Los Angeles

Don reporting.

Seven in the morning we docked in Port San Pedro, the weather was warm and to be kind the outlook was low overcast although, a few described it as smog. Some passengers disembarked but we expect another 700 to board. At this stop all I wanted to do was go ashore and find a shoe shop and some sandals. After an early breakfast I filled in my immigration form, collected my passport and wallet then headed down to deck three to go ashore. Hang on a minute, this was LA and if the delays passing through their airport immigration is any thing to go by then I was in for a wait. And wait there was. After, at least, an hour we were then told that it would be at least another half hour before they were ready for us. The ships announcer apologising after each announcement. Close to 10am I left the ship.

I walked along the waterfront for five blocks before turning up a first street that had I saw shops. After another three blocks up and slight inclined street I found a likely shop. At first it appeared they had only jandals, but down the back I found my sandals. Taken a different way back I passed through a residential area where all the windows were covered by bars even on the second stories.

Safely back at the ship hot, clothes soaked in sweat I changed and relaxed in my cool cabin. I was glad that I had turned the thermostat down before leaving for my great sandal hunt.

Just in case you are wondering what happen to the immigration form I had to fill in before leaving the ship. Well I still have - no one on shore wanted.

At diner tonight the dining room was full and the noise level loudest it has been so far. I don't know if LAers are noisier than other people or if it was just the numbers. Later going to show and finding it difficult to find a seat, it is now clear that the joys of a partly full ship were left behind in LA. From now on I need to be a little earlier at the various venues around the ship.

The show last night a very entertaining comical violinist. One of his opening lines was that he wanted to be a musician when he grew up. To which his father replied "Make up your mind you can't do both". Here is a photo looking across the Visat Lounge. The stage on the right out of shot.

 

The weather is good but as we head west towards Hawaii the seas have a bit of swell on. Walking along straight corridors everyone seems to take a zig zag path. Now finally, last night we were told to set our watches back and hour. I happen to joke if that you turn up for lunch tomorrow and no one is there you did it the wrong way. Well, you guessed it, I have just found the dining room doors closed.

 

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