Author Archives: Sparky
NCL2 Day 9: At sea
We had breakfast with Chris and Kathy, a couple from Ft Myers. That lasted until lunch. Marlene then grabbed us a couple of lounge chairs at the pool and we spent some time in both the hot tub and the pool, chatting with fellow passengers. Then we had front-row seats to a dance exhibition by … Continue reading
NCL2 Day 8: Costa Rica
We docked in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, but immediately booked a private excursion to see the countryside. The van carried 9 passengers, a driver, a guide (Larry) and a guy who seemed to be along for the ride. We visited a monkey farm where the spider monkeys were wild (it is illegal to hold a monkey … Continue reading
NCL2 Day 7: At sea
Breakfast was in the buffet, as usual. We dined with Ann and Tom. Then we jumped into the hot tub with Michael and Marita from Germany. Marlene had a chance to practice her German. I could understand about half of what was being said. We had lunch with Marvin, a widower from Phoenix. Then I … Continue reading
NCL2 Day 6: Panama Canal
This was a bucket list item for us: a transit of the Panama Canal. It was one step above watching paint dry, but it was still good. We went through the original locks, but we saw ships traversing the new, expanded locks. It took about 10 hours to traverse the canal. It was interesting, to … Continue reading
NCL2 Day 5: Colon, Panama
We had a day in Colon, Panama, before we entered the Panama Canal. It has a reputation as being dangerous so we didn’t leave the port area. But what a port area! Cheap stores galore. Marlene was in heaven She got a basket full of sundries for $8. And a bottle of nice perfume for … Continue reading
NCL2 Day 4: Cartagena, Colombia (almost)
I had been impressed with the speed of the Jade. For the first two days at sea we had been clipping along at a very fast rate – probably around 24 knots. But when we rose for breakfast we had slowed to a crawl. I had also noticed, from a look at the cruise map, … Continue reading
NCL2 Day 3: At sea
We started the day, as usual, by chatting with fellow passengers at breakfast in the buffet. One of the unexpected pleasures so far is the breakfast singing coffee trio. They serve coffee while singing coffee-themed songs, such as “Coffee Queen” (to the tune of “Dancing Queen”). Fun. Breakfast continued right into a light lunch. We … Continue reading
NCL2 Day 2: At sea
Our initial impression that this cruise will be very sedate compared to Carnival was confirmed on Day 2. The passengers are mostly older – even older than we are – and seem to be content drinking in the bars, reading and playing cards. But everyone is friendly. We met a couple from California at lunch … Continue reading
NCL2 Day 1: Embarkation, Tampa FL
As usual, we left the packing to the last minute, completing it early Thursday morning, just before we were driven to Tampa by our friend Paul. We were scheduled to board the Norwegian Jade between 12:30 and 1 pm and left, we thought, so that we would arrive by noon. But traffic was heavier than … Continue reading
“The Hit” by David Baldacci
Copyright 2013 by Columbus Rose Ltd. Published by Grand Central Publishing, New York. This is #2 in the series of Baldacci books that feature Will Robie, CIA assassin. In this one Will is tasked with tracking down and killing another CIA assassin who has “gone rogue” and killed her boss and a handler. Yes, “she” … Continue reading