Memorable Quotes from 2015 travels

"I knew I shouldn't have left the money in the room with the door unlocked, even though we were only gone a couple hours."  stated by one of our 6 other OAT guests after missing $500
the second night of our trip at the Lodge on the Crocodile River in Kruger National Park, S. Africa.

"Happy Days!", said JB, our guide, after he interrupted our OAT tour dinner at the Sable Sands Lodge in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, and careened through the veld off road to find us our first lion sighting - a black bearded male, resting under a bush.  JB and Thompson, our guides, tracked the lion with large flashlights in pitch black night to this unlikely spot.  The lion eventually yawned.  JB said, "now he will get up and leave", which he did a minute later.  We were able to follow slowly along side this majestic, regal lion as he made his way back to the main track to continue marking his territory.

"I know it was Capt Vancouver, not Capt Cook", said David Case to his crack Trivia Team members in answer to the 13th question:  "Who named the Sandwich Islands?"  Since David is FROM the Sandwich Islands, now Hawaii, the rest of the team reluctantly changed their answer from the obvious Capt Cook.  Needless to say, David bought everyone a round of drinks after the contest.

"Dorothy, Dorothy, Dorothy, Dorothy"

These were the words of a new song written on stage and in front of the audience in the Insignia Lounge by  Darren Williams, a talented singer and entertainer.  He said he would write a song using someone's name, just call out the name.  David called out Dorothy.  He accepted the challenge, but could not think of anything that rhymed with Dorothy, thus, the words above.  It was a very catchy tune which everyone sang to me for a few days after the show.  Actually, no one remembered the tune, but the words were easy.

"What do you mean, you don't have your passports?"  said by our tour guide assigned to get 11 guests on a plane to Xian, China to see the Xian Terra Cotta Warriors on an overnight excursion.  As we left the Insignia Lounge with our bus number which was our official pass to leave the ship and go on the tour, the Destinations representative handed each of us our passports.  However, she told us that we were not to show it to anyone.  If we showed it to someone, they might stamp it and then we couldn't go in or out of China again.  So when we got to the airport, the representative asked for our passports to give to the ticket agent before letting us board the plane.  Every one of us said we did not have our passports.  The agent was totally shocked.  She called her agency.  We said we needed to talk to the ship.  After 10 minutes or so, we talked to Marina who warned us not to show anyone the passports.  She appologized and said that  of course we should show them for this purpose.  We all decided that we would be good at the Liar's Club night, which was coming up soon.

"I'll be damned if I accept a tow back to shore, I came this far, I can surely make it", said I returning by kayak from a normally 20 minute paddle from the island to shore in the Kingdom of Tonga, but which was taking 45 minutes to this point in drizzly, gray skies and blowing winds.  The kayak only went to the right pushed by the wind and current.  All my stroke and power had to be on the left to compensate.

"May we present you with our olive oil and balsamic vinegar menu selection?"  Fabio, the head waiter of the Toscana specialty restaurant asked after rolling up a trolley filled with about 8 different selections of each specialty oil or vinegar which will be used for dipping bread.  Next the bread was placed on the table.  Hand made, thin, Bread sticks, whole wheat or white fresh baguettes, puff balls skewered on a stick, lavosh flat bread or cracker.  This was our downfall and reason I gained 8 pounds on the trip.