Cruise Day 1

December 23rd, 2007
Royal Caribbean Cruise - Santo Domingo

Since I don't know when I'll have the time and/or inclination to blog out here, I figured I should do it whenever I can.

So far, 2 for 2 on the happy endings. Chris and my folks survived the mean streets of Santo Domingo AND our lost luggage appeared tonight as if it had been waiting for us the whole time. We are currently at the end of 'Day one' according to the Cruise schedule and have left the Dominican Republic.

Right outside our hotel, the foodline I mentioned earlier was part of a political rally. Apparently 'The People's Candidate X' was giving out food as proof that he understood the state of poverty. And when I say 'food' I don't mean cans of Campbells and ramen noodles. I'm talking about live pigs and chickens. Chris said that on their way back to the hotel, the security guards were all pointing and taking pictures of these 3 turistas walking down the middle of the street between the working poor and their Christmas dinner. Chris asked one of them to email his pic to her, but she claimed dibs so you won't see it on this blog if it shows up.

In Santo Domingo, pigs are caught by YOU!

After we checked out of the hotel, but before we left, there was a family in the lobby that was just finishing up from their cruise. We chatted a bit, but as it turns out, it costs $10 to enter the Dominican Rep, and $20 per person to leave. I'm sensing a snappy Hotel California-esque slogan in their future.

Regarding luggage adventures, back when we were initially packing, I had mumbled something about how I didn't have any unique way to identify our luggage. My folks usually wrap their bags with colored duct tape so that you can spot them easily... you know, like at the baggage claim, or floating in the water. Chris's response was, "I've never seen another bag that's the same color as mine." Is it me, or is saying something like that just begging for trouble? Anyway, so once we found our rooms on the boat, we were standing in the hallway deciding what to do next, which btw is not an uncommon event for a bunch of Gardners, and I spot a luggage cart wheeling down another hallway. "Hey, there's Chris's bag" I noted, but since none of the other bags were here yet, my comment didn't raise any eyebrows. And besides, Who's going to believe that a partially color blind guy who has been in a stupor for the last 36 hours can spot an olive green bag in another hallway? Well, for the record, I'm a flippin baggage hero. I chased it down and found it parked in front of a room that was off by one digit from ours. I'd take full bragging rights, except if Chris hadn't mentioned it's unique color I wouldn't have thought twice about it. Suck it colorblind test, I'm handi-capable!

Ok, and here's my deep thought of the day: Other tourists are like other drivers. Have you ever noticed that YOU are the only one that 'drives right' on the interstate? If someone else is going faster than you, they're a lunatic, and if they're going slower, they must be idiots. (George Carlin made that observation so you know it's true) But in the same spirit, there are no 'normal' tourists. They're either ridiculously good looking and you can't figure out why they would subject themselves to looking at YOU on their vacation, or they're so goofy looking you can't believe they ever made it through customs. heh... "Yes sir, your papers are in order, but I have seen your passport, and for the sake of our children cannot allow you into our country." And to make things just that much weirder, they usually hang out together.

Ok, Ok, no more making fun of strangers...

Parting shot: Standard procedure on a cruise is to have a lifeboat drill as soon as everyone has boarded. For us, we had already been on the boat a couple hours but hadn't eaten since breakfast and the blood sugar levels were running a little thin. I'm pretty sure that was the case because I've never before heard my wife whisper, 'dead... dead... dead...' at anyone who was late for a safety drill. Also, I can *usually* resist the urge to punch her square in the life preserver.

I'm going to stick with the low blood sugar theory...

Tomorrow St. Martin!