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Random thoughts from the sea

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Football, Mardi Gras, Valentine’s Day Fill Long Sea Journey

Posted on February 16, 2024 by Jo Johnston

Day 45, 2024 Grand World Voyage Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024; At Sea, Pacific Ocean. It’s been a busy eight days at sea on the Zuiderdam. Even Captain Frank said it is his longest stretch between ports. I recall on the 2017 Grand Asia we had 11 sea days between San

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2024 Grand World Voyage
6 comments

Sun, Sand, Food, Drink, Shopping and History in Honolulu

Posted on February 13, 2024July 7, 2026 by Jo Johnston

Day 37, 2024 Grand World Voyage Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024; Honolulu, Hawaii. Today in Honolulu we mixed a bit of history, some beach time, a great meal and – of course – some shopping. I’ve been here on cruises several times, and my sisters and I spent a couple of

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2024 Grand World Voyage, USA
3 comments

Visiting Friends, Shopping and Exploring on Hawaii’s Big Island

Posted on February 10, 2024July 7, 2026 by Jo Johnston

Days 35-36, 2024 Grand World Voyage Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 6-7, 2024; Kailua-Kona and Hilo, Hawaii. What do you do when you return to the United States after more than a month at sea? Apparently, the answer is to go shopping. Two days in a row. After six days at

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2024 Grand World Voyage, USA
7 comments

Smooth Sailing, Busy Days As We Head West Across Pacific

Posted on February 7, 2024 by Jo Johnston

Day 34, 2024 Grand World Voyage Monday, Feb. 5, 2024; At Sea, Pacific Ocean. We’re taking the long way across the Pacific Ocean, which is fine with me. More sea days! You need to look at a globe to truly see how far we have to sail from Mexico to

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2024 Grand World Voyage
2 comments

Cooking in Mexico; Adjusting to New Itinerary Around Africa

Posted on January 31, 2024July 6, 2026 by Jo Johnston

Days 27 and 28, 2024 Grand World Voyage Monday and Tuesday, Jan. 29 and 30, 2024; Manzanillo and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. With my belly full of authentic Mexican food – made with my own hands – and several shots of tequila, I expected to doze during the return from a

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2024 Grand World Voyage, Mexico
12 comments

Wildlife, Adventure Abound on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast

Posted on January 29, 2024July 7, 2026 by Jo Johnston

Day 24, 2024 Grand World Voyage Friday, Jan. 26, 2024; Quepos, Costa Rica. I’m beginning to understand how people get into birding. For me, it would be the challenge of finding – and taking great photographs of – as many birds as possible. Of course, I would have to learn

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2024 Grand World Voyage, Costa Rica
9 comments

We’re Having a Grand Time Aboard the Zuiderdam

Posted on January 28, 2024July 7, 2026 by Jo Johnston

Day 22, 2024 Grand World Voyage Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024; Panama Canal If this cruise gets any more “grand,” it may be the death of me. If it’s not a port day with lots to see and do, it’s a party or special event aboard the Zuiderdam. There’s hardly any

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2024 Grand World Voyage, Panama
14 comments

Delightful Curaçao, Grenada Close our Atlantic, Caribbean Adventure

Posted on January 25, 2024July 7, 2026 by Jo Johnston

Days 18 & 20, 2024 Grand World Voyage Saturday and Monday, Jan. 20 & 22, 2024; St Georges, Granada, and Willemstad, Curaçao. Proving once again that sometimes my best experiences ashore involve food and drink, I had the best ceviche ever in Curaçao’s 5 o’Clock Somewhere Bar & Grill. With

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2024 Grand World Voyage, Curaçao, Grenada
5 comments

Sailing the Amazon: The Granddaddy of All River Cruises

Posted on January 21, 2024July 7, 2026 by Jo Johnston

Day 17, 2024 Grand World Voyage Friday, Jan. 19, 2024; At Sea, Atlantic Ocean I awoke to the motion of ocean swells yesterday, and it suddenly occurred to me that I hadn’t felt them for a week. The waters of the Amazon River were calm, despite currents of three or

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2024 Grand World Voyage, Brazil
8 comments

Fishing for Notorious Piranha Along the Amazon River

Posted on January 19, 2024July 7, 2026 by Jo Johnston

Days 13 & 14, 2024 Grand World Voyage Monday and Tuesday, Jan. 15-16, 2024; Parintins and Santarém, Brazil I’ve always believed that success in fishing is mostly a matter of luck. After today I think experience must play a role. As we all were dropping lines with raw meat on

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2024 Grand World Voyage, Brazil
5 comments

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I’m a writer in love with the sea, sailing, travel and sketching.

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