Wednesday, February 24, 2016, at sea en route to Darwin, Australia.

Dear reader,

Forgive the delay in writing this blog. As I have said, repeatedly, the days and evenings are so full, that I have little time to write this blog. We are rarely in out cabin since the day begins for us at 8 am, and we tumble into bed after midnight. The time is passing way too quickly and we are enjoying and savoring every moment!

Cyclone Winston has been in the news all over the world. It decimated a great deal of Fiji. Our hearts go out to the people of Fiji, those we met and those we did not. Homes and commercial buildings were flattened. There were many injuries and 20 deaths. Our prayers for the families of those who lost their lives and for those who were injured or lost their homes or businesses. We hope that recovery is quick and complete and that the residents can return safely to their lives. We missed the cyclone by about two days. Our thanks to Captain Vorland for being vigilant and guiding us to safe waters.

Before I proceed, I need to thank a very special person for making this journey possible. Without our West Coast Associate, Chuck Conine, there is no way that we could continue our travel agency business and take a world cruise. Chuck's help has been invaluable! He is handling all the details that we cannot do. With the challenge of the major time difference, he's the one making all the phone calls to clients and cruise lines. Although email is a boon to us and enables us to chat with clients and cruise lines, many times a personal phone call is necessary. There have been complicated situations that he has managed professionally and proactively. We so appreciate his integrity and conscientiousness and all the time he has devoted to our clients and the excellent care he has provided them. Thank you, Chuck, from the bottom of our hearts!

I need to backtrack a bit to tell you how our time has been spent since my last post.

February 18th was the disembarkation for those guests leaving in Sydney, and embarkation for about 300 guests. So far, the number of guests leaving the ship has been close to the number of those coming on board. Our friends, Terry and Kerry Carter, were leaving in Sydney, their home town, but invited us to come home with them and then take a tour of the suburbs of Sydney and the Blue Mountains. It was so kind of them to make this offer, and we were able to enjoy their company and their beautiful home.

Disembarkation was a bit of a mess. Since the Serenity was docked in Sydney Harbor, ferries were used to off load luggage during the night, and departing and in-transit guests in the morning. Two ferries were in use, one for those going into Sydney for the day—the in-transit guests, and a second to deliver the departing guests to White Bay Terminal. The ferries worked great on our first day in Sydney and were a pleasant ride to the mainland. However, the ferries on disembarkation day were a major issue. Guests were filtered to either side of the midship stairway—those in-transit on the left side, those disembarking to the right. The ferries were very delayed, and we waited for over an hour for a ferry to White Bay Terminal with Terry and Kerry. In-transit guests who were doing a Crystal sponsored overland trip to Ayre's Rock were really the losers. They missed both flights and their tours did not go. Of course, their money, approximately $5000 pp, was refunded, but they were very disappointed.

Terry's friend picked us up and drove us about 45 minutes to the lovely Carter family home. We got to meet their adorable, kissing dogs: Prince and Ranger, who welcomed us warmly. After a few minutes, we piled in the car to take our “Independent Shore Excursion.” Special thanks to Terry and Kerry for doing this. In addition to seeing a beautiful part of Australia, we spent an extra day with them, when they probably would have been happy to get a start on unpacking and laundry, grocery shopping and going through the mail.

Our first stop was Woolworths. Those who grew up in the US might remember the 5 & 10 cent stores called Woolworths. This is a totally different company and is a supermarket. David and I love to visit supermarkets when we are in foreign countries. We enjoy seeing unfamiliar food or familiar products that are packaged very differently. We were very impressed with Woolworths! The first thing that greeted us was a child height display of shiny apples and bright bananas. These are free for children, so much better than the cookies that are offered free in US supermarkets. Prices were higher than we have, but the produce was incredible looking! Fresh, colorful and in great condition. Lots of options for all foods, especially cheese, butter and milk. Not surprising with all the sheep farms. Also, as expected, lamb was displayed in lots of different cuts.

After touring the suburbs and seeing some beautiful homes, we headed up to the Blue Mountains. They actually appear blue because of the haze from the eucalyptus trees. The ride took us about two hours, and our first stop was for tea at the Botanical Gardens. The view was mesmerizing from our table on the veranda. Lots of bright plants and trees in bloom, too. Driving up the mountains, we passed charming little towns that were used as weekend and vacation homes. The architecture was somewhere between English cottages and chalets. We did also witness a pretty dramatic accident just a few cars ahead of us. A tanker truck rear ended the car in front of them, sending the car careening into the opposite lane where it was hit by a car going the opposite direction. The entire left rear passenger side of the car was ripped off. Fortunately and amazingly, nobody seemed to be injured. Our goal was The Three Sisters, a huge rock formation (see the photos below.) Wow! What a dramatic view from the overlook! It reminded me of the Grand Canyon, but green and lush. What a country of contrasts! We hightailed it back to the city in time to make a 7 pm ferry back to the ship. Our goodbyes were difficult, because in the over three weeks of the first segment, we have become close with the Carters and are so grateful for their friendship. Terry and Kerry invited us to return to Sydney and stay with them, and we, in turn, have invited them to stay with us in Sarasota. I feel confident that this will happen!

Sail away from Sydney was spectacular! The lights over the water from the bridge and the buildings were dramatic. It was an especially balmy evening, so that made it even nice to stand on deck and wave goodbye.

Some take-aways from our visit to Sydney:

The architecture is interesting and captivating and we saw many homes and condos lining the harbor that we could easily move into.

People are very friendly and helpful, and it truly is a cosmopolitan city with many languages and cultures represented.

A submarine, hopefully Australian, circled the ship several times on both days.

People are into fitness and health, with lots of free recreational activities.

It is definitely a city we could live in---if they would have us!

We had a sea day on our way to Brisbane. It was filled with the usual activities and socialization. We have moved to Hubert, the Hotel Director's table. When he saw us on embarkation day, he invited us for the second segment and apologized for not seeing our name on the manifest. We have sat with Hubert many times and he is a gracious and entertaining host.

I am taking Joe Kita's Memoir Writing Class this segment. He's a great teacher and I'm learning a lot. Joe has been doing writing classes on Crystal World Cruises for the past 15 years. His wife, Maria, assisted by Joe, teaches the yoga classes.

After the first segment doing mat Pilates and the Reformer, I have switched to yoga. Ilene—you were right—a very special class!

Brisbane was our next port—and what a terrific port it was! Another beautiful Australian city—with outstanding outdoor recreation areas. Whether you enjoy playing a sport, swimming, boating or just walking through welcoming parks—Brisbane has it! One of the loveliest spots was the long bougainvillea covered walkway that extended for over a mile. Again, free activities for the residents. I saw free aqua aerobics, free yoga, free walking groups advertised. A river divides Brisbane in half, and, indeed, our trip up the river to Brisbane took about 5 hours for Serenity. They have ferries that criss-cross the river or go point to point and can be used instead of city buses. Water taxis are also available. We took a tour of the the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and I held a koala and fed a kangaroo. I looked more frightened than the koala when I held him. He was surprisingly heavy and had one paw with long claws digging into my neck and the other paw strategically placed on my chest! They feel delicious! The kangaroos were very gentle when they took the food and nuzzled my hand like a dog.

I must say something about the food and the options! The food has never been better on Crystal, much to the dismay of my waistline! This is our 22^nd Crystal cruise, and I think I am a fair judge of food—it has been outstanding. The myriad of choices in the Lido at breakfast and lunch, the great selections in Tastes both at lunch and dinner (speaking of which, we have been invited to dinner in Tastes tonight by Stacey Huston, the World Cruise Hostess. We are really looking forward to it, because Stacey is one of our favorite people on board!) The Main Dining Room has had excellent food and our Head Waiter, Bojan, is a master at making both beef tartare and tuna tartare! The best! Of course, The Bistro is our go-to destination for that cup of cappuccino or a latte. I have become hooked on iced cappuccinos, which are so refreshing on the hot, hot days we have! Service has been superb!

After Brisbane, we sailed to Hamilton Island, one of 74 islands that make up the Whitsunday chain. It is located between the Great Barrier Reef and the Queensland Coast. Hamilton Island has a Disneyland feel about it. Everyone travels between resorts and vacation homes primarily via golf carts. It is lush and expensive, but has beautiful beaches. There were local shuttle buses to take us around the island with commentary and stops at beaches and resorts. We had dinner in Tastes with the rabbi and his wife—Morry and Geri. They are such interesting company and we really enjoyed our dinner. Amazingly, the last time we sailed with them was the Grand South America Voyage in 2008 and 2009. Geri remembered that we had dinner in Silk Road that time.

Monday, February 22 was supposed to be the date of a very special shore excursion—a visit to the Great Barrier Reef. We had booked this a long time ago and were really looking forward to it. However, the weather was iffy with rain and thunder storms and 24-30 mph winds predicted. We spoke to the Shorex personnel who discouraged us from going. The trip did go, and once out to the reef, a two hour boat ride each way, the folks enjoyed it. However, it was extremely rough coming back, with many people seasick. One woman in the elevator said she thought she was going to die on the way back. While we are sorry to have missed it, we are content with our decision. That evening, we were invited for cocktails to the Captain's Quarters. Captain Birger Vorland is charming and seems to enjoy these guests to his abode, unlike other captains who aren't very social. He did show us a printout of the track of Cyclone Winston, the storm that hit Fiji. It has actually been around for two weeks. It went east to Samoa and then circled back to Fiji, and is now headed to Vanuatu and New Caledonia. We have been so fortunate to be out of harms way.

Tuesday was supposed to be a half day stop on Thursday Island. Unfortunately, the seas were too high and current to strong to use the tenders. The local catamarans were to be used to transfer guests to the island, but after an hour of trying to tie up on the tender platform and failure due to the seas, Captain Vorland canceled the stop. Amazingly, there were disgruntled guests! It was so obvious by looking out the window or from the open areas on the ship, that the waves were much too high. The Captain speaks for me, and whatever his decision re: safety—I'm OK with it!

We had dinner last night in Silk Road with new friends, Ken and Sharon Henry from Ft. Worth. They were at the Doctor's table with us first segment and are now at Hubert's table, too. Silk Road! My favorite restaurant land or sea! Sigi always takes such good care of us and brings us specials not on the menu. We had Albert as our waiter, as usual. He is the best! After dinner, we went to the show to see Jimmy Travis. He does a combination of music and humor and was entertaining.

Ken Rees has been doing a series of destination lectures and he delivers the material so well with great tongue in cheek humor. Also entertaining is John Stainton, who was Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter's, producer. The clips that he shows are captivating and not a little anxiety producing when he gets bitten on the shoe by a Komodo dragon. We will be doing the Komodo Dragon walk on Komodo Island. Hopefully, I won't appeal to any of them!

Today, we went to a performance by Chris Capehart, a Master Magician. We have seen Chris perform before and he is simply amazing!!David and I were “victims” for several of his tricks. I had to hold the ends of a small cloth covering a table as it levitated. I can't figure out how he did it!! A magician never tells!

All for now. Sending our love to our family and friends all over the world. The only thing better than this World Cruise would be if you were traveling with us!

March 1, 2016 Benoa, Bali

Dear reader,

I'm sure you have thought we have forgotten about you, but each day has been so full that writing this blog has been pushed to the bottom of the list of things to do.

To begin where we left off on February 25. That day saw us arrive in Darwin, Australia, Gateway to the Outback! Darwin is a smaller city than we expected, but full of hardy souls. The climate governs the area, and extremes of weather are common. They have only two seasons, the wet season and the dry season. Monsoons are routine and can close off roads for months at a time. The dry season brings brush fires and hot, dry desert conditions. Perhaps because of these challenges, the residents have a cavalier attitude and an adventurous bend. This is the area where streams, lakes and rivers have signs warning of the danger of crocodiles. In fact, crocodiles seem everywhere in terms of sights and things to do. We had the option of visiting a crocodylus park, of a boat trip to see leaping crocodiles or a visit to a wild life park with resident reptiles and crocodiles. We opted for the Hop On/Hop Off bus to get a feel for the city and a visit to the Darwin Museum. Nature's nasties seem to make Darwin home. As we rode through one of the natural parks in Darwin, the guide mentioned that although the beach looked lovely on one side of the road, locals do not go in the water there for fear of box jellyfish.

The museum was quite interesting. One of the largest exhibits was reserved for Cyclone Tracy, which struck Darwin on Christmas Day, 1974. This cyclone had 140 mph winds and leveled the city, killing 40 people and leaving officials with no communication or way to call for assistance. Finally, almost the entire population of 35,000 people were evacuated in one of the world's largest airlifts. The people returned and rebuilt the city. Most construction in the city dates from after the cyclone. This was the second time the city was destroyed. The first was by Japanese bombers who bombed Darwin continuously during WWII in 1943. Most of the city was destroyed and 243 people were killed. The exhibit in the museum of the cyclone devastation was sobering. Photos of the city before and after the hit were shocking. Illness spread throughout the residents before they were evacuated due to contaminated food and water. A cyclone simulator was available to try. We walked in this enclosed room and listened to the sound of the cyclone in pitch blackness. It was an effective experience.

One of the other highlights of the museum was Sweetheart, the crocodile, who measures 16.8 feet. She's quite calm now and one can get quite close for a photo. The fact that she is stuffed and long dead makes that easy. There were also exhibits of the animals and reptiles indigenous to the area.. Lots of creepy crawlers, snakes, spiders and other venomous creatures. A huge termite mound was featured with their sophisticated system of entrances and exits, as well as their own version of “air conditioning.” Remarkable, too, were the exhibits of Aboriginal art. There are several prominent styles, one being dot paintings and others portraying events in a style similar to “Outsider Art.” The paintings were captivating and those whose subject matter dealt with dealings with the “white fellas” were poignant and often heartbreaking. The history of the Aboriginals and their mistreatment by the white settlers is another tragic story, much like the treatment of the Native Americans in the US. For those of you who haven't seen the film “The Rabbit Proof Fence,” I highly recommend it. It deals with three young girls who walked thousands of miles to go home to their families escaping from forced stays in the boarding schools set up far away to bleach out thee Aboriginal language and culture.

Fortunately, Aboriginal art is enjoying a resurgence and we bought a few items signed by local artists.

As we sailed out of Darwin, we were looking forward to our next stop with fear, trepidation and excitement: Komodo Island! This island and few smaller islands nearby are home to the meanest, grouchiest, most poisonous of all the lizards—the Komodo Dragon! These prehistoric creatures average 8 foot in length and can run about 11 miles an hour, as fast as a dog. They eat 80% of their body weight in one meal (much like some of the folks we have seen in the dining room) and can snap a goat in half with their powerful jaws. They are carnivores and cannibals. They eat their young if they can catch them, and this is why baby Komodo dragons immediately climb a tree after birth and spend 3 years there. Adult dragons can not climb after them because they are too heavy. No dead dragons have ever been found because the dragons eat them, bones and all. In case you were wondering if they brush their 60 sharp shark-like teeth, they don't! Their saliva is filled with deadly bacteria that causes sepsis in those it kills. It was not thought that they were venomous, but recent research has found that the saliva does contain venom that also causes death.

We were instructed not to go to the island if we had any open wounds and no menstruating women were permitted. The dragon's keen sense of smell can send him into attack mode if he smells blood. David did not shave that morning just to be sure. We were taken by tender to a rudimentary dock and were dressed as insect proof as possible since mosquitoes carrying malaria, dengue and Japanese Encephalitis are found on the island. I reeked from insect repellent. I don't know if it repelled mosquitoes, but it repelled me! We were met by surprisingly cheerful guides and park rangers and were divided into small groups, each with a ranger, guide and a local man armed only with long forked sticks. We hiked a well marked path and were warned to stay with the group and not wander of the path. Apparently, there have only been two deaths by Komodo dragons since 1974. The first was a local boy who went into the woods in search of custard apples. With his arms full, he did not see that he was being tracked by two dragons. They bit him in the back and stomach and he died of his injuries. The second, and only tourist, was a Swiss gentleman, who wandered away from his group. A search party was formed and all they found was his camera and eye glasses. This was sufficient information to keep everyone on the straight and narrow. As we neared the water hole, we were told to speak in whispers and not to wave our arms, purses, backpacks or cameras so as not to incite the dragons. There were several small dragons off the path and nearby in the woods, but the watering hole was packed, must like the Cove on Crystal Serenity just before dinner. We saw close to 12 dragons there and were as close as 8 feet. One began hissing and moving toward us and immediately the guards aimed their sticks at him and changed his course. One woman sat on the ground with her back to the dragons for a photo. As the dragon began to move, she attempted to get up, but with difficulty. Fortunately, the dragon was deflected by the guards. What an idiot!!

Our walk back to the dock area was about 45 minutes, and our guides pointed out the holes used by dragons as dens, and medicinal plants used by the local residents. We had to walk a gauntlet of aggressive hawkers to get back to the tenders. Komodo Island was hot, hot, hot and we were glad to return to the ship for a cool shower and shampoo.

The evening entertainment was Clara Helms, Australia's pop opera and contemporary singer-songwriter. From 9:15-11 pm, was an Aussie Outback Fair on Lido Deck. This had been postponed from Darwin due to rain. David and I won tickets in carnival type games to be exchanged for prizes. It was amazing to see people who had spent close to $100,000 or more on a cruise quibble over $.25 prizes! But we had fun playing the games.

I should mention that kangaroo was on the menu at dinner and emu had been on the lunch menu. Neither David nor I felt inclined to try them. After all, I had just fed sweet kangaroos in Brisbane!

The next day at around 2 pm, we docked in Benoa, Bali. (Just to give you a frame of reference for the difference in time, the Oscars were broadcast live on our TV's or in the Hollywood Theater a 7:30 am.) What a busy port and what a challenge to dock our ship. We spoke with the Captain at a late lunch and he said the current made it so difficult and our arrival was delayed because of a combination of the currents and tides. He said he wasn't worried about the many, many pleasure boats in the area because he was a lot bigger! Just a note about Captain Birger Vorland. We have enjoyed his warm personality and sense of humor as well as his skill as a Captain. We were at his table on Harmony in 2000 and then he left the seas to work in Crystal's head office. He returned to seas just a few years ago, and we're glad he is back.

Bali is a nation of contrasts! As we arrived in the port, we were stunned by the amount of boats, parasailors, speed boats, banana boats being towed, water skiers, huge inner tubes being toed and other pleasure craft. It was like a giant ant hill of water craft! A mosque nearby was broadcasting its call to prayer while a block away, bikini clad young women road on a banana boat. Our guide for the second day, Kadek,(highly recommended by Terry Carter and Pat Delaney—and well deserved of those recommendations!) said that more and more Muslim residents from the Middle East are moving to Bali, which is a Hindu island. The government of Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world, tried to impose a no bikini rule in Bali, but the Balinese fought against it and won. There were six of us in a minivan driven by Kadek for our tour. We met him at 8:30 am and returned to the ship close to 5 pm after a very full day. Our itinerary took us to a typical food market that opened at 4 am, so that we were the last people to visit it. Evidently, most people shop every day. The market had stalls selling meat, fish, fruit, vegetables and spices such as turmeric and chilies. They also sell ready-made offerings of flowers, green leaves, rice and fruit, or they sell the makings for these daily offerings. These small offerings, the size of a saucer, are called canang sari, are placed in woven baskets and put on the street three times a day. The purpose is to “give back” to the Gods. Balinese Hinduism is a deeply personal religion and each home has a temple in the the northwest corner. Additionally, each village has its own temple. Statues of deities are placed outside homes and businesses and are draped either in gold cloth or in black and white checked fabric. Both cloths have religious significance, with the black and white representative of good and evil. Religious celebrations and rituals are a hugely important part of Balinese life.

We were privileged to visit the temple of a small village and were awed by the sense of spirit and peace within the grounds. The temple we visited had no closed buildings, all were open on 4 side and each God had his own building. Many of the buildings, statues and carvings were over 100 years old and moss covered. We were required to wear a sarong, both men and women. The rules of the temple are on a photo below. It was the best part of the tour! We did make a donation as we left.

After our visit to the temple, we toured the village and were invited to see the inside of a house. In addition to the personal temple, where ceremonies for birth, death, marriages, etc. are carried out, there were two buildings for sleeping and other functions. In one of bedrooms, the grandmother was cooking with wood while the smoke escaped through the palm ceiling. The other room/building had children watching television. The houses each have a small courtyard, but are connected to one another through an open gate or door in the wall. Families try to stay within the village of their birth, but often move for work, but always return to their extended family in their villages for weekends or religious ceremonies.

Before our visit to the temple and village, we went to a theatre for a cultural dance and musical presentation, then to a silver workshop and a wood carving workshop. Using traditional methods, beautiful works are created. From there we went to the waterfall and to a volcano high in the mountains. Our last stop was the terraced rice paddies. Our day recalled lots of travel on 2 lane roads absolutely filled with people on motor scooters. Some motor scooters held families of 4 or 5. Others were used as transport with huge bulky boxes or bags. They weave in and out of traffic and I would not like driving here. Traffic within the city is very heavy. Bali is a beautiful country with a spiritual presence and new construction next to revered older buildings and evidence of belief in all aspects of life.

I must end this blog now, as we have a muster drill for all guests, not just those embarking in Bali. Sea day tomorrow!