JAPANESE EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI UPDATE
Several of you have sent emails asking about our safety. Thank you very much for your concern about our well-being. All is well in Manila. Our fuel barge was not allowed to leave the dock for our refueling operation-delaying our refueling- so we will leave Manila tonight at midnight-6 hours later. As I mentioned yesterday I was a nervous pervous and Bubba remained calm. I didn't have tremendous faith in the Captain due to his not being able to figure out the tides to get over the sand bar near the equator 2 days ago. As I am sure you are reading and hearing about the quake and tsunami- we pray for those poor folks in Japan. It truly is a miracle "more" people were not killed in this horrific disaster. Talk about being prepared. We were concerned about the Chinese earthquake a few days ago. Seems like our international travels involve several national disasters-last year cruising around South America we ran into flooding at Machu Peechu, earthquake and tsunami in Chile killing thousands, nasty seas in the Drake Passage, flooding in Argentina etc. The moral??? Don't cruise with the Collins? It's interesting what goes through your mind when a potentially life threatening disaster is on the way. Although I like to think I have a strong faith I still panicked. Why would I panic and not remain calm? Is my faith fluff? Is my faith a facade? Was I not as "prepared" as the Japanese people? As a Christian I should be prepared every day for my time to "fall asleep in the lord" or as the Protestants say "going home". Same idea for flying when the turbulence occurs. I would like to think I am "complete" ( old EST term meaning your relationships and communication with loved ones is up to date and resolved as possible) with family and friends. I reflected during panic mode yesterday, that was not the case. Complete? Hell, our wills are not even remotely up to date. For the past few years I have been haranguing Bubba to get the wills updated. Over and over to no avail. If it was so important why didn't I just get the wills updated? It's obviously a simple process. Beyond irresponsible. So what was the reluctance? Is it that I (and we in this case) don't want to face our own mortality? We have all seen when a person passes and there is no will to follow and family fights start up, creating bad blood etc. How about details and particulars for burial, svs etc? And how about the living will for medical care? I have a request. You can support Boca and Bubba is to make sure we get all of those documents in order within a month of being back home. I thank you in advance for that support. Now as far as the faith- or lack there of- maybe Father Chris can get me on deck in these potentially hairy situations. Or for that matter daily life and whatever it brings. I want to live my life like Papo (my 2nd Dad) ready to go at any time, not afraid to face death or die and all details spelled out how all was to be handled. How about you?
I must say this disaster took my mind off my Montezuma's revenge...same day different disaster.
Montezuma II was Emperor of Mexico from 1502 to 1520 -per Wiki
"Montezuma's revenge"
Traveler's diarrhea is the most common illness affecting travelers. Traveler's diarrhea is defined as three or more unformed stools in 24 hours passed by a traveler, commonly accompanied by abdominal cramps, nausea, and bloating. It does not imply a specific organism, but enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli is the most common. Each year 20%–50% of international travelers, an estimated 10 million people, develop diarrhea. Oh joy, I am not alone. The primary source of infection is ingestion of fecally contaminated food or water. Remember, I also contracted in Peru last year. Lovely. The most important determinant of risk is the traveler's destination. High-risk destinations are the developing countries of Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
There are a number of colloquialisms for travelers' diarrhea contracted in various localities, such as "Montezuma's revenge", "tourists", or "Aztec two step" for travelers' diarrhea contracted in Mexico, "Pharaoh's Revenge," "mummy's tummy," or "Cairo two-step" in Egypt, "Kurtz Hurtz" in Uzbekistan, "Bombay belly" or "Delhi belly" in India, "Suryavarman's Revenge" in Cambodia, "kabulitis" in Afghanistan, "holiday tummy" in United Kingdom, although this is not directed at tourists in the UK but at British tourists abroad, "Bali belly" in Bali, or "Taghazout Tummy" in Taghazout or "Katmandu quickstep" in Nepal. In Canada it is termed "beaver fever". In China it is referred to as 拉肚子, which literally translates as "pulled stomach." A recent local term in Pattaya, Thailand, is "Thai-dal wave". Peacekeepers to Arabic-speaking countries have called it "yalla yalla" (Arabic for "fast, fast") referring to the extreme urgency it causes. This one is similar to "corre corre" meaning "run run" used in some regions of Colombia. Have you had the pleasure????
Bubba thought we were experiencing after shocks. Um, not so much Bubs. Do you think this is KARMA about my Bali remarks? Bali Bummer is now Bali Belly. Yeeeow!
