WONDER WHERE

WONDER WHERE

About to embark, cruise two,
minus the novice --
    being at sea about going to sea.
Lightly salted now,
my concern, the loss of novelty
this second time around.

Could the thrill of a cruise south in January
match that of the first heading north in June?
Lots of sea and geography between
Alaska and the Bahama’s Half Moon
Cay, to say
nothing of the Lesser Antilles’
A, B, C islands
minus B

OVERNIGHT IN LAUDERDALE

Breezing through Port Lauderdale -- trip two --
could it match Port Seattle’s lingering fun -- trip one?
No extra day for space at the Needle
or fish at Pike’s.

Our adventure, a dinner place
    “within
    walking distance”
but over a bridge
    without
    a sidewalk.
Beware, traffic, our oversized
    baby stroller.

Back at the hotel, 
Marco Polo in the pool.
The January chill,
no deterrent to
kids exercising their water skills.

Morning brought us down
a few at a time
to a common table --
for breakfast - serial.


ON THE SHIP

No end-of-gangplank wonder.
We knew the ship, the crew
and on-board what-to-do.

But once underway
the wonder evolved
as we settled in
to a week of adult-child tag team time.
Need a kid?  We’ve got two.
Moms and dads, take a break. 
Share  a dinner and a bunk
with those who
make aunts, uncles,
and parents, grand.
Win-win kin fun for everyone,
and at the end of the day,
snuggle time.
Karen discovered
Alyssa’s big blue eyes.

THE POOL

. . . on the Westerdam, nine decks up,
weaved and bobbed like a tall ship’s mast
sloshing with the sea
and “oh-my-goshing”
Senja, Alyssa, Olivia and Hannah,
all brave enough to see
the swimming excitement opportunity.
Blake, not quite one, did the pool edge crawl
while Emily, eventually,
two days at sea
and closer to teen
chucked cool and leaped again
into the childhood pool.
Adults mixed a family brew
of equal parts, kids in the water,
the drink of the day,
and poolside camaraderie.






PROMENADE

Experienced cruisers headed early
for deck chairs, sunny side.
Left in the shade
    where air was shared
    with a painting crew
    and the ship’s cigar,
we continued around,
three laps to a mile.


THE BAHAMAS (Saturday, January 1, 2011)


PERFECT DAY AT HALF MOON CAY

2011 tendered us in to a sandy beach,
our mission, pretty elemental.
First, shade a baby in a cabana.
Then sculpt a castle --
no toys or pails,
just fingers and hands
to scoop and shape
that sugary sand.

Or snorkel out,
it’s crystal clear and turquoise blue,
to scout
an intruder barracuda,
a dirigible, suspended
on the edge of the deep,
eyeing us . . . and the silver fish
around our feet.

Others hiked the beach
and rendezvoused with riders
on a horseback trek.

At noon, a reunion --
-- for shade and barbecue,
shared with chickens
and scattered odd birds
that scurried from the bushes
underfoot.

At the end of the day,
I looked back at the beach
and mused
-- at all we found to do
together
and, yes, wonder of wonders,
. . . without shoes.

Then, back to the ship
for a Sun day at sea.

ARUBA  (Monday, JANUARY 3, 2011)

A day at sea brought us to . . .
What do you do
in Oranjestad?
Inefficient tourists,
we walked the chaos,
congested crowds,
shops and tourist marts --
pausing to greet the queen
at Wilhelmina Park,

until a cab to beachfront row
brought manicured grass,
caged birds and paths --  
to a beach with pools,
water volleyball,
an enormous outdoor bar,
palm trees, thatched shelters,
lounging areas, . . . ,

and young perfect bodies enjoying a January tan --
maters and daters
confirming Aruba’s beach party forte.

Wondering?
The Peters took Senja  to swim.
The report:  water, far from clear,
sand-stirred by wind and waves,
but unable to roil their family day.
That evening Mike and Marya took a scenic cruise.

And Louisa learned
to scuba in Aruba.


CURACAO


Tuesday, 1/4/11


Docked at dawn at Willemstad,
Curacao’s capital
beginning to stir.
On the veranda, coffee in hand, the
family gathered for first impressions
from port traffic below.
Speed boats with uniformed men
looking for something to patrol.
A tug towed a tub, the “Istanbul,”
through an opened Swinging Lady Bridge.
Did that ship really cross the sea?
The bridge swung closed and
morning foot traffic flowed
into old town, the Punda,
from the Otrabanda.

We followed soon
and practiced our “Bon Bini” greeting on
those in the shops,
bargain spots,
and the floating market
of day tripping Venezuelan vendors.

Showers sent us into stores, under doors
and to old Fort Amsterdam’s porticos
as the rain did its wash.
Ankle deep water rinsed the streets, toes
and clothes of those
insisting on views up close
of Curacao.

Carole and Louisa piqued my wonder
with a gutsy mother-daughter splash and dash
to hit some shops
and museum hop.



I, to regain dry, would opt
for a virtual tour from the ship,
ten decks up,
a crows’ nest display
of post card Willemstad’s
hills, colorful buildings,
tropical trees, flowers
and bright tiled roofs.


BACK AT SEA

Were you among those who
    shopped the ship,
    tasted the wine and heard
        the Dutch sommelier’s tips
        for pairing it with food,
    led cheers for our champion
        choreographed swimming team?
Could you stay awake
    for the late night
        pool crawl,
        chocolate dessert extravaganza, or
        crows’ nest gab sessions?
Take a bow.

I wondered at the magic
    of the prolonged evening dinners,
    the slight of hand entertainment
    by the table-side crew,
Blake’s onesie dinner tuxedo
and, of course, the group tee shirt pose by the pool.

Two days back to Ft. Lauderdale
then exit the cruise,
a fitting stage
for our SRO family play.

DRK
6/11/11