Bob & Jan Green RTW

Having staggered off the ship (both because of the waves and the excess food and drink!) we made it back to our hotel in Coral Gables, a very pleasant suburb of Miami. We did a bit more sunbathing here and retail therapy with a visit to Dadelands Mall. They have everything in these Malls - even a wheelchair for Bob to push me around in!!

We then decided to seek a bit more action so moved our base to Downtown Miami and are now staying in the Holiday Inn opposite Bayside. This is a newly redeveloped quayside area, similar to Pier 39 in San Francisco - full of shops, restaurants, bars and cafes. We have enjoyed wandering across the road of an evening to view the nightlife - there are free performances of various types of music and a lot of people watching!

We have also ventured further on a couple of trips. We were booked to do an Everglades tour, but when we got on the bus were told this was full and we were booked for the City and Boat tour. We decided to go with the flow and enjoyed a pleasant day seeing the sights of Miami from land and sea. We did eventually get our Everglades trip two days later (Good Friday) which was exellent. Bob even got to wrestle with an alligator (well, sort of!!!).

Its now our last day in Miami so we are doing the domestic bit - washing and ironing clothes ready for Barbados and trying to find an internet cafe which will allow us to download some pictures for you all!

Hopefully we will be able to continue the blog in Barbados, but we are not sure what the internet facilities are like. However, just look at the cricket results and you will know how much we are enjoying ourselves (or not!!). Look out for us on the TV - we are on the grassy area in the Party Stand - Jan is the one with the crutches!!! Bob's sister and brother-in-law are joining us for the cricket and it will be good to have some company!

As you will see we have managed to download some pictures now and have added some more to the previous two blogs. Enjoy!!

This is the life!! Everything is to hand - our cabin is near the lifts (sorry - elevators!!) and we can go up to the sundeck, pool, bar and self service restaurant or down to the main restaurant and casino in seconds!! The service is excellent - every time Bob steps outside the cabin to get some ice our man is there to help!

Jan's knee is very slowly improving. It is now all the colours of the rainbow as the bruising is coming out all the way up and down her leg!! Bob is still playing nursemaid, but I think the novelty is beginning to wear off!!

We have so far docked in Costa Maya, Mexico and Grand Cayman, but did not go ashore as it would mean too much hassle with Jan. However, nearly everyone else did which meant the ship was lovely and quiet - no queues for drinks or food and plenty of sunbeds to choose from!

Friday we did venture out as we landed in Jamaica and managed to nab a wheelchair to make life easier. We were greeted by Luciano - a Jamaican taxi driver who had worked in Brixton in the 70's and who wanted to make our visit to Jamaica memorable (at a price!!). He took us to the Coyaba Gardens and then Fern Gully (where Cool Running was filmed and the Jamaican Bobsleigh Team practiced!!). He also took us to Dunns River Falls where you can walk up the falls. Needless to say this was out of the question so we had a look at all the other participants falling and slipping and then headed back to the shopping mall!

Back on board we now have one more day at sea before docking back in Miami on Sunday morning.

We intend to spend the week in Miami before heading off to Barbados and the cricket!!

Yes, the Bob and Jan show is now back on the road!! We set off again on Friday 23rd March for Miami, having booked a cruise from there around the Western Caribbean leaving on the Sunday afternoon.

However, having travelled for over 4 months without the sniff of a disaster, we were not prepared for what happened next!! Jan managed to throw herself off a kerb and straight onto her left knee. At first we thought it was only a slight graze and bruise and she hobbled back to the hotel to ice it up and rest!! However, as the evening wore on the knee got bigger and bigger until it was the size of a football and excruiciatingly painful!!

At that point Bob decided action was required and called for an ambulance. However, they do it differently in the States and the Fire Rescue Service turned up instead (with three hunky firemen in tow!!) as evidently they deal with the non life-threatening accidents

They were great (says Jan!!) and rushed us off to Doctors Hospital which we later learnt is one of the best orthopaedic hospitals in the US!! They were excellent and x-rays revealed no breaks, but they were worried about the extent of the swelling and internal bleeding and thought that she might have torn a ligament!! Thoughts of the cruise were disappearing rapidly out of the window!!

Jan was admitted overnight and had an MRI the next day which fortunately revealed no problems other than a traumatic haematoma made worse by the fact that we had taken aspirin for the long haul flight!! Everyone at the hospital knew about the cruise and they all worked really hard to make sure we got there!!

Bob had the task of finding somewhere to buy crutches (never knock the NHS!!) on a Saturday afternoon and eventually managed the task and the cruise was back on!!

So, here we now are, two days into the cruise and moored up on the Costa Maya in Mexico. We have decided to stay on board as Jan's knee is still not up to much walking but it has been peaceful as most of the other occupants have disembarked!!

Bob has been taking several photos of the knee for posterity and when we can get internet access to allow us to download them you will be able to see the damage in glorious technicolour!!!

The "Carnival Victory" is wonderful - we have a room with a balcony, the food, 24 hours a day, is superb although not for the waistline!! Bob however has been up to the running track and the gym for a workout! He is also having to run around and play nursemaid (no he is not dressing for the part!!) a task he does with good humour and lots of ice!!! We have (so far) managed to leave the rain behind - the weather has been glorious and we are both working on the suntan!!!

We arrived in San Francisco to sunshine!!! We quickly unpacked and headed out to enjoy a walk in the sun. We had our first glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge from Fort Mason – a magnificent sight. We walked along to Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39 – both renovated to include several shops, bars and restaurants and lovely places to wander.

The following day we had an early start – 5am to be precise - as we had booked a trip to Yosemite Park in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, a 400 mile round trip from San Francisco. It was well worth the early start. The good weather of the previous day continued and we reached the Park in brilliant sunshine. We had plenty of opportunities to take some stunning photographs of El Capitan, Half Dome and Bridalveil Falls, before setting off for a walk in the Valley and a visit to the Park Museum.

However, as we set off back to San Francisco we could see the clouds coming into the Valley and as we climbed the mountains (up to 6000 feet) the snow started to fall!! The higher we got the heavier it got until we rounded a corner and were stopped by a Park Ranger. After a brief chat our driver came back to say we had to put snow chains on the minibus – the snow up ahead had settled and the steep, windy roads were dangerous without chains. Our driver duly fitted the chains and we set off very slowly out of the Park – the chains making it sound and feel as if we were in a tank!!

We eventually made it down the mountainside and out of the Park into torrential rain all the way back to San Francisco, arriving after 8pm. A very long day but one full of spectacular views and very much worth the trip.

There was no respite the following morning as we were up for the first ferry over to Alcatraz (this time at the more civilised time of 9.30am!!). The weather had swung again in our favour with bright sunshine and blue skies once again. Alcatraz was an amazing place and the audio tour with background noises and commentaries from ex guards and prisoners made the place come to life.

Once we were back on the mainland we took an open topped bus tour of San Francisco and then the world famous cable car ride. The streets of San Francisco are just how you imagine them from the many films made here – steep up and downs everywhere you look. The cable cars themselves and how they operate is an incredible feat of engineering – clamping onto and off of a continually moving cable.

By this time we were both exhausted so we headed back to the Motel for a well-earned rest. As the sun was still shining Bob then decided to drive to the Golden Gate Bridge to get some close-up shots. We then caught the bus back to Pier 39 for dinner, stopping to listen to the resident seal colony as it settled down for the night!!

Having hired a car for a few days we decided to head north to San Francisco. Before we left Los Angeles we wandered back to the Hollywood and Highland Mall as we had heard that the Oscars would be on display to the public. Luckily they had just opened up and although a small queue had formed we didn’t have to wait too long to get inside. All 50 Oscars were on display, including one we could pick up ourselves and pose with!!! It was actually quite heavy!!

We then made our way down Santa Monica Boulevard to Venice Beach. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t too good so there weren’t many ‘muscles’ to be seen on Muscle Beach. Bob did try the gym equipment – the rings and beam – but only lasted a few seconds on each!!!

We had a wander along the beachfront watching the entertainers who lined the pavements – from a young lad doing stunts on a bike to a man playing classical music on a piano.

We then headed north through Malibu to Santa Barbara where we spent the night. Unfortunately by the time we got there the Information Centre had closed, but we managed to stop two young lads who pointed us in the right direction of the hotels and motels. Santa Barbara has a distinctly Spanish feel about it (in fact all the coastal towns north of LA are similar) with a lovely beach front and busy main street packed with shops and restaurants.

The next morning we were due to head out to the Scenic Coastal Route towards SF but were warned by the Information Centre that the heavy overnight rain and next band of rain due meant the road could be dangerous with the chance of mudslides!! Reluctantly we therefore decided to stay on Route 101 missing what we had been told was a beautiful scenic road – the weather once again getting the better of us! We ended up in Monterey where a big Pro-Am Golf Tournament was just finishing (AT&T). We managed to get the last available room in the Holiday Inn where we were treated to a Wine and Cheese Reception. All the bars and restaurants were full of spectators from the golf enjoying a last evening of chatter about swings, bogeys and eagles!!!

In the morning we had a drive around, and spotting a crowd on the seafront assumed it was to do with the golf so made our way over to see if we could spot any celebrities. It actually turned out to be a 10k/5k local road race. Luckily for Bob it had just finished – his eyes lit up at the thought of a bit of exercise, but although the mind was probably willing, the body now needs a bit of work!!

We then drove the last stretch up Highway 101 to San Francisco where we have 3 nights booked in the Redwood Inn Motel.