APPROACHING ANTIQUITY

Monday, May 30, 2011
Rhodes, Dodecanese, Greece
What planet has a moon Gannymede? What colour does litmus paper turn in acid? Do you know the answers to these questions? Well, Bonnie does. Why do I say this? Last night, Bonnie was selected to participate in a ship-board version of the game show, The Weakest Link. Facing 7 other contestants, and under considerable pressure, Bonnie correctly answered these questions and 20 or so others. While her fellow contestants were voted off one by one as weakest links, she demonstrated impressive knowledge and poise, and handily won the game. Our traveling companions, Howie and Gloria, and I were her cheering section, and she was a crowd favourite, as well. It was a sweet victory as she collected her prizes, a bunch of Royal Caribbean stuff (eg pen, hat, travel wallet, etc).

Just another day on this cruise, one that has been excellent in almost every respect . We have seen calm seas and fairly good weather, and the ship has all bases covered in its facilities for entertainment, recreation and dining. While we have only good things to say about the ship, it`s the ports which are proving to be the main attraction. Having already visited Naples, Athens, Turkey, and Greece, we have 2 ports in Israel as well as Crete yet to explore. Each port is completely unique, and represents a wide variety of experiences, including ancient sites dating back 3000 years or more, National Geographic-worthy scenery, and a wide variety of cultural experiences. We`ve wandered the narrow lively streets of Sorrento, toured an incredibly well-preserved large Ionian city still being actively excavated today (Ephasus), had a Turkish bath, seen iconic sights like the Parthenon on the Acropolis, and walked and walked, soaking in the ambiance. It is total immersion in some of the oldest centres of civilization. While each port is so unique, they all have one thing in common—they share the interest of visitors, tons of visitors, busloads of visitors . And we still haven`t even hit peak season, as we have been told repeatedly Yesterday, for instance, in Turkey, there were 4 cruise ships docked for the day, or about 10,000 people give or take. This can present a problem for a few of the merchants—how to spend their large sums of tourist dollars after the ships leave. But, believe me, it`s more than worthwhile. We`re also trying to do this with some sensibility, at a pace comfortable to these older bones, and covering as much as possible, but not expecting to see every sight on the tourist info maps. Frequent rest and bathroom breaks are the order of the day for us nowadays. That aside, we are loving this trip, and the constant stream of new places and things is truly addictive. And at the end of the day, we have our comfortable cabin, a good meal, and a full slate of entertainment options available. Does it get better than this? Not to us, at least!

We are preparing for the Israel ports, and this process is much more complicated than with any of the previous ports, in which no security procedures were in place . To begin, our passports were taken for Israeli security pre-screening several days prior to our landing. Each passenger will also have a personal interview with an immigration officer onboard the ship. If they see or hear something they don`t like, you`re not getting off the ship, pure and simple. Personally, these procedures make me happy, because of the obvious purpose they serve. Mind you, if you were a terrorist intent on entering Israel for any nefarious purpose, wouldn`t you want to be sent in on a cruise ship! At least you`d get a good few buffets in before you wind up as an unrecognizable hunk of meat on a street somewhere. Anyways, we`re looking forward to visiting with Bonnie`s cousins, and maybe sampling a Red Sea beach too.

As the cruise nears its completion, we will then begin the next phase of our journeys, the part of the trip where we no specific plans for destinations, but will play it by ear. This has worked for us in the past, so why mess with success? We will spend some time exploring Greece, with some down time planned for the beaches on the islands. All this touring is exhausting, and as noted above, we`re not 20 year old backpackers anymore. Hope to blog once more before the cruise ends.

Thanks for reading the blog and, especially, thanks for your comments, both on the blog and via email directly. We love hearing from you!

David and Bonnie

Comments

Suresh Chawla
2011-05-30

Daud:

You should have practiced this as a profession. You are the ultimate in travel blogs. Teach me , teach me how to live the life you do.
Cheers, enjoy life.
Suresh

The Sunnies
2011-05-30

Well, you never cease to amaze me! Your blogs are incredibly detailed and beautifully descriptive - I almost feel as if I am there alongside of you and Bonnie! It certainly sounds as if you are soaking up not only the magnificent sights along your journey but the rich culture, as well. Your photos are breath-taking, especially the one of you and your travel companions in matching cover-ups! :-)
Who knew that Bonnie could have been a Smythie? Impressive, to say the least!!!
May your future adventures continue to bring smiles to your faces and a sense of wonderment to your souls.
Wishing you continued safe journeys and many more stories to share with those of us who love you!

Love,
The Sunnies

Tammy
2011-05-30

Mom, it looks like all those years of watching Jeopardy paid off! Congrats on being the strongest link! Glad to see you're both still having a great time!

Miss you! xoxo
Love,
Tammy

cissie.retired
2011-05-31

Hi Bonnie and David,
I am so enjoying your blogs. You and your traveling companions are really having a great time...love the descriptions and all the latest adventures.
We are excited here too...summer has arrived!!! Sun! Blue sky! Warmth! It's amazing how much we've missed it! Now the real adventure begins when you set out on your own for anywhere at anytime...keep having fun and keep sending the wonderful write-ups..
Cecile

2025-02-15

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