Friday, January 17, 2020

Sometimes it pays to get up early. I woke up around 4:30 and couldn’t get back to sleep, so went to the gym. Afterwards, I stopped at the Bistro for a cup of coffee. While there, I had the good fortune to run into Roberto D’Alimonte, our political affairs speaker. I thanked him for his presentations, which I found to be very informative. Learning more about Brexit gave me new insights into the political environment in the US. We had a nice conversation about some global issues. One of the benefits of cruising with Crystal is the quality of speakers we are exposed to.

We attended Ian MacLachlan’s lecture about the Mexican Riviera & Los Cabos. The US sends more tourists to Mexico than other country, distantly followed by Canada, over 8 million from the US, and about 1.7 million from Canada. Some areas of Mexico have suffered loss of tourism due to the drug cartel and gang warfare. In fact, we have been hesitant to travel here ourselves. However, there are many safe areas, we needn’t paint the entire country with the same brush.

The Baja California Peninsula is almost 800 miles long, from Mexicali in the north to Cabo San Lucas in the south. The Peninsula separates the Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of California. The area is popular with ecotourists who enjoy its natural environment. We will be docking at Cabo San Lucas tomorrow evening.

Another highlight of the day, indeed of every Crystal cruise, was the Grand Gala Buffet over the noon hour. It’s a good opportunity to sample many new foods. My favorite display was of the “egg” penguins. Top a hard boiled egg with a grape, insert almond sliver for the beak, wrap with thin carrot slice for a vest, add clove buttons down the front, place coffee beans for feet, and set atop a thick slice of zucchini. Voila! An adorable penguin.

All of the food was good. We had to return to our cabins for a nap after this extravaganza. Thank goodness I worked out this morning! The food coma lasted so long that we skipped dinner tonight.

We did, however, attend a couple of shows. The first was Lou Gazzara, who covered several artists, then channeled Elvis Presley for a while,  and ended with several Frankie Valli songs. I can remember first hearing “Sherry” when I was in the womb, and immediately became a fan of the Four Seasons. I have seen “Jersey Boys” on Broadway, in Minneapolis, and have watched the movie several times.

After the show, we enjoyed the style and energy of the Crystal Dancers as they performed their “Latin Explosion” in the Stardust Club.