CABO San Lucas

Arundel Castle-A Walk in The Countryside

Walking To France

Worthing on the south coast of Sussex is now the place that we call home.  They have a nice beach there and although I have never been brave enough to enter the English Channel for a swim - preferring the warm waters of the Caribbean or Indian oceans - I do like to walk down along the beach.  Several times a month the tide takes all the water to France (for a picnic) and it leaves behind the most interesting things to look at whilst you amble along the shore.  You walk so far out that sometimes you think you could actually walk to France if you had just brought your waders with you and not your wellies!  :-)

Fish Hoek Family- South Africa

We were welcomed to Cape Town with one of the famous Black South Easter Winds that gave the place its name and reputation as being one fo the windiest places to visit.  The wind was so strong that we couldn't even get into the harbour for a whole day.  Fortunately a brief respite in wind strength gave us the opportunity to hurry alongside so that we could all jump off and get sightseeing.  All new comers headed out to the wine route.  Having gone to school and university here, I headed for my home turf and spend some fabulous tie with my BBF and her family in Fish Hoek which is an awesome suburb with an amazing beach near Cape Point.  

RAROTONGA – Wednesday 2 February 2011

This is a small island that is part of the Cook islands – only 32kms in diameter.  Fairly undiscovered so it’s not completely destroyed by tourism.   Because of this it still is the classic image of a South Pacific Paradise island and I hope that it can manage to stay that way.    Like all of the island atolls it is basically the top of an extinct volcano that has become inhabited.  Tall green lush peaks surrounded by aquamarine blue warm seas with great diving and white sandy beaches.  NICE!!    Raro means down and tonga means south - now you knwo what the name means!

Ed came back from the beach with a blue star fish like this.  He and his brother thought it was dead but the poor thing died on the balcony and now adorns Bobs garden in Indianna!  Smelt absolutely awful for long time though...

Yangon Myanmar Today



Today we stop in Yangon Myanmar which should be interesting - for you older folks this place was RANGOON , BURMA!! Makes me think of my granddad who was a Chindit (spelling) and got seconded to the Army from the Navy & did fascinating things here.............  I worked all day so was only able to do a tour of the Big Gold Pagoda with the rest of the crew in the evening.  Lovely full moon for us so we were able to see loads of detail.  Amazing place.  Remove shoes and then walk about the holy Buddhist site with all the faithful who are lighting candles.  We were all snapping photographs happily.  I wonder what exactly all these people think about us being here in their 'church' talking loudly and touching everything???  

After a few hours here we all went 'downtown' for a bit of shopping and then for some supper.......  This time though even I was scared of eating and getting sick so I didn't try anything.  Also, have to admit that the smell of the Dragon Fruit was not all that appetizing......

Sydney Opera House, Australia

Who could possible say that they have no comment about this iconic building?  The Syndey opera house is like one of the 7 wonders of the world.  Who would have thought that something so avant garde would be found 'down under'?   It is even impressive inside and if you make it all the way down to the bottom of the world then you should really try and go and listen to some music - or opera - there.  Quite an experience.  

Sydney itself is a nice city.  I have realtives there so when I visit on my ship they like to come onboard and spend some time in my sort of luxury.  I like to go and visit them at thome and see how normal people in Sydney live.  So I can tell you that their lives are not a whole lot different to ours, they just have more sunshine!!

Under The Waterfalls Of Milford Sound, New Zealand

Dunedin-I Love Ewe

The ZEAL in New Zealand

New Zealand to Melborne

Voyage 3 Aukland,  New Zealand to Melborne, Australia February 13- February 28, 2011

Auckland, New Zealand

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uckland, New Zealand 11 February 2011

I actually arrived in Auckland a day before my ship. This was due my escorting a sick guest shore side in Fiji and then flying onto Auckland to continue her treatment. 

We all took an early morning flight from Fiji to Auckland, and allowing for time adjustment we arrived t midday.  After checking into the hotel and finding out that we couldn’t actually go to our rooms as they weren’t ready, we headed down to the QUAY MEDICAL CENTRE to find the hyperbaric chamber so Lisa could get check out by the expert and perhaps go back in for more treatment.  Great people run that place including a really nice, well qualified South African guy called Johann – we are everywhere in the world aren’t we??  This team helped Lisa fantastically and I left her and her husband Al in their capable hands and went off to find “Ruby Wax” beauty salon to spruce myself up for the ship’s imminent arrival.  Hadn’t seen Ed for a couple of days and wanted to be at my best for him so I had all my nails done- hand s and feet – and a complete ‘defluffing

I also magically had my eyelashes permed and dyed!!  Didn’t know you could get your eyelashes permed but they came out fantastically and it made such a difference that I hope I can get it done some place else as well. 

The Crystal Serenity pulled into the harbor before 08h00 on Friday morning and all 3 of us were so happy to see her.  I got Lisa and Al back onboard and then reported to the med cnt to update Dr Ralph on all the happenings.  Then I found Ed………

 Whilst I had been in the Quay med cnt.  I had made an arrangement for Ed and I to meet up with Johann and his girl Jennina and they took us for a fabulous drive out of the city.  We had a great stop at Cornwallis Wharf where you can see the volcanic sand on the beach. 

Then we went and had lunch at a great restaurant called Elevation that has a purely panoramic view of Auckland from a distance. 

Really nice and the food was good as well.  Ed tried some of the local beer and deemed it “the moistest”.  Then we drove on to Waitakere Regional Park where we walked through an informative visitors centre and played outside a bit –

Ed even tried driving on ‘our’ side of the road!! 

Back in Auckland we went down to the shore side to check out the yachts – fabulous, fabulous, fabulous!!  And we stopped off for another beer at one of Johann and Jenina’s favorite hangouts

From contemplation of this fab outlook from Magnus ‘the hero sailor it was back to reality and the ship and I was back on duty in the evening again.   

Rarotonga, Cook Islands

Voyage 2 Papette To Auckland January 30-February 12, 2011

 We spent an overnight in Papette - I managed to keep the room in the Hotel TAHITI NUI and spent the night ashore.  

It was nice to pretend to be on vacation there for a night.  Although I must admit that if I had a load of cash to spend this would not be one of the places I would spend it on. 

        

 I am not sure what they are doing wrong as it is a real pretty place, but the atmosphere in Papette is just not welcoming. The people are nice enough and poor as church mice but they need to do something about their government. Serenity was 1 of two large cruise liners in the harbour, it was a Sunday and there were at least 2 000 people wanting to spend money but the shops were closed as the 'government' has decided that there will be not shopping on a Sunday!  Come on guys - once you have enough money to feed yourselves then you can decide when to work!!  It might also help to sort of clean up the streets a little - reminicent of India that also needs a new broom to sweep clean.

Once out of Tahiti it was onto BORA BORA - the world's most talked about place.  It is magical and the colour of the water is completely indescribable.  Even the photographs don't do it justice.  The colour is mesmerising.  This island is also poor but the people are nice and they try hard.  I was amazed to learn that they grow no food, everything is imported.  Would seem to me that they could be a little more self sufficient if they kept a market garden or two.  I spent the morning escorting a 4 x 4 tour of the island.  Wasn't exactly sure how much 'off roading' we could do, but was suprised.  We went up and down that volcano at a lick and stopped for some fabulous photo opportunities.  During WW2 the American's had an outpost here and there are still a couple of those huge guns about.  I wasn't impressed by them but the guests were and we took some pic from the vantage point.  They were apparently never fired as the ammo that was sent was the wrong size. 



ALOHA Hawaii

First stop of Crystal Serenity World Cruise 2011 was Honolulu.  Luckily I met up with my good freind Grace and she took me out and about. 

Got my feet wet in the Pacific at one of the famous beaches after trying to find one that wasn't covered in good looking bodies.....! 

Grace came back to the ship and we all had dinner together and then went up on deck to see a local show with fabulous Hawaiian men in short skirts and some good cocktails. 

 

Ion and I wave goodbye to Honolulu

Full World Cruise 2011 Los Angeles To London in 110 Days

Much excitment for the start of World Cruise 2011. We all gathered in the Crystal Cove for the big BALLOON DROP which signifies the offical start of the World Cruise.  The guest line the Cove and the Crew walk down the stairs into the middle and they drop hundreds of mutli-coloured balloons onto us which we take great pleasure in popping!!

This is where we are going - amazing to think that we can travel all that way with stop overs in beautiful places, have the time of our lives and all in 3.5 months!