BLOG, THE THIRD

November 13, 2018

I noticed last night after I had saved the blog and posted it, that I was a day ahead.  Last night’s blog was dated the 13th.  All I can figure is somehow on the last cruise, when I was setting the time back going out to Hawaii and forward on the return trip that I bumped the date.  Well, anyway, it is right tonight.  Hope it wasn’t too disconcerting for you.

A very good day today.  Mom picked out an excursion for us that was booked as a 5.5 hour tour (longer than The Minnow) and it ended up being almost 7 hours.  We went to a Rum Factory where free samples were offered; to two museums, one in the home of a local artist where there was also a restaurant and we had a great Dominican Republic lunch (rice, chicken, chips, chili, salad, fruit salad – and we licked the plates); to a botanical garden (got some great pix which I will post when we get home, along with the Hawaii pictures – there wasn’t time before we left on this adventure because I had a talk to write for the December sailing); to a fort and to a cathedral.  The tour guide, Oscar, was great.  He called us, “Familia” (which you Spanish students know is “Family”).

One negative score for Oscar, however.  He told us that Christopher Columbus sailed with three ships crewed by convicts because they couldn’t get anyone to sail, that Isabella sold her jewels to buy the three ships, that there was a near mutiny on the way over, and that his flag ship, the Santa Maria returned to Spain.  Wrong times 4. 

To take it out of order, Isabella did not sell her jewels.  She had a secret treasury, skimmed off of tax money, that she used for extra stuff, and she supplied only one ship, the Santa Maria.  The other two were supplied by a pair of brothers.

The sailors were experienced seamen who were used to venturing out several hundred miles from land (the flat earth theory was buffalo biscuits by 1492) and there was no near mutiny.

And on Christmas Eve, 1492, the Santa Maria wrecked off the coast of Haiti near the modern resort of Labadee.  The lumber was salvaged to make a fort where Columbus left some sailors to look for gold and hold things down (i.e., the fort) until he got back.

But I maintained silence.  And Bonnie said the only person on the bus who knew all of that was me.

One of the best parts about Oscar was his laugh.  He would get tickled at himself and then couldn’t stop laughing.  It was like watching the movie “Airplane” with the Bro and the two of us laughing until our sides hurt.

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, and the slight historical inaccuracies.

Back on board we went to supper with Jay and Pat, the ballroom dance instructors.  The meal was great and the fellowship around the table was better.  We told family history (David, how did you meet Bonnie?  I picked her up in a bar.  Jay, how did you meet Pat? I met her on the dance floor).  And we told war stories about cruises we have sailed and agents we have had – stuff you want to talk about with someone, but you can’t with anyone on board or you’ll never sail again.

They went back to their room – they were snorkling today and were sunburnt and tired (they are right next door to us) and we went to the comedy club for a PG show.  JR Brow from Austin, Texas, was hilarious.  Non-stop laughter.  And clean.  After 20 minutes or so of jokes, he pulled out a guitar and did musical comedy.  Look him up on YouTube.  Good stuff.

Well, I have a talk tomorrow, and I need to rehearse before going to bed, so ...

TTFN