Long Beach and Beyond

Long Beach California (Los Angeles)

 

We arrived in Long Beach on Thursday much relieved that the sun was out and a nice shiny and warm 84 degrees.  Up until then there were cloudy skies and even the night before we were sailing through the thickest of fog banks, the ships fog horns sounding every several minutes. 

 

I don’t think either of us have been to Long Beach but our friend Dana had grown up there.  He was pointing out to us all of the very cool race boats that everyone seems to own. Imagine the Miami Vice boat but with California flair.   It was a very pretty town.  We stopped and did some shopping, mostly for those odd bit of items that we had somehow forgotten oh and a little more tequila as that is the only thing Dana and I have been trying.

 

The day before on the last full day at sea we all three had played Pictionary (among many other things) and met some really nice people.  After the ship sponsored game, a group of Canadian women asked us and a few others to meet them later to play Cranium.  So Dana and I did.  We got along so well that we made evening plans.  They all have known each other since their kids were young (elementary) and been doing trips ever since.  They were leaving the boat at Long Beach and heading up to Napa Valley.  They were a very big laugh.  We went to dinner with them (the three of us) and then the show afterwards and then dancing since it was their last night. 

 

It was there that Dana and I met some of the crew who were continuing all the way to NZ.  They were telling us about all of the very cool them nights coming up.  We have no costumes so we will mostly be participating in spirit.

 

All in all we have been doing a bunch of eclectic things that the ship has to offer including, “cooking lectures, eating, mixology classes, eating, seminars on nature, movies, games, dancing parties, eating, yoga, exercising, and our favorite so far the thermal suite.  I’ve done some writing (creative and some reading) and each of us have taken the time to have our own space.

 

Today, the first full day since Long Beach and on the way to Hawaii, has been really bad winds, though the waters haven’t been choppy.  The ship has been rocking like crazy and after a long night Dana and I, while doing yoga the motion got to us.  I had to leave but Dana stuck it.  Forrest of course has not been effected.  Thank goodness too as Dana and I have slept, nibbled on a little food but done mostly nothing.  We have been trying to recover.  We are on seasickness pills but for the most part as I am writing this recovered. The neither of us are very susceptible to motion sickness which should tell you the great deal of motion we are experiencing.  If we were to show you pictures of the Lido pool its more like a white river rafting pool.  People are being picked up and dropped from one side to the other of the pool. 

 

We are hoping very soon to hit that wonderful south seas weather.  Still we are having a great time, meeting very interesting people and relaxing.  Just four more days at Sea before Honolulu.  Oh fyi – good news for those who have been following the drama, the house has closed!!!  We are excited and will be celebrating by going to the Pinnacle Grill on board tonight.