Washington, DC

Unfortunately I have no photos from my visit to our nation's capitol on September 1. Buddy & I took his son up to George Washington University, & afterwards drove around the city.

The most impressive thing I saw was the bronze sculpture of raising the flag at Iwo Jima. Even though it is bronze, the men almost seemed to be alive. It's an amazing work of art.

On the way home we stopped to explore the Potomac Mills Outlet Mall. I was amazed at how big it is. It's a great place to get your walking exercise, and there is a great variety of stores.

The other thing worth mentioning is the place we stopped for dinner: the Thai Cafe in Springfield (across from Circuit City and Bed, Bath & Beyond). It did not look like much from the front, but they have a beautiful dining room in the back. The food and service were excellent. The last time we'd tried a popular Thai restaurant, the experience was disappointing at best, so it was nice to have some authentic Thai food again, like what I learned to enjoy in Bangkok.

I expect to be returning to the Capitol in about a month & also expect to remember to bring & use my camera - I'll write more after that visit.

Update on Thailand Adventure

For those who are interested, here are a couple of photos taken in early May, just a few weeks post surgery.

The last surgery was Tina's face lift, which was done mid-April. As of today's writing, we have healed very nicely, and with the exception of our abdomens, all numbness is gone, and everything feels completely normal. The only way we can tell we had surgery is by the difference in how we look and the scars. The surgery has helped both of us feel good about how we look.

Both of us have been faithful to massage our scars daily with cocoa butter, which has helped them to heal nicely. We recommend that everybody who goes through this kind of surgery do this, because it does help to minimize the scarring.

We recommend our surgeon (Dr. Preeyaphas Nilubol) with confidence because we believe that others will be as happy with his work as we are. And both of us would go back to him if we want further procedures done. It is not often that one can find the combination of great surgical skill and delightful personality that he has.

After spending seven weeks in Bangkok, we remember it fondly. We are glad that we went there for our plastic surgery and hope to go back to visit again.

Norwegian Spirit Visit to St. Thomas

This was my fourth visit to St. Thomas, and my third within a year and a half. The surprise to me is that every time I've visited, I've come away liking this island better. Last time I did a tour of the islands while my friends were para-sailing. This time Tina and I decided to do the sky ride, a tram that takes you to the top of a mountain, and which is very close to where the ship docked in Havensight. At $18, the price for the tram seemed expensive, but it turned out to be well worth the price. At the top you can do what most people seem to do, which is go to the bar, or choose the other option, which is a short nature trail, which is what we did. The trail is about a quarter mile long and some of the native plants are labeled. There are also plantings that are nice to look at. We saw two different kinds of lizards and two identifiable birds - a Bananaquit and an Antillean Crested Hummingbird. We were able to observe them at length from the shelter of a pergola where weddings are held. The pergola also sheltered us from a brief rain storm. The storm was an interesting experience, because we watched it out on the ocean for quite a while, and then suddenly, unexpectedly it was upon us. The trip down the mountain was also pleasant. At first the descent looked like it would be precarious and roller-coaster-like, but it proceeded at the same dignified pace it had on the way up. That was a relief, since I don't like the rapid descents one experiences on roller coasters.

After lunch on the ship we ventured out again, and this time got a taxi to take us over to Magen's Bay, which is billed as one of the ten most beautiful beaches in the world. When we saw it we could understand why. The cab ride cost each of us $18 for the round trip, and once again the cost was worth it. On the way back we stopped at an overlook, which afforded us a different perspective on that beautiful bay. Our driver took pictures of us at the beach and at the overlook. We did not stay at the beach - it would have cost another $12 each to do so, and we really just wanted to see it.

It is nice to visit an island that has interesting things to do that do not involve shopping, although I am still enjoying the watercolor of St. Thomas that I bought on my first visit in 1990. I'm certain that I will discover something else interesting to do the next time I visit.

The Caribbean on Norwegian Spirit

On August 18, 2007 Tina & I boarded the Norwegian Spirit in New York for an eight-night cruise. Our primary purpose for this cruise was to visit the Alambre Trio, whom we had met on prior cruises on Celebrity's Zenith. Seeing the trio again and listening to their music in person, where I could enjoy their extensive repertoire was pure pleasure. I have never gotten tired of listening to their two CDs, but hearing other songs is nice.

"Freestyle Cruising" was a major change from what are used to from other cruise lines. When everything you are interested in doing is scheduled at a different time every day, it can be chaotic trying to schedule meals. Fortunately, the main dining rooms had times available for walk-ins as well as the possibility of making reservations. The other thing that added to the chaotic atmosphere on the ship was the number of children, ranging in age from infant to teenagers: fully 1/3 of the passengers were children. There were strollers everywhere, including the dining rooms, and the teenagers congregated on the stairways or in other areas where they blocked traffic.

The ship itself was not as nice as the others we've been on, and many things were in a state of disrepair, especially the carpet. The whole standard of the operation was not up to the level we've experienced on other cruise lines. Because with "freestyle" dining you rarely have the same waiter more than once, the cruise line imposes a $10 daily service fee. For many of the crew, having their tips guaranteed, in addition to the lack of opportunity to form relationships with the passengers, contributes to a lack of motivation to provide the highest level of service. However, on a positive note, the regular musical entertainment in the was excellent. They covered a wide range of styles and all had exceptional talent.

The first exciting event on board, after the life boat drill (which was actually very well done), was passing close to the Statue of Liberty as we left the harbor. I had seen her from a distance when we sailed out of the Cape Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, NJ, but seeing her up close was a special experience.

The ports we visited on this cruise were King's Wharf, Bermuda; Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands; and Havensight, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. Unfortunately my camera malfunctioned just before we re-boarded the ship on Tortola, so I lost all the photos I took in New York Harbor, Bermuda, and Tortola. I was able to get some distant shots of Tortola, but lost some great photos from Bermuda

For some reason I can't fathom, I had the impression that King's Wharf would be a dreary place like a shipyard or the harbor area of Dutch Harbor, Unalaska. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was pleasantly pretty and picturesque, although not as nice as either Hamilton or St. George's. As usual, we did a lot of walking, and learned how King's Wharf got its name (I waited too long to write this so I can't remember the story - I'll write about it later if I remember it). The highlights were a beach area that was some kind of park (I'd know the name if I had my photos), a glass blowing studio & shop, and an artists' cooperative where we saw some gorgeous handmade, original design quilted wall hangings that were wonderful art.

We also did a lot of walking on Tortola. We were trying to find the botanical garden, but didn't figure out where it would have been until we were back on the ship. Road Town was nice, and the government building was quite imposing, but there was nothing special to commend that port.

I'll cover my fourth visit to St. Thomas in the next episode.