I'm beginning to feel as though I belong on the sea. Like traveling by train, a ship has that perpetual-motion feel to it. Then we dock somewhere and the wonderful movement stops. After six days of being on the ocean, all my fellow passengers seem anxious for dry land. I'm the opposite. I've never been so calm in my life as I stand staring at the mesmerizing waves and get jittery at the thought of solid ground. Soon this journey will be over and I c...

Samoa is a six-day, 2,240 nautical mile journey from Honolulu, along a seemingly endless wet plain. On the third day it rained non-stop. Then just before six-thirty the following morning the skies cleared. We were approaching the equator. The Captain's office had said the ship would go into quite a drop as we entered the southern hemisphere. On our balcony perch I held the rail expecting a Niagara-like exit from the north. Elenka held onto me. My knuckles wer...

Waikiki beach is fairly unspectacular. There's quite a slope to the beach due to considerable wave action. Once in waist deep water you come across lots of rocks. (For my info only)

 Aside from Elenka, and a few pious others, many of us remember our younger days when we'd flop into bed at three or four in the morning after drinking pails of beer and then have to wake up by seven or so to get ready for work. The head would have that empty cotton batten feel to it; the mouth like a bird had nested in it; the legs all rubbery and weak. Being at sea in rough conditions – except for the nest-in-mouth – isn't too far different...

Sorry. I forgot that we had to make a pit stop in Vancouver. Elenka and I have spent the morning walking the streets of this very beautiful city. We saw a condo on the waterfront with a starting price of $5 million. Even though it's Monday morning it feels like Sunday here. Where are all the people? And where do they come up with multi millions to buy condos?