12° 06.526 N , 68° 56.035 W

Thursday I had a lazy day at sea starting of course with Bridge and a new thing to learn . Steve , do you know anything about Acol ? 1 nt means 12 to 14 pts ? I am trying to learn the different meanings to bids .In the aft. I stuck a few more things into my scrapbook . I am really into it and what a good reminder of my hols it will be .You will like to look through it Julie but I am not sure if anyone else will , I do not mind as it is for me .Sadly we had a ' casevac ' tonight , the message for the stretcher bearers came over the tannoy whilst I was playing Bridge this am. The Captain told us tonight that we should be anchoring off a town whose name escapes me so that the lady and her husband could be taken off , apparently there is a hospital there . We have a small hospital well equiped on board but I believe that the problem was the ladies heart and that needs specialist treatment . A motor boat came out for her and we waited until the Saga person who went to the hospital with them came back aboard .All our thoughts are with them .Friday 14-3 . Today we are at Curacao in the Dutch Antilles .I have not been on a tour because I did one with Fred Olsen last year and saw the Aquarium and I did the Dolphin Experience . Standing in the water and stroking the dolphins .Strangely there is no opportunity for that on Saga . Perhaps the powers that be thinks that we should frighten them. I am so so happy that I swam with the dolphins as well as standing stroking them last year or I should have missed out altogether . Barbara and I went walkabout ashore ,first we took the little ferry across the harbour and wandered around and then we walked back across the floating bridge .It is quite something , we waited while a bit of it opened to let a boat through and then came back down to let us walk to the other side .Lots of stalls for us to look at but then it was getting too hot , we still had to walk back to Ruby . Willemstad is a lovely area and is the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Caribbean .Maureen and I were invited to the Captains Lunch for passengers who are doing the whole cruise .Barbara and Rita went on a different day .Champagne to start with and then a lovely lunch , I had lobster which was out of this world . I finished with Profiteroles but instead of chocolate poured over the top it was caramel and was lovely and crispy , yummy . The Captain sat with us for quite a while , chatting about this n' that .I have sent an e. mail to Joan and Mike re . Barnsley .Chris I hope that you and Jan are feeling better ,it was lovely to talk to you and Steve today . Chris I had to laugh about you watching that storm , glad it wasn't real .Hope all is well with all of you . Friday 28 th I am due home ,probably mid or late afternoon . Love to all ,XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

10° 24.245 N , 75° 31.944 W. Cartagena, Colombia

I went ashore on a city tour around Cartagena, it seemed strange walking around in Columbia . I have heard so much about it in a drug related way also the national gem----emerald .We went to a hilltop monastery and there was a man nursing a Sloth charging $1 for a photo .What a qute little thing he was ,I paid up and took some video .His face was so sweet ,I felt really sorry for him but he seemed to be in excellent condition .Afterwards we visited a huge fort on top of a hill --built after Sir Francis Drake sacked the town ,a new concept to ' locking the stable door when the horse has gone '. There are solid high walls around the town , our guide said that they nearly ended up as a British colony instead of Spanish . Well , a shame for the Colombians , had they been British they would not have been subjected to the Spanish Inquisition .That was thanks to Queen Isabella and King Frederick of Spain . We were taken to the Inquisition Palace which was quite grim , instruments of torture etc . Walking around in 95° heat was enough torture for me . I asked the guide if I could go back to the coach 'air conditioned ', he rabbited on and on which I took to mean ,No you can't , Tuff . He could talk for all of South America .We were late back to the ship but it would not sail without us .We did go to some shops selling emeralds but the prices were ridiculous ,had anyone bought anything the guide would have recd .a cut . By that time though he had worn us all out so we all got back on the coach and thought Tuff .I am behind with things so I must 'blog ' again tomorrow . I found out today that I only have 2 weeks left before I must brave the cold at home . I do not know where the time has gone to, I wondered how I would cope with 3months away in the begining and am amazed that it is nearly over . Woe is me , love XXXXXXXXXXXXX.

Tues 11-3 6pm. 9° 28.491 N , 78° 56.248 W.

Hello again. Yesterday we were in Costa Rica at Puerto Limon . 7.30 pm, just left P L .9° 58.851 N ,82° 59.666 W . We went on a tour on a train and a boat looking for Sloths and Monkeys. First of all we went to a banana plantation seeing things from start to finish . The banana trees are amazing , there are three of them a grandma , a mother and a baby . The mother is the one producing the bananas , the grandmother produced last seasons fruit and has been chopped down to half size and the baby is growing up to produce next seasons fruit .Not many people know that ! Next we went on the river which was a lovely trip with the cool breeze . We saw 3 Sloths laying up in a tree . They were partially hidden by leaves and of course would not come down to let us see their faces . There were a lot of birds thst one does not see in England but no Monkeys . We were given fruit and cold drinks and treated to some Caribbean music , after wards , because of course we are now in the Caribbean sea ---------- oh , I'm going to Barbados ! On our train journey we did see some monkeys but they are fast movers and I have probably got some empty trees on video .Our Guide took a photo of me in the train and went wild over my Sony Cybershot . He knew that it is the latest model and loved the 10 pixel screen . He has a former model .No Steve I have not forgotten your e. mail add. mail@stephenwood.co.uk That is correct n'est pas ,same with Julie's which was never returned to me as was yours????? I hope that you are better Julie , it wears you out doesn't it . Yes I know about Barnsley beating Chelsea in the FA cup . I could hardly believe my eyes when I read our little newspaper . Yes the Hills will be over the moon .What is going on in England since I left ???? An earthquake , Storms, terrible, terrible weather Now Chelsea taking a nose dive . What is next one wonders .Hope things go to plan on the 25th March Jules .Fingers crossed , give my love to Gale and to all XXXXX.

9° 28.603 N , 80° 11.591 W at 6,30pm sunday

I have just read your comment Steve. I sent you an e.mail telling you to look on the web for us in the Canal but it was returned.I also sent one to Julie and to Chris who I asked to phone you and make sure you knew . Idon't know about Julie but I know Chris recd. his as he sent me an e.mail telling me that he was watching and I should put something bright on and go and wave at the webcam. This I duly did , waving like a mad thing. Do you mean that you were not watching ? My arms ache I can tell you .It was quite something seeing the locks and going up and down .The country side was very surprising , I was expecting it to be all jungle, probably because of the french book that I read about two families who went out to Chile and the men ended up being involved in the excavating of the Canal. I have been on deck a lot today, filming and waving like a nutter. It was the Captain who said that we should wave for a long time as the webcam only changed every 15 mins , it was very hot out there I can tell you .In the aft. there was an Ice Cream Bar with many flavours and sorbet as well so we were well looked after . Ruby is going like mad at the moment , the Captain says that there will be a tug boat strike on at Puerto Limon from tomorrow 6am so he wants to get there before it starts . Off to bed, I am ready for a good sleep. TTFN.XXXXXXXXX