Unfortunately for me my vacation is over an while this is generally a running blog, I thought I'd give a brief summary here. Feel free to skip over this post if you're looking for running material. So, as I mentioned below, I was on a cruise - it was 10 total days and originated out of Bayonne, NJ.
Day 1 - this was registration day - lots of waiting in lines - luggage drop-off, parking, check-in, photo-id process, muster drill, etc. Once on the ship, we quickly found our stateroom - a decent sized room with a couch and a balcony. Then the eating commenced. We also signed up for the wine tasting dinner that was held in the ship's upscale Italian restaurant. Lots of good wine and a great buzz - probably two bottles of wine per person. Most everyone else retired for the evening, but my brother in law and I began a bar crawl around the ship. We finished up in The Chamber - a goth inspired dance club which - if you know me - isn't really how I usually roll, but it was fun anyway. BIL and I then ate some pizza at the all night pizzeria and then hit the casinos and then the outside decks for some ping pong action. After that we stopped by the basketball court for some hoops practice until about 2:30 am. A few slices of pizza after that and we were done for the night. Needless to say, there was no running.
Day 2 - still a bit cold today - probably about 55 degrees, so we were confined to the lounges for the most part. Did a little shopping at the ship's stores, checked out a few of the ship's many bars and acquainted ourselves with the dining room and cafes. Tonight is a formal night and we have a great waitstaff. The show tonight was a typical singing and dancing act. After a few drinks, we head to bed around midnight. I managed to get a nice workout in at the gym today too.
Day 3 - 85 degrees today, but very windy - still at sea. The wind masks the heat from the sun and I forget to apply sunscreen. Three hours after lounging on deck with my head phones I look like a lobster but only one one side of my face... I had another good workout - including a four mile run. Tonight's entertainment was a new age styled piano player - kind of boring, but I make it through. I make my first trip to the Johnny Rockets tonight. Up again until 12-1 am.
Day 4 - up early to see us docking in Haiti. Actually, we're at Labadee - Royal Carribean's private stop which happens to be in Haiti. While there I ride the world's largest zip line that travels over water. It's 500 feet high, starts at a mountain situated on a peninsula on the shore and descends one-half mile over the ocean to another peninsula below while travelling at speeds of 30-40 mph. Scary initially, but lots of fun and the ride lasts for about a minute overall. Went to a beach after this and had a fruity drink or two. Followed that up with a feast of jerked chicken, beans and rice. Dinner was typical and the entertainment was a juggling comedian. BIL fell asleep at 8:15 tonight after eating four entrees and I mock him the next day. I also managed a late night run.
Day 5 - today was a stop in Samana, Dominican Republic. We tendered into the island and explored the town, but there wasn't much to see except for a huge number of local artisans who have set out their works along a sidewalk leading along the water spanning the entirety of the distance into town. visited a church here that had been assembled in England, disassembled and brought here and then reassembled. We actually got to experience a mass and the singing was beautiful. After about 10 minutes, we make a donation to the parish and head to our excursion. That excursion was a four hour guided ATV tour into the Dominican countryside, so we got to see the real Dominican Republic. Two observations here - actually three or four. First, the countryside was stunning - we drove up and down many beautiful hills and valleys, along the beach, crossed a few rivers, and drove down several wooded trails including one that stopped at a waterfall and also drove through several villages. Second, the people here are amazingly friendly - they'd all run to the roadside as we drove by and would either wave or give us a high five. Third, there is lot of development going on - including the installation of an aquifer for several of the towns that we drove through. Last - the poverty here is astounding - as I mentioned above, there was no running water once you left the town. And many of the homes here lack windows and roofs. A real eye-opener. I fell asleep tonight at 7:45 pm and I don't wake up until 8:30 am the next day. My BIL, as expected, is all over this... Needless to say, there was no running today.
Day 6 - we were in St. Thomas today. We walked from the pier into Charlotte Amalie and take the ferry over to Cruz Bay, St. John. From there we head to Trunk Bay for some snorkeling. We are informed that the surf is too rough for snorkeling, so there is no snorkeling today BUT, there is no entry fee charged because of this. Swimming is also discouraged, but permitted if we choose. Well, we're here so we opt to swim. And the U.S. Park Service is right, it's rough out there, but fun too. Rum punch helps me to forget to apply sunscreen again. Ouch!! After 3-4 hours, we head back to St. Thomas via Red Hook stopping for another drink prior to cabbing it back into town. We eat dinner at a favorite restaurant in Charlotte Amalie and then go shopping. Amy gets diamond earrings and a matching ring. I get nada. More Johnny Rockets tonight and then to bed around 1 am. No running today either.
Day 7 - San Juan, Puerto Rico. One of the ship's propellers has been damaged and this cuts our stay here short. We are here from 8:30 to 11 am only. We wander around Old San Juan. It's nice - some of the city dates back to the 15th or 16th century - lots of narrow, winding cobblestone streets. I get a nice watch.
The rest of the day is spent lounging on the deck and listening to music, eating and another trip to the gym.
Day 8 - we're at sea today. it's a lot like day three except that I manage not to burn myself. A little drinking, lots of sun and some ping pong and shuffleboard round out the day. Another formal night for dinner - I get both the lobster and a nice Thai chicken breast. Oh, and Johnny Rockets to close out the night. Spent the evening drinking with BIL. Three more miles today too.
Day 9 - it's cold again today - another day spent in the lounges - mostly eating. I played bingo twice today. Fill the card for $8k and $10k respectively. One last workout today too along with a lot of packing up my things.
Day 10 - after one more big breakfast - I had to go home. That's about all I have. Overall, I only gained three pounds. Not bad since I usually gain 8-10 pounds over the course of a seven day cruise. No running today with all of the travelling.
Let's see - I ran today too. Three miles. It finally feels like I'm getting back to liking running again.
Tomorrow's post will return to your normal programming. Promise.
Day 1 - this was registration day - lots of waiting in lines - luggage drop-off, parking, check-in, photo-id process, muster drill, etc. Once on the ship, we quickly found our stateroom - a decent sized room with a couch and a balcony. Then the eating commenced. We also signed up for the wine tasting dinner that was held in the ship's upscale Italian restaurant. Lots of good wine and a great buzz - probably two bottles of wine per person. Most everyone else retired for the evening, but my brother in law and I began a bar crawl around the ship. We finished up in The Chamber - a goth inspired dance club which - if you know me - isn't really how I usually roll, but it was fun anyway. BIL and I then ate some pizza at the all night pizzeria and then hit the casinos and then the outside decks for some ping pong action. After that we stopped by the basketball court for some hoops practice until about 2:30 am. A few slices of pizza after that and we were done for the night. Needless to say, there was no running.
Day 2 - still a bit cold today - probably about 55 degrees, so we were confined to the lounges for the most part. Did a little shopping at the ship's stores, checked out a few of the ship's many bars and acquainted ourselves with the dining room and cafes. Tonight is a formal night and we have a great waitstaff. The show tonight was a typical singing and dancing act. After a few drinks, we head to bed around midnight. I managed to get a nice workout in at the gym today too.
Day 3 - 85 degrees today, but very windy - still at sea. The wind masks the heat from the sun and I forget to apply sunscreen. Three hours after lounging on deck with my head phones I look like a lobster but only one one side of my face... I had another good workout - including a four mile run. Tonight's entertainment was a new age styled piano player - kind of boring, but I make it through. I make my first trip to the Johnny Rockets tonight. Up again until 12-1 am.
Day 4 - up early to see us docking in Haiti. Actually, we're at Labadee - Royal Carribean's private stop which happens to be in Haiti. While there I ride the world's largest zip line that travels over water. It's 500 feet high, starts at a mountain situated on a peninsula on the shore and descends one-half mile over the ocean to another peninsula below while travelling at speeds of 30-40 mph. Scary initially, but lots of fun and the ride lasts for about a minute overall. Went to a beach after this and had a fruity drink or two. Followed that up with a feast of jerked chicken, beans and rice. Dinner was typical and the entertainment was a juggling comedian. BIL fell asleep at 8:15 tonight after eating four entrees and I mock him the next day. I also managed a late night run.
Day 5 - today was a stop in Samana, Dominican Republic. We tendered into the island and explored the town, but there wasn't much to see except for a huge number of local artisans who have set out their works along a sidewalk leading along the water spanning the entirety of the distance into town. visited a church here that had been assembled in England, disassembled and brought here and then reassembled. We actually got to experience a mass and the singing was beautiful. After about 10 minutes, we make a donation to the parish and head to our excursion. That excursion was a four hour guided ATV tour into the Dominican countryside, so we got to see the real Dominican Republic. Two observations here - actually three or four. First, the countryside was stunning - we drove up and down many beautiful hills and valleys, along the beach, crossed a few rivers, and drove down several wooded trails including one that stopped at a waterfall and also drove through several villages. Second, the people here are amazingly friendly - they'd all run to the roadside as we drove by and would either wave or give us a high five. Third, there is lot of development going on - including the installation of an aquifer for several of the towns that we drove through. Last - the poverty here is astounding - as I mentioned above, there was no running water once you left the town. And many of the homes here lack windows and roofs. A real eye-opener. I fell asleep tonight at 7:45 pm and I don't wake up until 8:30 am the next day. My BIL, as expected, is all over this... Needless to say, there was no running today.
Day 6 - we were in St. Thomas today. We walked from the pier into Charlotte Amalie and take the ferry over to Cruz Bay, St. John. From there we head to Trunk Bay for some snorkeling. We are informed that the surf is too rough for snorkeling, so there is no snorkeling today BUT, there is no entry fee charged because of this. Swimming is also discouraged, but permitted if we choose. Well, we're here so we opt to swim. And the U.S. Park Service is right, it's rough out there, but fun too. Rum punch helps me to forget to apply sunscreen again. Ouch!! After 3-4 hours, we head back to St. Thomas via Red Hook stopping for another drink prior to cabbing it back into town. We eat dinner at a favorite restaurant in Charlotte Amalie and then go shopping. Amy gets diamond earrings and a matching ring. I get nada. More Johnny Rockets tonight and then to bed around 1 am. No running today either.
Day 7 - San Juan, Puerto Rico. One of the ship's propellers has been damaged and this cuts our stay here short. We are here from 8:30 to 11 am only. We wander around Old San Juan. It's nice - some of the city dates back to the 15th or 16th century - lots of narrow, winding cobblestone streets. I get a nice watch.
The rest of the day is spent lounging on the deck and listening to music, eating and another trip to the gym.
Day 8 - we're at sea today. it's a lot like day three except that I manage not to burn myself. A little drinking, lots of sun and some ping pong and shuffleboard round out the day. Another formal night for dinner - I get both the lobster and a nice Thai chicken breast. Oh, and Johnny Rockets to close out the night. Spent the evening drinking with BIL. Three more miles today too.
Day 9 - it's cold again today - another day spent in the lounges - mostly eating. I played bingo twice today. Fill the card for $8k and $10k respectively. One last workout today too along with a lot of packing up my things.
Day 10 - after one more big breakfast - I had to go home. That's about all I have. Overall, I only gained three pounds. Not bad since I usually gain 8-10 pounds over the course of a seven day cruise. No running today with all of the travelling.
Let's see - I ran today too. Three miles. It finally feels like I'm getting back to liking running again.
Tomorrow's post will return to your normal programming. Promise.
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