ship stories

I'm back! the past two weeks have been great. I worked a ton, probably more than I ever have, but still managed to have an amazing time. it started by flying into San Juan. I was with Janiel and Johanna, who are two of the funniest gals out there. so, we had a lot of laughs and ate some amazing food at a Puerto Rican restaurant called Raices. you can see our food here. I got a skirt steak stuffed with the locally grown raices (which means root, or potato), mushroom sauce, and shrimp. it was so so yummy! raices are some of my favorite potatoes now! they served the drinks in tin cups and had the silverware thrown in a tin bucket serving as the centerpiece. the staff were all dressed in old style caribbean clothing and sang at random times. I posted a pic of them as well, but it is kind of blurry. if you are ever in San Juan, you have to stop by for sure.



San Juan is a beautiful city. here are a couple shots I took as we were sailing away:



we then had to sail for two and a half days before we reached New York. I had never been on a ship that was rocking that badly! the swells in the ocean were huge! it was cold and stormy. I could barely stand up, and every time I tried to walk I was practically thrown against a wall. haha! anyway, turns out I do get sea sick. I spent the first day at sea lying on the bathroom floor or running to the nearest bathroom. I think I threw up 5 times. but, Janiel gave me a patch and I was fine by that evening. most of my time was spent organizing boxes and setting up our hospitality desk, but we managed to have some fun together and with the ship staff who were thrilled to have us and our young crowd coming aboard. :D

we got everyone loaded and headed for Bermuda. when we arrived it was cold and rainy, but most people went out anyway. I was able to move to a room with a verandah, so I spent my evenings out there reading my book. the fresh air and sound of the ocean was great. on our third day in Bermuda my boss and I were able to get off the ship for a few hours! we took a ferry to Hamilton to do some shopping, and then back to the Naval Dockyard for some lunch and relaxation at the beach. here are some of the shots I got:


the main shopping streets in Hamilton reminded me of Georgetown in Washington, DC.




and here is the view from my room of the old Naval Dockyard. the clock tower is a mall, and there are tons of fun shops and restaurants hidden in there.
and this is the restaurant that has the BEST lasagna I have ever eaten! I am not exaggerating. I loved it so much that I practically licked the plate and I wasn't even hungry! I could barely move when we left, and I knew it was a mistake when I couldn't hold it down that night. haha! hands down, best lasagna EVER. and the staff was great. they flirted, and gave us free limoncello as we were leaving.
in Bermuda, chickens and roosters roam free. haha! the first one I saw scared the crap out of me.

when we got to New York and got everyone off the ship, we had a few hours to kill so we went shopping on Canal Street. nothing could have made me more happy. I had been dying for a Gucci or Dolce & Gabanna knock-off forever. haha! we first got some lunch at a great Italian restaurant near Little Italy. I will tell you the name as soon as I remember it. I had the best cream of mushroom soup I have ever had. the ricotta gnocci was pretty good as well. then we were off looking for bags.

after several shops, a lady made a secret knock on a wall, yelled a password, the wall opened and I was ushered into a secret back room filled with just what I had been looking for. I got a beautiful white GUCCI knock-off.

I don't think I have ever been this tired, so I am going to take myself another nap now. :)