Five years after our first Holland America Grand World Voyage in 2012, we boarded the ms Amsterdam on January 4 for a second grand adventure. Our excitement began earlier when we zipped along Florida’s Alligator Alley from Naples toward Ft. Lauderdale. We had just wrapped up a wonderful New Year’s stay with friends, leaving at 10 am to ensure boarding the ship around noon. Just as we reached Ft. Lauderdale, our friends called to report that we had left a piece of luggage behind in Naples. They offered to bring it half-way, but because there are no convenient exits off the Alley (it crosses the Everglades), we repeated most of the 1 1/2 hour drive. Below, the Everglades as seen from the air, and from the ground.
Frank was flying on the second trip to Ft. Lauderdale and we reached the ship about 3 pm. All luggage accounted for, we were mostly unpacked by dinner at 8. The ship left Fr. Lauderdale at 10 pm.
Settled in for two days at sea before reaching our first port, we’re already looking ahead to some of the amazing places we’ll see. Petra, in Jordan, is one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. We’ve seen five: Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China, Christ the Redeemer in Rio, Chichen Itza in Mexico, and the Colloseum in Rome. Machu Picchu and Petra are the last two. I’m looking forward to our stop in Malta and all three ports in Japan. Frank can’t wait to see Casablanca. We’re both thrilled with the prospect of three overnight stops in China (Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong).
The front end of the trip has quite a few days at sea which let you catch your breath between sites, and process what you have just seen. The Mediterranean end of the trip is packed with ports - the time to rest is now!
No comments:
Post a Comment