My fave place โThe Coffee Portโ on the Thomson Dreamย cruise ship (now Marella Dream) for a birthday Cappuccino with a stunning view!ย ๐ฒ ย
โงย My fave seat in the Coffee Portย โง
Tag Archives: Thomson Dream
โ๏ธ #29 The Blind Sightseers “Escape The Lockdown” With Distant Memories: “Yay…Caribbean Again!”๐ฏ๐ฒ
May 7, 2020 
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ย Yay!!!! Were off to the Caribbean again!! (2016) ๐ ย
I canโt believe weโre getting another chance to see some of Godโs glorious creation! We were so blessed with our last cruise โTransatlantic Sunset Tourโ even though we had a roller coaster of a ride! ๐ย
We were up around 4:30am, packing the final items into our cases. I found out the hard way last year on how impossible it was to find my black suitcase on the carousel among hundreds of other black suitcases!! ๐ฆ So this year iโve treated myself to a dark purple one. Letโs see if this one is better to find?!
Kate, from the local taxis that Sarah uses for work, arrived and we set off for Gatwick. โNow we can relaxโ i said โAs itโs too late to go back if weโve forgotten anythingโ.ย
The Airport…
Kate was fantastic, and drove us right to the entrance and pointed us in the right direction โJust keep walking that way and youโll be fineโ. We checked in our cases and were given the fantastic airport assistance who guided us through customs and sat us in departures ready to catch the fun train.ย
The people at the desk said there was a 1 hour delayโฆโOh yes!!” Sarah & i said at the same time โWe have time to go shopping and have a coffeeโ. I think this was a new response for them as they looked a little bemused! ๐ย
After finding the same italian coffee place from last year(itโs becoming another local), we found our way around a few shops and headed back to the pick up point. It wasnโt long before the handheld thing they give me started flashing and vibrating which meant it is our turn to get on-board the train! ย
After our fun ride on the train, we boarded the plane and i even got a window seat. The 787 Dreamliner didnโt disapoint as it gave it the beans down the runway!ย
During the 10ยฝ hour flight, Sarah watched about 5 films(well 10 minutes of each, as she said they were horiffic, and saw firsthand why we didnโt have a TV lisence anymore). We enjoyed the in-flight meals though, and it made up for the poor entertainment.ย
As i canโt even see who is sat next to me(although i know itโs Sarah), i spent the time listening to the people around me. It helps me understand who is around, where they are, and i get to learn a little about the person by their words and characterโฆas “what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heartโ. ๐ย
Yay,we’re back in Jamaica!ย ๐ ย ย
The airport assistance escorted us through customs and to the queue for the coach transfer to the ship. As soon as they realised we couldnโt see, they took us and skipped straight passed the queue and onto the coach where we were shown to the 2 front seats! One advantage of being blind, lol.
Arriving at the ship, the coach driver said there were further delays and the queue for the ship check-in was long and itโs seriously hot out there! But when we left the coach, we met the assistance and again, they led us passed the large queue straight to the check-in and onto the ship! I always feel a little guilty when this happens, but itโs a fantastic service for us. ๐
Boarding the Thomson Dream again this year felt like we were coming home. It took us about a week to figure out where everything is, but this time we remembered and it made life a lot easier! ๐ย
The Emergency Drill…
We were now almost experts at the life jackets(well Sarah was) and we needed no help this time putting them on. It was really hot and humid out on deck for the drill, but i handled the heat much better this time. ๐ย
Finding our way back to the cabin with our life jackets on, we wanted to try and take a selfie to keep as a memory, as we probably wouldnโt have chance if we ever needed to use them again. Itโs really hard to take a selfie when you canโt see the phone screen, but we took loads and managed to find one.
ย The Coffee Port…
After a full on day, Sarah & i were in need of a proper coffeeโฆand guess what greeting we heard as we walked in??!! Yes it was Cecily! โNo wayโ we both said โItโs so good to see you againโ. Cecily then sat us down and said โ2 espresso macchiatos?โโฆ.No way, she remembered! ๐ This was really starting to feel like home.
We finished our coffees and headed back to our cabin. Our cases had arrived and we started unpacking as the ship set sail for Trujillo, HondurasโฆWow what a day! ๐ย
Day 2โฆ..
We spent day 2 exploring and seeing if anything had changed since weโd been gone. There were a few changes but nothing that tripped us up. Now it was time to check out the shore excursions for the next 4 islands!ย
Last year we didnt realise how quickly they sold out, so we got in early ย and booked an excursion for each of the 4 days, we were excited to have booked a few varied tours, but i was a little worried as weโd booked Kayaking on one tour and River tubing on another. Can blind people really do this without crippling themselves?? ๐จย
Either wayโฆback to the Coffee Port to celebrate with a latte! ๐ย
ย Thanks for joining us, itโs great to see you on-board again!ย ๐ ย ย
Our Route:
this evening Thomson Dream sails to Trujillo, Honduras. Weโll arrive on Thursday morning after the leisurely day at sea having travelled 515 nautical miles at an average speed of 15 knots.ย
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โ๏ธ #28 The Blind Sightseers “Escape The Lockdown” With Distant Memories: “Matlock Bath”๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ
May 6, 2020 7 Comments
Wow what a cruise! I hope youโre enjoying this trip down memory lane?ย
ย ๐ ย Before we head off back to the sunshineโฆHere is a trip in the UK, lol! ย ๐ฌ๐งย โ๏ธย ๐ย
After travelling up to Derby and spending the day with โOur Friends The Wigley Familyโย ย Sunday came and we woke up to a lovely view over Derby.
โง View from our hotel room โง
We then headed to the train station to travel to Doncaster to see Sarahโs family.
โง Sarah sat in the train station cafรฉ โงย
Little did we know that the Tour de France was in Yorkshire on this day, but to our surprise the reservations were overloaded and the train was full so we got upgraded to first class (for free) which was empty! ๐
โง SARAHโS FIRST CLASS!! โงย
We arrived in Doncaster for Marshallโs birthday dinner at Cosmoโs where we met all of the family. We had a lovely meal and it was great to catch up with them all! ๐
โง Marshall (left), Sarah & Alfie โงย
After arriving back in Derby that evening, Sarah & i went to our fave italian Zizziโs for a lovely meal. I also got to have the lovely chocolate, banana & ice cream calzone, which Sarah stole most of! ๐ย
Then it was Monday 7th Julyย our 7th wedding anniversaryย where we would enjoy โThe Heights Of Abrahamโ at Matlock Bath.
We we arrived at the top we found a tower (which was too dark for us to climb) but it looked nice! ๐
And i met a new friendโฆโฆ.
โง My new friend (i love donkeys in case you didnโt know!) ๐ โงย
And after my amazing driving in the bumper cars (see here) i found another vehicle i had to driveโฆโฆ..
โง Getting the chance to drive yet again! โงย
โง Descending back down to ground level โงย
โง Views overlooking the villages from the cable cars โงย
After a fantastic (and exhausting) weekend we finally checked out and headed home!
โง Sarah outside Juryโs Inn, Derby โงย
All photos taken using my iPhone (i left my heavy DSLRโs in the hotel)
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โ๏ธ #27 The Blind Sightseers “Escape The Lockdown” With Distant Memories: “Palma”๐ช๐ธ(2015)
May 5, 2020 0 Comments
Leaving our room for the last time and hoping weโd not forgotten anything, we had a couple of hours on the ship before our coach arrived. We first went out on deck to say hello to Palma! โ๏ธ ย
Wow, weโre really going to miss the sun when we arrive home!ย โ๏ธย
We stayed out on deck for about half an hour reflecting on our crazy cruise and how we actually survived some of the situations that tried to knock us down. Then it was time to say goodbye to my favourite ย place โThe Coffee Portโ.ย
Cecily and the Coffee Port…ย
I would like to say a huge thanks to Cecily and the Coffee Port. Every time without fail, as soon as Sarah and i would walk in, and before weโd seen Cecily, Weโd here one of our names(depending who entered first) melodically sung which put a huge smile on our faces, what a welcome! ๐
She was so supportive of us and made fantastic coffee! โ ๐ย
Getting the coach…
After leaving the gangway for the last time, we boarded our coach and headed to the airport. It was a nice drive through Palma, but the mood on the coach was somber, as no-one wanted to go home. Although Sarahโs cough was almost constant and she was so tired from just coughing, she really wanted to be home so she can order a replacement insulin pump and get her blood under control.ย
Palma airport…
We arrived at Palma airport and found the assisstance that helped us with our luggage, then escorted us to the gate where we sat waiting for the announcements. Sarah said โLetโs go and find you a coffee, then i can go and look around some shops as we will be here for about an hourโ โCool, sounds good to me, as long as we donโt venture off too farโ.
Just then we heard our names calledโฆ
We were surprised to see one of the couples who befriended us at the Orion Restaurant in the evenings. They gave Sarah a card and said โHope your new job goes well, and you find your feet quickly. We wish you all the bestโ. Sarah was in pleasant shock with this unexpected kindness, especially as we thought weโd never meet them again.
Yay, the plane…
I was excited to be travelling on an airplane again, and was totally surprised i managed to capture a piece of Palma upon take off! ๐ ย
Back in the UKโฆ
We arrived in Gatwick airport on the Sunday before Bank Holiday Monday. The plan was to have the Bank Holiday as a rest day to try and recover from this rollercoaster of a cruise. But the drama hadnโt quite finished yetโฆA rest day, what is one of those? ๐ย
A&E…
Sarah was suffering beyond even what she can take(that doesnโt happen often) and on Monday morning we had to go to A&E as her chest was now closing up really bad and she could hardly breathe. As it was a Bank Holiday it was quite busy, but we finally got in to see the doctor. He said she had a Respiratory Tract Infection which has now given her a secondary lung thingy(i canโt remember the exact diagnosis,lol). After picking up the antibiotics we made our way home.
Sarahโs new job…
Iโm not sure if iโve mentioned it yet, but just before we started this cruise, Sarah left her job at RNIB(Royal National Institute Of Blind People),ย where sheโd worked for over 10 years, and was going to start her new job at WCRF(World Cancer Research Fund) tomorrow!! Yeah i know it seems mad, but donโt forget weโer dealing with my “Warrior Wife”!! ย ๐ช๐ผย
Finally…
I canโt explain the emotions iโve been through typing up this day to day account of our cruise. Iโve been smiling, laughing, crying and shocked to find some great photos that will serve as loving memories for us.
Thank You, Thank You & Thank You…
Itโs been such a blessing to know youโve joined us on our trip, but beyond that, encouraging us with your kind and loving comments along the way. So we both thank God for you, and thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Hopefully weโll see you on our other tours too??!!
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โ๏ธ #26 The Blind Sightseers “Escape The Lockdown” With Distant Memories: “Alicante”๐ช๐ธ
May 4, 2020 0 Comments
After about a week of sleepless nights, to say Sarah & i were tired is an understatement. Also Sarahs cough is a lot worse and her lungs feel like a boa constrictor has coiled around them. Her erratic blood sugars are making her sick too…but apart from that, we are excited to find out what our last shore excursion has in stall for us! ๐ย
The coach was waiting for us from the bottom of the gangway(phewโฆat least we wonโt get lost around the dock, lol) and we set off towards the castle. As we drove down narrow windy streets lined with vivid green palm trees, with cafes splashed with orange i said to Sarah โWow, itโs like were driving through one of your fave tracks from Gran Turismo 4 on the Playstation 2!!โ โOkโ she said โNot sure iโd have thought of that, but now youโve mentioned it, that is exactly what it looks likeโ. ๐
ย Santa Barbara Castle…
As we stepped off the air conditioned coach onto the sandy/dusty car park, the first thing to hit me was the intense heat. The Caribbean was very hot but there was always a lovely cool breeze, but this heat seemed focused on burning me to a crisp! ๐ย
Iโm sure it was just a short walk to the castle and to my surprise i was already halfway down my bottle of water, so when we arrived to find a big climb to the top of the castle which included slanty slopes and invisible rough steps etc, it was time to start the thought process โI think weโve done something stupid again, and taken on an excursion we shouldโve never taken onโ. But as usual my thoughts were quickly defeated as my Warrior Wife took my hand and relentlesly attacked the slopes! Sarah always leaves me speechless, as i know she is feeling much worse than me, yet she battles on and fights when most others would give up. This is one reason why iโm so proud of her and love her more than anything! โฅ๏ธ
The view…
Once we reached to top and found the nearest wall, the view was fantastic and well worth risking our ย lives, lol ๐ ย
While stood admiring the view, i could hear a noisy flag flapping above my head. I thought โI havnโt tried taking a proper flag photo in motion beforeโ. It took about 5 minutes to try and get my camera to focus, but i finally got my first! ๐ ย
The tour guide was great, telling us all about the gruesome, bloody history of the castle(history never changes) told us we had an hour of free time to have a look around the castle and weโd all meet up at the bottom.
Yay, we had more time to look around! ๐ ย
It really was stunning up here, and i was excited to find Sarah getting her phone ready for one of her breathtaking Panoramas! ๐ ย ย
Wow Sarah has treated us with 2 breathtaking Panoramas again!!! ๐ ย ย
After Sarah โTop Trumpedโ me again with her amazing photos, we decided to begin our adventure down to the meeting place. We knew it was going to be much harder on the way down but we were going to enjoy it anyway!ย
As we still had about 30 minutes, we tried to look at everything we hadnโt seen on the way up.ย
When turning around, i thought Sarah had found a gift shop and was carrying a huge present for someone, lol. But thankfully itโs one of the statue things we found on the way.
We then found a cool little alley way.ย ย
This has to be one of my favorite photos!! Iโm glad to see Sarah(The Greatest Warriorโ parting some of her knowledge and instruction to an inferior ranked warrior on how to correctly throw a spear! ๐ ย
ย After many more laughs, we did eventually make it back to the meeting place, and then on to the coach, Ooooohh, air conditioning! ๐ย
ย The Town Hall Square & Cathedral of Alicante…
ย Walking through the town was hard work as it was very busy, but Sarah did find a local craft store that were selling handmade daisy broaches out of wicker etc. So while she was looking, i thought iโd quickly snap a couple of photos.
The Cathedral of Alicante…ย
ย On leaving the Cathedral, the tour guide said we have 30 minutes free time, then could you please find your way back to the coach, iโll be in the bar down this side alley getting a cold drink if anyone wants to join me? Sarah said โCome on quickly, we need to get to him before he gets swallowed by the crowds, as we donโt know our way back to the coachโ โOkay, letโs goโ i said as we zigzagged our way towards him. We caught up with him and he told us the easiest way back to the coach.
But before we headed back, Sarah had a chance to try the only Spanish phrase she could remember from her childhood holidays with her Dad.
โIt worked!!! I must have said it rightโ Sarah said as she brought 2 bottles of Lager to the small corner table in the little bar weโd stumbled upon. ๐
The Explanada, one of the most beautiful waterfront promenades in Spain…
ย On leaving the bar, Sarah saw this stunning pavement lined with palm trees. It reminded us of the incredible pavement in Horta, Azores. ย ย
Shortly before leaving the coach back at the dock, we had one final laugh when the tour guide told us he was from California, works in Alicante and is married to his Wife from Doncaster, South Yorkshire. โWowโ I said โThat amazing, the guide yesterday was from Derby(my hometown) and Today the guide stays in Doncaster(Sarahโs hometown) a few months of the year, and when he finally saidโIโll be outside the French Gate in Doncaster in November, we all burst out laughing. ๐ย
Back on the ship…
We had just enough time to capture the coastline of Alicante from the ship before Thomson Dream sailed away to Palma, Mallorca for us to get the plane home.
After getting changed for the evening meal, we knew it would be the last time weโd see our Orion Restaurant friends. We met them at our usual time and table and had a lovely evening talking about all the adventures of the day.ย
Who knows? We may bump into them again on a future cruise, which would be great! ๐ย ย ย
Leaving the Orion Restaurant, we headed to the delo bar to enjoy our last cocktail with great music.ย
After a really long day, we arrived back at our cabin to find a new fantastic towel creature on our table. Sarah quickly moved it into an arty position ready for a humorous photo! ๐ ย
Just one more day to go before we head home, and Sarah and i spent the sleepless night talking about the highs and lows of our 1st cruise, and only my second time abroad!ย
Thanks once again for joining us, itโs a blessing to share with you.ย ๐ย
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โ๏ธ #25 The Blind Sightseers “Escape The Lockdown” With Distant Memories: “Gibraltar”๐ฌ๐ฎ
May 3, 2020 2 Comments
โง Sarah welcomes you to Gibraltar! โง
After 2 days at sea, and finding out(by our new friends who met us for evening meals at Orion Restaurant) ย that on the excursion to the “Rock of Gibraltarโ requires that we get a cable car to the top on the cliff! Wowโฆi love cable cars! It reminded me of the cable cars Sarah & i travelled on at โThe Heights of Abrahamโ day trip.a couple of years ago! ๐ย
So leaving the ship i was extra excited to travel on cable cars in Gibraltar! We found the coach that would take us to the beginning of the rock and got on-board.ย
The excursion guides so far have been amazing, and really proud of their country! So happy to share everything and anything about the local history and culture, always creating laughter and a friendly relaxed atmosphere. So when this guide stepped on-board complaining ย and quite angry we were quite taken aback! After complaint about everything she showed us, we pulled up at the bottom of the rock and waited for the cable cars.
Just a quick side noteโฆAs iโm registered blind(i know most of you will know this already) and donโt see people, just hear them. Whenever iโm out sat in a cafe, restaurant, at church or just around town, i often like to play one of my fave games using my ATS(accent targeting system). I love accents, and i like to try and locate their original area?! ๐ Also its my only way of knowing whoโs around me, and iโve now trained myself so i can listen to 3 conversations at once! lol This can be good and bad depending. ๐ Anyway enough rambling!ย
When i got near the guide i asked her where she was from originally? โDerbyโ she said! โNo way, a Derby bird, iโm from Derby too. Itโs crazy that weโd meet here in Gibraltarโ. It makes sense now. lol. Itโs sometimes hard to pin down a accent thatโs the same as your own, but iโm getting better.
After fantastic views from the cable cars, we finally reached the top of The Rock of Gibraltar! ๐ ย
After taking shots of my beautiful wife Sarah(which i could do all day) the guide warned us about the monkeys ย that would steal anything and everything that wasnโt in your bag or not in the right place. By this i mean sunglasses on your head instead of over your eyes. The guide told us of one woman who had put her brand new ยฃ200 Rayban sunglasses on her head to take a photo, had them quickly snatched by a monkey and were never seen again! ๐ฆ
A kind person asked if Sarah & i would like a photo together? I said that would be lovely, thank you. But i think my face is wondering if the man was going to run off with my Big Nikon! lol. ๐ ย
The guide said we had about an hour free time before we all have to meet back together, so Sarah got her iPhone out ready to take one of her amazing Panoramas!ย
Not 1โฆbut 2 of Sarahโs Breathtaking Panoramas!!! ๐ย
It had been a fantastic day already and the views were simply stunning from up here. We now had to find one ย of those monkeys to try and get a photo before we go. ย
โง Sarah videoing one of the monkeys โง ย
After nipping into the gift shop to get a couple of presents we started heading back towards the cable cars.
We were just near the steps(walking 2 by 2 when we heard a loud โOi!!โ by the woman behind us, followed by a quiet couple of seconds, then lots of laughter??! We stopped and turned round to find out one of the monkeys had touched/stroked the ladies leg near her bum, and she thought it was the man behind her. But after the mix up they all started laughing! ๐
Travelling back to the ship after more complaining by the excursion guide (mainly about her many ex husbands) we had time to take a few photos from the deck before Thomson Dream sailed overnight to Alicanteโฆour last port before we head to Palma, Majorca for our flight home ๐ฆ
Sarah & i had a fantastic time in Gibraltar and it was great to have a guide from my home town to share her great accent with us.
Creating these blog posts documenting each day of our trip has been such a blessing for Sarah & i, especially knowing that youโve been right here with us along the way! ๐ ย They leave us with such lovely memories every time we read back through them.ย ๐ย
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โ๏ธ #24 The Blind Sightseers “Escape The Lockdown” With Distant Memories: “The Model Ship”๐
May 2, 2020 6 Comments
ย After a fantastic 2 days in the Azores we found this new folded towel creature on our table. โHow do they do thatโ i said just staring and touching it? ย
โYeah i knowโ said Sarah โitโs amazing how they get the towels to do that and stay in positionโ.ย
Just then i had a brain waveโฆto show our appreciation for the great work our cabin steward has shown us, i will show our gratitude with a model of my own!!! ๐ย
I thought rather than using a towel i will go larger and use the whole bed, quilt, pillows and towels! As the towels are blueโฆthey can be the sea. The quilt can be the Thomson Dream and the pillows can be the big pointy thingy on top! ย
Having never attempted anything like this before, i knew it would be the thought that counts. I said to Sarah โYouโre going to have to wait outside until iโve finished, then you can open the door and see it as the cabin steward will see itโ.ย
Here Goesโฆ..are you ready???ย
ย After Sarah stopped laughing ๐คฃ , she said โItโs massive! I didnโt know you were going to use the whole king size bed?!โ I said โWell ships are big, and i didnโt want him to miss itโ. She was actually impressed with my first ever attempt. lol. ๐ช๐ผ ย
Now everything is set, itโs time to head out and relax with a nice latte at the Coffee Port. We also ventured out on deck being ensconced by blue sea.
We did meet up with the cabin steward that night and Sarah asked him โDid you like the big ship Steve had made for you?โ He said he didnโt see anything and just thought the bed was left in a mess!! ๐ย
Well at least WE all know what happened, and i hope my model ship will put a smile on your face instead!! ย ๐ย ย
Just 2 days at sea now until we reach Gibraltar!! ย ย
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โ๏ธ #23 The Blind Sightseers “Escape The Lockdown” With Distant Memories: “Sao Miguel, Azores”๐ฌ
May 1, 2020 0 Comments
ย After more wild blood sugar readings, no sleep and seriously nasty coughs, i was really looking forward to our excursion today. If you remember onย Day 7 Antiguaย we had 1 horse power each, but now i was hoping for lots more horse power in our 4×4! ๐ ย
4×4 Tour of the Western Edge, Azores(Excursion details)
If you want to get up close to Sรฃo Miguelโs dramatic landscapes, a 4×4 is the way to go. Once weโre all strapped in, weโll head off to the west side of the island. Our first stop is Vista do Rei. Translated, it means โKingโs Viewโ โ it was named after King D Carlos, who visited back in 1901 โ and the vista from here is definitely fit for a monarch. It pans across Sete Cidades, a massive volcanic crater thatโs glazed in greenery and, at the right time of year, baby-blue hydrangeas. Covering its base is a huge lake, split in two by the small bridge that crosses it, plus a picturesque waterside village. Weโll drive along the Pequena ridge to Sete Cidades village, stopping at Lomba do Vasco viewpoint along the way for a few snaps. Weโll have some free time to explore the village, before continuing our drive past Blue and Empadadas lakes. Weโll have one last photo op โ at Pico do Ferro viewpoint โ before making our way back to the ship.
With the excursion details in mind(seeย above), we navigated down the gangway and onto the dock. We quickly realised that the day wasnโt going to be as hot as every other day on the cruiseโฆas we were getting wet, and colder by the second! lol ๐ ย ย
Our 4×4 driver and tour guide met us off the boat(which was fantastic) and helped us into our Land Rover. Back when i was a panel beater my friend used to race custom Land Rovers with monster V8โs, and as usual i was letting my imagination get ahead of me, especially when the driver cranked up the engine and it was the disappointing sound of a diesel tractor! ๐ฆ Since iโve been blind and i use my ears to see cars, the engine noises are all i focus on! Sarah is quick to remind me as we walk into town back in Epsom that she really doesnโt want me to comment on every engine that drives by! lol, but she did acknowledge my disappointment with a gentle stroke on my arm. ๐ ย
โง Sarah and the 4×4 โง
Our first stop was Kingโs View which was really high upon the island, as we stopped and the driver asked us to wait in the car as it was chucking it down with rain, and the fog/mist was like a blankett covering all of the beautiful landscapes he had brought us to see, he left to talk the the other driver in the Toyota Land cruiser behind. He came back, apologised and said โWe will try and head as low as we can to see if we can go under the fog/mist and see if itโs any clearer down there. But we have a few minutes here so if you want to get out in the rain, you canโ.ย
โง Kingโs View โง
ย On a clear day there is a stunning volcanic crater with 2 lakes, 1 is blue and 1 is green! There were alot of disappointed sighs etc and some people were complainingโฆi just thought welcome to my world, and you can still see more than me even with the fog. lol ๐ I almost felt equal for the first time on an excursion. ๐ย
We then headed off on a drive to the lowest point of the island which was beautiful and when we got to walk around by the river and volcanic hills it was like stepping onto the film set of Jurassic park.
The fog did lift a little and the rain slowed down enough for us to enjoy 15 minutes in this fantastic place.ย
When i found this photo which Sarah had taken, we both started laughing and thought this was probably the best photo of me ever! ๐ ย Donโt ask me what i was up to, i can only imagine that i heard a T-Rex or a volcano erupt!! ๐ย
Please let me know in the comments below if you have any great captions to add to this photo??!! I look forward to hearing what you come up with! ๐ย
โง This place really does remind me of Jurassic Park โง ย ย
We all climbed aboard our 4×4 and headed of to a small village to stop and have another rest and look around. On the way Sarah saw a huge black Bull chasing a local who was running for his life right close to the Land RoverโฆCrazy! Lol. We stopped at a small cafe where the driver(to Sarahโs delight) started talking about the locally made Portuguese custard tarts. I said โNo way, theyโre Sarahโs favourites, and we have never had a locally made one before! It will be like when i had a slice ofย Pizza in Pisa!” ๐ As usual… no body laughed so i asked “Do they sell them in this Cafe?โIf they do could you get 3 and have one yourself!โ He said โyeah sureโ and we sat and enjoyed this special food moment! ๐
Most of the people stayed in the cafe as it was raining outside, but Sarah & i were already soaked so didnโt mind a little more rain to try and see as many things as possible in this tiny village.
We were now coming to the end of our fantastic 4×4 drive, but not before he drove us off road and up some really steep rocky terrain, Yay!! ๐ We were rocking side to side and bouncing up and down, i said โYeah this is more like it!โ. We then stopped and the driver who had his window down as all the windows were steaming up from our drenched clothesโฆpicked up ย a small piece of ย Sphagnum moss from the towering hillside. As usual i was the only one who didnโt know what it is(i blame going to the worst school in Derbyshire) He then squose it and we were all amazed by how much water was running out of something so small, fantastic! ๐ ย
Just one more stop and it was to see a tunnel drilled through the mountain that goes out to the sea so that the rain water does not flood the volcanic crater when there is, from time to time heavy rainfall on the island.
The tunnel is around 80 years old and almost 2 kilometers long and itยดs actually large enough to walk through and that is also safe enough as long as you donยดt go during heavy rainfall. As you know it was raining but thatโs not enough to stop Super Sarah having a look! ๐ ย
Back on the ship…
Having got changed out of our wet clothes, we decided to try and get a bite to eat at the buffet restaurant on deck 9. We sat down with an assortment of food and enjoyed talking about what weโd just experienced. We were about half way through when Alan Davidson(the piano entertainer) came and sat down with us. He had seen us the day before in Horta taking photos and had admired my big Nikon DSLR. Sarah said โYeah itโs a nice camera and Steve gets some lovely photos even though heโs blindโ. โWowโ said Alan โI didnโt realiseโ. I never know if thatโs a compliment or not? ๐ He continued โBack home in Scotland i visit a blind friend and help him with life skills etc, and telling him(using a clock face) where his food is on his plateโ. I said โFantastic, Sarah has just done that with me which is why iโm eating more confidently(and a lot less messy) as normalโ.ย
Sarah mentioned that she hadnโt got chance to see much of the town nearest to the dock and we still have a couple of hours left before we sail away. Alan kindly replied โIโll take you guys, there is a bus on the dock that goes into town, and i can guide you and make sure you get back safely tooโ. โFantastic, letโs goโ Sarah and i replied. ๐ย
We found the market place overlooked by this Cathedral where Me, Sarah & Alan stopped to find a table out of the rain to have coffeeโs and a chat. Alan was also a keen photographer and he found a local who took a few photos of the 3 of us, but sadly i havnโt managed to get the photos of Alan yet, maybe one day iโll get to see them and share them with you. ๐ย
Back on board again Thomson Dream sailed away as Sarah and i listened to Alan with our favourite cocktails. Sarahs is a special sugar free Mojito and mine is a Baileyโs Banana Colada! ๐ย
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โ๏ธ #22 The Blind Sightseers “Escape The Lockdown” With Distant Memories: “Horta, Azores”๐ฌ
April 30, 2020 3 Comments
welcome to Horta!!! ๐ ย
โง Sarah welcoming you all to Horta! โง
Wowโฆwhat an adventurous Atlantic crossing! Both Sarah and i didnโt expect that roller coaster journey. But it was great to be off the ship and once we mastered walking on land that doesnโt move constantly, we headed out to see what we could find. ๐ย
We couldnโt book an excursion in Horta as they were all sold out, but we were first taken aback with the stunning bay, and the beautiful sea front with itโs incredibly ornate pavement.
After following the pavement around the sea front we came to what we thought was the end of the bayโฆbut as we were going to turn back Sarah saw a steep alleyway ย between some buildings which really didnโt look inviting, but she was determined not to miss anything while we were here. And after what sheโs just been through the last 5 days i wasnโt going to say no! ๐ย
ย The narrow path became really steep but we finally reached the top. There were high buildings either side of s and i could hear what i thought were Portuguese gangsters. I said โDo you think we should turn back and head back?โ Sarah said โNo weโve made it this far and itโs downhill from here, i think i can see the end of the path and it looks like it opens out againโ โOkโ i said nervously and we pushed on.
As usual Sarah was dead right! The path ended and we were treated with a stunning view of the bay on the other side of the island! ๐ย
We both were silenced and stood in awe as we tried to take in more of Godโs beautiful creation. No matter how bad the last few days were Sarah said “Wow, this was worth the wait!” God never fails to show up and when he does we are always left speechless. ๐ ย
Warningโฆone of Sarahโs breathtaking panoramas…
ย We were stood for around 10 minutes when 2 people approached us from our left, the woman said โWeโve been all around here and there is nothing worth seeing here! So were going over the other side to see if we can find anything worth seeing over there!โ They walked on past us before we could even say hello. I was stunned, then said to Sarah โI canโt see that much but i still know how beautiful this place is!! They must be in a different dimention to usโ. Sarah chuckled and quickly ran over to check out all of the amazing black sand! ๐
We stayed here for about 20 minutes and went over to our left to explore the green hills!ย
Getting towards the top of the first hill, we stopped to take in the bay from a different viewing point! ๐ย
Sarah says a big hello to all of you who are still with us on our adventure!! ๐
On the other side of the green hills another bay opened out for usโฆWow this place is beautiful and just keeps giving! ๐ย
We thought if we stayed with the sea on our right we would eventually find our way back to the shipโฆwe did but before we headed back on board we stopped to look in the local shops, and stop for a well deserved drink.
Also on the way back we found these interesting photos and paintings along the sea front, by this time it was getting late in the afternoon so we didnโt have much time left in this lovely place.
Sarah had just enough time for one more pose! lol ๐ย
Weโve had a lovely day exploring Horta and we hope youโve enjoyed it too?ย
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โ๏ธ #21 The Blind Sightseers “Escape The Lockdown” With Distant Memories: “Relaxing, Reflecting & Coughing!!”๐
April 29, 2020 0 Comments
Sarah & i were feeling really run down, tired and a little concerned about what the rest of our dream holiday had in store for us. But now we had a few days at sea, so we decided to get out there and enjoy the time we had left. ๐ย
โง Sarah relaxing and reflecting โงย
During our time at sea, Sarah & i loved standing and looking out over the vast ocean. It seemed to put perspective on how majestic and awesome our God is. Also how small we were in comparison and yet he loves each one of us…amazing! ๐ย
Shopping…ย
Thereโs nothing like being surrounded by handbags to put a smile on Sarahโs face! ๐ย
Of all the placesโฆi never thought iโd be in a handbag store, on a ship in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. But we have just spent the night in a hospital in the middle of the Atlantic ocean! ๐ ย Sarah seems to find these shops wherever we go… and if it helps her relax, iโll be right there with her!ย
Another fave spot…
Each day weโd find our way up to this spot and just look out over the pool deck and take in the full panoramic view of blue. There was always a live band playing, giving a great atmosphere and a hot-plate thingy where i could get a fresh burger…Mmmm burgers! ๐๐ย
Hair salon…
After Sarahs last trip to the hair salon she was really pleased with the way the stylist had cut and styled her hair around her eyeโฆ. but the hospital adventure had kind of ruined it. So i thought she might like to relax and get it done again. Whilst waiting in the waiting room i took this shot through the window โฆ.Thatโs the best view iโve ever seen from a hair salon! ๐ย
The evening restaurants…
So far i havnโt said much about our evening meals. For the first few days we really struggled with the buffet restaurants, as the food was placed in big trays under a glass cover with really long fork/tongs to pick up the food. Sarah had no idea what she was picking up as it was just too far away for her to focus and the waiters didnโt understand we couldnโt see properly, which caused a few problems!
At home we try to stay away from self service/buffet style places …not because we are too snooty, lol …but because we simply canโt find anything e.g plates, food, cutlery, where to pay, which causes too much stress and makes us wish we hadnโt gone out at all!ย
After a few days we decided to try the โOrion Restaurantโ which was waiter service. On entrance the waiter asked if weโd like to share a table or sit by yourselves. Sarah said โSharing is fine with usโ (I thought is it really… ๐ฆ The waiter then escorted us to an empty 8 seater table. After he passed us our menus (which we had no chance of reading) our table soon filled up with people. After friendly helloโs Sarah said to the lady next to her โI donโt want to be a nuisanceโฆbut we are both registered blind and so canโt read the menus. Would you be able to read it to us?โ After the confused look on all of their faces (my imagination from the body language) the lady said โOf course, but iโd never have guessed that either of you had sight problemsโ. (My thought was โYou need to be on this side of my eyes to understand the problem :(โ) After weโd heard the menu, Sarah whispered โThis works perfectly for usโฆwe get the menu read out, and we get to meet lots of different lovely people” ๐ย
Shortly afterโฆwe heard the people sitting opposite us say โDid you hear the โCode Alphaโ last night?โ The others replied โYes we did, it woke us upโฆit was after 1am!!โ โYeah i know and there was no need to call it around the whole shipโ.
I said โSorryโฆthat was us.” ย โIt was you two! what happened?โ Sarah showed her bruised and bandaged wrists (from where the drips had been attached) and explained everything that happened. We heard this same complaint for the next few eveningsโฆ. and even some different, elaborate explanations of what had happened (even one story where Sarah was said to have died and been taken off the boat by helicopter in a silver bullet coffin????.) ย
We also heard that quite a few people had complained to reception about the 1am code alpha (because they thought it was a call to abandon ship) and how they felt they shouldn’t have been disturbed in the middle of the night!!
The Cough…
If you can rememberโฆonย Day 8ย there were a couple of people in the hospital waiting room with deep growly coughs. Well todayโฆSarah’s got it too !! ๐ฆ This deep booming growly cough (reminds me of the Rockford Fosgate subs in the boot of my old custom Nova) is giving Sarah lots of ย chest pain, a sore throat and a pounding head. Weโve noticed the unique sound of this cough around the ship as weโve been exploring! โฆ.As if Sarah didnโt have enough on her plate with no sleep, uncontrollable blood sugar, one eye closed and exhaustionโฆshe now has this nasty cough ๐ฆ
Keep smilingโฆย ๐ย
I have no idea how she does it. But no matter whatโs going onโฆSarah has ย a lovely beaming/contagiousย smile on her face that blesses all who see herย ๐ย
ย The Azores…
After about 4 (or is it 5?) sleepless nights (iโve lost count) we were looking forwards to arriving at the Azores. Sarah was especially looking forwards to getting off the ship and onto solid ground and having the freedom to explore another fantastic island! You just canโt keep this warrior princess down! ๐ ย ย
Yippee land ahoy!!!
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โ๏ธ #20 The Blind Sightseers “Escape The Lockdown” With Distant Memories: “CODE ALPHA!!”๐
April 28, 2020 4 Comments
Awww i told myself not to cry this time whilst reading thisโฆI failed, my face is soaking!ย
After enjoying a lovely coffee, we decided to explore the ship to try and familiurise ourselves a little more, and find things to do. Bingo, getting drunk and burned on sun loungers were not something Sarah & i found entertaining.ย
The hair salon…
We found a hair salon and booked Sarah to get her hair done, and see if they had some ideas to cover her closed eye. I thought โBeing pampered and relaxed is just what Sarah needs after a traumatic day yesterday! ๐ I managed to find my way back to the coffee port on my own to wait for Sarah, which should be at least an hour depending what she chooses to have done. It sounds feeble, but finding the coffee port, and the door handle, and even a spare seat without anyone sitting on it, is a massive achievement for me! ๐ย
Sarah returned looking beautiful, but i noticed she was having another hypo, standing up i said โQuick, lets try and get back to the cabin as we know that Lucozade or hypo stop works for youโ. โOkโ Sarah said whilst struggling to stay on her feet. We were only 1 deck above our cabin, but after only a short walk Sarah really started to drop. I thought “There is no way iโm trying to navigate the stairs, and i canโt see to use the lifts”. Luckily we were at the entrance to a bar/lounge. We were greeted by a nice Filipino waitress. I said “My wife needs the sweetest drink you have as sheโs diabetic and having a hypoโ. She was confused, but showed us to some seats(as Sarahโs legs were really starting to give way) and disappeared. I prayed that she understood and would bring something before Sarah lost consciousness.ย
The waitress returned (having told the bar man our situation) with a bright coloured drink. She said it was the sweetest cocktail they did with a lot of syrup in. I thought โa little unorthodox, but we have no choice, Sarah needs sugar nowโ.ย
Having been a gamer my whole life and played some nerve racking, suspense filled and tense computer games over the years, nothing compares to this real life game of trying to encourage Sarah to drink something she doesnโt want, to absorb sugar into her body before passing out!ย
Within the next half hour, Sarah was back with us again (phew), but feeling sick from the hypo, We needed to get back to the cabin as we didnโt know if her blood would start to shoot up again, as we didnโt have any idea what was in the drink, which is why we try to always use the lucozade etc. as we know the effects. Sarah also now had the bone chill that only comes from a hypo.
Back in the cabin…
Yay, we found the cabin! ๐ Iโm starting to remember how many doors to count from both sides depending which set of stairs we go down. Once Sarah had checked her blood sugar again and realised it was starting to rocket, it was back in the fridge for the crossbow boltsโฆi mean syringes. Even with our video magnifier it was really hard to make out the measurements on the needle, but after another big bruised, and big holed injection, it was time for Sarahโs hot bath to try and get rid of that freezing cold bone chill!
A while later Sarah said โDiabetes has already ruined one evening, night and most of today. Iโm not going to let it ruin the rest of my holiday. Lets get dressed up and search for some nice live musicโ โFantastic idea, we both need cheering upโ.
Sunset…
Instead of walking down endless boring corridors, we walked outside to stroll along the deck down to the rear of the ship and look out over the huge ocean. This evening we were gifted with a beautiful sunset.
As we were out on deck 9, we walked all the way to the rear (non technical name) and entered the ‘Lido restaurant’. We were both a little hungry and as this is the buffet place, itโs fantastic for Sarah as she can have vegetables or salad etc without having any of the carbs, or sugar rich sauces which raise her blood sugar. ๐
We became a little disheartened after hearing a couple of the live bands playing some popular rubbish on deck 8, but we walked on past the reception and hair salon and walked into a dark elegant room. Sarah said โOh greatโฆitโs the casino :(โ. I said โIt looks like the Ultralux from Fallout New Vegas (PS3 game)โ Sarah replied โIt feels like fallout to me, a shiny, depraved wasteland – just what Iโve come to expect of the entertainment on this boat ๐ฆ lolโ. But then a classical piano started playing, just audible over the noise of the casino. โWhereโs that lovely piano coming from?โ I said knowing that Sarah would love it. โThrough there, but iโm not sure what it is as itโs too darkโ โLetโs go find out anywayโ. i said as i took her arm.ย
The Delo piano lounge and cocktail bar…
We stood taking in the gentle atmosphere and fantastic piano playing and both said together โThis is more like it ๐ โ We found Sarah a seat at the bar right next to the piano, Sarah loves watching pianists as they play with professional ease and elegance. It brings back lots of her childhood memories of the classical piano lessons she enjoyed! ๐ย
โง Keith the pianist โงย
After about an hour, we were so happy that we’d found another fave place, especially after the last 24 hours, we headed back to the cabin. Sarah did another blood test โSteve, my bloodโs still going up!โ I said โThatโs impossible, youโve not had any sugar or carbs, and youโve already had insulin before we leftโ โI know, and now iโve got to take some more to try and bring it downโ โOk, take a little more and weโll keep an eye on itโ.ย
ย Sarah sat on the sofa with the magnifier reading the excursion options for the Azores. I opened Spotify on my iPhone and started playing my “โ Acoustic Worshipโ playlist knowing itโs Sarahโs fave. I thought โTime for us to relax and reflect for a while on a lovely end to a hectic dayโ.ย
CODE ALPHA…
Sarahโs next words were โI think my bloodโs droppingโ โOh no, I thought, your voice is slurry again, your blood canโt be that low already. Can you manage a test?โ Sarahโs test confirmed a huge drop in a short time. I jumped into survival mode and grabbed the lucozade and hypo stop. Sarah was fading fast โNo, no ,no, not the big oneโ i said wondering if this would result in a diabetic coma. I didnโt have to wait long before Sarah lost consciousness!!
I now switched from survival mode, to what will Sarah need if she goes to hospital mode.ย
Sarah was sat upright on the sofa, and as i balanced to hold her head upright (there were no pillows in reach) i grabbed the cabin phone and dialled 999! A man answered and asked โHow can we help?” I said โMy wife is diabetic and she’s having a hypoglycaemic episode and is unconscious but still breathingโ He said โSheโs unconscious now? Whatโs your cabin number iโm on my way!”
He arrived in about 60 seconds. I told him what had happened as he was frantically inserting needles etc. He then called the bridge to tell the captain and his team, and a few seconds later i heard โCODE ALPHA, CODE ALPHA cabin 7062โ. I thought โThatโs blasting out of the tannoy system that goes around the whole ship, and within minutes our cabin was full of people, and a wheelchair. After a few minutes Sarah slowly started to respond, but only groans. The female doctor was now in the room and after checking everything, she said theyโd take Sarah to the hospital to try and stabilise her.
The hospital…
After grabbing Sarahโs bag and a few things i thought might help, i was kindly guided down behind Sarah to the hospital waiting room. Sarah was in a private room next door.
A woman sat me down and read through a couple of papers that made sure we had health insurance etc, she then said to my surprise โYou really seem to love and care for Sarahโ I said โI really donโt deserve her, she is amazing. I lay down my life for herโฆand give her my all. Iโm so blessed to share my life with my best friend, sheโs beautiful inside and out. Isnโt that what love is?โ It seemed like sheโd never heard a response like that, and just said โWow, thatโs lovelyโ and went quiet for what seemed like minutes!ย
I was then able to see my lovely wife. Sarah was still not conscious yet but was in what seemed like a peaceful sleep. I sat down and the doctors and nurses were coming in and out, checking drips, machines and Sarahs breathing etc.ย
Sarah then moved and slowly started to come round, she said โOh noโ her usual response after realising where she is, i said โItโs ok my love, we are just making some nice new friends, just relax and enjoy being pamperedโ. After another hour of checks from nurses and the doctor, suddenly the nurse panicked and said something to the doctor. All 3 of them surrounded Sarahโs bed frantically adjusting and checking, The doctor kept shaking Sarah and shouting her name but got no response. I thought โIt canโt be another hypo as sheโs being monitored closely, so what is this?โ Soon after i was told by the concerned doctor to wait in the waiting room next door.ย
The waiting room…
Now i was worriedโฆ. i sat here alone in a hospital thatโs swaying side to side in the middle of the atlantic ocean. My thoughts started to get the better of me..
โWhat if this is it, and i donโt get to speak to Sarah again”
โWhat if i never hear her amazing laugh, or feel the warmth of her hug again”
โWhat if iโm now on my own struggling to face the rest of life (never mind the holiday) without my lovely wife”
ENOUGH!! i thought and desperately gave it to God in prayer.
โOh Lord please help, if this is Sarahโs passing to paradise, then i want to say iโm not happy about it, and iโd like to spend more time with her on earth BUT thank you so much for blessing me with such a priceless gift, i canโt express how much i love her and iโve tried to be the husband you commanded me to be. Sarah has shown me such love, happiness, forgiveness, acceptance and a life i simply didnโt know was possible BUT if itโs not her time, please comfort her and bring her back to me, Amenโ.
A short while later the nurse said i could come back and sit with Sarah again. Sarah was awake and fighting with the oxygen mask. She said โWhereโve you been? I told them that my diabetes was unstable which is why i have the pump but they didnโt believe me, they never do, and now theyโve given me a second hypo after pumping me full of insulin againโ. I said while kissing her forehead โOh my lovely, iโm glad to have you backโ. ๐ย
Weโd been in the hospital for about 2 hours, it was just coming to 3am. Sarah kept asking if i was alright and did i need anything. โI bet youโre hungry and need a coffeeโ โItโs ok, iโm enjoying being here with you, please get some sleep as youโve had a rough couple of days, iโll be right hereโ.ย
It was 6:30am when Sarah was allowed to leave. She was given more supplies to last for the rest of the holiday. Then the doctor explained about how fast acting insulin is absorbed into the body with the syringes, and how it differs and works a lot slower than the insulin pump. She said โOnce youโve had the injection, the insulin will not start to work for 1ยฝ hours and it will be completely out of your system in 3 hours. And as you donโt have the pump giving you little bits all of the time, your blood sugar will rise on itโs own, so you need to give bigger (and overlapping) doses to compensate.
Sarah had never been instructed on any of this over the years because everything had ben controlled by the pump and i certainly didnโt know anything about insulin absorption, as with the pump it pretty much works straight away. We also wondered why she hadnโt explained this to us yesterday, which wouldโve helped.
We now headed back to the cabin to try and set up another plan of action, we knew this was going to be a difficult task, never mind adding things like food etc. lol ๐ ย
Wow, what a night! Thatโs 2 nights without sleep already, and itโs time to set up the alarms for every 2 hours on my phone. Sleep is not going to come easy from now onโฆis the coffee port open yet? Might as well have a nice coffee if iโm awake! ๐
Only 3 more days at sea (iโll merge into one post) until we reach Horta, Azores, where we can hopefully do some more excursions! ๐ย
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โ๏ธ #19 The Blind Sightseers “Escape The Lockdown” With Distant Memories: “Goodbye Caribbeanโฆhello massive ocean…”๐
April 27, 2020 0 Comments
Goodbye Caribbeanโฆhello massive ocean…
After another amazing day in the Caribbean(which was now about an hour away), we thought weโd try and relax with a spot of sunbathing. This meant trying the almost impossible task of finding not 1โฆbut 2, empty sun loungers.
Fantastic! We found 2 together, no way. Butโฆpretty much after placing our towels onto the sun loungers, Sarahโs โParadigmโ insulin pump started alarming!!
โThatโs not the usual alarmโ I said as Sarah was trying to read the tiny screen in the super bright sun. โI canโt quite make out what itโs saying, but itโs not something iโve seen before, i need to go back to the cabin and use the magnifierโ. The pump continued itโs piercing alarm all the way to the cabin!
Back in the cabin..
Once back, and using our video magnifier, the error message on the screen said “A button has been continually pressed for more than three minutes. to clear press ESC, then ACTโ.
Sarah said โThatโs weird, my pumpโs been nowhere near anything that would press the buttons, but it sounds easy enough, i can finally stop this annoying alarmโ. After hearing a few clicks, then a few more, the pump was still alarming. โItโs not workingโ โWhat do you mean, are the buttons not responding?โ. โNo, it wonโt clear the error message, can you have a goโ. I tried, and still nothing except the error message and the alarm!
We both knew we didnโt have long as the pump has now stopped delivering insulin, as Sarah needs a continual small dose, as not only does Sarah have type 1, but a brittle form, and she is also slightly allergic to insulin!ย
After taking the battery out, waiting 10 minutes before replacing…the alarm and message were still there! After trying it again, I said โShould we take it to the doctors in the hospital on Deck 3?โ โThey wonโt know anything about insulin pumps, itโs specialised equipment, which is why itโs carefully monitored, and finely tuned by the diabetic clinicโ. After a few more desperate tries to cancel the alarm, and running out of options, we had no choice, and headed down to deck 3.
The Hospital…
Reaching the bottom of the stairs to Deck 3, we were greeted with a couple of corridors and lots of doors. We could hear voices coming from an open door on the right, so we headed there. We found the doctor who was sounding very concerned whilst talking to a couple of very poorly sounding people, who had deep growly coughs. I said โLetโs wait out hereโ. A man dressed in a white suit approached us and asked if we were ok? After explaining what had happened, he looked at the pump, took it, and asked us to wait in the waiting room.
He returned with the doctor(a female with quite an aggressive manner), she explained that the pump was broken, and we needed to get a new one. But for now she needed to work out how much insulin Sarahโs body ran on. We said the pump gives a small amount of Humalog every 1-2 hours continuously, but all of the information is programmed in the pump that has now locked itself. This didnโt impress her! Between us, we had to try and calculate how much insulin Sarah took each day, by adding up the dosage at meal times, and adding a little more to compensate for the pumps continuous injections in the background.ย
After a couple more hours of stressful calculations, the doctor gave Sarah some old school syringes and told us to keep a record of insulin taken, time of insulin taken and food eaten etc. We returned to our cabin worried about how we were going to cope for the rest of the holiday, and did we have enough Humalog insulin in the fridge, as the hospital on-board didnโt use it, or stock it.
The Phone Call…
We went up to reception on Deck 8(lots of stairs, lol) ย to see if we could phone Medtronic(the makers of the insulin pump) as they are an American company, and would still be open. We couldnโt phone the UK diabetic clinic as they were 5 hours in front, and it would be about midnight!ย
After a long drawn out discussion with the receptionist, asking if there was a way to call out from a ship, as we have a medical disaster, as Sarah knows her body reacts badly to injections etc, and really does need the continued small amounts 24 hours a day. ย So we really needed to call Medtronic to see if there is any way of saving the pump! Eventually we managed to phone Medtronic, and after a ยฃ52 phone callโฆhe told us “the pump was broken!!โ. Sarah has been on an insulin pump for about 15 years, and they have never broken. But 1 hour from Antigua, sailing at sea for 5 daysโฆit breaks! ๐ฆย
Trying to relax…
As the realisation was setting in of trying to manage with injections, and Sarahโs blood sugar was still on the rise after the first injection. We were getting a little worried on how this was all going to play out. We decided to stay in the room and just figure out a game plan for the rest of the holiday. We then managed to figure out how to turn on the TV, i thought a film might help Sarah try and relax after the trauma of the day.ย
After a while when Sarah spoke again, i instantly knew we were in trouble! The slightly slurring sound of Sarahโs voice told me her blood sugar had suddenly shot down and it was very low! โOh no,โ i said as i jumped into survival mode. Sarah was still conscious so i knew i had a little time. I went straight to the fridge and got the bottle of orange lucozade that usually works if Sarah is still able to drink.ย
After about 10 minutes Sarah was slipping away, so i ran to my bag and got the Gluco Gel and squirted it into Sarahs mouth. Gluco gel is fantastic and absorbs into gums etc, and after a while(a nervous while) Sarah was back with us. โPhewโ i said as relief was pulling me out of survival mode. Sarah said โIโve had a hypo havnโt i?! These injections really arenโt going to work, my body just goes erratic and messes upโ.ย
After a sleepless night of trying to stabilise a yo-yoing blood sugar, we were not really enjoying our first day at sea. But we decided to go and have a nice strong coffee at our fave place, as weโve probably got another sleepless night tonight too. I said โItโs hard to imagine that not even a day ago we were riding on horseback across that beautiful beachโ. ๐ย
Sarah has to check her blood sugar every 2 hours, day and night, for the rest of the holiday, as without the pumps continuous feed, we are left with just fast acting insulin, and lots of prayers.
This is becoming quite an adventure!!!ย
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โ๏ธ #18 The Blind Sightseers “Escape The Lockdown” With Distant Memories: “St Johns, Antigua”๐ฆ๐ฌ
April 26, 2020 0 Comments
After another early start(and youโve guessed it) a bacon roll, we headed off the ship. The shore excursion lady was at the bottom of the gangway steps, and she showed us where to join the queue. Well i say queue, there were only about 8 of us in total. I thought โI think we may have over reached on this one. Maybe itโs going to be too difficult, and really not suited for the blindโ.ย
We were then led towards the minibus. We were told theyโd saved us the 2 seats in the front next to the driver, i said โSweetโ, and climbed aboard. I really didnโt expect what happened nextโฆthe driver turned on his CD player which started playing Ed Sheeran โThinking out loudโ and he started singing as i tapped away on my legs to the beat. His voice was incredible, it was like we were having our own concert in the front of the minibus, whilst driving around paradise. ย Quite a surreal moment. After more fantastic singing toย Tarrus Rileyโs ย “She’s Royalโ, he pulled up at Fort James Beach where we were to start our horse ride.
Welcome to Paradise…
We left the minibus and were instantly greeted with a stunning view of porcelain palm fringed sands, and stilted turquoise waters of Fort James beach, also we received a further warm welcome by the โHorseman(sorry, i forgot his name)โ. ๐ย
ย โง The horseman strolling along the beautiful beach โง ย
โง Horses being led to the sea to cool off โง ย
The Horse Ride…
Once everyone was fitted with a protective hat, it was time to line up and meet the horses. He asked for experienced riders first, then one at a time they mounted the horses. It was about this time i started to get a little nervous. I was saying to Sarah โHow do we get up there? Are there steps? Which foot do i put forward first? Are the horses big enough to carry me?โ
The horseman was out of earshot, but i think he could see my face, he said โDonโt worry, i have a couple of special horses for you twoโ. This put my mind a little more at ease. Sarah mounted first on the horse named โSunshineโ, what a perfect horse for her! ๐ Then i mounted easily with the excellent help from horseman onto the horse named โLittle Manโ,ย
After a short tutorial on how to hold(and use) the reins, it was time to move on out! We had only walked along next to a road for about a minute, and iโd just got used to the weird motion of rocking side to side whilst not being able to see the ground or the horse in front. When…a huge commotionโฆLots of shouting from horseman, and the horses. I thought(at first) it sounded like a car had hit one of the horses. I pulled back on the reins as i saw Sarah(who was in front of me) appear at my side, Yay my horse stopped! ๐ We found out at the end, that a car got too close and spooked a few of the horses, so no one(or horses) were hurt.
My plan was to take my Samsung WB550 compact camera with me to take photos & video whilst on the horse, but that was soon foiled when i got onto the horse, and my shorts were pulled tight around my pocket, so it had seal it shut. I didnโt want to try and move, as i thought the horse might mistaken my movements and start galloping off!. I did eventually get an opportunity when my foot suddenly got smacked out of the stirrup by an aloe vera plant(it got a few of us), and as my leg was free i quickly grabbed my camera! ๐ Note to self, next time take my other camera with a neck strap! ๐ย
The horseman who was overseeing us said โWelcome to Sandhaven Beachโ…
โง โLittle Manโ taking me on a beautiful journey ๐ โงย
โง Sarah on โSunshineโ & in sunshine, along Sandhaven beach โงย
โง Sarah ensconced in Sunshine! ๐ โงย
Words completely fail me when i try and describe the feeling of riding in paradise. The sound of the waves, the feel of the hot sun with the cool breeze, the movement(and sound) of the horse, topped off with the amazing panorama. We really didnโt want to leave our new fave place on earth!! ๐ย
We left Sandhaven beach and headed back to Fort James beach. Weโd been riding for around 1ยฝ hours, and just before we finished, the man asked for my cameras so he could take a photo of us on our horses.
My horse โlittle Manโ was busy eating grass, i think he had my appetite! ๐ย
ย โง โLittle Man & โSunshineโ โงย
Once off the horses, we were given a bottle of water each as they prepared for stage 2. Stage 2 gave the chance for the experienced riders to ride faster(or gallop as iโm told), and the chance to ride bareback into the water. Sarah and another lady paired up together to do this.ย
Sarah said โI was sat trying to balance without a saddle, when suddenly i was thrown back as one of my legs was pulled up. I looked down to see that the horse had taken a liking to one of my bright yellow laces, and was pulling on it as though it was spaghetti! ๐ย
Once stage 2 was over, we had about 45 minutes before the singing taxi arrived. โNo way, does this mean you get to swim in paradise again?!โ i said as Sarah was already half way down the beach!! ๐ย
The Swim…
โง Sarah excited to be the only one in the beautiful sea โง ย
โง What a way to relax! ๐ โง ย
ย โง I think Sarah enjoyed her swim! ๐ โงย
The taxi ride was just as fun. The drivers stunning voice carried us all the way back to the ship.
ย Back on the ship…
We now had to say goodbye to the Caribbean. ๐ฆ We took our usual sofaโs in the coffee port, and with coffeeโs in hand, we watched the island slowly disappear.ย We both agreed that this was our fave place of the trip, and the horse ride was our best experience so far!!
Our new friend…
On returning to our cabin, the steward had created a folded towel turtle, and used my hat as the shell, fantastic!! ย ๐ย
Our Route 4 2day…
This afternoon Thomson Dream sails to Horta, Portugal, weโll arrive on Sunday late morning, after 5 leisurely days at sea. having travelled 2,173 nautical miles, at an average speed of 16 knots.
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โ๏ธ #17 The Blind Sightseers “Escape The Lockdown” With Distant Memories: “Basseterre, St Kitts”๐ฐ๐ณ
April 26, 2020 2 Comments
Our excursion today “St Kitts Scenic Railwayโ didnโt start until 11am, so we had a more relaxed breakfast at Lidoโs on Deck 9. Then another lovely coffee at the Coffee Port on Deck 8. Now we had sustenance, it was down to Deck 4 and off the ship to enjoy what today had in store for us?! ๐ ย ย
Welcome to St Kitts…ย
Once an illustrious sugar colony, it now focusses its efforts on being a tropical paradise. A seductive blend of blonde sandss, and duck egg blue seas.ย
Once we slowly navigated down the gangway steps, we looked up to see a view of the beautiful bay.ย
The Caribbean never failed to surprise us, even when we thought we had seen the most beautiful places, the next place would leave us awe-struck with itโs breathtaking landscapes!ย
โง Sarahโs Panorama of St Kitts โงย
ย
As i was taking a photo of Sarah, a nice lady came over and asked if we would like her to take one of us both together? โOh yes please, that would be so kind of youโ. The photo she took is probably my fave photo of the trip! ๐ย
โง Sarah & i at St Kitts โง
Showing my excitement, and love for the Caribbean. Sarah chose(and bought) me an amazingly bright and colourful Caribbean shirt, ๐
Excursion Details – St Kitts Scenic Railway…
First up, board a tour bus for a drive along the south coast. Important landmarks lie around every corner here.
Second, hop on a train at the โNeeds-Must” station, and St Kitts light railway takes you on a 3 hour tour of the islands best bits. Youโll chug over ravines over 300 feet deep, circle mount Liamuga volcano, take a sneak peak at the islands black sand beaches, and soak up the jaw dropping views over lush sugar cain fields,
The Bus…
Another soothing air conditioned bus ride. Our tour guide was fantastic, and told us all about the Economy, history(some grusome battles), and the monkeys! She said “Around 100,000 monkeys live in the tree covered hills, and they steal our fruit etc. So if you want to take one with you, it will help us greatly!โ.
โง A view from the bus window โงย
The Train…
We got off the bus at the “Needs-Mustโ station. The hot sun felt lovely as we waited for the train. We had no idea what to expect, and looking at the small narrow train tracks, we expected a little open top fun train, or something like.ย
Thenโฆthis large double decker monster pulled up. โWow, i didnโt expect that! Itโs really tall, and doesnโt look wide enough to take the heightโ. I said as we climbed the stairs to the upper deck of the 1st carriage. โYes! We get to sit at the front too! Unbelievableโ.
As the train pulled away, the tour guide told us that the train will sway(strongly) side to side, so itโs best to stay seated, but if you want to stand then keep hold of the rail above the seats. She wasnโt joking!! It was the craziest train iโd ever been on, and i thought there is no way i can take photos whilst being violently thrown around!ย
Butโฆas usual, i didnโt let that stop me! My Nikkor lens has VR(Vibration Reduction) on it, so iโll test it out. I really didnโt expect to have any photos from this amazing, unforgettable train ride, but was surprised when a few turned out not too blurry! ย
We started off travelling through vivid green fields flanked by volcanos.
Then just as a lady asked us if we wanted a “Pina Colada”, we saw the first of many beautiful curved bays, with the sea crashing into the shore.
Sarah & i just kept saying โWow, this is Amazing! How did we get here, itโs like a dreamโ. The beautiful hot sun shining down, a lovely cool breeze flowing through the train, and a Pina Colada in hand. Some of my fave things are Coconut, Banana and Pineapple, and this drink had them all! Mmmmm. ๐ ย
Then as the train curled its way through the lush landscape, a 3 part harmony choir started singing. The ladies would come up to our deck and sing some beautiful songs as part of the trip. The voices were fantastic, and brought even more sunshine to this incredible journey. ๐ย
As the singers finished, we heard a horn next to us, so we all started waving at the people on the fun bus! ๐ย
We were then treated to another stunning bay!
After passing through more sugarcane fields, the lady brought us a piece of sugarcane with spices. Wow, it was the nicest sweet thing iโd ever tasted! I always talk about this sugarcane everywhere i go.
โง Sarah sat at the front of the train! โง ย
The tour guide then said โOn your left you will make out the bridge we will be travelling over shortlyโ. I heard Sarah say โNo way, the train isnโt going to make it over that, it looks too small and rickety. Steve, if you could see it, youโd be saying the same!!โ.ย
Yes i would! After seeing this photo, i could tell exactly why Sarah was getting worried! ๐
After the bridge, we travelled back towards the end of the journey. But not before we were blessed, by what is now my favourite church building.
This fantastic train ride came to an end back at โNeeds-Mustโ station, where the bus was ready to take us back to the ship. But before we boarded, we still had a short time to look around the shops at the dock.
I bought another Caribbean shirt(blue one) so i could keep up with the vibrant colours surrounding us from all angles! Sarah even plaited my hair too! ๐ ย ย ย
โง My quiet blue shirt โงย
ย Tomorrow will be our last Caribbean island, before we are at sea for 5 days crossing the atlantic for the Azores.ย
Weโve booked a horse ride across the beach etc, so iโm a little nervous. But at least the horse isnโt blind(i hope) and will lead the way! Either way, iโm sure itโll be another unforgettable experience! This holiday has been full of them! ๐ย
ย Our Route 4 2day…
This evening Thomson Dream travels to St Johns, Antigua. Weโll arrive tomorrow morning having travelled 61 nautical miles, at an average speed of 4 knots.
Wow, Did you enjoy this trip as much as we did? Did you have a fave part?ย ย
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โ๏ธ #16 The Blind Sightseers “Escape The Lockdown” With Distant Memories: “Philipsburg, St Maarten”๐ธ๐ฝ
April 25, 2020 0 Comments
After a quick bacon roll from Lidoโs on Deck 9, Sarah & i found our way off the ship, and to the shore excursion point.ย
St Maarten Island Tourโฆ(excursion details)
Flying under two flags, St Maarten has got something of a split personality. But despite being one half Dutch and the other French, its whole is as Caribbean as it gets. And on this trip youโll get to see both sides of this two-faced island, with your guide giving you snippets of history as you go
Youโll travel from Philipsburg(Dutch capital) to Marigot(French capital) passing through dinky villages hardly touched by time. Once you reach Marigot, you have some free time to explore this four street-wide city. All patisseries, pavement cafรฉs and designer boutiques, itโs easy to see why itโs known as the French Riviera of the Caribbean.
The Dutch Side…
Our tour started with a drive around the beautiful Dutch side of the island, the air conditioned bus was perfect on this hot day. The guide pretty much told us that this was the place for the profligates. Casinos, night clubs, fast food outlets etc. ย I instantly thought of ย Mathew 23 โYou are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything uncleanโ. Not quite in context, but you get the idea! ๐
I know i keep going on about the vivid colours, i still canโt put into words how stunning they are, i couldnโt get my camera to do them justice! The Colours will be the main thing i remember about the caribbean! ๐ ย
Lookout Point, Simpson Bay Lagoon…
The driver/tour guide said heโd stop the bus for about 5 minutes so we could take some photos of the bay. โExcellent”, i thought as Sarah & i followed a man with a DSLR who was leaving in a hurry off the bus. I thought “if he is so keen to get off, then it must be a beautiful bay”. But as soon as he had moved to the edge of the cliff, he started saying โWhy did he stop here? This is horrible, and a building site! There were much nicer places where he shouldโve stoppedโ.
I ignored his complaining and started taking photos of the scenery i couldnโt see anyway, as i wanted to see what he was talking about when i zoomed in at home after the holiday. I still canโt make out the detail, but what i can see looks beautiful!, and well worth stopping for! ๐
โง Lookout Point – Simpson Bay Lagoon โง
The French Side…
Moving seamlessly from the Dutch side of the island to the French side, Sarah started to feel a little more at home as the guide said โYou wonโt find any Burger King, KFC, casinoโs etc. Youโll find cafe’s, restaurants, small independent market stores etc”.
After more fascinating history of the island, we pulled into Marigot(French capital), and now had 45 minutes to have a look around!ย
Marigotโฆ
ย After leaving the bus, we headed straight for the open space where we found another lovely bayย
โง Marigot bay โงย
After standing a moment to absorb the beauty, it was over to the market to see what we could find.
The smell of the locals cooking on the market was amazing, but Sarah had found a sweet little craft stall. The lady created items from the coral found off the shores St Maarten. โOooooh, i could have a necklace made from St Maartenโ. I knew that to mean “iโm getting one, i just donโt know which one yet?!” ๐ย
โง Sarahโs St Maartens Coral Necklace โง ย
Sarah really was starting to feel at home here, ย but we had to get back to the bus! We enjoyed our stop in Marigot, and we said weโd love to spend a week here to investigate more! ๐
Back On The Ship…
After finishing the island tour, we went back to the ship to get some lunch. We had a few hours before the ship sails away, so we decided to see if we could find a beach!
Sarah always says โThe holiday hasnโt properly started until our feet are standing on the sand!!” ๐ย
After a frustrating hour walking from one end of the dock to the other, trying to find transport to take us to a beach. We started heading back to the ship defeated. When.. suddenly a โWater Taxiโ sign appeared! Fantastic, lets go! Eventually we got on-board a very busy(yet cool) boat that took us a short distance across the bay.ย
After just stepping out of the boat, i heard โHi Steve and Sarahโ. It was Martin, a kind man i sat next too on the plane over to Jamaica. Weโd got chatting on the plane about sight loss and coping etc, and he has a Nephew who is suffering at the moment, so i was giving him some resources that may help etc. We Sadi โHi Martin, are we anywhere near a beach?โ He chuckled a little and said โYeah itโs right here, just walk down this short pier and you wonโt miss itโ โFantastic!โ โDonโt be long though, you donโt want to miss the shipโ Martin said, as he boarded the water taxi.ย
Great Bay Beach…
โง View of the cruise ships from Great Bay Beach โงย
The afternoon sun was getting hot now, which must have been why most of the people were inside the bars. But we had been in air conditioning all morning so didnโt mind a bit of sun.ย
It also meant that, not only did we get to walk on the powder white sands, but Sarah got to swim in the turquoise waters with hardly anyone around! An amazing experience! ๐ ย
Sarah couldnโt believe she was swimming in paradise, and couldnโt stop smiling for the rest of the day! ๐ย
โง Sarah relaxing in paradise โง ย ย
โง Beautiful! โงย
It really was getting hot now, so we nipped into a small bar for a cold soothing drink. I thought iโd try a Rum & Coke(though i didnโt taste much coke), and Sarah had her fave Mojito.ย
We had a last walk up and down the beach before boarding the water taxi back to the ship. What an amazing day! This whole holiday has been simply breathtaking for us, and Sarah still canโt believe she got to swim in the beautiful, warm Caribbean sea! ๐
Towel Folding & Beyond…
Youโve already seen the fantastic towel folded Elephant onย Day 1, and each night the cabin steward folded our bed in amazingly straight lines, but he went one step further. We found Sarahโs nightie folded in this fantastic pattern.
โง Folded nightie and bed, with chocolate mints on pillows โง ย ย
Our Route 4 2day…
This evening Thomson Dream sails to Basseterre, St Kitts. Weโll arrive tomorrow morning having travelled 59 nautical miles at an average of 4 knots.
Wow, Did you enjoy this trip as much as we did? Did you have a fave part?ย ย
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โ๏ธ #15 The Blind Sightseers “Escape The Lockdown” With Distant Memories: “Road Town, Tortola BVI”๐ป๐ฌ
April 25, 2020 3 Comments
Absorbing ย The Landscapes…
As we were at anchor during our visit to Road Town, with local shipโs tender boats transferring us to, and from the shore. We had a little time to take some photos before we left the ship. It was so calm and peaceful as we stood in front of this beautiful landscape.
โง Sorryโฆi couldnโt resist the overkill blue filter effect! ๐ โง ย
โง The beautiful coastline of Road Town โง ย
ย โง I listened patiently until the boat that i couldnโt see was hopefully on the right of my shot! ๐ โงย
โง The rolling green hills of Road Town โง ย
After having a fun(bobbing up and down) tender boat ride, we were driven along the coastal road covered in vivid green trees which stroked the tops of brightly coloured bungalows.
The Dolphin Encounter…
We had now arrived at the Prospect Reef Resort where Sarah got into the water to splash around with dolphins that call this place home.
As Sarahโs eye had been closed to keep out infections, we thought it was best to choose the โDolphin Encounterโ instead of the fully immersed ย โSwim with Dolphinsโ. We just couldnโt risk it!ย
I booked the โDolphin Observerโ which didnโt turn out well. Sarah & i were separated and i had no way of knowing which pool she was entering, so i waited on the nearest seats i could find, quietly listening for her name to be called out. Then as i’d hear it, iโd whip out my camera and get some shots. I didnโt hear her name as i was sat at completely the wrong pool. ๐ฆ
But all is not lostโฆi bought the fantastic photos taken by their photographer. Yay! ๐ย
ย โง Sarah stood in front of the surf board logo sign โงย
ย Sarah had never done anything like this before, she was excited and apprehensive at the same time. But as soon as she got into the water and met her new friend, she was blown away! ๐
Step 1: Meeting the dolphin…ย
ย โง Sarahโs first touch of the dolphin โงย
Step 2: Dancing with the dolphin…ย
Sarah said as she took hold of both flippers, the dolphin started a funky wiggle dance! ๐ย
ย โง Sarah dancing with her new friend โง ย
Step 3: The Kiss…ย
ย โง Sarah receiving a kiss on the cheek from the dolphin โงย
โง Dolphin showing its excitement after meeting Sarah! ๐ ย โง ย
Once Sarah was dried off and changed, and we collected the photo CD, it was time to catch the bus back and head for Road Towns pretty main street and market.ย
We had one place in mind(if we could find it) โSunny Caribbeeโ. Everybody was talking about this place and the incredible local spices, sauces, coffee, artworkโฆeverything! ๐ย
We got off the bus and walked into town. We walked for a while longer, then we did(what we always did) when we got lost on our tripโฆlisten for a broad northern accent! It was only seconds until we found some people from our ship who pointed us in the right direction! ๐ย
Sunny Caribbee…
โง Photo of the shop front of Sunny Caribbee โง ย ย
โง Bottled sauces with fantastic hats! ๐ โง
Once inside the shop we were amazed by the variety and beauty of the products, and how lovely and helpful the ladies were, We just wanted to take everything! Once we saw the sauce bottles with the hats, we just had to get them as presents! ๐ ย
We were sad to leave Sunny Caribbee, but it was time to head off to the main street market as Sarah had seen some beautifully coloured dresses!
Sarah bought a lovely bright dress, but no photos yet. ๐ฆ ย
After getting lost again in the town, we managed to find directions (yes another northern couple) back to the tender boats. It was another bobbing boat ride back to the ship.
We then took our usual seats in the Coffee Port, while drinking our favourite double espresso macchiatoโs, we watched the islands disappear as the ship sailed away.
Our Route 4 2day…
This afternoon Thomson Dream sails to Philipsburg, St Maarten. Weโll arrive tomorrow morning having travelled 92 nautical miles at an average speed of 8 knots.
Wow, Did you enjoy this trip as much as we did? Did you have a fave part?ย ย
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โ๏ธ #14 The Blind Sightseers “Escape The Lockdown” With Distant Memories: La Romana, “Dominican Republic”๐ฉ๐ด
April 24, 2020 0 Comments
Sarah & i were excited to arrive at La Romana, Dominican Republic, and we were really looking forwards to our shore excursion. After applying strong suntan lotion, deet bands to our wrists and ankles and finishing off with our hats, we went to see if we could find where the excursion actually starts!ย
Using my knees as suspention, i slowly navigated down the treacherous gangway steps until i reached land. yay! The hot sun was shining, I could hear a local band playing, and then i heard Joโs voice, she is part of the excursion team. We homed in on her voice and she said that she was coming on the same excursion so we could wait for her and sheโll take us to the coach. Fantastic, we can now relax! ๐
โง My lovely wifeย Sarahโs beautiful Caribbean outfit! ๐ย โงย
After a short coach trip, and hearing about the history of the island by the tour guide, we arrived atย Casa de Campo,
Roman-styled 5,000-seat amphitheater…
โงย Sarah relaxing in the sun, sat on the amazing steps.ย โงย
โงย My new hat kept my head nice and cool, thanks Suzanneย โง
ย After briefly taking in this fantasticย amphitheater, it was a short walk to the lovely fountain.
I had no idea that Sarah had stopped sitting down and was now walking towards me, but itโs made a lovely photo! lol. ๐ย
ย Another short walk around this beautiful place until we reached the church and river.
St. Stanislaus Church…ย
โงย Me walking around wondering what to shoot next!ย โง ย
Whilst looking at the stunning church, at my 6 oโ clock was the stunningย Chavรณn River. What a beautiful place, and such a blessing to be able to be here.
ย The Chavรณn River…ย
ย 
Just as i finished taking this photo, Sarah said โquick, take a photo of those ladies wearing the beautiful red dressesโ. I span round and said โWhere are they?โ They were about 10 feet directly in front of me(i told you i was blind! lol). But just then they stood either side of Sarah and posed for the photo…
Some of you more experienced travellers will probably know what iโm about to say?!!
After the photo the ladies said โTipโฆtipโ, i was about to say โNo, itโs ok you donโt need to tip me for the photo, iโm not that good!โ. But then as we realised it was they who wanted a tip for posing for the shot, Jo(our Thomson excursion leader) quickly gave them a tip as we had no change at all. That was a lesson learned for Sarah & i, and we will be a little more discerning next time! I still think it was worth the mix up as the photos are lovely. ๐ย
At the bottom left of the photo aboveโฆyou can just make out the paddle boat. Thatโs where we are heading next! ๐ย
ย Paddle Boats & Palm Trees…
ย โงย Me reflecting on Godโs beautiful creationย โงย
ย โงย Sarah feeling relaxed in the sunย โงย
The whole excursion was amazing. Iโve never seen such vibrant colours, breathtaking scenery and a chance to travel along the โRambo Riverโ.ย
Back on-board the ship…
We went straight to the ice cold water machine, and then out on deck to get some last shots before we sailed away.ย
ย Wow,what a day! The south east corner of the Dominican Republic. was labelled โThe fairest land under heaven” by Columbus. I don’t disasociate myself from his opinion!! ๐ย
Our Route 4 2day…
This afternoon the Thomson Dream sails to Road Town, Tortola. Weโll arrive tomorrow afternoon having travelled 277 nautical miles, at an average speed of 14 knots.ย
Wow, Did you enjoy this trip as much as we did? Did you have a fave part?ย ย
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Mayan Treasures Tour: Day 3 ~ Trujillo, Honduras
May 6, 2016 1 Comment
โง Postcard taken and produced by Thomson Dream Photographers โงย
Welcome to Trujillo:
Christopher Columbus landed in Trujillo on the 14th August 1502. During his fourth and final journeys to the Amercas. Since then they have been under the control of the Spanish, the Dutch, the English and even Pirates.
But now…
Sarah & i arrived on the shore, and after a coach trip with a friendly local tour guide telling us about this fantastic place(and the constant invasions by the pirates), we arrived at the beach resort! ๐ย
โWowโ i said as we stepped onto the sand and selected a couple of sun loungers with a table shelter thingy with a free cold bottle of lager welcoming us!
โWeโre going to enjoy thisโ. This was the most relaxing excursion out of the 4 weโd booked,
and thenโฆ.
Sarah said โYay, there is a trampoline in the seaโ. I would have been more excited but my mind went straight to Sarahโs Charcot feet(diabetic problem again), and how she was going to manage?! But i should have known Sarah would win me over by taking every precaution, and before i could stand up, Sarah was in the sea! ๐ ย ย
I stood waiting and trying to calculate how long it would take Sarah to swim over and climb on before iโd start taking photosโฆthen i heard โSTEVEโ i knew that was my cue to start taking photos and videos(thank you my lovely wife).
Sarah really enjoyed trampolining in the sea as sheโd never done anything like this before. But in the photo belowโฆSarah looks very innocent , but iโm sure she has just shove the man off the left hand side!! lol. ๐ย
It was quite cloudy, and even spotted with rain for a minute or two, but itโs okโฆit was only the fine stuff that soaks you through, so I took a couple of photos of the landscape…
Then Sarah gifted us with a Panorama! ย
After a fantastic inclusive meal where Sarah & i had the nicest Plantain ever, we found a swimming pool with no-one in, and we relaxed for half an hour! ๐ย
We couldnโt believe how fast the time went and we reluctently headed back to the coach(well at least where we thought it was), but not before we stopped for one last photo at a beautiful fountain. ย
As Sarah & i were walking along the path, a Spanish speaking man with broken English held my arm and kept trying to tell us something. At first i thought heโd spotted the Grim Reaper tattoo on my leg(had it done 20 years ago when i thought i was tough in my pre Christian days) and thought i was a pirate, so i was in trouble! ๐ But when my mind slowed down, we realised he was trying to say he was the driver and we were walking away from the coach. lol We thanked him profusely and followed him back to the coach.
Back on the ship…
After a lovely day on the beach, we headed to our usual viewing spot on deck 10.ย
Yay another Sarah Panorama…ย ย
As we will be on holiday for Sarahโs birthday,ย i treated her to a hand manicure. ย Well…the whole holiday is a celebration of birthdayโs(weโll be back home for mine), our amazing marriage and seeing more of Godโs creation,ย
Afterwards Sarah said โWhy donโt you get them to braid your hair as the wind’s been annoying you all day, and you wonโt have to touch it for the rest of the holiday?! I was a little unsure about it, but after Sarah and the lady had decided to put 2 braids in, i went along with it.ย
Wow, Sarahโs right again, i didnโt have to touch it for the rest of the holiday, fantastic! ๐ ย
ย Well…the โ2 Blindiesโ have managed to have an amazing day in Trujillo, and we canโt thank you enough for joining us as we discover new ground. ๐ ย
Our Route:
This evening Thomson Dream sails to Roan, Honduras. Weโll arrive tomorrow morning having travelled 37 nautical miles at an average of 5 knots.
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Mayan Treasures: Day 1&2 ๐ณ London & Jamaica
April 28, 2016 1 Comment
ย Yay!!!! Were off to the Caribbean!! ๐ย
I canโt believe weโre getting another chance to see some of Godโs glorious creation! We were so blessed with our last cruise โTransatlantic Sunset Tourโ even though we had a roller coaster of a ride! ๐ย
We were up around 4:30am, packing the final items into our cases. I found out the hard way last year on how impossible it was to find my black suitcase on the carousel among hundreds of other black suitcases!! ๐ฆ So this year iโve treated myself to a dark purple one. Letโs see if this one is better to find?!
Kate, from the local taxis that Sarah uses for work, arrived and we set off for Gatwick. โNow we can relaxโ i said โAs itโs too late to go back if weโve forgotten anythingโ.ย
The Airport…
Kate was fantastic, and drove us right to the entrance and pointed us in the right direction โJust keep walking that way and youโll be fineโ. We checked in our cases and were given the fantastic airport assistance who guided us through customs and sat us in departures ready to catch the fun train.ย
The people at the desk said there was a 1 hour delayโฆโOh yes!!” Sarah & i said at the same time โWe have time to go shopping and have a coffeeโ. I think this was a new response for them as they looked a little bemused! ๐ย
After finding the same italian coffee place from last year(itโs becoming another local), we found our way around a few shops and headed back to the pick up point. It wasnโt long before the handheld thing they give me started flashing and vibrating which meant it is our turn to get on-board the train! ย
After our fun ride on the train, we boarded the plane and i even got a window seat. The 787 Dreamliner didnโt disapoint as it gave it the beans down the runway!ย
During the 10ยฝ hour flight, Sarah watched about 5 films(well 10 minutes of each, as she said they were horiffic, and saw firsthand why we didnโt have a TV lisence anymore). We enjoyed the in-flight meals though, and it made up for the poor entertainment.ย
As i canโt even see who is sat next to me(although i know itโs Sarah), i spent the time listening to the people around me. It helps me understand who is around, where they are, and i get to learn a little about the person by their words and characterโฆas “what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heartโ. ๐ย
Yay,we’re back in Jamaica! ๐ ย ย
The airport assistance escorted us through customs and to the queue for the coach transfer to the ship. As soon as they realised we couldnโt see, they took us and skipped straight passed the queue and onto the coach where we were shown to the 2 front seats! One advantage of being blind, lol.
Arriving at the ship, the coach driver said there were further delays and the queue for the ship check-in was long and itโs seriously hot out there! But when we left the coach, we met the assistance and again, they led us passed the large queue straight to the check-in and onto the ship! I always feel a little guilty when this happens, but itโs a fantastic service for us. ๐
Boarding the Thomson Dream again this year felt like we were coming home. It took us about a week to figure out where everything is, but this time we remembered and it made life a lot easier! ๐ย
The Emergency Drill…
We were now almost experts at the life jackets(well Sarah was) and we needed no help this time putting them on. It was really hot and humid out on deck for the drill, but i handled the heat much better this time. ๐ย
Finding our way back to the cabin with our life jackets on, we wanted to try and take a selfie to keep as a memory, as we probably wouldnโt have chance if we ever needed to use them again. Itโs really hard to take a selfie when you canโt see the phone screen, but we took loads and managed to find one.
ย The Coffee Port…
After a full on day, Sarah & i were in need of a proper coffeeโฆand guess what greeting we heard as we walked in??!! Yes it was Cecily! โNo wayโ we both said โItโs so good to see you againโ. Cecily then sat us down and said โ2 espresso macchiatos?โโฆ.No way, she remembered! ๐ This was really starting to feel like home.
We finished our coffees and headed back to our cabin. Our cases had arrived and we started unpacking as the ship set sail for Trujillo, HondurasโฆWow what a day! ๐ย
Day 2โฆ..
We spent day 2 exploring and seeing if anything had changed since weโd been gone. There were a few changes but nothing that tripped us up. Now it was time to check out the shore excursions for the next 4 islands!ย
Last year we didnt realise how quickly they sold out, so we got in early ย and booked an excursion for each of the 4 days, we were excited to have booked a few varied tours, but i was a little worried as weโd booked Kayaking on one tour and River tubing on another. Can blind people really do this without crippling themselves?? ๐ย
Either wayโฆback to the Coffee Port to celebrate with a latte! ๐ย
ย Thanks for joining us, itโs great to see you on-board! ๐ย ย
Our Route:
this evening Thomson Dream sails to Trujillo, Honduras. Weโll arrive on Thursday morning after the leisurely day at sea having travelled 515 nautical miles at an average speed of 15 knots.ย
Transatlantic Sunset Tour: Day 19 ~ Palma
April 27, 2016 2 Comments
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Leaving our room for the last time and hoping weโd not forgotten anything, we had a couple of hours on the ship before our coach arrived. We went out on deck first to say hello to Palma! ๐ ย
Wow, weโre really going to miss the sun when we arrive home!
We stayed out on deck for about half an hour reflecting on our crazy cruise and how we actually survived some of the situations that tried to knock us down. Then it was time to say goodbye to my favourite ย place โThe Coffee Portโ. ๐ฆ
Cecily and the Coffee Port…ย
I would like to say a huge thanks to Cecily and the Coffee Port. Every time without fail, as soon as Sarah and i would walk in, and before weโd seen Cecily, Weโd here one of our names(depending who entered first) melodically sung which put a huge smile on our faces, what a welcome! ๐
She was so supportive of us and made fantastic coffee! ๐ย
Getting the coach…
After leaving the gangway for the last time, we boarded our coach and headed to the airport. It was a nice drive through Palma, but the mood on the coach was somber, as no-one wanted to go home. Although Sarahโs cough was almost constant and she was so tired from just coughing, she really wanted to be home so she can order a replacement insulin pump and get her blood under control.ย
Palma airport…
We arrived at Palma airport and found the assisstance that helped us with our luggage, then escorted us to the gate where we sat waiting for the announcements. Sarah said โLetโs go and find you a coffee, then i can go and look around some shops as we will be here for about an hourโ โCool, sounds good to me, as long as we donโt venture off too farโ.
Just then we heard our names calledโฆ
We were surprised to see one of the couples who befriended us at the Orion Restaurant in the evenings. They gave Sarah a card and said โHope your new job goes well, and you find your feet quickly. We wish you all the bestโ. Sarah was in pleasant shock with this unexpected kindness, especially as we thought weโd never meet them again.
Yay, the plane…
I was excited to be travelling on an airplane again, and was totally surprised i managed to capture a piece of Palma upon take off! ๐ ย
Back in the UKโฆ
We arrived in Gatwick airport on the Sunday before Bank Holiday Monday. The plan was to have the Bank Holiday as a rest day to try and recover from this rollercoaster of a cruise. But the drama hadnโt quite finished yet!!!
A&E…
Sarah was suffering beyond even what she can take(that doesnโt happen often) and on Monday morning we had to go to A&E as her chest was now closing up really bad and she could hardly breathe. As it was a Bank Holiday it was quite busy, but we finally got in to see the doctor. He said she had a Respiratory Tract Infection which has now given her a secondary lung thingy(i canโt remember the exact diagnosis,lol). After picking up the antibiotics we made our way home.
Sarahโs new job…
Iโm not sure if iโve mentioned it yet, but just before we started this cruise, Sarah left her job at RNIB(Royal National Institute Of Blind People), where sheโd worked for over 10 years, and was going to start her new job at WCRF(World Cancer Research Fund) tomorrow!! Yeah i know it seems mad, but donโt forget weโer dealing with my “Warrior Wife”!! ๐ย
Finally…
I canโt explain the emotions iโve been through typing up this day to day account of our cruise. Iโve been smiling, laughing, crying and shocked to find some great photos that will serve as loving memories for us.
Thank You, Thank You & Thank You…
Itโs been such a blessing to know youโve joined us on our trip, but beyond that, encouraging us with your kind and loving comments along the way. So we both thank God for you, and thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Hopefully weโll see you on our other tours too??!!
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Transatlantic Sunset Tour: Day 18 ~ Alicante
April 25, 2016 2 Comments
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After about a week of sleepless nights, to say Sarah & i were tired is an understatement. Also Sarahs cough is a lot worse and her lungs feel like a boa constrictor has coiled around them. Her erratic blood sugars are making her sick too…but apart from that, we are excited to find out what our last shore excursion has in stall for us! ๐ย
The coach was waiting for us from the bottom of the gangway(phewโฆat least we wonโt get lost around the dock, lol) and we set off towards the castle. As we drove down narrow windy streets lined with vivid green palm trees, with cafes splashed with orange i said to Sarah โWow, itโs like were driving through one of your fave tracks from Gran Turismo 4 on the Playstation 2!!โ โOkโ she said โNot sure iโd have thought of that, but now youโve mentioned it, that is exactly what it looks likeโ. ๐
ย Santa Barbara Castle…
As we stepped off the air conditioned coach onto the sandy/dusty car park, the first thing to hit me was the intense heat. The Caribbean was very hot but there was always a lovely cool breeze, but this heat seemed focused on burning me to a crisp! ๐ย
Iโm sure it was just a short walk to the castle and to my surprise i was already halfway down my bottle of water, so when we arrived to find a big climb to the top of the castle which included slanty slopes and invisible rough steps etc, it was time to start the thought process โI think weโve done something stupid again, and taken on an excursion we shouldโve never taken onโ. But as usual my thoughts were quickly defeated as my Warrior Wife took my hand and relentlesly attacked the slopes! Sarah always leaves me speechless, as i know she is feeling much worse than me, yet she battles on and fights when most others would give up. This is one reason why iโm so proud of her and love her more than anything! ๐ย
The view…
Once we reached to top and found the nearest wall, the view was fantastic and well worth risking our ย lives, lol ๐ ย
While stood admiring the view, i could hear a noisy flag flapping above my head. I thought โI havnโt tried taking a proper flag photo in motion beforeโ. It took about 5 minutes to try and get my camera to focus, but i finally got my first! ๐ ย
The tour guide was great, telling us all about the gruesome, bloody history of the castle(history never changes) told us we had an hour of free time to have a look around the castle and weโd all meet up at the bottom.
Yay, we had more time to look around! ๐ ย
It really was stunning up here, and i was excited to find Sarah getting her phone ready for one of her breathtaking Panoramas! ๐ ย ย
Wow Sarah has treated us with 2 breathtaking Panoramas again!!! ๐ ย ย
After Sarah โTop Trumpedโ me again with her amazing photos, we decided to begin our adventure down to the meeting place. We knew it was going to be much harder on the way down but we were going to enjoy it anyway!ย
As we still had about 30 minutes, we tried to look at everything we hadnโt seen on the way up.ย
When turning around, i thought Sarah had found a gift shop and was carrying a huge present for someone, lol. But thankfully itโs one of the statue things we found on the way.
We then found a cool little alley way.ย ย
This has to be one of my favorite photos!! Iโm glad to see Sarah(The Greatest Warriorโ parting some of her knowledge and instruction to an inferior ranked warrior on how to correctly throw a spear! ๐ ย
ย After many more laughs, we did eventually make it back to the meeting place, and then on to the coach, Ooooohh, air conditioning! ๐ย
ย The Town Hall Square & Cathedral of Alicante…
ย Walking through the town was hard work as it was very busy, but Sarah did find a local craft store that were selling handmade daisy broaches out of wicker etc. So while she was looking, i thought iโd quickly snap a couple of photos.
The Cathedral of Alicante…ย
ย On leaving the Cathedral, the tour guide said we have 30 minutes free time, then could you please find your way back to the coach, iโll be in the bar down this side alley getting a cold drink if anyone wants to join me? Sarah said โCome on quickly, we need to get to him before he gets swallowed by the crowds, as we donโt know our way back to the coachโ โOkay, letโs goโ i said as we zigzagged our way towards him. We caught up with him and he told us the easiest way back to the coach.
But before we headed back, Sarah had a chance to try the only Spanish phrase she could remember from her childhood holidays with her Dad.
โIt worked!!! I must have said it rightโ Sarah said as she brought 2 bottles of Lager to the small corner table in the little bar weโd stumbled upon. ๐
The Explanada, one of the most beautiful waterfront promenades in Spain…
ย On leaving the bar, Sarah saw this stunning pavement lined with palm trees. It reminded us of the incredible pavement in Horta, Azores. ย ย
Shortly before leaving the coach back at the dock, we had one final laugh when the tour guide told us he was from California, works in Alicante and is married to his Wife from Doncaster, South Yorkshire. โWowโ I said โThat amazing, the guide yesterday was from Derby(my hometown) and Today the guide stays in Doncaster(Sarahโs hometown) a few months of the year, and when he finally saidโIโll be outside the French Gate in Doncaster in November, we all burst out laughing. ๐ย
Back on the ship…
We had just enough time to capture the coastline of Alicante from the ship before Thomson Dream sailed away to Palma, Mallorca for us to get the plane home.
After getting changed for the evening meal, we knew it would be the last time weโd see our Orion Restaurant friends. We met them at our usual time and table and had a lovely evening talking about all the adventures of the day.ย
Who knows? We may bump into them again on a future cruise, which would be great! ๐ย ย ย
Leaving the Orion Restaurant, we headed to the delo bar to enjoy our last cocktail with great music.ย
After a really long day, we arrived back at our cabin to find a new fantastic towel creature on our table. Sarah quickly moved it into an arty position ready for a humorous photo! ๐ ย
Just one more day to go before we head home, and Sarah and i spent the sleepless night talking about the highs and lows of our 1st cruise, and only my second time abroad! ๐ย
Thanks once again for joining us, itโs a blessing to share with you.ย
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Transatlantic Sunset Tour: Day 17 ~ Gibralter
April 22, 2016 2 Comments
โง Sarah welcomes you to Gibraltar! โง
After 2 days at sea, and finding out(by our new friends who met us for evening meals at Orion Restaurant) ย that on the excursion to the “Rock of Gibraltarโ requires that we get a cable car to the top on the cliff! Wowโฆi love cable cars! It reminded me of the cable cars Sarah & i travelled on at โThe Heights of Abrahamโ day trip.a couple of years ago! ๐ย
So leaving the ship i was extra excited to travel on cable cars in Gibraltar! We found the coach that would take us to the beginning of the rock and got on-board.ย
The excursion guides so far have been amazing, and really proud of their country! So happy to share everything and anything about the local history and culture, always creating laughter and a friendly relaxed atmosphere. So when this guide stepped on-board complaining ย and quite angry we were quite taken aback! After complaint about everything she showed us, we pulled up at the bottom of the rock and waited for the cable cars.
Just a quick side noteโฆAs iโm registered blind(i know most of you will know this already) and donโt see people, just hear them. Whenever iโm out sat in a cafe, restaurant, at church or just around town, i often like to play one of my fave games using my ATS(accent targeting system). I love accents, and i like to try and locate their original area?! ๐ Also its my only way of knowing whoโs around me, and iโve now trained myself so i can listen to 3 conversations at once! lol This can be good and bad depending. ๐ Anyway enough rambling!ย
When i got near the guide i asked her where she was from originally? โDerbyโ she said! โNo way, a Derby bird, iโm from Derby too. Itโs crazy that weโd meet here in Gibraltarโ. It makes sense now. lol. Itโs sometimes hard to pin down a accent thatโs the same as your own, but iโm getting better.
After fantastic views from the cable cars, we finally reached the top of The Rock of Gibraltar! ๐ ย
After taking shots of my beautiful wife Sarah(which i could do all day) the guide warned us about the monkeys ย that would steal anything and everything that wasnโt in your bag or not in the right place. By this i mean sunglasses on your head instead of over your eyes. The guide told us of one woman who had put her brand new ยฃ200 Rayban sunglasses on her head to take a photo, had them quickly snatched by a monkey and were never seen again! ๐ฆ
A kind person asked if Sarah & i would like a photo together? I said that would be lovely, thank you. But i think my face is wondering if the man was going to run off with my Big Nikon! lol. ๐ ย
The guide said we had about an hour free time before we all have to meet back together, so Sarah got her iPhone out ready to take one of her amazing Panoramas!ย
Not 1โฆbut 2 of Sarahโs Breathtaking Panoramas!!! ๐ย
It had been a fantastic day already and the views were simply stunning from up here. We now had to find one ย of those monkeys to try and get a photo before we go. ย
โง Sarah videoing one of the monkeys โง ย
After nipping into the gift shop to get a couple of presents we started heading back towards the cable cars.
We were just near the steps(walking 2 by 2 when we heard a loud โOi!!โ by the woman behind us, followed by a quiet couple of seconds, then lots of laughter??! We stopped and turned round to find out one of the monkeys had touched/stroked the ladies leg near her bum, and she thought it was the man behind her. But after the mix up they all started laughing! ๐
Travelling back to the ship after more complaining by the excursion guide (mainly about her many ex husbands) we had time to take a few photos from the deck before Thomson Dream sailed overnight to Alicanteโฆour last port before we head to Palma, Majorca for our flight home ๐ฆ
Sarah & i had a fantastic time in Gibraltar and it was great to have a guide from my home town to share her great accent with us.
Creating these blog posts documenting each day of our trip has been such a blessing for Sarah & i, especially knowing that youโve been right here with us along the way! ๐ ย They leave us with such lovely memories every time we read back through them.
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Transatlantic Sunset Tour: Day 15 & 16 ~ My Brain Wave
April 20, 2016 2 Comments
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ย After a fantastic 2 days in the Azores we found this new folded towel creature on our table. โHow do they do thatโ i said just staring and touching it? ย
โYeah i knowโ said Sarah โitโs amazing how they get the towels to do that and stay in positionโ.ย
Just then i had a brain waveโฆto show our appreciation for the great work our cabin steward has shown us, i will show our gratitude with a model of my own!!! ๐ย
I thought rather than using a towel i will go larger and use the whole bed, quilt, pillows and towels! As the towels are blueโฆthey can be the sea. The quilt can be the Thomson Dream and the pillows can be the big pointy thingy on top! ๐ย
Having never attempted anything like this before, i knew it would be the thought that counts. I said to Sarah โYouโre going to have to wait outside until iโve finished, then you can open the door and see it as the cabin steward will see itโ.ย
Here Goesโฆ..are you ready???ย
ย After Sarah stopped laughing, she said โItโs massive! I didnโt know you were going to use the whole king size bed?!โ I said โWell ships are big, and i didnโt want him to miss itโ. She was actually impressed with my first ever attempt. lol. ๐ย
Now everything is set, itโs time to head out and relax with a nice latte at the Coffee Port. We also ventured out on deck being ensconced by blue sea.
We did meet up with the cabin steward that night and Sarah asked him โDid you like the big ship Steve had made for you?โ He said he didnโt see anything and just thought the bed was left in a mess!! ๐ฆย
Well at least WE all know what happened, and i hope my model ship will put a smile on your face instead!! ๐ย
Just 2 days at sea now until we reach Gibraltar!! ๐ ย
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Transatlantic Sunset Tour: Day 10,11 & 12 ~ Relaxin, Reflectin & Coffin!!
June 10, 2015 17 Comments
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Sarah & i were feeling really run down, tired and a little concerned about what the rest of our dream holiday had in store for us. But now we had a few days at sea, so we decided to get out there and enjoy the time we had left. ๐ย
โง Sarah relaxing and reflecting โง
During our time at sea, Sarah & i loved standing and looking out over the vast ocean. It seemed to put perspective on how majestic and awesome our God is. Also how small we were in comparison and yet he loves each one of us…amazing! ๐ย
Shopping…ย
Thereโs nothing like being surrounded by handbags to put a smile on Sarahโs face! ๐ย
Of all the placesโฆi never thought iโd be in a handbag store, on a ship in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. But Sarah seems to find these shops wherever we go… and if it helps her relax, iโll be right there with her! ๐ย
Another fave spot…
Each day weโd find our way up to this spot and just look out over the pool deck and take in the full panoramic view of blue. There was always a live band playing, giving a great atmosphere and a hot-plate thingy where i could get a fresh burger! Mmmm ๐ย
Hair salon…
After Sarahs last trip to the hair salon she was really pleased with the way the stylist had cut and styled her hair around her eyeโฆ. but the hospital adventure had kind of ruined it. So i thought she might like to relax and get it done again. Whilst waiting in the waiting room i took this shot through the window โฆ.Thatโs the best view iโve ever seen from a hair salon! ๐ย
The evening restaurants…
So far i havnโt said much about our evening meals. For the first few days we really struggled with the buffet restaurants, as the food was placed in big trays under a glass cover with really long fork/tongs to pick up the food. Sarah had no idea what she was picking up as it was just too far away for her to focus and the waiters didnโt understand we couldnโt see properly, which caused a few problems!
At home we try to stay away from self service/buffet style places …not because we are too snooty, lol …but because we simply canโt find anything e.g plates, food, cutlery, where to pay, which causes too much stress and makes us wish we hadnโt gone out at all!ย
After a few days we decided to try the โOrion Restaurantโ which was waiter service. On entrance the waiter asked if weโd like to share a table or sit by yourselves. Sarah said โSharing is fine with usโ (I thought is it really… ๐ฆ The waiter then escorted us to an empty 8 seater table. After he passed us our menus (which we had no chance of reading) our table soon filled up with people. After friendly helloโs Sarah said to the lady next to her โI donโt want to be a nuisanceโฆbut we are both registered blind and so canโt read the menus. Would you be able to read it to us?โ After the confused look on all of their faces (my imagination from the body language) the lady said โOf course, but iโd never have guessed that either of you had sight problemsโ. (My thought was โYou need to be on this side of my eyes to understand the problem :(โ) After weโd heard the menu, Sarah whispered โThis works perfectly for usโฆwe get the menu read out, and we get to meet lots of different lovely people” ๐ย
Shortly afterโฆwe heard the people sitting opposite us say โDid you hear the โCode Alphaโ last night?โ The others replied โYes we did, it woke us upโฆit was after 1am!!โ โYeah i know and there was no need to call it around the whole shipโ.
I said โSorryโฆthat was us.” ย โIt was you two! what happened?โ Sarah showed her bruised and bandaged wrists (from where the drips had been attached) and explained everything that happened. We heard this same complaint for the next few eveningsโฆ. and even some different, elaborate explanations of what had happened (even one story where Sarah was said to have died and been taken off the boat by helicopter in a silver bullet coffin????.) ย
We also heard that quite a few people had complained to reception about the 1am code alpha (because they thought it was a call to abandon ship) and how they felt they shouldn’t have been disturbed in the middle of the night!!
The Cough…
If you can rememberโฆon Day 8 there were a couple of people in the hospital waiting room with deep growly coughs. Well todayโฆSarah’s got it too !! ๐ฆ This deep booming growly cough (reminds me of the Rockford Fosgate subs in the boot of my old custom Nova) is giving Sarah lots of ย chest pain, a sore throat and a pounding head. Weโve noticed the unique sound of this cough around the ship as weโve been exploring! โฆ.As if Sarah didnโt have enough on her plate with no sleep, uncontrollable blood sugar, one eye closed and exhaustionโฆshe now has this nasty cough ๐ฆ
Keep smilingโฆ ๐ย
I have no idea how she does it. But no matter whatโs going onโฆSarah has ย a lovely beaming/contagiousย smile on her face that blesses all who see her ๐ ย
ย The Azores…
After about 4 (or is it 5?) sleepless nights (iโve lost count) we were looking forwards to arriving at the Azores. Sarah was especially looking forwards to getting off the ship and onto solid ground and having the freedom to explore another fantastic island! ๐ ย
Yippee land ahoy!!!
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Transatlantic Sunset Tour: Day 9 ~ CODE ALPHA!!
June 9, 2015 6 Comments
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After enjoying a lovely coffee, we decided to explore the ship to try and familiurise ourselves a little more, and find things to do. Bingo, getting drunk and burned on sun loungers were not something Sarah & i found entertaining.ย
The hair salon…
We found a hair salon and booked Sarah to get her hair done, and see if they had some ideas to cover her closed eye. I thought โBeing pampered and relaxed is just what Sarah needs after a traumatic day yesterday! ๐ I managed to find my way back to the coffee port on my own to wait for Sarah, which should be at least an hour depending what she chooses to have done. It sounds feeble, but finding the coffee port, and the door handle, and even a spare seat without anyone sitting on it, is a massive achievement for me! ๐ย
Sarah returned looking beautiful, but i noticed she was having another hypo, standing up i said โQuick, lets try and get back to the cabin as we know that Lucozade or hypo stop works for youโ. โOkโ Sarah said whilst struggling to stay on her feet. We were only 1 deck above our cabin, but after only a short walk Sarah really started to drop. I thought “There is no way iโm trying to navigate the stairs, and i canโt see to use the lifts”. Luckily we were at the entrance to a bar/lounge. We were greeted by a nice Filipino waitress. I said “My wife needs the sweetest drink you have as sheโs diabetic and having a hypoโ. She was confused, but showed us to some seats(as Sarahโs legs were really starting to give way) and disappeared. I prayed that she understood and would bring something before Sarah lost consciousness.ย
The waitress returned (having told the bar man our situation) with a bright coloured drink. She said it was the sweetest cocktail they did with a lot of syrup in. I thought โa little unorthodox, but we have no choice, Sarah needs sugar nowโ.ย
Having been a gamer my whole life and played some nerve racking, suspense filled and tense computer games over the years, nothing compares to this real life game of trying to encourage Sarah to drink something she doesnโt want, to absorb sugar into her body before passing out!ย
Within the next half hour, Sarah was back with us again (phew), but feeling sick from the hypo, We needed to get back to the cabin as we didnโt know if her blood would start to shoot up again, as we didnโt have any idea what was in the drink, which is why we try to always use the lucozade etc. as we know the effects. Sarah also now had the bone chill that only comes from a hypo.
Back in the cabin…
Yay, we found the cabin! ๐ Iโm starting to remember how many doors to count from both sides depending which set of stairs we go down. Once Sarah had checked her blood sugar again and realised it was starting to rocket, it was back in the fridge for the crossbow boltsโฆi mean syringes. Even with our video magnifier it was really hard to make out the measurements on the needle, but after another big bruised, and big holed injection, it was time for Sarahโs hot bath to try and get rid of that freezing cold bone chill!
A while later Sarah said โDiabetes has already ruined one evening, night and most of today. Iโm not going to let it ruin the rest of my holiday. Lets get dressed up and search for some nice live musicโ โFantastic idea, we both need cheering upโ.
Sunset…
Instead of walking down endless boring corridors, we walked outside to stroll along the deck down to the rear of the ship and look out over the huge ocean. This evening we were gifted with a beautiful sunset.
As we were out on deck 9, we walked all the way to the rear (non technical name) and entered the ‘Lido restaurant’. We were both a little hungry and as this is the buffet place, itโs fantastic for Sarah as she can have vegetables or salad etc without having any of the carbs, or sugar rich sauces which raise her blood sugar. ๐
We became a little disheartened after hearing a couple of the live bands playing some popular rubbish on deck 8, but we walked on past the reception and hair salon and walked into a dark elegant room. Sarah said โOh greatโฆitโs the casino :(โ. I said โIt looks like the Ultralux from Fallout New Vegas (PS3 game)โ Sarah replied โIt feels like fallout to me, a shiny, depraved wasteland – just what Iโve come to expect of the entertainment on this boat ๐ฆ lolโ. But then a classical piano started playing, just audible over the noise of the casino. โWhereโs that lovely piano coming from?โ I said knowing that Sarah would love it. โThrough there, but iโm not sure what it is as itโs too darkโ โLetโs go find out anywayโ. i said as i took her arm.ย
The Delo piano lounge and cocktail bar…
We stood taking in the gentle atmosphere and fantastic piano playing and both said together โThis is more like it ๐ โ We found Sarah a seat at the bar right next to the piano, Sarah loves watching pianists as they play with professional ease and elegance. It brings back lots of her childhood memories of the classical piano lessons she enjoyed! ๐ย
โง Keith the pianist โงย
After about an hour, we were so happy that we’d found another fave place, especially after the last 24 hours, we headed back to the cabin. Sarah did another blood test โSteve, my bloodโs still going up!โ I said โThatโs impossible, youโve not had any sugar or carbs, and youโve already had insulin before we leftโ โI know, and now iโve got to take some more to try and bring it downโ โOk, take a little more and weโll keep an eye on itโ.ย
ย Sarah sat on the sofa with the magnifier reading the excursion options for the Azores. I opened Spotify on my iPhone and started playing my “โ Acoustic Worshipโ playlist knowing itโs Sarahโs fave. I thought โTime for us to relax and reflect for a while on a lovely end to a hectic dayโ.ย
CODE ALPHA…
Sarahโs next words were โI think my bloodโs droppingโ โOh no, I thought, your voice is slurry again, your blood canโt be that low already. Can you manage a test?โ Sarahโs test confirmed a huge drop in a short time. I jumped into survival mode and grabbed the lucozade and hypo stop. Sarah was fading fast โNo, no ,no, not the big oneโ i said wondering if this would result in a diabetic coma. I didnโt have to wait long before Sarah lost consciousness!!
I now switched from survival mode, to what will Sarah need if she goes to hospital mode.ย
Sarah was sat upright on the sofa, and as i balanced to hold her head upright (there were no pillows in reach) i grabbed the cabin phone and dialled 999! A man answered and asked โHow can we help?” I said โMy wife is diabetic and she’s having a hypoglycaemic episode and is unconscious but still breathingโ He said โSheโs unconscious now? Whatโs your cabin number iโm on my way!”
He arrived in about 60 seconds. I told him what had happened as he was frantically inserting needles etc. He then called the bridge to tell the captain and his team, and a few seconds later i heard โCODE ALPHA, CODE ALPHA cabin 7062โ. I thought โThatโs blasting out of the tannoy system that goes around the whole ship, and within minutes our cabin was full of people, and a wheelchair. After a few minutes Sarah slowly started to respond, but only groans. The female doctor was now in the room and after checking everything, she said theyโd take Sarah to the hospital to try and stabilise her.
The hospital…
After grabbing Sarahโs bag and a few things i thought might help, i was kindly guided down behind Sarah to the hospital waiting room. Sarah was in a private room next door.
A woman sat me down and read through a couple of papers that made sure we had health insurance etc, she then said to my surprise โYou really seem to love and care for Sarahโ I said โI really donโt deserve her, she is amazing. I lay down my life for herโฆand give her my all. Iโm so blessed to share my life with my best friend, sheโs beautiful inside and out. Isnโt that what love is?โ It seemed like sheโd never heard a response like that, and just said โWow, thatโs lovelyโ and went quiet for what seemed like minutes!ย
I was then able to see my lovely wife. Sarah was still not conscious yet but was in what seemed like a peaceful sleep. I sat down and the doctors and nurses were coming in and out, checking drips, machines and Sarahs breathing etc.ย
Sarah then moved and slowly started to come round, she said โOh noโ her usual response after realising where she is, i said โItโs ok my love, we are just making some nice new friends, just relax and enjoy being pamperedโ. After another hour of checks from nurses and the doctor, suddenly the nurse panicked and said something to the doctor. All 3 of them surrounded Sarahโs bed frantically adjusting and checking, The doctor kept shaking Sarah and shouting her name but got no response. I thought โIt canโt be another hypo as sheโs being monitored closely, so what is this?โ Soon after i was told by the concerned doctor to wait in the waiting room next door.ย
The waiting room…
Now i was worriedโฆ. i sat here alone in a hospital thatโs swaying side to side in the middle of the atlantic ocean. My thoughts started to get the better of me..
โWhat if this is it, and i donโt get to speak to Sarah again”
โWhat if i never hear her amazing laugh, or feel the warmth of her hug again”
โWhat if iโm now on my own struggling to face the rest of life (never mind the holiday) without my lovely wife”
ENOUGH!! i thought and desperately gave it to God in prayer.
โOh Lord please help, if this is Sarahโs passing to paradise, then i want to say iโm not happy about it, and iโd like to spend more time with her on earth BUT thank you so much for blessing me with such a priceless gift, i canโt express how much i love her and iโve tried to be the husband you commanded me to be. Sarah has shown me such love, happiness, forgiveness, acceptance and a life i simply didnโt know was possible BUT if itโs not her time, please comfort her and bring her back to me, Amenโ.
A short while later the nurse said i could come back and sit with Sarah again. Sarah was awake and fighting with the oxygen mask. She said โWhereโve you been? I told them that my diabetes was unstable which is why i have the pump but they didnโt believe me, they never do, and now theyโve given me a second hypo after pumping me full of insulin againโ. I said while kissing her forehead โOh my lovely, iโm glad to have you backโ. ๐ย
Weโd been in the hospital for about 2 hours, it was just coming to 3am. Sarah kept asking if i was alright and did i need anything. โI bet youโre hungry and need a coffeeโ โItโs ok, iโm enjoying being here with you, please get some sleep as youโve had a rough couple of days, iโll be right hereโ.ย
It was 6:30am when Sarah was allowed to leave. She was given more supplies to last for the rest of the holiday. Then the doctor explained about how fast acting insulin is absorbed into the body with the syringes, and how it differs and works a lot slower than the insulin pump. She said โOnce youโve had the injection, the insulin will not start to work for 1ยฝ hours and it will be completely out of your system in 3 hours. And as you donโt have the pump giving you little bits all of the time, your blood sugar will rise on itโs own, so you need to give bigger (and overlapping) doses to compensate.
Sarah had never been instructed on any of this over the years because everything had ben controlled by the pump and i certainly didnโt know anything about insulin absorption, as with the pump it pretty much works straight away. We also wondered why she hadnโt explained this to us yesterday, which wouldโve helped.
We now headed back to the cabin to try and set up another plan of action, we knew this was going to be a difficult task, never mind adding things like food etc. lol ๐ ย
Wow, what a night! Thatโs 2 nights without sleep already, and itโs time to set up the alarms for every 2 hours on my phone. Sleep is not going to come easy from now onโฆis the coffee port open yet? Might as well have a nice coffee if iโm awake! ๐
Only 3 more days at sea (iโll merge into one post) until we reach Horta, Azores, where we can hopefully do some more excursions! ๐ย
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Transatlantic Sunset Tour: Day 8 ~ Paradigm Shift
June 2, 2015 12 Comments
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Goodbye Caribbeanโฆhello massive ocean…
After another amazing day in the Caribbean(which was now about an hour away), we thought weโd try and relax with a spot of sunbathing. This meant trying the almost impossible task of finding not 1โฆbut 2, empty sun loungers.
Fantastic! We found 2 together, no way. Butโฆpretty much after placing our towels onto the sun loungers, Sarahโs โParadigmโ insulin pump started alarming!!
โThatโs not the usual alarmโ I said as Sarah was trying to read the tiny screen in the super bright sun. โI canโt quite make out what itโs saying, but itโs not something iโve seen before, i need to go back to the cabin and use the magnifierโ. The pump continued itโs piercing alarm all the way to the cabin!
Back in the cabin..
Once back, and using our video magnifier, the error message on the screen said “A button has been continually pressed for more than three minutes. to clear press ESC, then ACTโ.
Sarah said โThatโs weird, my pumpโs been nowhere near anything that would press the buttons, but it sounds easy enough, i can finally stop this annoying alarmโ. After hearing a few clicks, then a few more, the pump was still alarming. โItโs not workingโ โWhat do you mean, are the buttons not responding?โ. โNo, it wonโt clear the error message, can you have a goโ. I tried, and still nothing except the error message and the alarm!
We both knew we didnโt have long as the pump has now stopped delivering insulin, as Sarah needs a continual small dose, as not only does Sarah have type 1, but a brittle form, and she is also slightly allergic to insulin!ย
After taking the battery out, waiting 10 minutes before replacing…the alarm and message were still there! After trying it again, I said โShould we take it to the doctors in the hospital on Deck 3?โ โThey wonโt know anything about insulin pumps, itโs specialised equipment, which is why itโs carefully monitored, and finely tuned by the diabetic clinicโ. After a few more desperate tries to cancel the alarm, and running out of options, we had no choice, and headed down to deck 3.
The Hospital…
Reaching the bottom of the stairs to Deck 3, we were greeted with a couple of corridors and lots of doors. We could hear voices coming from an open door on the right, so we headed there. We found the doctor who was sounding very concerned whilst talking to a couple of very poorly sounding people, who had deep growly coughs. I said โLetโs wait out hereโ. A man dressed in a white suit approached us and asked if we were ok? After explaining what had happened, he looked at the pump, took it, and asked us to wait in the waiting room.
He returned with the doctor(a female with quite an aggressive manner), she explained that the pump was broken, and we needed to get a new one. But for now she needed to work out how much insulin Sarahโs body ran on. We said the pump gives a small amount of Humalog every 1-2 hours continuously, but all of the information is programmed in the pump that has now locked itself. This didnโt impress her! Between us, we had to try and calculate how much insulin Sarah took each day, by adding up the dosage at meal times, and adding a little more to compensate for the pumps continuous injections in the background.ย
After a couple more hours of stressful calculations, the doctor gave Sarah some old school syringes and told us to keep a record of insulin taken, time of insulin taken and food eaten etc. We returned to our cabin worried about how we were going to cope for the rest of the holiday, and did we have enough Humalog insulin in the fridge, as the hospital on-board didnโt use it, or stock it.
The Phone Call…
We went up to reception on Deck 8(lots of stairs, lol) ย to see if we could phone Medtronic(the makers of the insulin pump) as they are an American company, and would still be open. We couldnโt phone the UK diabetic clinic as they were 5 hours in front, and it would be about midnight!ย
After a long drawn out discussion with the receptionist, asking if there was a way to call out from a ship, as we have a medical disaster, as Sarah knows her body reacts badly to injections etc, and really does need the continued small amounts 24 hours a day. ย So we really needed to call Medtronic to see if there is any way of saving the pump! Eventually we managed to phone Medtronic, and after a ยฃ52 phone callโฆhe told us “the pump was broken!!โ. Sarah has been on an insulin pump for about 15 years, and they have never broken. But 1 hour from Antigua, sailing at sea for 5 daysโฆit breaks! ๐ฆย
Trying to relax…
As the realisation was setting in of trying to manage with injections, and Sarahโs blood sugar was still on the rise after the first injection. We were getting a little worried on how this was all going to play out. We decided to stay in the room and just figure out a game plan for the rest of the holiday. We then managed to figure out how to turn on the TV, i thought a film might help Sarah try and relax after the trauma of the day.ย
After a while when Sarah spoke again, i instantly knew we were in trouble! The slightly slurring sound of Sarahโs voice told me her blood sugar had suddenly shot down and it was very low! โOh no,โ i said as i jumped into survival mode. Sarah was still conscious so i knew i had a little time. I went straight to the fridge and got the bottle of orange lucozade that usually works if Sarah is still able to drink.ย
After about 10 minutes Sarah was slipping away, so i ran to my bag and got the Gluco Gel and squirted it into Sarahs mouth. Gluco gel is fantastic and absorbs into gums etc, and after a while(a nervous while) Sarah was back with us. โPhewโ i said as relief was pulling me out of survival mode. Sarah said โIโve had a hypo havnโt i?! These injections really arenโt going to work, my body just goes erratic and messes upโ.ย
After a sleepless night of trying to stabilise a yo-yoing blood sugar, we were not really enjoying our first day at sea. But we decided to go and have a nice strong coffee at our fave place, as weโve probably got another sleepless night tonight too. I said โItโs hard to imagine that not even a day ago we were riding on horseback across that beautiful beachโ. ๐ย
Sarah has to check her blood sugar every 2 hours, day and night, for the rest of the holiday, as without the pumps continuous feed, we are left with just fast acting insulin, and lots of prayers.
This is becoming quite an adventure!!!ย
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Transatlantic Sunset Tour: Day 7 ~ St Johns, Antigua
May 22, 2015 12 Comments
After another early start(and youโve guessed it) a bacon roll, we headed off the ship. The shore excursion lady was at the bottom of the gangway steps, and she showed us where to join the queue. Well i say queue, there were only about 8 of us in total. I thought โI think we may have over reached on this one. Maybe itโs going to be too difficult, and really not suited for the blindโ.ย
We were then led towards the minibus. We were told theyโd saved us the 2 seats in the front next to the driver, i said โSweetโ, and climbed aboard. I really didnโt expect what happened nextโฆthe driver turned on his CD player which started playing Ed Sheeran โThinking out loudโ and he started singing as i tapped away on my legs to the beat. His voice was incredible, it was like we were having our own concert in the front of the minibus, whilst driving around paradise. ย Quite a surreal moment. After more fantastic singing toย Tarrus Rileyโs ย “She’s Royalโ, he pulled up at Fort James Beach where we were to start our horseback trek.
Welcome to Paradise…
We left the minibus and were instantly greeted with a stunning view of porcelain palm fringed sands, and stilted turquoise waters of Fort James beach, also we received a further warm welcome by the โHorseman(sorry, i forgot his name)โ. ๐ย
ย โง The horseman strolling along the beautiful beach โง ย
โง Horses being led to the sea to cool off โง ย
The Horse Ride…
Once everyone was fitted with a protective hat, it was time to line up and meet the horses. He asked for experienced riders first, then one at a time they mounted the horses. It was about this time i started to get a little nervous. I was saying to Sarah โHow do we get up there? Are there steps? Which foot do i put forward first? Are the horses big enough to carry me?โ
The horseman was out of earshot, but i think he could see my face, he said โDonโt worry, i have a couple of special horses for you twoโ. This put my mind a little more at ease. Sarah mounted first on the horse named โSunshineโ, what a perfect horse for her! ๐ Then i mounted easily with the excellent help from horseman onto the horse named โLittle Manโ,ย
After a short tutorial on how to hold(and use) the reins, it was time to move on out! We had only walked along next to a road for about a minute, and iโd just got used to the weird motion of rocking side to side whilst not being able to see the ground or the horse in front. When…a huge commotionโฆLots of shouting from horseman, and the horses. I thought(at first) it sounded like a car had hit one of the horses. I pulled back on the reins as i saw Sarah(who was in front of me) appear at my side, Yay my horse stopped! ๐ We found out at the end, that a car got too close and spooked a few of the horses, so no one(or horses) were hurt.
My plan was to take my Samsung WB550 compact camera with me to take photos & video whilst on the horse, but that was soon foiled when i got onto the horse, and my shorts were pulled tight around my pocket, so it had seal it shut. I didnโt want to try and move, as i thought the horse might mistaken my movements and start galloping off!. I did eventually get an opportunity when my foot suddenly got smacked out of the stirrup by an aloe vera plant(it got a few of us), and as my leg was free i quickly grabbed my camera! ๐ Note to self, next time take my other camera with a neck strap! ๐ย
The horseman who was overseeing us said โWelcome to Sandhaven Beachโ…
โง โLittle Manโ taking me on a beautiful journey ๐ โงย
โง Sarah on โSunshineโ & in sunshine, along Sandhaven beach โงย
โง Sarah ensconced in Sunshine! ๐ โงย
Words completely fail me when i try and describe the feeling of riding in paradise. The sound of the waves, the feel of the hot sun with the cool breeze, the movement(and sound) of the horse, topped off with the amazing panorama. We really didnโt want to leave our new fave place on earth!! ๐ย
We left Sandhaven beach and headed back to Fort James beach. Weโd been riding for around 1ยฝ hours, and just before we finished, the man asked for my cameras so he could take a photo of us on our horses.
My horse โlittle Manโ was busy eating grass, i think he had my appetite! ๐ย
ย โง โLittle Man & โSunshineโ โงย
Once off the horses, we were given a bottle of water each as they prepared for stage 2. Stage 2 gave the chance for the experienced riders to ride faster(or gallop as iโm told), and the chance to ride bareback into the water. Sarah and another lady paired up together to do this.ย
Sarah said โI was sat trying to balance without a saddle, when suddenly i was thrown back as one of my legs was pulled up. I looked down to see that the horse had taken a liking to one of my bright yellow laces, and was pulling on it as though it was spaghetti! ๐ย
Once stage 2 was over, we had about 45 minutes before the singing taxi arrived. โNo way, does this mean you get to swim in paradise again?!โ i said as Sarah was already half way down the beach!! ๐ย
The Swim…
โง Sarah excited to be the only one in the beautiful sea โง ย
โง What a way to relax! ๐ โง ย
ย โง I think Sarah enjoyed her swim! ๐ โงย
The taxi ride was just as fun. The drivers stunning voice carried us all the way back to the ship.
ย Back on the ship…
We now had to say goodbye to the Caribbean. ๐ฆ We took our usual sofaโs in the coffee port, and with coffeeโs in hand, we watched the island slowly disappear.ย We both agreed that this was our fave place of the trip, and the horse ride was our best experience so far!!
Our new friend…
On returning to our cabin, the steward had created a folded towel turtle, and used my hat as the shell, fantastic!! ย ๐ย
Our Route 4 2day…
This afternoon Thomson Dream sails to Horta, Portugal, weโll arrive on Sunday late morning, after 5 leisurely days at sea. having travelled 2,173 nautical miles, at an average speed of 16 knots.
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Transatlantic Sunset Tour: Day 4 ~ Road Town, Tortola
May 14, 2015 11 Comments
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Absorbing ย The Landscapes…
As we were at anchor during our visit to Road Town, with local shipโs tender boats transferring us to, and from the shore. We had a little time to take some photos before we left the ship. It was so calm and peaceful as we stood in front of this beautiful landscape.
โง Sorryโฆi couldnโt resist the overkill blue filter effect! ๐ โง ย
โง The beautiful coastline of Road Town โง ย
ย โง I listened patiently until the boat that i couldnโt see was hopefully on the right of my shot! ๐ โงย
โง The rolling green hills of Road Town โง ย
After having a fun(bobbing up and down) tender boat ride, we were driven along the coastal road covered in vivid green trees which stroked the tops of brightly coloured bungalows.
The Dolphin Encounter…
We had now arrived at the Prospect Reef Resort where Sarah got into the water to splash around with dolphins that call this place home.
As Sarahโs eye had been closed to keep out infections, we thought it was best to choose the โDolphin Encounterโ instead of the fully immersed ย โSwim with Dolphinsโ. We just couldnโt risk it!ย
I booked the โDolphin Observerโ which didnโt turn out well. Sarah & i were separated and i had no way of knowing which pool she was entering, so i waited on the nearest seats i could find, quietly listening for her name to be called out. Then as i’d hear it, iโd whip out my camera and get some shots. I didnโt hear her name as i was sat at completely the wrong pool. ๐ฆ
But all is not lostโฆi bought the fantastic photos taken by their photographer. Yay! ๐ย
ย โง Sarah stood in front of the surf board logo sign โงย
ย Sarah had never done anything like this before, she was excited and apprehensive at the same time. But as soon as she got into the water and met her new friend, she was blown away! ๐
Step 1: Meeting the dolphin…ย
ย โง Sarahโs first touch of the dolphin โงย
Step 2: Dancing with the dolphin…ย
Sarah said as she took hold of both flippers, the dolphin started a funky wiggle dance! ๐ย
ย โง Sarah dancing with her new friend โง ย
Step 3: The Kiss…ย
ย โง Sarah receiving a kiss on the cheek from the dolphin โงย
โง Dolphin showing its excitement after meeting Sarah! ๐ ย โง ย
Once Sarah was dried off and changed, and we collected the photo CD, it was time to catch the bus back and head for Road Towns pretty main street and market.ย
We had one place in mind(if we could find it) โSunny Caribbeeโ. Everybody was talking about this place and the incredible local spices, sauces, coffee, artworkโฆeverything! ๐ย
We got off the bus and walked into town. We walked for a while longer, then we did(what we always did) when we got lost on our tripโฆlisten for a broad northern accent! It was only seconds until we found some people from our ship who pointed us in the right direction! ๐ย
Sunny Caribbee…
โง Photo of the shop front of Sunny Caribbee โง ย ย
โง Bottled sauces with fantastic hats! ๐ โง
Once inside the shop we were amazed by the variety and beauty of the products, and how lovely and helpful the ladies were, We just wanted to take everything! Once we saw the sauce bottles with the hats, we just had to get them as presents! ๐ ย
We were sad to leave Sunny Caribbee, but it was time to head off to the main street market as Sarah had seen some beautifully coloured dresses!
Sarah bought a lovely bright dress, but no photos yet. ๐ฆ ย
After getting lost again in the town, we managed to find directions (yes another northern couple) back to the tender boats. It was another bobbing boat ride back to the ship.
We then took our usual seats in the Coffee Port, while drinking our favourite double espresso macchiatoโs, we watched the islands disappear as the ship sailed away.
Our Route 4 2day…
This afternoon Thomson Dream sails to Philipsburg, St Maarten. Weโll arrive tomorrow morning having travelled 92 nautical miles at an average speed of 8 knots.
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Transatlantic Sunset Tour: Day 2 ~ My 40th Birthday At Sea
May 12, 2015 14 Comments
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Happy 40th Birthday!!!
ย Waking up to a pile of cards and a present beautifully wrapped from Sarah travelling across the Caribbean sea was a special moment. I couldnโt believe Sarah had packed all of my cards and even a present(which was 3 new shirts). Sarahโs love always fills to overflowing!
โง Me sat with my lovely cards โงย
โง My lovely cards – Thank you everyone! ๐ โงย
My new shirt and birthday badge…
I quickly put on one of my new shirts(from Sarah), and the birthday badge(from Sara, sister in Christ) and went out on deck to look out over all that amazing sea.
โง Me wearing new shirt & birthday badge โง ย
Then it was back to my fave place โThe Coffee Portโ for a birthday Cappuccino with a stunning view! ๐ย
โง My fave seat in the Coffee Port โง ย
Sarahโs Cornea Problems…
ย Just 1 day before our holiday, Sarah & i spent the afternoon at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London. Over the past couple of months weโve been to hospital almost weekly, trying to sort out Sarahโs cornea. Weโve now learned that Sarahโs cornea is crumbling and is completely exposed and cannot heal itself, or the ulcer inside. ย The doctor needed to close the eye lid so that itโs safe from air contamination etc. He did this by a botox injection just above the eye. He said it would close in about 2 days(my 40th birthday) and will stay shut for around 3 months.ย
And during the afternoon, Sarahโs eye closed. Weโd hoped that most of the time we would be in bright sunshine so Sarah could cover it by wearing her sunglasses. And for all other times, weโd get creative.
The Captains Gala Reception & Dinner…
Sarah & i had no idea what to expect as this was our 1st cruise, but iโd brought my suit and purple dotted bow tie, and Sarah had brought some lovely dresses, so lets go and try to find the show lounge!ย
Sarah had a slight panic when we realised the photographer was taking everyones photo on entrance, but she relaxed a little when he said she was fine to keep her sunglasses on. We ended up with a nice photo to remember my 40th, our 1st Captains Gala and a lovely keep safe shot of us both dressed up! ๐ย
โง Me & my lovely wife! โงย
The captain introduced himself and some of his team, then it was down to Deck 4 for the meal in the Orion restaurant. The food, the waiter service and the whole experience was fantastic. A great 40th birthday! ๐ ย
Our route 4 2day…
Today Thomson Dream continues her journey to La Romana. We arrive tomorrow morning having travelled 546 nautical miles at an average speed of 15 knots.ย
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Transatlantic Sunset Tour: Day 1 ~ London – Jamaica
May 11, 2015 9 Comments
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YayโฆCaribbean here we come!!!
All our bags are packed and ready to go, and itโs only 5:30am! Thomson included a chauffeur to take us to(and from) Gatwick airport, โcool” i said โIโve never used a chauffeur beforeโ. She promptly arrived at 5:50, put the bags in the boot and off we went! Really hope we havnโt forgotten anything, but too late now! ๐ย
The driving was the smoothest iโve ever witnessed, the acceleration and the cornering were like silk. didnโt move a inch in my seat, well impressed! lol.
London Gatwick Airport…
After a slightly less smooth check in, Sarah bought a fantastically colourful Swatch watch(pic coming soon), then we drank a nice coffee and waited to board the 787 Dreamliner! Sorry i couldnโt take the photo below, but i couldnโt get the window open! ๐ย
โง The Thomson 787 Dreamliner – image from Google images โงย
ย As iโve only been abroad once(Tuscany Tour 5 months ago) and only been in an Airbus A320, i was interested in this 787 monster, as our flight is 9 hours. It was huge inside, plenty of seating space and legroom, and had remote dimmers on the windows, instead of a plastic pull down blind! Impressed again! lol. The Air conditioning was fantastic and the time just seemed to fly by! ๐ย
ย Montego Bay, Jamaica…
Who turned on the massive hair dryer?! It was hot, but we managed to get through the airport and get on the bright yellow bus that will take us to the ship. The bus was fantastic, super soft suspension bouncing us along to loud reggae music, with stunning vividly saturated colours painting the landscapes.ย
Wow thatโs a big ship…
After having our photos taken and registering for our on board payment cards, it was time to board. Again iโd only ever been in small speed boats when i was little, so this was another huge 1st for me! ๐ ย
โง The Thomson Dream Cruise Ship โงย
ย As it will be my 40th birthday tomorrow(15th April), and we needed a fridge in the room for Sarahโs insulin, we booked a suite which we eventually located on Deck 7.ย
โง A folded towel Elephant โงย
ย We were welcomed by a fantastic folded towel elephant, and a bottle of Champagne chillin in an ice bucket, fantastic! ๐ย
The cabin crew said that we had beaten our suitcases to the ship, so we went for a little exploring.
Well i said exploringโฆwe found the fantastic “Coffee Portโ on Deck 8, a quiet oasis with stunning views overlooking the Jamaican coastline. Oh and it has sofaโs too!ย
โง Sarah relaxing in the coffee Port with views of Montego Bay โง
ย After beautiful and strong coffees we waited for the emergency drill at 6pm up on Deck 9.ย
โง Me on left wearing a life jacket โง
ย Once out on deck we were guided to our posts and shown how to put on our life jackets. It took me longer to squeeze my head through the tiny hole of the jacket than it took for the whole drill. lol.:)
It was really hot and humid out there, and after hearing a bit of a shuffling panic, a person had passed out near us and was stretchered away, I heard the person was fine shortly after and it was due to heat etc.
ย Returning to the cabin, our suitcases had arrived, so we spent the remainder of the extra long day(as Jamaica is 5 hours behind the UK) unpacking. Sarah was pleased to find a huge walk-in wardrobe and promptly started filling it. ๐ย
Iโd hoped to get more photos of the day, but as we were always on the move, being hustled to and from transport, i had to concentrate on walking instead of taking photos. ๐ฆย
Tomorrow will be my 40th and a full day at sea as we head towards La Romana, Dominican Republic. We have booked an excurtion aroundย Altos de Chavรณn(mediterranean style European village) and a paddle boat ride along theย Chavรณn River where they filmed scenes from Rambo pt 1 & 2, and Jurassic Park.
Hope you enjoyed Day 1? Hope to see you at sea on Day 2! ๐ย
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Wow…What A Rollercoaster Of A Trip!!
May 7, 2015 12 Comments
โง Sarah & i at St Kitts โงย
From stunning, breathtaking views, horse riding in paradise, dancing with dolphins, River paddle boat trip, various island bus tours, 4×4 volcano ride, cable cars,ย OHโฆ. and Sarah’s medical emergancy in the middle of the Atlantic ocean, itโs been an unbelievable few weeks on our cruise holiday to the Caribbean, Azores & Spain.ย
Sarah & i arrived back on Saturday, but after going to our local A&E on Monday, we both have been suffering with respiratory tract infections for a couple of weeks now.
So please be patient with me as iโm trying to import all of my photos and sort them out ready for posting here for a daily tour of our trip. But the computer is burning my eyes at the moment so is slowing me down a little, also the headaches, coughing and loss of energy is not helping, but that wonโt stop me! lol.ย
Iโm not sure how long each post will take, and still not sure whever to post on Rebus Photography & iChristian or just on Rebus PhotographyโฆI donโt want to duplicate, but i know i have different friends on each blog, so also donโt want anyone to miss the posts. Whatย do you think??
Please join Sarah & i on this incredible journey:
iChristian 
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