It's Wednesday so this must be Victoria ... actually we are still about
5 hours out of Victoria hugging the coast of Vancouver Island. We will
dock in Victoria at 3PM ship's time and depart at midnight on our final
leg back into Vancouver.
I'm writing this web log now because we have been advised that about an
hour out of Victoria and then well after midnight we will no longer have
internet access of any kind from the ship. Apparently there is some
sort of military blocking signal that disables the satellite signal ...
maybe Victoria is living in the "netless age" .. don't know but it means
I have to consume the rest of the internet minutes I have paid for
between now and then.
We were awakened this morning about 3AM to the ship's fog horn blaring
away ... looking outside it was obvious why ... I could barely see the
railing on the balcony the fog was so thick ... the ship's horn
continued to blast at 5 minute or so intervals so sleeping was somewhat
sporadic.
Since this is basically the last day of the voyage (we have to be off
the ship by 7:15AM tomorrow) ... Carolyn and I lazed about until almost
8AM skipping our jog/walk routine and simply savoring the last day of
the "Great Alaska Adventure of 2008". We had a nice breakfast,
realizing these were the last fried eggs and bacon we would be seeing
until probably November when we embark on the Mediterranean cruise. We
are both actually very ready to get back home and resume our "normal"
routine. The voyage has been spectacular but 16 days away from home is
just about the longest time we have spent away in many many years (early
IBM schools were the only exception).
In the port of Victoria we have scheduled a tour of the "Butchart
Gardens" .... about 55 acres of floral gardens ... I'll be posting
pictures of that either after we get to our room Thursday in Vancouver
or after we return home.
We have packed up ... decided what we needed to have available in our
backpacks and will walk our bags off ourselves tomorrow morning.
We hope the readers and subscribers to our journey's web log have
enjoyed our descriptions as we sailed along ... we enjoyed writing the
entries and then reading your comments!!
Back in Texas Friday around 6PM if all goes well.
2 comments:
Enjoy the last few days in the NW...should be good weather up there. Thanks again for sharing all your observations and photos.
- Steve
Brandi and Steven here - We have just read all of your blog posts from the ship's EXPENSIVE computer - what can we say? We are addicted to your blogs!!! It really really sounds like you had a GREAT trip and I am very happy for you. We are really bummed you didn't get to go in the plane to see the bears, but you had many adventures other than that!
A quick run down:
Jamaica was nice - we were there on their independence day (from Great Britian) and went to an all inclusive beach - then off to Margaritaville!!! Yes, the margarita was DING DANG STRONG ya'll and Steven and I both stumbled back on board (a day at an all inclusive beach along with a margarita from Margaritaville = 2 drunk Gosaps.)
Today was Grand Cayman and on the advice of Cruise Critic, Steven booked the Gosaps and the Turners on the Native Way tour - VERY COOL! Swam with stingrays (I even held one this time), snorkeled (which was cool because Kellie had never been in any water other than Port A) and then had a lunch on a beach. Your comments about "being on the first tender" brought Steven's observation of "Well, you come by it honestly." Grand Cayman is our only tender port as well, and as we had an excursion that we were supposed to report for at 8:15am, with the first tender being at 7:00am, and our excurison was NOT through Carnival, I was REALLY anxious that we would be late - so Ryan and I convinced the Purser's desk lady that we HAD to have the priority debarkation stickers while Steven and Kellie were headed to save us places at the front of the tender line (oh, at 6:20am). We were not the FIRST on the tender, but were safely on the first tender boat, arriving a full hour ahead of our 8:15am meet time. I do like to make you proud.
Tomorrow is COZ and we will be driving the island, dropping into Roberta and Robert and do some shopping.
I am off, because at .75 a minute, this is crazy! But we were concerned about dad's back (OH so glad to hear it is better) and wanted to touch base. Have a safe trip back tomorrow - we will see you Sunday (I am not sad to see you but SUPER sad to end vacation! What a summer!)
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