Hello friends and families! It’s almost a year since our last cruise in April 2022. Yes, that’s right, I don’t know how we were able to stay put that long without traveling but we did! We were supposed to go on a Mexican Riviera cruise with our friends-cruisers, Oya and Tommy Holgado but the cruise line company cancelled many of their booked cruises from September thru October due to severe staffing problems.

As I mentioned before we embarked on our South Atlantic cruise last year, we cancelled our Viking River cruise scheduled for December 2022 due to the invasion (Moscow to St. Petersburg) of Russia in Ukraine.

Trini and I will be flying to Bergen, Norway to meet with our dear friends – Oya and Tommy Holgado. We will be embarking aboard the Viking Venus ocean cruise line to start a 12-day trip around the Scandinavian country and will disembark in London where we will be staying two extra days before flying back to the U.S.

Norway is a Nordic country in norther Europe with a population of about 5.4 million. It is a constitutional monarchy. Harald V is currently the reigning monarch. We hope to learn a lot about the interesting history of the Vikings. I will write more about Norway as I take you along our trip.

As we all know, winter in the Scandinavian countries is brutally harsh! We’ve had very cold weather in Las Vegas the last week or so including snow flurries and strong winds which peaked at 80 miles per hour last night! However, I’m sure these will pale in comparison to the freezing temperatures of Norway, especially, the northern part where the maximum temperature in March is 26 degrees Fahrenheit.

We purchased winter clothings to cope with Norway’s freezing temperatures: thick parka jackets with fleece liners, merino wool base layers, thick woolen socks, warm gaiters, goretex gloves and mittens, knit caps, winter trousers and lots of chemical hand warmers! Hopefully, they will comfortably warm us when we go to the ship’s excursions learning more about Norway’s history and culture and most importantly during our search for the naturally occurring phenomenon – Aurora Borealis commonly known as the Northern Lights!

THE NORTHERN LIGHTS

I apologize for the delay in updating my blog, WIFI signal aboard the Viking was woefully slow that I could not download photos. I wanted to just write about our shore tours but that would have been extremely boring!

Anyhow, we flew back to the U.S., from Barcelona to Zurich, Switzerland where we took the connecting flight to Vegas (our friends Tommy and Oya Holgado flew to Los Angeles CA). We almost didn’t make our flights in Zurich due to a delay, luckily, the departure time was moved an hour ahead since there were so many passengers in our delayed flight.

It’s 2:15 am PST and my body is still getting used to the time difference. And the bad thing is I think I am coming down with “something”! Perhaps this is how my body is reacting to the 22-day cruise and travel time (and the excessive wine and splendid cuisine aboard the ship).

Anyway, it would be very remiss of me if I left my readers hanging in suspense if I didn’t finish my blog taking you vicariously to our travels!

VALENCIA is a very beautiful city and one of the busiest ports in the Mediterranean and the birthplace of the famous paella (a dish consisting of saffron-flavored rice, seafood, chicken, chorizo, vegetables, etc). Valencia was first founded by the Romans in 138 B.C. and boasts of a diverse medley of ancient buildings – from Gothic to Baroque to Romanesque styles. However, part of the city also boasts of ultra-modern architectural buildings that look more in place in a futuristic movie. (Trini and I have been to Valencia in February 2018 also with Viking).

Since our tour did not start until noon, Tommy, Oya, Trini and I decided to take the provided shuttle bus to go explore on our own. We’re glad we did since although it was cold and windy it wasn’t raining yet. We strolled the square located near the cathedral at Plaza de la Virgen, commonly known as “Seu“. We passed by the Palace of the Borgias (Spanish Borja) which was featured in Netflix – Borgia. They were a very powerful family during their time.

As most of the stores were still closed we went back to the ship. A few shops catering to tourists were open where we bought the usual take home things – magnets to stick in our fridge.

The ship’s tour started with the expected rain, light but steady, and lower temperature! We did some walking always wary of slippery old cobblestones. The stroll took us through narrow serpentine streets admiring very old buildings. The tour guide pointed out the narrowest apartment building in the world – only a few feet in width! We visited their market which we almost missed since they close at 3:00 pm. Siesta is mandatory!

BARCELONA is full of history, stunning architecture and a rich culture. It is also the Catalonian capital. I’ve visited this tantalizing city so many times while I was in the Navy, the fifth time since I retired from the military. However many times I set foot here I still feel a different vibe compared to other cities we’ve traveled all over the world! The Bohemian atmosphere permeates the air and the laid back cheery attitude of the people you see strolling about is so contagious it makes you just go into one of the open cafes and just sip coffee or wine (or both) and let the idle hours pass by! If you haven’t been to this eclectic metropolitan city, I strongly recommend you do before Father Time prevents you to do it.

Barcelona is also famous for its iconic Basilica of the Sagrada Familia. Started by Antoni Gaudi in 1882, the construction is still ongoing after almost a century and a half (the Egyptian Pyramids took less time to complete)! Pablo Picasso (see my Malaga blog) also spent part of his life in Barcelona.

There is also a tall statue of Christopher Columbus found at the end of La Rambla which I will not post since it might offend some of my readers due to the controversy surrounding his abusive treatment of Indigenous Americans. His statue was erected as a reminder that he reported to Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand V in Barcelona after his first trip to the new continent.

The tour guide showed us the usual tourist spots around the city and the obligatory photo shoots around the Basilica. We didn’t go inside since it was not part of our excursion and you have to make a reservation in advance. Outside, a long line of tourists were eagerly waiting to see the interior of this colossal masterpiece by Gaudi. Trini and I are fortunate to have experienced this in 2018.

When the tour bus stopped near the Columbus statue, the Holgados and us, told the tour guide that we will get off and go on our own. She warned us to keep our wallets and backpacks in our front. We headed near the vicinity of the statue so I can visit the memorial of my shipmates (USS TRENTON was my ship; USS GUAM also had casualties) that died in a water collision with a Spanish vessel in 1977. Twenty-four Marines and sailors drowned when their liberty boat collided with the Spanish vessel. I visited this memorial twice already but for some reason I could not locate it again. I even went to the maritime museum and was given the direction to no avail.

Disappointed, we went to the famous La Rambla (most people call it in the plural Las Ramblas). This is a mile long tree-lined pedestrian boulevard (watch out for pickpockets!). We went to Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria. We took our time browsing the sidewalk shops and enjoyed people-watching. We reached the crowded market past noon and we were famished. Trini and I ate tapas in a tiny restaurant (Pinotxo) back in 2018 and we liked their tripas. That’s where we ended but had to wait until some seats were vacant. Finally, after the owner asked a couple of customers to move so they can accommodate all four of us together, we were seated. After the waiter/owner served us hard bread which he scooped with his bare hands (hopefully sanitized) from a wicker basket and unceremoniously dumped in front of us, we ordered marinated sardines. After savoring this dish slowly and dipping the bread in its oil to soften it, we ordered another dish – caracoles (escargot or snails!). We picked the snails’ meat with a toothpick and they were slightly rubbery but savory. Again, we swished our bread in its oil. By this time, we mastered this technique although I noticed the other diners didn’t do this. Next, we ordered a skewer of venison that was surprisingly tender and and not so gamey. We asked for more bread and ordered the pièce de résistance (not really the main dish since tapas are served individually) – tripas (tripes). Again, rubbery but delicious!

Hunger satiated, it was now time to shop for some pasalubong! Question: why do we always feel obligated to bring home stuff to giveaway even if you already have exceeded your baggage weight limit? You can even buy the same items in Costco for a cheaper price! Just kidding!

After aimlessly walking several miles, we took a taxi and went back to the ship. We rested a little bit then went to dinner and said our farewell to the restaurant staff who treated us daily like royalty (this also included the housekeepers)! That night, I wrote my survey regarding our cruise. Obviously, I wrote appropriate evaluations for those who deserved it and was honest enough to point out what can be improved. By the way, gratuities are charged to your room automatically but we still went around giving a few bucks to those we felt deserved a little bit more. You can tell how much they appreciated this small gesture. To lessen our baggage weight, Trini and Oya gave away stuff that we weren’t able to consume or use like granola bars, mixed nuts, shampoo and conditioner.

We recognized not only the Filipinos but also deserving hardworking individuals from Zimbabwe, Indonesia, and India. We wished them all Good Luck and hope to see them again in our future Viking cruises! FAIR WINDS AND FOLLOWING SEAS!

To all those who followed my blog, thank you very much for making it worth my time and effort to vicariously share with you our passion in life – TRAVELING!

Until our next travel, my friends! Stay safe always and enjoy life to its fullest….

Málaga is a municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 578,460 in 2020, it is the second-most populous city in Andalusia after Seville and the sixth most populous in Spain. It lies on the Costa del Sol (Coast of the Sun) of the Mediterranean, about 100 kilometres (62.14 miles) east of the Strait of Gibraltar and about 130 km (80.78 mi) north of Africa. (Wikipedia)

Most of Spain was under Roman and Moorish rule as evidenced by its distinct architecture. After the fall of the Roman Empire, most of Iberia came under the Moors. The archaeological remains and monuments from the Phoenician, Roman, Arabic and Christian eras make the historic center of the city an “open museum”, displaying its history of nearly 3,000 years.

Our tour started with a crisp salty breeze that women would consider “bad hair day“! The temperature was in the high-50 degree Fahrenheit and sunny; however, as the day progressed El Sol was hiding that it was necessary to put our jackets back on again. But this did not deter the tourists and families from eating al fresco enjoying tapas y vino. It was a Sunday so there were a lot of people just wandering about even though most shops were closed.

Pablo Picasso was a prolific artist, producing both classical and innovative works, including painting, prints, ceramics, sculpture and experimental forms. He helped developed cubism.

We wandered around the city meandering through its narrow cobblestoned streets. We spotted a tiny restaurant advertising tapas. A gentleman whose name is also Carlos welcomed us and luckily he spoke English (like most business owners). We ordered three types of tapas (fish, adobo and octopus) and bread. The place was empty when we went in but soon was packed and everyone was standing with barely an inch to move about. We finished our tapas and paid the bill and left as fast as we can as we were not comfortable with so many unmasked customers around!

During our exploration of the city, we saw many of the ship’s crew that was able to go ashore before going back aboard to resume their duties as waiters/waitresses, housekeepers, bartenders, cooks, etc. I will try to talk more about these hardworking folks and their sacrifices so they can earn a living at the expense of separating from their loved ones for months or even years at a time. By the way, we’ve been on different cruise ships and it is not a coincidence that the majority of the crew come from the Philippines. They are very industrious, smart and speak English fluently and are skilled seamen.

Shopping is mandatory for Trini and Oya. They browsed the colorful scarves and other female accoutrements while Tommy and I stood around watching and admiring the stylishly fashionable senoritas pass by. The delicious aroma emanating from bakery shops was irresistible that we couldn’t help but go in and try free samples of their products (no, we didn’t buy any, we decided to wait until Barcelona).

Our bus and walking tour took more than three hours taking us to the scenic and historic spots of the beautiful ciudad. It has certainly evolved into a modern metropolitan city since I last set foot more than 40 years ago. Unfortunately, our elderly female tour guide seemed to be suffering from COPD that it was difficult to understand her accented English due to her raspy wheezing voice. She also was not physically fit to walk as we obviously did not go to some parts of some spots that fellow cruisers from another bus visited. The tour guide also was quick to light a cigarette whenever she had a chance.

As I write this blog in bed, the ship is rolling and yawing so bad due to the high waves that Trini was scared to go eat in the restaurant as it was difficult to walk on the deck. So we ordered room service for lunch and may have to do that for dinner again. We are at sea again and will arrive in Valencia (home of the famous paella) tomorrow morning.

As a side note, the Spanish actor, Antonio Banderas is also from Malaga.

Known as the “Garden Island” for its rich agriculture, terraced hillsides and beautiful flowers, the Portuguese island of Madeira is an enchanting Atlantic paradise. With fertile volcanic soils and a temperate year-round climate, it is a horticulturalist’s dream. The island’s ubiquitous irrigation aqueducts, or levadas were dug into the steep hillsides so that early farmers could make use of every patch of land. It was an amazing early engineering feat. It was hard to believe that the tiny island was able to plant bananas, grapes and other agricultural products! There were no vacant land between houses – every inch was planted mostly with grapes or bananas! The houses with elegant wrought-iron balconies were overflowing with flowers. It truly is a “Hidden Gem in the Atlantic”!

Our tour bus took us to the highest elevation on the island and were able to enjoy the awesome panoramic view of Funchal! We stood on a glass floor looking down below the steep cliffs of Cabo Girao – one of the highest cliffs in the world! They served us Poncha – a traditional alcoholic drink from the island of Madeira, made with aguardente de cana (distilled alcohol made from sugar cane juice), honey, sugar, and either orange juice or lemon juice. I tried it and it was a very strong drink! The tour guide was right, after you drink three small glasses of this potent mix you start speaking Portuguese!

After the 3-hour bus tour around the southern part of the island, we were given a choice – stay and explore the city on your own or go back to the ship? It was a perfect walking day, the temperature was in the mid-60 degrees and sunny! Most people stayed to immerse themselves in the unique culture of the island. Our group walked to Sao Sebastian’s cathedral then decided to try the local cuisine as it was nearing noon already and we only had light breakfast.

Next we visited the local market as it was a Friday (market day on Friday and Saturday). Colorful flowers were on display all over; tropical fruits I’ve never seen; and of course, the Madeira Fortified wine I bought the dry one to bring home). We bought a strange looking tiny orange fruits which the vendor claimed tasted like cherries – they did not! We also bought a couple of cherimoya and ripe mangoes which we ate sitting on a bench.

The night before we arrived in Madeira, we were treated aboard the ship with a sensational performance by one of the ship’s assistant cruise director – Carl Ignacio, a Filipino with an amazing voice! He was accompanied by the all-Filipino Viking Band! Their performance was so dazzling – pop, rock, and musical theater classics – that the audience gave them a standing ovation and wanted more! Carl Ignacio also sang a Pinoy song along with Maria and Zee of the Viking Band which kept the guests clapping.

Tomorrow we will be crossing the Strait of Gibraltar which separates the Atlantic Ocean from the Mediterranean Sea. We will visit one of my favorite ports when I was in the navy – Malaga! I will finally get to eat Spanish tapas again!

(Note: I am having difficulty updating my blog and uploading photos due to weak WiF signali. I will try to update you as much as the free WIFI will allow me.)

After nine days of cruising the Atlantic Ocean we finally docked in Praia, Ilha de Santiago, Cape Verde! As I mentioned earlier in my blogs, we are being entertained and nourished quite well aboard the Viking and with so many activities (or inactivities) boredom was not really an issue. However, we are creatures who are more comfortable with both feet on firm ground. And I did yell “Land ahoy” when I saw we were nearing land.

Cape Verde or Cabo Verde, officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an archipelago and island country in the central Atlantic Ocean off the western coast of Africa, consisting of ten volcanic islands with a combined land area of about 4,033 square kilometers. The official language is Portuguese as it was once a colony of Portugal. It is comprised of ten small islands. Most people of Cape Verde are Creole, or of mixed white and black descent due to the history of slavery.

We had two ports to visit in Cape Verde. The first one was Praia, the capital of the archipelago country. We went to the included tour (meaning it was FREE) and walked to explore the Old Town. We passed by the Palace of the President and saw some soldiers marching. We browsed their local markets. Cape Verde is considered a third world country and barely could grow its own agricultural products, most have to be imported as all the islands are volcanic. Our bus took us to the imposing Sao Felipe Royal Fortress.

The ship pulled out at 5:00 pm and sailed to our next destination overnight. We pulled in in the port of Mindelo, Cape Verde at 6:00 am. I noticed immediately the contrast between Praia and Mindelo while the ship was pulling into port and this was confirmed when we went to the tour – Mindelo is a cleaner and more vibrant city. The streets wider and there seemed to be more activity going on around. Of course, they have the same numbers of sidewalk vendors hawking their products ranging from clothes to electronic gadgets to food products. Praia vendors sold more fruits and vegetables whereas Mindelo vendors sold more fish.

We admired the rugged beauty of Sao Vicente during our panoramic excursion. Our comfortable tour bus agonizingly worked its way up the summit of Monte Verde (even though the elevation was only 2,441 feet it was steep). The slow drive to the top though was worth it! We were rewarded with an amazing view of the low lying mountains, the multi-colored city and the turquoise water of the Atlantic Ocean.

After the excursion, Trini and I decided to enjoy the luxurious spa onboard the Viking taking advantage of the peace and quiet since most guests were ashore. We totally enjoyed again for the third time the sauna, steam room, ice room, and whirlpool. After the walking tour we needed this to soothe and relax our tired muscles and joints.

We have to prioritize which meeting to attend first – Alcoholics Anonymous or Overeaters Anonymous. I kid you not. We probably eat and consume alcohol like the ancient Romans did – maybe I’m exaggerating but we’re pretty close!

The ports we visited so far may not have met our expectations but like the ship’s cruise director said – “With open hearts and open minds, you will always be welcome wherever you go”, and with that advise, we are looking forward to our next port – Madeira (Funchal), Portugal!

Although my wife and I actually set foot and straddled the equator in – where else? – Ecuador several times, I’m embarrassed to say that in my 20 years of active naval service I never crossed the equator. So I am still what the mariners call a pollywog. At least until yesterday.

A shellback initiation is a ritual dating back 400 years as a way the mariners observed the transformation of a pollywog, a seaman who has not crossed the equator into a shellback. A shellback also called a Son or Daughter of Neptune who as we all know is the mythical god of the ocean.

Traditionally, the mariners who have been shellback the longest dress up in elaborate colorful costumes. King Neptune and his royal court are entertained by pollywogs with a talent show – dancing, singing, poetry, skits, etc. The pollywogs are then charged with various offenses by the shellbacks. During the initiation ritual, they are made to eat slops (mixture of uneaten foods from the galley that is often spicy); they are made to crawl on their bellies on objectionable debris and end up kissing the greased belly of the royal baby (usually a sailor with big belly). You can visualize the ritual but it is all for fun!

Like the English, the ship observes the traditional tea time too. We enjoyed a relaxing afternoon after the organized chaos of the shellback initiation. We sipped a variety of tea, mine was Darjeeling and drank it like I like my coffee – pure and black, while Sasha (the resident pianist) entertained us with classical music. Need I mention that all these fine teas and foods are free?

As I already mentioned in my previous blogs, the ship has several lecturers presenting different topics of expertise. One of them is Mr Ian Wright who was a personal photographer of the late John Lennon, one of the Fab Four (Beatles). Ian shared with us anecdotes that gave us a view of John Lennon’s very private life. How he sailed from New York to the Bermuda where they encountered a hurricane and was ship wrecked. While recuperating in Bermuda, John Lennon was so inspired by a rare flower that he composed one of his final album – Double Fantasy. John Lennon was shot and killed on December 8, 1980 in front of his apartment building in New York City. He was only 40 years old.

Atlantic Ocean trivia: The Atlantic Ocean is divided in half, north and south, by the Mid Atlantic Ridge or MAR. Longer than the Rockies, the Himalayas and the Andes combined, this underwater range is the longes on Earth. The MAR was discovered in 1872 when the crew of the HMS Challenger set out to research a path for a future transatlantic telegraph cable.

As many of you know, I spent part of my life as a sailor in the United States Navy and obviously also spent time on a ship as part of the overall mission of the navy. Of course, the luxury and comfort of the Viking cruise is no comparison with that of a naval surface vessel but terminologies used to describe locations and objects, e.g., port side for the left side of the ship; starboard for the right; aft for the rear; forward for the front, etc. are the same. And one more common similarity is – you get seasick when the waves are as high as a small building fortunately, we haven’t experienced this yet; however, there was a time the waves were so bad that a port itinerary was cancelled as I mentioned in my previous blog.

We are cruising with our friends of 40-something years, Aurea (Oya) and Tommy Holgado. We are also lucky to have the company of Oya’s cousin, Nelia and her husband Val Macasait (from Virginia Beach, VA). Val and I share things in common – he is also a retired U.S. Navy with 22 years behind him and a retired federal employee. Nelia, Oya and Trini are all retired nurses.

We continue to enjoy the nightly shows at the Star Theater. The cruisers were treated with a fabulous performance from a very talented artist – Salvatore Hasard! He wowed the audience with his ability to sing Endless Love by himself! The original track was sung by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross. People sang along with his rendition of The Piano Man! Salvatore’s voice range was truly amazing. He also plays different instruments – piano, keyboard, guitar, drums and saxophone. It was a show that equaled or surpassed those in the Las Vegas Strip!

Julian Gargiulo who’s stage name is The Pianist with the Hair (I wonder why). He treated us with his soul-lifting classical music but he also entertained us with knee slapping pieces. Not only is he a gifted pianist, he also is a great entertainer that kept us roaring with laughter!

David Meyer‘s instrument aptly called xylosynth is a combined xylophone/synthesizer that produced unbelievable sounds! It can reproduce various instruments from piano to guitar. Throughout the performance guests were rhythmically clapping with the upbeat music.

David also demonstrated how he can create music with “rays of light”. It was magical!

However great the performances are if you are hungry then you may not enjoy them! Viking really did a stupendous job providing cruisers with eclectic gastronomical experiences ranging from the popular grilled burgers to fusion dishes to the exquisite French cuisine! Name your favorite and chances us they serve them. Last night we were back at The Restaurant to partake in their specialty for the night – lobster and braised short ribs! Personally, I think lobster is overrated (no offense to those who love them), I prefer crabs getting my hands all messy trying to separate the juicy meat from the shells. Having said that, I ordered the braised short ribs. It was heavenly delicious and so tender! I washed the food down with a bold Argentine Malbec from the famous Mendoza Vineyard.

And for the not-so-bad news, it’s another four days before we can yell “Land ahoy”!!!!

I talked about the changes of the cruise’s itinerary and the cancellation of the Argentine Tango dinner. By the way, to compensate for these “unforeseen” inconveniences we were given $500 onboard credit per person. After the ship left Montevideo (the six mountains from east to west), we were scheduled to anchor near Punta del Este, a popular resort in Uruguay but this did not happen again due to heavy seas which made the trip ashore dangerous. Since the ship was anchored a tender (passenger boat) is used to transport passengers to shore and doing that was extremely dangerous.

So here we are in South Atlantic Ocean cruising east of Brazil. Once a divider of continents Europeans believed “there be dragons” beyond the ocean’s glaring horizon. Once they considered that another world lay on the other side, the Atlantic became an avenue of conquest and trade.

So what else to do while floating in this huge expanse of water?

Fortunately, Viking provided us with lots of amenities and activities to keep us preoccupied. If you’re bored then it’s your own fault! The ship has a versatile and very entertaining band composed of Filipinos musicians! Yes, they are great and I do not say this because they come from my country of birth. We’ve been cruising for a long time and when there is quality entertainment aboard a ship, there you see Filipino entertainers!

There are games and contests daily. Experts from various fields captivated the audience with their interesting topics. One woman talked about her record-breaking journey in a row boat with her son for more than 3000 miles in 101 days! Another discussed about astronomy; someone presented about international human rights, etc.

The Star Theater is the venue for the main shows onboard. We were treated with exquisite and sensuous tango show we missed in Buenos Aires. The Tango Cervila performed superbly and delighted the crowd with their traditional and modern tango style. There are also two movie theaters if you didn’t want to watch them in your staterooms.

We were also treated with the fabulous performance celebrating the legendary Swedish pop group ABBA!

We’ve been pampered in the spa and enjoyed the relaxing steam room and the soothing effects the hydro pool. This morning we experienced a blissful 50-minute Swedish massage…aaahhhhh! In between these luxurious pampering, Trini and I used the complete fitness center equipment. Workout is a must in order to partake in the decadent fine dining in the evenings! There is a walking trail (4 laps equals a mile) if you prefer the outdoors.

There are so many options for dining onboard. If you want casual buffet, you can go to the World Cafe where you can select form many different cuisines (my favorite is sashimi and sushi). If you prefer to dress up a little bit, then go to Manfredi’s (where I had chilled octopus Carpaccio, crema di Porcini e Crostini and bisteca Florentina – a very tender ribeye steak cooked to perfection)!. Or you can try The Restaurant, a more relaxed atmosphere with the same delicious entrees. However, if you would like to really dress and experience fine dining at its best make a reservation at The Chef’s Table.

This morning, three chefs demonstrated how to prepare Caribbean cooking! They made it look so easy!

I just came back from a veteran’s group get together at the Explorers Lounge and it was so nostalgic meeting other veterans and talking about the “old days”! We all agreed that we should meet again at least one more time before the cruise is over.

We arrived in Montevideo, Uruguay at 8:00 am after a night of slight rolling of the ship due to the choppy waters. Montevideo is located just across the Rio de la Plata (a tributary of the Uruguay River) from Buenos Aires. Our tour guide explained that the name Montevideo means Six Mountains from East to West – Monte (mountain), VI (six from the Roman numeral), De (from), Este (east), Oeste (west).

Uruguay has a total population of around 3.5 million of which 1.4 million live in Montevideo. Like Buenos Aires there is a very strong European influence in the inhabitants compared to the other South African countries with indigenous people. It is the second smallest country (next to Suriname) in South America.

The forecast called for rain in the morning. Fortunately, the ship provided everyone with a red umbrella along with bottled waters (more of Viking’s freebies). There wasn’t much to see that Trini and I have not already seen when we first visited in 2014. Also, the rain pretty much kept us inside the bus. At least our tour guide, Vicente, was very interesting and had a great sense of humor. We learned a lot of trivia from him! It was nice to know that in Uruguay, a wife can divorce her husband without any grounds! We also learned that the Uruguayans eat a lot of meat – average of 200 pounds a year per individual! And that the country’s name comes from Uruguay River which means “River of the Painted Bird”.

We flew from Las Vegas to Dallas, where we joined our long-time friends from LA, Tommy and Oya Holgado. The trip to Buenos Aires took more than 14 hours including the layover. The carrier was American Airlines 787 Dreamliner which was fully booked (almost 300 passengers!). There was a slight delay as one passenger was too sick to travel so they had to remove him and all his luggage that were already in the plane’s cargo hold.

We landed in Buenos Aires before 8:00 am and had to go through the long customs queue. With our passports, proof of COVID-19 vaccination, and PCR negative tests results. The unsmiling customs guy squinted at our PCR test results and summoned his supervisor. They talked in Spanish and started using their fingers to count, I was tempted to ask them if they wanted to use my fingers too. The supervisor asked us when we flew out of the U.S. and at what time as they seem to compute (with their hands) that the tests were more than 72 hours prior to our first flight. I told them (in my limited Spanish) that we left on March 16th at 12:45 pm and the tests were done on March 13th at 1:10 pm. After intensely staring at us for what seemed like interminable seconds, we were allowed to go. Whew! However, that was not the last time we were questioned about the timeline of our PCR tests.

After the Viking guides herded us we were told to wait for the buses to take us to the ship. The temperature in Buenos Aires was warm and a little humid and people started to shed they warm jackets and sweaters. By now, we were hungry as they only fed us yogurt and mixed nuts for breakfast. Luckily, we brought some snacks with us.

We were taken to the port embarkation area where we had to again show all the necessary documents. Stage One – Wait until your turn to approach one of the tables to answer the same health questions: Do you have a fever? Have you been in contact with someone with COVID? And so on. Step Two – Proceed to the upper level. There they check your documents again. The person that screened us scrutinized our PCR test results again, and like at the airport called his supervisor to decide whether the timeline is acceptable. Despite me showing them the Viking Pre-Departure Checklist that states, “PCR test must be taken within 72 hours prior to boarding OUTBOUND FLIGHT FROM HOME COUNTRY”!!! There were several cruisers in the same predicament and understandably all were angry and frustrated! The issue got passed from one employee to another until finally a ship’s female officer read the Pre-Departure Checklist since none of the previous employees even bothered to read it. To make a long story short, we still had to do another test! But what was irritating was EVERY CRUISER that checked in had to do a saliva test in their cabin upon boarding! To add insult to injury, we were all prohibited from leaving our staterooms until the results have been displayed in our TV monitors. While I’m typing this blog, we’re still held captive in our rooms (it’s now 8:45 pm and the ship pulled out of Buenos Aires. The shore excursion (Argentine Tango Dinner Show) that we pre-paid was cancelled. Hence, no one was able to see the city except the skyline as we were pulling out from the pier.

After these frustrating and disappointing events that transpired, we decided to order a nice meal and opened a chilled bottle of Chardonnay (like I said before, wine is free with your meals) so we can unwind and relax a little bit. We sat in our balcony and watched the tugboat pull the ship into position. Trini and I breathed a sigh of relief and agreed that things could have been worse…..