5/9/24 Exit Day 152 - Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The ship docked at 6am. Our requested 7am disembark time had been approved. The only drawback was that we had to transfer our own luggage off the ship. Those who had later flights had placed their luggage out the night before for transfer. A core group member volunteered to help and the three of us moved four large and two medium suitcases, two carry-ons and two personal items (Thanks, Gil) off the ship, through the terminal and to the transportation service waiting area. I'd arranged our pick up and airport drop off with a private company. We didn't have to wait long and our driver was able to load everything in the back of the SUV. Even with Thursday morning traffic we made good time to the airport.

Finding the right Emirates Airlines counter could have been easier, but we had plenty of time. Flying Business Class got us two checked bags each "free" and the other two were pricey. When done we had our boarding passes and passports and set off toward our gate. There were more checkpoints than we expected after going through Security. There was even one between scanning our boarding passes and passport before they'd let us on the plane.

It took 14.5 hours from take off to landing in Seattle. Five of the six checked bags were among the first on the carousel, but #6 didn't show up for another 30 minutes. I couldn't find my Global Reentry card, so I stood in the Customs line with hundreds of other people. The face-to-face was easy, as was handing off the checked bags to continue on the the San Luis Obispo Regional Airport. We'd used up about an hour and a-half of our six hour layover.

Of course, our connecting flight was late arriving, putting our arrival time about 30 minutes behind schedule. Still, my amazing sister was there when we exited the terminal. The bags were on the carousel within 20 minutes. We headed south and made it home before midnight on the same day that we left Dubai. And POOF! our trip was done.

Pictures: cruise terminal in Dubai, (a not so good picture of the) Dubai Frame and our final glimpse of our home away from home.

5/8/24 Cruise Day 151 - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 

It was another afternoon docking. A friend had purchased excursion tickets for her husband and herself, but he decided he wanted to play night golf instead, so she'd asked me to go. Roger gets anxious and grumpy before flying, so he remained onboard. Everything except the clothes we were wearing and those for the next day were packed. 

The 4WD sand dune excursion started at 4:00pm. The vehicle of choice was the Nissan Pathfinder. Somehow six of us and the driver crammed inside, with two of us in the third row seat. Close quarters. There were about 50 vehicles, so roughly 300 tourists.

The Al Khatim desert is about 50 miles from the city by paved road. Before entering the sand dune area all the drivers stopped to adjust the inflation of the vehicle's tires. This would provide enough traction to get around, up and down the dunes.

We passed a caravan of camels just before we started off-road. Initially, it was just a bumpy ride, but then the fun started. Climbs, drops and slides. This lasted for about 45 minutes, before we arrived at the Desert Rose Oasis. Activities included: sand-boarding, camel riding, quad rentals, falconry and henna designs on hands or arms. Only having floor cushions around low tables wasn't embraced by all. Not everyone can lower themselves, sit cross-legged or stand back up without assistance. Regular chair and table seating would be the only improvement suggestion.

As the evening wore on, there was a tanoura dancer, a belly dancer and a fire juggler. Dinner was a variety of Middle East dishes. At one point the lights were turned off for stargazing and the finale was a handler, leading four camels, with the sand boarding dune as a backdrop. We climbed back into our Pathfinder about 9pm and were back on the ship by 10pm. It was a memorable last night.

Pictures: First view of Abu Dhabi, falcon in the terminal, modern high rises, camels on someone else's phone, a whole lot of empty space, sunbeams, dune stretch break, great sunset, people attempting sand-boarding, belly dancer, camel procession, port sign and the cruise passenger terminal at night. 

5/6/24-5/7/24 Cruise Days 149 & 150 Sea Days 

These two days were spent deciding what was important enough to take home/pack. A lot of clothes were bagged and put in the closet for the steward to peruse/remove/donate when we left. Another grouping of stuff was for disbursement among our core group. All of this was more labor-intensive than it sounds.

5/4/24-5/5/24 Cruise Days 147&148 - Mumbai, India (previously Bombay)

We didn't dock until after 1:00pm, Saturday, at another commercial port with nothing within walking (which we weren't allowed to do anyway) distance. The city is a mixture of many different architectural types, influenced by the Portuguese, Dutch, Spanish and English (the most entrenched colonizing country). We'd booked a tour for Sunday.

Another bus, another group, other sights. Excursions tend to show off specific places and buildings. The regional and national government have agreed to restore many structures built through the 19th century.

We were driven through the downtown area. Artisan shop stop. The Gateway to India stop. And the Oberoi Hotel for a snack stop. There's a lot of depressed areas just on the periphery, but the sections of the city we saw were well-kept, landscaped and clean.  

Pictures: panorama of Mumbai from balcony, my last banyan tree, the Municipal Government Corporation building, 27 story home of the richest family in Asia, statue of Ghandi, no one was guarding Plot 217, Gateway to India, standard rental car (with Tourist Vehicle stick on the doors), Villa Theresa does it all, Indian Navy recruiting poster, Ballard Pier banner and sun setting behind the city skyline.

5/3/24 Cruise Day 146 - Goa, India

Our day started with a dance troupe and very loud music at 7:30am. I was late for our excursion meet, so I went out to find our bus before the group. More showing of our India paper. A soldier even came on the bus at the port entry to see them again. Goa is unique to India, as they eat beef (cows aren't sacred or wandering the streets) and have floating casinos.

First up was Fort Aguada, built of laterite in 1612 by the then Portuguese governor to repel the Dutch. Its most unique feature is a fresh water cistern holding over 24,000 gallons. 

Our second stop was Reis Magos Fort. We're not really into conflict history, but fort design, locations and views are worth the visit.

Into the city, the driver took roads not really meant for buses. We stopped at a Made by Hand in India store (someone's relative) before going to a pullout so we could walk to the Panjim Immaculate Conception Church. The walking route is bordered by many people trying to sell a variety of woven goods and trinkets. I finally asked the "remember me" lady that if I bought something from her would she tell the others to leave me alone? I did, she did. The group then walked to a Portuguese influenced Indian restaurant for lunch. There wasn't enough ventilation inside, so I went in search of a quiet, shaded place and found just the place in the courtyard. Roger joined me after a bit and the six of us at the table ordered Kingfisher beer.

Since I'd already acquired four pashminas I didn't need, I bought three more between the restaurant and the bus, to give to the ladies of our core group when we left the cruise. As we left the harbor I saw a building under construction may (someday) be the new passenger cruise terminal.

Pictures: the welcoming dance troupe, walkway to Fort Aguada, well-worn interior stairs, fresh water cistern, typical vendor stand, entrance to Reis Magos Fort, skinny spiral staircase (that I climbed), corner outlook (Roger taking pictures), View 1 and View 2 from the fort, snack and juice seller ("Magic Soda") across from fort path, a tree growing through the roof of a locals eatery, a floating casino and a typical peripheral living area.

Immaculate Conception Church and modest dress signage

Everyone slowed down for the SPEED BREAKER on the way to lunch. Local beer with "FOR SALE IN GOA ONLY" on the label

(Probable) new cruise passenger terminal under construction

5/2/24 Cruise Day 145 Sea Day 

A relatively leisurely day. We continued to be surprised at the number of fishing boats, especially the little ones, that were so far from land. What a hard way to make a living. (The pictures are pretty self-explanatory)

5/1/24 Cruise Day 144 - Kochi, India

It was another day of high temperatures and humidity, with the city several miles from the ship. We'd done a face-to-face meeting with India Immigration a few days before. In this port everyone had to meet them again, in the terminal and be given a standard paper copy of their passport, which was stamped and must be kept with us anytime we were off the ship. Since we were going out the next day, we went through the process, then Roger went back to the ship. I wanted to see what kind of things the vendors just outside the terminal had. I got to show my paper when I left the building, went through the gate, before I could get to the re-entry door, at the re-entry door, inside the building and finally at the exit door to the open expanse of concrete to the ship. 

Picture of the cruise terminal, with the vendor tents on the left, outside the fence.

Below is what popped up on my laptop and kept me blocked from most sites until I was back to the USA.