Miami, FL, USA
It is really hard to believe! We’re going to make it. In maybe 36 hour we’ll be on The Cruise. It boggles the mind. Again, with all this on the mind, it was really hard to get a good night’s sleep. Got up just as it was going five. Took a nice long shower. Got dressed and headed down to Starbucks. Trying to let Mary get the sleep I was denied.
Sat in the lobby for a while. There was a guy dressed like and looking like Truman Capote sitting near the entrance. Did a little circuit round the meeting and ballrooms to get some steps. Finally, Starbucks opened. This morning something new. A cappuccino but with an extra shot and asked that they use whole milk not 2%, which is the normal route they take. Did the hot breakfast sandwich again this morning. Apparently, they key to a Starbucks cappuccino is to ask for the extra shot and the whole milk. Actually, drinkable this morning.
Used the AirPod Max to listen to some music while reading emails and checking or double checking things about the itinerary and services on The Cruise. Wanted to double check the laundry situation. Was able to confirm they will do all the laundry at no charge. This relieves that task from the list today. It is time to do laundry.
This morning checking out of the InterContinental. The bags will stay until later this afternoon when we transfer to the Mandarin Oriental. Mary needs a pedi-cure and the sport packed for The Cruise is in Taylor’s suitcase. There is a Men’s Warehouse in a shopping center call Mid-Town about 2 miles away. It would be nice to find a smoke shop where I can get a cigar torch, but other than that can’t think of anything. We started two wards the mid-town area but Mary’s blisters were bothering her, so we opted for an Uber. As it turns out it a little further than was expected. So much construction going on. Looks like they are building a St. Louis Arch type of attraction. Might be interesting in two or three years.
The Mid-Town “mall” is an open-air mall much like the Plaza in Kansas City. Probably more upscale and definitely larger. Clearly more high density than KC. We found the nail place without any issue. Mary was able to get an appointment in about forty-five minutes. We wound our way through the mall heading to the Target so Mary could have a pair of flip-flops so her nails would have time to dry. Found it. It took longer to find the flip-flops inside the store than it did to get there. We made it back to the nail salon right on the button.
After dropper Mary off I went looking for my torch. The liquor store next to the nail salon had a sign that said fine cigars, probably a joke, so I checked it out. A couple cigars, nothing fine about them, but no torch. The guy in the liquor store suggested the head shop down the block. It was on the “back-side” of the mall on an outskirt street. The nice guy there had a couple different torches. Task one accomplished.
With an hour to kill I strolled around the mall. Stores, restaurants, gyms and other services on the ground floor with twenty, plus or minus floors of apartments above. A good number of people about. I ended up at the Men’s warehouse. Found a nice clerk to help me. Only a couple choices, but much better than the place in the hotel and half the price. Found to to choose from. He said he would set them aside so I could bring the Boss back.
Crossed the mall to the nail salon and arrived just as Mary was finishing up. We stopped at Five Guys and got a couple burgers, small order of fries and two drinks. Really need to learn to share the burger as well as the fries. Then it was off to the Men’s wearhouse to make a selection. Mary chose both. Don’t need both, but got both. Finished up, called Uber and headed back to the InterContinental to retrieve our luggage and head to the Mandarin Oriental. The taxi drive on the way from the InterContinental to the Mandarin Oriental said that in 2025 they were tearing down the Madarin Oriental and the Hyatt Regency, another big hotel, to replace them with more high-rise apartment/hotel combination. The traffic is bad now, there is no way you are going to be able to get anywhere when those are completed.
Upon arrival we checked in with The Cruise desk. We discovered there was a cocktail reception and dinner tonight. And we needed to get our bags ready for pickup tonight. We had hoped to have a drink or dinner with the Krachts one more time before leaving, but that isn’t in the cards.
We made the reception and dinner. Surprised by the number of people on The Cruise who are doing the around the world cruise. Maybe 300 or about half of the people are going all the way around? At least that is tonight’s guess. Met a couple from South Africa. Another couple from Ohio, apparently a small farming community there. He was a pharmacist not a farmer. Another couple from Southern California. And saw one woman who had obviously had too much plastic surgery. Scary.
Everyone seemed to be in the 65 – 80 age range. A few on the older side, but so far nothing on the younger side. No apparent plan for the reception except to meet and greet your fellow travelers. Dinner was buffet style. Nothing special. Great presentation, buffet hotel food. The desserts looked nice but stayed away from them.
Up to the room. Finish packing and tagging our bags. Excited. Took two sleeping tablets. Should be asleep by now. Not going to fight it anymore.
Buonanotte, Ciao, sleep, Enrico
Commentaires