The LAST Bus Ride

Oh Rio....I'm going to like you!!!

After the craziness of Carnaval, Larry and I found ourselves on another endless bus ride, this time headed to Rio de Janeiro. I don’t even know how many hours this bus ride was… 28 hours…..32 hours……….37 hours…who knows. I was really starting to feel like all of my time in South America was being spent on a bus. Somewhere on this endless ride, Larry and I started to discuss what we wanted to do next. Our original plan was to bus in to Peru to hike up to Machu Picchu. The thought of logging more bus hours heading to yet another overly populated tourist destination made me want to throw myself out the window of the bus and splat myself on the Brazilian highway. We thought about our finances and decided that flying wasn’t really an option. Until the instant people teleporter machine was invented, the bus was our only option.

I started to think about everything I had wanted to do on this trip. The two most important things for me were Antarctica and Carnaval. I had already done both of those. I also really wanted to lay on the famous beaches of Brazil, bike down the World’s Most Dangerous Road, see the Amazon Jungle and see the salt flats in Bolivia. I also wanted to see Machu Picchu. The more I thought about it, the more I decided that I wouldn’t be sad if I didn’t make it to Machu Picchu this time. Part of the reason I wanted to go was that it was such a big tourist attraction…I mean how could you go to South America and not go to the famed Machu Picchu, right? Well for the amount of things I had already crossed off my bucket list, I wasn’t going to be sad to have to come back to South America another time. Machu Picchu could wait. I could not survive another bus ride.

When I explained this to Larry, she was relieved, but as always, the supportive friend who wanted to make sure I was really ok with skipping Peru. I told her I would go on a murderous rampage if I had to endure another multi day bus journey.  We left it at that, but I knew we were not bussing it to Peru.

When we finally arrived in Rio, we got to our hostel only to find that they didn’t have enough beds for us. The hostel people were great, and we got a private room for the price of a dorm. We were more than grateful for the room, as the crowded buses and the crowds of Carnival had me nearly at my limit with crowds and people. In our little room, Larry and I searched flights and destinations until we came up with a plan. Randomly, on a whim, because it was cheap to get there, because it was tropical and because I hadn’t yet seen the Caribbean Sea,  we booked flights to Belize. We were going to spend a month on its picturesque turquoise water beaches, then head back to Canada. This was a plan I could jump on!

Copacabana Boardwalk

I was ecstatic and overwhelmed with relief…it was true, NO MORE BUSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!  A single thought had never made me so happy!!

NOT where we stayed...notice giant Christ at the top left

We had a week in Rio and were determined to fit in as much as we could before we departed South America. Early the next day we headed down to Copacabana Beach. The whole way there, I had Barry Manilow’s song lyrics in my head. “At the Copa….Copacabana…..they fell in love”. Little did I know that these words would nearly ring true in the very near future. I was missing a bunch of lyrics in the middle, but all I could think of all day everyday we were in Rio was “at the Copa…Copacabana…” It was a broken record in my head that Larry and I were constantly belting it out at random intervals.

At the Copa...Copacabana....

We lazed on the beach, ate fresh prawns from a man selling them on the beach and gazed at the Christ the Redeemer statue from afar.

YUM!!!!!

 When we had enough of the beach we hit the streets and window shopped our way to Ipanema beach. It was a lovely day, and already I was loving Rio! We had big plans for the week, including a football game, a tour of the favelas and more beach. Knowing I was not going to be suffering through another bus journey had lifted my spirits and I wanted to soak up all of Rio de Janeiro.

Copacabana Beach

Up next, a Brazilian football game, a ghetto tour and helping some boys find an ATM.

Join me as I TRAVEL MY LIFE AWAY!!!

BRAZIL'S CARNAVAL 2011...I WAS THERE!!

The streets of Salvador

The crowd is pulsing with energy. A semi truck is blasting music from a band on its roof top. Twelve people are touching you all at once. You are dripping sweat. Your clothes are soaked through with a combination of your sweat, other peoples sweat and spilled beer. Confetti rains down from the sky. You dance your heart out to the unfamiliar beat. You sing at the top of your lungs even though you don’t understand the Spanish lyrics. The energy is intense, electrifying and contagious. Welcome to Carnaval!


After narrowly surviving the 52 hour bus ride, we finally had made it to Salvador. Boredom, anticipation and too many stops plagued us the entire way.  We arrived late at night, and were exhausted (I still don’t understand why sitting on a bus for an endless amount of hours makes you tired, but it does).  We decided just to go to bed so we could fully experience Carnaval the next day.


I had no idea what to expect in regard to Carnaval. All I knew was that it was a huge and crazy party. But that was enough to make it a “must do“ sometime in my life. The Carnaval in Salvador is actually listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s biggest street party. More than 2 million people are drinking and dancing in the streets every night for a week straight. Carnaval began hundreds of years ago as a festival leading up to Ash Wednesday. It quickly evolved into a celebration of indulgence; one last party filled with food, music, booze and sex, before the 40 days of abstinence and fasting until Easter. Today Brazil’s Carnaval is known all over the world. I was so excited to be a part of this world renown party!!

It was more than I could have ever imagined. More people, more music, more sweat and more fun. It is impossible to describe the energy created by more than 2 million drinking and dancing people. It was also overwhelming. If you had enough of the people, the booze and the heat, there was no escape. One night Laurie and I tried to leave early and we spent 2 full hours pushing, fighting and being tossed around, just trying to get out. God forbid you got sick or hurt in the middle…you would never survive.

We had gotten into the routine of heading down to the beach in the late afternoon with our hostel mates and hitting the streets for Carnaval right after that. We went to Barra Beach, famous for its sunsets, and sat on lounge chairs soaking up the sun and sipping the famous Brazilian cocktails, caprihianas.  A caprihina is a delicious concoction made with cachaca (sugarcane alcohol), sugar, and fresh limes. You can also get them flavoured with fresh fruit such as pineapple, mango, kiwi, strawberry or passion fruit.

Me and a pineapple caprihina

As the food vendors roamed the beach (and by vendor I mean guy walking by with a tupperwear container) we feasted on an array of Brazilian street foods. Most things I don’t even know the name of, but we ate deep fried pastry filled with meat, dough shaped pears filled with cheese and chicken, fresh grilled prawns, and my favourite, roasted cheese on a stick. A guy would walk by carrying a plastic container filled with a soft cheese on a stick and a pot filled with hot coals. When you wanted a cheese stick, he would take one out, cover it in herbs and roast it over his hot coals right there, and hand you a wonderfully hot, gooey, delicious hunk of cheese on a stick. Yum!

Meat filled pastry

Sitting on Barra beach one of those days, I experienced a moment that will stay with me forever. The sun was setting over the ocean, casting a warm glow all around. I had an ice cold pineapple caprihiana in one hand and  freshly roasted cheese on a stick in the other. I was surrounded by a great group of travellers from all over the world, who had quickly become my friends. I was getting a $5 dollar foot massage. I was in Brazil. At Carnaval. I had achieved another check mark on my life’s to do list. This is what pure and utter happiness (or too many caprihianas!)  feels like. It was one of the moments when I look around and think, my life is amazing!!! Nothing could have made that moment better.

Me and Larry as the sun sets

Me and Larry, a few cocktails in

Every evening after the sun had set and we had a few cocktails in us, we headed up to a little rooftop bar which was situated where Carnaval began. We would drink a bit more as we watched the party gear up. When it was crazy in the streets we went in and joined the massive party. We drank more, danced to music we didn’t know, listened to music we had never heard before and just revelled in the atmosphere of people.

And it starts...

A big part of Salvador’s Carnaval are the blocos. A bloco is a giant truck that has been refitted with a band or dj on top, a bar inside and is sectioned off from the street crowd with a square of rope going all around it. The drive through the streets extremely slowly, giving the streets a constant parade of different music. Party goers can pay a few hundred dollars to participate in the bloco and walk with it, in the confines of the rope. It is a little safer and not as crazy as the streets in the confines of a bloco. I am never the type to pay just for safety, so we just hit the streets and got lost in the crowd.

Our hostel mates

To escape the crowds, we would sometimes hit the beach, which followed parallel to the party in the streets. You can watch the chaos, but feel the ocean breeze, go for a swim and get away from the crazy crowds. One night on the beach we met some local Brazilians. Although I could not understand a word they said, I somehow ended up dancing with them on the beach. That was another highlight of my Carnaval experience; trying (and failing miserably) to stomp and shake and feel the music with some locals.

Every night we would escape Carnaval in the wee hours of the morning and sit at a stand serving “agua coco”, translation - coconut water. A fresh green coconut would be hacked open and a straw thrown in, so we could rehydrate on the deliciousness of fresh, cold coconut water. They were supposed to help with the hangovers too!!!

On the last night of Carnaval, David Guetta was going to be on a bloco. Laurie and I were so excited! We had our typical day of beach sunset caprihianas and then headed to the rooftop bar, where we could see his bloco getting prepared. As soon as David Guetta was on the move, so were we. We followed that truck all the way through Carnaval, singing, dancing and having a great time. It was a fantastic way to end a week long celebration.

Yup, David Guetta is up there!!

With the end of Carnaval, I completed another mission on my life’s to do list. With that, I had another mission that needed to be accomplished immediately. Liver detox. Mine was hurting. Next, we were bussing to Rio de Janeiro to relax on the famous beach of Copacabana, this time without a cocktail in hand!

Up next, at the Copa…Copacabana….

Join me as I TRAVEL MY LIFE AWAY!!!!

CG

Larry did it!!! I have one more to go!!!

                                                                     Laurie (aka Larry) and I have been on a quest to travel all 7 continents. She has finally achieved the goal!!! I asked her if she would please write a post on how it feels to have accomplished a goal that once upon a time was a drunken pipe dream. She replied that she cannot write (but her mom says she is a good writer), so we decided to do this interview style.

Crissy = BOLD
Larry = ITALICS

Ok, here we are with Larry from Balzac (Alberta), an avid traveller who has been to all 7 continents, and who just so happens to be my travel partner.
So Larry, where have you been?

I have been all over Canada, the USA, Mexico, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Mozambique, Egypt, England, Scotland, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Malta, Portugal, Poland, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Antarctica and Uruguay. Over the next two months, I will also add Brazil, Peru, and Colombia.

Larry, what inspired you to travel in the first place?

It wasn't so much an act of inspiration as an act of ….ummm…I just needed a change. I had finished university, was working a “real” job as an industrial research coordinator for a large commercial real estate company. I was unhappy and bored with my life. I wanted a challenge. I wanted a change. I wanted to travel but couldn't afford it, so I reviewed my options of ways to work and travel. I came up with the idea of teaching English in Japan. I never expected it to become what it has become. It was only meant to be a one year contract, not a never ending lifestyle.

Were you scared to leave home for the first time?

No. I really wasn’t. It felt surreal. It didn’t really feel like it was happening even as it was happening. But I was never scared to leave.

 Do you miss home at all?

Not really. When I first got to Japan, I missed the music and the bars of home, but I never really missed home. I missed my dog. But recently, since I have been doing this for fucking ages, wait….don’t say fucking…my mom reads this…… within the last 6 months or so, I miss home more than I ever have up to this point. But I have been away from home for nearly two years this time.  My toes feel soft.

What inspired the idea of travelling to all 7 continents?

It was while I was in Australia the second time, we were planning our lives and decided that we needed some direction to our travels. So we made a goal of all 7 continents. Seemed like a crazy goal at the time, but still fairly achievable….it may have been a drunken idea….

What do you think of your partner in crime after all of this time? (heehee that’s me!!!)

We still get still get along perfectly fine. We never fight or argue. We make a great team as one persons strengths balances out the others weaknesses. Crissy is the planner, I’m the navigator. We’re a winning combination and I couldn’t do it without her. I’m sure she is what has kept me going as long as I have.


Tell me what it feels like to have accomplished such a huge dream.

Doesn't feel like anything. No…ok….. I am proud…I am proud of what I have achieved. I am pretty young to have done and seen as much as I have. And I am proud of myself, because while it has been fun, it hasn’t always been easy and it is a big accomplishment.

What has kept you motivated to keep travelling for all of these years?

Uuummm…having a goal has really helped. And having awesome friends who are similarly situated in life acting as my travel companions. They’ve kept me focused on my travel goals and what “life planning” really means.


Describe some of the life lessons you have learned as a backpacker.

Ultimately, all people, doesn't matter their nationality, culture, ethnicity, whatever, are basically all the same. I think people are ultimately good. I've learned how to be resourceful and how to live on nearly nothing. School is overrated. Life experiences can teach you so much more. I’ve also learned that 3 day old, 48 degree meat sandwiches are still good to eat. And sometimes its ok to have wine for breakfast and ice cream for dinner.

What has been your lowest travel moment? The highest?

My lowest moment was probably when I was stuck in Japan, I was jobless, squatting in my apartment, with all the time in the world, but no money to do anything. I was alone in a foreign land and I was miserable. The company I was working for went bankrupt and I was jobless. There were a lot of negative feelings associated with that time. 


My best moment was…..I don’t know. Being able to reflect on all the places I’ve been and done and seen. There’s no one moment that supersedes everything else. 

Larry you have seen more of the world in your young 25 years than most people will see in a lifetime. Do you have any words of inspiration for those who dream about seeing the world?

You can do it……..! Don’t let anybody tell you that it is too scary, too expensive, too different, too hard, too whatever…………..it is not that scary, it is not that expensive, it is not that hard. You will learn so much about yourself and others, and travelling has the potential to be one of the best experiences of your life. So just go for it! Basically don’t let anyone else tell you you can’t do it. It is just there for your taking.

Any regrets? Anything you wish you would have done along the way? 

I should have stayed in Australia longer the first time. I wasn’t ready to leave when I did. Though looking at where I am now, it has all worked out in the end.

So now that you have seen and done it all… what’s next?

That is a good question Crissy, (in her best interviewing voice). The joke now is outer space (Larry, it is not a joke!!!!  Google “Virgin Galactic“). Maybe to see if I can extend my travels to span 5 years…….but I don’t know….I figure it out as I go. Maybe eventually my amazing travel partner and I will open our own hostel.

That is all with Larry for now, but stay tuned as we continue our adventures around South America!!!

Laurie and giraffe in South Africa, AFRICA

Laurie sea kayaking in Victoria, AUSTRALIA

Laurie wearing her favorite Dutch shoes in Amsterdam, EUROPE

Laurie in Hiroshima, Japan, ASIA

Laurie and friends (including me!) in Niagara Falls, Canada, NORTH AMERICA

Laurie at Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia, SOUTH AMERICA

Larry in ANTARCTICA

Up next, Iguazu Falls and the quest for Brazilian visas!!
Join me (and Larry) as I TRAVEL MY LIFE AWAY!!!!!!

ANTARCTICA!!!

                                                                    The first two full days of the cruise we spent at sea. We were still in the tropicalness of Argentina, so we spent our days laying by the pool and drinking margaritas.

 Every evening we would have a cocktail and watch the sunset over the Atlantic with absolutely nothing to impede the view. It was spectacular.

After two and a half days on the boat, Laurie and I were excited for our first port of call, the Falkland Islands. This little island in the middle of nowhere actually belongs to the United Kingdom, so they speak English and use the pound as their currency. That is pretty much the most exciting fact about the Falkland Islands. That, and the fact that sheep out number people 3 - 1. We didn’t have anything planned, so we just wandered the little town, and were done in only a few hours. It was probably the most boring place I have ever been.

Our next port of call was Antarctica. I was a bit disappointed because when we originally booked the cruise, we were actually going to be docking in Paradise Bay, Antarctica but changes to the law now prevented us from doing so. Antarctica is the most untouched place on the face of the earth, and it is important to protect its ecological surroundings. As of 2012, large cruise ships are no longer allowed to enter into Antarctic waters, to help preserve its environment. We were the last cruise ship of the 2011 season and therefore the last cruise ship ever to sail to Antarctica. Tourist boats are still allowed, but only small ones. When we were looking at prices, these trips ranged from $16,000 to $25,000 for 10 days. Way too much for me…I could travel the world for a year with that kind of cash!! Tourism to Antarctica has risen exponentially in the last 10 years and has left a lasting impact on the pristine environment. These recent changes will help preserve the ecosystem, but will drastically increase the prices for tourism to Antarctica. To date, of the over 7 billion people on this earth, only 600,000 of them have ever been to Antarctica. And I am one of those people.

We were going to be cruising by Elephant Island, Antarctica at 7 am, so we put on nearly all the clothes in our bags and were up having breakfast by 6 am. I did not want to miss a thing!! One look out the window and my heart fell in my chest. It was so cloudy and foggy you could not see anything but grey haze out the window. We ate breakfast and then got a spot inside on the observation deck.

Laurie bundled up...inside. It was that cold!!

 As we got closer to Antarctica, the fog started to fade away. My first glimpse of the last continent was a bright white iceberg that seemed to glow in the greyness of the sky.

The water was rough, tossing the huge ship from side to side. Chunks of ice floated all around in the water, bobbing like rubber duckies in the bathtub. The fog lifted even more, and I could see the barren land of ice and rock. It looked absolutely inhospitable and amazing.

I could not stand to be looking at this through the window any longer. I pulled my toque down, nearly covering my eyes and zipped my jacket up to the top. I was going to brave the Antarctic weather. I ran up the stairs to the outdoor observation deck and was nearly blown off the boat.

Being blown away...and wearing nearly everything in my backpack

 The winds were so strong that I could not breathe if I faced into it. But this was a once in a life time experience, so I stared out at the end of the world and turned my head when I needed to breathe. It was beautiful and intense. Most people in the world would never get to see this sight. That alone was awe inspiring. The land was nearly black, mountainous rock; the snow was stark white and made for such a sharp contrast. There was an ice sheet that jutted out of the land and stretched on for miles and miles. It is difficult to describe in words and impossible to capture in a picture. It truly is one of those things that you need to see to understand.

Ice sheet

Looking off one side of the ship, you could see a dark and scary storm cloud moving in at an alarmingly fast pace. It was moving faster than the ship and was quickly impeding our view of Antarctica. When we couldn’t see anymore, Laurie and I decided to have a nap while we cruised our way to Paradise Bay, Antarctica.

That damn cloud!!!

 I awoke a few hours later to an announcement. Due to a storm, we could not venture any further into Antarctic waters. The waves were 24 feet high and were going to get higher. Paradise Bay was experiencing a blizzard and visibility was zero. It was not safe for the ship to proceed. With no visibility, we risked hitting an iceberg, destroying part of the fragile environment, and possibly suffering the same fate as the Titanic. That storm cloud I saw earlier was the reason I could not make it any further into Antarctica.

At first, I was really upset. We had paid so much money for this cruise, and I had not been able to see what I wanted to. After speaking with other guests, I came to understand, that because Antarctica is so extreme and remote, this happens often. You put your fate in the hands of the weather, and cannot win every time. At least I was lucky and was able to see anything at all. So, even though it was not everything I expected, I checked Antarctica off on my list of continents. Six down, one to go!! Then I proceeded to look into Antarctica trips from New Zealand. I need to see more.

Since we had turned back early from Antarctica, we arrived in Ushuaia, Argentina a day early and had two days to explore the little town. Ushuaia is considered “the end of the world” or “fin del mundo” in Spanish. It is the southern most city in the world.

There was a lot to do here, and we spent the first day wandering around, taking a tour of the city and marvelling at the beauty of this little town. On one side it is framed by the beauty of the Atlantic, on another side the breathtaking, snow capped Andes and on the other side, the National Park of Tierra del Fuego.

The City of Ushuaia

On our second day we went on a tour to Beagle Channel (where the Pacific and Atlantic oceans meet). We set sail on a yacht, decked out in some serious boating gear, consisting of pylon orange, XXXL water proof jackets and pants.

 The first stop was an island where sea lions and flying penguins hung out. The flying penguins are apparently penguins that got part way through the evolution process but not all the way. They look exactly like the non evolved penguins, but had reached the evolutionary point that allowed them to fly.  We went for a hike on an island and learned about the natives, who were nomadic naked canoers. Westerners killed them off with disease and guns.

As we left Ushuaia, we sailed around Cape Horn, Chile. For some reason, the cruise gave us certificates saying that we have been to Cape Horn. Not sure why…or why we didn’t get them for Antarctica too.

We had a few more days at sea, then reached Puerto Madryn, Argentina. We were back into the tropical weather and finally, for the first time on this trip, I was able to put my toes in the sand. We spent most of the day walking along the beach.

Next we headed over to Montevideo, Uruguay. It was the 21st country I have been to. We walked around the city, saw the touristy sights and walked along the beach boardwalk. It was a Sunday and most things were closed, so we were only there for a few hours.

 The next day, we were arriving back in Buenos Aires and were no longer going to be living in the lap of luxury. It was back to the backpacker life, with cramped dorms, dirty bathrooms and chocolate-less pillows.

Up next, Iguazu Falls and the quest for Brazilian visas.
Join me as I TRAVEL MY LIFE AWAY!!!

Life on a Boat

The Celebrity Infinity

There is only one way to describe it. LUXURY! After months of broken down buses, having no idea what you are really eating and bathrooms that made me physically gag, the cruise ship was pure and utter luxury. As soon as we stepped foot on the boat we were greeted with champagne. The crew called us “madam” and showed us to our floor. There we were greeted with more champagne and our stateroom attendant showed us to our room. Stateroom attendant - we had a guy who’s only job was to make sure we had everything we ever needed at every moment of every day. Such a change from waiting 20 minutes at a hostel reception desk to complain about a drunk guy who peed in the corner of the 20 bed dorm 4 hours ago and no one has yet to clean it up.

Our room was spacious, had a window looking out over the sea, comfy beds, bathrobes, was cleaned twice a day, and we never had less than half a roll of toilet paper. I do really wonder what they did with all those partial rolls. 

Our stateroom

After we got over a fit of giggling like little school girls over the decadence of it all, Laurie and I went out to explore the ship. It was a pretty large ship, carrying 1950 passengers and 550 staff members. It was like an entire city had been shrunk down and put on a boat. There was a movie theatre, a library, a casino, a spa, a gym, multiple restaurants, hair salon, indoor and outdoor pools, a shopping area, games room, internet area, cafes and lounge rooms, a running track, a playground, a dance club, 4 hot tubs, a stage theatre, observations decks and a buffet area. You could even get botox on the boat!!! 

Outdoor pool area

The food…oh my god the food!! I could write an entire post about the food. The buffet area had enough food to stop world hunger, every day from 6 am until 10 pm. At breakfast you could have 8 types of bacon, eggs of every variety, fruit, waffles, grilled veggies, muffins and anything else you could possibly imagine. During lunch you could eat from the carvery, the Asian station, the Indian section, the English section, the healthy area, the soup and sandwich stand, the salad buffet, the grill, and I could go on for ages. There was an equally diverse selection for dinner. Dinner was also served as a formal sit down multi-course affair. The food there was fancy, presented exquisitely and amazingly delicious. Every night we could choose from the standard menu which included things like caesar salad, french onion soup, lobster bisque, sirloin steak, and grilled salmon. There was also a full menu that changed every night. It had 5 appetizers, 4 soups, 6 entrees and 5 desserts to choose from. They were all 5 star restaurant quality, using some ingredients I have never heard of, and fancy sounding French words to describe to the dishes. There was also an ice cream stand that was open for 14 hours of every day. And if you were still hungry after all of that, there was a comprehensive room service menu available 24 hours a day. One night there was even a CHOCOLATE BUFFET…have two words together ever sounded so sweet??? Needless to say, I gained weight on the cruise. But it was worth every delicious calorie!!!

Ice sculpture / mimosa station at brunch

Chocolate Buffet

More chocolate buffet...it was never ending!!!

Every night after we returned from dinner, our room had been tidied, our beds turned down and a chocolate on our pillow. Once our stateroom attendant learned that we liked the orange chocolates the best, we always had a handful of orange chocolates on our pillows. He also left us the next day’s program so we could lay in bed and plan the next day.

During our days at sea, there were plenty of things to keep us busy. There were poker tournaments, trivia sessions, karaoke, joke-a -thons, bingo, bands, liquor tastings, painting classes, seminars on everything from teeth whitening to nutrition to diamonds. There were bands playing, pool volleyball, games of family feud, catch phrase and pictionary, napkin folding and cooking demonstrations, line dancing classes, Pilates and Yoga classes, and if eventually you got bored, there was a bar on nearly every deck. Every evening there was a show. Sometimes it was a musician, other times a Broadway type production, sometimes dancers and cirque de soleil  type fiyers. Every time it was amazing. The crew also aimed at getting the guests involved. I participated in a jewelery fashion show, where I paraded around in thousands of dollars worth of diamonds while others oohhed and ahhhed. Other guests put on a play. At the end of the cruise there was a show put on entirely by the guests, showcasing some of the best karaokeers, joke tellers and photographers. 

Tango show

Me and more than $8000 worth of black and white diamonds. If you are wondering what I want for Christmas......

The crew on the boat was beyond amazing. They worked so hard and so many hours to ensure that our cruise was everything we wanted it to be. Anytime we needed anything, it was brought to our room within minutes. Everyone said hello to us every time we passed. They held the doors for us, offered to carry our trays in the buffet area, and took our plates away as soon was we were finished. I have not been treated better anywhere and loved the living the pampered life.

We met a wide array of people on the boat, but no one quite like us. We were younger than most, by nearly 20 years. Many had been going on cruise vacations for years and years. We met some people who had been to all 7 continents on cruises, others who were on a family vacation, some who were just there for the party but no other backpackers. A lot of people were interested in why “people like us” were on the cruise. I think our lack of formal clothing gave away the fact that this was not our allotted 3 weeks of annual vacation. There were the die hard trivia junkies who attended every session and argued if they got an answer wrong, the Aussies who always had a drink in their hand, Steve-o, who was the life of the party where ever you went on the boat, and ancients who could barely walk and you knew this would be their last vacation. 

All in all, the cruise was a fantastic experience. It was so different from the way that Laurie and I usually travel, and gave us a glimpse of the non backpacker travel life. Although I loved every minute of the luxury, I still prefer roughing it with my backpack. I won’t be upgrading from the backpacker life to the life of luxury anytime soon.

Up next, the ports of call (where we stopped) on the cruise and my ANTARCTIC EXPERIENCE!!