Hi Everyone
Firstly a huge apology for not updating this sooner, but when you read the news you may see why!
Well let's start from just after my first blog. We flew off to Tenerife to pick up "Spirit of Adventure" a wonderful ship with a real family warmth to it. We then cruised to Dakar, Senegal, we were supposed to be in Gambia but due to an engine failure we had to slow down and make the extra stop.
Dakar, ah yes DAKAR, interesting to say the least, they certainly know how to swarm around tourists offering everything at $10 and then when you finally can make a small break from them its $5, even when you are back on the coach they appear with the 2 for $5 approach! The best thing about Dakar this first time, was seeing it shrink on the horizon!
Onward across the Atlantic, destination Brazil, but on the way coming across St Peter and St Paul Rocks. This is one of the few places an underwater oceanic ridge breaks through the surface of the sea. I seem to remember this making it one of the highest mountains on the planet. It only protrudes 18m above sea level so I will just have to take their word for it.
Brazil was fantastic, we, yes Mary managed to come with me on this trip, had a great time calling in at Salvador, Rio de Jenero, etc and culminating in Buenos Aires. Let's be honest how could you not have a real great time?
The flight home was a little different! As you know I lecture on cruise ships, so come under the entertainment side of things. All the passengers flew home direct to Heathrow, we were treated to a far better trip, via Washington! Yes we flew from Buenos Aires to Washington, three time zones west! to then fly five time zones east! I must say the American Airlines staff were great, I think they just thought we had moved in. We arrived back home on the 9th January. Don't ask when we left Brazil.
Busy shooting the next DVD on Understanding your Digital Camera. We have all learned that "Keith doesn't do scripts" as Barry, the video king, so poetically put it!
Joined Fred. Olsen's ship Balmoral in Dover on 27th January 2009. On a trip called "South to Senegal", can you believe it! I met some lovely people on board but spent a lot of time working on the new DVD's in my cabin as Mary could not join me on this trip, her daughter needed her help with our granddaughter and home while she under went another bout of chemo.
Dakar again! In truth it wasn't as bad the second time and I travelled with some passengers to the pink lake. it should be called the "the not really very blue lake and a tiny bit pinkish lake". but I guess they don't have trade descriptions restriction that we have in the UK. Managed to get a go on some massive 4x4 vehicles, great fun!
Returned home in time to have a romantic meal with Mary on Valentines day, but only just.
Managed to fit in some photo shoots for a couple of commercial clients before flying off to Norway to join the Hurtigruten ship "Nordkapp". this was a specialist cruise with a dedicated bunch of photographers wanting to expand there knowledge and hopefully photograph the "Northern Lights".
After the first day of cruising and a lecture we were delayed in port and then while I was working in the cabin the power went off. Oh well the laptop will run for a few hours and I'm sure it will be back shortly. Yes the power came back on, but damaged the main motherboard to the engine management system. Yes! Mary also commented on me and ships breaking too!
This actually turned out to our benefit. I started lecturing the following morning to keep the group happy and when we still weren't moving at lunchtime announced we should just carry on in the afternoon. Result.
The following day we were all transferred to the "Polarlys" hoping this was a good omen as it means Polar Light in Norwegian. See it was worth waiting for this blog, I'm now teaching you Norwegian! The rest of the voyage was brilliant with 4 consecutive nights of the Aura Borealis. Wow what a treat.
The cruise took us past the Arctic Circle Monument and onto "Nordkapp" no not the ship but the North Cape, the northern most point in Europe. Hey that was another part of the learning Norwegian course, see not so difficult, is it?
We then went on to Kirkeness which is 10kilometers from the Russian border. Because of the breakdown, the ship not me, and by the way nothing to do with me, no really. I had reorganised with the company for us to stop an extra couple of nights before flying home. Not only this but also some extra treats for Mary.
A night at the Snow Hotel. Brrrrrr yes very Brrrrrrrr but very Grrrreat too. Carved out of lake ice every October and melting in May with a constant temperature of -4 degrees. It certainly was an experience, one I am happy to tick off the list but a one off I can assure you.
What else can a tiny town in the middle of nowhere clad in snow offer the traveller? Well, kick sledging, snow shoeing and husky rides! No you don't actually ride a husky but around 6-10 of them pull your sleigh and I actually got to drive it with Mary sat in the lap of luxury surrounded by reindeer fur.
Back to the UK on the 9th March and then off to the Brecon Beacons for training with Marie Curie for the Kilimanjaro trek in June. Had a wonderful time, fantastic fun and have teamed up with my Kili buddy who I will share the experience of climbing Africa highest peak and a tent with. You all know why I'm doing this trek right? If not use this link
Keith's charity-support
Then onto my latest trip with Oceania Cruise company on "Insignia". Flew out to Barcelona to join the ship and thankfully the engines started and we were taken around the Western Mediterranean calling in at St Tropez, Monte Carlo, Portofino etc. We finished this cruise in Rome, where I had organised an extra night and a trip around the Vatican with a brilliant guide Grant from Eden Walks. Tip for the men here: Mary had always wanted to go to the Vatican and organising it and putting in a little effort pays massive dividends. I have now been promoted to "Best Husband"
Just managed to get this done. Yes you guessed it off to join another ship, well one I work on quite a bit. Fred. Olsens' Balmoral, joining her in Los Angeles to travel around Mexico, Costa Rico, Panama canal and stopping a night in Antigua, yes I know what you are thinking, but I'm not allowed to write those words on this blog! As I write this it is raining hard outside. I shall miss that!
Mary can't come with me on this trip as her daughter has just started Radiotherapy at a hospital close to us.
Well I hope you enjoyed this blog? let me have your feedback.
I hope to now keep this updated regularly. That should get the people who have been nagging, oh it's not nagging it's constantly reminding me, off my back!
Take care
Keith
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