The Adventures of Lynne

I boarded the CMA CGM HYDRA two weeks ago today from Manzanillo Mexico with two other passengers, Isabelle and Daniel. We climbed the looooong gangway to the upper deck. Later that afternoon, we were joined by Heniz and Eva, for a total of 5 passengers. Heinz and Eva left the ship in Cartagena, Columbia and Isabelle and Daniel left the ship here in Kingston, Jamaica. I am writing to you from a cafe in Devon House. It's like a park/cafe-type complex, fancy. Tyrone, the port call officer that brought me here says it's the place you take a girl on a special date. He took a girl here once and they're still together. So there you go! The reason Tyrone brought me is because the security people at the gate wouldn't let me go into Kingston alone on a Sunday--the guard said (add the Jamaican accent in your ear), "It's the way of the world now. Not just in Jamaica. God bless you, I am going to protect you. Your family wants you to be safe" She was very ...

Tomorrow I board the HYDRA. I'm very excited. Today, I went to the market with my new friends Juanita and Aaron. They are truck drivers and are staying at the same hostel. They might even be taking a container from MY ship on their next haul, who knows?! I have nicknamed them "The Lovebirds". Through a translation at the beach, Aaron explained that the love is so deep it runs through their veins. They are completely smitten with each other. It's lovely to see. When people are so in love with each other, we might think that they want to be alone with each other only, but from the beginning they have wanted to include me and befriend me. I guess that much joy must be shared! We went to the market, where of course I missed Beate, especially when I saw the fresh fruit and vegetables.  Aaron posed with some cute signs (he's all about love you know) We took the #1 bus there and back. Mother Mary protected us on the journey. We also went out for b...

My cousin Craig will understand how much I am suffering here in Manzanillo waiting for the CMA CGM HYDRA to get here from Shanghai. I am staying at another hostel. You know what those are like right? Well, what can you expect when you are paying 460 pesos a night? I have my own room (clean and pretty) with bathroom, a pretty courtyard with luscious tropical plants, including a gigantic coconut tree, a swimming pool which so far I have had to myself, access to a full kitchen where I can prepare meals with  avocado which you can buy here for a song (ok about 5 pesos, whether you sing or not), and am situated a few steps from the Pacific Ocean. How I suffer..... https://hostaltzalahua.negocio.site/ Sue, has a little restaurant next door serving authentic breakfast (tacos) from the recipes of her mother and grandmother. She has been my interpreter and I had the most delicious breakfast! Sue said, "Where you are from, you have coffee and bread. In Mexico we have ...

I was a tourist in Lima for two days before catching my flight to Manzanillo. I stayed at the Barranco Backpackers Inn, a hostel near the ocean in the area called Barranco. Miraflores is known as the tourist area of Lima, and Barranco is known as the "hippie" tourist area. I also heard it described as Bohemian. Artists live and work in this area and there is music going on often, traditional dancing, pottery and painting. I had some more ceviche! I went to two museums while in Barranco. Museo Pedro de Osma featured colonial religious paintings and sculpture, showing how Europe (Spain) implemented catholicism, adapting the indigenous perspectives and ideology just like all of the Americas. This was very interesting and the styles coming from Peru are very distinctive. I then walked two doors down to the MATE museum which is designed to promote photography. The permanent exhibit is of Mario Testino who designed and opened the museum. ...