if All Of Your Friends Jumped Off of A Bridge Would You Jump Too?

I never realized how large the Pacific Ocean was until I spent nearly twenty days sailing across it. Miles and miles, of blue water and yet, I still haven’t seen any dolphins… Finally after all that sailing, when our stomachs were really getting tired of ship food, we arrived in Costa Rica.

Now, keep in mind that every port thus far has been either inside a major city or within walking distance to a substantial skyline. Walking off the gangway into Puntarenas we were met by one story buildings cracking at their foundations, the village market selling local crafts and men standing in front of old VW Buses they called “taxis.” We were three hours from the next largest city…

And yet, my time in Costa Rica was by far the most thrilling adventure yet! First off the ship we went on a Canopy tour full of 12 zip lines, which sent you flying thousands of feet off the ground.

Leaving the tour group behind at the canopy tour Jackie, Mark, Steph and I piled into the rickety VW Bus which our driver insisted would get us to the Arenal Volcano faster than any other taxi in town. Skeptical as I was at first, after winding around cliff side turns at sixty miles an hour, I was only worried about getting their alive, not quickly.

I wish I could write that I saw terrifying amounts of violent, spewing lava and that our lives were constantly in danger, but unfortunately I cannot claim any of that. In fact the Volcano was probably the least thrilling part of our trip, since a cloud was blocking the view almost entirely and we could barely see the outline of a cone-shaped mountain.

Our driver suggested a late night trip to a hot spring spa, and even though it was nearly 1AM, we decided to take his advice, not really expecting to be thrilled, just looking for something resembling a shower. Much to our delight, we soon learned that hot springs are like water parks! There were so many cool pools and the craziest scariest, probably really unsafe, waterslides I have ever been on. We all lost our tops…(but got them back pretty fast) We ran around like screaming children for two hours before the Spa finally closed at 3am.

The title of this entry you ask? Well, my answer is a vehement, No. I wouldn’t jump, but I would let someone push me. Yes, bungee-jumping, the one thing I promised my mother I would not do and the one thing that I actually was terrified doing. Skydiving, meh, Shark cage diving… whatever. Bungee is scary!

Mark, (the boy who is terrified of heights), jumped of his own accord, he even made it look easy. Jackie, fidgeted on the plat form but, “Three…Two… One…Jump!” and she did. And Stephanie, I don’t think she hesitated for millisecond.

However, when it was my turn, I stood at the end of the platform. Completely frozen. They counted down probably ten times, and even the public humiliation of Costa Rican laughter would not make me budge. Finally, they pushed me. And as I plunged toward certain death, I couldn’t scream, or shake, or think. I just fell.

Thankfully, I lived and was risen to the applause of about forty tourists and on-lookers. After purchasing our 1^st (and in my case last) bungee t-shirts, we headed back towards the ship to conclude our time in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica was sadly our last port. My next entry will come following our trip through the Panama Canal and I will be seeing you all in about a week and a half!

Aloha!

Aloha! (Kai your Home is GREAT!)

Wow, I only had twelve hours in Hawaii, which is such a tease.
Basically we were at sea for eight days and couldn't have made it all
the way to Costa Rica without refueling and picking up some food. So
they gave us one day in Hawaii to stretch our legs before another ten
days at sea.

Being at sea has been really nice after moving non-stop through Asia.
It's giving us all time to catch up on work and journals. We've gotten
back into our routine of going to school during the day and then
playing games and hanging out at night. I have to say it's so
wonderful not having TV and Internet all the time. We play so many
games and they have a ton of nighttime activities, which everyone gets
really into. I am definitely cutting back on the TV and Internet when
I get home.

Time changes between Japan and Hawaii were brutal. One everyday for
six days. We were going to class at three AM at one point and none of
us could fall asleep because we were going to bed around 6PM. One day,
three of us pulled an all nighter and stayed up for breakfast and
class then slept all day because we couldn't fall asleep at night.
It's really challenging to adjust when we loose hours night after
night. Now I think I'm six hours behind the East Coast, or something.

Hawaii was beautiful. I thought it would be over rated, but its really
not. It was so strange to be back in the US. Even though it's so
different from the mainland, it was so weird! There were so many
things I have forgotten about completely, like mini-vans and Home
Depot! Everyone was white and spoke English, cars stopped for people
who crossed the road instead of just speeding up and the exchange rate
was 1 to 1! No one told us about the new five-dollar bills and when we
got one in change we all crowded around it amazed. Crazy how much we
felt like tourists in our own country.

I went to Pearl Harbor in the morning, which was interesting having
just come from Hiroshima. The two memorials are extremely different.
Then we spent most of the of the day surfing on Waikiki. I love
surfing and I wish the Atlantic Ocean wasn't so cold! Once the sun
went down we got some dinner and pushed "On-ship" time to the limit,
but we made it.

So I promised answers in this e-mail and here we go…

In Tokyo Sarah…
A. Became a movie star on giant HDTV's at the Sony building
B. Decided to use a "Safety-self Piercer" to pierce her eyebrow in
Harijuku, the trendiest section of Tokyo.
C. Joined a Sumo wrestling team because she has gotten so fat from the
delicious Asian food she has been eating for the past month.
D. Decided that Anime is the coolest thing ever and bought clothes so
she could dress like her favorite character

Everyone got this one right! (A) I guess you all know me and know
I'm to afraid to needles to self-pierce myself or think Anime is cool
enough to dress like.

After arriving at the base of MT. Fuji, Sarah spent the day…
A. Taking a public bath at a luxurious hot spring
B. Screaming not because its fun, but because she was scared for her
life on two world record breaking roller coasters
C. Not being able to hike the mountain, but getting another stamp in
her passport
D. All of the above
E. Create your own answer

I did all of those things! THE BEST ROLLER COASTERS EVER! Public baths
ROCK, Why don't we have those?!?! And the mountain was closed to
hiking cause its winter and well, the stamp in my passport… is a whole
other story. I got some great create your own answers for this one…
Thanks everyone!

On the last day in Japan…
A. Sara lost her voice singing Karaoke at ten in the morning while
devouring ice-cream sundaes made with cereal.
B. Sara was almost one of four people left behind as the ship pulled
away because she left her passport on the bullet train
C. Sara took over one hundred photos of a man shaving his beard
D. Create your own Answer
E. Both A and C, but not B because we all know that Sara never looses anything…

The answer is E! Of course I didn't loose my passport on the train!
Shame on you who thought I did! That happened to my neighbor who was
left behind and we might not see till Miami. I feel really bad for the
four people left behind in Japan. Karaoke is cool; we need that in the
US too! And the man shaving his beard was Mark who grew it out through
Africa and Asia. Shout-out to his parents who read my blog- See you in
Miami!

Well everyone I will be seeing you in about three weeks. Probably
only one more update till I get home. I miss everyone and I'm excited
to see you all : )

The last e-mail for a long time!

Japan!

Sadly, Japan marks the end of the Asian Explosion Tour. I can't
believe that I spent the past month in Asia with only a few days of
school. Teachers gave up during those days and we pretty much just
watched movies and talked about where we had been or where we were
going. Everyone is in the same boat (haha, pun intended), always tired
yet excited for the next port and not willing to think about school
work.

What a delightful country Japan is, I never expected to enjoy it so
much. One of my "favorites" I think! The people are the kindest and
most willing to be of service that we have encountered throughout the
world. Though few of them speak English, they are willing to
personally walk you three blocks to make sure you arrive at your
destination, or will make phone calls arranging hotels and
transportation for you with a proud smile on their face.

We bought the Japan railpass, which allowed us to take the bullet
train to any part of the country. Bullet trains are exhilaratingly
fast and allow you to city hop back and forth in no time at all. We
started out in Hiroshima, which was very enlightening. Forgive my lack
of literary embellishment but, all I can say is I hope no country,
especially the USA, is ever that stupid again. While there we saw a
baseball game. The Japanese LOVE baseball and the games rival the
intensity of Brazilian football games. So it was my second big
sporting event on this trip and I enjoyed it a lot.

Over the next two days we went to Mt. Fuji, Tokyo and explored the
port city of Kobe…

For the rest of my e-mail I decided to spice it up a bit. Since I'm
sure your all getting bored of me divulging my adventures, lets see if
you know me well enough by now to pick out what happened. Take a stab
at the questions below and (if you want) e-mail me your answers. I'll
attach the answers to my next e-mail/blog.

In Tokyo Sarah…
A. Became a movie star on giant HDTV's at the Sony building
B. Decided to use a "Safety-self Piercer" to pierce her eyebrow in
Harijuku, the trendiest section of Tokyo.
C. Joined a Sumo wrestling team because she has gotten so fat from the
delicious Asian food she has been eating for the past month.
D. Decided that Anime is the coolest thing ever and bought clothes so
she could dress like her favorite character

After arriving at the base of MT. Fuji, Sarah spent the day…
A. Taking a public bath at a luxurious hot spring
B. Screaming not because its fun, but because she was scared for her
life on two world record breaking roller coasters
C. Not being able to hike the mountain, but getting another stamp in
her passport
D. All of the above
E. Create your own answer

On the last day in Japan…
A. Sara lost her voice singing Karaoke at ten in the morning while
devouring ice-cream sundaes made with cereal.
B. Sara was almost one of four people left behind as the ship pulled
away because she left her passport on the bullet train
C. Sara took over one hundred photos of a man shaving his beard
D. Create your own Answer
E. Both A and C, but not B because we all know that Sara never looses anything…

Love you All!
Sara

India! For once the internet works!

Namaste!

            The first country of our "Asian Explosion Tour," as one of my friends calls it, has sadly come and gone. Over the next five weeks we only have nine days of class and the rest of the time we are exploring, Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, China and Japan. Woo!

            Writing about India seems like such an arduous task. The five days I spent traveling through Chennai, Delhi, Agra and Jaipur were probably the most intense days I have had throughout the semester. We traveled non-stop with nights ending at midnight and days starting at 4AM.

            They told us that the only way to understand India was to see it, feel it, and smell it. This statement was certainly true, which we all realized when about a mile away from port the smell of pollution began to sink through our ventilation system. The crew began wrapping our outdoor decks in plastic to protect them from the dust and grime and they tapped cardboard on top of all the carpets throughout the ship.

            After the most intense customs check we have had since Puerto Rico, I had to run with two other girls to make our flight to Delhi. Taxi's are scarce in India and we were told they aren't very fast. So, we opted for a ride on an Auto Rickshaw. These so-called "vehicles" are like three wheeled motorcycles with thin tin roofs and small seats to carry passengers. As your driver weaves literally within inches of buses, trucks and cars you get the feeling you are on a roller coaster ride, only, without the seat belts, safety precautions and shoulder bars. I thought it was loads of fun and we arrived at the airport with plenty of time.

            In Delhi we stayed at the "Hotel Perfect" and were conveniently close to the downtown markets. The next day, after the rest of our group had arrived, the 9 of us headed to the train station at 4AM, in order to get to Agra. I was downright shocked at how non-touristy the Taj Mahal was. I expected paved streets, western gift shops, oversized tour buses and crowds of American and Asian tourists. Happily I can report that none of these things were present to taint the most beautiful building in the world. It was for lack of better words amazing and I would implore you all to go there before the western world invades.

            My group, in case you were wondering, traveled independently without anyone from SAS baby-sitting us and I must say this is the only way to do it. We had a tour guide who educated us about the Taj Mahal and other sites, but was under our hire and therefore did not herd us around like the cattle of the SAS groups. We also managed to travel to more cities and see more for about one thousand dollars less than what they charged. My traveling skills have greatly improved and I know they will only continue to enhance.

            After seeing the Taj Mahal we visited the Agra Fort and other places before making our way to Jaipur. Jaipur, known as the "Pink City" was wonderful and our time there was extra special since we were the only SAS students who made it to that city. After another day in Delhi, visiting the Gandhi memorial, Birla Temple, and an outdoor market we flew back to Chennai.

            They call India the "Land of contrasts" which I have learned is certainly true. One minute I would see something that me laugh until my stomach hurt and then the next I would be wiping away tears. The poverty and social problems are overwhelming and though we were warned nothing could prepare us for experiencing such contrasts. As we met children and their parents it was hard not to think about the fact that the contents of my handbag were worth more than what they make in three months.

            In India I felt more like an outsider than in any other country and yet, I felt so welcomed! Everyone thought we were from England or Australia and upon correction were even more delighted to shake our hands, take photos of us and show us around. On the plane I met the most delightful man who knew where Portsmouth, NH was because he has visited Boston twice. We talked about American politics, our families, and of course the ship and then he asked me what I thought about the food. I told him how I don't like spicy food so for the past few days all I had eaten was white rice and naan. He told me to get the vegetarian meal on the plane, because it would be bland. So I followed his advice and when it arrived he pointed to a green thing on the top and said, "try this its really good." So of course, I pick up what looks like a long green bean and take a nice big crunchy bite. Instantly my mouth, tongue, lips, and throat, erupted in flames and tears slid town my cheeks. I was gasping for air as my Indian friend looked at me in horror and exclaimed, "I told you not to eat that! Not good!" Apparently I misunderstood the accent. Through tears and wheezes I cried, "I thought it was a green bean!" I could barely breath for a good ten minutes and literally thought I was going to die on an Indian plane at 40,000 feet. The man was very kind, ran off to the stewardess and got me extra yogurt, pudding and three bottles of water. After eating all of that and drinking all the water I felt better and my taste buds started to come back. It was by far, the worst thing I have ever put into my mouth. For the rest of the trip whenever I made a jesting comment to one of my friends they would just say, "Hey Sara, I got a green bean here! You want it?"

            It's certainly hard to pick a favorite port. Carnival was amazing. Cape Town was by far the most 'fun.' But India certainly affected me unlike any country has so far. I would encourage anyone to go there and experience it for yourself. You will learn about another culture, but more importantly, you will learn about your own, and it will make you rethink everything.

            "Live simply, so others may simply live." ~Gandhi

Mauritius

Bonjour from Mauritius!

 

Mauritius is a beautiful little country. I'm sure some of you have never even heard of it, or hadn't until I told you I was going there. Personally, I knew nothing about it, but how exciting to visit a country that isn't even on some world maps!

 

We did spend the first day at the beach. Swimming in the Indian Ocean was so fun and warm, we stayed in for hours without getting sick of it. Some of our friends decided to rent a villa for the three nights we were in port and said that we were welcome to stay there for one night. The town was quiet and they had their own private beach, and most importantly they were about half a mile away from 24 hour bumper cars, so we decided to stay. We did the bumper cars and I think it's safe to say that Mauritian people don't do bumper cars the same way Americans do. Slamming into each other at full speed while having no mercy, we eventually attracted a crowd that seemed to be fascinated with our barbaric ways. We also made a little boy cry… Ooops.

 

I finally found Nemo, when we went snorkeling the next day. This was probably my favorite part of Mauritius, you know me and fishies!

 

The third day was completely reserved for hiking in the south of the island. The national park was full of waterfalls, gorges and high mountains that made for beautiful jungle hikes.

 

On the last day, my friends, Jackie, Steph and I were invited to go out with John, the photographer on the ship, and his wife Sue. Hanging out with John and Sue is like hanging out with, John Lennon and Yoko, (If Yoko was the coolest person ever). So we were pretty stoked. We woke up at 4:30 AM to go to a sacred Hindu lake in the south where all week long Hindu's have been making a pilgrimage in order to celebrate, Maha Shivatree. This pilgrimage is the second largest gathering of Hindu's in the world, outside of India. It was extremely interesting and we were welcomed into the whole ceremony by a very friendly man who took us around and showed us every step of the worshiping process. All he wanted in return for the tour was a copy of a photo taken with John's "big camera." It was a very long but amazing day full of meeting people, learning about the Hindu religion.

 

Life is good on ship, we dock in India in five days and then we only have seven days of classes over the course of a month while we travel through Asia. Oh boy!

 

Love you all!

Sara

Cape Town

Cape Town is officially my favorite city ever. It is so beautiful and full of things to do. 97% of SAS students spend their time in SA on an overpriced safari where they might get to see some cool animals. That's sweet but I don't regret deciding to hang out in the city and forgo the safari. Six days in Capetown is barely long enough.

I will give you the laundry list of things I have done so far. Everyday has been packed to the max and this is the first port where we haven't had any time to "just walk around and explore"

I went out to Cape Point with my friend Jackie to see where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Indian Ocean and to see the African Penguin reserve. We got an awesome taxi driver for the whole day who was really good to us and played lots his favorite African music. The Penguins are ADORABLE. (Christy I thought of you!) And Cape Point was really cool as well.
That night we hiked Lion's Head mountain with a bunch of friends for sunset and for the full moon. Hiking is my new favorite thing to do, tomorrow we are going up Table Mountain.

The next day was the big day, Mark and I went SHARK CAGE DIVING!!! We were startled when one rammed into the cage. We screamed underwater but then we were all really excited that it happened. It took the whole day and there were only ten people on our boat which normally takes 25 so we got to dive with the sharks as much as we wanted! At night we saw the Cape Town Philharmonic Symphony because we read about it in the newspaper. They were accompanied by a choir which was awesome and we were the only Semester At Sea students there so that was a nice change.

Yesterday I took the train to the Winelands to explore and take some beautiful countryside photos. The whole day only cost me about 5-6 American dollars because we took the train which was quite enjoyable and really cheap. Last night it was our friend Connor's birthday so we went out to dinner at an authentic South African Restaurant where a live band was playing. I ate Crocodile and Wart-hog! Crocodile is Delicious! I highly recommend trying it. And the Wart-hog was pretty tasty as well.

Well thats all for now. I wrote this really fast so please forgive the typos. Hope Everyone is doing well!

I'm in Africa! Yes, it's true, Africa! We are all so excited and already the first day has been amazing. First of all, I must apologize for the lack of blog entries. We are sailing and don't have access to the internet. I am used to this by now but, I know it is frustrating for all those who want to stay connected.

Three days till South Africa! Everyone on ship is excited to go to Capetown. Mostly everyone is ready to be on land and to stop moving for six days. The ocean was very rough two days ago. I thought it was fun, but some people were pretty miserable. It's hard to describe the rocking, we literally get thrown from one side of the hallway to the other and there is a strange change in gravity every few seconds. At times you feel like you are floating and then the next second you can hardly walk up the stairs. At dinner we had to grab our plates every time a wave rocked the ship, and if you missed, you got dinner in your lap. It did cause a lot more clean-up for the crew which we all felt badly about. At one point all the drinks set out for us toppled over and created a juicy mess on the dining room's carpet. We weren't allowed to eat out on deck because the furniture is lightweight and we would have been sliding everywhere. It did get pretty annoying at nighttime, all of our drawers were sliding open and closed until we got frustrated and duct-taped them shut.

Neptune day, our party for crossing the equator, had already been postponed due to rain, so they had it on the super choppy day despite sea-conditions. It was a lot of fun, the crew woke us up around 730 in the morning with drums and whistles, forcing us to get out of bed and join the festivities. Our dean dressed up as Neptune in a pretty hysterical costume while my history professor readt a plea to Neptune to let us pass into the southern hemisphere. Neptune of course denied us this right until we had proven ourselves worthy of passage. How you might ask?

Well, first you have to get slimy, smelly fish guts poured over your head. Its really not that bad cause immediately after you jump in the pool and rinse off. Then its up the ladder and over to a huge dead fish with floppy lips which you must kiss. Finally you kneel before Neptune and he proclaims you worthy. The whole experience is quite delightful really. Traditionally, sailors who crossed the equator would also shave their heads as an offering to King Neptune and this tradition was carried out on the ship as well. Probably about one hundred boys shaved their heads and I heard as many as thirty girls did also. I didn't shave my head, but two of my good friends did and they look great.

We've only had eight days of classes with one off in the middle and yet we are all a bit tired. The rocking puts us all to sleep, plus nearly everyone is drugged up on malaria medication. Everyone is excited for six days of dry land and no classes.

Capetown!

We pulled into port this morning around 5AM. Everyone was awake and up on deck. (Semester At Sea students really do not sleep). Sunrise was one of the most breathtaking I have ever seen as it slowly illuminated Table Mountain and seals began to play in the harbor. We set out after our debriefing and after the ship was cleared.

Capetown is a beautiful city, it definitely tops Rio. Ports are crazy crazy days when we don't have time for much other than experiencing the country!

I went to visit a township for the day which was very educational. Then we went to a musical dinner theater type of thing and ate wonderful food that only cost 15 Rand (2$). I have a TON planned for the rest of this week. It's insane. I cannot believe that this is how we go to school. Ahh!

Editorial Note

Because of the limited Internet access while at sea, Sara has asked me to assist with posting entries to her blog.

Brazil

They told us that speaking Portuguese is like a drunken French person trying to speak Spanish. I figured I could handle it...

BRAZIL! I have so many stories, and so many memories that trying to give you the entire full picture would be impossible. In an e-mail I read on the third day of Brazil my lovely best friend Marlene told me about her Mardi Gras and asked “Does Brazil do anything to celebrate Fat Tuesday?” Well my dear, when I got this e-mail you will forgive my chuckle, because two nights earlier I had been a part of literally, The BIGGEST party in the world.

Carnival. Yes, they certainly celebrate Fat Tuesday and are known for doing it the biggest and the best way possible. There is nothing I can write that could possibly do justice to the experience I had in Salvador when we arrived to the most exciting part of the most exhilarating party in the world. We slept out on the deck the night before and woke up as we were pulling in to port at five AM. We could still hear music from the night before playing and carrying across the ocean. Wonderful.

The squares are packed with African drummers and dancers wearing elaborate costumes, while the streets are filled with people waiting for Camarotes to drive by carrying the most popular Brazilian musical artists. The whole time before Brazil all we heard were warnings of the dangers of Carnival. “Stay with boys” “Don’t bring any money, or any cameras” They painted a necessary, but I think unfair picture of the people we would encounter. My experience was completely positive.

We went out in a group of five girls and two boys who acted as our willing and very attentive bodyguards. I carried nothing but a photocopy of my passport, my ship ID and twenty Reals hidden in my sneaker. Almost as soon as we got to the old part of Salvador we were bombarded by a parade of African drummers that swept through the streets causing spontaneous dancing, clapping and singing from all around us. We followed them to the square where they performed and while we were watching the dancing they pulled my friend Jackie and I into the dance. We were completely willing to join in, and as they taught dance moves, neither she nor I would stop laughing since we were having so much fun. Eventually everyone in my group from SAS was dancing and having an amazing time. Their songs seemed to last ten minutes each and gave no time for a break before the next one started or we found ourselves in a giant conga line.

Throughout the entire nights fun and craziness, being pulled into the group with such acceptance was my favorite part. I learned more in that one hour of dancing with strangers than I ever have learned in any of my classes. Already my description of Carnival is very long and it really does not even begin to do it justice. Like I said, my experience was completely positive. Others were not so lucky, one boy from SAS was punched in the face and countless stories have circulated about muggings and lost cameras. The danger was very real but I can say that the vast majority of Brazilians we met that night were some of the nicest people I have ever met in my life. My last thought about Carnival was that I loved how non-touristy it was. The crafts in the markets of Salvador are handmade and genuine, a nice change from the mass produced trinkets made in china and shipped to tourist capitals of the world.

Carnival was amazing and such a rich cultural experience. If you want to feel like you are experiencing the culture go to Salvador, dance without fear and sing loudly even if you don’t know the words. Other than Carnival the rest of Brazil was equally wondrous. I went to Rio to see sugarloaf mountain, and Christ The Redeemer which was equally magnificent to seeing the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Its true what they say about Rio being the most beautiful city in the world. Goggle image it and you will have but an idea of the mountains, forests and skylines that give Rio its reputation. While in Rio I met new people, saw monkeys in the rainforest, ate at a Chuharscaria (probably not spelled right), and stood at the feet of one of the Seven Wonders Of the World. We tried to hang glide but Mom, you will be happy to hear that the first day it was Rainey, the second day they closed and the third it was to windy, so I didn’t have that adventure. Oh well, a reason to go back!

Above all Brazil has taught me how hard this voyage will be to explain to people who haven’t experienced it with me. I’m trying my best but I know that some things will never make it into a mass e-mail on posted on my blog.

Ship life up until Brazil was super fun. We study, play lots of games and above all else we go to snack time. We had a pirate dance for my “Sea” and it was an absolute blast. This campus is amazing and so unique, nothing can compare to dancing next to your sweaty and overweight, fifty-year-old history professor as he grabs onto a poll with one hand and firmly holds a Corona with the other hand. Jumping up and down with your Brazilian inter-port lecturer as the academic dean shakes and smiles behind you is an opportunity that I think is safe to say can only be experienced on the M.V. Explorer. We crossed the equator, our big party is in two days and I wont be shaving my head although many of my friends are! I went on a tour of the bridge today and got to sit in the captains chair and play with all the buttons, Fun! We are on our way to Capetown, and passing through time zones like crazy.

Happy Birthday To My MOM!!

Hola From the Ocean

We left Puerto Rico yesterday after three days of fun in San Juan. I signed up for a lot of SAS run trips because it was our first port and I wanted to meet new people. The first one was the city orientation which was basically a tour of San Juan with stops at the Capital Building, a fort used during the Spanish-American war and a beautiful little beach. It was fun to get acquainted with the city and explore the old fort. Also on the first day I went to a Bioluminescent bay where a certain type of plankton glows in the water if you touch it. This is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and quite the adventure to see since we had to kayak through a long canal in the late at night.

On the second day I went horseback riding on the edge of the El Yunque rainforest. This was probably the most unsafe horseback riding experience one could ever have... They all wanted to push to the front of the line. We saw iguanas, and a huge nest of termites as well as plenty of interesting tropical rainforest fauna. That was the last of my SAS run trips so the rest of the time I was there I played it by ear and hung out with friends. We explored the city a lot and went night swimming at a beach that was set next to the cities skyline and was absolutely beautiful.

The last day in San Juan was lazy; we explored the old town, did some post-card shopping and went to the beach for a long time. The beach was nice and warm and had a rock barrier so the waves and undercurrent weren’t too strong. A few of us swam out near some rocks and then noticed that we were floating above hundreds of sea urchins, and little fish. It was pretty neat but we were all scared to be so far out and near strange ocean creatures, so we swam back. Later that day I met a girl who went to the same beach and actually did step on a sea urchin. Her foot apparently swelled up really badly and a bunch of SAS kids carried her back to the ship.

San Juan was spectacular and the general feeling on the ship was that it turned out being a lot more interesting than any of us had expected. I’m not sure I will ever go back but I definitely recommend it as a good place to visit if you ever have the opportunity.

Since leaving we have been sailing towards Brazil at a brisk speed of 21 knots (we are the fastest cruise ship in the world). The water has been very calm and many rumors are circulating as to why this is. Some say that its because we are going faster than before, others think it is the ships stabilizers finally being put to use, while others claim that it is because we are in a calmer part of the Caribbean Sea. The rumor mill on the MV Explorer is rampant. Apparently no one knows for sure but, whatever it is, I think we all like it.

We have two more days of classes, a day off when we cross the equator and have a huge celebration, then a few more days of classes, then we make port in Salvador, Brazil! I probably wont send out another mass e-mail till after Brazil when I have more to say. But I would love to hear from everyone on a more personal level! Send me e-mails, I miss everyone back home so much! I hope all of you are well!

A Sampling of Pictures! (New update tommorow)

Ok, so these are in reverse order... This is where we are right now! We all got McFlurries and came to use the free internet!


This was horseback riding today at Hacienda Caraballi! It was so much fun! I shall write about it in an entry after we are done in San Juan!


This is just to make everyone who is home in NH jealous of the weather :) hahahaha


The View as we set sail from Nassau, Bahamas!!!

First beautiful Sunset on the M.V.Explorer

Zoo in the Bahamas that i wrote about with Parrots on my head!!

The Flamingo pictures that i promised everyone :) We had to stand on one leg and the guide in the background is doing it with me.


This is me at the Atlantis in the Bahamas when we went to see the Amazing aquarium! It was sooooo beautiful :)

I'm going to update with more info soon but for now I'm off to Adventure more!

I'm Sailing!

Ok, I know that this is a very late blog entry! Bare with me, the Internet is very slow I’ve started my trip around the world!

I wont recap all that happened in the Bahamas. I had lots of fun going to the zoo, the Atlantis, the beach and the Straw Market. It was beautiful and I’ll post some pictures.

All the exciting stuff happened in the past two days and that’s where the voyage really starts!

I already feel like a failure for not updating the blog yesterday on the first day. So, I shall recap.

Becca( my roommate for the hotel in Nassau) and I woke up early and were both pretty anxious to get going towards the ship. We took a cab over to the wharf both of us thinking we were going to arrive way to early. But then we saw the line that stretched two blocks down alongside the wharf. Of course our cab driver dropped us at the very front of it, so we had to drag our stuff down the middle of the road to get to the end of the line. Finally we were allowed on the dock. This was the first full view of the explorer that I had and I don’t think I will ever forget how beautiful it was. We waited in yet more lines and finally were able to board the ship. It was so surreal to pass over the gangway and into the second level! Our excitement soon dwindled a bit when we found out we had to wait in yet more lines for various things such as health, cell phones, and such. Finally it was time to go check out the rooms! I got to my room and my cabin steward, Joseph had to help me with the door. Our doors are like hotels and our student ID’s are our room keys. I was hoping my roommate would be there, but no such luck. Within minutes one of my bags was already outside the door waiting for me. I didn’t want to start unpacking till my roommate showed, so I knocked on Becca’s door and we went exploring. Words cannot describe how beautiful this ship is. I LOVE IT. Everything is sparkling clean and looks brand new. We have two dining halls, seven decks, a pool, a piano bar, a spa, a gym, and so much more. Eventually my roommate showed up and she seemed really nice and excited like me which was a good sign. We discussed closet space for a while, then said, screw this lets look around! We ended up eating our first lunch on board, outside on deck six. It was pretty amazing. Around three we had our first lifeboat drill. This was probably one of the most miserable experiences I have had in the past year. It was sweltering hot and we all have to pack in like cattle in front of our assigned lifeboats. I’m in A3. I love the atmosphere right now because everyone is so excited and friendly. We got a spot on deck pretty early before the ship embarked. It was so much fun, and felt so epic to hear the ship’s horn blow as we made our departure from Nassau! Close after leaving port we had our first meeting, which was basically an introduction to ship life. It was fun; we got some useful tips like. “Only flush down the toilet what you produce” and “keep all doors shut cause you will loose your fingers!” Apparently fingers have been lost on several voyages. And if you get seasick remember “one hand for the ship and one hand for yourself.” The evening was filled with these kinds of meetings and then we had some with our floors and the people who makes up our teams or as we call them “seas.” I’m in the Adriatic Sea with about fifty other kids. Sunset was beautiful and I have many pictures of it. I’m sure it was only the first of many that will be memorable. We started to feel the rocking as soon as we departed the port. Let me tell you it is WAY more motion than I was expecting. I normally don’t get sea sick but this is very strange. Eliza (my roommate) and I were doing fine, both of us felt great until we started to get really tired. We came back to our cabin with the intention of unpacking some more and then going to bed. But as soon as we were in our cabin we both felt pretty nauseated. We took quick showers and then went to bed. Sleeping when you are rocking in all directions is very interesting. We were told today that on a scale of 1-10 as how rocky the waters will be from now till the end this is only a 2. There were some very sick and disappointed people when we got this news. I eventually fell asleep from what was probably pure exhaustion from the day.

Today was a long day of meetings since it was our orientation. We started out with breakfast, and then headed to meetings on various subjects. UVA Honor Code, and Safety At Sea which was given by one of the crew members from the Ukraine and he was hilarious. We all loved him. Later we had more on Health, field excursions and ship life. None were terribly boring but I’m looking forward to my classes starting tomorrow cause today was just booked to the max with time sitting in the Union. The union is the biggest classroom on the ship, and yet its not big enough for everyone so other classrooms and cabins have the lecturers on satellite TV. Every member of the ship has to take the course “Global Studies.” I haven’t been in any of the satellite rooms yet and I hope not to be cause I think it would be boring to watch class on TV. I had dinner with some new people and then sat on the deck for a hour watching yet another beautiful sunset. After sunset I met up with some other friends and we played card games until our last meetings of the night. I’m gonna brag now.. This is the only way to go to college! Sitting on the back of a cruise ship, sailing around the world and staring out into an amazing sunset. It does not get better. Our stewards make our beds everyday and clean every inch of the ship every night. They work so hard and are the nicest people ever. At dinner they offer us our drinks and then clear all our plates for us. Its strange trying to get used to such service! I’m having lots of fun and meeting lots of interesting people. Tomorrow is the first day of classes and then the day after we hit San Juan! I love you all and I miss everyone like crazy!

I tried uploading pics but its not working out. Hopefully soon!

Less Than 24 Hours!

I'm leaving tomorrow around 9am from Logan airport and I'm super excited!

This seems to good to be true. I have been planning and dreaming for so long and in a few days I will be standing on the deck of the M.V. Explorer!

All my bags are packed up and ready to go, I think I am bringing to many clothes but I managed to have both bags under the weight limit. I'm scared that something will be forgotten or the flight will have a delay. But thats just nervous jitters.

I will be posting pictures in this blog and will try to update as often as possible.

I shall update again when I arrive in Nassau Bahamas tomorrow! So excited to get out of this 0 degree weather!

I shall Miss you all! And I love you all so much!