St Thomas

31 March 2014: DAY 6 ON THE GEM

Kan nie glo, ek is nou presies n week, weg van die huis nie.Vir my baie lekker om by Liefie te wees en ek so dankbaar, ek kan heeltyd saam seil.Mens hoort bymekaar en die werk sou nie gewerk het as ek nie kon saam kom nie,mens verlang te veel ,en 3 maande is lank, al klink dit na niks nie.

Ons is op die oomblik in St Thomas van vanoggend 8h00 en ry weer vanaand 17h00.Ek het heerlike dag gehad maar moes alleen die eiland aanpak want Theunie werk vandag en mag dan glad nie van die skip afklim nie.So ek het vanoggend eers n stewige ontbyt geeet en toe is dit tyd vir STAP en ek bedoel stap!!

Kon n taxi gevat het maar dis baie lekkerder om die eilande te voet aan te pak.Regverdig dan natuurlik die lekker eet met oooooo, het mos baie ver gestap vandag!!Het eers natuurlik by die mark gestop en daar lekker rondgeloop en al die intressante goed gekyk.Die eiland het ook baie juwele winkels en dit hou my ure besig,mal oor juwele, al kyk ek net.

Toe vat ek die lang pad strand toe, want ek wil mos gaan swem in die helder blou of kan eerder se turquoise water.Eers stop ek by stalletjie op straat en koop vir my n piesang vir 50c want toe begin ek half flou voel van al die gestap.Nou ja, na wat gevoel het soos 10 km kom ek uiteindelik uit by die lughawe en ek weet daar is strandtji naby hom waar ek kan swem.

Theunie gaan nog vir my die afstand meet as ons weer hier is, dan gaan hy hardloop en ek dink ek sal taxi vat vir $6!!! Nou net toe ek dink veel verder gaan ek nie oorleef nie want dis warm, hulle se 25 grade maar ek dink dit was warmer.Toe vra ek n ou oom wat koerant sit en lees waar is strand en gelukkig se hy nee loop nou net tussen die plante deur en jy is op die strand.

Was ek nou bly, om die see te sien en is eintlik so n privaat strand langs die kus,met die mooiste mooiste turquoise water. Uitgetrek en toe is ek die see in,ongelooflik ,veral as mens so n wilde stap agter die rug het en moeg is.Natuurlik met 1 oog my sak dopgehou op strand nog nie daardie steel ding uit my sisteem nie.

Theunie terg my, eintlik oor dit want op die skip is daar mos orals kameras .so steel nie hier n goeie keuse nie want hulle sien sommer baie gou wie die skuldige is en personeel word onmiddelik gefire vir so n oortreding.Weet nie wat doen hulle met die passasiers nie, sit jou seker in die skip JAIL!!!!! Daar is wragtig een op die skip.

 

 

Mooi fotos geneem maar ek sukkel om hulle te laai want wi-fi nie so vinnig hierso op skip nie, miskien sal ek volgende week in St Maarten by die vinnige w-fi  goed probeer stuur.

Toe dit tyd is vir terug gaan,  toe dink ek nee, bogger dit,genoeg oefening vir 1 dag,tel my geld en besluit ek vat taxi, en die bestuurder toe die  dierbaarste ou man, sit toe heel voor by hom en oppad terug gaan ons verby die begrafplaasen hy se vir my, sy ou vroutji en 2 kinders le daar en wag vir hom.Se toe vir hom ja te minste weet ons, ons sal weer eendag by hulle wees en dis n pad wat almal nog moet stap,by dit sal jy nie verby kom nie.

 

Nou ja n baie spesiale dag gehad en dankbaar, klaar gestort en sit nou in die biblioteek waar ek elke dag sit en my goeters doen.Heerlik want is stil en koel en het n view to die for!!! Mooi bly

St Maarten

29 March 2014

Arrived in St Maarten this morning .A beautiful day and spent most of the day at the beach
Went for a swim after Theunie went on his 10km run along the beach.

My 50th Birthday Cake

The Gem

At sea

MY BLOG

26 March 2014: Sail Away!

Hi to all family en friends who are following my blog.

 

 Highlight in hotel was my big white, fluffy, soft bed after flying for 16 hours and free wi-fi!!

Wednesday morning the 26^th we were collected at 8.15 and our 1hour 30 minute trip to cruise liner started. Was freezing outside, so I was very glad, I did pack in my winter woollies and boots after all.

The trip to boat went buy so quickly because I could not get enough of all the things to see, things I have only seen in the movies or on TV. Everything looks so big and actually riding past places like The Bronx,Manhatten ect.

 

Arrived at the harbour and the sea looked onderstebo en omgekrap as us Dutchmen would say!! Then I thought, o hier kom n lelike ding but Theunie had warned me that the sea here in New York was rough. Going through all the checkpoints went smoothly and people were very friendly and helpful, at least hubby made sure I was on the passenger list.

 

Then I came around the corner and there the Norwegian Gem was waiting, my home for the next 2 months. Must admit was very glad to see it.Now I could relax and knew I would be seeing hubby soon.

 

Then we were taken on board and Liefie was there to come and get me,was very very glad to see him.With our walk around the boat I was surprised to see guys shovelling the snow off the decks, but it was freezing.The sail away started at 16h00 and I went straight to deck 13 to watch this and take pictures of Manhatten, the famous bridge and the Statue of Liberty en wragtig there my camera did not want to work!!!

 

So I just had to stand and watch this beautiful sail away, without taking 1 picture, very disappointing but awesome anyway.Sea rough and quite a wind blowing, to dink ek vir myself ,jy beter gewoont raak hieraan skattie, die diep see is oppad!! Just realised again, how little and small we are, in this huge universe of ours.We think we are so clever and smart but we are actually nothing .Here you get to realise how mighty GOD is,when you see all this water and you are just a speck in the ocean.

 

Anyway, survived the first night in a very rough sea and am actually still alive and well!!!!Very proud   of myself because  still have my sea legs on.In die nag gehoor hoe n ander persoon brull van al die rocking and rolling!!! Van die skip.

27 March 2014:

Ek is wraggies 50!!! Wat n gedagte,maar toe besef ek, wees DANKBAAR  Sune, jy is gesond,gelukkig,het n wonderlike gesin,familie en vriende,prys die HERE .

GELOOF,GESONDHEID,GESIN, FAMILIE EN VRIENDE DIS DIE BELANGRIKSTE IN DIE LEWE.

Van Liefie kry ek toe die mooiste blomme ruiker en die juwele moet ek nog gaan uitkies!!!My siekte in die lewe mos juwele,skoene en brille se my man!! Die werks mense het vir my n spesiale cheesecake laat maak met HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUNE kan jy glo, ek so  dankbaar en verras.Hopelik kry ek die fotos gelaai,kamera darem reggemaak op boot, dan kan julle die mooi tert/koek sien.

Vandag en more nog op die see, Saterdag kom ons aan in San Juan, Puerto Rico so hopelik sal ek n paar mooi fotos kan neem en vir julle wys hoe dit lyk.

Mooi bly tot dan toe.

28 March 2014: SEA DAY

Had a lovely breakfast on the open deck on deck 12 this morning, Theunie had to give a lecture so we only went to the gym late morning, but must admit, gym after breakfast does not work!! So won’t be doing that again.

We are still at sea and will be docking tomorrow afternoon Saturday at 15h00 in San Juan in Puerto Rico.Very excited because will be getting off to explore island.Getting warmer as we go along

Tonight they have a 50/60s rock and roll party sounds like fun.I have had my afternoon cup of tea and good thing the dining area was closed otherwise I would have taken a little something with my cup of tea.

The Hilton Hotel New York

Ek is darem veilig in New York na n lekker vlug.Het oop sitplek langs my gehad,so dit was hemels, ek kon le en slaap, na n  lekker aandete, met n glasie wyn!! en toe kyk ek
My 12 years as a Slave.
Dit was n fout,pragtig maar hartseer en vat nie veel om my aan die huil te kry nie, want toe huil ek lekker.Raak seker oud kan nie hartseer stories vat nie.
Kyk ek weet nou al die verskillende maniere, van le op 2 sitplekke,die kant toe, daai kant toe, noem maar op, sien baie uit na my bed vanaand.

Vanoggend so 5.45 op JFK lughawe geland en was asemrowend mooi gewees,orals sulke klein eilandtjies,  natuurlik was kamera in my sak weggesit maar hopelik sal ek van nou af meer paraad wees en reg met die kamera.

Op lughawe verdwaal want moes airtrain vat en toe op verkeerde plek afgeklim maar toe darem by die shuttle terminaal uitgekom uiteindelik!! wragies n ligte sweet opgedoen met al die rondloop!! so bly het nie in my winterboots gevlieg nie en wragtig voor ek nog bel staan hotel bussie daar reg voor my en moet bieg was bitter bly en dankbaar

Nou sit ek in die hotel lobby, want te vroeg vir check in, maar sodra ek kan, is dit bad en bed toe vir my.
More klim ek op die boot en vreeslik opgewonde.
Moet se, lag vir myself met my 2 tasse wat lyk asof hulle geshrink wrap is en reg is om maan toe te gaan!! N Chisese girl het hoeka iets vir haar vriende gese oor die tasse wat so lyk ,hulle dink seker ons is mal en wat makeer ons,hoekom sal mens nou dit aan jou tasse doen!!

Nou ja tot volgende keer.

New York here i come!

So finally the day has arrived and only one more sleep until I leave for the  Big Apple tomorrow night at 20h25 from Johannesburg on SAA 203.  Getting very excited and can't wait to finally join my hubby on the Norwegian Gem.  Leaving Port Elizabeth at 14.25 tomorrow afternoon for Johannesburg.  After arriving in New York on Tuesday I will be checking into the Hilton New York before meeting up with Theunie on Wednesday.  My sister has organized a USA cell number for me and here's hoping I am able to activate it correctly!  My cell number while in the States will be 07452245137. Very excited to be spending my 50th birthday in New York City.

Am happy to report that I have arrived safely in Johannesburg and am now getting ready to board the plane for my long flight to New York.  Will post some more tomorrow night once I have settled at the hotel for the night!  Cheers SA, see you in 8 weeks time.

Two weeks and counting

So the time has nearly arrived for me to join my hubby in New York to celebrate my 50th birthday and to spend 8 fab weeks aboard the Gem sailing between New York, the Caribbean and the Bermuda triangle.