21 Jan 2013
Bamboo Socks
Looking for workout socks, Allyn bought some at Cariloha in Grand Cayman. The interesting part is that all of their merchandise is made from bamboo. That’s right, bamboo.
Its softness compares to silk and cashmere for a fraction of the price. It is way softer than cotton.
It is warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer because of its naturally thermal regulating traits.
Being non-irritating, it is allergy reduced. It absorbs moisture, is breathable, anti-bacterial (less odor) and has UV protection.
And it is GREEN, as in environmentally friendly. Bamboo grows fast with little water. It sucks in tremendous carbon dioxide and spits out oxygen (that gives us clean air).
It cleans destroyed land, doesn’t need pesticides, completely regenerates itself without replanting and is harvestable annually because it grows so fast.
And to top it off it is 100% biodegradable.
Who knew?
The cost is about the same as cotton.
19 Jan 2013
Grand Cayman Island
Unless you are visiting your money, the Cayman Islands are all about crystal clear water loaded with interesting fish, fauna, flora and assorted other items such as ship wrecks.
Unfortunately our ocean day was cancelled. They said it was due to bad weather, but the weather was great and the other tours all went. Something seemed fishy (pun intended), but what are ya gunna do?
We just walked around town for a bit.
18 Jan 2013
Key West, Florida
Key West, the southern most city in the contiguous 48 states, is one of the funkiest places in the world. It is home to artists, writers, old hippies, gays and people who just want a laid-back lifestyle.
We arrived here in the Gulf of Mexico and traveled by a pedicab 2.5 miles for lunch on the Atlantic Ocean. We walked back.
We saw a house with an odd numbered address on the even side of the street. The former owner had a history of hangovers and moved the house across the street where the sun wouldn’t be a burden in the morning. I wonder if he had just a bit too much money?
Their famous key lime pie is better than elsewhere. They use a local yellow lime that is very delicate which is why we see the sturdier green limes elsewhere.
17 Jan 2013
Crystal Serenity Grand Voyage
What a thrilling day. Today starts our 74-day round trip Miami cruise, circumnavigating South America. We will visit 38 ports in 14 countries.
Actually things were more thrilling than we bargained for. Notwithstanding the fact that we travel internationally about half the time, we blundered Big Time. We accidentally brought our previous passports that have been replaced.
The commotion happened about 5:00 PM here. Fortunately it was only 2:00 in Las Vegas. A friend found the passports for us and went to FedEx with them right away.
The next fortunate thing is that our first stop (tomorrow) is in Key West, which is still in the U.S. so we are not leaving the country and FedEx is scheduled to deliver by noon.
There is one curve ball – On their site FedEx said they had severe delivery disruptions today because of bad weather at their Memphis hub. We’ll just have to see what happens. Worst case is we stay in Key West for two nights and catch up with the ship Saturday in the Cayman Islands.
15 Jan 2013
Miami, Florida
We are in Miami for a couple nights prior to embarking on a cruise circling South America on the Crystal Serenity. Crystal is having a “complementary” gala affair tomorrow night for those taking the entire voyage.
They put us up at the Marriott Marquis in a very nice room with a view of Biscayne Bay.
Another Barry tourist blunder - Last time we were here, about this time of year, was with Allyn’s kids. Searching for extra fun, I suggested an alligator sighting experience in the Everglades on an airboat.
Mistake 1 - I told them it would be hot and humid. (What do I know? I’m from Seattle). It was freezing. At the park I had to buy everybody overpriced sweatshirts and raingear for an hour of partial comfort.
Mistake 2 - It was both irritating and sad that we saw no gators. In chatting with the guide about our bad luck he said, “What do you expect? It’s cold this time of year. They want to stay warm. Come back in six months and you will see lots of them”