Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Across the Atlantic in 7 Days

It is a bit hard to keep up a blog when working two weeks of graveyards...mind you, not having an internet card also compounds the problem somewhat. Anyway, we completed our crossing and reached our final port in Barcelona, Spain. We had a few stops on the way, Corsica, Azores, Villefranche, Civitavecchia and Livorno...it is so good to be back in Europe after the USA/Caribean run.

The down side is that the Euro is much stronger than the US$, this means, for us the crew, that we spend a lot less than what we would usually do in the States. That is the biggest benefit about working out of a USA port; Walmart, Best Buy, Noble & Barnes, GNC and a whole lot of other stores where you can get about anything you want cheap. Europe is a little different in this regard. Basic items such as toiletries are expensive compared to the States or anywhere else for that matter. Accessibility is also a problem There are no Walmarts or other such convenience stores. When you need something you have to go and look for it.

But! The best about Europe is that it is not the States! The villages, countryside and regions are rich in history, tradition, architecture and beauty. It is no wonder that Europe has such an advanced tourism industry and tourism mindset. The tourism market and infrastructure here is advanced, well established and dynamic. This is the problem which the Caribean and Central American countries face as they do not have much to offer apart from sunny skies, sandy beaches and blue, clear water. They do not have too much else to offer. Even the archeological ruins and excavaction sites in Central America/Mexico are not well presented. In this, I speak about the Mayan ruins at Belize and Guatamala, I have not yet had an opportunity to visit the ruins in Mexico.

But anyway, enough of the serious talk...we are heading on our way to Valleta, Malta, to embark passengers and from there we will make our leisurely way to Naples.