Sat. March10, 2024 – Off to the ship.

Our hotel was a garden delight. Huge and well cared for and on the beach. The staff were great and surely will mess me. I am a delightful person.

I wish we had more time here to see the sights, but duty calls. Perhaps we will come by here again. We are in our taxi and headed to the port. The driver speaks English well.

The narrow streets are crowded as it is early morning and everyone is out doing what they have to do.

Tailgating seems to be the national past time here. Apparently they have great medical care as even the motor cycles tailgate the cars. The speed in town is slow so the stopping distances are measured in inches and not in feet or yards. I guess that makes things easier for the police when they show up. The accident scene will be compact.

We’re passing many beautiful Balinese buildings as we go. Lots of lacy woodwork and tall steep roofs.

The cab ride is 15,000 Rupees or around twenty dollars. Once when we were in Bangladesh, it was twenty rupees to our hotel from the airport and five dollars back once you knew how close it was. The roads are mostly modern toll roads slicing over the sea. Some booths are in need of repair but it all worked out. Bali is a beautiful place.

We reached the ship and walked through the entry point on the shore and finally made it up the ramp. It is some distance if you have difficulty walking. We don’t. My wife walks five miles most days and I play tennis and handball five days a week. We are in great shape for any age.

We have reached our room near the bow and it’s fine. We have traveled through Mongolia, India and some other interesting places so we are easily satisfied. My wife does like electricity for her ever present computer, however. She is a news junkie. Me, not so much.

The ship is smallish with around six hundred guests and ample crew from many countries. I love talking with the crew. Years ago their name badges also listed where they were from. Now in this strange era of ours it is impolite to ask someone where they re from. I don’t get it. To ask where someone is from is simply a way to show interest in that person and their past. How is that rude?

Most passengers on board are on a world cruise and have been here since December. They have the funds and time for a grand trip. Then the interlopers arrive and to add to the mix, add color and trouble, as we have. Some like the new arrivals as it gives them someone new to talk with.

The buffet closes at three today on the ship so we got up there for some much needed sustenance.

We have checked out the ship and found the library. It is a beautiful place filled with many books and I hope, silence. We have brought several of our own books, as well.

There are many land excursions to choose from on this trip. We are doing many. It will give us a chance to see and learn and to meet more of our fellow travelers.

The crew seems a little down hearted or tense. The mood is not the usual festive vibe. It’s a little somber. Not what I expected. I’m not sure why, but as Sherlock Holmes would say, “something is a foot.”