Spare

I read two autobiographies lately. One was Spare by Prince Harry. Harry was born into wealth and privilege yet he complains about his lot in life. The death of his mother, Princess Diana was devastating for him. Instead of the family pulling together to support each other, his family positioned themselves for favorable outcomes in the future. Although he is called "my darling boy" by his father, his father and Camilla willingly throw him under the bus as an irresponsible and politically incorrect buffoon in order to increase their own ratings. Reading this book made me glad to be born into a non famous family. I agree with Harry about the morally corrupt Rupert Murdock and his newspaper practices that are illegal. Rupert's newspapers have talented lawyers that allow them to get away with crimes by only paying out money and never admitting to fault. Harry refers to himself as a spare as he will not be heir to the throne. Maybe he should count himself luck on that point.

 

Leave The Driving To Us

During my cruise vacation I used a variety of modes of transportation]. I got a ride to the airport in a Subaru. I took a plane, a bus, a cruise ship, a bus, another bus, a van, a glass bottomed kayak, another bus, several tourist boats with fabric covers, a ferry, a rented SUV, and more buses. When the vacation was over I was not interested in flying from Miami to Minneapolis. So I took the Greyhound back. Greyhounds are not like as depicted in old films. They do not pull up to small town diners where you can get coffee, a cheese burger and a slice of cherry pie. The Greyhound stations have vending machines that often don't work. Some won't take cash. Some won't take cards. Some won't take bills; only coins. Healthy choices are not available in vending machines. Some Greyhound stations have bathrooms. The station in Miami had an operable men's room but the women's restroom was locked most of the time. The bathrooms vary in cleanliness. Some of the buses had WiFi and electrical plug-ins and some did not. I arrived at the Miami airport Greyhound station a little after midnight. My bus left at 9 a.m. I was planning to sleep in a metal chair. At 3 a.m. it was announced the station was closing until 4 a.m. I was advised to wait in the airport rental car lobby. I tried that. Between the noise of other customers, the floor cleaning machine and the floor waxing machine (which was as loud as a Harley with loud pipes), I barely got any sleep. I went back to the Greyhound station. Nine a.m. came and went with no Greyhound. I double checked my ticket. My ticket was for the next day. I could not do this another 24 hours so I changed my ticket to this day. The Greyhound desk staff was friendly and helpful. Now my bus left at 3 p.m. I had lunch (a salad) from a food truck parked down the block. Chickens were everywhere in Key West. Chickens were also in Miami. This handsome rooster was expecting a hand out but got nothing from me. 

 My bus left at 3 p.m. We stopped at Orlando and some other towns in Florida. All was going well until midnight. We were outside Gainesville, Florida when someone in the back yelled at the driver that a man was having a seizure. The driver, unwilling to stop, asked if he had seizures before. The two women asking her for help got frustrated. One woman said, "You don't understand. This is a 911/emergency type of situation here." The driver sent her assistant back. The assistant was an older man. He returned to the front and told her, "He seems okay, I don't know." The ladies in the back protested. The driver pulled over and dialed 911. She spoke to the 911 operator.

Using her microphone she asked the sick man, "Have you ever had seizures before?" 

He said, "No."

Next the driver asked him, using the microphone, "Have you ever had a heart attack, stroke, or transischematic attack?"

In my head I am thinking this is a major HIPPA violation. The man, wisely, did not answer. The Greyhound driver announced that she was calling 911. I can see why she made that decision. We waited ten minutes. Another passenger said she had first aid experience and would check on him. She checked on him. She said he seemed okay but he was warm. Someone else in the bus said, "We are all warm. Please turn the AC back on." An ambulance arrived. Two paramedics came on board and went to the back of the bus. Two more paramedics arrived and walked to the back of the bus. A total of seven paramedics arrived and walked to the back of the bus. Five of them left. Two of them stayed. They asked reality orientation questions. He answered them. Who is the vice-president of the United States? He refused to ride in the ambulance. The paramedics left and we proceeded. This took about 45 minutes.

Twenty miles down the Florida highway we come upon flashing lights. The time is after 1 a.m. and I am still awake. We see smoke. We smell smoke. The young couple across from the aisle across from me quit making out. The young man says, "This smells like a wood fire. This does not smell like an electrical fire. This does not smell like a machinery fire. This smells like a wood fire. Someone is having a wood fire along the highway."

 I look at him and ask, "Are you a fire fighter?"

He answers, "Yes, I am a fire fighter."

 Makes sense to me. We continue our Greyhound journey.

We arrived in Atlanta at 10 a.m. My connection to Chicago left at 10 a.m. I missed my bus. I got another ticket that left at 3 p.m. Another guy on my bus named Mike also got another ticket but his wasn't until 10:30 p.m. We spoke about our troubles. Mike is thin. He smokes KOOL cigarettes. He has a smoker's cough. His hands tremble. All his luggage fits in one shopping bag. I watch his bag while he goes outside to use the internet WiFi from the Greyhound bus and smoke a cigarette. He watches my stuff while I walk around the block at the Atlanta Greyhound station. I come back. He asks, "Did any of those guys hassle you?"

I answer, "No, they left me alone but this is a sketchy area." I wish him well on his journey.

When it is time for me to go I show my ticket to the Greyhound employee. We are actually boarding a Flex bus, not a Greyhound bus. I ask the employee if my luggage should go under the bus. He indicates it can go under the bus or above the bus, it does not matter. My luggage goes under the bus. This Flex bus has no Internet. I try to conserve the battery on my phone but the link between Atlanta and Chicago is a long one. I was smart to bring my crochet hook and some yarn. We stop at a gas station for 15 minutes. I am back on time. We are all back on time except for one chubby black guy. He is hanging with the staff from another Greyhound bus. Our driver honks. Our driver starts driving away without him. Finally he quits talking and runs to the bus. Our driver scolds him saying he made us all wait. The guy says, "My apologies!"

 Later the chubby black guy orders chicken at a gas station. He is not quick enough. The driver makes him leave without his chicken dinner. The chubby black guy is not happy. Magically, at the next stop, a chicken dinner is delivered to the bus stop for him. How did he do that? I don't know.

We drive through Georgia. We pick up people in Indiana. Chicago has two Greyhound stations. I get off but it is the wrong one. I'm glad I asked. I would hate to be stranded in the south side of Chicago.Inactivity can lead to swelling of the feet and legs. My feet and legs started swelling yesterday. Now my legs are really swollen. I could not find the jeans in my suitcase so I am still wearing shorts with yoga pants underneath. My swollen legs are stretching my socks and yoga pants. My driver says, "You need more clothes. It's cold in Chicago."

 We arrive. I thank the driver for getting us here on time. My next bus is already boarding. I don't even have time to urinate much less charge my phone. My next driver is tall and handsome. He is scolding a man for not having patience. I show my ticket. He says I am in seat 8B. The people he is scolding tell me, "You have a seat! Get on the bus!" 

I say, "Okay, I will get on the bus. I am new at this so I need assistance." I find my seat. I am seated next to a man spreader. His foot is on my side. From Chicago to Saint Paul I am in contact with his foot, his thigh, and his elbows. I find him to be very irritating. Also I am grumpy so maybe it's me not him.

I ask, "Is there electricity?" The electricity is on his side. He plugs in my phone. I am so tired I try to sleep. After an hour I hear a thud and I hear the man spreader say, "Shit." That was the sound of my phone falling to the floor. I know that but I don't care. I stay semi-asleep. When I wake up my phone is missing. My white charging cord is there but no phone.

I wake him up. "Where is my phone?"

He reaches under the seat. "Here is your phone." He hands me my charging cord too. By this time the sleep and food deprivation has moved my personality to the grumpy side. I am a grump. At 7 a.m. we come to the Wisconsin Dells MacDonald's. I have been without my morning coffee for days. I am going to have a coffee. 

 Our grumpy driver says we will be here for 20 minutes. He says we should not wait 15 minutes and then try to make an order. We should make an order immediately.

I attempt the McDonald's computerized ordering system but there is no way to ask for an egg McMuffin without meat so I wait at the counter for a staff. My man spreader seat/mate says, "Miss, I don't think anyone is going to take your order. Do you want my help in ordering at this station?" He is being nice but after he's been man spreading all night I am not taking in any niceness from him.

I respond grumpily, "No I will wait here." We all wait a long time.

With great pride I pick up my order before he picks up his. I swallow my egg mcmuffin. My throat seems to have trouble coordinating a swallow. Whatever, this is a meal. Almonds and cheese sticks are not enough After living on snacks I needed a meal. I carry my coffee to the bus.

Do I need coffee? No, I can live without coffee. I don't get a caffeine withdrawal headache. Am I happier with coffee? Yes, yes I am happier with coffee. We cross the Saint Croix river into Minnesota. All the passengers are looking at their phones or sleeping. I grumpily think to myself that this is scenic. Open your eyes and look out the freaking window. This is amazing scenery. I keep those thoughts to myself and look forward to getting off of this bus.

We arrive at Union Station in Saint Paul. Offspring #2 is already here waiting for me. I find my way to the parking area. Offspring #2 has a coffee waiting for me.

I am done with Greyhound. Thank heaven!

Lessons learned 1. Greyhound is affordable transportation but maybe not the best way to travel the country south to north. A shorter route is preferred. 2. I don't need coffee but I am a happier person with some form of caffeine. 3. I need to sleep in a bed at night. Chairs don't cut the mustard.

 

My Day In The Gulf Of Mexico

When I booked this ferry ride I thought it included lunch and snorkeling. I didn't realize I would be gone from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Plus we got breakfast.

I got to walk to the right of this part of the fort along Bush Key. Normally this part of the national park is closed to tourists because it is a breeding ground for sooty terns. No sooty terns are breeding yet so I had a nice walk along the key look at the sea.

I found a pretty purple sea fan.

As I walked along the beach I watched a dozen brown pelicans fly and dive into the sea with great vigor and no success. I took 16 pictures of the pelicans and when I looked, I captured zero pelicans. Photographing on my phone in bright sun light is difficult.

Hello ruddy turn stone.

Somebody made a collection of conch shells.

We left at 2:45 in order to arrive at the Key West port by 5:30. I stood out on the deck in the sun and the wind listening to 70's music over the speakers. I especially liked Come Sail Away by Styx.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dry Tortugas National Park

I drove to Kay West and took a ferry for 70 miles to the Dry Tortugas National Park. This mason fort was built during the Civil War. The most famous prisoner was Dr. Samuel Mudd. Dr. Mudd was planning to kidnap Abraham Lincoln when John Wilkes Booth impulsively decided to shoot him instead. His cell was on the second floor right above the entrance you see behind the fort sign. He helped treat patients during his stay. Prisoners were allowed free range of the island except when ferry ships came in. Then they were supposed to stay in their cells. Dr. Mudd managed to escape on a ferry but they found him again.

We were told that this fort needs work. Bricks fall to the ground on a daily basis. Some part are so dangerous guests can't enter. People can go to the second floor at their own risk.

 

Key West Lighthouse

Here is the Key West lighthouse as viewed from the grounds of the Hemingway residence.

 

Hemingway House

This morning I left Homestead and drove south on Highway 1 to Key West, Florida. The drive was pleasant. Tomorrow morning I take a ferry to I wanted to figure that out early. Here is the Ernest Hemingway house. Admission for me was $18. I took a guided tour. Key West has numerous chickens running around town.

Important people visited him like Herbert Hoover, Mark Twain, Marilyn Monroe and Truman Capote.

The grounds outside reek of cat urine.

In this portrait Hemingway (left) is portrayed older than he looks. The man on the right was the fishing captain depicted in his book The Old Man And The Sea.  I think it's a great adventure story.

When Hemingway was in Europe messing around with another woman, his wife got angry. She demolished his boxing ring and put in a swimming pool.

The wall of wives. He had four wives.

In the 1930's he acquired a white cat and named her Snowball. She had six toes. Snowball had many friends in the neighborhood. Outside are many cateries, cat nurseries, cat feeding and watering stations, and cat foot prints in cement. The outdoor grounds reeks of cat urine. Some cats are in the house but it doesn't smell as bad as the outdoors.

Hemingway had a problem with alcohol. For a year he and a buddy rented a local bar for three dollars a week. When the owner raised the rent to 4 dollars a week he got angry. He and his buddy rented another bar a half block away. If his friends brought furnishings from the old bar to the new bar they got free alcohol. When they brought the urinal from the old bar Hemingway insisted he should keep it because of all the money he pissed away in that urinal. He brought it home and put it in the yard. The wife got upset and tried to improve the appearance by putting an olive barrel on top and fancy tile across the front. Now it serves at a fountain for the cats to drink. Outside you can barely see the Key West lighthouse above the trees. Before it was easier to spot and a beacon from an inebriated Hemingway to find his way home.

He put in a walkway from his bedroom to his writing room. He suffered from insomnia and depression so he would often start typing early in the morning. He wrote 70% of his writings from this house in Key West, Florida. He caught many tarpon too. At one point his house was next to the ocean. The US Navy dredged the harbor and added a mile north and south and another mile east and west to the island that was Key West. I imagine it was charming in the 1930's. Now it is very crowded, limited parking, and very touristy. I wouldn't call Key West charming.

 

Chasing Shadows

Chasing Shadows is a historical fiction story set in the Netherlands in World War Two. The author is Lynn Austin and her story revolves around 3 women. Leda is a wife and a mother living on a farm in the countryside. Her eldest daughter, Ans, has moved to the town of Leiden after finishing school. She gets a job as an assistant to a wealthy woman and becomes good friends with a member of the police force in Leiden. Miriam is a young Jewish mother and classical violist who moves to Leiden to escape the horrors of the Nazi government in Germany. Ans gets involved in helping Jewish people hide in the Netherlands. When Miriam and her young 3 year old daughter are discovered, Ams helps them by moving the daughter to her parent's farm in the country side. The daughter grows up knowing about her mother but not remembering her at all. When at age 6 Miriam is finally able to meet her daughter again, the daughter doesn't remember her at all until she picks up the violin and plays a Brahms lullaby. Music helps the daughter and Miriam reunite. Eventually Miriam's husband joins the family on the farm as well. This was a terrific story about family, faith, and sacrifice for the sake of others.

 

Coral Castle

I visited the Coral Castle here in Homestead. If I knew admission was $28 I don't think I would have gone.

This place was build by a Latvian immigrant who was five feet four inches tall and he weighed 100 pounds. This was his bedroom up the stairs. All of his furniture (bed, chairs, dressers) was bolted to pulleys in the ceiling to make more room for him to work when he wasn't sleeping. He used only rudimentary tools such as pulleys and tripods. How did he manage to move 20 tons of coral rock with a pulley and chain designed to hold only 10 tons? No one knows. His name was Edward Leedskainin. They said he was a mathematical genius and probably on the Autism spectrum.

His tool shed was below his bedroom.

That hunk of metal in the middle there is a rear end differential for a car and served as his pressure cooker.

Edward's obelisk.

His depiction of the planets.

The entrance to his well for fresh water.

Edward craved having a wife and children but it never happened for him.

 

Black Vultures

After disembarking the Norwegian Joy, I rented a car. Never rent a car from Zazgo. What a rip off. They said I needed a loss of use clause in my car insurance policy. I called my insurance agent twice. I do have a loss of use clause but it is called something else. The guy at Zazgo refused to talk to my agent. He had no email and no fax number. I had to pay for insurance I don't need and I got a Hyundai SUV instead of the economy car I ordered. Anyway I used the car to travel from my hotel in Homestead, Florida to Biscayne National Park almost every day. I traveled through fields of palm, corn, and lettuce to get there. They have scads of black vultures here.

My first day here was warm but then the temperature dropped into the 50's. I was still wearing shorts but Floridians were wearing down jackets, wool hats, and mittens.

 

Last Day At Sea

 While at sea I enjoyed several lectures in the jewel theater. I went to a couple by a travel writer. I went to a couple given by an Italian professor. One of hers was about the native cultures in middle America and one was about chocolate. This one was given by the German Engineer (left), the Venezuelan Captain of the ship (center) and the Indian hotelier (right). The audience asked many questions and I learned very much. The ship burns diesel fuel most of the time. In some cities (like Los Angeles) they are prohibited from burning diesel and must burn marine fuel instead. The transition to sustainable fuels is going to be very expensive. The cost for the Norwegian Joy to go through the Panama Canal was 1.2 million dollars. The ship has 10,000 blue bathing towels for 5,000 guests. The people who work on the ship are assigned to stay for six months at a time. Some of the younger workers are using this opportunity to learn English. Everyone I met was pleasant. Well, the one guy at the entrance to the restaurant on the 16th deck was annoying to me. He stood there with a tambourine in his hand singing "Washy Washy!." He sang I'll be washing you to the tune of I'll be watching you. He played all kinds of songs with washy instead of the regular words. After the third day of hearing this I got annoyed and tried to avoid him. I was already going to wash my hands. I didn't need to be told over and over and over again. The ship has 3 doctors, 1 nurse, and one medical assistant on board. The HR department takes care of their employees providing room, board, uniforms, classes, and shore excursions for them. In my opinion, the people enjoyed working on this ship.

India Catalina

India Catalina was the first indigenous translator for the Spaniards. Her statues are placed around the old city. She lived from 1495 until 1538. She is the daughter of an indigenous tribal chief and she was kidnapped by the Spaniards. When movie awards are handed out in Colombia, they use her statue instead of the Oscar.

 

Columbia

Our last port visit before Miami is Cartagena, Columbia. Look at all the skyscrapers. Some are businesses and some are condos.

I was told to wait in the white duty free store but I got distracted by the wildlife outside the white building.

Two crested cara caras. This is a bird and wildlife sanctuary or maybe a zoo.

Scarlet and green macaw.

Eventually, with the help of 3 store employees, I found my way to the tour. We took a bus inside the old walled city of Cartagena. Here is the Spanish fort with cannons pointing only to the sea.

This is similar to August. The children are on summer break. The temperature was 95 degrees,

A door knocker figure of an iguana and a horse. The door is so thick no one inside could hear you rapping with your knuckles. To be allowed in you must use the door knocker.

Indigenous women pose for photos and expect tips from tourists.

A chubby female statue.

On the far end of the street you can make out the dome of Saint Peter Clavel cathedral.

Our guide suggested we rest for ten minutes because of the heat and humidity. Immediately street vendors beg you to buy things. I talked to one young fellow for 7 minutes before he realized I wasn't buying.

Immediately after he left a young woman (30's?) approached me wearing purple scrubs. I couldn't get a word of what she was saying. Suddenly she started massaging my left calf. I protested out loud and she walked away fast.

We visited an air condition emerald museum. The emeralds in Columbia are the brightest green because of the lack of iron in the rock.

St. Peter Clavel cathedral is the only church in town made entirely from stone.

Statues in St. Peter Clavel square.