En Route To Kuwait - Day 56

PHOTOS: We included several photos from yesterday’s visit to Iran. The photos include one photo of our tour guide and one of the assistant tour guide.

Once again we wanted to mention that we very much enjoyed our time in Iran yesterday. We were glad to have the opportunity to visit this country and to see various items through our own eyes and to also hear things with our own ears. We also appreciate the fact that we were able to ask many of the questions that were on our mind. We sat in the second row of our bus and that also made it easier to ask questions of both our tour guides.

We applaud Crystal for providing the guests with the opportunity to visit Iran by incorporating this into the itinerary. We realize that there are some people who do not agree with this decision but we truly believe that travel allows for discovery and that is something that is very important to many of the passengers and something that Crystal has tried to do over the years recognizing that this is important to the passengers.

Many of the guests that we spoke with yesterday after we returned to the ship from our tour and others who we spoke with today walked away with the same sense that we did. They were happy to have had the opportunity to visit Iran. They walked away with several different perspectives having had the opportunity to see things first hand through their own eyes. And, like us, they thing that there is hope and that change may indeed come there. We are reminded of other places around the world where change eventually did come but took many years to occur. Examples include the fall of the Berlin Wall and the breakdown of the Soviet Union and the end of Apartheid in South Africa. Even in our own country there was the time when Slavery ended and then it took many years for Civil Rights legislation to be enacted and then many years after that for additional change to occur.

What we have also learned from history is that those countries who are an enemy in one era may be an ally or a friend another era.

We were also glad that those people we met from Iran were able to get a sense of what we were like as they do not meet others from places such as the United States of America very often.

We also think our visit to Iran coupled with the wide range of lecturers we have on board the ship who have discussed not only Iran but many of the other nations in this region of the world have added to our overall education. After all this is all part of enrichment, which we greatly appreciate, and is a major reason why we are in fact sailing on this World Cruise adventure.

Again, our thanks to Crystal for having the courage and for putting all of the effort that went into coordinating this visit for the benefit of its passengers. Certainly a great deal of planning went into this visit and we are appreciative of this.

We had a wonderful time at Silk Road last evening with Lynn and Allen. There was quite a few passengers’ dining there last evening. Prego was closed last evenng as there was a special dinner that was being served in the Lido Café for those passenger’s arriving back to the ship from a very long one day tour and those waiter’s assisted in that venue. The four of us enjoyed a great conversation while we also enjoyed the wonderful service, cuisine and the ambience of this restaurant. Keith is the more adventurous of the four preferring the Sashimi but did recommend a particular Sashimi to Lynn and Allen which they had and enjoyed which was the Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeno. Keith prefers the traditional Sashimi. Allen, Lynn and Anne Marie each had their respective favorites that are the cooked sushi.

For our entrée the two of us had the Hot Soba Noodles served with a delicious broth and instead of Tempura on the side we each had some scallops that are placed in the large soup bowl for us. Allen and Lynn enjoyed other items.

One of the sommeliers tool the drink orders but when we say drink this was for a soda as no alcoholic beverages were allowed to be served while we were in port and not until we were six miles off the coast of Iran after departure. The two of us ordered a Sprit Zero and of course had plenty of water. Keith ordered Green Tea and always enjoys the Tea at Silk Road

The good news is before we went to sleep last evening we once again turned the clock back another thirty minutes as we are now sailing into yet another new time zone. It’s always nice to turn the clock backwards and this makes up for the crossing from Africa to India when we often found ourselves turning the clock forward and losing an hour of sleep.

Today, we enjoy a sea day as we sail to our next port of call in Kuwait City, Kuwait.

We enjoyed a very nice sleep. The ship left port at around 11:00 PM last evening about an hour later than schedule as we were waiting from some guests to return from the full day excursions. We are on schedule for tomorrows arrival to Kuwait. Keith woke up early and started the day at the Fitness Center. He had a great workout on the Elliptical Machine. With each passing day his ankle continues to get stronger and he is almost completely over his cold. Keith was the only person in the Fitness Center for most of the time other than the Executive Chef who arrived about thirty minutes after Keith. About thirty minutes before Keith finished our friends Bob and Glo arrived. As Glo also works out on the Elliptical Machine Keith and Glo spoke about their experiences from yesterday’s tours as they were on a different tour than us. Keith also spoke with Bob for a little while after finishing up on the Elliptical Machine.

After the workout, Keith stopped by the Lido Café to bring some coffee back to the room. Anne Marie also enjoyed a nice hour-long workout on the Treadmill. Anne Marie also has a cold, which she caught the other day. This has not kept her from any workouts. After her workout she also stopped by the Lido Café to get some coffee to take back to the room.

We enjoyed another nice breakfast in the room. We had oatmeal, and fresh fruit. We watched the Crystal Cruises Morning Show, hosted by World Cruise Hostess Stacey Huston and Cruise Director Rick Spath. It was fun to hear about Rick and Stacey’s adventures in Iran and today’s activities.

During Captain Glenn’s morning talk from the bridge he noted that while we left one hour late last evening that we are ahead of schedule for tomorrow’s port of call.

Captain Glenn’s thought of the day was “It is not what you know but what you are willing to learn that counts.”

Today was another busy day at sea with lots of activities.

We attended the Rap With The Rabbi. The Rabbi invited Lecturer Samuel Lewis to attend today’s session given his background since he had been Ambassador to Israel for eight years under President’s Carter and Reagan and had also served in other roles under other President’s including Clinton. He provided a lot of interesting information and also answered several questions. This was a very well attended session.

Afterwards there were two very good presentations this morning.

The first one was given by Special Interest Lecturer Adrian Kerry who presented the History of the Ancient Middle East to the rise of Islam. He talked about how the Middle East have been the birthplace of the world’s three major religions and how there has been conflict over 4000 years. While Keith was in this lecture, Anne Marie was taking another class at the Computer University.

The second lecture was given by Destination Lecturer Ken Rees who presented Back from the Brink – The Kuwait Story. He spoke about how Kuwait bounced back from the 1990 invasion by Saddam Hussein, which led to Gulf War One. Ken Rees actually broadcast from Kuwait as the Iraqis fled and he explained to us what let to that war. He also spoke to us about what we can expect from our visit to Kuwait.

After these two lectures we enjoyed a very nice lunch on the Lido Deck. We ate with Lynn and Allen and the Catholic Priest. Today’s lunch featured the Asian Café Luncheon Buffet. We each made a very nice salad entrée.

After lunch there was another presentation, which was given by Colonel Roland Guidry who spoke about Photo Reconnaissance before the age of satellite.

Keith wrote, read, took care of some errands and spoke with a couple of fellow passengers in the afternoon while Anne Marie enjoyed another very nice long walk on the Promenade Deck. Afterwards, she sat by the pool and then took care of a few other items around the ship.

We will meet with Lynn and Allen for a drink before this evening’s dinner. Since there is one reception this evening, complimentary drinks were provided in all lounges from 5:15 P to 6:00 PM this evening.

This evening is a formal night on the ship and we are going to the Prego Specialty Restaurant with our friends Mary and Stan.

Following dinner we will be attending the Crystal Society Reception.

We will post tomorrow about our evening on the ship.

Tomorrow we arrive in Kuwait City, Kuwait. This is not only our first time to this country and to this port of call but this is also a maiden port of call for Crystal.

TODAY’S THOUGHT OF THE DAY….

“The real secret of patience is to find something to do in the meantime.”

Keith and Anne Marie