Crazy Old People and Sea Glass

Let me just give you a little color about our fellow travelers.  Cruise lines cater to different folks and Holland America is known to attract an older crowd.  The meals are a little more formal. The entertainment is a little old school. And the activities include Bridge and Afternoon Tea.    Dave and I were prepared because not too many young folks can take a 21 days cruise. But we weren’t prepared.  This crowd was OLD! I’m betting the average was 85-90.  The lady sitting behind us at dinner one night was celebrating her 103 birthday. 

There were motorized scooters everywhere.  In the piano bar,   there were scooters parked in the back and the folks were catching a few ZZZZs.  It was only 9:00. And quite honestly, these people should have to pass a dexterity test to operate these things.  If you didn’t watch out you could lose a toe.

And speaking of toes, on a Caribbean cruise you see a mass of toes and feet.  People, people, feet need maintenance.  If you can’t reach ‘em or see em, it’s called a pedi.  I won’t go into graphic detail, because you might be eating crusty bread with cheese.

So the next island was Samana, Dominican Republic.  The day was overcast and rainy.  Our fellow travelers didn’t give us very good reviews and we had been to the DR before.  So we hung out on board, reading, playing trivia and eating ice cream.  They also have some awesome baked cookies.  Ohhh-lala.

The next day is a day at sea.  Today, we discovered the Mixology Class.  For a mere $12, you learn to make 4 cocktails. That includes mixing, drinking and prizes.  Our prizes were additional drinks. Holy Crap this takes place at 3:00.  No wonder I need a nap before dinner.

Now we dock at Bonaire. Bonaire is one of the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao). Each of the islands is known for something different.  In hindsight, this was one of my favorite islands.  Bonaire is known for shore diving.  This means, that you can get your tanks and just walk in for some great underwater views.   The water was clear.  The fish were unbelievable.  The beaches are not good because it’s so rocky.  But this leads to sea glass everywhere.  I came back with my pockets full.   After we finished snorkeling and our walking around, we stop at a little grass hut and order the local brew.  The bartender tells us that Polar is the closest to local which is Venezuelan.  Close enough- Venezuela is only 50 miles away.  Tonight, the show is “Simply Broadway”.  We don’t even sit down.  We check it out and sneak out pass the scooters.

Snorklers off the rocky coast of Bonaire.