Cue Louis Armstrong.....

Taking a break from packing, while sitting quietly on our back deck with a cup of tea yesterday, I started to ponder the question I have been asked so many times over the past week.... "What are you most looking forward to on the cruise"? These words  began playing over and over in my head....              

                            'and I think to myself, what a wonderful world. Oh yeh'!!!!

We are about to experience the diversity of our planet - the people, their cultures, food, religions, landscapes - from deserts,  tropical islands and spectacular cliffs to rain forests, from the riches of the middle east, to the poverty of Asia and Central America, from the antiquities of Petra and the Pyramids to the ultra modern skyscrapers of Dubai....... so much to experience!!
 
.... The whole trip is a dream vacation with so many highlights to ponder... however, before we have even left home, I can confidently say that there are a number of experiences I am looking really forward to....

• Life aboard the ship - with all the indulgences involved
• Meeting new friends who share our passion for travel and experiencing different cultures
• Exploring the cullinary delights unique to the cities we will visit
• Swimming in the glass cage with crocodiles in Darwin
• Visiting Universal Studios in Singapore
• Cruising the Kerala backwaters in Kochi
• Soaking up the chaotic atmosphere of Mumbai
• Experiencing the ancient souks of Dubai
• Wondering at the modern architecture in Dubai and Abu Dhabi
• Catching my first sight of the Pyramids
• Walking through the Siq for my first glimpse of Petra
• Marvelling at the religious significance of the sights of Jerusalem
• Floating in the Dead Sea
• The blue mosque in Istanbul
• Spending my birthday enjoying the Bastille day parade on the Champs Elysee in Paris
• Strolling along the banks of the Seine
• People watching from the cafes of Paris
• Sipping champagne at the Moet bar in Galleries Lafayette
• Stepping back in time at the ruins of Herculaneum
• Finding that fabulous back alley pizza shop in Rome near the Spanish steps
• Strolling in the footsteps of Caesar and co around Rome
• Walking the tracks of Cinque Terra
• Wondering at the creations of Gaudi in Balcelona
• Visiting the minature Dutch village at Madurodam
• Shopping in London - can I still get my royal wedding tea towel??
• Visiting the homelands of my Irish and Scottish ancestors
• Air boat riding in the alligator swamps of Florida
• Watching the cliff divers in Acapulco
• Being seranaded by Mariachi bands in Mexico
• Checking out the waves on Sunset Beach in Hawaii
• Sipping a cocktail while watching the sunset over Waikiki beach
• Swimming with the black point sharks and stingrays in Bora Bora
• Relaxing on the beach in Tahiti

These are experiences that I have dreamed about all my life, and we are finally just a few days from leaving on our 'cruise of a lifetime' to enjoy all this and so much more.

So many memories, just waiting to be made!!!