Day Four, Montego Bay, Jamaica – November 20
We were up fairly early this morning and watched the ship make good use of its azipods to dock next to the Star Taurus, a crude oil tanker.
After that was successful, we went to the Garden Cafe for breakfast.
About 10:30, we went down to 4 and down the gangplank to check out a bit of Jamaica. We were at the regular cargo pier (#2), so we took a shuttle over to the cruise terminal.
This terminal was several tacky shops but Tom got some postcards and I got a little bag for carrying my Kindle on deck. He looked at watches in The Royal Store but didn’t buy anything. They gave us a free Jamaica keychain for looking. Whoopee!
We took the shuttle back and made good use of most of the other folks being on tours and such. We had a hot tub to ourselves for over half an hour.
In a bit, a couple folks joined us. One was a veterinarian and Tom told her about my Cushing’s experiences. After about 45 minutes I got out to read for a while. Then in the pool – salt water! Who knew?
Tom thought I should go over and talk to the veterinarian but I said I was on vacation, not here to “talk shop” unless I found that Cushie-looking woman again.
We stopped by the Great Outdoors and had some coffee. A yellow butterfly flew by but didn’t stop at our table. It wasn’t as big as Alice’s butterfly, but I wondered all the same… How does a tiny thing like that fly up to the 12th deck of a ship?
I’ve been thinking a lot about Alice on this trip. She would have loved this cruise, especially the Sea Days. Looking all around at the vastness of the ocean, the beautiful clouds, sunsets, the moon. I know her soul is out there, somewhere, in one of these beautiful things that God has created.
Great Outdoors
Great Outdoors
Back in our cabin, it was fun watching people hustle back to make the 3:30 all-aboard. I got some shots of the ship just sliding out from the dock, parallel to it, instead of backing into the Star Taurus. The folks on board that ship looked happy that we didn’t hit them, too.
We bid a fond adieu to Montego Bay and head off into the sunset.
We tried the Garden Cafe for dinner tonight, too. Pretty good – both plates worth!
The usual after-dinner deck stroll, then back to the cabin. I was asleep by 9:00PM…and up at midnight doing my website chores and blog-writing.
We didn’t go to the show again.
Tonight’s towel animal was a lobster.
Today’s Stats:
Wednesday, November 20th, 2013
Today’s Forecast: Mostly Sunny 85F/30C
Sunrise: 6:22 am
Sunset: 5:34 pm
Arrival: 8:00 am
All Aboard: 3:30 pm
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- Interesting Facts About Jamaica (travelingmyself.com)
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- Cruise shipping row brewing: Amid reports of possible head tax reduction in MoBay (joeyissainsights.wordpress.com)
I’m Already Falling Behind
… And falling literally but more of that in a bit.
Here it is Tuesday and I’m already falling behind.
Sunday, Tom got back from his meeting about 11 or so. Within 5 minutes some storm out to sea blew in a lot of rain at such an angle that it flooded about half the living room floor.
After getting that cleaned up we headed over to Emerald City to do our first grocery shopping of the trip. On Sundays they close at 2:00 so we wanted to be fast about that.
I had decided to get some nail polish but they were out of most colors. Only blue, yellow and green were left. I considered doing 1/2 blue and 1/2 yellow as a form of Cushie solidarity or something but decided against that. I got the blue. Looking at my hands now I’m hoping I don’t get rushed to the hospital. They might think I have cyanosis…
In addition to other stuff we got tutti fruitti milk and salt bread. I think I could live on a diet of just those 2 items for quite some time. I’m uploading a picture of salt bread. It’s more what we would call rolls, not salty at all but d that to distinguish it from sweet bread. It also has a sliver of coconut leaf on the top.
The rest of the day was uneventful. We went swimming about dusk and into the huge open air jacuzzi. We decided to have dinner by the pool at the Carriage House.
——
Monday morning I woke up early and went outside to take sunrise pictures. I also got a little video and some starling and lizard pictures while I was at it.
We got some more rain but not as bad as Sunday. I guess it’s Hurricane Irene out there we can see something out to sea but only the weather channel can identify some of these storms.
I was closing up the bedroom doors and slipped and fell. I hurt my hip pretty bad on the floor and my shoulder on the edge of the TV cabinet.
I spent most of the rest of the day not moving too much and so I finished book #1, Requiem for a Gypsy by Michael Genelin. Ive read all his books so far. I started the series because it takes place mostly in Slovakia and our son had spent a summer there teaching English so I feel a connection, however tenuous.
I started (and finished) book #2, Death by Honeymoon which I got because it was cheap and because the main action takes place here in Barbados.
I started reading book #3, Still Life: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel by Louise Penny. I’ve read several in that series and will probably complete it before long.
Dinner at home while watching American Ninja Warriors.
Life is good!
