Goodbye 2007, Here Comes 2008................Uh Oh!

Hmmmmmm.......What am I supposed to say about this?

I suppose everyone will have their own special resolutions for the new year. Some will want to lose weight.......others will want more money...........etc., etc. But me?.......well......I just do not know. No matter how well things go for you, you surely know that some shit is gonna enter the picture at some point. The problem is........no matter what you try to do to prevent it, the shit always hits the fan occasionally. If we each had the power, we could do things to put up a barrier to block it.........but the reality is.......even if you isolate and protect yourself.......shit always finds a way to enter the picture.

Having said that, perhaps my new years resolution should be that I should seek as much shit as I can............you know how it goes...........when you try to get something accomplished it usually doesn't happen........at least as far as resolutions go. Oh well.......I ain't even gonna go that route because I know full well that if I did, some other kind of shit would come my way and ruin things. So just what kind of resolution can I come up with......at least that would actually be successful?

I could come up with some stupid little lame resolutions like "I resolve to stop eating Ho-Ho's because it might offend Al Sharpton".........ha.............then again, I never eat Ho-Ho's anyway. I could resolve to never watch MTV.........then again.....I already stopped watching MTV when they stopped having music. Hmmmmmmm........so what is a guy to do?

After some deep thought and serious visitation with the inner spaces of my brain........I have come up with one New Year's Resolution that I will share with everyone. Sure......I have a few other resolutions.....but those are personal........but this one particular resolution is a good one to share with you.

So here it goes.................

I have decided that for 2008, I am resolved to do what I can.........to ensure that the spirit of the Uncle Murray Band continues.

Okay.......maybe some of you have no clue what that means............but in my world, it has many meanings. As we all get older and life passes by, sometimes things never get said or done........and opportunities to say and do things do not always present themselves. I intend on doing what I can to make those opportunities happen. And this particular resolution is one which, if it succeeds.......I will have accomplished much...............and if it doesn't succeed.......well.....I can safely be able to say I actually enjoyed trying. If I fail, then I will never be able to kick myself in the rump and say "I should have done this....or I should have done that".

I don't know.........maybe I should just cover all of my bases and simply say:

My New Year's Resolution is............

I am going to "TRY".

PRIMUS - My Name Is Mud

Another one of my favorite songs and I really can't explain why.

Caribbean Cruise - Part 10

Well........this is it. I was heading home. I had been island hopping on a cruise ship and we headed north through the Sargasso Sea. I don't quite understand why it is called that.......as far as I knew, this is the Atlantic Ocean........heading through the Bermuda Triangle again.

And there was this brief portion of time where the water got eerily calm. No waves......hardly a swell........and a strange blue..........unsuual horizon. Could this be?.......................

I don't know about this.......I cannot explain it...........and you gotta know this was spooky. I looked around and it did not seem that others had noticed this........maybe they were too busy.

I was waiting for what I always anticipate when I am on vacation in these parts................the sunset.

Each time the sun would set, I would get a bit excited........waiting for that ever changing explosion of eye candy. God's artwork at it again...........and it is all a part of a well designed process.

Every time you look away and then look back at it again, it looks different.......a new work of art. Times like this.....I can only hope my camera can capture some of what I can see. Somehow, it is just not the same as being there.

The ocean becomes dark and the colors in the distance are more intense.........and you want to be closer to it. So I zoom in with the camera to help me see it closer...............

.........and it was like Mars..........reds and orange hues.............brilliant.......just awesome.

People can say what they will about going on a cruise........and I have said much right here on this blog...........but if you went on a cruise and did not give a hoot about Vegas stage show entertainment, casinos, pools, beaches and assorted ports of call, food food and more food, music, art auctions, dancing, parties, bingo,...........whatever.............there are certain things that are more than worth the price of a cruise to the Caribbean.........and that happens to be the stuff that mankind had no hand in making............such as the sunsets.

And you want it to stay like that.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Caribbean Cruise - Part 9

One thing for sure while on a cruise ship..............there is no time for boredom. If you have nothing else to do, there was always the casino to hang out in. For the most part, I simply watched others lose their money..........but there were winners.........not me this time. I hit a jackpot on a slot machine on a previous cruise. It was nickel slots for me this time. Most of this stuff is too rich for my blood.

And there was always the Schooner Bar where it seemed this performer was always doing his thing. This dude was tireless......and he kept punching out tune after tune after tune from his apparently unlimited repertoire. Think Dean Martin, Frank, Joel, Elton meets Buffet. I probably enjoyed this the most.

And there was always a big stage show every night. Very well done and extremely professional.

A nice touch was that some of the performers would be there for a photo op at the end of the shows.

My grandson had his eye on this one performer at every show. He would take notice if she was not up on stage at any time. He had an obvious crush on her..............so what should any good PopPop do but go speak to that woman and tell her about my grandson and his admiration for her. That I did........and I arranged for her to pose for a few pictures with him. I am gonna have to teach that boy to put his arm around gals like that one.......hehehe.

Monsterchild and two of the performers.................without hesitation, they were willing to stoop down to her territory......hehehe.

This is the same woman that was in the previous photo.

They really did a great job..........and I cannot understand how some of them are able to keep their balance on stage considering how the ship would sway occasionally.

And then there was Knight Magic..........a magician and his wife. Very, very good. Vegas caliber.

She's a contortionist, and he cuts her in half..............nice relationship, eh?

Could this be one of my trademark "action photos"?

She could really belt out a tune...............you have to wonder why she is not famous.

Before and after every show, the cruise director, Simeon, would communicate with the audience. He was British.....maybe Welsh.....and had quite a sense of humor.....he could have been a comedian.

All in all, as far as entertainment goes, there was something for everyone throughout each day and evening. We skipped the show that featured the pianist dressed in sequins with sequin shoes. We saw him on the previous cruise.........don't get me wrong.........he is very entertaining......but I find it difficult to subject myself to a second helping of what looks like an extremely gay offspring of Liberace and his boyfriend........heehehe. Seriously though, he does have entertainment value............the old folks find him charming.

Stay tuned, there was something I realized that I have yet to show you.........Part 10 coming soon.

Caribbean Cruise - Part 8

Hispaniola is one large island consisting of two countries..........Dominican Republic and Haiti. As impoverished the Dominican is.........Haiti is said to be in far worse shape. Maybe it is not thought of as a vacation spot but the Royal Caribbean Intl. cruise company owns a piece of property in Haiti called Labadee.

This is Labadee, Haiti as seen from where the Grandeur Of The Seas was anchored. It looked pretty good from here and we were told that this place is fun.

One of the first things I noticed was that the place was well landscaped and the signs were not chicken scratch. This is a bonafide resort area..........without the hotels. The grandchildren wanted some fun and this was the place for that.

Lots of stuff to do here.........and kids lots of stuff especially for them.....like this waterpark with all sorts of inflatable things to jump on and climb upon..........but for a fee, of course.

The Monsterchild and Inky. I must say that of all the various places I have travelled, this spot had the warmest and calmest water. Perfect for us.

Aside from having fun in the water, there is some shopping here. Two large buildings that house kiosks and shops. One building was obviously a higher scale and the other was extremely local. No harassment in the upper scale building........but an entirely different story in that other building. You could negotiate some pretty great deals with the locals. You cannot pass by the building without having arms of the salespeople reaching through windows and other openings.....trying to get your attention and inviting you in to see their wares.

Next to the buidings was an area of open market to stroll past.

And, yes, we did negotiate on some Haitian artwork. All handmade stuff piled high. The vendors would not let you walk away without spending some money....no matter how little you spend. If they wanted 20 bucks for one thing.........you could end up getting five or six things for 10 bucks. Apparently, Royal Caribbean arranges for the locals to make a few bucks here within certain guidelines and rules of conduct. These people are grateful for the opportunity to make a living. Consider that the annual per capita income on Hispaniola is about $100 US dollars............that's right!........could any one of us live on a hundred bucks per year? Also, Labadee is fenced off from the rest of Haiti. It is a secure area and we are safe. Elsewhere in Haiti, it is not recommended to roam around........desperate people do desperate things.

One thing becomes obvious to you if you visit island countries...........music is a huge part of their lives. Not only does it provide some income........music is a necessity in their culture. My guess is that RCI enlisted these guys to perform on their property, but I suspect that the only pay they got was when people like me bought their cd. Everybody has bought a compact disc of music, somewhere at home......and I guarantee you that never has anyone been so grateful that you bought it, as these guys. They were absolutely excited that I bought their cd.

One note.........this band played continuously the entire day!

Plenty of beach chairs, and never over crowded.

Almonds. I had never seen that before. Some people never noticed this............they were busy looking at..................

.............this kind of stuff........hehehe.

The weather was great and the sun was extremely hot. I guarantee you that most of the people from the ship got toasted here. Very strong sun here.

In contrast to the area of the waterpark and calm waters..............a stroll to the other side of the resort takes you to an entirely different beach. Waves and a zip line. Alot of wind too.

The sun was going down and we had our fill of this place. It was as advertised by the cruise ship.

I never dreamed I would set foot here.........and yet I did.

And so we set sail again............we would be heading north for home. Two long days ahead at sea. Last port of call........Baltimore.

Stay tuned.......I gotta wrap all of this up.

Caribbean Cruise - Part 7

The Grandeur Of The Seas arrived at Samana, Dominican Republic and dropped anchors just off shore. This means that we will have to be "tendered"............which means that smaller boats will take us from the ship to the shore and back.
The dock area looked to be fairly decent and well kept. Quite a few "transports" were waiting to give the tourists a ride to wherever they wished to go. Again, we really had no idea of where to go or what to see here in Samana. What we did know of the Dominican Republic was what we experienced on a previous vacation to Punta Cana............but this wasn't Punta Cana.....this was Samana. So we winged it..............we wanted beach again.

So our little entourage loaded up into a van and asked for a ride to a beach. The driver was very friendly and asked us "Which one?........the one nearby or the one that wasn't........hehehe. We chose the "nice beach".......and off we went. This is where our adventure begins. The road that led away from the docks was very steep and winding but didn't seem so bad at first...........until the transmission kept slipping. A few times it seemed that we would not be making it very far in this van............especially on the hill. I remember having a sinking feeling.

But we made it up the hill and drove on. As it was......the road we were on, only intersected with a handful of other roads. We were on this one road and it would take us directly to a beach. In fact, the road ended at the beach...........but getting there would be quite a ride. At this point of our excursion, we all are made fully aware that we are in a Third World country. THIS is nothing like at home. My eyes were fixed on everything beyond the windshield of the van.

If there is wealth here, it is in the form of squalor. A wealth of squalor. And sometimes you would see things that do not make any sense at all......such as this Pepsi Cola delivery truck parked outside of buildings with no glass windows. Some of the buildings are not even painted. As you can see in the photo above.....road conditions are not the best, either. It was at this point that I happened to look closely at the dashboard of the van..............I looked at the guages and saw something that I would have to keep to myself and prevent getting the women upset. The fuel guage showed a needle leaning heavily on EMPTY!...........holy shit! This cannot be a good thing. I didn;t say anything.......kept it to myself........maybe the guage was broken.........but I could also see that gas stations on this road were virtually non-existant. Oh well...........we were in the driver's hands. Whatever happens...........happens.

My guess here is that what you see in the picture above........is a clothing store. My guess also is that the merchandise is not new............but most likely the stuff that gets sent here by various charitable organizations.

Very few cars..........mostly people walking. And when you see a truck, it is either carrying a load of fruit or a load of people hitching a ride. I noticed that as we would drive along and pass by, people would be watching the van..............as I think about it now, they were probably hoping we would stop. Maybe some of them wondered as much about us as we wondered about them.

We would see more motorcycles........and they would almost always be carrying two people. One thing that did stand out were the school children. No school buses.......these kids gotta walk......and they are very tidy and wearing school uniforms.

The road went on and on.......and it seemed like a long time driving on it. Maybe the pictures do not show it as well as what you would see with your own two eyes..........but these folks here are in terrible conditions. From what I can see, the few who manage to do well for themselves, such as whoever lives in this very small house, has to take certain precautions. Notice the bars in the windows and on the porch. Ain't no car in his driveway either............there is no driveway. There is no car. Finally.........we arrived at the end of the road. We hit the beach.

My first reaction was.............God.........how can this paradise be surrounded with such poor condition? Oh well.........we must try to make the most of this. On our prior trip to the Dominican, we stayed at a resort and never really encountered the world outside surrounding the resort. This time was different......it was a cruise stop and there was nothing fancy here. Personally, you have to take the good with the bad.....that's the way life is. And it puts things in perspective, doesn't it? Our driver parks the van and tells us that he is staying right there with us until we are ready to leave. Ahhhhhhh.....music to my ears!

Okay........so now that music was in my ears.....hehehe......it was time to fill my eyes with paradise. This was called "Public Beach". Apparently, it, along with being somewhat a tourist spot (only because a few vans would bring cruise tourists here), was also a spot where locals enjoyed hanging out. I cannot blame them one bit. When we arrived, there was practically nobody here. As the day went along, more and more people showed up......but it never became crowded.........in fact, it still was virtually "ours".

I didn't have to look very hard to find beauty to fill my eyes. This was different.......but this was good.

It was like finding a kept secret. It was as if the rest of the world had not ever heard of it.

No hotels...no motels......no retail shops.......no ATM's.............just the beach.

These boats are used by the locals to supply seafood to eat. Nothing fancy......and certainly not a pleasure boat in sight.

And there I was...........taking it all in. As I stood there, I also knew that if something.......anything......were to happen......that would be it.......done. If my heart started acting up....there would be no place to get help. Perhaps this was risky..........then again.....what isn't?

I remember thinking.........if the worse did happen.......how many people could have it written that they were with family and this is what they last saw with their eyes.

Looking away from the beach, there was a "facility".........food and drink. Think of it as Lexington Market - Samana Style......hehehe.

Crude signage with the rules. Conch shells and coconuts for sale.

There was a small island nearby.................uninhabited.

Meanwhile........back at the "facility".............local cuisine was offered from various stalls under the thatched roof. From what I could see, you get a decent helping served up. I chose not to eat here......I have all the food I want on the ship.........the cleanliness of the food prep here is questionable.

This is what they do with the empty cerveza bottles. Cerveza is beer for you knuckleheads.....hehehe. See the small building surrounded with trees?...........that is the other "facility"..............well......you can't just shit on the pile of bottles......hehehe. That "restroom" was for male or female use...............it had a door.........a wooden door.........that was coming off its hinges...........you had to lift it up to move it.............and the toilet looked like it doesn't flush........well, it probably didn't...........because they surely do not have plumbing in these parts.

Unlike the United States, only one language is found on the signs and menus. I guess I couldn't say that this place was dirty.......let's just say that it was a tidy mess.

Hey...........sit on a pole and have a beer!

Souvenirs!

And fresh coconuts!

This guy spent the entire day carving up coconuts for whover wanted to buy one.

A large group of young locals showed up during lunch time. They all had paper cups with straws and one of them had a large 1.75 liter bottle of rum.......which he shared with the rest. They were well behaved. One thing that stood out to me was that all of them had very clean clothing. Think about that.........no plumbing....no washing machines..........only hand washing of clothes here.

I realize that the vendors need to make a buck........when a tourist shows up on this particular beach, it is a grand opportunity for them........but..........after about an hour here it gets rather irritating to constantly be pestered for a sale. Cuban cigars, necklaces, shells, hair braiding.........geesh. One guy stood next to me as I was speaking with my little granddaughter and he said "Meester.....I have bambino too. I need a dollar." I felt bad for him, but what could I do? I did not smoke cuban cigars............so then he asked me for a cigarette......go figure!

But that beach sure was beautiful. And this was not the best beach I have ever been on. What I would say, though, is that I am glad I got to be there and see what I saw.........good and bad.

Two weeks prior to our being there, this area had been hit with a tropical storm. As we rode back to the docks we could see portions of road that had been washed out.

At this point we were looking forward to returning to the ship.

There is always a diamond in the rough. Our driver slowed down and announced that this was the "new hotel".........he seemed excited about it.

.........because it is hard to be excited about THIS kind of thing right down the road.

We made it back to the docks safely and were greeted by a band. I gave them a tip and they each thanked me. I couldn't help but wonder if they each live where I had been that day.

Lesson to be learned: These men were smiling and happy......in spite of it all.

Now you know what lurks inland. Time to move on. The tender took us back to the cruise ship and we to head further east to Haiti.

Everything has been put into perspective. In their eyes I am rich..........in my eyes they are poor. I surely am not a rich man.......but I am indeed blessed.......good or bad.

Stay Tuned.............Part 8 is coming soon........I gotta tell you about Haiti.