Day 16 Part II and Day 17 : The Day's Not Over Until It's Over

Hi Friends.

Yesterday afternoon I thought I'd catch up on the posting with a combo for yesterday and the day before.  We were having a very relaxed day at sea and planning for a quiet night before departing this morning.  I figured there wouldn't be anything really to share after posting - ha!  Instead we had two great experiences to close out the day and our cruise - adding to the wonderful memories.

First we went to dinner at a restaurant they have onboard called Umi Uma.  We had a reservation and arrived a few minutes early.  They sat us at our table and a minute or so later the sommelier came to our table with a bottle of wine.  It is normal for the sommelier to stop by and offer a glass of either white or red wine to start off the meal.  But this time he had just one bottle in hand.  He told us that a special bottle had been selected for us to enjoy.  He took it to Craig to inspect.  At this point we were both a little confused.  Craig looked at the label as the sommelier pointed out the wine was from Turks and Caicos. Confusion increased.  Turks is a wonderful island in the Caribbean but certainly not known for wines.  Recognition then came over Craig's face and he began to laugh.  I was still confused but then noticed the head sommelier for the ship, Boris, standing in the background watching everything - and also laughing.  Craig then showed me the label "Cabernet Sauvignon, Henely Private Selection, Turks & Caicos Reserva 2012".  We had just been pranked by Boris!

Ok, a little more background is needed.  Two nights before at the wine dinner described in the previous post Boris had been our wonderful host.  We had so much fun.  One of the other diners was a diver and as we were talking about favorite dive spots Craig became a non-paid promoter for Turks & Caicos - which really is lovely especially for diving.  As the night continued and we all talked about a future reunion of our dinner party, the other guests suggested we should host the party in Turks with Craig as the master of ceremonies.  What a party that would be!  Craig never agreed to it - but there also wasn't a strong no.  Our new friends took this as a maybe - and continued making their case through the night.  Boris, of course, joined right in.  Apparently sometime between that night and our final dinner on the ship, Boris hatched the idea to create our own custom bottle of wine - straight from our 'collection' sourced in Turks.  He even snuck out of the dinner he was hosting last night to be there to see it all play out.  What a hoot.  I said earlier that the Crystal crew is phenomenal - they really made it special in so many ways.

After dinner we decided to have one final cigar and a quiet nightcap before going back to the room to set out our luggage.  At least it started out that way.  The waiter was Lucas who we had met earlier on the cruise.  He's a young man from Greece and has such a great personality.  We talked to him for a bit, but other than that we were content just relaxing and chatting between the two of us.  As we were finishing, a few more people showed up.  At some point we began talking to a couple, Oscar and Sylvia, who are from Miami - originally from Cuba.  They have some stories to tell about what it was like before everything changed.  Both of their families left as part of the 'first wave' when they were young teenagers to build a new, safer life for their kids.  It was so interesting talking to people who had lived through the early years and to hear first hand their experiences.  We quickly began just talking about our kids - sharing stories about Matt and their three children and five grandchildren.  It was another one of those instant connections.  I know there is a theme about laughing - but again we laughed and laughed.  They have been married 48 years and definitely know how to enjoy the ride!

I'll share just one quick story.  Last Halloween their oldest grandchild (9 years old) asked them about their costumes.  They weren't planning to dress up, but as good grandparents they realized they couldn't let him down.  Sylvia came up with a costume where she wore all white and then attached a bunch of white balloons to her shirt - she was a bubble bath :).  Oscar went a step further.  He dressed up as an old man with a cane, Mr Magoo glasses and suspenders.  He then ordered a remote controlled fart machine (yep - you read that right) and put it in his pocket.  As he walked slowly around he would press the button - eliciting a lot of strange looks and giggles.  He has since put it to a lot of other good uses.  I think this may be one of our first purchases when we return home :)

A wonderful way to cap off a terrific part of our journey.  We are now back in Vancouver staying at the airport hotel before a flight tomorrow night to San Francisco.  Tomorrow will be our last day in Canada on this trip - and the first country we will 'check off'.  Canada and Alaska were amazing.  Beauty beyond words and memories to last a lifetime.

Until next time - enjoy the ride!

Days 15 - 16: The Tale of Two Dinners

Hi Friends.

We have a day at sea today on our way back to Vancouver where our cruise ends.  It’s been a wonderful time.  The past two evenings were highlighted by the dinners - both were amazing and some of our favorite moments from the cruise but they couldn’t have been more different.  But first some of the beautiful views.  We saw so many waterfalls - hard to capture them in a photo - but very cool.

Yesterday we spent the day in Ketchikan Alaska and were able to experience something close to the ‘real’ Alaska.  Our afternoon was spent on a small fishing boat with our Captain Enrique and a family of three originally from Japan and now living in Houston.  We went trawling for salmon in an inlet off of the Pacific Ocean.  We had the full gear with wading boots, overalls and a rain jacket.  Enrique was fabulous and seemed to know how to find the fish.  He even told a few 'Uncle Carl' jokes  (that's what we call the jokes that make you laugh and groan at the same time :)) - which seemed so appropriate for a fishing trip.  Four poles were out and we each took turns landing the salmon.  Craig and I both successfully brought in 2 salmon each.  Craig was the only one to catch a King Salmon but it wasn’t quite at the 28 inch requirement and had to be released.  The other family landed two but lost a bunch when they were able to slip off the hook.

The only thing I didn’t like was when the fish got killed.  Now I KNOW that’s the whole idea of fishing - but still grimaced every time :)

After several hours of fishing we headed to a campsite on a small island.  There we met up with 5 other fishing boats and were treated to a wonderful dinner.  They had multiple campfires under a tent with wood benches set up for us to eat our meal.  Each boat ate the fish they caught - which was so cool - and fresh!  Enrique filleted and cleaned our salmon and the cooks grilled along with some yummy veggies.  Dessert was blueberry bread pudding with freshly whipped cream and caramel sauce - not exactly roughing it!

In the small world category we met a couple at dinner from another boat, Gil and Arlene, who also live is Sarasota!  A very nice couple.  Gil heads up volunteering at the Mote Aquarium that we recently visited with my sister Kris and her family.  Craig has thought about getting involved there as a volunteer - so that sealed the ‘small world’.  They exchanged contact info for when we are back home.  After dinner we took the boat back to the ship and said goodbye to Ketchikan.

The night before was another wonderful dinner.  For a special treat we signed up for a night in the ship’s Vintage Room.  They host a seven course (yep - not a typo) dinner  paired with special wines for up to 12 guests.  We were so lucky to be joined by 5 other guests for the dinner - Tom, Amy and Tony, Tim and Jill.  We were a little nervous it might be ‘stuffy’ - ha! - no need to worry.  When we showed up it was just us and Tom - and they handed us each a glass of Dom Perignon.  Next to join were Tim and Jill - Tim walked in with a Mich Ultra - which was awesome!  Double fisting with Mich and Dom - we knew we were in for some fun.  The last couple to join were Amy and Tony - who we had actually met that morning.  They were supposed to go on the Heli Hike with us - and we had hit it off over coffee.  Before the first course was served we were all laughing and telling stories.  Boris, their head sommelier, was our host and he said it normally takes 3-4 courses + wine to get folks talking.  Needless to say it was a phenomenal night - dinner lasted over 3 hours - and a ton of fun.  By the end of dinner Craig was again ‘the guy’, we felt like old friends and we were talking about a reunion in the future :)

That’s all for now.  Back to chilling and watching this beautiful world go by.

Enjoy the Ride!

Days 10 - 14 : America The Beautiful...

Hi Friends.

We boarded the ship for an Alaskan cruise in Vancouver on Tuesday.  We are on the Crystal Symphony - it’s a beautiful ship.  The food has been really good - but most impressive have been all of the folks who run the ship.  They are fantastic and truly an international crew.  They have folks from over 40 countries - and everyone has been so friendly.

One memorable story came from our waiter Salih at dinner the other night.  He is from Istanbul Turkey.  We complimented him on his English which he said he is still working on.  He then shared how / why he learned English.  At the age of 9 he went to work selling tea in the bazaar.  He spoke no English and sold his tea to the local shopkeepers for 25 cents a cup.  One day an American couple asked him to buy 2 cups.  They gave him 1 dollar and he gave back 50 cents - they wouldn’t take the change.  He kept trying to give it back and they kept refusing before leaving.  When he asked an older shopkeeper why - the man simply said ‘they are Americans’ :). Salih then realized he had an opportunity to make more money selling to Americans - and that began his English lessons starting with ‘thank you’.  Smart man.

The next night we met a wonderful newlywed couple, Chris and Beth, at dinner and shared a lot of laughs.  Craig and Chris tried to convince another diner with a scooter to let them take a whirl but it was a no-go.  We also met Art while having a drink at the bar.  He was a cool guy who runs fishing charters for a living.  He donates time on the boats to the Wounded Warrior program - such a great cause.

The first two days were at sea making our way to Juneau.  Along the way there were some beautiful sights from onboard including seeing our first icebergs!  We had no idea they often looked blue in color - it was very cool - and, thankfully, ships have become much better at navigating around them!

We also took advantage of the time to take part in some of the activities offered onboard.  We are taking bridge lessons from a retired couple who teach bridge on two cruises a year - what a fun retirement gig!  In the afternoon we took dance lessons from four professional dancers from Hungary.  So far we have learned the Salsa and Waltz.  To wrap up the day we have joined the Bingo games and we even bought daubers :). The host is from China and she is very entertaining - it’s been a hoot.

Yesterday we were in Juneau and went on a whale watching boat.  It was amazing.  We saw several humpback whales - a couple that went right up by another boat on he water.  We then had a special treat when our captain spotted a pod of 7 orcas - they said none had been spotted in over two weeks.  Three of them swam right next to us - it was awesome.

In Juneau we visited a few iconic places - lunch at the Alaskan Fish Company with some of the best fish and chips ever.  We then stopped for a drink at the Red Dog Saloon - one of the oldest bars in Alaska.  Wyatt Earp used to frequent the place before heading to Nome and they have one of his old revolvers on display.  The walls display lots of interesting stuff - including a large mounted bear - no doubt some great stories if those walls could talk.

Today we are in Skagway.  We were supposed to go on a heli-hike followed by a train ride.  We were going to fly on the helicopter through the mountains and get dropped off where we would then hike for 5 miles.  We would ride the historic Skagway train an hour to get back to town.  Unfortunately right as we were getting ready to depart they learned the helicopter pilot felt it was too windy and unsafe to fly.  It was just us and another couple but we were going to be joined by one of the crew - he was as disappointed as we were - but obviously need to be safe.

So instead we did a round trip on the train.  You ride the train up the mountain to a summit at 2880 feet and then loop around to come back.  We had a bit of excitement when almost at the summit the train stopped.  Apparently the ‘check engine’ light came on :). They checked things and restarted but only for 2 minutes before stopping again.  This time we’re stopped for ~10-15 minutes as we watched the conductor walking back and forth along the tracks.  Thankfully things checked out enough to get going again but not before a lot of nervous laughter wondering about the infamous ‘Plan B’.

That’s all for now.  Hope you are all loving life.

Enjoy the Ride!

Day 9: Two days on a train created a lifetime of memories

Hi Friends.

How can just two days on a train add so much to our lives?  Takes a little magic in a train car.  It can happen.  We just finished our second day of the Rocky Mountaineer.  Such a wonderful experience.

The train itself was great.  Comfortable seats.  Incredible views out of the domed windows.  Amazing food in the dining car.  Too many treats and drinks along the way - ok, they always asked first but how can you say no? :). Ability to stand on the vestibule between train cars and experience up close the outdoors and speed of the train as you fly by.  We now better understand why dogs love sticking their heads out of windows so much!  So, yes, the train was wonderful and just the ride would have been a great experience.  But to make it truly memorable we were super fortunate to add to the mix some amazing people.

As mentioned yesterday we met Harry and JoAnne, and Anders and Birgitte.  Today we also spent a lot of time with Danny and Catherine, and Ian and Julie.  There were a number of other folks we had moments with that were great - but these couples were special - and somehow in such a brief amount of time a bond was created.

Between the five couples there was collectively so much laughter and stories - it really did fill our hearts with love and joy.  I know that sounds a bit corny but it's true.  There was also some time for a few serious conversations - and a few moments of tears - everyone has a story and challenges they have endured.  It was special that in such a brief encounter we became comfortable enough to share some of those with each other.  And then it was back to yucking it up, sharing silly stories, making fun of each other (especially Craig :)), and living life together while riding through the beautiful countryside of British Columbia.

So, yesterday I shared the story of Craig breaking the glass.  I didn't count how many times that was mentioned today - but it was quite a few :).  Craig also was part of so many of the stories and laughter - and became know as "THE guy".  Literally when we got on the bus in Vancouver to go to our hotel and were joined with a bunch of folks from other train cars we hadn't yet met, that's how Danny introduced him to the new folks.  However, Craig noted that Harry was really a role model - and if he was the the guy, then Harry was "THE man" - very true - and a very special man.

We had breakfast, lunch and drinks at the hotel today with Danny and Catherine.  We had met them earlier on the trip but this was the first chance to really spend some time with them.  They are from Durham, NC and such a fun couple.  We bonded over our love of travel, adventures, music, bourbon, cooking (I know - for my long time friends and family this one is still a shocker!), and life in general. They leave today on a sea plane heading to a resort north of Vancouver.  For any of you from Perficient, Danny reminded us so much of Chris G.  Full of energy and life - and the energy is a bit contagious!

JoAnne and Harry were sitting behind us on the train.  Such an awesome couple.  They are heading out on an Alaskan cruise but unfortunately it's on a different ship.  That said we told them we expect them to raise something special on the flag pole when we pass so we know it's them :). For any of you from our families, we said they would fit perfectly into a Ketchmark / Rasmus reunion - JoAnne has that special Rasmus laugh - so you know why we connected so well.

Ian and Julie are from the UK.  They fully retired last year and recently bought 5 acres of land.  Ian, with his very cool British accent, was telling the guys about his new John Deere tractor.  This was one of the moments that led to a lot of laughter.  That was followed by learning they plan to farm blueberries - another thing we didn't see coming.  He also shared that their view of Americans has been shaped by some of our most iconic TV shows - such as Dukes of Hazard, the Beverly Hillbillies and Miami Vice.  Oh my is all we had to say :).   Julie and I were able to talk for a bit about kids, work and life - she is lovely.  They have 2 kids - and as we talked we realized Matt is the blend of their two children. One is very adventurous and the other has a group of lifelong friends who are his extended family :). As I am writing this I realized I missed getting a picture of the two of them as well as Anders and Birgitte - my bad!

So, that's a wrap for our first leg.  JoAnne asked how we would top the experience - not sure we can top it - but we're looking forward to recreating it as we continue on this adventure laughing our way around this wonderful world with amazing people.  It's been magical.

Enjoy the Ride!