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Lansers on the Loose ...

Lansers on the Loose ...

viajou para 24 países Leia mais🇨🇦Lethbridge
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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Checking Out Cabo ... 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    4The metaphorical earrings!
    544A fabulous outing!The Prawn Skewers!!

    Footloose and Fancyfree ... Mostly! 😊

    19 de janeiro de 2024, México ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    I discovered a separate thermostat in our bedroom! This was a fabulous discovery because I can now regulate the heat for night in our room rather than cooling down the whole condo! You'd think that would have meant I would sleep better but ... not last light! I was awakened by my overly active anxious mind recycling all the parts of the scenario when I bought some silver earrings yesterday in San José.

    It was a beautiful store ... with gorgeous handmade pieces. It was hard to decide because there were so many beautiful options! I thought I wanted ... no ... needed (😉) a certain size of hoop but settled on some dangling ones that looked kind of like screws.

    The vendors were two brothers ... slick talkers and very friendly. Once again, my spider senses were up. They were really reluctant to give me a receipt! They suggested I just put the earrings in with my other jewellery instead of declaring my purchase at Canada customs. There were a few other things they said that seemed a bit "off' to me.

    In the 1:00am range, I awoke with the fear that the shape of the earrings might be metaphorical. Maybe, just maybe, we had been screwed! I noticed the one brother was distracting me with conversation but behind his sun-glass covered eyes he was watching carefully while the old boy keyed in the PIN number on the sketchy looking Visa device! 🥸

    You are probably wondering why the old boy wasn't covering the number pad. I was wondering that exact thing TOO!! However, it doesn't FEEL or LOOK like you need to be super careful in these luxurious parts ... but ... it is still Mexico!! 🥴

    Then, once the transaction was complete the other brother opened his phone as if to check something quickly. He made pleasant conversation and we were on our way. A little later we were walking past his store and he asked "Everything good?" It seemed like such an odd thing to say. Why wouldn't everything be good???

    The story my amygdala was making up for almost three hours in the wee hours of the morning ... was that they now had our card number and PIN number and were going to place bogus charges. Should I lock the card? But then my card would be locked too. Should I call Mastercard in the morning and freeze the old boy's card only? Should I get up and check the transactions? Should I just keep an eye on the transactions? Should I ______? Or should I _____? Maybe ______? Arghhhhh! It was quite the misery while the old boy snarfled and scored comfortably beside me.

    I did check the transaction history at 2:30am. Nothing suspicious YET! I noticed that our purchase was pending! But THEN ... when I checked again at 9:00am, the pending transaction had disappeared!! So ... I LOCKED our card. Its a good thing we brought back ups!

    And then, it occurred to me that locking my card might not lock the old boy's card. So, I decided to call Mastercard before we headed out for breakfast. I was wise to call. I had locked my card but not his. After chatting with customer service I feel confident that we can still use mine, but his is locked! At least, now, any ill intentions they may have had will be thwarted. I'm going to keep my eye on things though! 🧐

    We walked 5 minutes to Baja Brewing for breakfast on the roof top!! What fabulous way of viewing the cove. The eggs Benny came highly recommended ... thank you again Sis for eliminating the guess work around where to go and what to make sure we tasted!! I ordered the benny and the old boy had the Huevos Ranchero ... and then ... we shared the great plates! Both were exceptional ... and ... so reasonably priced.

    We then ordered an Uber and visited the BIG Walmart nearby. It was fascinating to see the variety of seafood and wine options!! We came home with a few!

    It was hotter today than we had previously experienced so we had a little rest at home before we walked over to Salvadore G's for the Ammaretto/ Gargonzola/ Shrimp stuffed ravioli. All I can say about this dish is that it is worth a trip to Cabo to try it!! Absolutely phenomenal! I'm so grateful to our daughter's for recommending we head back to taste it!.My apologies ... I forgot to take a pic!

    Another blessing of going to this restaurant was meeting the people seated at the table beside us. The woman ... Estrella from Argentina ... walked the Camino de Santigo in 1999. Oh my gosh! She inspired me with her stories. She said it was HARD. Initially ... it was the physical challenge but then ... it was the emotional one. I was captivated to hear more. Fortunately, she gave me her email so I can pick her brain more! So......... Bestie .... maybe we need to get serious again?!?

    After our lovely meal ... we meandered home and are enjoying a quiet evening in our condo. I just love having down time on a vacation!!

    BTW ... we logged 12,094 steps today ... so ... we make no apologies for heading to bed at 7:45pm. I wish you all a great sleep ... and ... hope I can snooze off the stressors of this day too! 😴    Leia mais

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Checking Out Cabo ... 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    Breakfast outdoors!8The smoking herbs!2Our Christmas HummingbirdOur Christmas hummingbird ... grounded.Inviting, no??Oh my ... such great ambiance here!An end to another wonderful day!

    Road Trip to San José del Cabo

    18 de janeiro de 2024, México ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    We started the day with coffee in the hot tub. It was such a great way to start this day! We followed it up with a nice breakfast on our patio! And ... guess what?? It's Thursday ... which means that it's 'Art Walk' day in San José! We were eager to take a road trip to the old city!

    Apparently, it is more sleepy in energy than Cabo San Lucas but far richer in artistic merit! Sis had suggested we take the local bus out and then take an Uber home! We were 'all in' for the local experience of riding the bus ... we just had to figure out where the bus stop was! I put out a message to our concierge for help! They responded immediately ... and due to the exceptional location ... we realized that the bus stop was just steps away!

    The old boy confirmed we were boarding the 'right' bus with a lovely woman who instructed the driver to alert us when it was our stop. For some unknown reason, my anxious mind didn't quite trust the driver. And, it was not because he drove like Mario Andretti 😬 ... I'm not sure why ... I just had a sixth sense about it.

    Thankfully, a couple of women from California also boarded the bus and they knew where to get off ... so ... I asked if we could tag along! Margaret and Kerrington were lovely. Margaret thought we should be getting off sooner but the bus driver said "no".

    Guess what? Margaret was right!! The bus driver dropped us at the wrong spot. It didn't take long before Margaret had ordered an Uber for all of us! They wouldn't split the $5 USD fare with us so we bought them coffee once we arrived at our destination.

    Honestly ... there are just so many good, decent, kind souls in the world. It can be so easy to forget sometimes ... but ... travelling ensures one gets oodles of reminders! Yes ... there are always few scoundrels here and there! They live everywhere ... but ... there are far more beautiful souls out there!! It's so comforting to have this affirmed over and over again! 👏👏👏

    A young fellow looking to earn some coins offered to take our photo in font of the San Juan del Cabo signage! He was hilarious and got us chuckling by laying on his back to get just the right angle! Did he get a good tip?? You betcha! ❤️

    And then we figured we should fill our bellies before we started meandering around town! Once again ... on the fabulous recommendation of Sis ... we enjoyed an incredible meal at "Jazmin's".

    It was so fascinating that they lit up some herbs in a metal pot and placed it near our table! They said it kept the flies away. I could understand why ... it smelt awful at first. Thank goodness for 'nose blindness'. It did the trick though ... no pests joined us for lunch. 😂

    San José is truly a lovely, artistic and cultured spot. We enjoyed the shops and came home with a hummingbird ornament for our Christmas tree! They took it apart for safe travel but we will look forward to the memories it will spark when we place it on the tree next year!

    We decided to stop for ' 'refreshment' at 'Casa Don Rodrigo'. We were drawn into the place from the sidewalk. It was '2 for 1' margaritas!! They were the best tasting margaritas we have had here! 😋 We met some more great people at the table next to us! The people you meet are also part of what makes for great travelling!

    We took an Uber home and are looking forward to leftovers from Salvatore G's (last night) for supper tonight. We also made another reservation with them for tomorrow because they have the ammaretto/gargonzola ravioli ... which our daughters LOVED. We knew we had to try it! We only had two options for reservation .... the other one was too late, so we took the 4:00pm timeslot!

    And, because of the lovely couple seated next to us last night ... we learned that it would be wise to reserve that 'special of the day' along with our table so they don't run out. Of course... that will not be likely with a 4pm reservation... but ... so good to know in case we want to go back!

    Okay! Enough for now except for a
    fun fact: There are three 'coves' (cabos) in the area ... Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo and one other one that I can't recall the name of right now. All together they are called "Los Cabos". This clears up my confusion about all the mixing of the names here!

    Sleep well and much love to all of you❣️    Leia mais

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Checking Out Cabo ... 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    2
    4Prickly pears!Taco time!The warmth of the terrace lulls one to sleep!The Wednesday Special at Salvatore Gs ... Chicken Parmesan!Look at the size of thst Tirimisu!!

    Downtown Adventures with Juan & Karen!

    17 de janeiro de 2024, México ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Another good night's rest and we are eager to explore more of the area! I forgot to mention that our room comes with a concierge who is so intent on ensuring we have the best time here. I think they are hoping word of mouth and good social media reviews will sell these condos to folks who can then rent them out through Airbnb or VRBO! There are oodles of beautiful properties up here ... and ... they all come with a private access up from the mall. The old boy made a couple of videos to give you a better sense of the place.

    We decided to head north today ... towards highly recommended and exceptional tacos ... and ... towards Walmart ( a 'must-see') and towards the glass factory! All of this is within walking distance due to our central location.

    We were over the moon delighted to see that Walmart was across the street from us. Upon further inspection, we realized this was just the small local Walmart. So .... a trip to that destination remains on the list. The stop was not a full-stop fail, though, because we got some dish soap ... and ... enjoyed seeing the piles of prickly pear cactus for sale! It makes me wonder what is the best way to prepare it?? The unique finds and little unexpected discoveries when travelling always tickle my soul. The old boy loves the little wee limes!

    Speaking of limes ... we were on the hunt for metal/ non-breakable lemon/lime squeezers! We finally found some! We'll be hauling them home in a checked bag! 😊

    We wondered towards another spot recommended to us ... a little shop that sells the Mexican wine glasses that we have so thoroughly enjoyed as gifts! It took us 3259 steps to find it though. We got distracted by a flea market and a few other shops! In the end, we got 6 tumblers today! I'd show you a pic but they are already boxed and ready to be tucked into a carry-on for safe transport!

    We saddled up to a quaint little bar for some refreshment at the flea market. Johann (the bartender) believed that the best authentic tacos in town were at Taquitos El Paisa. And so ... we headed there for lunch! We enjoyed the chicken, the pork, the chorizo and the old boy dared to order tge tripe! And ... they did not disappoint.

    We actually walked by it ... before we realized we had passed it! Its so easy to get lost in the maze of little shops. We are still looking forward to Guardenias (by strong recommendation!) but are just collecting data for our palates now.

    We headed back to the room for a little Mexican Siesta! We found ourselves on our roof top terrace ... appreciating the warmth of the sun. It didn't take the old boy long before he was snoozing soundly! I have no idea how he can sleep so well sitting up! 🥴

    It is such a joy to be able to enjoy such a relaxed pace in this little slice of heaven! The weather is AMAZING. Warm (not too hot) and sunny (not a cloud in the bright blue sky).

    After our siesta and some messaging from home we were inspired to head over to Salvatore G's for supper. We had a little map ... but once again... its easy to walk right past your destination!! Thankfully, we kept checking in with the multiple pharmacies along the way for redirection because they speak Engilsh! We appreciate the pharmacists immensely!

    The portions at Salvatore G's were humongous! Our server suggested we share (thankfully!) ... and ... we still came home with enough for another meal! The tiramisu was delicious.. and ... the size of a toaster!! We'll be enjoying it for days! Definitely the best value for the dollar as well as best tastes we've enjoyed! We will definitely go back again!!

    And now, we are home and headed for the hot tub! We are planning to go to San Jose tomorrow for the Art Walk! Wishing you all a great night! 😉    Leia mais

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Checking Out Cabo ... 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    2The skinny spiral staircase!
    The carrot was carved to look like a fish!Medano BeachModano BeachThe Mango BarToes in the sand ... margaritas in the hand!Massage therapists stating on the other side of the rope ... but ... getting customers anyway!The entertainment of the afternoon!The sun going down on our walk home along the beach!

    Our First Day of Delights!

    16 de janeiro de 2024, México ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 I started off our first morning by giving myself a round of applause! I had no clue as to whether I programmed the coffee pot to come on at 6:30AM ... or ... 8:45PM?? I am never sure what I'm doing with electronics ... but ... woohooo ... it was hot and ready for us when we woke up!!

    Our accommodation is really spectacular! We are staying in in 'The Paraiso Residences'. These are luxury condos situated right on top of the Paraiso Mall. We have a full kitchen, living room, bedroom, two full bathrooms, deck with BBQ and a rooftop patio with hot tub! It's is absolutely immaculate! And super quiet! I will be sure to post some more pics as well! The only challenge is the narrow, metal spiral 31 step staircase up to our hot tub patio rooftop lookout! I have to hold the rail because I get dizzy going up and down it! 😵‍💫

    Our first stop after breakfast was the grocery store here in the mall to pick up a few items and then we headed out towards the beach. We stopped at 'LA Chatita' for lunch! Its in the marina and we watched all the fishing boats bringing in their catches of the day. It was fascinating to see the seals following the boats right into the harbour in hopes of getting some tasty morsels.

    I ordered the chicken enchiladas. The waiter asked if I wanted "the red, the green or divorce?". I was confused. He repeated. I cocked my head sideways and asked "what do you mean by divorce?" He chuckled. It means red chili sauce on one half and green chili sauce on the other half. I opted for divorce! 😉

    Then we took off our sandals and exercised our calf muscles by walking from the marina to a couple of popular bars and restaurants recommended to us. We popped into "The Mango Deck" for a margaritas and ended up staying for the afternoon!

    They had a fabulous entertainment director who hosted jump rope contests, push up contests, flip cup contests and oodles of other entertainment! One of the contestants ... we learned his name was "Wayne' was from Texas and as he walked by our table to the stage he patted the old boy on the shoulder and said "You look like someone I'd like to know". There was a big group of folks from Texas ... running their own "Iron Man" marathon. Jeremy shared that the marathon was for their livers though. It was so enjoyable to simply people watch! Humans are quite fascinating!

    There is a rope to ensure the peddlers cannot pedal their wares by coming to your tables! I chuckled at how the massage therapists beat the system by doing massages over top of the rope to patrons laying on their chaise lounges inside the ropes!

    We're back at the condo now ... the old boy hopped in the hot tub while I was updating this. We are trying to decide if we should stay in and have egg sandwiches and play a game or head out for dinner.

    Who knows what we'll do ... but ... we are looking forward to seeing what tomorrow holds in store for us. 😊    Leia mais

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Checking Out Cabo ... 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    2There was a small fire on our way into Cabo from the airport. It was contained but clouded the sky!
    4The tequila was smooth and delicious! Definitely top shelf!9The sun setting behind us on our patio!4The marina ... 😍A bridge to our condos!2The oysters! I forgot to take a pic of the grilled octopus!

    Up, Up and Away!

    15 de janeiro de 2024, México ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We headed to bed early and had a really good night's rest. We were up and out on the shuttle to airport by 6:30am. We joined the WestJet super long line for 'assisted' check-in ... hoping they could correct to middle initial that the old boy ended up with on his ticket. The WestJet staffer chuckled and said it was no big deal. She wasn't even going to change it! Whatttt?? I was concerned that if it wasn't corrected now that it might present a problem on the way home. She was totally nonchalant about it all. I guess we'll see on the way home. I hope she's right and I was fretting for nothing.

    We remained hopeful that our flight would take off. They invited us at the gate to voluntarily check our carry-on bags because the flight is so full. I imagine we picked up passengers from cancelled flights yesterday and Saturday.

    I didn't think my bag would be a problem ... but ... apparently it was too fat to fit in the metal sizer. So ... it had to be checked at the gate. I've never done that before so this unexpected event gave my anxious mind something more to be concerned about. 🥴

    We got on the plane ... and then... we were waiting on the plane for take off for a full 75 minutes after our scheduled departure! Honestly, though, I was just so darn glad to be leaving Calgary that I wasn't even upset by the delay. It could have been so much worse!!

    We arrived in Cabo and were met by our driver! There is really nothing better than being greeted with a sign with your name on it at the airport!! 👏👏👏

    And, well, Tony (our driver) made it all the better with beer, water and a shot of tequila as a warm welcome!

    We arrived at our accommodation and it is fantastic! I expect we'll be very happy here! We snuck up to the rooftop for a glass of wine and enjoyed seeing the sun dip behind the mountains at about 5:30pm.

    We ventured out to the marina for dinner and thr old boy enjoyed fresh oysters and grilled octopus. I opted for something less oceanic but equally Mexican. I had a scrumptious playter with quessidias and fajitas. The weather was perfect ... the staff were lovely ... the food was excellent (albeit ridiculously expensive) ... and ... the view across the harbor was wonderful.

    And now, I am off to bed ... with vision of wandering the neighborhod dancing in my head!

    Sleep well ... I'll catch up with you all tomorrow!    Leia mais

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Checking Out Cabo ... 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    The reality!!
    The 'threat'3The pink morning chill and bus ride!1Happy hour (?) in our room ... big girl party panties kept from public view! 😉6The sunset from our room

    A Very Frigid Farewell from Alberta!

    14 de janeiro de 2024, Canadá ⋅ ⛅ -28 °C

    Oh my, oh my, oh my! We planned this trip last summer. We were innocently sitting on the deck sipping wine when we found ourselves booking this trip. We had no idea that we would be leaving Alberta in the midst of record-breaking cold temperatures! We awoke on packing day to -41 degrees Celsius with a wind chill of -53!! Gah. It seemed completely counter-intuitive gathering up shorts and flip flops! Escaping into the warm Mexican weather is sounding even more inviting right now!

    And then ... after we were packed up we received an Emergency Alert blaring loud buzzing sounds on our phones! Apparently so much electricity was being used over the province to keep everyone warm that we were at risk of enduring scheduled outages! We were invited to turn off any non-essential power use.

    The idea of losing power (scheduled or not) was disturbing to say the least. So, I scurried around turning out all the lights except for one that we needed over the dinner table ... and ... the one plugged into our car block heater.

    This unwelcome turn of events added more angsty fodder to my already overly anxious mind. I had already been feeling an unusual amount of apprehension about our trip ... so ... I didn't need to add fears of the car not starting in the morning. We sure as heck didn't want to miss our Red Arrow Bus to Calgary. My anxious mind also reminded me that if they scheduled an outage in our area ... the alarm clock wouldn't wake us on schedule either. Eeeeek

    I was not sure why but I have not been as excited as usual when anticipating a trip. It's been almost a full year since we travelled anywhere and I've been super anxious about it all. I am not inherently the most adventurous person on the planet, but I usually look forward to venturing into destinations unknown!! Not so much ... this time ... which made me feel awful and ungrateful for a privilege denied to so many. Who doesn't look forward to taking a nice trip?!? I just couldn't shake the feeling of reluctance ... actually it was almost ... dread.

    I wondered if all the unwelcome reticence was because of all the changes and disruptions we have experienced this past year?? Selling our home, moving, closing my office, retirement from my career ... maybe I was feeling less adventurous and simply craving more predictability and the comforts of familiarity in these moments? 🤔

    Or maybe it's because ever since the pandemic, travel has become more stressful in terms of all the variables: cancellations, lost luggage etc. For example, last year when returning from Ft. Lauderdale, our connecting flight in Toronto was cancelled. They suggested a flight 3 DAYS later as the best option!! 🥴 Fortunately, we figured a way home earlier and were not stranded there THAT long ... but ... it was certainly stressful. Then when we arrived in Calgary, our car wouldn't start. We didn't have AMA at the time ... so ... it was challenging. Arghhhhhhhh.

    All that said ... we have a direct flight to Cabo so I reminded myself that 'connections' should not be a problem. And, we opted to take the Red Arrow (bus) to Calgary instead of driving ourselves. I was hoping these particulars will decrease the possibility of any unwelcome surprises!

    Fortunately, there were no power outages ... the alarm rang at 5:30am ... the car started ... and ... we got on our bus as planned!! It was definitely a bit frosty out there though. -38°Celcius ... wind chill made it feel 10 ° colder.

    Its always fascinating to me how the skies take on a pinkish hue in the cold. The roads were good, but it was still nice to not have to drive ourselves in these bitter cold temps. 🥶

    We arrived at the airport about noon and called for a shuttle to our hotel. I was hoping we could have lunch, check into our flight and was keeping my fingers crossed we might get an early check-in to our room.

    However ... while I was checking into our flight over lunch ... I noticed that the old boy's ticket had an "R" included as a middle initial. WHAT??? The old boy does not have a middle name ... "R" is MY middle initial. I realized I must have not noticed an auto-fill "R"when I was booking our tickets on that hot August day almost 6 months ago. Maybe the two glasses of wine I was enjoying left me less conscientious about the details??

     At any rate ... I realized I was checked in to travel to Cabo with someone whose name on their ticket did not match the name on his recently renewed passport! Can you just imagine how sick I felt?? I've heard stories of people who've been refused boarding because their names were not identical on all the paperwork. I felt humbled beyond measure. I've never messed up like this before .....

    We thought we best take the shuttle back to the airport to get things sorted out before the morning airport mayhem. 'Alex' ... the friendly WestJet staff indicated that it would not be a problem to get the ticket sorted out (it must happen often) , but it could only be done on the day of travel ... i.e. tomorrow morning. He suggested our BIGGER problem might be a cancellation. Apparently, WestJet had 120 cancelled flights TODAY ... in addition ... to all the ones grounded yesterday!! He further added that if we didn't fly out tomorrow, it would likely be 3 or 4 days before they could get us up and on our way!!! 🥺

    And so ... here we are ... back at the hotel ... with no clue what tomorrow will bring. I find myself wondering if all my anxious reticence was actually a premonition of these issues?? I guess time will tell.

    In the meantime, I am extra super grateful to my exceptional sis-in-law for the wise reminder to just make the best of things! Her pep talk made me realize I best regroup and reclaim my own 'how are you going to live a great life anyway?' mindset!! 😉

    So, I promised Sis that I'd put a smile on my face and pull up my big-girl party panties! I'm hoping a glass or two of chardonnay will help me integrate that playful attitude and help quiet my ever anxious mind.

    We've ordered the shuttle for tomorrow at 6:30am and have been told that the hotel has extra room if we need to stay longer. Here's hoping that the next time we connect ... I'll still be in my party panties ... but ... with my flip flops on.

    I'll let you all know how it goes!! Keep your fingers crossed for us okay? ❤️    Leia mais

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Riding the Ocean Waves ...Lansers on the Loose ...
    The view out our window upon waking ... we could see our car from the window!
    More waiting ... this time for a tow truck.

    So close and yet so far ...

    24 de fevereiro de 2023, Canadá ⋅ ☀️ -29 °C

    I was awake at 6:00am ... my body is still on Eastern Daylight Time. I have only had 4 hours of sleep but I couldn't get back to sleep. It's our daughter's 37th birthday today. We were supposed to be joining the celebration this evening but we weren't sure we would make it in time ... or ... have the energy. I hope the family has a fun time!!

    Well ... the old girl (and she is a 1999!) wouldn't start. We had to call a tow truck to give us a boost. I was watching through the window and was so darn grateful to see exhaust starting to flow from her back end in the chill of the morning! Woohoo! It cost us an extra $60 ... but ... it got us up and running. Unfortunately ... his card machine was not working. Fortunately, I had my trusty $100 bill that I keep stashed for emergency! This little habit of mine has come in handy over the years.

    At any rate ... we were headed out of Calgary by 10:30am! And ... the good news is that we are HOME!

    We were reflecting upon our trip enroute to home and recognized that we did not hold as much enthusiasm for it as we did for prior trips like South East Asia and Africa. We pondered whether it was because we didn't feel like we enjoyed as many experiences ... or ... was it that we didn't have enough energy to enjoy all the experiences that were before us during these travels. We just don't have the stamina we used to have anymore.
    There were many 'things to do' on the ship that we never got around to doing. For example, we never made it to the night club. It opened around 9:00pm and we were typically in bed by then. We never took in all the port talks and/or evening entertainment ... who knows why?? We didn't get down to the Nordic Spa either. We totally missed the 'snow room'. We could have used the spa services ... but aside from my 'best ever' massage, we didn't utilize it. We never had 'high tea' in the Wintergarden. It was so darn cold in there! I imagine it is nice for those who want to escape the heat ... but ... it was too chilly for me to do anything but wander through it. We never engaged in many of the activities offered in the Explorers Lounge either.

    I am not sure what on earth we were doing ... but ... there were definitely lots of options that we never even tried! So, I am not sure if we would do it differently next time or not. At this point in time, I think we would be far more inclined to do another river cruise rather than an ocean cruise. But ... I've learned to never say never!!

    For now though ... we are grateful for this trip in many, many ways ... and also ... really happy to be back at home!

    P.S. I woke up this morning (Feb 25th) ... three days after our flight home from Toronto was cancelled on the 22nd to an alert that the flight they had rescheduled to fly out TODAY at 2:45pm has also been delayed by almost 3 hours!! Good grief. I can only imagine how frustrated I would be feeling if ee weren't already home. Makes me even more grateful we are not at the mercy of the airlines anymore.    Leia mais

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Riding the Ocean Waves ...Lansers on the Loose ...
    2The forecast
    1The view out our window upon waking!2Our fist match of 'Clever' for the day. I won.22Subway aand wine! Things felt like they were looking up!Finally ... in our room ... having a night cap! It was almost 2:00am! But we are here!

    Good Morning Calgary - I mean, Toronto!

    23 de fevereiro de 2023, Canadá

    I could not believe my eyes when I awoke for the first time in the night and it was almost 7:00am!! I am typically up to bathroom and stirring in the bed a fair bit. Not last night ... even though it was a bit warm in our 12th floor room, I slept clear through the night from 9:30pm. It's interesting to notice how exhausting emotional stress can be to the nervous system.

    I was still thanking our lucky stars for Vicki from WestJet who kept her eye open for us! Our only other option would have been to pack up in the morning and take the shuttle to the airport and hang around ... double checking availability with the WestJet staffers. It did not sound like the best way to spend our day. We are still spending the majority of the day at the airport - check out was extended to noon but ... we don't fly out until 10:15pm tonight.

    I figured I should book a room in Calgary ... but ... I was almost scared to do so. It's funny how a few unexpected cancellations rock your faith in the system. I did finally book a room and we headed to the airport at noon. It took us 10 switch backs through the security line (almost an hour) before we were safely on the other side of the scanners. It was one of the few times I didn't have to plant my feet on the feet and raise my arms so I could get scanned myself. In never ceases to amaze me how different the policies are for each and every airport. I feel like a newbie every time we go through security. Shoes on, shoes off. Fluid bags outside your hand luggage, fluid bags left inside. My tablet out or my tablet can stay in. My necklace off or can leave it on. One just never knows. It all just adds to the sense of uncertainty we feel going through those long lines.

    We always feel relieved once we have made it to the other side. Today, we were in no rush. I happened to notice some advertising on a pillar that said Vino Volo ... great wines and gourmet food. We were in the mood for wine so off we went. We came upon a Subway enroute ... and ... my salivary glands got excited! It has been far too long since I enjoyed a nice 6" maplewood bacon and ham with lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, onion, jalapenos, pickles, chipotle sauce and a bit of house sauce on the veggies. I told the old boy I wish we were eating at Subway.

    As it turned out ... my wish came true. We got to the wine restaurant and they had no food service. We ordered a wine and, with their permission, enjoyed it with our Subway sandwich!! It felt like a sublime turn of luck! Our footlong lunch cost less than one glass of wine. It wasn't terribly busy so we sipped slowly and had a game of clever to pass the time. I proof read this to the old boy and he wanted to know where his win was mentioned. I guess I forgot. ;-)

    We have been so grateful for our 'clever' matches over our holidays. It just never gets old for us. I expect we will have a few more games today as we try to kill six more hours before we can begin boarding!!! How come time goes so slow when you are 'waiting' for something but seems to whiz by when you are having fun??

    After about the first five hours of sitting in the airport, I decided I needed to move so went for a walk. I noticed a WestJet customer service desk and had the instinct to go ask if we could get on one of the three other flights I could see leaving for Calgary before ours at 10:15pm. I ignored that still small voice. I didn't want to upset the apple cart. I walked some more ... passed them again ... and was almost back to our little cocoon at Vino Volo when I felt that inner niggling again. So, I turned and went back. What could it hurt to ask!?

    It turned out that they could get us on the flight leaving at 7:00pm. They had to split us up into middle seats but we would be home almost 4 hours earlier! I had to make the decision right away. I called the old boy to let him know what I was doing. He gave it the thumbs up. We only had about 45 minutes to get more Subway to take for supper on the plane and get to our gate!

    We were thrilled with the idea of arriving by 9:00pm instead of 1:00am. It was a FULL flight so they asked for volunteers to check carry-on bags. The old boy decided to do so because there is not much room under the seat in the middle seat for his hand luggage. I started second guessing our decision when we they had trouble getting the gate planks retracted from the plance. And then there was de-icing. We were still on the tarmack at 7:45pm ... ultimately ... we left an hour late. And then ... when we landed they had to tow us in due to the position of the gate. So, we waited for the grounds crew. And then, we ended up waiting for over 30 minutes for the old boy's bag in baggage claim. And then ... we waited for the hotel shuttle.

    By the time we got settled into our room ... we had only picked up one hour ... but we were still grateful to be in Calgary. Now ... with the extreme cold warning ... we are crossing our fingers that our car will start! I'll pop another quick note here when we get home!    Leia mais

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Riding the Ocean Waves ...Lansers on the Loose ...
    Breakfast by the ocean!The bill ... eeegads. They even took my late off of it!The coffee cup ....4The critterThe effort to make the best of things ... ;-)Our boarding pass to Calgary ... on my WestJet app ... was not valid at boarding!Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.11Our view out the plane window upon arrival in Toronto.When we arrived at our airport hotel in Calgary ... the board showed all the cancellations

    And ... the Adventure Continues!

    22 de fevereiro de 2023, Estados Unidos

    I woke up feeling a sense of dread in the night. It was unsettling ... I chalked it up to all the changes we have to deal with when we get home. We need to re-rent a condo that was supposed to be rented until the end of July. We need to start purging and downsizing in order to sell the house. I suspected the realities of these things were disturbing me.

    However, once it was daylight ... I saw a "Flight Change" came into my email at 2:40am. Westjet cancelled our connection from Toronto to Calgary. They suggested re-routing us through Edmonton ... we would have been travelliing for 24 hours. Gahhhhhhhhhh.

    So, I called them right away and asked if they really intended to have us spend the night in the Edmonton Airport or if they were going to supply us with a room? She put me on hold and offered us a stop overnight in Toronto instead ... leaving for Calgary at 6:30am tomorrow. I could live with that ... but then ... we had to cancel our hotel in Calgary for tonight and book a room in Toronto instead. She said I could seek restitution by logging onto Wetjet.com/guestservices to get reimbursed once we had all our receipts. I guess I will give it a go once we are home.

    However, I see that Toronto has a storm warning for tonight and tomorrow morning. I am keeping my fingers crossed that we won't encounter another cancellation. The WestJet lady emailed the new itinerary and told me to check in immediately. I tried ... three times ... it won't let me, It keeps coming up with an error code. So, I guess we will now have to wait in the lines at the airport to check-in. I'm putting it out to the Universe that we will ask for a free seat upgrade as a little compensation for all this caffuddle.

    So, we reminded ourselves that our job is to make the best of whatever comes our way. The old boy promptly cut himself shaving. He is sporting a nice "tapie" as he calls it, on his chin. We headed down the street for breakfast and while the old boy was thoroughly enjoying his 'huevos rancheros' ... I was only about half way through my ham and cheese omelette when I discovered a black hair in it. Gag ..............

    Fortunately ... they took my plate off the bill but it was still $32.64USD ... for one plate and two coffees. I could not believe it was that high until I noticed that our coffee cost $6.25USD each!!! And the cups were not that big ... and ... they had no decaffeinated options either. We reminded ourselves that we need to make the best of things.

    We decided to grab some orange juice and take it to the room so we could enjoy some mimosa's with the wine left over from last night. On the way back to the room, a little critter scared me as it skittered across my path! Sheesh ... I am grateful for the mimosa and the fact that we can delay our check-out until noon.

    Well ... when we got to the airport, my WestJet app had deleted my original boarding pass for Toronto to Calgary but it was still showing our boarding passes from Ft Lauderdale to Toronto. And then ... I received a notice that our new rescheduled flight from Toronto to Calgary was also cancelled. The alternate itinerary was a lovely flight leaving 3 days from now!! A full two days later than the newly rescheduled flight! I refused to accept the changes ... and ... didn't think I`d have time to call them before boarding for Toronto ... so I thought we would sort it out when we got to Toronto.

    But NO. As we were going through the boarding process, they scanned my boarding pass and "red Light" came on. They took our passports and one of the staff plunked on the computer for quite some time. Almost all the passengers had boarded when they issued us NEW seats ... 30A and 30B. I am not sure what happened to 15A and 15 C which were our previous boarding passes.

    And then, I noticed that in the process of issuing our new boarding passes ... they also issued us seats on the flight 3 days from now!! I cannot even begin to tell you how livid I felt. I was using all my best clinical tools and techniques to calm my frustrations as we endured the most bumy and uncomfortable flight we have taken in decades. Due to the weather and our non-reclining, bathroom adjacent seating ... we had lines of people hovering over us (even when the fasten seat-belt sign was on due to turbulence). At times it was so rough that I thought the air masks were going to drop down. I was once again grateful to Caryl for bringing Bonine over the line!!

    Upon arriving in Toronto, we weren't exactly sure who to talk to in order to see if we could get on a plane prior to February 25!! We kept asking as we winded our way through customs and immigration. They all told us something different. We finally opted to follow the purple connections signs (even though we no longer had a connection) and found ourselves before Vicki Maxwell. She searched and searched and even invited to me come behind the desk to view here screen. Even though there are 6 or 8 flights per day between Toronto and Calgary ... not one had any seats available. I could have cried.

    Finally, she asked me to jot my phone number on a piece of paper. She said she would call me if anything came up. Soemone else said that they might add a larger plane to and existing departure in order to accomodate all those passengers whose flights were cancelled.

    I was so very grateful to see Vicki calling me!! She had found two seats out of Toronto at 10:15pm on the 23rd instead of the 25th. We had to check out of our hotel by 11:00am but spending almost 12 hours at the airport sounded far better than staying an extra 72 in Toronto. We will also need to spend another night in Calgary because we arrive so late. Unfortunately, it means we will miss another birthday celebration with our youngest daughter ... but at this point, we will just be grateful to get home.

    I have no idea how it will all unfold ... but ... I'll keep you posted! Please keep your fingers crossed that another cancellation does not happen!!    Leia mais

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Riding the Ocean Waves ...Lansers on the Loose ...
    22the margarita2the water is so low in the middle of the river that you can stand in it ... they throw parties there2Our hotel looks beautiful in the dark!

    Disembarkation - Ft. Lauderdale

    21 de fevereiro de 2023, Estados Unidos

    I was awake early ... feeling a little concerned about how the disembarkation process would go from the dock given that we didn't have a Viking transfer. We wanted to order an Uber ... but sometimes the pick up and drop of spots can be tricky. My anxious mind was wondering how it would all fall into place. However, my worries were for naught. Everything moved as slick as a whistle! Viking does everything with style and grace. I can see why people enjoy this cruise line. They are so organized. I even had to take a picture of all the bags ... in color-coded sections in the terminal. It was really amazing to see how it was all managed.

    We skipped all of that though ... because we didn't have any checked bags. So we were one of the first off the ship and escorted right to the pick up spot for Uber. Scott was there ... a very amiable and gregarious man who had moved to Ft. lauderdale from Boston. He works a couple days a week and then enjoys all that Ft. lauderdale has to offer.

    We arrived at our hotel ... rated 9.2 on the Booking.com site. And, the office was not yet open. It looked a bit run down. I wondered if I had made an error in picking this place. But ... fortunately ... the wifi password was posted on the office door, so I took advantage and got all caught up with my Find Penguins postings. And, while were were doing that ... another guest informed us that they come back here year after year because the owner, Tony, does such a great job of meeting all the needs of his patrons.

    We couldn't access our room so Tony armed us with a map and a few great suggestions. He indicated we could take the 'hop-on/hop -off' water taxi and sail through the canals to wherever we wanted to go. It was an excellent suggestion. For $30USD each we could ride all day and hit a few of the spots that he recommended. I had no idea that Ft.Lauderdale is deemed the "Venice of America" because it has roughly 200 miles of canals!!

    And, most astoundingly, these canals are lined with multi-million dollar mansions. It was fun to listen to the entertaining narrative provided by the water taxi staff! Quite fascinating to learn the 'who's who' of this area. And, parked in front of each of the properties were incredible yachts! The capital invested into material possessions here is absolutely staggering to consider!

    We enjoyed a great Mexican meal (along with a fantastic margarita) at El Camino. It was almost too hot to sit on the their patio but we figured we should enjoy every minute of the heat we can before we head home to snow and cold! Then, we hailed another yellow boat ... thinking it was our river taxi ... only to learn it was the FREE river trolley that is sponsored by the government to assist the locals and tourists to navigate all the waterways. It was enjoyable to see a bit more of the magnificent homes that the 'working millionaires' are living in.

    We decided to get off at a stop by the 'Galleria Mall' ... thinking we could get a Christmas Ornament from here to complete our collection for this trip. But .... turned out all we found was a couple bottles of delicious white wine to take back to the room! We are hoping we can find a momento of Ft. Lauderdale at the airport. If not, we might just craft our water taxi tickets into ornaments we can add to the tree in the years to come.

    We finished off the evening with a fabulous meal at Casablance! The line was so long that we were considering going elsewhere but the couple in front of us insisted it was worth the wait! And it was!! the old boy had the grouper and I had the sea bass. Oh my gosh ... one of the best meals we have had over this entire trip! With our bellies full ... we called it a great day ... and drifted off to sleep.    Leia mais

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Riding the Ocean Waves ...Lansers on the Loose ...
    2
    262A nice shady spot ... not even any wind!!54All of this has to fit into one little carry on bag!The bag ... awaiting it't load!

    Our Last Day at Sea!

    21 de fevereiro de 2023, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    When we awoke this morning we were north east of Havana and south west of Key West. We found a nice spot in the shaed to have breakfast on the Aquavit Terrace. It was lovely to sit there, smelling the sea water and enjoying our last day on the ship.

    We opted to continue enjoying the warmth of the outdoors and headed to the pool after breakfast. It was absolutely divine at poolside ... dipping in just to cool down ... and sipping cool beverages! I stayed for 3 hours but the old boy stayed for even longer. Let's just say, he stayed much longer than he should have!! He won't let me take a picture of his sunburn. Oh my ... he is well-roasted!

    I wasn't terribly hungry but thought I should get a bit of lunch because we had a reservation for dinner at 6:30pm with our friends Terry and Theresa. We enjoyed a little more of the fast food at the pool grill! We thought about going down to the Atrium to enjoy the entertainment ... but ... the outdoors was calling us! It was our last day on board and we were really starting to enjoy it all. We found a great little table near the infinity pool and thoroughly enjoyed the views and temps as we played a couple games of Clever. The old boy did not enjoy the scores, however, so we won't belabor that part of our experience.

    And then, we had a really nice dinner at Manfredi's Italian restaurant! It offered an extensive menu and I forgot to take pics of all the delicious things we tasted. The old boy figures that the mushroom soup was the best he has ever tasted. He also had an octupus salad that was exquisite! I thoroughly enjoyed the lasagna! And, the desserts were decadent.

    We had to call the evening short because we all needed to pack for our earlymorning disembarkation! But ... we were counting our blessings as we laid our heads to rest on our pillows. It has been a really nice cruise. The longer we have been on board, the more comfortable we have become. We are now thinking that maybe ... just maybe ... we will do another ocean cruise one day!    Leia mais

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Riding the Ocean Waves ...Lansers on the Loose ...
    We started the day off in the channel between Cancun and Cuba!
    68

    Another Day at Sea!

    19 de fevereiro de 2023, Gulf of Mexico ⋅ 🌬 25 °C

    We set sail last night and upon waking this morning, we are were somewhere in the channel between Cuba and Cancun. The water is a little less smooth .... so I took a pre-emptive Bonine. The old boy is just fine. I had tucked into bed at 8:30pm last night. I was so incredibly relaxed after my "BEST EVER" massage that I just wanted to go to bed. So, I never even finished up the blog from Cozumel. I figured I'd have plenty of time during our sea days to get caught up!

    We slept in until 7:30am!! It was fabulous. By the time we headed up for breakfast ... it was 8:30am. The stars were divinely aligned because who should we see upon entering the restaurant ... Terry and Theresa! So we joined them and effortlessly and easily picked up on the delightful conversation we had started yesterday!

    Afterwards, we went back to the room in order to upload yesterday's blog ... but .... couldn't do so. The internet was far too slow to accomodate. I imagine everyone is on it during sea days. It was a great opportunity to sit on our deck and read Terry's book though. The sound of the waves was a perfect backdrop to the pulls on my heartstrings as I turned the pages. After the end of the first story, I had a generous supply of tears trickling down my cheeks. The old boy was ready for me ... he pulled a wad of tissues out of his pocket that he had placed there in anticipation of my reading. It occurred to me that I didn't need that many tissues. But ... I was wrong. By the time I had read all three stories, I had used them all!

    It is such a touching book ... filled with reminders of what is really important in life. The stories sparked all kinds of conversation for the old boy and myself after reading it. If you are at all interested, the book is available on Amazon!

    We headed out for some lunch and then enjoyed sitting near the Infintity pool ... even though it was almost too hot!! I am surprised at how warm it is on the decks of the ship! When we cruised the Carribean sea about 23 years ago, it was almost too cold to sit by the pool. Here ... it is so darn toasty you want to be by the pool! I had thought our balcony would be perfect for 'at sea' days because it would be south facing and fairly wind protected! Turns out ... it is almost too hot by mid-afternoon to sit out there. Maybe this will change as we get closer to Florida?? At any rate ... it is truly a gift to feel the heat of the sun on February 19th!!

    It was so beautiful outdoors that we decided to take a few laps around the walking deck! We made it around 8 times ... which equals 2 miles! It felt good to log in some walking with all the eating and indulging we have been doing!

    We had decided at breakfast to meet Terry and Theresa for dinner at 7:00pm. We enjoyed a great meal of Lobster Thermador (much better than the one the old boy ordered in Panama City) ... and then ... chatted way past our bedtime. It was almost 11:30pm before we got back to the room and into bed! All in all, another really nice day. And, tomorrow is our last full day on the ship. Whoa. Time flies ...... .    Leia mais

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Riding the Ocean Waves ...Lansers on the Loose ...
    4The morning sky as we arrived into Cozumel!
    We are docking today which means no tendering is necessary! Yahoo!2Our first restaurant on our Tacos, Chelas and Tequila Tour8Our second stop on our tour ... El Jefe Reyes Tequila84Walking back to the ship ... a perfect stop to rest!

    Good Morning Cozumel!

    18 de fevereiro de 2023, México ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    It was such a gorgeous morning as we docked in Cozumel at about 7:45am this morning. Find Penguins even knew where we were!! We had some breakfast and then were off on a Tacos, Chelas and Tequila Tour! It struck me that this kind of tour might be better suited for afternoon than morning ... but ... it is was it is!

    We visited three different restaurants and enjoyed seafood, chicken and beef tacos over the course of the three. Beer was served at the first and last stop ... but ... during the middle stop we were treated to a fascinating sampling of locally and family produced and organically made tequila. It is only 38% alcohol but was absolutely delicious. They had 6 different levels of aging. The sixth one ...which I can't recall the name of was $200 USD per bottle ... and ... tasted like ever bit of it! It was so smooth!! And, as a top shelf tequila girl ... I was very happy!!

    We also learned that the correct way to optimize the flavor of the tequila is to smell it twice (to open your palate) and then drink it all at once ... then ... inhale through the nose and then exhale through the mouth! It really made quite a difference to do it this way! Then they gave us samples of the tequila mixed with different flavors: coconut, mango, cinnamon (tased just like fireball but smoother), almond and coffee. Oh my gosh ... we were regretting having 'carry on' only luggage because we could't bring any home with us ... and ... being locally owned and family operated, they do not export their product.

    Maybe the best part of our excursion today was meeting a couple from Ohio - Terry and Theresa Cooper!! They were an absolute joy to chat with. Our easy conversation reminded me of when we met Ray and Caryl on our River Cruise. We simply felt into their hearts in a meaningful way ... and ... laughed and laughed and laughed. It was the same with the Coopers.

    We learned that Theresa is a nurse whose roots are cardiac surgery but who has gone on to evaluate clinical trials in opthamology. Terry is an ex navy man ... and ... an author. He is currently working on his fourth book but has published two science fiction books and a children's book entitled "Orange Detention". He gifted us a copy of it and I am eager to read it. While I was having the BEST massage of my entire life ... the old boy was doing his laundry and reading Terry's book. He said he was glad no one entered the laundry room because he was sitting there crying as he took in the story!

    We enjoyed a little walk through Cozumel as well today. But ... all the shops start to look the same. Once we had our Christmas ornament purchased, we headed back to the ship. We had agreed to meet up with Terry and Theresa for happy hour. It was truly so nice to spend time with such beautiful souls.

    All in all ... it was another great day! The next two days are sea days! Our stops in port are all done. It' hard to fathoom that our next stop will be for disembarkation.    Leia mais

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Riding the Ocean Waves ...Lansers on the Loose ...
    2The morning sunrise!
    222The ferry ... enroute to the ruins.2745The climb up and down was downright nerve-racking ... but ... we did it!!2Such a gorgeous day!2I love how the sunset is reflected in the wine!4Gorgeous colors ... with a squiggly line written upon it!They were showing a movie around the pool!2Top Gun Maverick!

    Belize - Here We Come!

    17 de fevereiro de 2023, Belize

    Oh my gosh!! We were awake again at 5:30am to get ready for tendering into Belize this morning. The sunrise was a bit red ... my anxious mind worried that this meant wind. In all honesty, though, there was a part of me that was thinking it might not be horrible if we could't go on our excursion today because our ticket said "long bus ride". I figured if they printed it on the ticket ... it had to be quite a long ride. I did not feel like spending hours on a bus.

    It turned out that I was right about the length of the ride. It was terribly long. It ended up being 2.5 hours to get to the Xunantunich Mayan Temple ... and then ... 2.5 hours back. But, I was wrong about not wanting to spend that much time on the bus. It ended up showing us so much of Belize! We thoroughly enjoyed the trip!

    We learned so much about Belize en route! Belize City is two to three feet below sea level ... and ... with a population of about 90,000 people, it is the second smallest country in Central America. El Salvador is the winner in this regard. Our tour guide ... Berta Allen ... indicated that social services are not apparent in Belize. She stated that "if you don't work, you don't eat" so people are very creative about finding ways to make money.

    Belize used to be a British Colony but was liberated on September 10, 1981. The main language is English. We were required to tender into the port because Belize is protecting their live coral reef. We learned that there are only three traffic lights in the entire of Belize City.and, only seven in the whole country ... but only five of them are currently working dur to Hurricane Lisa a few years ago. Gasoline costs $7USD per gallon. Oh ...and ... there are a generous number of speed bumps everywhere! They call them the 'sleeping policemen' And they work!!I have no idea why we don't do something like this at home?!?

    There are 570 species if birds!! And, many of the houses are erected upon stilts. I asked if this was to protect from high/flooding waters. Yes. And ... several other reasons too. The higher the house, the more breeze you get. You can hang your laundry under the house in the rainy season if you are on stilts. And ... wait for it ... there are 62 kinds of snakes in Belize (9 of them are venomous).

    And, the ruins of Xanantunich were absolutely incredible! They were inhabited for over five thousand years in total. The largest of the ruins is 130 feet high. And, it is 13 stories high ... and took 52 years to erect each story. There is far more detail to include about all of this ... but ... I had some delicious wine with dinner and, at this point, it seems less interesting than it did when we were on the tour.

    The old boy initially expressed interest in climbing it. I was dead set against such folly at our age. But, low and behold ... up we both went ... and ... down we both came. It was a precarious journey!! I was sweating ... not just because of the heat! It was scary. I had to keep my eyes only on the step in front of me. And, thankfully ... the tour guide alerted us to Iguanas that were lazing on the rocks nearby the steps we needed to take! I was grateful I wasn't unexpectedly startled by one of them.

    All in all, as we made our way back to the ship ... we were both really happy with our tour! We were thirsty and hungry when we got back on board ... so ... we headed to the pool grill and enjoyed a hot dog and onion rings. I then whipped the old boy (royally!!) at a game of Clever just prior to watching the sun set on this beautiful day!The sea is such a gorgeous shade of tourquoise. The pics do not do it justice!! I think I'd really like to come back to Belize and stay longer

    Then, I talked the old boy into going down to the Star Theatre to see the musical production being offered! It was fabulous. Some talent from Britain offered up a fabulous evening of performances of EltonJohn, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley and Barry Manilow. Gosh .. it was so GOOD! enjoyed another nice dinner at the Restaurant and visited with a couple from Pennsylvania! They were a joy to chat with .. entirely unpretentious and both had great senses of humor. Patty and Wally Otto. Who knows if we will ever see them again ... but ... I really enjoyed our conversation.

    All in all, it was just a wonderful day!! Maybe I am becoming more of an ocean cruiser after all!! Tomorrow we port in Cozumel! I will catch up with you then. BTW ... I am having trouble uploading pics to my tablet. I may not get them all in here right away. I will keep trying!    Leia mais

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Riding the Ocean Waves ...Lansers on the Loose ...
    3
    4222

    Coxen Hole, Roatan, Honduras

    16 de fevereiro de 2023, Honduras

    Oh my gosh .... Two great things to start this day before they tender us to shore here in Coxen Hole, Roatan, Honduras! I caught the sunrise from our deck ... and ... I figured out how to use the Nespresso machine in the room!! The old boy usually fetches us a couple of cups of Cappucino from the World Cafe ... but ... we scheduled room service to be delivered at 6:45am and it was only 6:11am when we needed our coffee so we could enjoy the sun announcing the start of a brand new day as it emerged over the Carribean horizon!

    Our joy was short-lived however! We got all our bags packed and we were seated in the Star Theatre awaiting the tendering process when it was announced that our excursions were cancelled for the day! They indicated it was for safety reasons. It is really windy today ... but ... the sea didn't look/feel particularily rough to me. I'm certainly no sailor, but I don't even need my Bonine. The old boy had speculated this morning that it might be difficult to tender us in with the wind ... I guess his spidey senses were cued for this unfavorable change of plans. Two other big ocean vessels were enjoying Roatan today ... that was adding a little salt to the fresh wound of disappointment. I am quite sure they have their reasons. They would certainly not create a ship full of disgruntled passengers without good reason.

    I will only complain just a little more before I turn my attention to making the best of this today. This is our third port that has been cancelled. Colon Panama was taken off the itinerary ... so we spent an extra day docked in Panama City. Key West was cancelled before we paid our final fare. If we don't get into Belize tomorrow (fingers crossed the wind doesn't interfere again tomorrow ... it will be 4 days at sea instead of the original 2 ... and ... our only other port to see before disembarking will be Cozumel. Okay ... enough of my grumbling ... but ... just had to voice my disappointment.

    Here's hoping the day brings us some unexpected delights!! We snagged a couple of chairs by the pool. Perhaps we will pretend we are on Tabayana Beach. The chairs by the pool were a wonderful alternative to the beach. The old boy has white smile lines around his eyes from chatting it up in the pool. I even got a little color on this fair, freckled skin. We also enjoyed a great hamburger and fries from the pool grill. And ..... the staff came around with fancy drinks and skewered fruit and ice cold water and cold compresses! Yes. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at poolside!

    We needed to get out of the sun so we took a few laps around deck 2 (4 laps = 1 mile). The old boy punched out after two and thought he'd head up and see about the golfing tournament! I opted to make a couple more laps and wash my hair before I joined him. Unfortunately ... the wind was causing hurricane conditions on the sports deck so ... we opted to head to the the 'living room' to play a little Clever and sip some nice cocktails. They already know I like the Aperol Spritz (with orange juice instead of club soda) and the old boy has been enjoying a cognac before dinner. I thought I had him in both games ... but ... no. I won't bore you with the details, but I am going to even the score!!

    We decided to head to the Restaurant for dinner tonight! No reservations needed ... but ... no jeans, no shorts and no flip flops. We thoroughly enjoyed the selection! The wind is absolutely howling STILL. We are all just hoping we will be able to tender into Belize tomorrow. Keeping our fingers crossed ....    Leia mais

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Riding the Ocean Waves ...Lansers on the Loose ...
    3The view as we enjoyed our coffee!
    The color of the sea is such an intense blue!2We took four laps around deck #2 = 1 mile3Our rinds Lori and Swood3The sun setting was setting beautifully upon us as I whipped the old boy for a second time today !

    Our first full day at sea ...

    15 de fevereiro de 2023, Caribbean Sea

    Well ... when my eyes popped opened at 6:11am, I could see a some light sneaking past the drapes! I bolted out of bed (as much as one can 'bolt' when you are using furniture to stabilize you) to see if I could catch the sunrise. I was too late. Sheesh ... the sun gets up early in this neck of the woods!!

    I have no idea where we are ... somewhere in the middle of the Carribean Sea. Apparently Find Penguins has no idea where we are either! They had us positioned in Madrid, Spain at 1 degree Celcius as we made our way through the Panama locks! Argghhh. I was able to change the location, but couldn't change the temperature setting. It seems like the GPS on my tablet is having trouble picking up a signal. I guess it will be a surprise to see where they say we are when I actually post this!

    We are hoping to take in some of the many activities that are scheduled and available today during our first fulll day at sea. We aren't feeling sick but we are bopping and shaking and rolling around a fair bit. The swimming suits are swaying on the drying line in the shower and my make up bag is wobbling to and fro as well! We don't remember feeling this much movement on the Carnival Cruise decades ago ... but ...it was a much bigger ship and we were positioned in much lower staterooms closer to mid ship. I'm hoping it will just take some getting used to .... fingers crossed.

    We do love the view from this room though. The first picture is the sight that greeted us today as we settled in to enjoy our morning coffee! Pretty darn breath-taking!! After that , we headed to the World Cafe for breakfast! We ended up sitting with a lovely couple from Massachusets. The conversation flowed comforatably ... as did the laughterr!@ There was no one-upping and no talk of politics. Their names were Lorelie and Jay. We quite enjoyed our time together.

    We noticed that over breakfast ... the ship steadied more! Maybe it was because we weren't sailing as fas?? Who knows ... but ... it ended up being a FABULOUS day at sea! We watched a bit of the Baggo tournament (aka the bean bag toss/ring toss that we often play a home!) and then we headed to the library to see if I could win at Clever. That might not have been the old boy's plan but it was mine ... but ... my wish came true!

    We headed down to the Explorers Lounge for a trivia game! It was a whole lot of fun and we enjoyed the people we were teamed up with. Thn, we partook of the seafood buffet at the World Dafe! The old boy was delighted to see that the Pork Belly was highlighted again. I had some crab ravioli ... they were okay!

    After that,we headed to back to the Explores Lounge for the line dancing lessons. We were delighted to see Swood and Lori again. We met them for a brief visit previously and ended up spending a couple of hours with them! Such great humans!! What a difference it makes to have such nice conversation with others! And ... the ship is so tranquil ... or .... maybe it is the sea! I am not sure but I am definitely grateful for the changes. If it stays like this, I will be happy to not take any more meds!! All in all, the afternoon was absolutely delightful! And, maybe ... just maybe ... we are seeing some of the joys of ocean cruising.

    After our time with Lori and Swood, we took a lovely table outdoors where I took the old boy down again in Clever. The best part was not the win ... it was the weather! It was blissfully sunny and not windy ... and ... comfortably warm. The sun was setting as we finished up our game to get ready to head for our 'Mexican Menu' at the Chef's Table.

    Ooooops ...accidently hit the wrong button! I will try to add photos soon!    Leia mais

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Riding the Ocean Waves ...Lansers on the Loose ...
    1Sunrise was so early today .... way before 7:00am. This pic is from our balcony1
    5Approaching Puerto LimonThe infinity pool overlooking the ocean at port.2As we headed off on our excursion this morning, I had to chuckle! Check out the feet on table!!Enroute to our canal tourOur ride down the canalsCynthia ... she was our tour guide! She made it so much fun!!21Crockodile enjoying the sun.1Three toed sloth with a baby1We brought our dessert and wine back from lunch to our room. It was perfect temp to sit outside.62It was cloudy as the sun went down ... but ... had a nice hint of rose color in it!4Ha ha ... the humidity is having its way with my hair!

    Puerto Limon, Costa Rica

    14 de fevereiro de 2023, Caribbean Sea ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    After a great night's sleep, we arrived in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica this morning at 8:00am. We had booked an include excursion down the Tortuguero Canals. These are apparently the breeding grounds for sea turtles ... hence the name of the canals. It was such a beautiful day ... not as hot as Panama and sunny and breezy. We were able to see some gorgeous blue butterflies, a caiman, a two-toed sloth, a three-toed sloth with a baby on her chest and a crocodile sunning himself next door to a residence.

    After a relaxing trip down the canals, we headed back to the ship for a nice lunch and then headed to the pool. I'm not sure if it was the Bonine or not, but I was feeling so lazy. It was exquisite to rest my eyes while we laid in the sun ....just like a coule of crocodiles ourselves! Only get up to enter the water, piddle or get something cool and refeshing to drink. It was a perfect day in terms of feeling completely relaxed.

    In honor of Valentines Day, they gifted all the women on board with a gorgeous long-stemmed pink rose! It was a lovely gesture! We enjoyed another nice buffet at the World Cafe ... the old boy particularly enjoys the sushi options. And, today, they had a lovely pork belly! We really enjoy being able to try a number of different things and then go back for more of the ones you really like!

    We are headed off now ... for a day at sea tomorrow ... and then we find ourselves in Roatan, Honduras. We are still trying to find our sea legs. Even the old boy is finding the rocking and rolling of the ship a bit troublesome. He even took a dramamine.. I'm on my third Bonine ... been taking them every 12 hours or so. Is that too often Nurse Caryl??

    We are still really questioning whether or not we are 'ocean' cruising people.....hmmmm. We have struck up conversation with a few people here and there. But in all honesty ... we haven't hit if off with anyone in particular. Maybe its just the folks we have met ... but ... there seem to be a whole lot of uppity people.

    For example, the old boy was making small talk in the pool with a fellow who was describing (in great detail) how he had renovated his entire home ... he needed a number of extra custom made amenities ... urinal, steam room, elevator etc. He asked John where he was from and his next question was ... "What kind of house do you have?" Gah.

    We shared a table at lunch today with a couple who have been on a number of cruises ... but ... complained about the quality of first class flights they had endured recently. I can only imagine how uncomfortable it must have been for them. I couldn't relate ... maybe it was offputting for them when I shared that flying first class is still on my bucket list. There is endless talk about politics and all the immigrants trying to sneak into the U.S.A. Yesterday we had a short chat with a couple who were adamant that the wall needed to go up to "keep those people out". When the old boy inquired about what should be done to help alleviate their challenges instead ... they finished their drinks and left.

    We have met a couple of couples that we had some good visits with ... the Scottish couple and another couple of gals who were hilarious ... but ... you can meet them once and never see them again!!

    I don't know. We feel a bit like fish out of water. I'd really rather not talk politics with folks. We bumped into another couple at our hotel in Panama who had really strong feelings. It's not that I have a problem with people who have opinions. I just don't like to feel their undaunted attempts to convince me.

    But, tomorrow is an new day ... and .... there are likely 860ish passengers that we haven't met yet!! Keep your fingers crossed for us okay??    Leia mais

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Riding the Ocean Waves ...Lansers on the Loose ...
    2The morning sunrise from our deck!
    Miraflores Locks6Room Service!2I was watching the passage forward on the TV and the passage aft, from our deck!3The little train that ropes onto the shipsThe Pedro Miguel Locks2The Culebra Cut2To give a sense of the size ... the cargo ship looks miniscule next to the cut!Gatun Locks2

    Traversing the Locks!

    13 de fevereiro de 2023, Panamá ⋅ 🌙 1 °C

    We decided to order room service for breakfast to arrive between 8:30am and 8:45am because we thought we might be able to enjoy seeing some of our travel through the locks from our balcony. We grabbed a cappucino and headed up to the sun deck at the front of the ship to enjoy our passage through the Miraflores locks around 7:30am. Viking had the deck set up with a huge tent, water bottles, umbrellas to protect from the sun ... and ... had wait staff serving mimosas and chilled wash clothes. It wasn't too hot at first, but by 8:15am it was already quite toasty up there!

    It was a fascinating process to witness. Apparently, the pilot of the locks comes on board and the ship is turned over to him to make the delicate entrance. I believe the boat is 95 feet wide and the lock is 110ft wide. There is minimal room for error. And, I came to understand that the pilot is the only person allowed to speak aloud through the process. He uses rings and other sounds to alert the other crew as to what needs to happen when. The ship is guided by tugs and ropes etc to line up with the dock along the starboard side. It is then an intricate process by which the ship is further guided into each lock.

    The Miraflores lock has three levels ... emptying the ship into the Miraflores lake. After we arrived there (@8:20am) we hustled down to our room to enjoy our room service breakfast. It was already way to hot to sit on the balcony but we rearranged the room so we had a birds-eye view of things from our comfy chairs! You can also watch the whole thing broadcast in your stateroom on your TV if you prefer.

    We enered the Pedro Miguel locks about an hour later. The old boy went up to see it from the outside again ... and ... I stayed to enjoy it from our room. I was hoping to get some nice pics of the Culebra Cut for my dear friend Caryl. We are amongst a convoy of 19 vessels heading north through the Canal at this moment. The flow of traffic is seriously monitored. A big cargo vessel from Korea (which they estimate paid $750,000 to get through the locks) was supposed to be in front of us, but they renegotiated the order because otherwise we we would have needed to stay very far back given the wake from that vessel.

    Apparenty the Culebra Cut is the most watched and monitored piece of land in the world. They are vigilant about ensuring it does not have any landslided. I cannot fathom how mere mortals shaped those steps on the sides of the canal. It truly is remarkable. And, sobering to think of all the lives lost in the making of this infrastructure. I am ever grateful that my Great Uncle (who worked on the Panama Canal for 20 years) was not amongst those who lost his life here.

    The Gatun Lake is situated between the east and west and is dotted with tranquil islands. The Panama Canal is 48 miles long in total and crossed the narrowest stretch of the Isthms of Panama. It is truly an engineering marvel and lowers the ship a total of 85 feet from Pacific to Caribbean Sea. The Gatun Locks are a little wider than the two previous ones, but the mechanisms remain the same.    Leia mais

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Riding the Ocean Waves ...Lansers on the Loose ...
    Our morning company!Breakfast!!The pool!2The winner and the loser. Not that we are competitive!The old boy used magnets to create some extra hanging space for our visors!23The old boy snuck in a quick snooze between activities!3Carol and Jim8The Cherf's Table - Asian Panorama5The menus and wine pairing2The dessert trio ... green tea cheesecake ... creme brulee ... banana and chocolate spring rolls

    Sitting in the Dock of the Bay ...

    12 de fevereiro de 2023, Panamá ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Well ... it's our first full day onboard ... and this ship has not sailed yet. We've been sitting in the morning sun ... and ... we'll be sitting when the evening comes ... watching the ships roll in and then watching them roll away again. We will be sitting here resting our bones in port for one more night and then will be going through the Panama Canal tomorrow!

    It was actually a blessing, given the 'issues' I experienced yesterday that we didn't feel the need to join all the folks heading out in the early morning heat to enjoy their excursions. Instead, we had a decaf cappucino on our beautiful deck ... and then ... headed to 'The Restaurant' for breakfast. It's going to take some time for us to remember which place if what for food service! There are so many exceptional options!

    Our server this morning was Ketut (aka Kaput) from Bali. He was an absolute hoot and we will ask to sit in his section when we go back. It makes such a difference that the servers make such an effort to make sure you are feeling well tended to!! After being coddled over breakfast ... we headed to the laundry room to do our own laundry. We are not complaining though ... they say 'balance' is the key to a good life.

    We took another tour of the ship ... still getting confused about where we are and where we are headed. It was already too hot for me to want to be outdoors so we settled into 'The 'iving Room' and played a little Clever while we waited for our laundry. I will just mention that I whipped the old boy's ass this morning. I will not mention how badly he took me down yesterday! ;-)

    I should mention however ... that if you need the restrooms on board ... the birds are serenading you while you tinkle! I told the old boy he should experience the soothing sounds of song birds while you piddle. Apparently, that is not a drawing card for him. Can I say, however, that in comparison to the toilet paper that we had in our hotel ... this ship's reserve is so exceptionally soft and luxurious.

    We then enjoyed a really nice lunch at the World Cafe ... its an enormous buffet! Today, the old boy fell in love with a mushroom pasta dish! It was really tasty. I thoroughly devoured the vegetarian chili. We both agreed, however, that Hutch makes a far better lamb. And ... our meals would be so much better if we met another Ray and Carol. We really miss you both!!

    We headed to the theatre for another presentation regarding the Panama Canal. It was truly so interesting to hear all of the 'behind the scenes' information regarding the building of the Canal. After that, we enjoyed a visit with a couple that we met earlier today that are from Scotland originally. The old boy tipped back a scotch and I thoroughly enjoyed an Aperol Spritz!

    There was a big Superbowl pool party tonight ... so ... we thought we'd take our chances and see if we could get into the Chef's Table. I couldn't make a reservation ahead of time because all the tables were already spoken for ... but due to the superbowl, there were a whole lot of cancellations ... so ... we were able to enjoy the 5 course Asian Panorama! It included a number of things I was not sure I would like. But ... much to my surprise ... I really enjoyed the caviar on the Lobster dumplings ... I also enjoyed the Peking Duck ... and ... I found that I enjoyed the sherry with the dessert trio!! It was quite a surrise to enjoy all of these taste experiences that I have never before enjoyed.

    We are tucking in early tonight ... hopefully we will sleep well. We are also ordering room service for breakfast because we expect that the best seat in the house as we go through all the locks will be on our deck! Good night ... and ... see you tomorrow!    Leia mais

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Riding the Ocean Waves ...Lansers on the Loose ...
    2I think we will be very comfortable here!
    243Just chilling once on board! And, feeling grateful for no accidents!2View from the explorers lounge at the front of the ship2

    Embarkation Day!!

    11 de fevereiro de 2023, Panamá ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    Well ... embarkation day is off to a very, very "shitty" start! The thought crossed my mind when I was eating the soup yesterday that I had wished it was hotter ... aka ...hot enough to kill any bugs. Then, I chided myself for always being such a worry wart and simply enjoyed the soup. I have no way of knowing for certain, but I awoke in the night with stomach cramps and have a severe and solid case (or should I say 'not so solid' case) of travellers diarrhea. Gahhhhhhhhhh.

    In all our travels, this is the first time I have EVER experienced it. I am always so super, ridiculously cautious. I only consume cooked things. I avoid fruit or salad. I don't typically have drinks with ice in them. I followed all my best efforts here in Panama too .... but then ... the soup.

    I searched my bag for Pepto Bismal in the night ... only to realize that the vial I had was EMPTY!! I found a few tablets in my make up case that were best before 2016! I downed two. By the time the old boy was awake in the morning, I was struggling. For some reason, we didn't have any immodium. I was desperate for this to pass because we had a day of transit ... getting an Uber to the hotel where the shuttle picks us up ... then getting checked in onto the ship. I really didn;t want to have an accident on route!!! Eeeegads. It was fierce. This certainly not the way I wanted to say "Bon Voyage".

    The old boy was a saint and went to the pharmacy to get some immodium and more pepto bismal. They don't sell immodium here. The pharmacist gave him two different products. Lomotil is controlled substance that the internet says you can't get without a prescription. The side effects didn't sound good. The Enterogermina is a pediatric probiotic ... I took two at 8:00am ... and then ... after having little relief decided to risk the Lomotil before we had to call the Uberr at 1:00pm. Wouldn't you know it ... the Uber driver took forever to arrive to pick us up ... and then ... got lost. Yep. I even sat on the old boy's jacket in case I had an unexpected blow out!

    Thankfully, the lomatil did the trick. It's 10:00pm now and nothing has moved! I guess that is good news. Hopefully, I'll have a good night and be able to put this nightmare behind me. Keep your fingers crossed, okay? I think we will forgo our excursion tomorrow so I can stay close to the restrooms. Good thing we had a few days in Panama before we embarked!

    The ship is gorgeous. We had to use the map of all 8 levels to get acquainted with it. We never made it to the sports deck on level 9 yet. We enjoyed some great music in the Explorers lounge ... the guy sang the Beatles, Garth Brooks and many other infamous artists! If we weren't so tuckered we'd head out for more ... but ... not tonight.

    We also enjoyed a really interesting talk in the theatre on the making of the Panama Canal. Part 2 is tomorrow. And, on Monday, we get to experience crossing it ourselves. We are looking forward to it ... and ... our stateroom is going to give us a bird's eye view. We are in the middle of back of the ship ... we are positioned so we can see both sides from our balcony! I'm hoping to see some nice sunsets from here too!

    Okay. We are headed to bed now. And, looking forward to a nice leisurely day getting comfy on this ship tomorrow! Hope you all sleep well too. I will have to add the pictures tomorrow. I can't log in on two devices at one time. So ...    Leia mais

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Riding the Ocean Waves ...Lansers on the Loose ...
    44448

    Still Seeking Shade!!

    10 de fevereiro de 2023, Panamá ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    It's another hot one here in Panama City! We headed out for our usual breakfast but NEW staff were on duty! The chef of this day had the audacity to put green onion in my trusty #6 Omelette. If he had cooked my first omelette, I would not have gone back for a second and third. It's so fascinating what a difference the cook makes to a recipe! Maybe not as much love as our other servers put into it?

    After breakfast we had plans to walk around the neighborhood to see if we could find a nice place for dinner tonight. It was truly astounding to notice how many large bars and restaurants were no longer open ... including the #1 Trip Advisor coffee shop. We are imagining that this was a result of the pandemic. In all honesty, though, we only got around the block (albeit a large block) before we had to find some shade. It was only 10:30am but already 30 degrees Celcius (feels like 33). Yes, it did indeed feel like at least 33.

    We thought about heading down to the waterfront and wander around the Cinta Costera (which we erroneously thought was walking path out over the water) but then remembered that the tide would be out until 2pm. So, we opted to come back to the hotel and head to the pool until after lunch! And then, we can either order another Uber ... or ... we now have the option call Miguel! As we were walking around the block, he was one of the many taxis that offered us a lift. The special thing about Miguel is that he has business cards and speaks "Full English". This is a real bonus because there is not a whole lot of English speaking here. He also got huge props from us for his dazzling smile and his business acumen!! We were trying to remember if we have ever been in a city with more taxi cabs?? You don't have to find them, they come looking for you!! Ha ha ...

    We cooled off in the room and then headed up to the pool for a bit! Thank goodness some cloud cover rolled in because when the sun was blazing, it was almost intolerable ... unless you were in the pool. The water in the pool was as warm as bath water ... but ... it kept the internal temp from rising too high!

    We had a great little lunch at a lovely air-conditioned place just up the road from us! The old boy ordered a traditional Columbian soup. It had tripe and other slimey things in it!! He absolutely LOVED it. I could not even watch him eat it without gagging a wee bit. I ordered the traditional Panamanian Chicken soup. It was absolutely delicious! Panama is wonderful in many ways ... but ... I, personally, am not so fond of the food. The old boy loves it, but for me ... it is a bit too much in terms of fried fare. So, this soup was so refreshing ... with chicken, potatoes, plantains and corn. I could have lived with a bit less cilantro, but I am not complaining.

    We then headed over to the Malecon in hopes that the clouds would continue to provide a barrier between us and the sun. And, of course, we had to take a picture with the PANAMA sign.

    The old boy also searched out Trip Advisor and discovered the #3 rated restaurant in Panama City is right near Cinta Costera ... so ... we decided to head over there to see if we wanted to enjoy our last dinner in Panama at a really nice place. It is called Casa Casco and is a "perfect blend of antique and avant-garde divided into 5 floors, where you can entvjoy 3 fabulous restaurants and a Terrace (rooftop) with a panoramic view of the city." It truly was beautiful ... but ... after taking over 30 minutes to get home in rush hour traffic ... we opted to stay a little close to home. BTW - our Uber driver took us for a 'short cut' ... to avoid the traffic. We're not convinced it was any better but he tried. He also tried to sell us a tour to a beautiful beach ... and ... he tried to sell us a residence. This was more the experience we might have expected from a cab ... but once again ... you had to give the guy props for his initiative!!

    Our final meal ended up being at Azahar instead. It was closer to home and rated #4 in Panama City on Trip Advisor. It also had five $$$$$ ... so ... it was not cheap, but the old boy was craving fresh lobster. So off we went. And, it was an incredibly delicious indulgence! The buns were yorkshire pudding and were served in a drawer! The old boy enjoyed Lobster Thermador and I had a sun dried tomatoe ravioli. We finished it off with a molten chocolate cake! It was decadent and entirely extravagent! And ... such a nice way to end off our time here in Panama.

    We board the ship tomorrow! We catch you all later then.    Leia mais

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Riding the Ocean Waves ...Lansers on the Loose ...
    2
    The map of the Old Town.4232Our new friends ... Debbie, Debbie and Alex22We enjoyed a chicken empanada at a little restaurant! They served my wine in a Aperol glass!!222The garlic shrimp needed to be man handled!!4

    Casco Viejo - The Old Town

    9 de fevereiro de 2023, Panamá ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    We started our day late ... the two hour time change is making it hard to get up and out before 8:00am. Can I also say that when you open the doors to leave the hotel ... it feels like you have just opened the door to a pre-heated oven! My gosh ... it is HOT!! We opted to have our breakfast at the bakery again! The beautiful server made an extra special effort with my Cafe Leche this morning!

    Then, we ordered an Uber to drop us off in the old town. Jose took us there in absolute air-conditioned comfort for a total of $4.73USD. Honestly ... there are cabs everywhere but I really like the idea that I know how much it is going to cost me before hand ... and ... no money actually changes hands.

    We had a lovely time wandering about the Old Town. The tide was out, however, so it wasn't as pretty for the pictures. We had barely made it around the promenade (lined with vendors) when we came around the corner and noticed our new friends from our hotel at a table having drinks! This meeting just had to have been divinely orchestrated because the Old Town is large!! Even if you agreed to meet there at a certain time and place, it might be hard to find each other! So ... we enjoyed another nice visit and decided to meet up on the pool side later in the day!

    We entered one of the markets and the most charming vendor greeted us with a smile! His name was Raphael and he was from Roatan, Honduras. He was an exceptional artisan ... making all of his own fine jewellery! He was not even hard selling us ... but ... the old boy's favorite shark tooth necklace broke yesterday ... so ... when he spotted another shark tooth ... he was curious about whether Raphael could fix his. Instead, Raphael wired up a whole new neck piece for the old boy!!

    All I can say is that the old boy is beyond ecstatic to be sporting a new shark tooth necklace! He also bought himself a new "Panama" visor. I just know he'll be wearing it when he racing his 68 Chick! I might also have to declare that many folks complain about the woman and their shopping ... but ... in our family the old boy is the EXPENSIVE date! I didn't buy ANYTHING. At any rate, the beaming smile on his face makes it all worth it!

    We found our way to the "Mercado de Mariscos" (aka: fresh fish market) where you can purchase fresh caught fish and seafood ...or ... enjoy it prepared for you in one of the many restaurants surrounding the market! We opted to have some jumbo prawns and a beer. I ordered a glass of "vino blanco"... but ... it looked the color of gasoline so I send it back. With that heat ... it was probably best to stick with the "agua" anyway.

    By 2:00pm, the temperatures were getting to us so we ordered another Uber back to the hotel. Diego was our driver ... and ... he spoke English!! He shared that it was his first day at Uber ... we were his second fare ... and his wife was panicking about him being alone in vehicles with people. She had warned him to remove all valuables from his car and never leave his keys unattended. It was such a great perspective shift to see things from the drivers perspective too! At any rate ... he was a five star ride and got a great tip!! It's so nice to feel safe and secure in transit in unfamiliar locales.

    Upon arrival at the hotel ... we cooled down playing a game of Clever in our beautifully air-conditioned room ... and ... I got beat AGAIN. Gah. I was licking my wounds so ... we headed off to pool! The only place one should be in this heat is near or IN water!

    We ended up having some interesting conversations with people at the pool. It was a bit of a challenge to make space for some of the perspectives I was hearing. I really had to invite myself to stay curious and compassionate. We don't have to agree but it is certainly interesting to see how many of us can or cannot hold space for differing perspectives.

    We finished off the evening with some take-out food and another rousing game of Clever! It was tough to accept that I lost by ONE point ... but ... the game is always fun! And .... it's even crazie to think that our last full day at the hotel is tomorrow! We check out on Saturday and embark upon the Viking Star!

    Sleep well friends and family!    Leia mais

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Riding the Ocean Waves ...Lansers on the Loose ...
    2While wandering and exploring
    2Breakfast at the bakeryThe view from our room! A combo of old and new.Kitchen table ... aka Clever games tableThe bidet222Our new friends from Nova Scotia!23

    Hello Panama City!

    8 de fevereiro de 2023, Panamá ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    We are staying at the Hotel Coral Suites. It is humble ... but ... spacious and exceptional in many ways. Our total bill for four nights is only $242.38. That is less than $60 per night CAD. Sheesh .... we paid just a wee bit more than that for our lunch in Houston yesterday!!! And, we have a rooftop pool! We are going to need it! It is HOT here. 32 degrees celcius today but feels like 36 degrees!

    Our first order of business for today is to get a few groceries and get our bearings for where we are situated! And the location is phenomenal! We wandered about this morning and came across oodles of restaurants and grocery stores and shopping!! It feels a lot like Cuba to us. Beautiful people ... rustic concrete ... nice cars. The old boy picked up a nice light white shirt ... and .... I got some gorgeous sterling silver hoop earrings for $28USD. I know they would be over a $100CAD in Canada. I'm just hoping they have no nickle in them. If they do ... I will be sad. There is not much English here so we are wishing we had polished up on our Spanish a bit more! We have no excuse with Spanish speaking family members! Maybe I'll have to be more committed to learning more of this beautiful language once we are home.

    I also picked up a pair of flesh colored sandals for on the cruise. Cheap like borscht at Payless here! But the best of all so far today was our breakfast!! We stopped at the bakery just up the street. We ordered two coffees (one was a cappucino) and had Ranchero eggs and an omelette. They each came with two fresh baguettes and then the old boy got a pastry too! Oh ... I got a bottle of water too. Our entire bill was less than $10USD. They have daily specials for lunch and supper ... so ... we will definitely return! I was initially going to buy some eggs so we could have breakfast in our room ... but ... at that price and convenient location .... we will forgoe the cooking!

    We had so much fun shopping and exploring until the heat caught up with us. We were eager to get back to the room to cool down and head to the pool. Before I got my ass whipped at Clever, I took a little video of your room to give you a sense of it, but it didn't want to load. I'll add some photos and try to include the video later from my phone once I have uploaded it. Also of note ... the room keys have no information on them at all. They are completely blank. I am assuming this is to reduce any kind of criminal activity ... in case you lose your keys.

    So, I got brave while I was changing into my swim suit ... I used the bidet! I had no idea you had to let the water warm up!! At first is was so uncomfortably COLD ... until the old boy suggested I turn up the volume! He was right ... it wasn't horrible once the water warmed up, but, oh my, it was wet!! How is a person to sop up all that wet?? The cord on the blow dryer was not long enough.

    Our time at the pool was fabulous! Some clouds threatened to move in some rain ... but ... it is so hot here the cover was welcome!! We met a lovely woman by the pool from Nova Scotia! We just hit if off with her so nicely! Her husband was not feeling well so he was sleeping. We lazed around the pool and enjoyed the laughter and languishing immensely. She invited us to join her and her friends for dinner. So we did!

    We had a nice meal and are ready for bed. We are headed off to do some sight-seeing tomorrow around the old town. And ... given the heat ... I expect we'll be back at the pool by afternoon. Talk to you then.    Leia mais

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Riding the Ocean Waves ...Lansers on the Loose ...
    6312

    And ... we are up and away!

    7 de fevereiro de 2023, Panamá

    Our alarm was set for 3:15am ... to catch the 4:00am shuttle to the airport! We asked for a wake-up call as a back up (yes ... we are that set in our ways!) but didn't need it! We were both restless through the night and finally got up and shut the alarms off at 2:45am. We didn't think the check in desks were open until 5:00am but things must have changed because things were hopping already when we arrived! It didn't take too much time before we were off to security.

    Going through security could have been a breeze ... except when they discovered the old boy had a weapon in his carry-on! I had already sworn upon `check-in' that we were not carrying any weapons ... but ... I did not pack his bag!! I moved through security without a hitch and, upon glancing backwards, thought the old boy had done so as well. I had already moved into the customs line .. thinking he was right behind me ... but nope.

    I looked back again, just in time to see him completely abandon his day pack on the security table (totally unattended and with his money belt inside!!). He was entirely flustered because his carry-on was under serious scrutiny!! He had brought the same little  purple corkscrew we've always brought with us when we have travelled. Apparently, this time, they noticed it has a wee little knife in it. How it escaped their fervent gaze prior to today will remain a mystery ... but ... they offered the old boy the chance to go outside and "dull" it. Sheesh ... if only we had more time!! Can you just see him in the airport drop off zone ... dulling his weapon of choice!! Suffice to say ...we'll just be imbibing from screw off tops for a while!! We can be flexible.

    But ... wait! THIS was not his only transgression!! They also discovered a FULL size Dr. SCHOLLS aerosol foot spray that he thought would make it past inspection. I could have scolded him quite properly ... but ... they let him keep it!!! WTH. Given this surprising turn of events, I'm tempted to try and bring a full size hairspray along next time!!

    It felt a bit crazy to be on a sold out flight with NO masks. I had to argue with myself to not put one on. I hope I will not be regretting this in three or four days! Please keep your fingers crossed for us! The first flight was good except ... the Captain came on saying we could expect some "bumpy patches for about 20 minutes" so they would delay bverage and snack service until we were past the bumps.

    Then ... the flight attendant came over the loud speaker updating that there were still reports of "severe turbulence" !! WHATTTT?? That sounds a whole lot worse than a few bumps! My anxious mind is already wishing I had paid more attention to how w put on our life vests!! In the end ... the pilot nailed it. Nothing to get to excited about ... except .... we had been up since 2:45AM and so we ended up having some cashews and pretzels for breakfast ... and ... a cup of black coffee.

    This was my first caffeinated coffee since October! I expect it will not be my last! The most amazing part of the flight was the sunrise ... shining through the Chinook arch in the most amazing play of light and colors! I've never seen the 'red sky at morning' from the top looking down. The pics don't really do it justice! It was magnificent artplay indeed!

    Upon landing ... we enjoyed a glass of wine and pizza ... for a mere $87 USD! Good grief ...no wonder the old saying is that "Houston - we have a problem"! It was breakfast and lunch though ... so ... I shall refrain from sounding like my father when it comes to money!

    Our afternoon flight was exceptional ... the seat between us stayed empty! And then ... the old boy stopped one of the flight attendants to say "happy hour has started" and she thought it was our anniversary ... so she brought us couple of complimentary glasses of wine! People have the most wonderful hearts!!

    The Universe offered us the most magical welcome to Panama in terms of the sunset! We were not even on the West side of the plane ... but ... the colors out my window were magnificent! the pics don' quite do it justice but you get the idea!!

    We landed in Panama ... and ... I had no idea that I should have dipped into my anti-nauseant stash for the drive to our hotel from the airport ... but ... Carlos took us for a RIDE! He was doing 105 to 120 in 30 to 50 kms zones!! The old boy got into his James Bond persona ... while I was simply trembling in the back seat ... gripping at his flesh ... and ... pressing my imaginary brake pedal. In Carlos' defense ... he had another pick up at the airport in 15 minutes. Even at warp speed, he still had a 20 minute ride to get us to our hotel and then 20 minutes back to the airport. He was trying to make up time!!He was very handsome but I don't think math was his strong suit.

    We got checked into our humble abode ... and then ... it dawned on me!!!!! We had no bottled water. Well ... we only had one half bottle of water. We headed out in search of water and supper ... and ... found BOTH right next door at the 'Food Bazaar'. Unlike our lunch ... we enjoyed a full bottle of wine and so much food I had to bring some home ... and ... got some bottled water for under $50. And, they worked so hard to accomodate the English speaking guests! We owe much thanks to Maria (aka Muffy with the exceptional cleavage for all the extras! Ha ha ... no pun intended! She even made us a map of where to find the Mini Mart ... and ... coffee and breakfast in the morning.

    And now ... it is bed time! I apoloagize for the delay in posting but I was exhausted. On a brighter note ... I AM finding my enthusiasm!! Oh ... and ... we have a bidet ! For real, this time. We still haven't tried it, but I am determined to do so!!    Leia mais

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Riding the Ocean Waves ...Lansers on the Loose ...
    2
    272

    All packed and ready, except for ...

    6 de fevereiro de 2023, Canadá ⋅ 🌙 0 °C

    And so ... another adventure begins! Usually, however, by the time I am packing the bags, I am getting excited. This time ... we've fit everything we might need into carry-ons ONLY. The only thing that is missing is my enthusiasm. I hate to admit it ... it feels so ungrateful and privileged to not feel ecstatic about the opportunity before me ... but ... so far I am filled with apprehension rather than delight. Grrr.

    The old boy is getting into the spirit and definitely into travel mode. He's even sporting his new hi-tech Normest metal wallet! I've been trying to find my sense of delight ... but it eludes me. Maybe it's because I am betraying my promise to myself to "never" go on an ocean cruise again. But, seriously ... when Viking gives you $2300 in credit vouchers ... it doesn't make sense to squander the gift does it? Shouldn't we have jumped on the chance to spend thousands more dollars in order to save $2300? It made sense at the time ... but now ... I am second guessing my investement.

    Maybe it is because I am a bit afraid I'll get trapped on the ship and feel seasick. Fair enough ... but ... I am sure I've got enough anti-nauseant meds to pacify half of the ship. I've got gravol ginger ... dramamine non-drowsy ... some expired ear patches - do you think they actually expire or is this simply a pharmaceutical ploy to earn money?? I also had a dear friend smuggle in some Bonine for me from the United States. We can't get it here in Canada but apparently it works really well. And, we have the Silver Spirits package ... which means we can have any kind of drink at any time of day that I would like. For medicinal reasons only ... of course! Wink. Wink.

    Or maybe I am feeling reticent because I have been following a Viking Cruises Facebook Group online that reported a stateroom on the Viking Orion caught fire. Three of the rooms were badly smoke damaged. Thankfully they were in port. The fire was on the fifth level. We are staying on the fifth level! We have a room at the very back of the boat. There are two little state rooms sandwiched between the big fancy Explorer Suites. I thought it might be nice to be able to see both sides from our deck. I'm hoping it might be less windy back there too! Keep your fingers crossed for us, okay?

    Or maybe, my tentativeness comes from the fact it was reported in the same Facebook group by an ocean cruiser that the food on the Viking Star is sub par. Yes, You guessed it. We are sailing on the Viking Star. Given their vast experience with ocean cruising, I am just hoping this person simply has a really finicky palate. One of the infamous perks of cruising is the food, right? So, maybe I shouldn't let that rumor dampen my enthusiasm. I can attest to the fact that these rumors will not deter the old boy's joy one bit.

    Or, maybe it is because when I was telling someone I hadn't found my enthusiasm yet ... they responded understandingly ... given the turmoil in International waters near Panama (due to drug cartel activity). Yikes!! I had not even been aware of that 'news' until then. Gah. The old boy is wondering where he can get a peg leg, pirate hat and invisible parrot for his shoulder! Sheeesh. We definitely see things differently!

    Or, perhaps it is because I got a call from our Viking rep on a "recorded line" wondering if we had any concerns. Maybe she knew about the cartel activity before I did??? I don't know ... she said she was just calling to say "Bon Voyage". She never called us last time when we went on the river cruise. So, what's an anxious mind to do with THIS anomolie ... ?

    Nonetheless ... and despite all these concerns that my amygdala is holding tight to ... we are spending tonight in Calgary and scheduled to fly out at 6:00AM tomorrow morning. We couldn't check in online though because we are flying home from Ft. Lauderdale and Panama requires confirmation of an exit date. So, we have to prove our spots on the cruise before they will let us fly. Interesting, eh?

    Some really good news is that when we checked in at Hotel Clique (our favorite hotel to stay at near the airport) the General Service Manager did some fancy footwork for us to save a whole schwack of money on parking here at the hotel as well as some money on our return stay! We also got two complimentary drink tickets! So ... the wine with dinner is on them tonight! All these savings started to spark a little more light in my spirit!

    Okay folks ... I have rambled on for far too long. I wasn't even sure if I was going to blog about my lack of enthusiasm ... but ... I write these blogs so that the old boy and I can make them into books. And then, when we are oldER, we can look back over our trips and reminisce. So, I thought I should start by ltelling it like it is' for me ... right now ... anyway.

    Hopefully, when I see you again here on the page, I will have kicked the old boy at a game of Clever ... we will have enjoyed a delicious drink/meal in the restaurant ... and have gotten into our flourescent blue lit up bed early! Our wake up call is at 3:15am!    Leia mais

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Covid-19 ’Camino’ for CancerLansers on the Loose ...

    First Leg ...

    31 de agosto de 2020, Canadá ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    We set a 9:00am start time for our first 20km (minimum) leg of our 100km Covid-19 Camino for Cancer. The weather promised to be exceptional. It's chilly in the mornings this time of year, but the forecast was perfect. Not too hot and no wind to speak of ... which is highly unusual and deeply welcome in our neck of the woods.

    We opted to stay close to home for our first walk about and decided to do two full circles around the Taber Trout Pond ... from the door of our homes back to the door of our homes. Each circle is roughly 11kms. We thought we'd pop home for a nice lunch after our first round ... change shoes if necessary, change clothing if necessary and relieve our bladders in the comfort of our own biffy.

    We were barely 10 minutes out when we were met with our first obstacle! The road we generally take to get to Trout Pond was under construction!! We chuckled about how what we were experiencing was simply a metaphor for life. You can have the best plans made ... and then ... challenges and obstacles appear before you. We adjusted our sails (now I'm mixing my metaphors) and found our way around the construction so we could get back on course.

    We hadn't made it very far around the pond before Bestie was too hot. She hates to be cold so started the day with a couple of layers. I offered my best musical accompaniment as she shed some layers. See video ... 😘

    It really was an exceptional day. The sun shone on us warmly ... the conversation was good ... and the sights were simply stunning. Oh ... and ... a little good luck was even encountered when bird shit on Bestie!

    We enjoyed our first loop ... had some lunch ... and headed out again. We were a ways out when Bestie remembered that she forgot to do something important during our lunch. So, we doubled back to ensure it got taken care of and headed back out again for our second loop.

    Bestie was on 'rope alert' because I am not a fan of snakes. And well ... the MD of Taber is filled with snakes. They even have signs posted of what to do if you encounter a rattler. Fortunately, we never saw or heard a rattler, but Bestie screamed and jumped backwards a bit when a small garter snake crossed our path. It startled her!! And well ... her startle startled me! I didn't even see it, but that little thing sure got our adrenalin going for a bit!!

    And then, we came upon a deer who was incredibly close to us. She never moved. She never took her eye off of us either. We suspected she was the the momma of the fawn we had seen far off in the distance during our first loop. And now, it appeared that her fawn was hiding and she was standing guard until we moved past. Nature is truly so remarkable.

    We walked through the river valley and hiked up the main trail to points were the views were simply stunning. It was a great choice for our first leg. We ended up logging more than we expected.

    Our final tally was 25.47kms. We celebrated with a wine and beer and a check-in with a dear friend of mine who had walked 20kms in another city while we were logging our steps out here. Deb finished her walk in 4 hours!!!

    It truly was a beautiful experience ...    Leia mais

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