked the two months left we have on the ship. Again, we were harassed coming out of the port and we eventually found a nice Tuktuk driver named, Babu. Babu spent the entire day with us and what a cool, interesting guy he was. First he took us into the city of Cochin…wow, another eye opener. The buildings were EVERYWHERE, old and really close together. This place reminded me of a run down and dry Bali…so it was strange that I can start to see similarities of different places around the world. First he took us to a few markets where Greg and Lesley got a few things. After we drove around to the different markets for a while, we all got hungry and wanted to have the best Indian food that Babu knew of. He took us to this hotel and we sat down where the others ordered Chicken or Prawn Curry (which I tried and it was actually good…a little spicy but good) and I had Honey Chicken and Fried Rice which was great…I enjoyed it. We had a great meal but were distracted at the beginning of the meal because we saw that a little kitten was stuck on the rocks next to the ocean. Greg and I wanted to go help the kitten but by the time we were going to do something about it…someone else had taken care of it…whoosh, made us feel better. After lunch, we told Babu to take us to things around that he thinks that we would like to see and boy did he deliver. First he took us to a Snake Charmer and wow, how scary that was for me…I'm scared to death of snakes but at the same time…it was something I wanted to see and experience….so what a cool but scary moment…haha. This guy had 4 cobras and they bit him a few times…I took a few videos of it…was really cool. Next, we went to this fishing yard where the locals showed us how they fished and they took pictures of us doing it….was a lot of fun. When we were pulling the robes down, they all started chanting these words, which I found so funny, so we all joined in making up our own chants…the fisherman found it to be funny as well. Next, we wanted to see another Elephant so Babu first showed us a Hindu temple…which was really interesting…we couldn't go in but from the outside…it looked so cool. Like I said, this place reminded me of Bali…which I really enjoyed. Finally, we made it to an Elephant…where we met a father and son elephant. We all didn't like the fact that they were tied up on a concrete floor but they said that it was normal. Found out that we could buy one of those Elephants for 16,000 dollars and I thought, "Wow, it was a little bit more than my first car…haha". While we were there with the Elephants, the dad wasn't to happy that we were there and kept throwing Bamboo at us and actually hit me in the arm with a HUGE branch….which really hurt. I have a little battle wound from the damn Elephant…OKAY I GET THE POINT, I'LL LEAVE!!! Next, Babu took us around his neighborhood and we asked him if we could see his house. It was something like you see in the movies in Africa or Slum Dog Millionaire…where the kids were all playing on the dirt paths in the housing district.  They were all playing cricket and we actually played with them during our little time at Babu's house. He invited us in and offered us some of the best tea I have EVER had. We found out that he lives in the house with his wife, who was pregnant with his first child and his mother, who was ill at the time. His brother lived above him with his wife…who we also got to meet. He sat us down and it was just a really surreal time…getting to see what it was like to live in India….get to experience how this guy lives each day…just was really cool to experience…something that I'll never forget. After we had the great time at his home..it was time for us to head back to the ship. While driving back, he told us his dream to go to Switzerland someday and that he knows that he'll make there. It made me tear us a little bit because this was his dream…something that he is determined to do and you could just see in his eyes the longing to go away from India. Just made me look back on this incredible 'dream coming true' for myself traveling the world….something that I always wanted to do but never thought that I would be able to…just strange and surreal. When he dropped us off…we all gave him 20 dollars which is worth SO much in his country and I told him to make sure that he buys something nice for his baby when its born….to which he gave us all a hug and drove off….what a GREAT experience in Cochin, India….one I'll never forget.

Tuesday, April 12th…we were at sea heading to Mumbai, India. We actually needed this sea day because we were all tired. All day long, I was totally out of it and not really responsive because I was just in a funk and thinking about my family. Its a hard time during this time of the year….

Wednesday, April 13th we finally made it to Mumbai, India and I made sure to get out and keep myself (more importantly my mind) busy today….since it was 7 years ago that my father died in a car accident. First, we got off and headed to a tailor shop because Greg wanted to get a suit made and yes, I got talked in to getting a suit made as well…which I'm really happy that I did…what a wonderful job that they did for me and who else can say, they have a tailored made suit from India…haha. We had a great time there and afterwards it was the perfect time to head to get something to eat. We had seen a McDonalds so we asked if we could go there…to find out that they don't serve Hamburgers there…they don't eat cow. It was crazy to think that they didn't serve them..only chicken so I had some chicken nuggets and a coke…was just shock throughout the entire meal. During our lunch these girls were staring at Jodie the entire time and really started to piss the both of us off. At the end of our meal, I looked at them and said, "You stare to much"…the little girls gave me attitude and said something in Indian about me to which Jodie walked over and said, "You know, I know that your mother taught you better than to stare at people….you should know that its rude.  Here is a lesson, from where I'm from…its not acceptable…so stop it". I was like, YEAH JODE!!!! Afterwards, our taxi driver stopped at the side of the road and for 5 mins kept telling us all the places that he wanted to take us and we were like…fine whatever. We asked if there was a shopping place anywhere and would he take us there….to which we kept telling us that we wouldn't like it…he knows what we wanted. We drove around to market after market of the same stuff in all the stores. He scared us a few times with his driving….wow…you think that there are some crazy drivers in America…you haven't seen ANYTHING!!! Eventually we said, we want to go to this mall that he didn't think that we would like. It took us about 45 mins to get there but we show up and its one of the nicest malls that I've ever been to…Jodie was in heaven and I was too…there was a TGI Fridays…haha. We had a great time there and a great meal and then it was time to head back to the ship. The entire day we had heard horns with the cars beeping throughout the street…we swear there is a conversation going on through the horns but this night…it was a joke. Our taxi driver got us back (even though he had NO idea where he was going and it pissed us off) to the ship just in time for our evening stuff that we had to do. When I got back to the ship, I got online and saw the outpouring of support that I had from my friends and family, especially from my mom who said, "Your Dad IS so proud of you" which made me start to cry. I have never felt my Dads presence more in the past 7 years than I have during this contract. Makes me feel so happy to know that both my parents are getting to experience this trip with me…but in two totally different ways. I know that I have an angel watching over me throughout this entire journey…making sure that I'm safe and having the experience of a lifetime. Thanks Dad…

Thursday, April 14th we were in Mumbai, India again but I was on IPM, which I was okay with…I didn't need to go back out into that crazy city. I enjoyed my day on the ship and laid out by the pool again….love taking advantage of my benefits for the last few times that I can.

Friday, April 15th and Saturday, April 16th we were at sea again, heading towards Khasab, Oman. Again, we had a great, smooth crossing and had great weather…nothing to complain about except…there wasn't really anything to do…boring, boring sea days.

Sunday, April 17th we arrived in Khasab, Oman for the day. Lesley and I got the tender into town and eventually made it to city center via shuttle bus. It was so strange to be walking around in this part of the world…Muslim country. Nothing against them but it was a little intimidating…I will admit. Also, the entire place looked like the Moon or Mars….just rock and mountain EVERYWHERE….just really strange. When we were in the city center, Lesley and I walked into this shop and found this cream called, 100% bust enlargement cream…which made us laugh…REALLY HARD…just something you wouldn't think you would see in this part of the world….bust enlargement cream…HAHA. Anyway, in the shop…the owner asked both of us where we were from and Lesley said, "England" and he smile and said "Okay", then he looked at me and I said, "America" and he stopped smiling and said, "OH". WOW…can we say, Awkward….I have now learned that I don't say that I'm American in this part of the world…I don't think that they like us very much. After the awkwardness…Lesley and myself headed back to the pier on the shuttle bus but we thought…lets go see this hotel that the ship suggested we see. When we were on our walk there, I kept singing…On the Road Again…because we felt like we were in the middle of NO WHERE!!! When we turned the corner…I thought, you know what…I want to have an adventure….I want to climb this mountain side and get to the top of that rock. Yes, random but I was in the mood to climb apparently…cause I made it all the way to the top of the mountain. What a beautiful view from the top of this rock…you could see everything. I sat up there for a while and took everything in…needed one of those moments…haven't done that in a while. Made the way back down the mountain and Lesley and myself finally made it to the hotel. We had a great time by the pool, even though these kids were giving the lifeguard in me a heart attack…just walking accidents waiting to happen. After a while, we were hungry and had a great meal at the hotel restaurant. I made the good point of why we haven't taken the advantage of hotels in some places but whatever…thus is life…haha. We made it back to the pier to catch the last tender back to the ship where we had a very smooth and slow journey to our last port of this cruise…Dubai, UAE.

Our next cruises itinerary is: Dubai, UAE on April 18th and 19th / Muscat, Oman on April 20th / At Sea April 21st - 25th..our last long crossing…HOORAY!!! / 

Safaga, Egypt on April 26th and 27th / Aqaba, Jordan on April 28th / Sharm-El-Sheikh, Egypt on April 29th / Transit the Suez Canal on April 30th / Alexandria, Egypt on May 1st / At Sea on May 2nd and ending our cruise in Athens, Greece on May 3rd….which will mark my circling the globe.

WOW….

Until Next Time,

Jason

Asia and One Night in Bangkok...literally...

Hello everyone,

Well, the 12 days cruise flew by so quickly…which I thought would happen, since we just got done with a 21 day cruise…whoosh…which was too long. 

Here's what happened:

Wednesday, March 23rd….we didn't arrive in Haiphong until late in the evening and couldn't get off the ship because there was nothing to do so it was pretty much a sea day…and a bad one at that. I was SO cold I couldn't believe it. I thought that we were suppose to be in warmer areas now…whats going on? One good thing that happened was I got to see the first lecture of Mr. Dan Rather (previously from CBS News). It was just strange, since I've seen him on TV for so many years, to see him in person was just strange but cool. He is a lot taller than I thought…haha.

Thursday, March 24th we had a good day in Haiphong, Vietnam. It was strange to be there and experience the life in Vietnam…very run down, dirty and congested. When we got off the shuttle bus, the entire gang headed off to find something to eat and/or find a cash machine to be able to buy things. I'll tell you something, figuring out the currency difference during this cruise is for the birds…its very very confusing. We walked around for quite some time before we found somewhere (we thought) was good to eat…KFC. I'm telling you…there wasn't anything else there…haha. I had some great mashed potatoes and roll though…it was really good…the chicken looked a little questionable but I had the popcorn chicken instead. Afterwards, we all decided to go over to the food market and just walk around…to get the feel of Haiphong. I'll tell you something, I have NEVER in my life seen so many motorbikes in one place. They were everywhere and you just had to RUN across the street to get to the other side….felt like we were playing the real life game of Frogger. Anyway, once we got to the market, they were staring at us like we had the plague or something. I guess they have never seen Americans or English before…they would look at us and comment to each other in their language…was a little weird. After we walked around for a while, Jodie and Greg went back to the ship and everyone else went their separate ways. Lesley and I walked around for a while, a little bit of time by the river…which was just sad to see….very interesting and eye opening but sad. When we were walking through one of the markets, Lesley stopped me and said, "Jason, I think that this woman is about to kill this chicken…." We both walked back there and she had put the chicken in SCOLDING hot water and killed it, then threw it on the floor. HOLY CRAP…I couldn't believe that we had just witnessed that. I turned to Lesley after it happened and said, "Makes you feel a lot better eating KFC, huh?"(HAHA). There was a lot of other gross stuff that we saw: cleaning a dead pig with the same washcloth that she wiped the table with, cutting up frogs…you know, the works…YUCK. We decided to leave that market and possibly go shopping for a little while (Lesley was on a shoe hunt this day). Again, crossing the street was a challenge…I made it across but Lesley wasn't so lucky and had to wait for a while. I taped her across the street and I was CRACKING up at her trying to cross the street….just bikes EVERYWHERE…haha…Run Lesley, RUN!!! Eventually we got pretty tired of walking around and decided to head back to the ship. It was a great but strange day in Haiphong.

Friday, March 25th we were in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam where there was a silver sea experience that I went on the tour of. Again, it was so cold…I couldn't feel my toes…what the hell…haha. Had a great time on one of their boats with some of the guests….some really friendly people on the ship right now. Sailing around about 1969 different islands in Ha Long Bay (which means Descending Dragon) I don't know about that…I saw NO descending dragons in the water…haha. It was really cool, with the guide pointing out that the different island / rock formations looked like different things like: A thumb, a sitting dog, a cat in the mountains, kissing chickens, king kong…was just really cool. While on the ship, you could buy these little paintings that at a fair distance glance…looked like someone painted but actually it was stitching which I thought was so cool…so I bought one. Had a great time getting to know some of the guests and talking about the difference experiences that I have gone through during my contract…was a good day. The rest of the day was spent on the ship as a half sea day…oh joy…haha.

Saturday, March 26th we were at sea again…but you know, it was a well deserved sea day…I needed the rest, apparently I was tired. Also, it was great because we just got some new movies on the TV and of course I've watched a few already like…Tangled and Burlesque. All in all, a restful sea day.

Sunday, March 27th and Monday, March 28th we were in Ho Chi Minh City or known to most as Saigon, Vietnam. The first day (the 27th) we headed out into the town…which was BY FAR a lot better than Haiphong. We headed down the street and right away you knew that it was defiantly going to be a day of souvenir shopping….holy crap, they were EVERYWHERE. First, we had to go find an ATM so we could get some money out…that was very important if we were going to shop today. We headed over to the big market that was there and before we could even get into the store we had a tragedy hit us…well not us…Jodie. A quite large bug had landed on her and she let out this HUGE scream (scared the crap out of me) and was scared to pieces and didn't want to be outside anymore for a while so we thought that we should have something to eat first…which was fine by me…I needed something to eat. I thought that everyone was going to go to this little shopping center that we had seen but no…we had Chinese food…oh no. Now, I'm really trying to be more open with my food intake and just enjoy the cuisine from around the world but I don't think that I am a chinese food kinda guy…I don't like the look of the food and I don't know how to use the stupid chopsticks. It took me five minutes to try and pick up a piece of chicken from my chicken fried rice…to where I threw the chopsticks on the table and said, "Ehhhh…I need a fork" (which they had…thank the lord). After lunch, we all headed back to the market…Jodie was better by this time and headed inside….HOLY CRAP…there were so many little vendors and people EVERYWHERE. We all got a few things but made sure that we stayed close together…it was NUTS. On our way outside, Jodie had bought one of the little fans that you see everywhere…to match her dresses. She had bought one from this older lady and started to walk away. This little 7 year old girl came up to her and said, "Why didn't you buy from me?" "Oh, I'm sorry sweetie, I already bought one from her…I didn't see you but thank you" Jodie said. "You have two hands, don't you…you can buy another one". Now, at first I thought, you little shit and wow…you have some guts but at the same time I thought and I said to Jodie, "She does have a point…haha." Needless to say…Jodie now has two fans and a picture with the little girl. As we were walking out past the front of the market, a man hit me in the shoulder REALLY REALLY hard. Just point blank punched me…like…really?  I turned around and just stared at him and he stared back. I thought…why did this random guy hit me but don't start something with someone in this country. Maybe he didn't like me cause I was an American….but man, my shoulder hurt for a few minutes after. On our way back to the shuttle bus, we all got a few things that we saw that we wanted and just enjoyed our time in Saigon…it was a good day. The second day (the 28th) I was on IPM so I wasn't able to go into town again…which was a bummer but I enjoyed the time on the ship….enjoying my bed and watching TV…haha.

Tuesday, March 29th we were again where…..oh yeah…AT SEA!!! I think that this at sea stuff is getting a little old right now….our days seem to go so much slower when you have no where to go or nothing to do…EHHHHH.

Wednesday, March 30 and Thursday, March 31st we were in Bangkok, Thailand and what an INCREDIBLE two days there. Lesley and I had been invited by one of the guests on the ship to be his guests in the wonderful hotel "The Oriental Hotel Bangkok" for the overnight (our first time staying off the ship for an overnight in 7 months…..wow, it was lovely). I didn't know just how glitzy this hotel was though but we had a DRIVER pick us up at the dock for the 2 hour drive into Bangkok. Our driver, Sammy…not James as my Mom pointed out…haha…was standing there and we said, "Are you with the Oriental?" And he said, "Are you Mr. Slattery?" I laughed because I'm telling you….he really didn't believe that we were the ones he was picking up…."Yep, I sure am". We get into the back of this beautiful BMW 7 series and enjoyed our 5 star service. Not joking….warm towels, reading papers, water and everything in this car….I just didn't know what to do…I've never been to a place like this…I felt very hill-jackish…haha. The trip in was great…didn't feel like 2 hours but once we got to the hotel…they greeted us in a way that made us feel like royalty. The Thai way to greet someone, was really cool. You put your hands in a prayer position and put it in front of your mouth and bow your head. It was so cool. When we got into the hotel, they had handed us these little flowers and Lesley and I didn't know what they were and we were trying to put them on our wrists (come to find out that they go over your hands for when you bow…whoops). They knew exactly who we were when we got there…by name, which I thought was AWESOME. Our friend was there to greet us as well and he asked us to go up to the room and come back down so that we could go sight seeing. We headed up to this hotel room and WOW…just amazing. Truly felt the 5 star hotel effect with just how nice everything was laid out. The bathtub was HUGE (Lesley loved that) and the beds were so comfortable (which we both loved…haha). I was just walking around, looking at the cool little gadgets that they had all over the room and just looking at the beautiful view that we had from our room. After we freshened up, we headed down and were on our way (via speed boat) to the Grand Palace where the "Emerald Buddha" was. It was so beautiful…the entire area and just amazed at how it was built. I found out that this was the palace to King Rama V, where "The King and I" is set….which I thought was awesome. I'm defiantly doing my research for musicals now…haha. After a wonderful day spent out in the grand palace it was time to walk back through the market (where I hit my head pretty hard on the low ceilings….guess I am just taller than the normal person over here) and get back on our speed boat back to the hotel to get ready for our evening. Before we went up to our room, we had a great time in the lobby of the hotel having proper English Tea Time…I've never had that but enjoyed it though. Once we got to the room, Lesley had a great bath and I spent the time talking to people online which was nice; I didn't have to worry about the time wasted or anything…whoosh. We all met downstairs to go to dinner at a GREAT restaurant called "Bed". I didn't really know what to expect from this place but I was told that it was great. We arrive there and you feel like you are entering a spaceship…just a really odd shaped building. Once you walk in everything there is white…EVERYTHING and your table is placed on this HUGE bed that you have to take your shoes off to sit / lounge back on. It was really odd to sit on a bed and during our AMAZING (and do I mean amazing) dinner….it was even harder to cut my food…when I was laying my plate in my lap….haha. Also during the dinner, they had a contemporary dance performance for you in the middle of the room…it was a VERY COOL experience. Afterwards, we had a GREAT night out in Bangkok….some really great stories to come back and tell…HAHAHAHAHAHA….what an eye opening experience, to say the least…haha. The song, "One Night in Bangkok" has a whole new meaning now…haha. Our second day in Bangkok was welcomed by a WONDERFUL breakfast down with our friend on the river. I had been craving pancakes for about 2 months and boy….did I enjoy them this morning…what a great breakfast (which is a lot coming from me…I'm not a breakfast kinda guy…haha). Afterwards, Lesley and I were treated by a 90 minute full body massage. OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHH WOW…..I think I have caught the massage bug. When we first got there…they took us to our separate rooms…where we were shown all the ins and outs of the room and told to take a shower. I got in the shower but I guess that I took a little too long because the lady walked in on me….WHOOPS. After, I dried off and told the woman that it was all clear…haha…it was time for the 90 minutes of pure bliss….HOLY CRAP. I think I fell asleep at one time….which I really can't believe that I could but wow….what an amazing experience…one which I want to do again. After the AMAZING morning, we were off to go to do some souvenir shopping in town. We found some great things to buy and then headed back to the hotel for a great lunch before the 2 hours back to the ship, with Sammy as the driver. WHAT AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE, which we both are totally grateful to have such a great friend that we have made on the ship….what a much needed time away. 

Friday, April 1st (April Fools) we were suppose to go to Ko Samui but we couldn't go because it was under 6 feet of water. Thats not the April Fools joke…it really was….essh. The captain decided to head to our last port, Singapore a day early so that we could have an overnight…we thought it was a good idea. This evening I had a WONDERFUL dinner with 4 people from California who are one of the sweetest people that I've met on the ship….had a great time talking with them and hopefully…will be able to stay in touch with them…so sweet. 

Saturday, April 2nd, half the day was spent at sea and then we got to Singapore and docked at 7:00pm to have an overnight. The cast decided to get off and have an impromptu overnight in Singapore. We headed into town via taxi and asked to be dropped off in Rivertown. Again, we had Chinese food…whoosh…but I was hungry…so I enjoyed my dinner. Maybe I'm getting use to it now…oh lord….haha. Afterwards, we had all seen this slingshot ride on the other side of the river. I had told everyone that I had done it before but no one else had. I KNEW that we had to go ride it….what a crazy thing to say you've done in Singapore. We got over there and decided who was going to ride with who. Jodie, Emily and Lesley were going to ride together and the three boys…Cody, Greg and myself were going to go together. First up were the girls and wow, was it hilarious watching them on the TV (which we bought the DVD of the girls and boys…haha) and hearing them scream. They all got off and just loved it. Greg was a little nervous about going on it because he doesn't do thrill rides very well (I can understand) but we got him on away. It was SO much fun and I had a blast…just really made me miss Cedar Point / Kings Island and all the thrill rides…defiantly going there when I get home…haha. We all had so much fun laughing at each other and talking about the experience. Afterwards, we all headed to get some ice cream and then realized that it was almost 3 in the morning…it was time to head back to the ship…which to find out was going to be interesting because none of the cabs were stopping. Emily worked her girl charm and we all got back to the ship safely to finally end this segment of the cruise the next day on Sunday, April 3rd where we embarked 340 guests onto the ship to continue on to Dubai. 

Our next cruises itinerary is: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on April 4th / Penang, Malaysia on April 5th / Phuket, Thailand on April 6th / At sea on April 7th and 8th / Colombo, Sri Lanka on April 9th / Cochin, India on April 10th and 11th / At Sea on April 12th / Mumbai, India on April 13th and 14th / At Sea on April 15th and 16th / Khasab, Oman on April 17th and ending our cruise in Dubai, UAE on April 18th. 

I hope that everyone is enjoying the beginning of April. I can't believe that I get to see my Mom and Nene in a little more than a month….its been 9 months since I saw them last…I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Until Next Time,

Jason

Lesley's Birthday / Beginnings of Asia

Hello everyone,

I hope that everyone has had a good March…I know that I've had quite the busy and excited end to my month. I can't believe that we're almost to April…everything is moving SO fast. 

On to the blog:

Saturday, March 12th and Sunday, March 13th we were at sea….and to be quite honest…it was the fastest two seas day that we have had in quite some time. HOLD ON A MINUTE….am I okay? Did I just say that the sea days were okay…WOW. Anyway….I think what made the days go quicker was all the news about Japan and the horrible earthquake / tsunami….I still can't believe that happened and I was close to it…hmmm. Also, we were so excited to get to Bali to celebrate Lesley's 25th birthday!!!!

Monday, March 14th (HAPPY BIRTHDAY LESLEY!!!!) we were in Benoa, Bali, Indonesia and had a great day. Lesley and I decided to get off early and scope out the place so that she could decide what she wanted to do for her birthday. Getting out of the terminal was a nightmare…with all the rain (that kept going on and off all day….wasn't horrible rain but just was a nuisance) and with all the locals trying to get us to take their taxis. I have NEVER in my life been so uncomfortable in my life. They were SWARMING us and Lesley and I didn't know what to do or where to go. We just kept walking and I just had to be rude and stern and say, "NO". Eventually we got to a place in the road where we were trying to talk to each other and collect our thoughts when out of no where this man said…."I'll take you to where you want to go…I understand that you don't like the crazy people…if you would like to come with me, you can…if not, I understand"…and I think because he was so honest and nice with us…we took his cab. He took us into town to get some money (which that right there was a joke) its 1 US dollar is 8,718 Indonesian dollars, so we were confused on how much to take out…it was a mess. Eventually our guide took us to a beach and we asked him to meet us back there at 4:00 to be back on board at the right time. We walked up to the beach and it was PORING down rain…like it was comical. Lesley and I took a picture of us in the rain and then decided to walk into a cafe and have a drink. We were looking at the different prices for everything and comparing it to the US dollar….their most expensive thing…which I think was a HUGE steak was $12.00…thats just how it work out to be…it was CRAZY. Afterwards, we decided to walk up to the main part of the road cause we saw some nicer places to eat and such. Walking up there, it was very strange to think that I was in Bali…someplace that I read about in Eat, Pray, Love….was just cool. Once we got to this restaurant called, "Arcade" Jodie, Greg and Emily were there and were excited to celebrate with us. We had a GREAT meal at "Arcade" (actually a lot better than I was expecting) but what made us laugh was when the bill came back and the total was over one million Indonesian dollars!!! We all laughed a loud and said, "Damn Les, you're expensive…that better have been the best meal ever if it was over a million dollars. Was just strange to say, "oh yeah…my bill wasn't bad..only 2 million dollars…HAHA". After we paid our check, our taxi guy (who had brought Jodie, Greg and Emily) asked us if we wanted to go to a few markets. It was raining at the time and we thought, there isn't anything better to do…why not. So, off we went to a fabric market first…which was so cool. All of these shirts and dresses and knick knack stuff that was all homemade by the people in the shop…was really awesome. We all bought a few things and then we were off to the wood market. On our way, we got to see all sorts of cool buildings and a little bit of the jungle…was just an awesome ride. We all had our cameras out and ready to take pictures that we thought looked awesome. When we got to the wood market…it was absolutely beautiful. Everything in the whole shop was made by the people there and actually, people were in the back making things as we were there….and actually got a few pictures of them working…was just amazing. They had all these animal carvings and cool musical instruments. What caught me off guard was how obsessed they were about the male…how can I make this politically correct….member? They had carvings all over the place of them…even "member" bottle openers…it was hilarious…haha. Everyone (except myself) got a wood carving and were very happy with their buys. Once we got back in the taxi, we were running a little later than we needed to, to get back on the ship at the right time. Our taxi guy said, No worries…I'll get you there in time. OH MY LORD, I have never been more nervous in a car in my entire life. I really don't understand why they had white lines on the road because no one payed ANY attention to them. It was a two lane road but with all the different cars / bikes all over the place…there were about 4 or 5. Sometimes he got a little TOO close for comfort and we all would hold our breath and grab onto each other. I asked our taxi guy in the middle of the craziness (and just to be funny), "So…have you ever been in an accident…cause this is crazy"….HE HASN'T!!!! Wow…thats impressive because if would have seen what we were doing….you wouldn't have believed it. Also, I thought….if anyone drove like this in American…you would be shot. He did get us back with our lives and 2 minutes to spare…what an adventure.

Tuesday, March 15th and Wednesday, March 16th were another quick sea days….I don't know whats wrong with me…maybe I'm getting use to the sea days. One the second day, we had another equator crossing celebration….meaning that we have to take bed sheets and wrap it around ourselves and parade in front of all the guests as the rulers of the sea (so stupid…haha). One fun thing though, we get to dump flour, whip cream, eggs on the guests and make them kiss a fish….oh the joys of my job…haha. 

Thursday, March 17th we were in Sandakan, Malaysia and what an eye opening experience that was. It started off kinda crappy because we had missed the last shuttle that we wanted to take before we needed to be back on board. Our boss, Jean Ann Ryan and her husband were joining us for the remainder of the cruise and we had a rehearsal that day. Greg and I decided just to get off anyway….to get away from the ship for a little while. It was shocking when we got into the town and just how dirty it was and how run down it all looked. Its hard to explain what we were feeling because we couldn't wrap our minds around the fact that people actually lived and survived in a place like this. I feel bad for these people only in the sense of knowing where I come from and what I have….but at the same time (as Lesley says) don't feel bad for them…they don't know any different…and thats true. Experiencing this place made me totally appreciate everything that I have back home. I now know (knew before but its cemented in me now) not to take ANYTHING for granted…personal items, money, a roof over your head and most importantly, the people that you love. You cant take that for granted because we are truly blessed to have what we have and live the lives that we live in America. Well, Greg and I walked around….smelling the HORRIBLE smells…just bad. What made Greg and I laugh was the fact that we found air freshers in a grocery store but the grocery store itself smelled like a fish hole…just awful…we laughed about that all day. We found a KFC (which confused us) and thought…I think this is the only thing that we can have to eat and to tell you the truth…it was REALLY good, I was shocked. What I thought was so cool…when Greg had ordered something to take away….and while we were waiting…the man that took our order gave us a little drink while we waiting. I thought that it was AWESOME business to give us a drink while we waited…for free. It was a good day over all….and once we got back to the ship, we had a rehearsal with our boss, Jean Ann and it was nice to do the show for someone different again….I enjoyed the rehearsal process. Overall…had a great day in Sandakan, Malaysia.

Friday, March 18th we were at sea heading out to Manila, Philippines. Just the normal sea day except the fact that we had another rehearsal for our shows this night….to make some changes and fix a few problems….all in all a good day.

Saturday, March 19th we were in Manila, Philippines and this morning we had an early rehearsal before we went out for the day. After rehearsal, Greg, Jodie, Emily, Jen and myself went off into Manila…to the 4th largest mall in the world called "Mall of Asia". When we arrived there…I was just overwhelmed with the size of this place. It was a mixture of an outdoor mall and an indoor mall…it would take a LONG time to get use to this place…I'm sure of it. We first went to a store called, "Zara" and we bought a few things…it was nice. Afterwards, the girls went into another shop and Greg and myself went and checked out the indoor ice rink….yes, I said in door ice rink. I told everyone that I had never been ice skating before and they thought I was crazy….I didn't get to do it that day either….maybe NYC when I get back. We heard that they had a TGI Fridays in the mall so we all decided to go have a great lunch there and it sure was. We had a great time together just enjoying each others company and talking about stuff. After lunch, the girls wanted to go to a few shops so Greg and I walked around the mall, just window shopping and if something caught our eye…we went and looked at it. After a long day at the mall, we decided to head back to the ship. On our way back, we were talking about what people are called from different places (eg. People from Rome = Romans) and talking about all this stuff. I had said that I could name all the states in America and they didn't believe me. I was SO proud of myself that I got all the states except stupid Connecticut….ehhh, if I had a map…I could have done it but I was pretty proud of myself. Getting back to the ship, we all had early socializing duties this evening and we all went out in full force and I met some lovely people on the cruise….some that have been on for a while and have been coming to each and every show that we've had. What a great day in Manila.

Sunday, March 20th we were at sea….our last sea day for this voyage….YES…on our way to Hong Kong, China. We had another day of duties and rehearsals in the evening….getting ready for our days in Hong Kong….I'm so excited!!! Something during the day which surprised me was how foggy it was and I had asked someone what that was and they said, "The pollution from Hong Kong"…HOLY CRAP!!!

Monday, March 21st we finally were ending our cruise in Hong Kong, China. I was on IPM which was nice cause we had rehearsals all day long with our boss, Jean Ann. I went outside at one point and I looked at the skyline of Hong Kong and you know what….it wasn't what I thought it was going to be like. I thought that it was going to be massive…like 2 or 3 NYC's but it wasn't. Granted we were docked in a horrible place in Hong Kong but still….it wasn't what I thought..hmmm, interesting. Later this night we had a great meal in the main dinning room with our boss, Jean Ann and her husband Howard. It was great to have them on board and I had a great time talking with them both. That night, everyone else (who wasn't on IPM) went out to the night market on the Kowloon side of the city…which they said was AWESOME. I was a little jealous cause they all came back with this awesome presents and stuff….oh well….can't do everything in life…haha.

Tuesday, March 22nd was another day in Hong Kong and the embarkation day for the new cruise. It was sad to say goodbye to some of the half world cruisers and others that were so pleasant but happy to say goodbye to some of those people that made our life hell on the ship….ehhhh. Before my embarkation duty, I went out with Lesley and Jen to see some of the city and to my surprise, Mickki Brown (our stars club singer) got on the shuttle bus to come out as well. It was great to see Mickki again since it had been 2 months since I last saw her. We talked for a while and she asked us where we wanted to go / wanted to see. She took us to the Hong Kong Island side of the city and we walked around for a while with each other. Lesley and Jen had decided to go down a few other side alley's to get a few things cause they had to be back earlier than myself…so Mickki and I had a great day together walking around. She use to work in Hong Kong at a very nice hotel not far from where we were. She took me on one of the above ground subways just to get a sense of what Hong Kong was about…it was a great time. We walked around, we got a few things at the 7/11 that was on one of the corners (I had to put that it in the blog…I joked with her about that) and then we made it to her hotel area that she use to work out. She told me a very funny story that I won't put here (love you Mickki) because I told her I wouldn't but it was quite funny and we laughed about it for a while. Had a great lunch in the mall that was connected to where she use to work and finally got to go to the hotel, the Island Shangri-La. It was a BEAUTIFUL hotel…very high class. It was cool (Mickki mentioned to me) that in the elevator…the carpet was changed everyday to say the day on the floor (eg. Tuesday, Wednesday…) which I thought was pretty cool. After the hotel, we took a taxi back to the area that we started in…I bought something cute for my niece and Mickki bought a few things before we headed back to the ship. She pointed out to me the two places that they shot "Dark Knight" in Hong Kong…which I thought was AWESOME and then we made it back to the ship so I could start my embarkation duties for the day. What a great day and wonderful way to end the LONGEST cruise that I've had during this contract…whoosh.

The next cruise's itinerary is: At Sea / Haiphong, Vietnam on March 23rd / Haiphong, Vietnam on March March 24th / Ha Long Bay, Vietnam on March 25th / At Sea on March 26th / Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam on March 27th and 28th / At Sea on March 29th / Bangkok, Thailand on March 30 and 31st / Ko Samui, Thailand on April 1st / At Sea on April 2nd and ending this part of the world cruise in Singapore, Singapore on April 3rd.

I am so excited to be able to say now that I've officially been to 6 of the 7 continents on the earth…which I still can't believe.  Like I've said many times that I've always dreamed to be able to travel the world and see different places and now I think (funny that its taken this long) that its starting to sink in how much I've seen and how truly blest I am to have this experience….very overwhelming at times but I'm very grateful for it.

Until Next Time,

Jason

Australia part 2

Hello Everyone,

I hope that everyone has had a great couple of weeks since the last blog….I know that I have been enjoying my time on the ship. 

Lets not waste any time:

Thursday, March 3rd was the first of MANY MANY sea days that we have had during this cruise. This is the longest cruise that I've had since I've been on the ship and thats nuts….21 day cruise. The normal things happened on the sea day….just the normal duties. Kinda bummed that the weather has been kinda crap lately…I hope that its better throughout this cruise.

Friday, March 4th we were in Brisbane, Australia and had a very good day in the city and then off on tour. I woke up in the morning and wanted to see the city of Brisbane (also, to get a good meal as well…haha). The city of Brisbane, is just like every other city in the world….streets, buildings…the works. I walked around their city mall and just enjoyed my time alone in the city. If you remember the last blog, I talked about Hungry Jack's (the wannabe Burger King)…well, I decided this day to have a meal there….just to see what it was like. I have to say, they are a lot fresher and nicer there….which is hard for me to say…I am a Burger King fan…but I have to give it to Hungry Jack's…they impressed me…HAHA!!! After my satisfying meal (haha), I made my way back to the ship for my afternoon tour that I was escorting to the Australian Zoo (Steve Irwin's Zoo). Got on the bus and had a great drive into Australia to make my way there. It was POURING down rain…like REALLY hard, but I was so excited to make it to the Zoo. On the drive there, I kept thinking about my Dad and when I was younger…we would watch the Crocodile Hunter on Animal Planet together all the time…so going to the Australian Zoo…where I would see it all the time on the TV…finally being there, brought back a lot of great memories with my Dad….it was nice. Yeah, I know that it was a little random but meant something to me. When I got to the zoo, it was absolutely POURING down rain…I have never experienced this kind of rain before. I didn't have an umbrella this day (BIG MISTAKE) so needless to say, I got wet. We went on the trolley to the Elephant feeding on the far side of the park. I got to feed an Elephant named Siam and it was so strange….someone made a great point to me…its like feeding the fruit to a person's nose….needless to say, I needed to wash my hands afterwards..haha. We headed off to the Tiger cage next but they wanted NOTHING to do with the people there…had their backs to us the entire time…made me laugh. We then took the trolley over to the crocodile area where we thought we were going to witness a croc feeding…just like Steve Irwin did when he first began everything, but when we got there…they told us that the feeding wouldn't be happening because the crocs get very excited in the rain…so it wasn't safe for the croc handlers….so that was a little upsetting but I understood. Next, we went over to the main area…where the Crocoseum was (this is the place where Steve Irwin's funeral was on TV…if you can remember that) and it was just strange to be somewhere I saw on TV and now, I'm there. After that, I found out that one of the guests had bought an opportunity for me to get a picture with a Koala…which was so nice of them. I was so strange to hold them…the Koala, not the guests haha…they are A LOT heavier than I thought but nice and soft….what a cool experience and I got a 8 x 10 picture with it…possible new headshot??? (Haha) After a great time at the zoo, we had to make it back to the bus to get us back to the ship for our departure from Brisbane. What a wonderful day…rainy…but wonderful. 

Saturday, March 5th we were, AGAIN, at sea. This cruise is going to be SO long with all these sea days…I can't believe that we have so many…ehhh. Again, we had another day full of duties and RAIN. I'm REALLY get sick of the rain and I don't understand why it is raining ALL the time. The people on the ship so far have not really been so much fun because on the sea day…we like to do water volleyball with the guests but no one on the ship seems to be interested….this is going to be a LONG cruise…haha. 

Sunday, March 6th we were suppose to go to Hardy Reef, Australia but again, due to the storms / tide…we couldn't do there…so you guessed it…ANOTHER sea day. EHHHHHHHHHHHHHH….SEA DAYS are SOOOOO boring. At least I'm getting my rest….haha.

Monday, March 7th we were in Cairns, Australia but I was ever so lucky to be on IPM so again…I couldn't get off the ship. I had the normal day of duties and then I decided to go upstairs and enjoy the fresh air…sometimes you need that…haha. It has been so humid lately (98% humidity) and it was so cool to see this storm coming towards the ship so since it was SO humid, you could see the rain in the distance. I thought that it was so cool…eventually when it got closer, you could see the rain but at the same time…hear the rain…kinda soothing. THIS was the highlight of my day….rain….has it really come to this Silver Spirit…really? (haha).

Tuesday, March 8th….sea day….SO sick of them…haha.

Wednesday, March 9th we were in Thursday Island, Australia and marking our 200th day on the ship (wow). We got off the ship early since we were leaving quite early from the port. There wasn't anything too exciting happening in this town but we walked around just trying to find somewhere to eat. We made our way to a pub that looked promising and walked in. We asked the lady there (which she was the only one there) if they had a menu and she said, "We don't serve food until 12:00 noon"…strange…so we walked off to this place that said, "THE BEST RESTAURANT IN AUSTRALIA" and guess what…they didn't serve food until 12:00 noon either….good job Thursday Island. Eventually we made it back to this little side restaurant and had a really good chicken and cheese sandwich. Afterwards, Lesley and I walked around and just enjoyed our time off the ship before we had back to the tender. Strange day here in Thursday Island….haha.

Thursday, March 10th is ANOTHER SEA DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You know…it doesn't seem like its a huge deal probably that we are at sea for the day but you have to understand that there is NOTHING else to do on the ship…so you sit in your room, watching TV or taking a nap…all day LONG…24 hours…whoosh. I can't wait to get done with this cruise…don't like having so many sea days.

Friday, March 11th we were in Darwin, Australia our last day in Australia and marks my 3 months till I come home. This day we had a half embarkation day so I had to work the terminal in the morning…only welcoming 2 guests in the 2 hours I stood there….boring. I will say though that there was this cute older lady that reminded me of my Grandma (Nene) that I found out is a world cruiser…so she is on for quite some time. She sat there with me for about 40 mins and we just talked and it was a good time…let the time fly by. She is a very sweet woman and I hope to have dinner with her during the world cruise sometime. Afterwards, the cast got off and we got a great meal in town…we needed it. Had a great time sitting there talking with each other and reflecting on great but very rainy time in Australia. Afterwards, we took our computers over to an internet cafe and spent the rest of the day talking online and uploading pictures…something that I needed to do…which was nice. I stayed a little longer than the rest of the cast and eventually looked at my clock and saw that I had 10 mins to be back on board the ship. Mom, don't worry…we have to be back on board an hour before sail away….haha. I defiantly had my work out this day…because I ran back the whole way…it was quite the run…whoosh and I was only 5 mins late…I was very proud of myself because I was quite far away. After we had sailed away, we found out about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and that the entire Pacific ocean was on a Tsunami alert. It was strange that the Captain was talking about the fact that we were safe and that we wouldn't be in danger…especially out a sea. I say that it was strange because you don't think that you will see something so horrible on the news like this and actually be in the danger zone…that it could possibly reach us. It was crazy to see all of this stuff on the news and know that I'm not that far away from where it actually was….just crazy. We had been in Christchurch a week before the horrible earthquake there and now having been so close to this next natural disaster…so crazy. Hopefully, we wont have to experience anything more.

The rest of the cruise's itinerary is: At Sea on March 12 and 13th / Benoa, Bali, Indonesia on March 14th (Lesley's Birthday) / At Sea on March 15th and 16th / Sandakan, Malaysia on March 17th / At Sea on March 18th / Manila, Philippines on March 19th / At Sea on March 20th and ending our longest cruise with an overnight in Hong Kong, China on March 21st and March 22nd. 

I hope that everyone has had a great March so far and make sure that you keep those people in Japan in your thoughts….they need all the support that they can get.

Until Next Time,

Jason

Australia part 1

Hello Everyone,

I hope that everyone had a wonderful end of February and has now started March off…with a bang! Well, when I last left you, I had finished my time in New Zealand (which again…just a beautiful country…so clean and new looking….very nice) and I was about to make my way to Australia!!!

Saturday, February 19th and Sunday, February 20th were the WORST SEA DAYS….EVER!!!!!! I have NEVER experienced such rough sea…in the 6 months I have been on this ship. We were all warned by the captain that the Tasmanian Sea was known for this sort of stuff but I didn't think that it would be that bad. At night, it was impossible to sleep because you were thrown around SO bad and you were sick to your stomach. To get the feeling that I was feeling, lay in bed and have someone push down on your shoulders, chest, legs as far as they can and at the same time….move yourself in a circle…NOT a fun time. Thank the lord that we didn't have a show on those two days…I don't think that we would have been able to do them. Lesley and I one of the days went outside (which was SO windy…it was crazy) and saw how high the waves were. We were on the 5 deck and the waves were getting close to that level….we were told that they were about 10 feet swells, which I think that they were higher than that…but boy, did we ever feel them. 

Monday, February 21st we were finally on land at Hobart, Tasmania, Australia….the little island off the southern coast of Australia. The cast had decided to do the crew outing that the ship had scheduled for us…so we all went to this wildlife park. It took us about 40 minutes to get there but it was a great time…seeing all the sights and the beautiful mountains that took over the landscape…just great. Once we got to the wildlife park…we were given a bag of food and told all about the kangaroos, how to feed them and how to scratch their chests…they love it. We got a little guided tour at the beginning and we saw the Tasmanian Devils. They are cute little animals…really misunderstood by the world…haha. They aren't very quick apparently and the only way they can warn off predators is to make this HORRIBLE sound that they make…haha…but its cute at the same time. Then we walked over to where the Koala's were…it was so cool to see one that close. They are a lot bigger than I expected and apparently they can give you quite a bite if you make them upset. Eventually we finally made our way over to the open area where the kangaroos were all laying around. It was a little nerve racking at first…because they are big animals and you never know what they might do. I kept thinking about that show "Dangerous Animal Encounters" where the Kangaroo jumps and punches the guy in the chest….so I was a little nervous to say the least. Eventually, I thought to myself that they were so use to the people around the park all the time that they weren't going to do anything. It was so great to sit there and feed a Kangaroo….I bet I fed about 25 of them when I was there. Some were very nice but others were really greedy. One of them was so greedy, he ripped the food bag right out of my hands and started to eat the bag….he wasn't very nice…haha. I wanted to see what they would do if I scratched them on their chests like the guide said and it was the funniest thing. They would lean their bodies closer and closer to the ground and then put their heads back in the air, with their eyes closed…they must really like it. After we spent our time with the Kangaroos, it was time to head back to the ship area. Once we returned to the port, we all had a great lunch at a restaurant right next to the ship….what a great day!!! 

Tuesday, February 22nd…guess what…we were at sea…AGAIN!!!! Not as rough as the last sea days…but wasn't the calmest. The rough seas made everyone want to just lay in bed and close your eyes…thats all you can do on these days to make yourself feel better. It was a joke to get up and go to our normal duties of shuffleboard or golf because no one in their right mind would be playing these games on a rough sea day…so, back to bed we went…haha.

Wednesday, February 23rd, we had a great day off in Kingcote, Kangaroo Island, Australia. Today, Lesley, Greg, Jodie, Adam and myself got off the ship via a 45 minute tender ride (puke!). Today was a COLDER day than we were use to but the sun was shinning all day…so at least we had that. We all were starving so we headed to a pizza place up the street of this tiny little country town….looked like I was in an old west town…haha. The meal was great and we were all stuffed. We headed back up the street and did some shopping…bought a few presents for people back home and finally, after 6 months on the ship…bought myself a pair of sunglasses…haha. After we did our shopping, we headed back to catch the last tender that we could get to the ship. We had to wait quite a long time, so we sat there and threw rocks into the sea, we were that bored. We were trying to hit this buoy that was out in the middle of the bay….I almost got it a few times. OH…I almost forgot…there were the BIGGEST pelicans at this place. I have NEVER in my LIFE seen a bird that big and I'm sure that it would scare the crap out you if it landed near you. Once we got on the tender, we had another 45 minute tender ride back to the ship…to be greeted by one of the most beautiful sunsets. Good job southern hemisphere…you have pretty awesome sunsets so far. 

Thursday, February 24th…we had a GREAT day in Adelaide, Australia. What a beautiful day we had with the best weather we have had in quite some time. We all headed into the main town…where there was a HUGE shopping center. At first, I wasn't going to buy anything because for some reason, I haven't felt like spending my money. Some of the cast were like…Jason, come on…you don't buy yourself anything…you can do it. So, I bought myself a few things this day. I bought a great new audition outfit and I can't wait to get back to the city and wear it for auditions. Bought a shirt that was a yellow long sleeve shirt…never thought that I would buy a shirt this color…but I like it. I was in a weird shopping mood…I normally don't do shopping too much…but I did this day. I felt bad for the other guys…cause they weren't really buying anything anywhere, but I kept going into to places…the places that caught my eye. The girls were off this day, getting their hair done and stuff…so us guys just walked around all day. It was a GREAT day and I made some great choices…I was really happy. Once we got back to the ship, after our wonderful day, I went up to the top deck to watch the sunset…and holy crap, what a BEAUTIFUL sunset. Once again (I know that I keep repeating myself but) I can't get over the sunsets during this experience. I truly think that is going to be something that I miss once this contract is over…the sunsets. 

Friday, February 25th…once again…we were at sea…heading to Geelong, Australia and Melbourne, Australia. We have some funny people on the ship this cruise…one in particular from Australia, Merv. What a funny guy he was…he would come to a lot of our games that we would play and just make fun of us, himself and the other guests that take the games WAY to seriously. His wife was always smiling and laughing, so they were such a wonderful couple to have on board. They came to every show that we had and would always give us great praise. At one of the shuffleboards that I was hosting, they were all trying to decide what rules they wanted to play by and everything and he looked at me and said, "Do you have any idea how to play this game?" "I have NOT a clue..sorry". He said, "Good…me neither"…haha…what a great guy.

Saturday, February 26th…was my IPM day but we made it to Geelong, Australia in the morning. It looked like a lovely little coast town that had a beautiful park right on the river front. The weather was great and I sat outside for a while…enjoying the sun as much as I could. In the afternoon, it was time to head off to Melbourne…which was apparently 80 kn/m away. I sat outside for a while and watched us sail away from Geelong…heading to Melbourne. As we got closer and closer to the Melbourne…the weather got worse and worse. Finally arriving to the city, the city looked beautiful but the only problem was the rain…it was hard to see the city for what it was…apparently it was a nice view from the port. I felt bad for the cast this night because we were overnight here and they went out and tried to have a good time (which they did) but it just rained the entire time. I had an early night of watching a movie and then heading off to bed.

Sunday, February 27th we were in Melbourne for our second day. Lesley and I had a day off together and it was great fun. We took the above ground trolly into town and that was a lot of fun…haven't been on one of those since 2001 in San Francisco (remember Mom?). Something that has been screwing me up for the past couple places is the fact that they drive on the other side of the road…so I never look the correct way when I'm crossing the street…thank the lord that I have Lesley there with me. Its even worse walking down the street on the sidewalks…because everyone walks on the other side too…I may have caused a few collisions on the sidewalk…sorry!!! We had a great meal before walking around the shopping district. Lesley was in the shopping mood, so I helped her pick out a few things….which was fun. We stopped at a GREAT little cupcake place that was in this side alley. Had to be one of the best cupcakes that I have had…and reminded me of some of the places back home/NYC that I like so much. After awhile in the downtown shopping center, we made our way to another outlet mall that we were told about. There were shops EVERYWHERE and we were a little bummed that we didn't get to have more time in the outlet mall. Funny thing though, I found a place called, "Hungry Jacks" here in Australia…which is their version of Burger King….with the same logo and everything…haha…I thought that it was funny…I wonder if it tastes the same??? Once we left the outlet mall, we went to this little shop that was right outside our ship, to get the ship essentials. Lesley and I have made a GREAT meal on the ship now and we can't have a enough of it. We have to keep restocking our shelves with these items because we keep making our meals all the time…ummmm, so good. 

Monday, February 28th…our last sea day before we get to Sydney, Australia. I can't believe that this day has finally come…coming to Sydney. It holds so much meaning to me because of my Mom and Dad. When my father was alive, he and my Mom would talk about how they always would want to vacation to Australia when my brother and myself were older and moved away. So growing up, I became interested in this beautiful place too because my parents were so passionate about it. Unfortunately, my father passed away before they were able to visit Australia, which makes my coming here that much more special to myself but more to my Mom. This time in Australia has been quite emotional for many reasons but my Mom and Dad are finally getting to sea Australia….through my eyes. They are both with me EVERY DAY…everything that I experience…they will experience too. These are the times that I am even more grateful for this experience than I normally am. Going to a part of the world that holds a lot of meaning to my family. 

Tuesday, March 1st was a early started day due to sailing into Sydney. I was told before I went to bed that I needed to get up early and see the sail into Sydney Harbor…that it was one of the most beautiful sail in's that you'll experience….and I couldn't agree more. I walked outside at 6:45am (by the way, it was already 80 degree out…wow) and was greeted by a beautiful sunrise…just stunning. I make my way to the front of the ship and EVERYONE else is there, waiting for this beautiful view. Once we passed this cliff, the city appeared and FINALLY I saw the famous Opera House and Sydney Harbor Bridge. I got chills and started to get quite emotional…I just couldn't believe that I was finally here. Only 2 months ago, I watched the new years fireworks on the TV in my cabin and here I was. I kept thinking of the times that I would watch the Dick Clarks New Years Rockin' Eve (haha…Mom) and seeing that very place with my family, never really thinking that I would make it there, but there it was…right in front of me. One of the guest, that I told the story about my Dad and Mom wanting to come to Australia but never getting the chance to because of his passing came up to me and said, "This one's for your dad". WHOOSH…that made me just cry even more. I just can't explain the just "awed" feeling I felt seeing the Opera House…this beautifully, constructed masterpiece that is so iconic when you think of Sydney…and there it was…not on a Tv or a picture online…but right there in front of me…just an awesome, AWESOME experience and something that I'll hold on to for a long time. When we finally made it to our dock…I was so drained, I headed back to bed…haha. Slept for another two hours and then I decided I needed to eat some lunch before I started my embarkation duties. I headed off the ship alone, into Sydney (just so awesome). I headed to the Darling Harbor and had a great meal sitting on a park bench…just enjoying my day. I had a quick embarkation duty (I think that I was just excited to be there, so I wasn't thinking about the time) and then I headed off the ship with some of the cast to have a great night in Sydney. Once we got downtown, we walked around for a while…just enjoying our time in the city. We walked to this part where there were these things hanging in the trees….they were BATS!!! I haven't seen a bat that close and whoosh…they are ugly things but have a HUGE wingspan…just incredible. After we were creeped out by the bats, haha…we eventually made our way over to the Opera House. I walked there, up the steps, by myself because I really wanted to take it in and appreciate what I was experiencing….it was a great time. Eventually, everyone got really hungry, so we headed off to a bar and had a great meal…it was a great time. After our meal, we headed back to the opera house and then headed to a park that is right behind it and sat down. We all were quite tired and didn't feel like going out on the town…we just sat there and enjoyed our view. We all got a little tired, so we decided to head back to the ship but I wanted to walk back to the ship. So Lesley, Cody, Adam and I took the almost 50 minute walk back to the ship. I had an idea of how to get back but I liked the fact of getting lost in the city…just enjoying the weather, seeing places of the city that you don't get to see, just being there…in SYDNEY. 

Wednesday, March 2nd we again were in Sydney and had another great day. Lesley and I headed off the ship quite early so that we could get some stuff done before we met everyone else for our picnic in the Botanical Gardens later in the day. Lesley went off to the shopping area to find something that she was looking for and Adam and myself headed to the Apple store so I could upload some new pictures that I needed to put online (check them out if you haven't already). Eventually, it was time to head to our picnic and we had a great time. First, we had a wonderful surprise when we spotted some wild cockatoos in the park and we fed them and actually got them up on our arms and took pictures with them..what a great surprise. Then we headed a spot in the garden and started our lunch…unfortunately we were followed by this really odd looking birds and some annoying little birds that actually keep dive bombing Jodie's head….it was VERY funny, but Jodie didn't think so…haha. After our great lunch, we headed to the souvenirs store and got some stuff for our families. Wow, Sydney (or let me say, Australia) is not a cheap place…whoosh. After we did our shopping, we got some Starbucks and said our goodbyes to a great time in the wonderful city of Sydney. 

Sorry that his blog was so long but this time in Australia so far has just been so incredible and I have been enjoying myself so much. For the next blog, I'm going to talk about the following days of the next itinerary: At Sea on March 3rd / Brisbane, Australia on March 4th / At Sea on March 5th / Whitsunday Islands, Australia on March 6th / Cairns, Australia on March 7th / At Sea on March 8th / Thursday Island, Australia on March 9th / Sea Day on March 10th and end the blog with Darwin on March 11th the halfway mark to Hong Kong and marking my 7 months on the ship….wow.

Until Next Time, 

Jason