Gallivanting Grandma

Cozumel to Playa del Carmen

January 5th, 2016 . Posted in Cruising, Mexico | Comments Off

Tuesday – January 5, 2016

“They sailed away, for a year and a day, To the land where the Bong-Tree grows, And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood, With a ring at the end of his nose…..”

After two nights and a full day at sea, The Norwegian Dawn slowly approached a long dock jutting out from the Mexican island of Cozumel. We disembarked and walked down the pier to blue and yellow ferries which transported us to the mainland.

Forty-five minutes later we arrived at Playa del Carmen, Mexico; a resort city located a few hours south of Cancun. We had signed up to visit the Mayan ruins of Tulum. Our small group met our guide, Tito, an affable middle-aged man, and followed him onto a waiting bus.

The weather was humid and overcast. Tulum is the site of one of the last cities of the Maya people and served as a major port on the Caribbean Sea during the 13th to 15th centuries.

We had fun walking around the ruins and there are beautiful natural beaches along the shore. It was a short visit and we gathered to return to the ship.

We were amazed at how the ship could manage moving two thousand people off and on so easily. We wondered if everyone returned on time. Of course, the entire operation of feeding, entertaining, and managing all the people onboard is an incredible feat!

Our First Cruise

January 4th, 2016 . Posted in Cruising | Comments Off

Sunday – January 3, 2016

And so, we “went to sea in a beautiful pea-green boat, they took some honey, and plenty of money, wrapped up in a five-pound note.“

Well, hardly a “boat,” more like a gargantuan floating hotel and summer camp. The Norwegian Dawn sails between New Orleans and the Western Caribbean all winter long carrying flocks of people, like us, trying to escape cold weather and find warm sunny days.

The ship left chilly New Orleans as the sun was setting and turned around in the wide river. We spent the next seven hours meandering through the Delta and down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico.

From the highest deck, watched as the ship passed the oil refineries on shore and the commercial vessels on the river. Then we explored The Dawn. Yes, there are bigger ships, but this was our first cruise and we were suitably impressed by her stats and what we saw. Built in 2002 at a cost of $450 million, she is 958 feet long, 125 feet wide, and draws 38 feet of water.

The five story atrium with elevator shafts are pictured above, but The Dawn had 15 decks for 2570 passengers and 1070 crew this week. I took the photo below of the 1,000 seat Stardust Theatre when we gathered for an emergency drill.

There were a dozen restaurants, scheduled activities, entertainment, movies, and musical performances, a full-service fitness room, two jogging/walking decks, large pool, several hot tubs, shops, and a large casino.

The Mississippi River had been calm and soothing and we fell asleep to gentle rocking. But the Gulf of Mexico was experiencing squalls and the seas were rough the next morning. Whitecaps dotted the water. Captain Teo announced eight foot seas and suggested holding onto handrails.

Monday, January 4th was our “Day at Sea” and the ship plowed through the inky water toward the Yucatan Peninsula. The temperature outside was still cool, but it didn’t stop our cruise mates from shedding their winter clothes for shorts, bathing suits, and flip-flops. All the pools were heated!

We had no communication with the outside world: no internet, no telephone, no texting, no newspapers, no television. There was just time to relax, rest, and enjoy the happenings swirling around us.

Live Caribbean music played all day around the outdoor pool where most of the people congregated. So we spent the day relaxing, exploring, and sampling the wide assortment of venues and activities.

Preservation Hall

January 3rd, 2016 . Posted in New Orleans | Comments Off

Sunday – January 3, 2016

Last night we went to a performance at the famous Preservation Hall on St. Peter Street. It was established in 1961 as a cornerstone of music and culture to “preserve, perpetuate, and protect traditional New Orleans Jazz.” We heard the Joint Chiefs of Jazz with Frank Oxley.

I took as many photos as I could of the exterior and interior of the Hall. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed during the amazing, but too short, performance. If you want to hear music from New Orleans, tune into the listener-supported and non-commercial radio station WWOZ 90.7 FM on your computer – live streaming. The station is owned by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation and plays the best of Jazz, Blues, Latin, Cajun, Funk, and more….

“N’Awlins”

January 2nd, 2016 . Posted in New Orleans | Comments Off

Saturday – January 2, 2016

We took one of the Canal Street streetcars to the New Orleans Museum of Art to visit their excellent sculpture garden. The weather was chilly and overcast, but we had to see the garden.

We took a tour of Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World where the famous parade floats are designed, built, and stored. This was one of seventeen gigantic warehouses where the floats are stored.