May 8 to 10 - All good things must come to an end

When we left Ketchikan on Tuesday evening it was just in time. There was a gale approaching which was set to bring high winds and lots of rain. As it was we had rough seas all night and most of the next morning. I don’t mind it but some people do. Some of my shipmates complained about the creaks and pops the ship makes but I kind of like them.

Wednesday at noon we played our final Trivia game. We were ten points ahead of our lead competitors at the start but we had a bad day. They beat us by quite a bit but all wasn’t lost. All the other teams including us had the opportunity to bet some or all of our points on a final question. We decided to bet it all and we answered the final question correctly so we won that round. I got more swag to give away. Some people keep what they win, but except for a couple of adaptors and a bear I’ve given everything away to crew members who have taken good care of me.

I spent part of the day packing a little.  In the early evening there was a special cocktail party for those of us who did the whole 80-day grand voyage. There was a slide show showing shots of passengers and staff at various ports and events along the way. On the piano on the stage was a framed photo of Helga who a number of us felt was with us in spirit. After the party we all went up to the Colonnade for a special farewell dinner.

Not a great photo but I want to remember the assemblage of people who made my wonderful cruise possible 

The seas had calmed and the sun came out as we sailed through the Inside  Passage which is one of the most beautiful places I’ve seen. Dinner was exquisite and the views were incredible as the sun set. I was seated at a table with the Staff Captain.  Her account of what went on the bridge when we got the tsunami alert back at Miyako-jima was very interesting.  When the warning came the Japanese line handlers had already secured the ship to the dock and left.  Six crew from the ship were dispatched to the pier to undo the lines knowing that they wouldn’t be able to get back on the ship as we sailed away.  A Japanese  official drove them off at breakneck speed to high ground in case a tsunami materialized.  As it was, the wave that hit the island was only about a foot above normal activity, but it still must have been a scary time for those ashore.

As the sun was going down a contrail was blowing apart and I thought this was so neat.

Thursday we docked at our final port, Nanaimo on the east coast of Vancouver Island.  The city is only about fifty miles as the crow flies from Vancouver where my odyssey would end.  Vancouver Island is beautiful, but the most spectacular sights are further north.  Friends who live on the island told me there wasn’t a great deal to see in the city, so I spent the day packing.  I had two suitcases being shipped via Luggage Forward, a perk offered to those of us on the 80-day voyage, and I learned that I had packed a few things in those that might hold them up and delay delivery.  So I spent time repacking and grumbling while I did it.  While it’s easier to pack when you’re homeward bound because there aren’t choices to be made (everything has to go), it’s still not a fun chore.

On Thursday evening, the Odyssey crew did one of their signature events, the Epicurean event and crew farewell.  Out on the deck around the pool officers set up tables with special hors d’oeuvres and cocktails, the band plays for those who want to dance, and then the entire crew comes out on the sun deck above so they can salute us passengers.  Instead I think all of us love the opportunity to applaud and thank the people who have worked so hard to make our cruise great, many of them behind the scenes where we never see them.  It was a beautiful evening; in fact, it was one of the few times when John, the cruise director, didn’t have his deck event rained out.  After the party four of us girls had dinner together for the last time on this cruise.  I’ve made some lovely new friends and we already have plans to get together again.  I went to the Club for the last time to say goodbye to some friends there.  I’ll miss listening to music every night and doing a little dancing too.  I hope on future cruises I have the pleasure of listening to the Trio again.  They are all so talented.

That's Melody who I've written about in red along with the other members of the Trio

This and the next two are staff and crew who have taken such good care of me

Friday, May 10 arrived and my 110-day voyage came to an end.  In some ways I was ready to go home, but I’ve been very spoiled and the real world will be hard to get used to.  I hope I remember how to make a bed or fold a towel.  I said my goodbyes to my cabin attendants and my favorite wait staff.  A car took me to the airport where I cleared US Customs and Immigration quickly and then hung out in the lounge until it was time to board my flight.  I had to change planes in Chicago and then headed to Dulles.  After we left Chicago the pilot came on the PA system to tell us that those on the left side of the plane had a great view of the Aurora Borealis caused by the solar storm.  Unfortunately, I was on the right side and the people across the aisle had their shades down and were sleeping, so I couldn’t even see it from a distance.

That's Chris, the leader of the Trio, who I encountered crossing a street in Ketchikan.  He's a great drummer.

German, one of my favorite waiters

This is Marvellous, the hostess at the Colonnade and who is absolutely marvelous

Ignore the person in the middle, these are Alessandra and Joycia, my two fantastic cabin attendants

I arrived at Dulles in northern Virginia at 12:30 AM and because of the late hour I had arranged to stay at the Marriott at the airport and be picked up there on Saturday morning.  I was too tired to do anything but flop on the bed.  My driver came earlier than anticipated, but that was okay because I was ready.  The ride down I-95 and I-64 was uneventful and I was home by noon.  Everything looked great in the house, thanks to the ladies who take care of things for me.

So ends my adventure to the Lands down Under plus a lot of other places.  I can put pins in lots of countries on the map Katie and Stan gave me a couple of years ago.  In fact, I may have to get some more pins.  I have discovered that I can do really long cruises, but I think 110 days is about the max that I want to do.  The last week or so I was getting tired of the menu choices and just craved being able to sit in my robe and slippers and eat popcorn for dinner if that’s what I felt like having. I’ll miss the wonderful people I encountered along the way, but I know I’ll see many of them again, both staff and guests, and that’s something to look forward to doing.  For now that's it for my travel journal until the next one begins.  I've got some time until that happens. If you've been reading, thanks for following along.  Writing this helps me to remember all the wonderful things I've been fortunate enough to see and do and to refresh my memories of lovely days spent in faraway places.