Using My Spanish

If things had gone as planned with the 3-year cruise I signed up for in March 2023 (no one went), I would have spent all of December in Brazil, and then visited Montevideo, Uruguay. It would have been a relief to be in a Spanish speaking country after so long being where I don’t know the language.

I took up Spanish at the beginning of the pandemic using the Duolingo app. So, communication wouldn’t have been a problem. The weather would have been a vast improvement too. It stayed in the high 70’s while we were scheduled to visit the area. Neither wind nor humidity would have been an issue either.

As the capital of Uruguay, Montevideo is a major city with a large population. It’s on a lovely bay and has the kind of architecture I enjoy. There’s lots of Art Deco buildings in the Ciudad Vieja (Old Town) along with historic colonial homes, churches, museums, theaters, and landmarks.

The city was ranked number one for the quality of life in Latin America in 2019. It stayed number one through 2005. It’s considered a “global city” and has a vibrant economy. This would make it a lovely place to live and to visit.

We were only scheduled to stay in Montevideo for one day. That’s a pity since it has so much to offer. I would have liked to spend a full day in the Old Town and another taking an organized city tour, (at about $48 per person). Since it has a vibrant theater culture, I would have found a play or concert to attend in the evening. But with only one day in the city, I would have spent it in Old town. Art Deco is one of my favorite types of architecture.

To learn more about Uruguay, CLICK HERE (ad). 

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Back in the USA, Temporarily

 

If things had gone as planned with the 3-year cruise I signed up for in March 2023 (not the case), I would be arriving in Miami, Florida today. This was planned to be a short stay, just one day, to pick up more passengers. Personally, I was planning on flying to Istanbul and starting the cruise at the beginning. It would have saved me money since I wouldn’t have had to pay rent on my home. I also would have been able to visit Istanbul for the first time. That was exciting.

I’ve never been to Miami before, although I have been to Key West three times. Love it there. My favorite place being the Butterfly Conservatory. Because our time was short on this cruise, I planned to visit very few places. I wasn’t sure if we would be able to leave the ship for long, since our “pods” were being loaded onto the ship while at port.

These pods are shipping containers about the size of a small closet. The plan was to pack our clothes and other necessities in the pods at home. They would be picked up and shipped to Miami for loading. This would eliminate the need to bring lots of luggage on board. I did buy a new backpack to carry all of my tech, CLICK HERE  (ad). I thought using pods was a brilliant idea, although it would cut into shore time in Florida. There’s a trade off for most things. I didn’t mind this one.

There are several butterfly gardens along the coast in Miami. I intended to pick the one closest to the dock where the cruise ship tied up and visit it as early in the day as possible. The Roots Collective Butterfly Garden, the MLK Butterfly Garden and the Wings of the Tropics Butterfly Garden are the closest to where the ship might land. I bought a cane with a seat, CLICK HERE (ad) so I could sit down if I became tired.

If there was enough time after visiting the butterflies, I intended to go see the Art Deco district. I love this type of architecture and was looking forward to seeing it in person. I would have taken a tour, if available, or hired an Uber.                           

                                   

I don’t think I would have been able to do more, but it would also have been nice to see Little Havana. I know there are tours there, and would have taken one, to have control over my time. Then a quick ride back to the ship would be necessary. Unpack the pod, and go have dinner. I believe the ship would be setting back out to sea by nightfall. I might have gone up on deck to watch the sunset. It was fun to do in Key West, and would also be enjoyable in Miami, I’m sure. 

The next stop would have been this coming Tuesday, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, also part of the U.S. I’ve never been there either, so it was something I was looking forward to seeing. Better luck next time.

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