Sunday, January 13, 2008

Imelda Marcos Called, She Wants Her Shoes Back

Six suitcases, two daypacks and one purse later it appears that my husband and I are finally ready to leave for our 105-day journey around the globe. Like any paranoid New Yorker preparing to travel outside the borough of Manhattan, I have procured enough prescription meds from my doctor to open a free clinic (and/or sustain a village full of robots from the Old Glory Insurance Commercial). Neurotic? Perhaps. But we'll see who will be laughing after that seafood dinner in Pago Pago goes terribly wrong...

Also, in the spirit of journalistic transparency, I will openly admit that one of the six aforementioned suitcases is full of nothing but my shoes. At last count: 12 pairs (my friend Coots forced me to physically count them, one by one, so she could make fun of me) yet I stand by my Imelda Marcos-like behavior and will argue that in my defense, there is a DSW down the street. As every woman knows, anything bought on sale simply does not count. (Just like calories consumed at dessert also do not count).

We'll be embarking from the New York City Harbor this evening and as it's the first time the three "Queens" will be convening in one place (how very British to name your cruise ships after monarchs!) the Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Victoria will all sail past the Statue of Liberty in tandem as a display of fireworks is set off to celebrate this "Royal Rendezvous" (their words, not mine). So that you can follow along with us as we travel, without further ado, the itinerary below:


January 2008

13
Sun
New York, New York

14
Mon
Cruising the Atlantic Ocean

15
Tue
Cruising the Atlantic Ocean

16
Wed
Fort Lauderdale, Florida

17
Thu
Cruising the Straits of Florida

18
Fri
Cruising the Caribbean Sea

19
Sat
Oranjestad, Aruba

20
Sun
Cruising the Caribbean Sea

21
Mon
Transiting the Panama Canal

22
Tue
Cruising the Pacific Ocean

23
Wed
Puntarenas, Costa Rica

24
Thu
Cruising the Pacific Ocean

25
Fri
Cruising the Pacific Ocean

26
Sat
Acapulco, Mexico

27
Sun
Manzanillo, Mexico

28
Mon
Cruising the Pacific Ocean

29
Tue
Cruising the Pacific Ocean

30
Wed
Los Angeles, California

31
Thu
Cruising the Pacific Ocean


February 2008

1
Fri
Cruising the Pacific Ocean

2
Sat
Cruising the Pacific Ocean

3
Sun
Cruising the Pacific Ocean

4
Mon
Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii

5
Tue
Cruising the Pacific Ocean

6
Wed
Cruising the Pacific Ocean

7
Thu
Cruising the Pacific Ocean

8
Fri
Cruising the Pacific Ocean

9
Sat
Pago Pago, American Samoa

10
Sun
Cross International Dateline - Lost Day

11
Mon
Cruising the South Pacific Ocean

12
Tue
Lautoka, Fiji

13
Wed
Cruising the South Pacific Ocean

14
Thu
Cruising the South Pacific Ocean

15
Fri
Auckland, New Zealand

16
Sat
Napier, New Zealand

17
Sun
Wellington, New Zealand

18
Mon
Cruising the South Pacific Ocean

19
Tue
Cruising the South Pacific Ocean

20
Wed
Cruising the Tasman Sea

21
Thu
Melbourne, Australia

22
Fri
Cruising the Tasman Sea

23
Sat
Sydney, Australia

24
Sun
Sydney, Australia

25
Mon
Cruising the Pacific Ocean

26
Tue
Brisbane, Australia

27
Wed
Cruising the Pacific Ocean


28
Thu
Cruising the Pacific Ocean

29
Fri
Port Douglas (for Great Barrier Reef), Australia


March 2008

1
Sat
Cruising the Coral Sea

2
Sun
Cruising the Coral Sea

3
Mon
Cruising the Banda Sea

4
Tue
Cruising the Celebes Sea

5
Wed
Cruising the South China Sea

6
Thu
Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

7
Fri
Cruising the South China Sea

8
Sat
Cruising the South China Sea

9
Sun
Hong Kong

10
Mon
Cruising the South China Sea

11
Tue
Da Nang (Chan May), Vietnam

12
Wed
Cruising the South China Sea

13
Thu
Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My), Vietnam

14
Fri
Cruising the South China Sea

15
Sat
Bangkok (Laem Chabang), Thailand

16
Sun
Ko Samui, Thailand

17
Mon
Cruising the South China Sea

18
Tue
Singapore

19
Wed
Kuala Lumpur (Port Kelang), Malaysia

20
Thu
Penang, Malaysia

21
Fri
Cruising the Andaman Sea

22
Sat
Cruising the Bay of Bengal

23
Sun
Chennai (formerly Madras), India

24
Mon
Cruising the Bay of Bengal

25
Tue
Cruising the Indian Ocean

26
Wed
Cochin, India

27
Thu
Cruising the Indian Ocean

28
Fri
Mumbai, India

29
Sat
Cruising the Arabian Sea

30
Sun
Cruising the Gulf of Oman

31
Mon
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

April 2008

1
Tue
Cruising the Gulf of Oman

2
Wed
Cruising the Arabian Sea

3
Thu
Salalah, Oman

4
Fri
Cruising the Arabian Sea

5
Sat
Cruising the Gulf of Aden

6
Sun
Cruising the Red Sea

7
Mon
Safaga (for Luxor/Karnak), Egypt

8
Tue
Safaga (for Luxor/Karnak), Egypt

9
Wed
Transiting the Suez Canal

10
Thu
Cruising the Mediterranean Sea

11
Fri
Athens (Piraeus), Greece

12
Sat
Cruising the Aegean Sea

13
Sun
Naples, Italy

14
Mon
Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy

15
Tue
Cruising the Mediterranean Sea

16
Wed
Barcelona, Spain

17
Thu
Cruising the Strait of Gibraltar

18
Fri
Cruising the Atlantic Ocean

19
Sat
Lisbon, Portugal

20
Sun
Cruising the Atlantic Ocean

21
Mon
Cruising the Atlantic Ocean

22
Tue
Southampton, England


Transfer to Queen Mary 2
7:00 am

22
Tue
Southampton, England

23
Wed
Cruising the Atlantic Ocean

24
Thu
Cruising the Atlantic Ocean

25
Fri
Cruising the Atlantic Ocean

26
Sat
Cruising the Atlantic Ocean

27
Sun
Cruising the Atlantic Ocean

28
Mon
New York, New York
Disembark

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is it wrong that I miss you already? Have a BLAST and I'll look at this everyday!!! LOVE YOU!!!!

Deepa said...

bon voyage!

Anonymous said...

Matta and Lindsay, That is some itinerary!!! Have an awesome and safe trip. So jealous!!!

Pelman

Patty said...

Linds,

I should have seen this coming. When you were two years old and we would walk to Hills Department Store in Pittsburgh, you didn't want to go to the toy department. Oh no, not you! You wanted to go to the Children's Shoe Department.

Love,
Mom

Anonymous said...

April 29, 2008
Cruising the Dire Straits of workaday life in the Northeast.

Anonymous said...

Fantastic Voyage! What a terrific way to celebrate your wedding and see the world. I always thought that travel was wasted on the old. Better to spend your money now while you are young and can actually see and experience all that the world has to offer than try and do it later with a cane and a walker by waiting till you are 83. Congrats and enjoy. Keep up the great blog.

Kiki Lansdale said...

Have fun you two! And Linds, I just want to add, 12 pairs of shoes for an "Around the World Trip" shows excellent packing skills!
xo-k