Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Peeping With The Fishes

As I wake up to day three of this cruise, I immediately notice that the by now familiar rocking of the ship has ceased. That can only mean one thing, we have arrived in George Town, Grand Cayman, our first port of call. I step out onto my balcony to the majestic sight of four other cruise ships anchored in the harbour, a veritable armada of gluttony.

I hop on a shuttle boat and head into George Town, the capital city. George Town is as touristy as it gets, replete with a Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville and Hard Rock Cafe. Its enough to make me gag, but I did not come here to hang out with the parrotheads.

The emerald green and deep blues of the water are as breathtaking as the beautiful beaches, and my purpose here is decidedly liquid in nature.

I've booked a tour on a submarine that will take me down one hundred feet below the surface to a coral reef.

There are three Cayman Islands: Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. The islands are actually the peaks of an underwater mountain range, and the choral reef is actually located near the top of the mountain range.

As luck would have it I have the best seat in the house. Each of us has our own porthole, but I am also seated directly behind the "driver" (pilot?), so I can also look out through the "windshield".

As we descend I am awed by the blueness that surrounds us and the underwater moonscape before me. The Sea of Tranquility may be on the moon, but this place invokes that term.

The beautiful shapes of the gently swaying choral and the serene movement of the various fish immediately elevates my conciusness to a deeper plane. The gentle rhythm of this magical place is transcendant and I am deeply moved.

I could stay here for days marveling at the beauty before me and the sense of peace it exudes.

We would be warm
Below the storm
In our little hideaway
Beneath the waves

What a privelige to have such a rareified experience. You can see more pictures of the Cayman Islands here

http://www.goyestoeverything.com

Sea Me

Did you ever break up with someone and later had a twinge of regret about it? Its kind of like that with me and the ocean. Having grown up in Vancouver, Canada, one of the things that I missed most when I moved to Toronto was not being near the ocean. Although Toronto does sit on the shores of Lake Ontario, the city is an absolute disgrace in terms of weaving its best geographical feature into the urban fabric.

Even after living in Vancouver for many years I would still have jaw dropping moments as I walked to work across the Burrard Bridge, humbled by the beauty of the suns reflection off the shimmering inlet, the city dwarfed by towering evergreens and majestic mountains.

If the earth is a body, then its oceans are its lifeblood, the tides its defining rhythm, and for much of the world, its creatures a crucial source of sustenance.

The privelige of sailing upon her feels like a chance meeting with a long lost lover who is even more beautiful, graceful, and sensual than the day we first met.

http://www.goyestoeverything.com

All Aboard

Its nine in the morning and I'm sitting at a bar in a casino on the Carnival cruise ship Valor, heading towards the Cayman Islands. While I have been known to gamble and drink, it is too early in the morning, even by my questionable standards.

I'm actually here to satiate my nicotine habit, as smoking is permitted in this den of eniquity. The endless clanging and beeping of the slot machines envelope me, but it is a small price to pay for the luxury of having a cigarette with my morning coffee.

Ghana introduced me to the vibrancy of West African culture and Indochina revealed to me the complexities of life in Asia. I suppose this particular venture is an opportunity to learn about the travel habits of the middle class North American tourist.

While I am surrounded by an ocean of blue, onboard it is a sea of white as far as the eye can see. The only multicultural aspect is to be found among the kind people who are catering to us. These are my peeps, I guess.

Our affable cruise director, "Big Tex" makes announcements over the PA (known as Tex messages), imploring us to consume, though I had to draw the line when he declared that not dining in the ship's steakhouse was akin to going to Egypt and not seeing the pyramids. I haven't been to Egypt yet, but I gravely doubt the aptness of his analogy.

Nonetheless, it seems that consumption is one of the things that we North Americans do best, so I may as well go with the flow. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I need another cigarette.

you can see more images from the cruise ship here

http://www.goyestoeverything.com

Saturday, January 23, 2010

I'm Telling My Mom!

Interior of the Eaton Centre showing one of Mi...Image via Wikipedia
One of the requests that was made of me prior to embarking on this trip was that I bring a nice suit. The request was made at the behest of my Mom and Stepfather, so that we could meet the dress code required to have dinner in the formal dining room on the cruise.

A perfectly reasonable request, especially considering I am not paying for the pleasure of the journey. And in full disclosure, I am not even paying for the suit. And yes, I am very blessed.

Besides, I should probably own a nice conservative suit. I am getting to that age where funerals are becoming more common. Personally I'd like to have an open casket for myself, so a suit might come in handy. Just make sure you pluck my ear hair first.

As I told The Siren my story she asked "where are you going, Moore's?." Nah, I'm going to International Clothiers.

So a few days prior to the trip, I head out to the Eaton Centre, in search of International Clothiers, a local chain known for cheap suits that look good once or twice. As I head out to the subway I lament a lost opportunity.

Prior to leaving for Asia, I ran into a bartender who had spent a couple of months in Vietnam. I asked him if he had any advice. Among his many tips the most adamant was go to Hoi Ann and buy a suit. His exact quote was " Dude, for two hundred bucks I got two made to measure Armani suits, eight shirts, and two ties, ya gotta go there!"

 In the brisk Toronto morning, I deeply lament my ability to ignore sage advice from those who have gone before, but we must live in the present and move forward, which brings me to the sad realisation that International Clothiers no longer inhabits the Eaton Centre.

Fortunately, thanks to The Siren, I had a look see at Moores online and knew that there was a location about four blocks away. I head out into the crispness and arrive with ears burning..

The staff is exemplary, and I am clear about my parameters. I am in and out with a nice suit in about twenty minutes, including measurements. An agreement is made that I will pick up the suit on Friday, the day prior to departure.

On Friday my phone rings. The voice on the other end is Carolina from Moores. It seems that their Master Tailor has noticed a hole in my suit during the course of his alterations and they don't have any replacements. At this point, I don't really have a choice.

I accept the suit as is, with a promise that the jacket is going to be replaced upon my return. Make no mistake, I only bought this suit for this trip, and its going to have a hole in it. So much for trying to appear dignified in front of my family. I only take this as further proof that The Big Electron (may peace be upon it) does not want me to wear a suit.

As for the good folks at Moore's, you were very kind and apologetic and I understand that this was a glitch, but you might want to check for holes before you put any product on display.

I am not going to sue, I'm going to do worse. I'm telling my Mom on you. I guess I'm just not suited for this.

http://www.goyestoeverything.com

Friday, January 22, 2010

The Journey Home

arriving in HondurasImage by comecloser via Flickr
I was going to write this post in a few weeks, but I felt like getting this out now.

Tomorrow I will be flying to Miami, where I will join my family for a cruise to The Cayman Islands, Belize, Honduras and Mexico.

This will be the culmination of being in twelve countries  and it represents an opportunity to travel in a way that is very different than my recent escapades. I am sure that my jaw will drop at the sheer magnitude of the ship and that I will have amazing experiences in each country.

But the biggest opportunity is far more simple and precious to me. I have had a lot of incredible experiences in the last twelve months, but the most incredible will be spending some time with my family. Travel is great, but some things in life are greater.

http://www.goyestoeverything.com

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Traveler vs. Tourist

Seal of the United States Department of Homela...Image via Wikipedia

I don't plan trips, I plot them. Basically I find a route I want to take and research the hell out of it, but I don't make any firm commitments other than  flight and a one night hotel booking. Some people don't like to travel this way. They prefer to have the entire route planned out, and each day scheduled.  And thats fine if it works for you, but it leaves me feeling constrained, as if the journey is nothing more than a series of commitments that must be met.

Speaking of feeling constrained, I am lucky enough to be going on a cruise. It is a family event and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity, but the contrast between this traveling experience and my other trips is glaring.

It used to be that being a tourist was easier than being a traveler, but this cruise has shown me that the opposite may now be true. In order to travel on this cruise, Carnival/Homeland Security demanded the following information from me in detail.
  • The flight details from Toronto to Miami
  • Where I'm staying in Miami
  • Where I am staying after  I have left the ship
  • My flight details home
For much of the world, travel is still a fairly simple business. You buy a ticket, you prove who you are, you go to the airport/trainstation/dock you prove who you are and you get on the appropriate conveyance. Not so on a cruise from the U.S.
  • It took at least half an hour to print the ticket for the cruise, including setting up an account and providing a level of information that amounted to a digital strip search
  • I had to print vouchers for both flights
  • hotel vouchers for both nights
  • baggage tags for the cruise
I know that this whine has a very first world whiff to it, but there is no other place where we have fewer rights or power than when we get on a plane, and especially an international flight to the U.S. I hope that Americas love affair with fear and paranoia will end soon, but I understand why it probably won't.

What I don't understand is why the level of customer service is so appallingly low in the tourism industry. Why is the onus on me to print my own baggage tags? Aren't we paying you?

I love America and I love the American people. Without exception they have never been anything but kind and generous in my experience. I'm just a little sad that their government is making it so arduous to enjoy the experience that is the United States.

http://www.goyestoeverything.com