Who Needs The Fat Guy Anyway

Who Needs The Fat Guy Anyway!

I mean truth be told I may have to start some group or other against Santa. In fact, come to think of it I’m sure there already is one!

Christmas Eve arrives, and we dutifully hung our stockings on our door with utmost care in the true hope that Saint Nicholas soon would be there. We nestled down in our bed with the requisite visions of sugar-plums in our heads. This was followed by a loud clatter as the fat man tried to land on a moving ship with his “eight tiny reindeer.” This raucous behavior was followed by the prancing and pawing of each little hoof. This fat guy dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, stumbled along looking like a peddler just opening his pack. Yes, he had dimples, and his cheeks were like roses, but when it came to his eyes – well “his eyes-how they twinkled;” and in my opinion, they had an evil malevenance about them when he looked in my direction. Fearing that I would mess everything up, I ran back to bed and covered my head, all the while listening for when the fat man would give a whistle and fly off like the down of a thistle…..

When he was gone, I fell asleep only to awake on Christmas Day to see what the jolly ole’ elf had left for me -- it was a fever of 101.5F and a “touch of pneumonia” although I don’t know how you get a “touch” of pneumonia any more than you get a touch pregnant. So “thank you big guy” and don’t think I won’t remember this, and may I suggest you approach with stealth next year just in case by then I am still a little touchy on the subject and am waiting in the shadows.

So, rather than enjoying two quiet days at sea, I am swallowing medicine and seeing the ship’s physician twice a day even though I am protesting that I am doing fine – the damn fever keeps giving me away.

Today we arrived into the old city of San Juan, Capital of Puerto Rico. Fortunately, Lisa and I have been here many times, once even flying ourselves here in our Cessna along with our good friends, Gary and Cheryl Morris. So, there was no reason that I could not just stay onboard the ship as “ordered” by the Doctor, but that phrase was like a red flag in front of a bull, and I was determined to at least sneak away and see a little of old town.

This was also the first time I was able to enter San Juan in the morning which would allow me to capture a photograph of the massive Fort El Morro which guards the entrance to the harbor. This fort is part of a massive complex of fortifications known as The Castillo de San Cristobal. It is the largest fortification ever built by Spain in the New World, and when it was finished in 1783, it covered over 27 acres, and basically wrapped around the old town of San Juan.

Lisa and I took a taxi from the ship to the other side of the old city from where we were docked and then slowly, and I mean slowly walked back. Walking early in the morning allowed that the heat was not too bad, and we were back on the ship in less than two hours.

I will post some photographs later today if I can, and then tomorrow we are off to St. Barts where I really hope I can get off the ship.

Jim