Day 8 of 15 Panama Canal…Our Fascinating Crossing of the Panama Canal, from the Atlantic to the Pacific

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Friday April 28, 2023

Day 8 of 15…..Welcome to the Panama Canal. The whole purpose of the trip. Traveling from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, going through 3 sets of locks.

Arrival 6am……..Departure 6pm.

PANAMA CANAL SCHEDULE

Gatun Locks ……6am

Pedro Miguel Locks…..1:30pm

Miraflores Locks……3pm

Finally, the day has come….. Traveling through the Panama Canal on our ship “Radiance of the Seas”. We have been waiting for this a long time. We have been waiting over nite in the Limon Bay area that is the holding area for all ships ready to travel through. First the tolls must be paid before they can proceed. The information we received was that our ships tolls for passing through were over $400,000. Yes, that right, “Four Hundred Thousand Dollars”….. Wow, lots of money. The fees are figured according to the type of ship it is. For Cruise ships, it is figured by length, width, draft of the ship (feet below water) and count of passengers and crew. Also, there are other charges, namely how many mules that are used. They are attached to each side of the ship to guide it through. Those are just a few of the charges that I remember. Now the commercial ships are charged differently as they have cargo. Every ship has a different formula set by the Panama Canal Authority. We started cruising toward the mouth of the Canal. Ahead of us was the first of 3 bridges that cross the canal. t is

The Atlantic Bridge crossing the Panama Canal on the Atlantic side entrance..

It is the Atlantic Bridge. It is the newest bridge finished in 2019. It is 4 lanes carrying traffic pedestrians and bicycles. Right after entering the channel, the canal splits in two. In 2016 another lock system was finished to serve the larger ships. It is called the Panama Expansion Project. We are now approaching the Gatun Locks. This will be a series of 3 locks stepping up. In total the locks will be lifting us up 85 feet to cross Panama and then lowering us at the other end to the Pacific side.

Gatun Locks in the Distance
Looking Back at the mouth of the Canal with the Atlantic Bridge crossing over. A ship has crossed from the Pacific and is entering the Atlantic. So impressive.
The Pilot Boat coming up along side us.

We now will be entering the locks. There are 2 locks side by side. Traffic is going each way, just like a road. As we enter, the Mules will be attached by very heavy cables. They will attach 2 mules on each corner of the ship Totaling 8 all together. They are used to control side by side movement and breaking control. The ship engines will actually be the power to pull the ship through.

The mules, coming to attach to our ship.
The doors are closed, and the water has risen. You can see the Mules double set of rails on each side. as well as how much higher we are now.
We are now through the 1st set if locks, the Gatun Locks.

The Mules are mini locomotives on broad gauge railroad tracks. They travel the entire length of the locks. At the end, they detach the cables, and the track turns and runs alongside the 1st set all the way back to the starting point at the other end. We had to wait a little bit for the first lock to lower its water level to our height. The water in the locks work by gravity. I still haven’t totally figured it out. Soon the huge gates open and we slowly enter. The gates close and the water starts to come in and raises us. When we reach the level to equal to lock #2, the doors open and we proceeded to the 2nd level, Then the same thing for the 3rd level. We have now risen 85 ft.

We are now up on Gatun Lake. It is a beautiful cruise with small mountains and forests all around. We passed the dam. Gatun Lake is manmade. Instead of cutting the mountains all the way down, they had decided it would be easier to flood the area with this manmade lake and install the locks to raise the ships the 85 ft and then lower them back down at the other end by another series of locks.

The Gatun Dam, formed to make the lake.
The Panama Canal Authority kept a close watch on us.

We cruised on for quite a while among the beautiful mountains and rolling hills. It was so beautiful and unspoiled by civilization. The water was a beautiful blue. Finally, we approached an area that had been blasted out. Then we went under the 2nd of the 3 bridges we cross under.

These areas were blasted away to allow this channel to be built.
Centennial Bridge, opened in 2004

The Centennial Bridge was built to take the major portion of the traffic away from the Pan American highway. We will go under that bridge that carry’s that highway after the next set of Locks. This bridge is 6 lanes wide. We are now heading to the Pedro Miguel Locks. As we approached, you could see the large ships that have been crossing on the new canal next to us. It was opened in 2016 and was called the Panama Canal Expansion Project. The canal is wider and deeper, the locks are also wider, longer and deeper. This canal accommodates the newer larger ships that are being built today.

A ship in the Panama Canal Expansion Canal.
The Pedro Miguel Locks….

We have entered the Pedro Miguel Locks now. This has only 1 lock. We will now begin our decent to reach the level of the Pacific Ocean. The descent in this lock will only be 31 ft.

This is where we sat most of the day. It is the very back of the ship. The Windjammer Buffet is right next to it. We can fill our plates and come out her to eat. THE BEST SEATS IN TOWN
Pedro Miguel Locks in the background, entering Miraflores Locks
We have entered the first lock. The water level was lowered to match the next lock. The doors opened and we are entering the next level. Notice double lock doors, not only are they a safety factor, but also if 1 set needs repair the 2nd set is all they need.
Their is not much space, the mules travel right in front of the doors.
We are in the 2nd lock. Notice the lock doors are the only “sidewalks” to the other side. When a door is going to open. A bell rings and then the rails fold down automatically against the doors.
We are now in the second lock. We are lowering to meet the Pacific Level. Notice the ship in the background. He has just entered.
IMAX Theater that we visited the day before. This is the backside.

As we were going through the Miraflores Locks, I looked to the right and recognized the Imax Theater that we had been to the day before on the bus trip. We weren’t told about the viewing area. We were taken in the front and out the front. I was excited to see this side, so I took a picture of the building and the viewing area with all the tourists. Several days later I was looking at Google Maps. I always like to put things into perspective on the map. I found the Imax and clicked on it……..Lo and Behold, there was a picture of the back of our boat going through the locks. While I took one of them, they were taking one of me……..Who could it be, We will never know. It could have been a local or anyone who was on a vacation from anywhere in the world really. I’m so glad they posted it on Maps. But I surely love it. I was standing at that railing near the top. That is part of the open dining area that we sat at most of the day.

Our ship, “The Radiance of the Seas” passing through Miraflores Lock. Taken by a Vistor from the Imax viewing center. Found this on Google Maps several days later when clicking on the Miraflores Locks. Now how ironic and amazing is that.
Leaving Miraflores Locks. The Mules have unhooked at this point. Notice the channel opens up larger, the Mules follow around a circle here and head back to the other end of the Locks.

We have now left the last lock. Miraflores consists of 2 locks. The first on lowers you 54 ft. The second lock can lower the ship anywhere from 31ft to 64.5 depending on the tides. Pacific have much more extreme tides than the Atlantic has. We are now heading out to the deep sea of the Pacific. We have spent most of the day on the back open lunch area. It has been amazing. The perfect place to see this all unfold before us. It felt like we were part of something phenomenal. We love this boat for this reason. Such beautiful views any time of the day or evening. If your hungry the Windjammer Buffet is open just steps away. So so Grand. Living like a King and Queen.

Passing under the last Bridge. “The Bridge of the Americas” Completed in 1962.
Panama City in the background…..In the fog…..Like a Mystery
Heading out to the deep sea of the Pacific. We passed many ships anchored waiting their turn to cross to the Atlantic.

We have completed our trip through the Panama Canal. What a Wonderful Day it has been. Evening is fast approaching. We will of course eat another meal and see Conmelia and Shane again. We will check out what is happening in the Centrum for Entertainment, and finally find our way to bed. Much to our Surprise, Conmelia had a Surprise for us. She put it in a take-out container. No one could see because this was their private stash for the workers. We were never served Grapes and Strawberries. We sort of feel like royalty. Now we have two days at sea to enjoy the ship and rest up for our next adventure. On day 11 we will arrive a Huatulco Mexico. This will be another eventful Adventure. So now we are cruising North on the Pacific side……..This is AMAZING……GOOD NITE ALL…..

Day 7 of 15…. Colon Panama

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Thursday April 27, 2023

Day 7 of 15….Welcome to Colon Panama, the gateway to the Panama Canal on the Atlantic Ocean

Arrival 9am……Gangway Open 9:30am….All Aboard….5:30 pm

Yesterday, Cartegena Columbia…… Today, Colon Panama…….. Tomorrow, The Panama Canal….Its a very busy 3 days. Today our excursion will be the Imax Theater production of The History of the Panama Canal. We headed to the Aurora Theater again to check in and get our number and colored sticker. We waited to have our number called and then proceeded playing follow the leader again down to the 4th floor to get off the boat. We had docked this time at the dock. It was a very short distance to all the buses.

There is our dock, and all the buses lined up waiting for us.
The red bus in the middle will be ours.

We looked for the guy with a sign with our Tour Number. On the way we stopped and had that Quick picture taken again…..Ughhhh…..

OMG

Then followed the Guide to our Beautiful Red Bus. As we had come down the inlet to dock, we had seen all these warehousing looking buildings. We found out it is the Tax Free Zone. Colon is a Tax Free Port dedicated to re-exporting to Latin America and the Caribbean. It is the largest free port in the Americas and the 2nd largest in the world. Hong Kong is first. It covers approximately 130 acres. It is separated from Colon by a wall. As we drove by the many entrances, it looked like regular shopping streets inside. Each entrance is gated. Our guide said it is totally locked up every nite at closing.

The Gates of the TAX FREE ZONE

The guide we had this time was not the best. He had a very heavy accent and was difficult to understand. We also didn’t realize the Imax was clear on the other side of Panama, on the Pacific side. That was about 50 miles. We also didn’t realize until later that the back of the Imax was against the Canal. So, we now had about an hour drive across Panama from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. It really was a very pretty country. Lots of Trees, hills, just like the states, some small mountains, Lake Gatun, the manmade lake they flooded to make the Canal. There were plenty of small homes, very poorly made, hidden in the landscape. The main highway was Route 9, a beautiful highway, 4 lanes in places that ran from Colon to Panama City.

Countryside and the Highway from Colon to Panama City
Lake Gatun….The man-made lake for operating the locks.

We arrived at the Imax to a very large modern building. There were many buses there, not only from our ship but many others. It is probably a main Tourist attraction coming out of Panama City also.

The Imax Theater 3 miles from Panama City

We entered and was given free popcorn and soda. It was a very well-made movie about the History of The Making of the Panama Canal. The Panama Canal was constructed at the Isthmus of Panama in order to save ships from going around Cape Horn in South America, saving 8,000 nautical miles. The canal is approximately 50 miles long from Atlantic Ocean deep water to Pacific Ocean deep water. The French first attempted to build the canal but gave up. So many men died of Malaria and Yellow Fever due to mosquitoes. Finally, the United States took over and acquired the Canal from France in 1904 and it was completed and opened in 1914. In total over 25,000 men died constructing the Canal, mostly French. Now what we did not know, was behind this Imax was the 3rd set of locks, Miraflores Locks. There was a stadium seating viewing area that they did not show us. The next day as we went through the canal, I seen the back side of the Imax. Now I sure don’t know why they didn’t take us there. We headed back to our BRIGHT RED BUS.

Our Bright Red Bus and Tour Guide
Drivers seat with his hanging monkey friends.

The tour guide drove us all through the area. The Canal was owned and run the United States from 1914 until a Treaty was sign in 1977. It stated that the Panama Canal would be officially handed over to Panama Dec. 31, 1999. During the United States time they owned it, they had constructed many buildings. Office buildings, homes for the officers and their families, as well as hospitals etc. All these were given to Panama.

The Style of all the American Buildings. They were all given to Panama

Our guide took us past many of these buildings that are successfully being used today. We drove by the Corozal American Cemetary. This land was designated for a permanent cemetery in 1914 when the US opened the Canal. Citizens of over 70 nations are buried here, among them over 5000 Americans, Veterans and Civilians.

Rolling Hills of tombstones, in Corozal American Cemetary. 5,000 Americans buried their since 1914.

Then we headed towards Panama City. We rode on the Official Highway 1 that connects the Americas. We saw the Bridge of the Americas through the trees and then passed some apartment areas with graffiti paintings.

Bridge of the Americas….Highway #1 in the distance near Panama City
Apartment Buildings overlooking Highway #1

We headed for a little strip of land that ended in an area called Flamingo Island. It was a beautiful drive to the point. The ocean was on either side. Panama City was in the distance. So impressive with its tall buildings.

Flamingo Island in the distance
The Skyline of Panama City….This is as close as we got.

We drove all the way out there to stop at a souvenir shop and a bathroom break. lol. But it really was a pretty area. At the Souvenir shop I bought this cute little purse. I bought this purse for a purpose. I will write all about that the next time. Its worth a laugh.

Cute little Panama Purse.

Time to head back to the ship. We were pushing it for time. I heard comments being mentioned about how late we were. But remember……..We purchased this tour through Royal Caribbean. They wait for any tours that come back late. So I wasn’t worried. So back across Panama we went to Colon and our ship, The Radiance of the Seas. Another pretty drive back through the trees, hills, some mountains, Lake Gatun to Colon.

…..The POLICIA PASSED US BY….
Pretty red curtains on our bus. You don’t find that in the USA
There she is “Radiance of the Seas” “Home Sweet Home”

We finally got back, again tired and hungry. So off to the Windjammer for Dinner. We looked for Conmelia and Shane. As usual there they were. It is so good seeing them every day. Like seeing long lost friends. It was so good to sit down and relax in front of the windows and see the magnificent scenery that lays before you. Here we sit after a full day tour and are eating a wonderful meal before us, while looking out of the wall of windows from the 11th floor. Your looking at this magnificent view and think. WOW, Is this real? How Amazing life can be. We left port and are now traveling to Limon Bay near by. It is the entrance to the Panama Canal. We have to head out and wait for our turn to enter the canal in the morning.

Ships waiting in Limon Bay to head across the Canal.

Tomorrow, we will be entering the Canal and riding through 3 sets of locks to the Pacific side. It will take all day. This will surely be the highlight of the trip.

This is a map of the Panama City side of the Canal. The red flag is where the Imax was and the last of the 3 locks, Miraflores Locks. The long strip of land called the Punta Nature Center is where the driver took us. Panama City is on the right upper side of this photo. So tomorrow we get to stay on board, but it will be the Purpose for taking this Cruise. Our Passage all the way through the Panama Canal to the Pacific. It’s a once in a lifetime trip for us.

This was an actual license plate that we purchased.
“PANAMA CANAL……..HERE WE COME”

Day 6 of 15…..Cartagena Columbia, Amazing

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Wed. April 26 2023

Day 6 of 15….Welcome to Cartagena Columbia, in South America, Wow, are we really here?

Arrival: 7 am.—Gangway open 7:30 All Aboard—4:30, Departure 5pm

After Grand Caymen was another cruising day, so now here we are approaching South America. I woke up early to see us enter the harbor of Cartagena Columbia. It was a beautiful morning with the sun coming up.

Sunrise at Cartagena
A little Canoe going out to fish.

We chose an excursion in Cartagena. It was a bus trip through the city seeing some of the top sites, traveling along the coast to a little fishing village, La Boquilla. We will board hand hewn mahogany canoes and travel through the swampy mangroves watching for wild life. This excursion will be one of the more exciting of our cruise. I have been wondering, when they have all these excursions at each port, how does everyone get on the right bus or van to their destination. I imagined chaos.

Everyone in line to receive their sticker for their excursion.
Waiting for their number to be called.

We received instructions to meet at the Aurora Theater at 8am. You check in with your tickets that were delivered to your room. They give you a colored tag and number to stick on your shirt. When your bus is ready, they call your number, and everyone plays follow the leader. You head out to the dock, going through x-ray and scanning Sea Pass Cards as usual. Outside, your bus’s, vans etc, are awaiting you. You board according to number and color. It really worked out quite well.

The buses are waiting for us.
OMG……Our picture coming right off the ship…. File in line…snap…..keep going

We boarded our bus ready to begin this exciting day. Our Tour Guide was a young lady named Victoria. She had a very nice loud voice, great English, perfect for her job as well as a side of humor that was fitting. As we traveled into town, it became so so crowded. It became terrible. The traffic didn’t seem to care about anything. I had a passing truck loaded with trash, hit my window. Crazy. It seemed one of the popular sources of travel was the motorcycle, or minibikes. They were in work clothes, business attire, but had no concept of dying. They would zoom up from behind and drive right up between the 2 vehicles traveling side by side. It’s a wonder they weren’t smashed and killed.

Cute hood ornaments…..lol…But this is how close we were. It is not zoomed..

We made our way through Cartagena and down the coast to a little fishing village called, La Boquilla. We pulled off the road into a parking lot near a large grouping of trees. After we got out of the bus, we walked down a path to the canoes. Oh Boy, yes, they were definitely hand carved, or homemade, which ever you choose to call it.

The boarding Area
These look really safe, don’t they?…..lol

They loaded us all into these canoes, 1 on a seat. (Thank Goodness) We were full. They told us to be careful about balancing. No sudden moves. OMG……I could tell. I felt tense as any move Rich made, he leaned one way, I leaned the other. I felt like we would Rollllllll…….But we did stay upright. Vicky was our guide also on the canoes, as the guides couldn’t speak English. There was one man in the back of each canoe to push with a long stick. She told us if we did roll and capsize, don’t worry…….JUST STAND UP…..It was shallow. They pointed out different things they seen in the water as we passed.

This is a nest of termites. This is how they live in the wetlands. Their trails came from the nest all the way down a limb to the water…..Grouse….
A little crab hid out in the roots of the Mangrove
One of the Canoe Guides
Entering the center of the open lake area. That was so cool as we approached it. I felt like we were explorers searching for new lands.
Beautiful Opening into the Lake Area

This was such a quite beautiful ride. So peaceful. The Mangroves were just tunnels through all the roots. It twisted and turned until you would come up on a small opening. I can see how people could get lost or hid in these. We heard birds, heard the rustling of the trees, and the water splashing as the guides pushed our boats. But it was also HOT and SWEATY that day. When we came out into the lake, we seen a man in the distance. We headed his way and all the boats parked near him like a school class. Actually, that is rather what it was. Vicky told us he was a local fisherman. This is what they do to support themselves and their family. In Colombia, they are allowed to have more than 1 wife. Hence, they obviously have many children. He was going to show us how they throw out a net to catch crabs, fish, or turtle. Whatever is in the water.

His sign says, “Thank You For Tips”
Showing us how to throw his fish net
His Catch so far

After that, of course they passed a tip basket around the boats. It was handed boat to boat. So, I guess everyone has a way to ask for a tip these days. We traveled on in the open lake to the little hole where the tunnel begins again to head back to the dock.

Crossing the lake
Finding the hole for the channel back to the dock
Waiting at the dock to unload 1 canoe at a time
We met this couple the day before for breakfast. We were surprised to see them on the bus. She took our picture, we took theirs. We would exchange later. She wanted all her friends to believe they really did this. Well later never came. We never seen them again on the Ship…..lol

Finally back out of the canoes. Dry also, nobody tipped the boat. I was so happy to get back into the bus and AC. Now we were going to go back into town to another shopping site. We passed many of the walls that were still standing around the city. They were built many many years ago to defend themselves from the pirates raiding their country. Then we stopped at Castillo San Felipe de Barajas. It was built by slave labor, on a hill in the 1500’s at a strategic point to protect them from battles. Around the castle is a nice area of benches and trees and of course little shops of locals selling their trinkets. This is where the bus stopped. Before we got off, Vicki told us. She said, “You know how Mexicans usually barter and beg for a deal? That is nothing. DO NOT look at them, do not ask about an item if you have no intention of buying. Do NOT look them in the eye”. She was so right.

Castillo San Felipe de Barajas
Vicky warned us about this lady. She is always there. She will stop you and want you to take a picture with her. If you do not tip her, she will follow you until you do. She was very persistent.
So here is our picture with her. This smile only came out for her pictures…lol

As we were walking, a guy kept coming after Rich to buy a hat. He wouldn’t leave him alone. He followed him all over as Rich walked by the little shops. Finally Rich bought a hat. lol. He was so persistent. I wish I had taken a picture of him. By that time, I was so hot, I was wanting to get back on the bus.

It actually was a pretty cool hat and looked nice on him.

The bus took us back to the ship. We were so hot and tired. They took us instead to a parking lot to drop us off. But we were still aways from the ship. I wasn’t very happy about this. But it turned out it was a Bird and Monkey Aviary. It was so beautiful. The birds and monkeys were free to roam. Of course, it also had a very nice Souvenir shop.

Entrance to the Aviary
Such beautiful Peacocks
Isn’t she just beautiful. The full wing spread.
This tree was just so full of birds. If you look up, you seen them everywhere.
We looked up in the tree and also seen monkeys climbing limb to limb. These were not the same ones. I came out of the gift shop and their they were….so cute.
Beautiful parrots everywhere. all squawking. Have you ever heard one?
Beautiful white Peacock. He was hiding

.
What a better place to be for dinner. The back of the boat, with a view of Cartagena Columbia.

Finally, we left the Aviary. There was a shuttle on the other side that took us to the ship. We were so hot and tired, and……. HUNGARY……Back to the Windjammer Buffet……Of course, we found Conmelia and Shane, they take good care of us. Such wonderful conversations with them. We sat at the back of the ship and watched the beautiful view of Cartagena. As we sailed away, we reflected on the day. All the things we did, the things we seen. We never ever dreamed this could be. It was like we were living a fantasy. What a day of memories. Tomorrow, we have to be up early again. We will be at Colon Panama. We will be getting off the boat and going to an Imax Theater and learning about the Panama Canal. Another Great Day It Will Be….

Good by Cartagena Columbia
Beautiful Sunset
Beautiful Sunset
License Plate and Key Chain



Day 4……Grand Cayman Islands, So Beautiful

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Day 4– Welcome to George Town Grand Cayman Island. Overseas British Territory.

Arrival 7am.–First Tender Boat, 7:45–Last Tender Boat 5:15,–Departure 6pm.

We arrived at George Town about daylight. I went out on the Balcony to watch the approach to the island. What a beautiful morning it was. We watched as the Pilot Boat from the harbor approached our ship

The Pilot boat from George Town meeting our boat. Look how little the fishing boats are. This was taken from our balcony on the 7th floor.

The Pilot is dropped off on the lower level of the boat while still moving towards the Port. It is his duty to help the Captain navigate the Ship into the harbor. He knows his Port, the sand bars, the waters entering the channel and all things important to docking the ship. Here at Grand Cayman, the harbor is to shallow for the cruise ships to dock. They use Tender Boats {water taxi’s} to transport the passengers between the ship and the Port. The first Tender Boats showed up by 7:15 after the ship had anchored. All the passengers that had booked excursions were the first ones off the boat. We didn’t book any in this port as they were mostly all water fun. Diving, snorkeling, Trip to Stingray City to see the Stingrays in the ocean and possible pet them. Also, the many, many beaches and the Famous 7 Mile Beach. We have excursions booked on all the other Ports we visit, so we decided to just take it easy on this one. We waited till later to go souvenir shopping. Finally late morning, we went down to the 4th floor. We had to go through the x-ray machine like the airports and they also scanned our Sea Pass cards. You cannot leave or arrive at the boat without your cards. This is how they keep count of passengers on or off the ship. I like to book only Excursions with Royal Caribbean because they will wait till all excursions are back to leave. If you go ashore and simply take a tour somebody sells you, they won’t guarantee they will wait. Wouldn’t it be terrible if you arrived back late and seen your Ship with all your belongings sailing off into the sunset?……GOOD BYE…..Find your own way back to the states. We boarded the tender and proceeded to shore.

The Port pictures begin. 8×10 pictures every Port.
Loaded Tender boat arriving at George Town pier

These Tenders hold as many as 200 people. But remember our ship is technically a small ship of over 2000. You can imagine how many Tenders they have to transport passengers back and forth between the ship and the dock. We arrived at the terminal and did some shopping at the little shops. Then we proceeded out of the terminal into George Town. We found a few things but what was interesting was the cars drove on the left side of the street and the drivers sat in the right side of the car.

The steering wheel on the right side.
Vehicles driving on the left side of the road.

We walked the streets, did more shopping, walked by the fish market, where they were cleaning fish and many restaurants. We found this little Flea Market sort of tucked in an empty lot.

We bought a few souvenirs from the locals, and ran into a very interesting small time business man. He was selling items as well as Caymanite Jewelry. I had never heard of Caymanite.

This semi-precious gemstone is found only in Grand Cayman. It contains bands of red, orange, white, black and brown. The locals of the island make beautiful jewelry and gifts and sell it throughout the islands. This man makes trips to Miami to buy supplies for jewelry crafting as well as selling. Since he was such a friendly nice guy full of info, I asked him a question I had been wondering about. I had bought a visor. The visor and many of the things in the gift shops had “Grand Cayman BWI”…….“What does BWI stand for”? This was when I realized how stupid I was sounding…..Bristish West Indies. I knew that…..Grand Cayman is run by the British government.

Another well known fact is the Cayman Islands is home to over 160 banks from all over the world. They have been cited as a financial destination. They have so many tax benefits etc, that it has become known as a great place to park your money and grow your wealth.

RADIANCE OF THE SEAS from the Shore
Heading back to our Beautiful Boat on our Tender Boat.

We were getting really hot so we decided it was time to go back to the ship. We didn’t have to wait long. The Tender boat was loading and another one was ready to take its place after we left.

Our Tender Boat will drive right up to this open door. The ladder will be extended for us to board.
Our room is the floor above the lifeboats all the way in the back. Very last room behind the pole.

We boarded our ship, went back through the x-ray machine, scanned our sea pass card, so they know we were onboard. We went to our room and was exhausted. But what do you do after you’ve cooled down? off to the Windjammer Buffet. We hadn’t eaten since we left that morning.

We found a great table overlooking George Town coast Isn’t that just a Beautiful Site
Beautiful Grand Cayman from Deck 11. I think we were leaving

We found a nice table, filled our plates with goodies, and relaxed. Rich loves cookies. He had found which food island they put them out every meal. So he started bringing a bunch to the table every day. Then I had to stash them in my purse to take up to the room. I wish I had taken a picture. He loves the Oatmeal. Of course, we found Conmelia. We had to say our “Hi’s”. We found out something exciting. Conmelia is engaged. He fiance is the CHEF on board. His name is …..Shane……More about them on further blogs…….At 6pm, we finally pulled up anchor on time and “away we went” Now 1 more day at sea before we arrive at Cartagena Columbia. We seen several Entertainment Shows in the Aurora Theater. They were wonderful. Their was different shows every nite.

Royal Caribbean Dancers and Singers Can you imagine dancing like this with the boat “rocking”
Piano Man in the Aurora Theater. He was very good.
Evening in the Centrum. Look Close…..See the people sitting down below? Their are people standing 2 floors up while the Entertainer is playing the guitar on the stage below. This area was so busy. At least 6 or more different shows a day. Always checked out the shows as we walked by. The music carried down the halls.
Doing some more exploring as we leave port.

We had a nice time in Grand Cayman but we did miss alot. After reading more about the Island, their were many places to see, and it would be easy to get around by taxi or many reputable, local tour agencies. But that’s ok, we can always see more another time. One day at sea and then…….Next Stop…..Day 6 Cartagena Columbia. It will be much more exciting. We will be boarding a bus and traveling through the city seeing so many beautiful sites and then stopping at a fishing village. We will take a canoe trip in hand carved mahogany canoes through the Mangroves. It was hot but so exciting….As long as we didn’t tip the canoe….lol

Souvenir License Plate

…….Stay Tuned…….

……We Met a Wonderful Lady that Helped Us Celebrate Our Belated 50th Anniversary…..

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The weather so far as been beautiful. Nothing but blue – blue skies, and lazy white clouds. The water is a beautiful blue with a few white caps as we sail south. No bugs in the air either. That is wonderful. But then we are miles and miles from land. So, no mosquitoes, or flies. But it is so quiet. No birds tweeting, nothing but sounds of the ship and the waves as we slide through the water. At night we usually sit out on our balcony after dark. Sometimes you may see the lights of a ship far, far away on the horizon, sometimes it’s just black.

The Moon and a star….and the Beautiful Sunset

Nothing out there but the sounds of the waves crashing into each other as the ship powers through the water. Sleeping has been no problem. I didn’t know if I might get a little nauseated. Rich has even done well. For me it was like being rocked to sleep gently like a baby. There wasn’t much movement. I would wake up in the morning and go outside and check the weather for the day. The TV was all Royal Caribbeans channels. Several Movie channels, but mostly channels about RC destinations and ships. The Activity Directors have a channel telling you all about the itinerary for the day. Then it was time for breakfast at the Windjammer and fun for the day.

On the last blog we stopped our exploration at the Solarium. After walking through their and testing the water….brrrrrr. we headed towards the double glass doors heading towards the front of the boat. There was a little hallway. In the center of the boat was another set of elevators. On one side was the entrance to the Hair Saloon and Spa. You can get anything done you want from your hair all the way down to your toes including a Fantastic Massage. They are there to please you. We took the stairs to the next level and followed it all the way down the side of the ship. It opened up to the very front of the ship….The Helipad…..

Helipad on the front of the ship.
Rich sitting on the bench of the Helipad area.

It was very windy up there. The row of the dark windows is the bridge of the ship. Where the pilots control the ship. Above the Bridge, {which you can’t really see}, there are several more decks with some walk areas with lounges to lay and enjoy. They are lined with tall glass railings so you can’t fall off. Also a deck above the Hair Salon and Spa, facing the front of the Ship was the large Fitness Center

Exercising with a Beautiful Window view, looking out the front of the Ship

The small port holes were more rooms. I’m not sure if they are some of the officers’ rooms and other staff or not. On the map diagram they are not listed. The Heliport area was freshly painted, and everything was very clean and fresh. I was surprised the wooden benches looked so good, not sunbaked or waterlogged. We continued around the other side.

Beautiful view of the waves made by the ship.
This bird kept circling feeding on fish from the ocean.

We walked back to the elevator and went down to the 6th floor. There was the Aurora Theater. It is in the front of the ship and actually is setting on Deck 4, 5, and 6. It is beautiful.

As you see, It is huge. It contains 868 seats. It has entrances on Deck 5, and 6. The seats were so comfortable. They have regular scheduled shows every day with Singers, Dancers, Comedians, movies also informational slide shows with presentations of upcoming Ports that we were stopping at. It was also the area we had to go to when we were in port and ready to leave for our Port excursion. We decided early on to enter on Deck 6. We liked to sit in the balcony. It was less crowded, easier to get to our favorite seats.

Entrance to the Cinema

Also on this floor they have a Cinema. It is small but sufficient. They show several movies every day. We tried to see a movie one day but it was so packed.

After the Cinema, heading back to the Centrum, is the Casino. It has a very nice bar, lots of slots and game tables. Usually, we don’t gamble much. This time also. The only thing I really like to do is play the slots. But I always lose. Its just my luck. On Deck 5, just below us is The Shops of Centrum.

They sell many high-priced items like diamond and other precious stone jewelry, Lots of souvenir items and a small area called the Drug Store for personal items you might need. Also the Photo Gallery is down the hall. They have walls of pictures displayed that they have taken of the guests on board. The photographers are always roving the boat as well as setting up outside at each port. They also have dress up sittings by the Centrum for your formal pictures. The Photo Gallery is where you pick out your pictures that you may want to buy.

Conmelia is from Jamaica. She has a delightful accent.

When we were in the Windjammer one day, we were wandering around choosing our food. There was a lady with a tall white Chefs hat on. She was standing very professionally watching and checking the different food islands, making sure everything was full and the servers were in place to help the people. She was very friendly. We started talking and I mentioned that this was our Cruise for our 50th Anniversary, January 14, 2022. It was delayed because of covid so it was really 51. She was so nice and excited for us. She is from Jamaica and has a wonderful accent. Her name is Conmelia. She is a Sous Chef. Definition of Sous Chef…..A chef who is second in command of a kitchen. They rank just before the head chef. They generally manage the members of the kitchen for the Chef who is busy with other duties. She came over and visited with us at our table. She works in the Windjammer and down in the main dining room Cascades. She told us to come back the next day and she was going to do something special for us. We came back and she was so excited to see us again. After we eat our meal, she came back with this beautiful dish….

Conmelia brought this plate with a beautiful tasty dessert and 2 forks. She even sang a HAPPY ANNIVERSARY song to us. It was wonderful. This became the start of a new friendship. We all started looking for each other for each meal just to visit a little.

OMG….What a picture. Did I really look like that? lol

I’ve covered most of the big areas of the ship. There are many areas I haven’t covered. There are many bars and lounges situated all over as well as 11 different dining options. Some are just little snack areas, and some are upscale restaurants. I will probably cover some of those later. We have been at sea for 2 1/2 days. We will be Docking at our first stop, “Georgetown Grand Caymen Island, British West Indies” in the morning. It’s time to head for our room and get ready for bed. We are excited.

This is our hallway to our room from the Centrum at the middle of the ship. I bet you can’t see the last room at the left. Thats our room…….so far far far away…..

…….2 Days At Sea…….So Let’s Explore The Ship…… Part 2

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We departed the Port of Galveston on Saturday at 4pm right on schedule. It is amazing watching the process of docking and undocking. They make it look so easy. The ship slides like butter through the water. The pilots can maneuver it just like a car. But that’s why they get paid the BIG BUCKS. We will be at Sea heading south to Georgetown Grand Caymen for the next 2 days. So now it’s time to explore the ship. After a good nites sleep, we went for breakfast at the Windjammer Buffet {Casual Attire} on the 11th floor above us in the back of the ship. We are on the 7th floor. We filled our plates and headed to the back, outside. We found the back was open, and full of tables and chairs for dinning.

We could enjoy the beautiful warm and sunny weather. It did have a roof over it like a porch area. Such an enjoyable area to sit and eat your meal. You could watch the waves that were constantly churning away. If you were near land, you might see a few birds flying and watching for fish to eat from the ocean. The waves just kept rolling and rolling by.

I noticed a stairway on either side of the deck. So I went up to the top on Deck 13, while Rich enjoyed the view. I found a miniature golf course, and the kids pool area with water slide. A little further I found a basketball court. Right in front of me was a rock climbing wall. Ahead was a set of double doors. I went in and found the StarQuest Lounge, which is like a Disco Nite Club. Also in this area on the top level of the Ship is The Diamond Club, and the Viking Crown Lounge.

View from the very top of the ship….Level 13
Great View from the Lounges on Deck 13 overlooking the pool area and 2 hot tubs

Most of these are for the Nite Life people who like to enjoy the bar scene and have a Wonderful view out the windows that surround the bar areas. This is the area that many of the Diamond and Pinnacle levels hang out. So What does that mean” The Levels.” Royal Caribbean enrolls passengers into the Crown and Anchor Society. For every nite of a completed Voyage, you are awarded a point.

Well as you see, this is only our 2nd cruise. We are still sitting at Gold. They provide you with increasing benefits the higher you go. So for us, we were given a buy 2 8×10 pictures and get 1 free. The pictures were $10 each. We saved between both of us , $20. Not a lot, but at least something. Most of these people on board seemed to be Diamond and Pinnacle. After I did all this exploring, I went back down to Deck 11 where Rich was at the Windjammer. We decided to go swimming. Now back to the elevators, Down to Deck 7 and allllllllllll the way down the hall to our room to get our swimsuits. We decided after this, when we leave the room in the morning, we must be prepared to not come back till the end of the day. lol. “ITS A LONG WALK”. So, dress in swimsuits and cover ups all day is the plan. Now back down to the center of the ship to take the elevators back up. In the center of the ship by the elevators, is the Centrum. It is the Central Hub of Entertainment all day long. It is a large circle that is open from Deck 4 all the way to Deck 11. On Deck 4 there are chairs, love seats with side tables surrounding the edges. It is a very comfortable relaxing area with a bar right beside of course. The center is a large dance floor or stage. On the side is the area where the Entertainer performs, as well as the music accompaniment play

The Centrum. The Center of the Ship from several floors up.
2 Glass Elevators in the Centrum traveling the full height of the ship.
Kinda of a Crappy picture but sitting watching the entertainment over the railing in the Centrum. Looked up and there were mirrors. So, I snapped a photo.

. Looking up is several Glass Elevators taking people up and down. Each deck is open to the Centrum with chairs and love seats surrounding the railings. It is like a giant theater. If you need a seat and the bottom is full, look up. See an empty Love Seat? Figure out which floor, RUN RUN for the elevator, pray it is fast, head for that floor and hope the Love Seat is still open by the time you get there. LOL. We did that alot. Most of the time, SUCCESSFUL. On each deck there is not only the Elevators on the Centrum side, their was 4 more elevators on the outside of the ship. So, you had about 6 to choose from.

Glass Wall extending from Deck 4 – Deck 11
Looking in through Elevator Doors to the outside
OUR NAME…..lol…It was on all the doors. But It was built in Germany. Bergen is located in Germany. We should be able to get discount?????

Not only were the elevators all glass, so were the outside walls of the ship, all the way from Deck 4 to Deck 11. So beautiful to ride up and down watching the views of the ocean. Back on the Elevator to Deck 11. Head out to the pool area. Hardly any one was their……Strange……I stuck my toes in...OMG….It was so cold. Now we are use to our Eastgate heated pool. It is normally around 89 degrees. With our 100+ weather, our pool has been running more like 92+ degrees. So this is unacceptable to my body. lol We tried the Hot Tub and it was so much better.

Our Pool and 2 Hot Tubs with the Bar at the far end. On the left side was a Big TV. The showed movies during the Afternoon and Evening
Rows and rows of chairs. Upper Deck was the walking track.

After that we headed forward to the Solarium. It is all glass enclosed, on the ceiling also. It is beautiful. I thought it would have warm water. But nope. It was cold also.

The Solarium. No Children Allowed

I hope i’m not boring you with all the ship descriptions. So many people of taken Cruises, but many have not. I will stop here and leave the rest of the ship descriptions for the next time. I will also introduce you to 2 pretty cool “VERY SPECIAL” people that we met from Jamaica.

So So Beautiful

It’s Been 2 Years. Time for a Blog….Bucket List Time…….

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I’ve been planning on writing our cruise blogs all summer.  It’s been nonstop 100-degree days.  It’s really getting old.  It’s a furnace outside.  Ironically, as I look at the last blog, it was over 2 1/2 years ago when we just had a very cold week.  It was down in the 20’s for a week.  We were all freezing.  Can we ever be happy?  lol

. 

We finally did our cruise last April 2023 that we had been planning since early 2020.    This cruise was taken from our Bucket List.  Our 50th Anniversary was January 14th, 2022.  We started planning a Cruise through the Panama Canal.  But as we all know, life was interrupted with the arrival of Covid.  Life as we know it shut down all over the world.   We were going to do it sometime between 2021and 2022.  It seemed 2022 still was not a good time to Cruise.  The ships were just starting to sail again and to many regulations were still in force.  We wanted this to be a nice relaxing time and not worry about testing and any Covid scares that might rear its angry head again.  We finally scheduled a 15-day Cruise, April 20-May 6 2023.  We chose Royal Caribbean as Ron; our good friend and Park Manager is a Travel Agent.  The ship was the Radiance of the Seas leaving from Galveston Island, arriving in LA California.   We would have to then fly home. 

RADIANCE OF THE SEAS

The Radiance of the Seas is an older smaller ship than the new ones they build today. This series of ships built at this time were known for all the glass. The elevators were all glass capsules, and the outside walls from the elevators were walls of glass. Its maiden voyage was in April of 2001, built at a cost 350 million. It is 960 feet long and cruises at 25 knots. It has 13 decks with a capacity of 2501 passengers and 859 crew. It was refurbished in 2016 and went through routine Maintenace in 2021. This ship did not have all the fun things for kids like the bigger ships of today. They did have mini golf, basketball court, and a small pool and water slide for the little kids. On our cruise there were only around 20 kids and babies on board. Also, it was during school time. So, it was nice not having many kids on board.

Our itinerary was designed to stop at 5 Ports, not including Galveston or LA.  1. George Town, Grand Cayman in the British West Indies 2. Cartagena, Columbia 3. Colon, Panama, travel through the Panama Canal 4. San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua, and 5. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  What an exciting itinerary.  At each Port, we booked excursions through Royal Carribean.  Before we left, they gave us a change.  San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua, was removed.  We were excited about that one.  We had booked a trip to a Hacienda by Lake Nicaragua.  We would have been served lunch by the owners.  It looked like a beautiful setting with mountains in the background.  It was replaced by Huatulco Mexico.   We asked later and was told it was a political issue. 

As time went by, we picked our excursions online.  Royal Carribean creates an online site for your individual account.  You can see and book all the excursions with descriptions and costs.  You check the times you arrive and depart, the costs that you incur by your ability to purchase souvenirs, special meals, and drinks and anything else.  The ship takes no cash or credit cards.  Everything runs through your account.  On board they also have their own special ship internet.  It is the daily itinerary of activities on board.  Believe me, there is no dull moment.  Plenty to do.  We decided to pack as light as possible.  We didn’t want to pay to check bags.  It is also so much easier to check in on board and also easier to get off and through Customs when the trip is over.  So we each had 1 carry on size roller bag.  Also 1 beach type bag, qualifying as a purse. 

Finally the day came to leave.  We had friends take us to Galveston.  We left around 6am and arrived around 1pm.  We missed most of the crowd boarding the ship that late. It was a breeze getting through.  We checked in, showed our passports, received our Sea Pass cards (Ships Credit and ID Cards).  You need these anytime you buy on board, and always when you exit the boat.  We purchased lanyards to wear onboard.  Now the pictures begin. 

They had a photo op set up in the boarding terminal.  They took lots of pictures through out the cruise. They post them daily, and you picked them out later during the trip at the photo lab.  All 8x10s….so hard to choose.  The rooms weren’t ready for another hour or two, so we went to the Windjammer Buffet. 

Food Islands of the Windjammer
Breads and Pastrys…yummmm
Formal Dinning Room, 2 levels

This will be our most favorite place on board for the next 15 days.  Islands and Islands of food.  Main dishes, Side dishes, all kinds of breads, a whole island of fruit and desserts.  Just amazing.  …….ALL FREE….  There is also the Main Dining Room for the Sit-down dinners.  But we don’t like to dress up, we prefer buffet style.  We filled our plates and found a table near the windows so we could watch the people still boarding and watch the skyline.

Rich on our Balcony as we were leaving Galveston
Very comfortable and spacious. Love seat on the left, TV on the right

Finally, the rooms were ready for us. We found ours and unloaded our clothes. This would be home for the next 15 days. We chose a Balcony Room. It was a fabulous balcony as it was double wide due to the location on the ship . Unfortunately, when Ron booked it, there was only 1 left. It was the very last room on the Starboard side. It was the farthest away from all activities. It seemed to get farther and farther as the days went on. The Windjammer Buffet was above us, but we had to walk to the middle to get to the elevators. But on the other hand, as much food as we ate it was probably a good thing…. lol… So now we are aboard, we have eaten, the boat is preparing to leave. Time to explore this ship. We have 2 days at sea before we arrive at Georgetown, Grand Caymen, British West Indies. So I will leave you with a vision that never got old. This picture was taken in the very back of the boat. We could fill our plates in the Windjammer, and head outside to the tables and chairs. We sat their for hours, during the days, when we went through the Panama Canal and watched so many sunsets……Next Stop Georgetown Grand Caymen.

What’s Next….Texas Freeze of 2021

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Today it is a beautiful day, 70’s and sunshine. Two weeks ago we had a Devastating Winter Storm come through. The Polar Vortex swooped all the way down to Mexico encompassing the whole US and all of Texas. This hasn’t happened since the 1980’s. The temp fell to the low 20’s at night and only raised to 30’s and 40’s during the day. This freeze continued for almost a week. People started to panic shop again. The grocery store shelfs were empty in no time. The freezing rain started, and people don’t know how to drive. The weathermen told everyone to stay home, and announced the warming centers. Schools, business and events were canceled. Just when you thought you’d seen and experienced it all…..The Craziness began again….

Then the electricity started going out across all of Texas including the Valley. People started sleeping in their cars cause that was all the heat the had. Lines at the Gas Stations were blocks long. A few people died of Carbon Monoxide poisoning in their garage. The Texas Power Company, ERCOT, which I found out is owned by Texas, started declaring rolling black outs. The news reported later we were a minute or two away from a total devastating power collapse or black out. Next devastating thing that happened was water pipes started breaking. People had no water. Pipes are not wrapped and insulated like up north. Even hospitals were in trouble. It was reported one was melting snow for water to flush toilets. Mid week their were over 3.5 million people without electric across Texas, many for 4-5 days. Homes, business and Utilities are not constructed like they are in the North. Apparently the Power Company’s don’t build their Power Grids efficiently either.

Dead Bushes at the Office. They were a beautiful green.

So how were we all in the Park. Actually we were very lucky. I kept waiting for the rolling blackout that never happened. We had electric the whole time. We were warm but Rvers weren’t as warm. Many Rvers heat with Propane. Usually the Propane truck comes around several times a week, but not this week. Everyone was running out and franticly taking their tanks into get filled. One place had no electric, and the other had lines several blocks long. Fortunately their tanker truck came, in a timely manner to refuel their underground tanks. Many were afraid their water pipes would freeze so we all kept our faucets trickling through the night. We had a few breaks in the park, but again we were lucky. A few of our RV Pvc water hook ups broke as they became so brittle. Maintenance was pretty good at staying on top of it. I still went up to the office everyday and huddled in front of my electric heater. We didn’t have any snow, only freezing rain. But not that far north they did have snow. Lots of snow and people who don’t know how to drive in it. Obviously many accidents.

This was a Beautiful Banana Tree. The branch’s should be more upright. I don’t know if it will come back.

Everyone was covering up their plants to try to keep them insulated and dry from the sleety rain. But, to no avail, we had a lot of devastation. We covered some of our plants in the front of the park with tablecloths, and I covered some of mine. I put my Desert Rose in the She-Shed along with my Asparagus Ferns. We lost some plants in the front entrance but actually they did better than we thought. My Asparagus Ferns were fine, but my Desert Rose in the shed even froze. The plant experts say to water now and wait several weeks to see if the roots made it. I see many of mine now starting to sprout new growth. It might not be so bad. Theirs a lot of plants and trees in the park and around town that have died. Unfortunately the Citrus trees and the Vegetable crops have been hit hard. They say it will take years for the trees to come back. They have lost most of the vegetables for this season.

This is a Rubber Tree plant. It is now cut down, but they think it might sprout out.

So now several weeks later, ERCOT is in trouble. The top 2 directors have been fired, and an investigation is ongoing. The grocery stores took awhile before their trucks delivered for restocking, but its now almost complete. They said their was more hording this time compared to the onset of Covid. Many people are still having water problems and bursting pipes have caused much damage in some homes. Some people are reporting huge electric bills for that time. We are locked in to a plan so we are fine. All across the state the motels were full as people had no heat at home. Then the price gouging began. One report said a family was charge almost $500 for a single night. Their are investigations into price gouging as this is unacceptable for people who are suffering all these hardships, especially during a Covid time also. Govenor Abbott has declared Texas a State of Emergency, it should help some of the people receive the help they need to recover. So many have damaged homes from the water breaks and lost food and other items due to no electric.

A cactus that has been frozen. Its big erect leaves are now collapsing down. Many have fallen off from their weight.

So this was my flower garden before the freeze. Everything was lush green. Even in winter most everything stays green except for a few trees.

This is what it looks like now. I’ve trimmed up a lot of things. Everything is brown and dead looking. Just like a normal Illinois winter.
Tammy and I went to a Nursery. They were throwing some plants away, so we asked to take them…..So those pots in the picture are free plants. Well see if they grow.
In this picture you see some green. Its Clover and weeds. Nothing kills weeds. They looked dead and came back in the first sunrays.

So what is the State of the World today.….Their are now 3 different Vaccines out. Two of them are 2 doses and one is a 1 dose. Everyone is scrambling to get them. Rich has his first dose. I don’t want one….At least not yet. Covid cases count is going down but theirs’s still many. But now we have a new strain that is a Variant of the old one traveling around the world and US. Texas Governor Abbott has just declared as of next Wed., masks are not required and all businesses can open at 100 per cent. Many people are not happy about that. They say its to soon in the Valley. Our hospitals have just reached a lower more acceptable occupancy. The borders are now starting to bring the immigrates over who lived for a year or two in encampments across the border in Matamoros. They had started the court process and were waiting their day in court. They are coming over, but not tested and turning up Covid Positive. Some have been bussed out to family members across the US. Now Greyhound is requiring a Covid test before they board. Fortunately the Judges for Cameron and Hidalgo County’s have also said they don’t agree with the governor. They are still recommending masks and Social Distancing. South Padre Island is getting ready for Spring Break.….HERE COME THE KIDS…...Everyone is waiting for their Stimulus Check. President Biden has barely got it through Congress. The Democrats and Republicans are still not getting along. Trump is still lurking out their in Maro Largo Florida. He has managed to have been Impeached Twice…….But not convicted…..He says he’s gone, But not forgotten……

Will 2021 Improve?

2020 Humor…We Need It

w2bergen 1 Comment

The struggle will continue in 2021 but their are some things to consider as we close the door on one of the most challenging years of our lifetime.

The dumbest thing I ever bought was a 2020 planner.

I was so bored I called Jake from State Farm just to talk to someone. He asked me what I was wearing.

2019…..Stay away from negative people

2020…..Stay away from positive people.

The world has turned upside down. Old folks are sneaking out of the house and their kids are yelling at them to stay indoors!

This morning I saw a neighbor talking to her cat. It was obvious she thought her cat understood her. I came into my house and told my dog. We had a good laugh.

“After my business breakfast, I’ll be going directly to the office.”

Every few days try your jeans on just to make sure they fit. Pajamas will have you believe all is well in the kingdom.

Does anyone know if we can take showers yet or should we just keep washing our hands?

This virus has done what no woman has been able to do. Cancel sports, shut down all bars and keep men at home.

I never thought the comment, “I wouldn’t touch him/her with a 10-foot pole” would become a national policy, but here we are!

I need to practice social-distancing from the refrigerator.

I hope the weather is good tomorrow for my trip to the Backyard. I’m getting tired of the Living Room.

Never in a million years could I have imagined I would go up to a bank teller wearing a mask and ask for money.

Just a little bit of humor to end 2020……

2020 The Year From “HELL” Is Over

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At last 2020 is over. All year long, it was another disaster after another. Every time something awful happened, we said “That’s it, It can’t get any worse”. But it did. Now we’ve had our election, and we thought that it would settle down….Has it???…..Hell No….Its just gotten worse. Its now the second week into 2021. It should be better…..But no…January 6 was the day the country should realize how dangerous Donald Trump is. Trump was defeated for the next term as President of the United States by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Biden received 306 Electoral Votes to Trumps 232. He has refused to concede to Biden and has filed over 50 law suits to try to prove the election was rigged and stolen from him. In his 4 years as President he has lured the silent majority to listen to every angry word with his speeches, and all his tweets. They started following and felt empowered to do his work.

Finally on January 6, the day Congress was to declare officially that President Elect Joe Biden was the next President, Trump organized and attended his “Save America Rally” in Washington DC. For over an hour he spoke to his followers, working them up into a frenzy. His final words were, ” So we’re going to, we’re going to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue, I love Pennsylvania Avenue, and we’re going to the Capitol and we’re going to try and give… The Democrats are hopeless. They’re never voting for anything, not even one vote. But we’re going to try and give our Republicans, the weak ones, because the strong ones don’t need any of our help, we’re going to try and give them the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country.”…….He promoted this rally by saying….”LETS GET WILD” “Fight for Trump” Save the World-Save America……. And so thats what they all did. They marched down Pennsylvania Ave to the Capital.

Such Disrespect

This is copied verbatim from Wikipedia:

On the morning of January 6, protesters assembled on the Ellipse for a “Save America” rally;[27][28] Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Rudy Giuliani, and several members of Congress addressed the crowd.[29] Trump encouraged his supporters to “fight like hell” to “take back our country” and to march towards the Capitol,[30][31] while Giuliani called for “trial by combat,”[32] and Trump Jr. threatened the president’s opponents by saying “we’re coming for you.”[33] As the rioters entered the Capitol by breaking through windows and doors, Capitol security evacuated the Senate and House of Representatives chambers. Several buildings in the Capitol complex were evacuated, and all of them were locked down.[34] Rioters broke past interior security to occupy the evacuated Senate chamber while federal law enforcement officers drew handguns to prevent entry to the evacuated House floor.[35][36][37] The evacuated office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was occupied.[38] Improvised explosive devices were found on the Capitol grounds during the riots; explosives were also found at offices for both the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee, and in a nearby vehicle.

Five people died from the events and others were seriously injured. One woman attempting to enter the House chamber through a barricaded door was shot by police and later died.[39][40][41] Capitol Police officer Brian D. Sicknick died after allegedly being struck in the head with a fire extinguisher.[3][14][42] Federal authorities launched a murder investigation to examine Sicknick’s killing.[43] Three protesters suffered fatal medical emergencies during the event.

Trump reacted slowly to the storming, first resisting sending the District of Columbia National Guard to quell the mob,[44] and eventually praising the rioters as “great patriots” and telling them to “go home in peace,” while reiterating claims of election fraud.[45][46] The crowd was dispersed from the U.S. Capitol later that evening. The process to certify Electoral College results resumed that evening and continued to its conclusion the following morning, with Pence declaring Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris the victors and affirming that they will assume office on January 20. Under pressure from his administration, including many resignations, Trump committed to an orderly transition of power in a statement.[47][48][49] On January 9, The New York Times reported that Trump had told White House aides that he regretted committing to an orderly transition of power[50] and would not resign from office.[51]

The events prompted widespread condemnation by political leaders and organizations in the United States and internationally. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called the storming of the Capitol a “failed insurrection”. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for Trump to be removed from office, either through the 25th Amendment or by impeachment.[52] Facebook responded by locking Trump’s accounts and removing posts related to the incident, and Twitter responded initially by locking his account for 12 hours, then permanently suspending it.[53][54] The riots and storming of the Capitol were described as treason,[55] insurrection, sedition, domestic terrorism,[56] and an attempt by Trump to carry out a coup d’état or self-coup.[57][58][59]

So this is where we stand in 2021.…Its only January 10th…..Can it get any worse????….Now their are reports and calls of Violence being intensified ahead of Inauguration Day. They are expecting the worst to happen. This country is in shambles. We have less than 2 weeks to Biden’s Inauguration. Will Trump be removed through the 25th Amendment, or by Impeachment. Or not at all…….Beginning to think were living in the “Twilight Zone”

Capital Police trying to keep the Rioters out.
Destruction in the Hallways

Today is January 11 2021, and more news has come out over the weekend as to the damage the rioters managed to do. The rioters barreled past the barricades, clashing with the police. They broke into the Capital building by bashing in doors and breaking windows. The news is full of videos and photos. It was all captured on camera. They swarmed through the halls fighting and chasing the police.

Senators were told to take cover before they were evacuated. Some even put on Gas Masks.

The Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi was on the House floor as they were doing the counting of the Electoral College vote. The police with guns drawn were able to hold them off as they evacuated the House and the Senate as well as Vice President Mike Pence. The rioters broke into the Senate and damaged and destroyed so much. One person was photographed sitting at the podium. They roamed the building and broke down the door into Nancy Pelosi’s office breaking mirrors and destroying so many things. They stole her computer and took pictures of themselves doing all these heinous things is if they were on vacation.

Rioters walking through the Hallowed halls stealing items.

So the investigations have begun. They are chasing thousands of leads. Over 70 arrests already made, and hundreds more predicted. The are using all the video and photo footage to track down the rioters. Also using tracking money, travel records and movements of people and communications and many tips from people. Most of these people seem to be from out of state. Not very many locals.

Rioter sitting in Nancy Pelosi’s chair with much disrespect
Nancy Pelosi’s Office ransacked

Now its January 12. Eight days from inauguration. Trump hadn’t talked to his Vice President Pence since Wed. Trump had asked him to throw out the states in the Electoral vote counting, that he had discrepancies with. He said he won by a land slide. Certain states were lying and giving rigged election results. Pence told him he couldn’t do that. Trump turned on him. After the Wed. riot, Trump pretty much stayed in isolation at the White House with his aids staying away from him or spending little time as possible. He started losing many of his aids and dept. heads due to resignation. They had had enough of him. Trump finally talked with Pence on Monday discussing his next week planning. Facebook and Twitter has barred him for life and also a Social account called Parlor. Now all of a sudden he has decided to come down to the Rio Grande Valley and visit his Border Wall. He arrived in Harlingen today at VIA, Valley International Airport. I went out to the airport to see what was happening.

All Trumps followers waiting near the Valley International Airport in Harlingen Tx.
Air Force One…..I was right under it as it landed…..It just glided in….Very quiet, like a Bird

Of course their was all his followers. So many flags and cars. People cramming up by the fence to get a glimpse of him. I drove a mile out of town were the plane would cross on its approach. I always wanted to see what it was like to be under a plane on its approach. It was as good as a time as ever to do this. lol I actually thought it was fascinating. It just glided like a bird right over the top of me. So cool…..They flew him by helicopter over to Alamo by the newly constructed wall. He gloated over the construction of course, but had to also downplay his involvement in the Wed riot. “He believes in peace, and no violence.” lol…..Whatever….

So as it stands today, Jan 11th, The Articles of Impeachment have been drawn up and presented. The House of Rep. is expected to vote on asking Pence and the Cabinet, to invoke the 25th Amendment, which would remove Trump immediately from his office. It would affirm that Trump can not successfully perform the duties of the President of The United States. If that does not work, they will vote tomorrow to Impeach him, which would be the 2nd time. Now is that a wonderful thing to be known for. His legacy will be, The only President to be Impeached twice. Nancy Pelosi says Trump is deranged, unhinged, and dangerous as President and we need to protect ourselves from him. He has done something so serious, he needs to answer for it and be prosecuted. He is definitely suffering the consequences. Deutsche Bank announced it will no longer do Business with the Trump organization. He owes them 340 million in loans due in the coming years. Many other banks are following suit. The 2022 PGA Golf Championship has been pulled from the club he owns in Bedminster NY. He is livid with anger I’m sure. This has got to be the beginning of the end for him. Now it will be a race against time as to how it will go. President Elect Biden will have his Inaugural on January 20, with the Capital being heavily guarded. They are trying to figure out how to do this, with Biden still having time with Congress to get his people up and running in the White House. Reports today say their is info on violence happening in all 50 states on Inaugural Day. The country is preparing. We need to unite and feel peace. We also need the threat of Trump to go away. So, Congress needs to get this done once and for all. We don’t need him coming back in 4 years.

Ohhhh……Lets not forget…..Our Country is in Crisis……Covid has killed 380,555 people in the US as of today.

22,835,071 people have been infected. Every day over 200,00 cases are positive.

Our Hospitals are maxing out in many states. The nurses, doctors, and all medical personnel are so tired and stressed. They have been working nonstop for months and months.

How many of those rioters will now turn up positive. Some of the Congress are already turning up positive because they were all locked in a room during the rioting.

The Vaccine is finally here. It is getting dispensed to all the states. Its a huge learning curve but it is improving……..Their is HOPE for a better future…….Its About Time.…..