Monday Coiba Island This morning’s destination is Coiba Island. One of the biggest islands in the pacific side of the American Continent. It became a National Park in 1991. Since 1919 it has been a presidio where the prisoners work in agricultural labors. Coiba Island has many beaches and little neighbor islands known for outstanding diving and snorkeling, pristine waters, abundant marine life and over 15 species of corals to make this area the best for quality diving in Panama. This is how Mondays should be. Wake up at 6:30, eat breakfast and have someone cute pour you vast amounts of café con leche, wake up the teenager and crawl into a zodiac and transport to a tiny private island in the midst of an arpeggio with not another soul around except the small amount of ship mates and crew. We didn’t get full sun, but enough to illuminate the fish, the golden sand, the turquoise water, the palm trees that were just growing from the coconuts washed ashore. We jumped into the bathtub warm water and floated with snorkels and masks, all the way around the little island ( I took a picture) and viewed all sorts of colorful fish, which I’m sure weren’t terribly unusual, but I didn’t know enough not to be impressed. I liked the fettuccini fish, the school of yellow on top, blue on the bottom fish. Golden fish, yellow and blue puffer fish. Marvelous. The whole family snorkeled together. We then sat on the beach for a minute or two, then Andrew took off in a single kayak and I followed as soon as a kayak became available and we kayaked to the opposite shore, which is another little island, although we couldn’t see around it like we could ours. We kayaked to three different beaches. All deserted and all ours. Thomas kayaked over to join us and we explored one of the beaches together. Again, how fantastic to just be with Andrew and Thomas on a deserted beach in the tropics. I was quite happy. We all were shipped back to the boat and ate lunch, then I kayaked back to the island again with Mom. I snorkeled all by myself and then kayaked around the island all by myself. Then I snorkeled with the kids and Andrew. Then I sat on the gold sand and let the warm turquoise water wash over me and get soft sand on my brown legs just like the models do in Vogue magazine. Although I looked nothing like the brown 19 year olds who were hanging out on the prefect white sand as well. But I looked okay for myself. Michael and I built sandcastles in the surf for a while, just for fun. I stayed in the water for so long my fingers wrinkled. Which is marvelous, I was just like a kid. And isn’t that the point of a vacation? Mom loved the hermit crabs on the little island. The island was covered with little hermit crabs. There were so many that they clicked together making sounds like rain falling on palm fronds. They didn’t crawl up on your feet so much; in fact they tickled your toes then retreated. We thought they were very funny and took pictures. Especially for Uncle Dan. When jellyfish sting you they make a pattern on your skin, almost in the shape of three or four tentacles down the arm or chest or side. If you’re like me and just washed your arm through a bunch of random jellyfish cells that are free floating but still effective, you just get a red rash. We poured meat tenderizer and vinegar on the sting and washed it in the ocean and pretty soon it didn’t hurt so much, but the next day the stings had faded and we couldn’t feel them anymore. But there’s a price for viewing beautiful fish. So far I am enchanted. Now granted, I was pre-disposed to like the country because Andrew did, but I love it even more after spending time on the pristine beaches and blue water.

Monday, our first full day on our Alaskan cruise, we were awakened at 6:00 by announcements over the loudspeaker that we were in College Fjord and it’s lovely so everyone go outside in the cold and look at it damn it. I put it off as long as possible then dragged my sorry body (groggy from too many days with no exercise save carrying heavy luggage, who brought all those books anyway?) up to the window, because we have a window, and looked outside at the glaciers. They were big and interesting and I could see them from my window and didn’t feel in the least compelled to dress or otherwise move from the bed and stand outside in the cold to see more ice. I knew it was cold because of the ice chips floating in the gray colored sea. Andrew and I worked out at the crowded gym – Oh that felt so much better! I’m not good at just sitting around on bus tours. The hair dryers on the ship look like vacuum hoses and carry 18 watts of pure styling power so we’ve given up on hair. I dressed up and dressed up the boys on Monday night for the first formal night and captain’s cocktail party. Now when I think of cocktail party, I think standing up and wandering around and if you’re very fortunate, and it’s my party and I’m in a good mood, I will generously place tables around the perimeter of the room so people can briefly set down their wine glasses and write another check to Untied Way. Here, however. We took a photo with the captain who was being a good sport (mom says he’s the nicest captain she’s sailed with, and she should know) and then we all, yes, sat down again. A few canapés were offered, drinks were ordered and we were introduced to the crew and welcomed aboard, that kind of thing. The boys looked wonderful in their jackets and slacks. Mom even cried when she saw how grown up Michael looked. Thomas looked elegant except for the toothpick in his mouth, which is his new chewing toy if he can’t find gum. The food on the cruise is good, not gourmet which is what we can find anywhere and which we had two dinners of in Portland. What I like best is seafood on a virtually unlimited basis for breakfast and lunch and there is always seafood on the menu at dinner. The dinners are controlled rather than a huge massive free for all, which actually suits us just fine. Portions are tiny so we can order the appetizer (I’ve ordered mussels and four big shrimp, salmon) Soup (French onion, salmon) salad (salmon) and the entrée (salmon), then dessert (not salmon, please, I crave a little variety). But it’s about seven to eight forkfuls of salad, a tiny cup of soup and a small bit of entrée, so we’re not about to stuff ourselves and that’s good. Now for breakfast and lunch we can eat ourselves into a coma if we so choose and at the full breakfast on Tues I ate French toast, a plateful of smoked salmon and just to balance the deal, bran cereal.