I returned from my journeys inspired to work in my garden.  Since I am a firm believer in perennials, I purchased gorgeous day lily bulbs which were quite pricey.  My gladiolas bulbs from Dollar Tree were growing at a record pace along the condo foundation so I purchased these bulbs planting them away from the condo perimeter.

The following day I was aghast to find my new bulbs unearthed and gone.  Where had they gone?  In further investigation I found the squirrels to be the culprits.  For the price of the bulbs I could have taken them to lunch at a 5-star restaurant.

Still hoping to rescue what I had left I placed stones around the base of the plants.  The next day I found they pulled off the stems and worse yet they didn’t even eat the stems.  Today I am off to Dollar Tree to purchase moth balls as I am told this works to keep snakes at bay and hopefully it will work for squirrels?.  Who knows maybe they’ll come colored and what a decorative touch this would be for my garden.

Will keep you posted.

I quickly disembarked the ship for my journey to the Kennedy Space Center. While I am not a space junkie I was excited to go to the Kennedy Space Center or KSC as it has been 50 years since I was last there. KSC hours are 9-7 with admission fees of $50 to $60, (children, seniors, and military discounts, and brochure has a $2.5 coupon), plus $10 parking. It is well worth the cost.

Since they were having a special function at Atlantis that evening with early closure I was told by the gal at the booth to start there. The line was short and introductory movie quick but I stayed in this complex for well over 2 hours. There is much to see and do. Make sure you take the simulation ride and slide down the slide which replicates free falling.

The Atlantis shuttle was enormous and I particularly enjoyed seeing the sleep compartment, kitchen, and toilet.

Don’t miss the videos of those who work behind the scenes as it is fascinating. One weekend a woodpecker mistook the ship for a tree and pecked away damage to the tune of 3 million dollars. Great stories.

Then on to the bus for an interesting ride through the center grounds. Viewing the crawler that carries the rockets was particularly interesting. It goes at a speed of 1 mile per hour and weighs 6 million pounds. Cost for this baby was $14 million and there are two however it will last through several decades. As a taxpayer that was good to know. Also good to know how many private industries are involved in the program which frees up government cost for the program.

As I walked around I hadn’t heard this many foreign tongues since my days in NYC then I realized/recalled how many countries are involved in the program. Gosh, if we can do a space program with all these folks why can’t we get along on Earth?

After seeing pads 39A and 39B we made it to the building where it all began. Here we saw young President Kennedy giving a speech about going to the moon, then the doors opened to an antiquated control room with pictures of all white men in white shirts and skinny ties. As I viewed the new films of those currently working at the KSC I was pleased to see all sexes, colors and nationalities speaking of their jobs and how they love working here. I particularly enjoyed hearing the story of an Alabama man from a family of 13 who works at KSC. Diversity works and there are possibilities for all! Also, the films and exhibits encouraged young folks to consider a career in space. It takes a village of 40,000 to get these astronauts into space.

The Mars exhibit was thrilling. By 2030 we are going to Mars. It takes 6 months to get there and the gig is a sign on for 3 years. Astronauts are already training for this and the lunar vehicles displayed were fascinating. They reminded me of those seen in the movie Martian with Matt Damon. I had just seen that vehicle outside the King Hussein Car Museum in Jordan as the movie folks donated it to them. Well, back to the USA.

The Garden of Rockets was another interesting spot where you could really get a feel for sitting in the cramped quarters of a rocket. Initially, I had thought this was a garden and it was a garden of large rockets. They have a docent give information on each rocket. A must see, check the times for this.

So, pack up the kids and take them to KSC. It was a fascinating experience for even Earth bound me and piqued my interest in space travel. Enjoy.

After the night at the Tropicana what can you say? Nothing can compare, however, the ship continued to provide interesting activities, delicious food, and great entertainment.

My table mate from the Tropicana dropped off a good book she had finished so that occupied my time for most of the day. It concerns a psychiatric patient and was a great read, The Silent Patient. I always enjoy a well written book. For me it was particularly intriguing as I spent the last 10 years of my career as a psych nurse, however it would grab anyone who enjoys a psychological thriller.

Following my last delicious dinner with no calories spared, I decided to go to the adult humor show at 10 pm. Dylan, a long lean Canadian was a hoot and even had a piece about nurses. The cruise ships always have great talent.

After this I bid adieu to the ship by walking the deck and enjoying the ocean breezes. My fun-filled vacation was over and this was the fastest 4 days of my entire life. Tomorrow I am exploring the Kennedy Space Center. I haven’t been there in over 50 years so keep reading and see ya!

In darkness our ship sailed down Havana Harbor past Fort Del Morro which protected the City of Havana since the 16th century.

Then as dawn appeared another guardian of the harbor came into view. The transition was eerie as we cruised toward the city panorama.

After seeing the morning sites from a country which had such an intense and prominent role in American history any thought of breakfast seemed absurd. I merely wanted to disembark to touch and see this land.

Leaving the ship at 8:30 am my fellow solo traveler and I easily made our way through customs. Seeing their TSA gals set the tone for this country. All were uniformed in tight mini-skirts with patterned black hose and heels. Directly after TSA came money exchange. The exchange rate was 13 percent and they readily accepted my left over Japanese currency converting it to Cuban Pesos.

From here we climbed onto a Chinese made bus which was clean and comfortable. Due to the embargo there are no American made products in the country. At one point Cubans could be jailed for having American currency and we were unable to use credit cards in the country, making currency exchange a necessity.

However, out of bad comes good, and we certainly saw this in the eclectic, colorful cars of the 40’s and 50’s which provide most of the Cuban transport.

Our first stop was the Jesus statute. Known as the Christ statute it is made out of Carrara marble and stands 66 feet or 20 meters high. It was brought from Italy in 1958 and is composed of 67 blocks. Jesus is quite heavy weighing in at 320 tons and locals joke he has a cigar in one hand and a mojito in the other.

A short ride away was Fort Del Morro. Several vendors sold license plates depicting cars, interesting hand made dolls and other unique items. I picked up great souvenirs here and glad I did as there were few shops elsewhere.

As we left the Fort there were folks selling pina coladas and even though it was 10 am I shared one with my solo traveler. Very tasty. In Havana not all speak English and I am told if you venture beyond the City you better know Spanish. Also, be ready for panhandlers and people approaching you especially if you are a solo female. Stay with the crowd and venture during the day time hours.

Our next stop was the magnificent Christopher Columbus Cemetery. While we didn’t see his grave there was much to take in. Since masoleums are works of art, please indulge me as I share the following pictures.

From here we journeyed to the rum factory where samples were plentiful. We all bought our allowed 1 liter bottle which was tasty and reasonable. Cigars were also available, but costly. I bought some female cigars, however, they didn’t light up once home as I think they got wet in transport. So, buy the rum or protect the cigars once purchased.

Upon leaving the store we drove through some very poor areas, however, the former beauty of these structures still shows through. Cuba is a country hostage to the 1940’s and 50’s. Their health care, education and some housing is paid for, (houses have squatters rights and are handed down through generations). Salaries are 100 to 400 Pesos per month. WiFi is challenging and costly, television is limited to government channels and movies are only available through boot leg versions.

That said the country has 80 universities that graduate 8000 doctors a year. We drove by several. Doctors make only 20 percent of their income once graduated with the remainder going towards the improvement of Cuba. They are allowed to “doctor” elsewhere for a certain period of time to make additional income, however, must return to continue their service to the country. Interesting and hope I heard this piece of info correctly.

Lunch was next and the food not what we expected. We ate in a former casino from the 50’s run by the mob. It was obvious little had been done to maintain or update its former glory. A Cuban band played and sang. I was able to eat a roll. The cruise ship fare beckons.

Next we toured the beautiful Cathedral Square area. As we walked from the bus we past a bust of Father Felix Verela. He was a Cuban born Catholic who attempted to promote independence in Cuba. Raised in Florida after his mothers death he returned to Cuba as an independence fighter. He narrowly escaped death from the military and returned to St. Augustine, Florida where he continued his ministry at the Cathedral in St Augustine till his death. He is currently on track for sainthood and though buried in St. Augustine, Cuba requested his remains returned and their request was honored. He is much revered in his native country.

Cathedral Square is Havana’s crown jewel as is Main Square. Seeing these pictures I’m sure you’ll agree.

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Main Square is where President Obama made a speech and government buildings are located.

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This area is lively with bands and school children playing.

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Sadly, our Best of Havana Tour had concluded. Later that night I would return to the Tropicana and as the ship’s excursion sales person said, “A very different experience.” You shall see. Stay tuned.

Setting the alarm at 6 am I made the most of the morning with sunrises, exercise, eating and making origami frogs. Since the glorious pink sunrise didn’t capture on my cheapie Samsung phone I inquired of a man on the deck photoing the same sunrise. He stated, “You need to get a nice phone.”  Wise and kind advice from a man who probably was very happily married for many years as he knew how to handle a frenzied woman. His sage advice made my day.

After the sunrise I attended 7 am stretch class arriving at 7:05 as I could not locate the place. It is always wise to check out where an event is on the ship before it occurs as these vessels are enormous. With stretch already in progress I found a mat and quickly joined in.  While the young man was cute and the class interesting I missed Miranda Esmonde White so returned to my room and plugged in my disk to exercise with her. When you’ve been exercising with someone daily for 3 years you miss them.

After Miranda I attended an origami class where we made a turtle.  It was fun and two of the gals left their turtles. Feeling sorry for these abandoned creatures I took them so they now have a home. 

Lee Child continued to call to me so I sat on deck and read after these adventures. As I read my mind wandered to Havana and the excursions I had chosen. Did I really want a tour of Havana only to return at night to walk through what I saw during the day?  This was ludicrous and the gal at the excursion desk agreed. I exchanged the evening tour for the fun filled Tropicana with 3 rum drinks and peanuts included.

At 1 pm the boat docked in the Key West Naval Shipyard and it was time to disembark. Key West is the town of Hemingway. You can visit his intriguing house and a lighthouse across the street.  Rumor has it Hemingway bought it so he could find his way home drunk from Key West bars.

There are also glass bottom boat rides, parks, an aquarium, a butterfly museum and interesting forts to visit in this town.  They even have a Walgreen’s in a former movie theater.

One of my favorite places on Key West is the Truman House.  It was here Harry was sent to recuperate for health reasons while he continued as president.  It is a simple white frame structure and current presidents still visit and stay over. The Carter’s and Clinton’s have stayed here.  It is a fascinating and unique piece of history.

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Another fascinating piece of history is the Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church which resides on Truman Street.  It was here during the Spanish American War that the sisters opened their convent as a hospital to soldiers inflicted with war wounds and yellow fever.  The church and grounds are a lovely visit regardless of denomination.

Back on the ship I met a new solo traveler at dinner and while eating 2 other solo travelers from the meeting appeared.  From here we attended a 70’s and 80’s song and dance fest by the ship troupe.  As I sat next to an inebriated passenger the seats rocked as much as much as the performers with this gal jumping up and down. What a hoot!

Another end to a glorious day of cruising with tomorrow the high point of the cruise, the Havana visit.

Farewell to the Key West Rooster…

Conditions were perfect as I drove to the Cape Canaveral Port for the cruise.  Friendly seniors met me at a reasonable off-site parking lot.  As I was refreshed in Cruise 101, I realized this was the perfect place for senior employment with sun, little stress, and a pleasant environment.  Gosh, maybe I need to sign up. 

Onto registration which was a quick and easy process as was boarding. The ship was gorgeous and in heading for my cabin I met friendly folk who all said hello. Once unpacked I located the amazing food café and contemplated decisions regarding calories then went for it all having 4 desserts, well, maybe 2, as I only ate half of each?.

After my first of many gluttony experiences to come I sat by the pool reading Lee Child and later soaked in the jacuzzi.  The sun was glorious.  Checking the clock it was already 5:30 and at 6 the Solo Cruise Meeting was scheduled.  Cruise ships have finally become savvy to us folk and even developed studio cabins in the larger ships for solos. Some even allocate a cruise member to guide and encourage socialization at events. This is a great way to connect and find someone to do things with.

The meeting was lively with 15 of us expressing concern regarding the Havana excursions.  A wheelchair bound travel writer was writing an article about exploring Cuba with disabilities and her Spanish speaking friend attended.  Both she and her friend had much to offer regarding the island and culture of the land.  Several left to eat dinner together and attend the show as a group but since I was stuffed, I decided to catch up with the group later. 

Returning to my room the Lee Child book continued to intrigue and I finally detached myself and attended the 8:30 show.  This was a smattering of venues to come with a great dance troupe performance, a comedian and a guitar player.  The cruise director introduced herself and gave information regarding the Key West excursions occurring the following day.  I found one gal who attended the meeting and we sat together.

Post show we discussed her Havana excursion plans.  She was still undecided regarding the Tropicana excursion. I volunteered to change my excursions and go with her.  As I listened to her banter I was grateful to be a solo cruiser as making decisions on my own is my forte. She came to the “possible” conclusion she was not ready to commit so I maintained my excursion choices.

Upon her departure I listened to the Cuban music and observed the lively dancing of the ship’s passengers.  My can these ladies and gents wiggle!  Tomorrow at 7 is stretch class. I better attend to get my wiggle in shape.