More of my latest travels.....

We are just leaving The Seychelles, a group of beautiful islands in the Indian Ocean.  The beaches are white sand, but it's the water that is especially stunning - all the marine colors you can imagine:  green, blue, aqua, aquamarine, purple.  And so clear you can easily see the fish swimming around the coral.  And the fish, too, come in a wide variety of colors and patterns.

Here is where the giant coco de mere palm tree grows.  The huge nut that is shaped like - now do NOT giggle - butt cheeks is actually an inedible double coconut seed.  It grows nowhere else in the world and we were thrilled to see so many of the trees which are now protected by the government.   We also gaped at the giant tortoises, friendly big beasts whose shells are about 3 feet long.  I fed them grass and palm leaves and patted their very rough shells.  When he looks at you the tortoise seems very wistful.
And we saw fruit bats!  These are real bats, but they look like crows when you see them flying high above you.  Like the coco de mer and the tortoise, they're huge!
In order to get up to the best viewing spot on the capital island of Mahe and on another island named Praslin, we had to drive up some very high hills with some very winding and tortuous switchbacks.  When one looked out the window, all that could be seen was the water far below.  But what a spectacular view when we got to the top!!
Off Mahe they are reclaiming land from the sea and "building" a new island, a very expensive island with unbelievably expensive houses. More later...

My travels! From Dubai to India.

Hello Crew!


Your friendly captain is sailing from Dubai to India. Please enjoy my latest Ships Log entry!


Just to share with you what a great time we're having, I'll give you a few highlights:
In Dubai I took the world's fastest elevator to the observation deck of the world's tallest building.  It was an unbelievably smooth ride.  And the view was outstanding.  At the Mall of the Emirates I saw the indoor ski slopes.  Seriously, people were taking the ski lift up and skiing down on man-made snowl.  There was even a sledding slope for kids.  The crew and I watched from a window in the restaurant, and it was like staring at a Christmas card!
We wondered why virtually all the houses in Oman were painted a brilliant white.  It turns out that it's the law!  If you want to paint your house a different color you have to pay a very high tax.  Our guide says it would cost him $700. to get permission to paint his house a different color.  It does make for a pretty picture and it seems to cool things down a bit.


In Mumbai, India, we stared at the Outdoor Laundry.  This is a huge area, as big as 10 football fields, that has dozens of huge laundry vats (enormous sinks) and probably 1,000 clotheslines.  Hospitals, hotels, restaurants send their linens and uniforms to be washed there by hundreds of men who do them all by hand!  Then they hang the pieces out to dry in the hot sun.  It's an amazing sight:  thousands of tablecloths, sheets, pillow cases, and shirts all fluttering in the breeze.


The traffic in Goa, India, is unbelievable!  It's heart-stopping to watch the way the cars and trucks pass one another, with barely an inch to spare.  The roads here are very windy, and when you look ahead and see a truck bearing down on your bus in the same lane, it's pretty scary!  Fortunately we've had great drivers!


The ship is holding up well thanks to this remarkable crew! We're having a marvelous adventure. Will report more tomorrow!

I'm starting to like Thanksgiving much more than Christmas.


Thanksgiving is cooking and eating. It lasts for one day. No gifts are involved and football reigns.


Christmas is great if you have kids - to see their footed PJ's tippy toe down the stairs to see a mountain of gifts is true joy. But other than that, it's a month and a half of the same songs, crowded stores, and the same questions over and over "are you ready for the holidays?" "have you finished your shopping?".


Thanksgiving is pure. Just being grateful and eating - a lot.


If we really want to get back to the spirit of the Christmas Season - we should only give food and money to those in need. Wouldn't you much rather give $25 to a homeless shelter than spend it on a Chili's gift card for  your boss? And let Christmas day be an even bigger feast than Thanksgiving. That would be perfect.


But what do I know? Maybe I'm just jealous because there is no song called "Deck the Dock".

Wow!! If you haven't experienced the Holly Trolly at St Augustine's Nights of Lights - then you certainly must put it on your bucket list.


I'm trying to decide what made it so spectacular:


    The special glasses they handed out that turned every light into a colorful, sparkling snowflake?
     Or the festive holiday music they played on our trolley?
     Or the contagious chipper spirit each driver conveyed?
     Maybe the incredible art galleries! Or the friendly people!!
     Orrrr...the period costumes on some of the townspeople.
     The incredible artisans!

Manatees by TG Rice

      (While admiring his artwork - ask artist and shopkeeper TG Rice to show you his finger!)
      There is so much to choose from.


       Oh wait! I think I forgot two very important details! BOGO with coupons from the Holly Trolley for Kilwins (can you really have enough fudge?) and  beers at Ann O'Malleys! Yep - that may have been the kicker.


        Thanks to Cruisers Grill (yummy burgers!) and Ann O'Malleys, I introduced myself to Shocktop this weekend. I may have just found myself a new favorite beer.


         May have to do it all next weekend!
       


      

Life is good. Really, really good. Not much else to say other than that! I wish joy for everyone. I truly, truly do.

I'm so HAPPY!!!!!!!

And I wish for all the people I meet to be as happy as I!

I take full responsibility for my love, my luck, my decisions, and my attitude!

I have no regrets, no guilt, no coulda, shoulda, wouldas...

Life is wonderful to me because I am wonderful to everyone I meet!

If you are not happy, look within. What can you change? Do not blame others...it only makes you weaker.

I'm a true Peaceful Pirate!
And I surround myself with others like me!

What makes a Peaceful Pirate?

At first I kind of left Peaceful Pirate up to the imagination of the reader. Who is he to you? What does he represent?

It's time now to truly define Peaceful Pirate - what he stands for, and what he doesn't.

In actual history, Pirates were the most disgusting, vile humans that ever roamed the seas. There I said it. Only in Hollywood have we seen 'heroic"pirates like Errol Flynn and, of course, Jack Sparrow. Um, CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow.

However, three years ago (where has the time gone?), I was visiting Madeira Beach, Florida around the time of the annual John LeVique Days Pirate Festival. I felt like I had stepped back in time since everyone was in full 17th century regalia and I was the only one wearing shorts and flip flops.

I couldn't help but be swept up in the nostalgia of old fisherman villages, sailing ships, and pirate lore. I've always been drawn to tall ships, lost horizons, and that warm tropical salt spray you can only get from the high seas. I was in the best mood and tried to find a t-shirt to reflect this incredible spirit. Every shirt I came across had skulls, crossbones, swords, knives, and even blood. Words included "beatings, planks, etc".  Yet none of this described the pirate in me.

I began to imagine, in this day and time, what kind of pirate WOULD I be? What kind of pirates would exist? And I realized, I didn't have to imagine it at all! They are all around us - Peaceful people that love the ocean, island life, and warm breezes.  Instead of   demanding others to follow their lead, they inspire by the life that they lead. They do not need armed crews to destroy those that are different, they instead gather and extend their arms to toast to our differences.

They are Peaceful Pirates. And I am proud to be a part of a fantastic crew.

Are you a Peaceful Pirate?