02/19/07

Brother Joel and and his wife Elaine took a cruise to South America and Antarctica. Here is a description of the trip with pictures:

Rio de Janiero (or Ru djnero the locals say, I think)

We got a good night's sleep after a looong flight Sat/Sun. We are six hours ahead of home (I forgot it is daylight time here), but I think we are pretty much on schedule now. We are waiting in the hotel for a transfer at noon to the ship. We understand that there are 10,000 cruise ship passengers in town right now and it is stretching all the amenities. I am beginning to feel like the people here are on a more laid-back schedule and it is amusing to hear the guests complaining about how slow the elevators are, the check-in, the check out, the service, etc. What else have we got to do! We weren't signed up for a tour this morning, so we had a leisurly breakfast out in the patio area. It must have rained in the night and it is cloudy.

Looking down the beach you can see Leblon and Ipenema ("...the girl goes strolling...), the most expensive real estate. The hotel is on a short beach that is enclosed by rocks. We are told that all the beaches are publically owned and can be used by anyone. It seemed like everyone was out yesterday, Sunday, as we drove by. The waves are high and swimming was not advised, but earlier in the week it was calm. It is humid with the clouds.

I am used to having Tom along with all the equipment so this is a trial run. I believe I can go down to the lobby and hook up my laptop and send this message. We will see.

If you would like to be removed from receiving this spam, let me know. It only costs $100 to have your name deleted and I take paypal or a credit card! No seriously, I will take you name off.

Until another day,

Joel and Elaine

Last day in Rio

On our last day in Rio, we took a city tour. After driving through downtown, we stopped at the Cathedral of San Sebastian, built in the 1960's. It is a huge pyramid able to seat thousands. The inside is mostly open with stained-glass windows in the sides of the sloping walls. Paulo was a wonderful guide and continued to be good-humored after fending off the ditsy woman who just couldn't understand why Brazilians didn't adopt more English words since they used the English alphabet. They do make it against the law to use English words, but I couldn't see that it stopped much. Brazil is the only Latin American country to use Portuguese and there is limited understanding of Spanish or vice-versa, I understand.

The capital was moved from Rio to Brasilia a generation ago. It is about 300 miles away and isolated from other population areas. Paulo thought it was a political move to make protest against the government more difficult. Rio has about 6 million people compared to the industrial city of Sao Paulo with upwards of 22 million, one of the world's largest. Minimum wage is about $150 per month and most work at that level. They are forced to live in favellas (located) located on the hillsides and originally squatter's sites. A governor decided to help them by giving them the land. Now they pay property tax, but are not too happy about it. Most don't have streets or even paths that could accommodate a scooter. The houses used to be cardboard and tin, but the government has encouraged them to use brick and cement. Most in the building trades live there, so they know how to do it. The wealthy live on the beautifu beaches in South Rio in highrises, Ipenema, Copacabana, Leblon, etc. In 1994, there was a News Year's Eve party on the beaches that attracted 2 million people. In North Rio is the bay that is badly polluted.

Rio was discovered in January and the explorers thought it was the mouth of a river hence Rio de Janiero de Sao Sabastiao. It was San Sebastian's saint's day. There was no river, but the name stuck. For entertainment, they brought aboard a troupe of singers and dancers with elaborate costumes representing various parts of the country.

We took the cable cars up to Sugarloaf Mountain and fortunately it turned out to be clear. The view is spectacular. Directly across on another hill was Christ the Redeemer. It had been covered in clouds much of the day, but they drifted away while we were there. After a drive through the downtown business district, we were back aboard ship ready for the lifeboat drill and sailing. Out in the bay we had to stop while the Brazilians boarded to finish up some paperwork. As we started up again, we joined Rod & Pat Bullard (who have been aboard since New Orleans, and two other couples, Vick and Sharon and Dan and Bobbie, PA and Bend, respectively, who are in our party for dinner.

Today it is clear, the sea is very blue and it is very warm. We will be in Puerto Madryn, Argentina on Saturday where we have scheduled a visit to a Welsh village for tea. (go figure!)

Joel and Elaine

Thursday off Argentina

We went to two lectures today on Antarctica, and both were filled almost a half hour before they were to begin. I am becoming more and more amazed at what we are about to undertake. We are passing by Buenos Aires (I thought we could barely make out mountains of the shore, but it is cloudy) and it is getting cooler. When we get to Puerto Madryn, Argentina, we should begin to see more wildlife. It should start increasing as we make our way to the Falkland Islands. From the Falklands we will cross the Drake Passage (which he found after being driven off course in a lengthy storm). Somewhere there we will be crossing the great upwelling where the cold water from the south goes under the warm water from the north. All the nutrients flowing up provide the food for all kinds of mammals and birds.

From there we will be crossing the 60th parallel which is the beginning of the international treaty area. There are very strict environmental controls in this area and no one will be able to smoke on the decks (boo hoo - everyone clapped when that was announced) and no outside games like ping pong, tennis, etc will be allowed for fear something might go overboard. We are the largest Princess ship to make this trip and there is only one this year. We are told approximate times and places we will go because of weather changes and ice. We can experience 4 seasons in one day. I hear them say more and more "if we are able to." We are reminded that this is not a cruise but an expedition, an adventure. We had to chuckle because the Captain said that some of the places on the brochure we would not go to because they weren't interesting and the marketing department didn't know that. Other important ones were left off. There is one shore excursion that will fly in, but it was very limited and sold out rapidly, only $1700. We will be going near one of the stations and the plan is to have personnel come out to talk to us.

We have wonderful speakers, two graduates of Cambridge to talk about mammals and birds, an authority on geology and glaciers, Dr Neilson who was wintering in Antarctica as the only Dr when she discovered a lump in her breast. There was no way to fly her out for treatment and she had to treat herself with supplies that were air dropped in a daring flyover. CBS made a movie about her experience. And there is a theologian who now lives in Portland (I was the only one shouting yea) who will talk about spirituality in nature.

Until another day,

Joel and Elaine

Hi from Patagonia in the southern part of Argentina

I'm a bit pumped tonight. After the first show, we had some time and decided to pop in the laundry and put in a couple of loads since no one was using it, then go on to the second show. On the way down the corridor, we met a man with a jacket on and binoculars. He's not whale-watching, I thought, so I ask him where was a good place to see the stars since there is so much light on the ship. He said he was on his way to a deck where he could see a comet (Comet McNaught?), the brightest since 1964. He had seen it this morning before day break. Also, I wanted to see the Southern Cross (the southern hemisphere's big dipper) and he said ship was heading right for it. I ran back, got my jacket and binoculars and went on up. He was there and pointed it all out. I think he is an Aussie, so that was a help. Also the moon is about three quarters, and the sky was to clear that you could easily see craters as bumps on the side. I really hadn't tried before tonight because it has been cloudy.

It was nice to get off ship today, the first time since we left Rio on Tuesday. We stopped at the city of Puerto Madryn. It is in the heart of Patagonia which is the desert of Argentina about half way between Buenos Aires and the tip of S. America. It has about 100,000 people we're told and has grown rapidly in the last decade mostly because of the deep-water port and the building of an aluminum smelter. Bauxite comes from Brazil and Australia and they get power from the mountains. The ingots are mostly shipped to Europe.

We didn't have a tour for the morning, so we shuttled into town. It was a bit early, so lots of shops weren't open yet. I found a nice place to make phone calls and called up my messages, but since it was 4 a.m., I restrained myself. (We didn't have a later opportunity.) There is a long beach in front of the town and we walked for awhile. We had taken coats, but they were soon shed. I realized that I would be in big trouble without sunblock so we went into a farmacia and found some. The shops had nice things, lots of leather. Everywhere sells a rounded mug-like cup with a metal straw that has a built in strainer. The make a tea that is very strong and people are sipping it everywhere. I think it has lots of caffeine. I am tempted to buy one and try it, but after than it would probably languish in a cupboard somewhere. I attempted to get some peso's from a bank machine and after going thought the whole process it said "Sorry, we don't like your card." However most places were happy to take dollars.

We had a tour scheduled for the afternoon, but had to shuttle back to the ship to get it. The main reason tourists come to this town is for the wildlife, and I don't mean bars and clubs. So what do we do? Schedule a tour of a Welsh town about 50 miles away. They're not wildlife either. The ride there was good for napping after a few looks out the window, the scenery didn't change. It was a lot like eastern Oregon only more so. The only places they can have towns is where there is water. The Welsh town of Gaiman was situated in a valley that looked like one in Eastern Oregon. It was a green farming area. Lots of alfalfa and fruit. The cherries are shipped to the Northern Hemisphere. The people speak Spanish, but the children learn Welsh in the afternoon. Many of them don't speak English, though. The town is famous for its tea rooms and that was part of the tour. There were about 200 of us in one of them. After the tea was poured and we began sampling the pastries and sandwiches, a group of just over a dozen came out and started singing: songs like Amazing Grace, God of Grace and God of Glory, etc. in Welsh or Spanish. What a treat. They talked about how important festivals are to them, the gymnfrau (sp). They exchange people with Wales to keep up the connection.

- - - -  Joel and Elaine

Pictures of the comet as seen over South Africa (sent at the same time, by a friend who lives there.)

Letter from Stanley, The Falklands

Hello again,  We are now in the Drake Straits 200 n. miles south of Stanley and the sea is  remaining calm and there is a little sun peeking through the clouds.  45 degrees.

Yesterday we had a very nice day in the Falkland Islands, a British Crown colony in the South Atlantic just east of Argentina.  There are two main islands and 700 small ones mostly uninhabited and about the size of Connecticut or Wales.  It has a population of about 3000, mostly in the only town of Stanley, and a military base of an additional 2000 who keep mostly to themselves. 

The weather was tolerable—no rain—for a nice stroll around the town with a self-guided tour.  We were a part of 60,000-70,000 tourists to visit in the summer, so they are well set up for it.  So far, they don’t have to import workers for the busy season.

There are about 400 students in the school system and they have a relative new high school.  Before that time, students were sent away after about 9 years of age and only visited home 4 weeks a year.  Many grew away from their families and often didn’t return to the islands after completing school.  Now after going to England for university (which most all do), most come home to this very remote place.  Those students (about 12), who live on the farms receive schooling via the telephone and a teacher flies out every 4 weeks and stays for about two.  One of our ship speakers taught there for two years, and she had pictures of going to a remote farm to teach 2 girls, 8 and 12.  There was a little schoolhouse on the farm and the girls would drive the land rover over for classes.  The teacher usually stayed with the family rather than the schoolhouse and had mutton and potatoes for most meals.

You may remember that Argentina invaded the Falklands in 1982 and occupied them for just over 70 days in an ill-fated attempt to prop up a failing dictatorship.  Margaret Thatcher responded by sending in the troops and liberating them.  I had thought it all a rather silly exercise at the time, but being here and listening to the stories, I now realize that there was much more to it.  Everything is English to the core, but as soon as the Argentines got here, the road signs were changed to Spanish, the metric system introduced and it was scary for the inhabitants.  During the war there were a number of casualties, particularly for the Argentine troops who were ill-equipped conscripts not even fed properly.  The farm wife we met said she felt sorry for them.  It was the officers who were surly and officious. 

Before the invasion, there were lots of Argentine tourists, who came mostly to buy British goods.  There were many other interchanges as well.  Now, there remains a hostile relationship.  The Argentines allow several over-flights in a week from Chile, but they must land in Argentina even if there are no passengers.  Other flights are in military aircraft that go to London via Asuncion Island.  Civilians can use them.

Before telephone and internet, radio was the main means of transportation.  The Dr would go on for an hour a day and people would weigh in with their complaints.  It was one of the most popular programs and everyone knew the most intimate details about everyone else. 

There weren’t any roads until after WWII with most of them going in after the 1982 war.  Since then there has been an ambitious program to build a road system--gravel and not very wide.  Some of the farmers groused about getting roads.  “People might drive by!” As soon as the building began, they wanted their road.  Before that, they used horses and 4-wheel drives, but the terrain is extremely rough with what looks like rivers of huge boulders.

After walking over a good part of Stanley, we stopped at a modern brasserie for cappuccino and a muffin before beginning our afternoon tour.  More about that in part 2. 

Letter From Falkland, Part 2

We boarded a bus, which felt good since the wind was picking up, for a ride to Long Island Farm, a sheep ranch about 25 miles from Stanley.  The road traversed a bleak landscape with no trees and only low-growing shrubs and grass broken often with rivers of rock.  The theory is that even though the last ice age didn’t bring glaciers to this area, the freezing and thawing cracked open the mountains and boulders, some as large as a Volkswagen came down the flanks.  The rock is very hard and isn’t used as a building material.  We passed the island’s only dairy (the only one on the islands, an abattoir (slaughterhouse) , and a 6 ft high stone corral that formerly was used for cattle, and industry that has declined. 

We also saw remnants of the battlefields of the war—a bomb crater, low rock walls with which the Argentines futilely attempted to stave off the British, and two burnt out helicopters bombed by the British.  

The further we went, the narrower the road with turnouts for large vehicles.  I don’t think we saw any anywhere that weren’t SUVs, Land Rovers and Toyota Cruisers, for example.  Almost all had cracked windshields.

We turned in a long lane with a rather impressive set of culverts and arrived at the farm.  Neil and Glenda Watson were there to great us and divide us into two groups of 25.  First we went to see a peat-cutting demonstration.  The house and outbuildings were all on a peat bog and it felt slightly spongy to walk on.  Formerly all of the Falklands was fueled by peat, but now especially in town, they use oil and propane.  If you lived in town, you were given a plot of peat from the common lands and you would go out and cut enough to last you through the winter.  You would have to cut it ahead so it could cure like you do  wood.

Afterward we were shown to the house where they had coffee, tea and pastries.  We sat in their warm, simple kitchen which felt good by the range that heated the house, water and cooked the food.  She even had a flatiron which might have been for effect, but the electricity is from a diesel generator and is not on all the time.  One of the pastries was a fold-over dough filled with mutton.  Very good.  Others had jam in them maybe from the diddle dee bush.  (We bought some diddle dee jam to bring home.)  We could even use their bathroom.  Everyone pitched in and the bus drivers were washing dishes.

Next we went to the shearing barn where they had a few sheep for the demonstration.  I felt like it was déjà vu all over again.  The only difference from what I remember was the baler that put the wool into large rectangular bales for shipment.  The farm has 23,000 acres which will support 3,000 sheep, 70 cows and assorted horses, dogs and chickens.  That gives you an idea of how barren it is.  The sheep are a Merino (Australian) cross.  Merino has some of the best wool, but the sheep aren’t hardy enough for this climate.  I gather they eat lots of mutton, which they say is just a little older than lamb, but now some beef.  They milk cows, but it is mainly to tame the calves, Neil said, since the last thing they need is wild cows with their low fences.  I regretted that Uncle Steven and Aunt Dorothy couldn’t have been there, except I don’t think you would have ever got Steven back on the bus.

Following the shearing, we went to see the horse tack and a saddling demonstration.  I thought I didn’t need to see that, I’d done it myself, but the type of saddle topped with a sheepskin was so different, it was worth it.  Nearby was the garden hedged in from the wind with wonderful crops of potatoes in various stages of maturity.  Not much else but some cabbage and flowers.  The soil had to be prepared from the peat and no doubt lots of manure.  The Watsons do these tours every day but Thursday when they work with the livestock.  I bet it pays better than all the crops, combined!  They are very gracious and down-to-earth.  A neighbor was there who grew up with Glenda on the other island.  Since he had hurt his hand and couldn’t shear, his son came out from town to help out.

After an uneventful ride back to town, we were on the tender heading back to the ship in the outer bay.  I didn’t think there were more than 4 people behind us, but I wasn’t worried since it was a Princess tour and they wouldn’t leave us behind.  We were a little delayed in leaving for open sea as we were being refueled and then the tenders had to be raised up with the other life boats.

As I write this the next day, we are midway through the Drake Passage “Shake or lake but always the Drake”, they say.  This morning we heard Dr Neilson speak about her year at the South Pole and she comforted us by saying she hoped they had to lash her to the mast.  “First they take away the stemware, then spray the table cloth with water so the dishes won’t slide, then bring out the paper plates and finally if it should get so bad, you get a lunch in a bag to take back to your cabin.”  We are having moderate sea with gale force wind and a little rain, and we should be near the Convergence where the cold water of the south meets the warm water of the north.  Tomorrow we will be near Elephant Island and in a protected area where the seas should be calmer.  We took some Dramamine just to be on the safe side.

More later,

Joel and Elaine

Just a note will have you removed from this list.  My feelings will probably be hurt, but I’ll get over it.  J.

Brrrr it's Antarctica, Feb. 1, 2007

While you were just getting asleep, the rising sun woke us at 4:30 so we could begin our journey through iceberg alley. We crossed the Bransfield Straight during the night and were entering the Antarctic Sound. Islands were to our left and the first glimpse of Antarctica proper on the right. (This may sound a bit jerky as we keep jumping up to go out on our deck to see another iceberg. This time we thought we saw a sea lion.) We are at 63 degrees south, temperature about 30 and water about 34 degrees. Occasionally we see penguins if the sides of the berg or bergy bit (as the small ones are called) aren't too high and steep. They are Adelie penguins and there is large preserve here of 100,000. They only appear as black dots on pictures, but can be seen walking around and sliding on their bellies if we use the glasses.

This morning we went as far as Esperanza Station, an Argentine research group of about 50. It is unusual in that there are children there and children have been born there. This is mid-summer and it's as good as it gets, so it would take a particular kind of spirit to last long.

We had a wonderful talk the other day by Dr. Jerri Nielson who spent a year at the South Pole. You may remember her as the Dr who diagnosed herself with breast cancer while she was there. We hear more about this tonight and tomorrow. Her earlier talk was about life at the pole. It didn't sound like a picnic. It is 9,000 ft high and 8,000 of that is ice. It is moving constantly so the pole shifts relative to the station. The effects of the cold and alt. cause one to lose 13 per cent of his memory in one year, the maximum one can stay-except Russia that allows two. She recalled a group trying to remember the name of that country shaped like a boot, "You know the one that has Italian food." They never could get it.

The geographer talked yesterday about ice. I never had any idea there were so many kinds. Most of the icebergs are from glaciers, but there is lots of sea ice breaking up and drifting around. He showed us a picture of a berg the size of Long Island that drifted down across the mouth of the base at McMurdo blocking penguins from returning to their chicks.

We are now on our way across Admiralty Bay and will be at King George Island this afternoon.  The sea was heavy last night with 7 to 12 foot swells, but we are going slow, 7-10 knots, and the stabilizers must be out so it was quite smooth. This morning we had to watch our step on deck because of the ice. We didn't last too long and went back to our room where it is warm and we only step out when we need to take a picture.

One of the two gals who are experts on Antarctica spoke yesterday about Ernest Shakleton. She had a job to go through all his papers and organize them whilst she was at Cambridge. She told about his ill-fated journey in the Endurance beginning in 1914 at the outbreak of WWI. They got stuck in the ice which wouldn't have been too unusual except that this time it was particularly severe and the ship sank leaving the men in their lifeboats. They made it to Elephant Island (which we saw yesterday) and then he left his men huddled under lifeboats with only sea life to eat and took off for another nearby island where there was a station only to find he was on the wrong side of the island. He scaled the mountains to get to the other side but met little help from the Royal Navy since he was a merchant seaman. He managed to get a boat from others and get back to his men and save them. Not one was lost after many months. 

Until another day,

Joel and Elaine

Antarctica, Day 2, Feb. 2, 2007

Helen's 10th Birthday, Happy birthday!

Yesterday afternoon, we stopped near several nations' research stations.  The Discovery (the old Island Princess of Loveboat fame) runs 5 day tours from Punta Arenas and holds about 600 passengers. They are able to let people off with zodiac rubber boats. We could watch them going in and standing along the beach in their orange jumpsuits. We are just too large to let anyone to do likewise. We did have several scientists come over from the Polish station to speak to us about their research.

Last night capped a very busy day with a lecture by Dr Jerri Nielson detailing her diagnosis, treatment and evacuation from the South Pole resulting from breast cancer. She is an inspiring speaker who kept us spellbound with her witty and philosophical manner and a powerpoint slide presentation.  We followed her full hour presentation with a concert in the theatre featuring Phillipa Healy, the band and string quartet. It was her second and final concert and featured arias and pop songs. The finale was "Time to Say Goodbye" made famous by Andrea Bocelli. We have heard it on the last 3 cruises beginning with a recording wafting over the ship as we sailed out past the Grand Canal in Venice. It always brings down the house. She also sang another Bocelli song "The Prayer" with one of the ship's troupe. Great, but it was midnight when we turned in. As we walked a lady behind us said everyone had learned to walk like penguins. The ship was rolling slightly and it caused us to be stiff-legged.

There was a storm out of Tierra del Fuego last night with heavy seas and 70 mph winds. The ship stayed remarkably calm but the captain hurried up to get in more protected water. This morning's scenery came much earlier than planned and fortunately we got a call waking us at 7. We were in the Gerlache Straights with spectacular mountains on either side. (Oops, I've got to go, the best we'll see today is coming up.) (I'm back.) At the end of Gerlache, (our most southerly point in our trip, 65 degrees S., we circled Weincke Island and came back through the Neumaier Channel only about 1 mile wide. We did an s-curve at the end and are now going back the Gerlache heading for Deception Island in the S. Shetland Islands. From there we will be entering the Drake Passage on our way to Tierra del Fuego. We made history today: the Golden Princess is the largest ship to go this far south the first Princess ship to go into the channel. The weather is wonderful with sun breaking through the clouds. The port director has been down here 6 times and he said this was by far the best ever. We saw small sailing boats, but no sails up.

During the break we went up to a high deck and marveled at the beautiful cliffs, frizzle ice, a 100 ft high glacial shelf all the way along and wildlife. We could see penguins swimming in groups coming up out of the water like dolphin, various birds, a crab-eater seal and a solitary gentoo penguin on bergy bits, and quite a few killer whales. (We heard later that a research group contacted or ship and said they lost track of the pod they were following.) It is hard to take pictures of animals since they show up as tiny black dots most of the time.

We saw a Russian ship that looked about the size of a trawler. It wasn't clear whether they were doing research or had tourists as they sometimes do, but just traveling all the way south in such a craft would give one pause.

We understand that Princess is going to send the Star Princess down here next year twice. They will be 16 day cruises departing and ending in Buenos Aires. Be sure to make your reservation early!

Until later,

Joel and Elaine

Antarctica Day 3 It just doesn't stop.

We didn't need to get up so early this morning, but when we threw open the drapes, we found we were approaching Deception Island. It consists of a crescent with a narrow shallow opening into a caldera which could be the size of Crater Lake, but it was hard to see it all though the opening. The earliest recorded eruption was in the 1800's, and it erupted again in the 1960's and 70's. There were research stations inside, but they burned and only wreckage remains. Researchers fled holding corrugated roofing over their head. Unlike most all we have seen, this island is largely devoid of snow and glaciers because of the heat from the volcanic activity. There are hot springs, etc. that allow more vegetation. We saw a penguin rookery that has a population of 140,000. It has been a spectacular day (in a trip of superlatives) and we were able to get within a half mile allowing us to see the chinstrap penguins clearly. Many were along the beach, but others climb up the hills for a nest with a view in some cases necessitating an arduous journey of 1-2 kilometers to bring food back to the nest. The food is krill, a small shrimp-like creature and some get into a hot spring and are cooked. Penguins probably like barbecue even better.

The captain is altering our course by 50 miles, we are told, so that we can pick up some of the crew of the Norwegian ship that went aground near here several days ago. No one was hurt, and the ship floated itself, but to be on the safe side, all passengers were evacuated. We understand that contamination from the ship was a concern and precautions were being taken to mitigate any oil spill. There has been a lot of rubbish left down here over the years beginning over a century ago with whaling and sealing operations and later from all the research stations. Greenpeace established a station and began putting on pressure to clean things up. The treaty organization that runs everything south of 60 degrees has been remarkably successful at making and enforcing rules for all of Antarctica. No mining or drilling other than for scientific research is allowed and the research station at the South Pole has to move out all waste. Dr Nielson showed slides of the new station that has been completed. It is built on stilts that can be raised as the ice and snow level gets higher and higher. Older stations have been buried and abandoned.

We are heading now through the S. Shetland Islands we saw on the way down and will be passing to the northwest depending on where we go for the rescue. After that we have a day at sea tomorrow on our way to Ushuaia, Argentina (Tierra del Fuego).

(Later) We have made a stop at Maxwell Bay on King George Island to pick up crew and their luggage from the Nordkapp which is anchored here. When we restart, we will say goodby to the frozen southland. More later.

Joel and Elaine

Drake Passage..Up, Up, and Up she rises.

We have left Antarctica and are headed across the Drake Passage in the Scotia Sea on our way to Cape Horn later today. There an Argentine pilot will board and assist us through the Beagle Channel. We passed through a storm last night and the sea is heavy today. The Captain announced that the swells were 25' and the wind was 45 knots, about 50 mph. and the promenade deck is closed. He slowed down to about 15 knots per hour from the usual 20-22, so it would be smoother. The stabilizers are at work and we don't tip from side to side as much as might be expected. The sky is partly cloudy and the sea a beautiful Hawaii blue. We hope we reach Ushuaia on schedule tomorrow so that our tours won't be cancelled.

Yesterday we made an unscheduled stop in Maxwell Bay on King George Island to pick up the crew from the Norwegian ship that ran aground at Deception Island. It had made it this far, but all aboard were taken off until it can be towed for repair at a later date. Our Captain agreed to take 43 of the crew who had to be ferried out in small boats. We were not allowed to send a tender since we do not have permission to put down in this area. We heard today that the ship had a large gash in the hull and that some tanks were ruptured. A sister ship nearby was able to offload all the passengers and the crew was able to take the crippled ship on to the Chilean research station here.

Maxwell Bay is very large and is ringed by research stations from various nations: Chinese, Russian, Chile, etc. You can see that it is far enough north that there isn't much snow at this time of year. There are a number of buildings, churches, a supermarket, airport etc. It is in the Antarctic Treaty Area and must abide by agreements. Several nations claim parts of Antarctica, but the US, Russians and many other nations don't recognize their assertions. This island is part of the South Shetland Islands, so named because they are the same latitude south as the Shetland Islands of Britain are north. Argentina and Chile have a particular affinity for this part of Antarctica because they see it as a continuation of the Andes in an S-shaped curve that hooks into the Antarctic Peninsula.

Some of each of our days are taken up with waiting.  Waiting and waiting. The shows and speakers are usually sold out, so we need to get there early for a seat. We have learned to take a book along or a recorded book to while away the time. I think that this has been exacerbated by the cold. When people can't be out sunbathing on deck, they are more likely to go to indoor activities. We also wait for the computer stations that are almost always full. They simulcast all the shows and speakers into the rooms and that helps, but who wants to sit in a stateroom staring at the TV.

We don't wait for food, however, which is probably not a good thing. We do not have fixed seating and can have several dining rooms to choose from. We agree on a time to meet with our group and usually can be seated. The nights are somewhat themed: last night was French and we could choose escargot and frogs legs (my choice). There is always lots of seafood which I love. There seems to be a British flavor to much of what they do maybe since the ships are registered in Bermuda commencing with a proper English tea time. There are meat pies and such on the menu, but so far I haven't seen spotted dick. Maybe I just wasn't looking in the right place.

We went to the last lecture by Esther and Caroline this afternoon. They gave a nice synopsis of our time in the south and talked about the effect and future of tourism. It is hard to imagine that more people will visit a popular national park in the US in an afternoon than will visit Antarctica in a year.

We skipped lunch today since breakfast was so late and went instead to tea. We sat by such a nice Scottish couple who could advise us on a motor trip to Scotland staying in B and Bs. We talked about the problem of packing for a trip like this and they said it was particularly difficult since they were allowed only one suitcase each of 22 kilos, about 40 pounds and a 7 pound carryon. A Florida couple sitting nearby said that there problem was that when they moved from Penn. they got rid of all their winter clothes.

Later... We delayed dinner tonight so we could see Cape Horn as we glided by. It is an island, a rock, at the very tip of South America, where the Atlantic meets the Pacific. It can be quite rough and we were told to hang on as the weather changes minute by minute. We didn't notice anything different and soon were in calm waters. We could easily see what was meant by "rounding the horn." It is owned by Chile, and we needed to stay 12 miles off until a Chilean pilot could come aboard. Now we are back out on the Atlantic going around to the Beagle Channel, named after Darwin's ship that called here. The ship in one of the pictures is Carnival's Seaborn Pride. We were told that it was attacked by pirates off Somalia last year, but lived to tell the tale apparently.

Tomorrow Argentina, Chile the next day.

Joel and Elaine

Ushuaia, Argentina

Yesterday, we spent the day in Ushuaia, Argentina (oo-soo-y-a) the city that is the farthest south in the world on the Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego on the north shore of the Beagle Channel. Tierra del Fuego means land of fire and was discovered by Magellan. It was so named because he saw all the fires of the native peoples on land. Which they had partly because they didn't wear any clothes. It is speculated that their body temperature evolved to several degrees higher than ours and they thought they would never be dry in this climate if they wore clothes. Naked, they could dry off by the fire. The islands are jointly held by Argentina and Chile, who nearly went to war over the boundary until Pope John Paul II stepped in and mediated a settlement. We were asked by the ship out of respect not to wear anything that had Falkland Island insignias. (The reverse had been asked at the stop in Stanley. It's hard to keep track of the politics down here!)

Ushuaia is similar in climate to the Alaskan panhandle and reminds us of Ketchikan except larger. It remained a small village until 1902 when it became a prison for long-term convicts who were put to work in the surrounding forests. The southernmost train was built to haul them back and forth. We understand that the city is growing very fast despite the climate that averages a high of 55 degrees in the summer. Yesterday was no exception. It now has about 65,000 people up from 50,000 in 2001, and the hospital recently did a study and found that 9 new families are moving in each day, lured by jobs especially created by the tourist industry and a desire to flee the big cities like Buenos Aires. A new Hilton and Sheraton are going in shortly.

We had a couple hours to walk around downtown before we went back on board to prepare for our afternoon tour. Shops didn't open too early but we could look in windows and people watch. We bought some T shirts, but it seemed that as we looked further, they got nicer and nicer. The shops were happy to take dollars as we have found everywhere on our trip. It's so much easier than changing back and forth, and the rate seems to be acceptable. We don't buy much anyway and certainly don't need to be eating while ashore. We are always amused when we see fellow passengers in cafes and restaurants as soon as they get off the ship.

Our tour was by bus to the farthest south national park that is on Tierra del Fuego through which passes the Pan American Highway (here highway 3) to its end at Lapataia near the Chilean border. Soon after we left town, it turned into a gravel road, and often we had to stop for another vehicle to pass. We made two stops along the Beagle Channel, one at a beautiful scenic spot and another at a campground with a gift shop and coffee bar. People were camping and hiking despite the cool weather. We continued on as the road got smaller and smaller crossing over several bridges that gave us pause as we thought of our big bus on such a flimsy structure. Not to worry, we were soon at the end of the road looking out on an arm of the channel where there was a walkway out for a nice view. By the time we were going out there, we were happy Elaine had insisted on bringing the umbrella. I had to admit that her cautious nature had prevailed over my grousing.

Parked beside us as we sailed away, was one of the world's largest yachts, The Octopus, owned by Paul Allen. We were told it has a crew of 60, security guards who were navy seals, cost $200 million to build and costs $20 million a year to operate. It has two helicopters, a Mercedes, a Land Rover, a sail boat, a submarine that holds 8 and an explorer for the ocean floor-amazing what a few billion can do.

We have been amused by the Argentine/Chilean rivalry over the furthest south this, furthest south that. When we rounded Chiles' Cape Horn, we saw the furthest south lighthouse with the furthest south sculpture-an aluminum cutout of an albatrose. Two hundred miles north, we see another "furthest south lighthouse" this time in Argentina. And so it goes.

Tomorrow Chile

Joel and Elaine

Punta Arenas, Chile Day 16

During the night we traveled west on the Beagle Channel, out through some islands to the Pacific, then east and north through the Strait of Magellan to Punta Arenas, Chile (sandy point). It is the most southern city in Chile with a population of about 120,000. Its early importance was as a coal and provisioning city for ships rounding the horn, and later timber and agriculture became important products, especially sheep. It began to fade in 1914 with the opening of the Panama Canal. Lately it has prospered with the discovery of oil and has a large refinery.

We left the ship early to begin an hour's drive across the peninsula to Otway Bay to see the penguins. Punta Arenas was laid out on a grand scale with a square and a park that goes for many blocks. Out past the airport we saw a new housing development and were told that we would see small attached parts with a chimney that are designed for a barbecue since it is so windy and too cold to be outdoors much of the time.

The road soon changed to gravel and we drove past several huge ranches, estancias, called that after the stations in Australia. We saw Hereford cattle, miles and miles of fences which were made up of thin poles placed about 4 ft. apart with barbwire, a shepherd on a horse with several dogs, a flock of rhea's, and a family of a type of geese. Toward the end of our drive, there was a huge slag heap from the coal mining done over the 20th century and maybe still by miners imported from Great Britain. Running out from waters edge for about a mile was a coal conveyer since that was as close as ships could get to shore. Finally we got to the penguins which had largely eluded us until now. After about a half mile walk in a fierce, cold wind, we got to a rookery of Magellanic penguins. We could hear them as we approached sounding like a donkey braying, hence the nickname jackass. They dig burrows to lay their eggs which had hatched sometime ago and the young appeared to be nearly as large as the parents. They are about a foot and a half tall. When they are not ashore, they feed in the ocean for up to 8 hours. Eventually they will migrate to the Pacific and go as far north as Equador.

The ride back was a good time for a nap and soon we were back at port. We debated about going back aboard, but fortunately decided to walk to the plaza. It was lovely and the buildings helped shield us from the wind. All around were vendors with local products, and we were quite taken with the sheep and alpaca wool items which were very cheap. We bought some caps, scarves and a couple figurines. Elaine had her picture taken rubbing the toe of the Indian at the base of Ferdinand Magellan. Legend has it that if you do this, you will return. I guess if she returns, I probably will too, but then again maybe not. We stopped at the visitors' center and picked up a map of southern South American to try and make sense out of our journey. Our tour guide had said that with Chile's land in Antarctica, it was the largest country in the world with the least dense population. I mentioned that in the visitor's center and was told that the claim had some validity, but of course, in practical terms the Antarctica Treaty governs Antarctica and Chile respects that. I noticed that the map showed a wedge to the South Pole

When we decided it was time to return to the ship, we stopped on the way at a supermarket and bought some tea like we see everyone sipping out of a handleless cup with a silver straw. It was less than a dollar. We saw that the sea was quite rough and the tenders were bouncing like toys, and someone told us that the Captain had stopped anyone else from going ashore at about noon. There was nothing to be done but board and hope for the best. It was a little disconcerting to look out and see the waves higher than us--for a moment, that is, until we were on top. Our choice of seats was not the best and we were slapped in the face by a wave. Fortunately the ship provided shelter from the wind and it wasn't too hard to get off. I heard they had quite a time getting a lady in a wheelchair out as the tender was bouncing up and down a foot or two.

Tom had sent me an email several days ago of the Queen Mary II sailing into San Francisco. He, Tom O'Reilly and Ken Barth were meeting two guys for dinner from Australia who were in town to board the ship for a cruise. They had met them on the Diamond Princess when we all went to Japan. This morning two guys from Vancouver, BC sat down with us for breakfast, and it turns out they were also on the Diamond and have visited the couple in Australia. Small world!!

It's time to lie back for three days while we go over a thousand miles to Montevideo, Uruguay. (Oops, I almost said lay.)

Elaine and Joel

Greetings from Uruguay

Yesterday was our last full day at sea and now we are spending Elaines birthday in Montevideo, Uruguay, a beautiful city in the Switzerland of South America. A couple of differences, however, there are no mountains and it is on the Atlantic where the mouth of the Rio de la Plata, one of the great rivers of the continent, enters the sea. At some point up river 80 miles or so, it is 120 miles wide, the widest river in the world. Some say that the citys name came from the discoverers who said I see the mountain.  The only problem with that is that it would have to be in Portuguese and the ship and crew were Spanish, and it would be backwards The mountain sees me. Our guide suggested that a better answer is that it came from a naval chart Mountain VI from east to west. Sounds good to me. (The mountain is visible from our ship and is about 900.)

Uruguay reminds us of Costa Rica from what little weve seen. They have had a stable government since early in the last century with a president, a legislature and judiciary modeled a lot like ours. They had an 8-hour workday and social security long before we did. We learned that they have universal health care which the guide described as very good and education through graduate school is free, unless one chooses private school. They are predominately Roman Catholic, but there is freedom of religion.

Economically, Uruguay fell into hard times after 2000 when the economies of Argentina and Brazil, its main trading partners, collapsed. Things are better now with a more diversified trade to the US and Europe. Unemployment is 6% down from 12. A worker might earn from $600-900 a month, but rent is on the order of $100-200 a month. A two-bedroom, 2 bath condo on one of the trendiest beachfronts would sell for $110,000. The climate appears to be about like Los Angeles. On our half-day city tour we only saw several that looked like they could be homeless and only one boy begging.

Across the street from the port is a market area with shops and lots of restaurants. The food looked like mostly barbecue, but what a display it was. Big charcoal grates piled high with every kind of meat. People sit at stools around them and are served plates of meat with bread. Kind of slim on the veggies it appeared! We bought one of the tea cups with the metal straw/strainer at one the vendors. We were impressed that he had the directions in English to give us. The tea is ground up leaves from a South American tree and our guide assured me that the only drug is caffeine. They fill the gourd cups full of the tea and then add water. Here were told that they like to carry a thermos of water to keep filling the cupsame groundsall day long. It wasn’t hard to spot people doing just that.

Adjacent to our ship is a monument to the battle which let to the scuttling of the Graf Spee, a German warship, in 1939. It had been a menace to shipping after the outbreak of the war in Europe and was engaged in battle not far from Montevideo by three out-gunned British warships. Though it was not severely wounded and had inflicted severe damage, the captain decided to go into Montevideo harbor which it could do for repairs even though Uruguay was a neutral nation. The Graf Spee had picked up 300 survivors from merchant ships it had sunk, treated them well and released them to Argentina. The captain transferred his crew to safety and sailed out one and a half miles to sea and blew up the ship claiming that he acted under direct orders from Hitler which is doubtful. He was criticized for not going down with his ship to which he replied that he had some unfinished business to do. Soon after in Argentina he put on his best dress uniform and spread a Nazis flag on the bed and shot himself. All this I learned from Dr Eley, one of our speakers, whose father was a naval attach頴o an American captain who had gone out to the Graf Spee several times before she was sunk. Our guide said there has been some talk of raising the ship and doing something with it for tourists.

Today has been the warmest day of our trip: about 77 degrees at the ship and around 90 elsewhere. There is a nice breeze and we are back aboard taking it easy. Tonight we will be transversing the channel in the river to Buenos Aires. The river is difficult and silts up fast needing annual dredging. We can't be late departing or we'll lose our slot. The channel is 36' and we need 28. The Queen Mary II couldn't make it. We will break another record as the largest ship to do this.

Last night we had dual commedians and one started by referring to his hometown of Canby, Oregon. We cheered as did another couple in the front--Milt Abel.

Buenos Aires, then home

Joel and Elaine

Hello from Buenos Aires

We docked early this morning after a trip up the Rio de la Plata (River of Silver) to Buenos Aires, Argentina. We are not far from the mouth which is the widest in the world. We were up early as we had an all-day tour billed as a Tour of the City and a Visit to a Ranch. No sooner were we on the bus than the tour guide, a feisty 2nd generation Argentine from Germany parents and now an elder citizen, announced that we wouldn't have much time for the city. "We have to get going for the ranch, 120 miles away!" Some were grumbling, but we were delighted to have a chance to drive out of the city of 3 million with an urban area of 12 million into the Pampas, the great plain and agricultural area of Argentina. After miles of apartments which gave way to some single family houses, we were driving through soybeans, corn and cattle country. Apparently soybeans are the big cash crop these days and the guide said that it came after years of poor income. She was not too happy that the government was taxing this new money instead of letting farmers invest in new machinery, etc.

The Pampas is as flat as any area I've seen including Illinois and Missouri. When the Spanish first came, there were absolutely no trees as far as one could see. Now we saw a great many trees all planted as windbreaks and for wood. Lots of Eucalyptus and a kind of pine-looking tree (tamarisk comes to mind). Cattle, which aren't as numerous as in the past, were shorthorn, Hereford and Angus. Lots of horses were evident as well. It rains regularly and there is no irrigation. We were on a turnpike (toll) for awhile, then two-lane. We were happy we weren't too close to the front since the driver didn't hesitate to pass. It was Sunday and everyone was out on summer holiday. The road right-away was wide and cars were stopped and people were having picnics. (I remembered how charming we though that was in France years ago, until we saw people doing other things at the side of the road as well.)

Finally, the last couple miles were dirt and very dusty, but soon we were met by a gaucho on horseback with a flag who led us the final 250 ft. to La Fortuna, a 1000 acre working ranch that has discovered a new crop, tourists, along with the soybeans, corn and cattle. We drove by the main house, an incredible French chateau built about a hundred years ago. It was ordered from France and had to be hauled this far inland before there was much in the way of roads or a railroad.

We rounded the corner, and they were ready for us, 400 guests who were arriving for a barbecue. We were greeted by girls with trays of meat-filled pasties and Argentine wine, beer, water and soft drinks. The gauchos were ready to take folks for a buggy ride or to be lead on horseback. We were able to stroll past the barbecue pits to see the chicken, beef ribs and sausages (beef, I think) being readied for us. After awhile we were seated at tables in an open shed and the waiters started bringing food. Potato salad, green beans, green salad and bread preceded the platters of meat that were served by the gauchos, mostly young people, some as young as 8, who are on summer holiday and can earn some money. I think many came from nearby towns and ranches.

As we finished with ice cream, a troupe of dancers in traditional costume from throughout Argentina performed for us. (I was miffed that some guests continued to talk throughout-to much wino, perhaps.)  All that was left was for the gauchos to mount their horses and race. The lady I though was the owner of the place, rode out on her beautiful horse to bid us adieu. Our guides were anxious to have us board the buses and get back to the city so we could visit the Ricoleta Cemetery where Evita is buried. It closes at 6, so our driver went faster than ever as I took a nice long nap.

We arrived at ten 'til six and just had time for a quick walkabout. The cemetery has no grass and consists exclusively of many mausoleums side-by-side where whole families are buried. There may be a door or gate and a small chapel inside. There is lots of marble, granite and bronze. We were able to walk past Evita's black granite tomb. Her body had been stolen and was missing for 16 years, but now it is back and under about 10 feet of concrete.

Then back to the ship for a busy evening of packing and a Tango plus show put on by a family who came aboard. Very good. Our suitcases had be out the last evening so it took a little careful planning to have what we needed left in the room. Needless-to-say, we were too full to go to dinner. You would think we would have lots of capacity after 21 days of all you can eat.

Elaine & Joel

Buenos Aires: Off to the Delta:

The last day of the cruise is a complete change from all the days before. Get your things together and get off as quickly as possible. We decided that since we had to disembark by midmorning and we wouldn't be able to check into our hotel room, we should take a tour. We could be off doing something and our bags would be taken directly. There was some delay while buses were getting through the check points, but wherever we were we would have to wait.

Since so many flights from South America to Europe and North American leave in the evening, Princess has to do something with all the people waiting. They can't just take them to the airport 12 hours ahead of time so they take them to hotels where they set up hospitality rooms. They have food you can buy and a place to check hand luggage. There is a list of flights posted and you have to be back in time to catch the airport shuttle. We had decided to stay on two extra days as part of a Princess package and it has worked well and is worth the expense in my opinion.

We had hoped to arrange for all 8 in our party to get on the same tour groupso we could say our final goodbyes as we took a boat around the delta. As it turned out we had to be in a different group since we were staying on so we just waved to the others as they went out to their bus.

We drove about an hour north of the Buenos Aires to Tigre City at the beginning of the Parana Delta, one of the world's largest which flows into the Rio de la Plata. There are about 16,000 miles of waterways creating islands on which 3000 people live. There are no roads of bridges so all transportation is by boat. There is a school with a schoolboat to pick up the children, a supermarket boat that comes to your dock, a boat that brings water and other things to drink and one that delivers propane.

The houses are built up a few feet on the islands which often have some kind of riprap to prevent erosion and many are on stilts. The strong winds and heavy rain can cause flooding. This is summer and many people visit the various parks where there are beaches for swimming and picnic and camping sites. Many of the houses are quite modest and can sell for as little at $10,000 since the services are expensive. Some looked like they must cost a lot more. Many can be rented for vacations and a lot of them are summer homes. It was a hot day and the breezes over the water were refreshing.

It is hard for us to get used to the water in the rivers here that is a light chocolate brown. We are told that they are always like that from the silt being washed down, but that with the exception of one which was a different color, they are not polluted. Buenos Aires gets its drinking water from the Rio de la Plata. Delta dwellers use water directly for showers, etc. but must bring in bottled water for drinking.

We had a most enjoyable time and all-to-soon it was time for our return and transfer to the Hotel Intercontinental.

Joel and Elaine

Dateline Buenos Aires, Argentina (I don't know what that means, but it sounds good.)

Princess set up the Horizon Court for breakfast at the hotel so the parting from the ship wasn't too painful. Afterward we readied ourselves for a walkabout the city. Those of you who were with us at the Hotel Barbara in Barcelona, would probably give it about a half of a star, although the folks there tried hard. Our hotel here purports to be a 5 star and since I have stayed in so few, if any, I really can't judge. It's very nice, though. I especially like the fast internet hookup in the room for a modest fee.

We are just 2 blocks off the Avenida 9 de Julio, (July 9th). It is like Las Ramblas in Barcelona or the Champs d'Elysee of Paris, but since this is Buenos Aires, it's the largest in the world-18 lanes. I guess it could be 3 streets: 7 lanes in each direction in the middle with park strips on each side and 2 lanes on either side of that. There are actually 3 street names, I think, but it boggles the mind to try and figure it out. Midway along the avenue the street divides and goes around a large obelisk commemorating the declaration of independence of Argentina in 1816. It looks like the Washington Monument, but not nearly so large.

This morning we went to the Pink House, Casa Rosada, their White House, although the President doesn't actually live there. We were told that at the time it was built there were two opposing parties, one red and one white. There was so much dissent that it was decided to blend the two. Another version is that oxblood was used to tint the paint. Whatever the story, Juan and Eva Peron both used the balcony, now covered by scaffolding during renovation, to rally the people in the Plaza de Mayo below. This area is the political center of the Federal District of Argentina and is surrounded by various government buildings.

We kept on going and got to the Galerias Pacifico, a shopping center made out of an old building that originally housed a department store modeled after the Bon Marche in Paris. After falling into disuse, it reopened in 1992 as a shopping center preserving the glass roof and murals of the old building. There is a very interesting food court that puts all of ours to shame. We ended up on Florida Avenue, a pedestrian street that goes for many blocks with hundreds of shops. There we found one of many McDonalds and went in for coffee and water and to pick up a tray liner for my friend who collects them. Unfortunately I could only find one version. The coffee was good. BA McDonalds put a little different twist on their outlets with a window to the street where they sell ice cream and coffee. We have noticed how slim and trim most people are here with the exception of the customers we saw in Mickey D's. I think it portends something bad to come since the supersizers are on every corner.

We are impressed with the traffic. The lights last long and no one seems to run red lights. One had better stand out of the way, though, when the light changes. There are hundreds of taxis everywhere and we understand they are reasonable and a fixed charge by meter with no tipping. We haven't had to use one.

I know that Argentina's economy is still trying to climb back up from the freefall at the start of the new century, but people here in the capital seem to be doing fairly well. We haven't seen anymore homeless or begging than we see in Portland, but maybe we are just in the wrong place. There are lots of police and security guards around. McDonalds had at least two. As we were coming back to the hotel, a matronly lady came up to Elaine and said: "Pardon me, madam, I want to warn you to be careful with your camera. (which was around her neck.) I mean it, you need to watch out." I know this is a big city, but we are watchful just as we do anywhere.

The last two nights we have gone to eat at a restaurant on 9 July, billed as 100% Argentine, whatever that means. It is a large place and reminded me of when we would go to Dave's Deli in Portland years ago-laid back waiters who had been there a long time. Last night we shared a pizza which we really liked. We ordered a salad, but somehow that didn't seem to get through. We saw a dessert called dolce con leche and somehow I got it in my head that it was a kind of ice cream. We each ordered one and when it came it was a kind of crepe with chocolate pudding in the middle with caramelized sugar and whipped cream. It was way too sweet and too much! I later saw that I missed the word "panquaque" beside it on the menu. Tonight when we went back, we ordered their fixed special which started with an empanada (meat filled pastie) then a main course (we had ravioli with different sauces) and bottled water con gas. Ice cream for dessert. The total for both of us was $12. When we looked around we could identify 18 or so people from the cruise who had wandered in.

We haven't changed any money this whole trip until the last two days. It seems that everywhere they take dollars and are not hesitant to convert. I think the exchange rate is usually pretty good. I get the impression that they are glad to get dollars. Loose change is usually in local currency.

We're back at the hotel tonight after Elaine logged just shy of 17000 steps on her pedometer. I guess I did the same. My feet feel like it.

It's time for you to get up and cheer! We come home tomorrow and you won't be bombarded by anymore of this drivel-until next trip at least. Being around all these intrepid travelers gets me thinking about all the places I want to gos, and as Philip keeps reminding me, "You better get going; you haven't that much time left!" I don't have to be told twice.

It's tomorrow now and we are getting our bags ready to set out in the hall. We can leave every here and they be out and about until we leave the hotel for the airport at 6:15 p.m. Since it's the last day of summer, we want to make the most of it!

Happy Valentine's Day! See you all soon,

Elaine and Joel