San Diego, Californa

Today we have been docked in San Diego after quite a day at sea yesterday - rocking and rolling as the sea swell moved the ship around in all directions.  I ended up with a nice headache from it so took a seasick tablet.  What a ‘last day’ to remember for some!  It was quite funny seeing folks walking in a strange manner or clinging onto handrails, a friend or spouse.

The senior nurse (Maxine) from the ship's infirmary and I went ashore to do some much needed shopping.  She picked up bits and bobs from a small 'pharmacy'/grocery shop, and then we went to another shop so that I get some t-shirts. 2 of mine have holes in them, and another one has oil stains from the sunblock which I cannot get out despite washing the t-shirt a couple of times.  Pity ….

After that Maxine and I walked back to the ship and caught a taxi to outside of San Diego to Office Depot (also known as Office World or Office Supplies in other countries) where we picked up 3 chairs for the bridge, 1 for the captain's office and a small corner desk for the infirmary.  It needed 2 taxis to transport the flat-packed lot!  Office Depot couldn't deliver the items to the ship today so it had to all go in a taxi.  Maxine got in the one taxi and I went in the other.  The boxes were offloaded at the cruise terminal and I went to the ship and rang Paul (on their internal phone) to send someone with a trolley to fetch the stuff.  Three cadets rocked up minus a trolley.  I think the ones on the ship were all being used as it is a turnaround port day.  In the end one of the cadets asked a porter to lend us his trolley a few minutes.  The guy was reluctant but relented and we got things through to dock-side and the lads manhandled the boxes off the trolley, along the gangway and onto the ship.  We then took the precious trolley back to the car park.  Finally, for the 3rd and last time for me and 2nd time lucky for the lads, the terminal's security people let us back through yet again but without too much trouble this time, barely blinking when one lad’s steel toed boots set the alarm off again!

In the middle of a short afternoon nap I was rudely awoken to the sound of the emergency alarms. Time for the usual drill for guests, which I have to attend as well.  Groan.

It is supper time now but Paul's not finished on the bridge yet as the ship is heading out to sea now.  A new cruise begins - the "22 Day Panama Canal" cruise.  New places to see and explore.

Route to our next destination:  Puerto Vallarta, Mexico