FUN-travel: Dubai to Amman, Jordan – Holy Land – Day 1
March 30, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Dubai to Amman, Jordan – Holy Land – Day 1
The ABC’s of The Holy Land
A = Awesome
B = Bummer
C = Celebration
Trip Day 55 – Monday, March 25 – Dubai to Amman, Jordan – overcast & cloudy upon arrival – clear & warm 80’s Amman
Dining Room on Silversea Explorer
- BB (big bummer) – Emirates biz class seats are recliners, not flat beds (like what 1st class was in the 90’s) & we are on it for 9 hrs
- 8:30 – flight lands
- B – 2 hr time change ahead
- B – airport is chaotic – not sure where to go – we paid for business class & since we missed our flight we’re booked in “no class”
Evan (my favorite waiter) & me at Crew Show
- B – told we have to wait until 1:00 & try @ the departure gate
- B – also told we have no hotel room (cape town agent said we did)
- A – do get into Emirates biz class lounge
- C – it’s huge! biggest biz class lounge I have ever seen – as big as half the length & width of the terminal – I am not kidding!
- C – don’t need a hotel room – have everything we need & don’t have to leave the airport
- 1:00 – head to gate
- B – lady @ gate can’t confirm biz class
- A – 1:15 – new agent (clearly in charge) confirms biz class
- 1:30 – board plane
- C – 2:00 – take off on time
- 4:30 – arrive Amman
- C – got an hour back!
- B – have to buy visas
- B – only take Jordanian money – costs $20 JD each
- C – no line in customs!
- B – baggage claim takes forever
- 5:30 – walk out & greeted by Ali our driver for the next 6 days
- B – need bigger car to accommodate all the luggage from this long trip
- A – Ali says theft is not a problem in Jordan (didn’t want baggage in front seat in plain sight)
- A – take scenic drive to all of the places we missed today because our flight was delayed – see citadel – roman ampitheatre in old city, US embassy, kings palace offices & upscale neighborhood
- 7:15 – arrive Crowne Plaza hotel
- B – only have room w/2 beds – not happy – say so & insist we paid for king bed months ago
- C – miraculously they find room – get upgrade
- A – 8:00 – dinner on 12 (top floor) – hummus/pita – grilled halloum cheese, rack of lamb
Panorama Lounge
FF – (FUN-fact) – Emirates lounges are on the 2nd floor above the duty free shops and the 1st class lounge covers the other half. Each one has over 1000 seats in various areas. They also have showers, a spa, main dining room, multiple bars and lounges with food, kids play area & food corner, shoe shine, business centers with computers, quite area and a prayer room. There are 3 terminals and the lounges are all just as big. The main dining room had 24 different cold items including salads, fruit and cheese. There were 8 hot main dishes.
More FF – Emirates is the only airline we’ve flown that has stickers you can put on your headrest that alerts the flight attendants to 1) no wake up during flight 2) wake up for breakfast 3) wake up for duty free.
Me & Fred (AKA Milly)
FUN-travel: Cape Town, South Africa to Dubai to Amman, Jordan – End of Silversea Cruise
March 28, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Cape Town, South Africa to Dubai to Amman, Jordan – End of Silversea Cruise
The ABC’s of Africa
A = Awesome
B = Bummer
C = Celebration
Trip Day 54 – Sunday, March 24 – Cape Town, South Africa to Amman, Jordan via Dubai – very windy, sunny – high low 80’s – sunrise 6:52 – sunset 6:51
Cape Dutch Architecture @ Groot
- 7:30 – wake up to full sun
- need hot cappuccino to get moving
- 8:15 – finish pack up (supposed to be out of cabin by 8:30)
Winery Art
- 9:00 – get breakfast
- 10:00 – off ship – driver/guide pickup for 6 hours before airport drop off
- 10:30 – arrive Groot Constantia Wine Estate – nice long walk – built 1685 features Cape Dutch architecture
- 11:30 – drive to Hout Bay for diversion (don’t need wine tasting at this hour) cute harbor town w/local market
- 12:30 – back to Groot Constantia Wine Estate to meet Stephen, my Cape Town travel agent – he is brother of my neighbor & booked all of our African travel 2010 – he has also booked our next leg of this trip to Jordan & Israel – you can find out about him @ www.southafricaluxurytravel.com
- 1:00 – lunch @ Simon’s – nice mussels & Pinotage
- 3:00 – off to airport for 6:10 flight w/quick stop @ roadside grape stand
- 3:30 – arrive airport
- B – flight delayed by 2.5 hrs
- BB – (big bummer) we missed our connection to Amman & won’t get there until 4:30 pm instead of 10:05 (miss our half day tour we paid for)
- A – got biz class seat on Expedia for almost half price
- B – they don’t want to give us access to biz class lounge
- C – after much complaining they acquiesce!
Me & Stephen
- B – 8:35 – boarding plane call & we lost our jetway & have to bus & schlep bags to plane
- C –9:20 – take off!
Not so FF – (FUN-fact) – Forgot to mention that for the entire 2013 tourism season Tristan Da Cunha had 4 cruise ships scheduled to land and not one of them did. Like everyone else, tourism dollars have a huge impact.
WOW Word-Of-the-Week #451: Comfort
March 28, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on WOW Word-Of-the-Week #451: Comfort
Comfort – a condition or feeling of pleasurable ease, well-being, and contentment.
What is the first thing that came to your mind when you read this week’s WOW? Did you think about the phrase “comfort food?” Or the phrase “comfort zone?” Did you think about what brings you comfort?
When you think back to your childhood what comes to mind? What were the things that brought you pleasure? What were the things that made you feel content and have a sense of well being?
Do you have a favorite comfort food? Or do you have multiple ones? I think of mashed potatoes and gravy. I think of ice cream. Both of those are comfort foods for me. I don’t eat them that often but when I do I savor them! They take me back to a time that was easy and good. Sometimes I’m in the mood for something warm and creamy. Sometimes I’m in the mood for something rich.
What about your comfort zone? Do you like to step out of it from time to time? Do you like the adrenaline rush from being scared? I have always been a risk taker but have found that as I have gotten older I seem to be less of one. I don’t like that! So I am pushing myself out of my comfort zone from time to time.
This week focus on comfort. Are you stuck in your comfort zone? Does the strain of your work or home life have you eating more comfort foods than you would like? Are you able to see that your situation is totally controllable by you? Can you find comfort in knowing that?
FUN-travel: Ushuaia, Argentina to Cape Town, South Africa – Silversea Cruise – Day 20 – At Sea
March 25, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Ushuaia, Argentina to Cape Town, South Africa – Silversea Cruise – Day 20 – At Sea
The ABC’s of Islands
A = Awesome
B = Bummer
C = Celebration
Trip Day 51 – Thursday, March 21 –At Sea – high 67 – more wind & thick clouds
- 8:30 – wake up & typical breakfast
- B – 10:30 – cabin fever
- A – fresh air break
- B – Crew Emergency Safety Drill – can’t do laps, have to keep turning around, so have no idea how far I walked – gave up after 30 mins
- B – 12:30 – lunch – no Mexican food as hoped
- A – order chips, salsa, guacamole, refried beans for tomorrow
Middle Island Next to Nightingale Island, Tristan da Cunha
- C – spa day
- 2:00 – manicure
- 3:00 – massage
- 5:00 – photo/video preview in theatre
- C – 1st class film! Richard Sidey is truly talented – he has a Masters in Visual Communication Design
- 7:30 – captains farewell cocktail party
- 8:00 – dinner @ Birgit, hotel manager, table
- C – she picked FUN people!
St. Andrew’s Bay, South Georgia
FF – (FUN-fact) – There are 11 expedition team members on board, each one specializing in a different area ranging from geology, flora, fauna, history, icebergs, fish, sea birds, penguins, whales and the seas.
More FF – On expedition ships there are no formal nights or dress codes for dinner.
FUN-travel: Ushuaia, Argentina to Cape Town, South Africa – Silversea Cruise – Day 22 – Cape Town – Day 2
March 25, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Ushuaia, Argentina to Cape Town, South Africa – Silversea Cruise – Day 22 – Cape Town – Day 2
The ABC’s of Africa
A = Awesome
B = Bummer
C = Celebration
Trip Day 53 – Saturday, March 23 – Cape Town, South Africa – very windy, sun mixed w/clouds – high 70 – sunrise 6:51 – sunset 6:53
- 8:00 – wake up – cappuccinos/typical breakfast
- 11:00 – nice walk to V & A waterfront
- 12:00 – walk to Westin to buy Africology body butter in spa (this stuff is heaven – bought it 2 years ago and need more)
- 1:00 – taxi to Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock – food, shops, farmers market & craft fair
- A – Burrata restaurant for fabulous thin crust pizza & salad $20
- 2:30 – taxi back to V & A ($6.00 each way)
- A – find great gifts @ shop made by locals only $50
- 4:00 – back to ship to pack up
- 7:00 – happy hour w/shipmates Kathy & Larry
- 8:15 – Dinner – mussels not VG so order pasta w/olive oil, garlic, parmesan & crushed red peppers (AKA chili flakes) VG
- B – 12:00 – we are moored in harbor & ship is still rocking
FF – (FUN-fact) – Silversea had tours on Friday & Saturday but we had been there two years ago so chose to do our own thing rather than repeat.