DAY 46 GUAYAQUIL, ECUADOR AND DAY 38 SERENITY

Before dinner we were back at the Crystal Cove to enjoy a pre-dinner drink while Pianist John Mentis performed.  We sat with several friends at another area including Peggy and Elaine.

Afterwards, we were back at the Crystal Dining Room for dinner.

Anne Marie making some dinner selections with Senior Waiter Ayhan.

We began our meal with Tuna Tartare for Keith and Shrimp Cocktail for Anne Marie.  Head Waiter made the Tuna Tartare table side.

Bogan makes a very nice Tuna Tartare.  By that we (Keith) mean it is not overpowering and it is very well seasoned.

We each had salads for our second course.  For our entree, Keith had the Broiled Fillet of Ling Cod and it included a potato crust.  Keith really enjoyed it.  The Cod was very moist and he found the ingredients that accompanied the Cod, including the sauce added lots of flavor to the fish.

Anne Marie had the Surf and Turf.  It included a Half Lobster as well as a Fillet Mignon.  Anne Marie gave a piece of the Filet Mignon to Keith to try.  She also enjoyed the entree.

For dessert it was melon for Anne Marie and strawberries for Keith.  

After diner we saw Food & Beverage Manager, Tayfun and we spoke with him for about 15 minutes and enjoyed lots of laughs.

We slept well as we sailed to Guayaquil, Ecuador.  The Serenity had a very arrival to Guayaquil.  This is because approximately 100 guests were scheduled to leave the ship at around 3:00 AM for a one day excursion of Galapagos.  The Lido Cafe was opened at 2:00 AM serving breakfast for these guests.  It remained open for breakfast because a different tour was leaving at 5:00 AM for guests who signed up for an overland at the Mashpi Lodge.  

Keith was up early and worked out as he normally does at the Fitness Center.  For most of the workout he watched the news/weather coverage of the Northeastern USA Winter Blizzard.  When he arrived to the Lido Cafe there were a couple of guests sitting there who are on a private tour and along with several of the Specialty Restaurant Wait Staff who began working at 1:45 AM instead of their regular hours to provide sufficient staffing for those guests having breakfast prior to leaving the ship for their tours.

After enjoying some coffee which Keith brought back for her, Anne Marie walked for awhile until we had breakfast in our room.  

We were back and forth as to whether or not we would visit Guayaquil today but in the end we decided to once again stay on the ship.  We have been to Guayaquil several times and most recently in 2013 and have toured the area.  Other than revisiting a few sites and doing shopping which we really do not need to do we would not have seen anything new so in the end we decided to make the ship our destination.  On top of this, it was raining in the morning so that was a lot of incentive to stay on board Serenity.  We will likely do this for the next port of call as well.  In a few days when we arrive to Lima, Peru which we last visited in 2013 when we had a full day tour, we will also have a full day tour there as well.  Lima is a large city and one like most large cities where there is lots to see and explore over several visits.

We enjoyed a leisurely morning on the ship.  Anne Marie finished walking and then worked on knitting and Keith worked out at the Fitness Center and we both spoke with fellow guests and crew and also Keith read and wrote.

Anne Marie finished up another Evening Bag that she knitted and has started another project.

The two evening bags which Anne Marie has completed since we boarded Serenity.

We had lunch at the Lido Cafe which was a little less crowded than normal with some people on the full day tour, others on the overland as well as guests on other tours or just out and about on their own.

We wanted to mention that in the afternoon, guests booked for the overland adventure of Machu Picho departed the ship.

Afterwards, Keith played Paddle Tennis for a couple of hours and then met up with dear friend Bob and Anne Marie walked for another hour and worked on her knitting project and also spoke with some fellow guests.

This evening we will be dining at Tastes with Ilene and Andy who we first met the first day of World Cruise 2015.

We wanted to close on a serious note.

Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Often we are reminded that so much of what we enjoy today is due to the many brave people from around the world who sacrificed so very much for future generations.  In particular, we owe so much to our Parent's Generation which some such as ourselves consider to be the Greatest Generation.  Today, marks the 70th Anniversary of the Liberation of the Concentration Camp in Auschwitz.  History teaches us so very much and the horrific tragedy which took place at this Camp and so many others must never be forgotten to prevent something so horrific like this from ever happening again.  We must never forget that people were treated like they were not human.  

With each passing year, it is our hope that the evil that took place that day is discussed around the family table with the children of future generations so that they hear first hand of the bravery exhibited by so many people whom today we owe our own personal freedom to.  This does not only included the people who fought and were the actual liberators but also the people who worked in other jobs during the war effort and the people who were imprisoned.   This is also a reminder that we should not complain about all of the trivial and silly things that do not go our way because in the end they really mean very little.  Rather, look for all that is good.

We say a prayer for each of these heroes and we say a prayer for each human being whose life was tragically lost or ruined by the evil of that time.

TODAY'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY.......

"Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart?" - Anne Frank

"I don't think of all of the misery, but of the beauty that still remains." - Anne Frank

Keith & Anne Marie