Back In The USA!
April 28, 2014
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, United States
Today was a bit sad as we said our final goodbyes to some of our new found friends. We had become a close group for 113 days during the World Cruise and some for even longer, because we started in San Francisco on December 18, 2013. As we look back, we sailed through the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Ocean and covered around 35,041 nautical miles. We visited 38 ports in 29 countries, on five continents (North America, South America, Australia, Asia and Africa) and visited 25 gorgeous islands.
We've seen whales, dolphins, sloths, koalas, kangaroos, flying fish and so many kinds of birds. We enjoyed the sharks and the rays in the South Pacific and we embraced the many cultures of these island nations, topless or not. We've landed and enjoyed a full day on Easter Island, one of the hardest and most difficult islands to visit. We met some of the descendants of Christian Fletcher from Pitcairn Island and climbed Jacob`s Ladder at St. Helena Island.
We slipped and slid, and were giddy with excitement at Namibia`s famous Dune 7. We had great experiences both on land, and the sea, to jaw dropping scenery.
We ate kangaroo meat, crocodile meat and emu while in Australia. We ate warthog, zebra, ostrich, kudu, and more crocodile meat while in Africa. We ate everything and anything in abundance without fear that we might tilt the ship.
We tried to do as much as we could during sea days. We listened and prayed with Archbishop Desmond Tutu. At night, we enjoyed many of the entertainers. We watched several magicians and ventriloquists. We listened to so many singers and performers including the Soweto Choir Group and the Soweto Quartet of South Africa.
We have seen an abundance of sunsets and sunrises, and everyday was a delightful surprise one after the other. Our impressions weren't limited to wildlife and scenery. We bargained for souvenirs, shopped and hauled items to the ship. We met locals who touched our hearts and affected our thinking and made us realized that the unexpected part of travel is oftentimes the best. We connected, bonded and applauded the crew and had lots of fun moments worth remembering with fellow globetrotters.
Who knows where and when we will go next? It's been a fascinating, beautiful, once in- a lifetime experience!
Cheers!