Man, these time changes are hard to keep up with.  We moved forward another hour during the night.  There’s a small digital readout on the phone, and the ship channels on the television have the correct time.  It’s weird, but some of our digital devices are picking up some of the time changes, while others are still showing the time in Rome, or even the time back in Atlanta.  Nothing we have is showing the correct time, except my old-style watch, which I’m setting manually.  I’m pretty sure we’re 10 hours ahead of Central Time.

We settled into our sea day schedule with early breakfast, then coffee & tea in Café al Bacio. I’ve been fighting slow internet for loading photos, so I asked in the iLounge what was going on.  The IT guy confirmed the internet had been slow for a couple of days, but was faster today.

Later in the afternoon, the website quit uploading my pictures?  I’ve read some of the “tech support” answers and articles, and it seems there are four possible options, all of them requiring entering code somewhere in the software.  Yeah, right! I think I’ll get more satisfaction throwing my computer around the cabin.

I eventually gave up trying and went to play table tennis.  The rest of the afternoon was spent eating and sleeping, topped off with more table tennis.  Judy headed out to her usual reading haunts.

We decided today was going to be our day to send in laundry, etc.  We had a couple of Captain’s Club perks to make it cheaper.  We ended up sending two bags of laundry and one bag of cleaning.  The last time we had laundry done on a ship, the finished product was a tangled mess. We’re curious how this will turn out. We washed some of our own things in the sink last week, but it took them forever to dry.  Hopefully we can find some good laundries in the Dubai, Delhi, and Bangkok.

After dinner, we went back to Café al Bacio to relax and listen to the acoustic duo.  Frustrated with the internet, I went back to the iLounge to complain.  A different techie offered to look at what was happening.  I ended up getting a lesson on photo manipulation.  Yes, the internet is really slow right now, coming off a satellite in this part of the world (Yemen, Sudan).  He expected it to be better as we neared Oman tomorrow.  Also demand around the ship slows it down at peak times.  My photos were very large (2.5mb and larger) so he showed me how to reduce the size so they might load faster.  It began to work somewhat.  I finished off the night adjusting and working to get more photos sized so they’ll load.

My sea day routine is settling in.  Enjoying the early breakfast, then tea/coffee in Café al Bacio, followed by table tennis. Had a burger for lunch and time in the room to work on loading pictures to the blog (can’t wait for faster internet). Moved from the room to the Sunset Deck for a beautiful sunset.  There were a few small fishing boats in the area and lots of dolphins playing around them. After a light dinner, we both headed back to Café Bacio for reading, etc., while we listen to an entertaining acoustic duo.  Will probably end up with dessert somewhere.

As Judy and I settled in at Café al Bacio this morning, I could see land on our starboard side, and was reminded what the captain had said about passing through the narrows of Aden. Somalia is off our starboard and Yemen is in view off port as we pass headed south.  The Red Sea doesn’t look that big on a map, but we’ve been sailing over two days from Aqaba, and are just now getting to the Gulf of Aden. Like many other things I’ve experienced in the last few years, I never thought I would be here.  Unreal!

Somalia off our starboard side

Yemen in the distance off port side

Had a message today from the Excursions Office that our short trip Sunday in Abu Dhabi for “High Tea at Jumeirah” has been cancelled (not enough guests).  They gave us an option for another excursion at a 10% discount, so I jumped on it.  Now, Saturday, when we first arrive, we’re going to visit the Grand Mosque at night, then have dinner at the Emirates Palace.  This is a nice substitute.  We’ll get a short visit in Abu Dhabi at night, before our bigger tour during the day on Monday.  Depending on how we feel on Sunday, we could always take the Hop-On Hop-off Bus and get a wider experience of the city.

Yesterday, we began to figure out our best “sea day” options.  We like an early breakfast at Blu.  I like to head to Café al Bacio where there’s a nice view, and assorted coffees & teas, and I can catch up with news and sports from home and work on the blog.  I usually like to follow up with some table tennis till I get ready for a late lunch. Back in the room after lunch, I go to work figuring a way to post pictures with really slow internet. Eventually, a nap wins out.

Judy has been experimenting with the Reflections Lounge for her hangout to read and listen to podcasts. There was a little piece of excitement for her today.  The captain had mentioned that we would be meeting someone this afternoon?  Around 3:00pm, the ship began to rapidly slow down and turn.  From Judy’s vantage point, she saw a small boat speed away, toward a larger ship. Several of the guests around Judy said they saw guns being loaded onto our ship?  Guns??  I guess they’re serious about the pirates.  I had also played table tennis with a guy in some type of military security uniform (before the maneuvers).

My conspiracy theory is that the captain was practicing some type of evasive maneuvers.  Apparently we have a fast ship, so out-running the pirates is also in the playbook.  I think the guns were loaded at sea, because it wasn’t allowed in Aqaba.  I wonder if they’ll have to be taken off before we get to Oman?  Oman and the UAE are not friendly with each other right now.  Yemen is totally at war with Saudi Arabia and the UAE.  Lots of geopolitical intrigue these days (mostly in my mind).

Tonight is the first of three “L.O.V.E. nights” (Lights Out Virtually Everywhere).  It’s their creative way to deal with blackout procedures.  The top decks are totally closed.  Curtains are closed in all cabins, restaurants, lounges, etc.  Lights are dimmed everywhere.  The blackout runs from 6:00pm (dusk) to 6:00am.  We are nearing the Gulf of Aden where most of the pirate activity has taken place in the past.  Sudan and Somalia are to our west, and Yemen is to our east as we cruise this section of the Red Sea.

I’ve been able to keep up a little with the Cowboys and Mavericks.  I guess all is well in DFW with recent big wins by both teams.  Of course, since we’re 9 hours ahead, I don’t get the scores until around 6:00am.T

Now for some serious lazy time!  Today is the first of 5 consecutive sea days.  We’re almost 3,000 nautical miles from Muscat, Oman, our next port. We received a letter last night in the rooms discussing an emergency drill for pirates. Huh?  Pirates?  I always wondered how the cruise ships handled piracy in this area of the world. I guess we’re about to find out.

We went up to the Reflections Lounge at the front of the ship to watch the Red Sea go by.  I’ve got a lot of blog writing to do.  It’s been hard to squeeze it in between meals, naps, and table tennis.  Around 10:00, the morning announcements came on followed by our “Safe Haven” drill for pirates.  Everyone had to move away from windows to the interior of the ship.  Outside cabins have to move to the hallways, etc.  The drill didn’t take long, and we were soon back in our seats, enjoying tea, Diet Coke, etc.

Later in the afternoon, I met some of my table tennis buddies and had a good workout.  There was another tournament, and I placed 2^nd.  It’s humid and hot in the game area, and sweating is way too easy.  Judy spent most of the day searching out the best place to read, and access the occasional snack.

I’ve begun to attempt to post some of the blogs on our website, but things aren’t showing up. It’s been three years since I posted anything and the site has had some updates, so I’m not sure what’s happening. Later in the evening, I began to figure it out, and posts began showing up.  There are a couple of extra steps I have to do that weren’t necessary before. Next, I’ll tackle procedures for posting pictures.  The internet is really slow, so pictures don’t load quickly.  I’ll keep looking for shortcuts.  However, if you’re reading this or seeing any pictures, I must have figured it o

I’ve been looking forward to our Petra visit as much an anything we’re visiting this entire trip. We scheduled a private tour to ensure we’d get everywhere we wanted in the short time we have.  It took a few minutes for our driver to show up, and I was beginning to get anxious.  Never fear! We were quickly rolling out of the port for our day of adventure.  Our driver, Ramd, is Bedouin, born in Petra, but living in Aqaba.  He has six kids, with the oldest 20 years old.  Ramd said he himself had 7 brothers and 4 sisters.

Departing Aqaba.  Across the water is Aiyalat, Israel.

Roadside camels

Looking across Jordan

The drive is two and ½ hours.  The first section is a major freeway that climbs up from the port.  It’s very reminiscent of Tijeras Canyon coming out of Albq., only a lot longer.  It’s the main road to Amman.  We hit a more gradually climbing section, with occasional small villages on the roadside, as well as several small groups of wandering camels.  We finally turned off the main road and began a serious drive up a two-lane road to Petra.  Near the top of the drive, we took a rest stop at a gift shop, bartering with sales staff, etc.

“Modern” Jordan

We arrived at the Petra Visitors Center around 10:30am, where our driver bought our tickets.  He then walked us to the Petra Guides office, where we were introduced to our English-speaking guide.   He’s responsible for a two-hour walking tour downhill into Petra.  It’s somewhat over a mile going in, then, obviously, an uphill climb coming out. Our walk in was leisurely, with numerous stops to discuss the history of the development of the area, first by the Nabbateans, and later the Romans.  The first segment was a gravel, rock-filled road.  The entrance to the Sig, the narrow canyon that hid the site for thousands of year was dramatic.  The road through the Siq was mostly limestone pavers, brought in by the Romans.  It wasn’t too hard to negotiate, but Judy and I both are nervous about sprained ankles, etc.

For us, one of the most interesting notes of the ancient city was the handling of the clay pipes on one side of the path for the water for humans, and open irrigation canals carved into the walls on the other side for animals and more basic needs.

Water Channels carved into the side walls.

When we finally arrived at “The Treasury”, the iconic façade of Petra, it was especially dramatic, bathed in sunlight as we came out of the shade.  We wandered around the area with lots of other tourists and hawkers selling camel rides, etc.  Then we continued to walk down to the main city section and “The Theater”.

First view of “The Treasury”

“The Theater”

The exit from Ancient Petra

After admiring the carvings and buildings, we began the long ascent out of Petra.  It took us about 50 minutes to make the walk, with a few short breaks.  It’s beautiful going in, and equally beautiful coming out.  Back at the top, we met our driver, who took us to eat at a Jordanian buffet, with a nice variety of foods common to the area. After a relaxed lunch, we began the drive to Wadi Rum, a national reserve area a few kilometers off the road back to Aqaba.

About 70 kilometers out of Aqaba, we turned off the main road, headed to Wadi Rum.  I didn’t know much about the area except that it was where much of Lawrence of Arabia was filmed.  We also were told that more recently “The Martian” was filmed in the area.

Train used in “Lawrence of Arabia”

Words or photos can’t describe the beauty or vastness of the area.  It’s gorgeous, and empty.  There were so many wide-open areas with huge mountains of rock jutting out of the ground. No words……….?

We had a driver hired for two hours to take us out into the area to discover some of the more picturesque views.  We effectively had only a little over an hour before darkness, but we made the most of it. There weren’t really any roads. Our driver just took off across the desert headed to our next destination.  I regret that we didn’t have more time to spend here.  We were told the area is home to the world championships of rock climbing.  Not hard to believe.

At dusk, we left Wadi Rum, heading back to Aqaba port.  As we neared the city, I asked a question about the nearness of Saudi Arabia, I should have looked closer at a map.  Israel is 3 kilometers away.  What I thought was more of Aqaba across the harbor was really the Israeli City of Aiyalat. Further south on the east the coast became Saudi Arabia, and about 20 kilometers south, the coast on the west turned into Egypt.  There are a lot of borders around here.  Aqaba is Jordan’s only port.

We made it back to the ship around 7:00pm. We were both dead!  I was so tired, I couldn’t get the energy to go eat. I went down for some ice cream for both of us, bringing it back to the room.  I tried to stay awake for a little longer (not sure why), but gave up fighting it around 8:30, and the snoring began.  We were barely out of the harbor before I was out of it.

SATURDAY, 6/6/15

Today’s plan is to begin the sorting of clothes. We need to make the final decision on what is actually going into our suitcases, and what will be shipped. It’s certainly easier for me than for Judy. Cambodia and Thailand involve mostly summer touring clothes and beachwear. The cruise complicates things because of the need to have a few nicer clothes for dinnertime and the evening shows.

We do get a nice break in the evening. Alexis, one of Judy’s closest friends at BISS and her husband Scott are celebrating 15 years of being together. They dated long distance for 6 years (New York/Chicago, China/Chicago, Spain/Washington DC, then DC/China, and several other variations) before marrying. She’s been at BISS for 5 years, and he’s a screen-writer and novelist (as well as a “trailing spouse” like me).

They had a party at their apartment for several of the BISS faculty. As with so many of these get-togethers, I’m amazed at the variety of countries and cultures represented.

SUNDAY, 6/7/15

There was still some more packing planning and moving stuff around, separating the suitcase stuff from the shipping stuff. Judy had an appointment with several of her friends for a visit to Lily Nails. I decided to head over to the TT park for a workout. We got into another doubles match, and I played with several different partners. Someone went over to a nearby store and brought back some ice cream bars. I keep thinking back to what I thought two years ago I would be doing in Beijing. It wasn’t sitting around eating ice cream and playing table tennis with the locals. If I could speak a little Chinese, I’d be a real member of the group, but language is still a struggle between us.

Back at the apartment later, Judy and I scrambled to get ready to meet James and Erica for dinner. James is Canadian, and Erica is from Korea. They’re summer plans included Singapore, Bali, and eventually East Timor, before they travel to their homes for visits before returning in August to Beijing.

What a great evening with James & Erica at TRB!

They took us to “Temple Restaurant Beijing”, or TRB. They had a driver arranged who picked us up, and delivered us to the restaurant. We traveled down several back alleys and eventually arrived at a dead-end where the restaurant had been remodeled out of a courtyard hutong. It was gorgeous, with an art gallery and some interesting art objects in the outer courtyard. Inside, the restaurant was the nicest we’ve visited in our time here in Beijing. The service was impeccable! The food was great, with several courses, and more “samples” brought out from the kitchen than you can imagine. We ordered some desserts to share, but they kept bringing us samples of some of the specialties and then there was a dessert “wagon” with several other items for us to sample. As we left, they handed each of us a small box containing a mug with TRB emblazoned on it. A gift for eating at the restaurant? I’ve never had that before. I wish we’d found this restaurant earlier in our stay here. It’s an experience not to be missed.