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Sun and Sloths in the Jungle of Costa Rica

Posted on January 9, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 5, Grand World Voyage Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023; Puerto Limón, Costa Rica. I never tire of the beautiful sunrises and sunsets I see while at sea. I woke up to a sky on fire this morning. Today we were off to “Meet the Sloths.” Our tour headed south of

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Grand World Voyage 2023
3 comments

On the Hunt for the Real Jamaica

Posted on January 8, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 3, Grand World Voyage Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023; Falmouth, Jamaica Back in my corporate days, one boss sponsored a group lunch each month with the theme of a different country. She suggested we share photos of any vacations or trips. My travel at that time had generally been within

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Grand World Voyage 2023
12 comments

Finding Our Sea Legs and Places for Everything

Posted on January 6, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 2, Grand World Voyage Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023; Caribbean Sea. Welcome Home! That’s how Holland America greets cruisers on its grand voyages, and it is nice to see it hasn’t changed. Embarkation day is always hectic, and this one was no exception. But even so, boarding the Zuiderdam did

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Grand World Voyage 2023
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A New Adventure is About to Begin

Posted on January 2, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day -2, Grand World Voyage Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023; Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. The reunions have begun! I planted myself in the Fort Lauderdale hotel lobby early this morning and — as I suspected — started seeing familiar faces. Some had just flown to Florida on red-eye flights. Others were

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Grand World Voyage 2023
24 comments

Hardest Part is Saying Goodbye … and Packing

Posted on November 22, 2022 by Jo Johnston

Day 51, South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand Cruise Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022; Tasman Sea. Of course I put off my packing until the very end. And it was made much the harder by our rough passage through the Tasman Sea between New Zealand and Australia. At one point the

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2022 South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand
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Not Enough Time to do Auckland Justice

Posted on November 21, 2022 by Jo Johnston

Day 49, South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand Cruise Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022; Auckland, North Island, New Zealand. The original itinerary for this cruise had us spending a day in Auckland before going to the Bay of Islands, making a smooth northerly transit up the coast of New Zealand’s North

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2022 South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand
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The Ports Keep Coming, But I Rebel

Posted on November 20, 2022 by Jo Johnston

Days 46-48, South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand Cruise Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 17-19, 2022; Gisborne and Tauranga, North Island, New Zealand. After a flurry of new-to-me New Zealand ports since leaving Sydney more than a week ago, I’m back in familiar territory. I’ve been to some northern New Zealand cities and

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2022 South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand
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Gannets Squawk, Preen, Swoop, Dive, Nest and Fight

Posted on November 18, 2022 by Jo Johnston

Day 45, South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand Cruise Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022; Napier, North Island, New Zealand. As we neared the top of the hill, our driver said, “If you are really quiet, we might be lucky and see a gannet.” We crested the hill and thousands of very

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2022 South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand
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From Tragic WWI Battle to Bucolic Sheep Station

Posted on November 15, 2022November 18, 2022 by Jo Johnston

Days 43 and 44, South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand Cruise Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 14-15, 2022; Wellington, North Island, New Zealand. There are so many things I know little about, and World War I is one of those subjects. So, the amazing exhibit on the 1915 campaign at Gallipoli

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2022 South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand
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Earthquakes Leave Trail of Empty Lots in Christchurch

Posted on November 13, 2022 by Jo Johnston

Day 42, South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand Cruise Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022; Lyttelton/Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand. Of course I remember reading about the destruction in the Christchurch area of New Zealand caused by earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. I was interested in seeing the aftermath. But – duh

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2022 South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand
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I’m a writer in love with the sea, sailing, travel and sketching.

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