East or west, which is best...

Tuesday December 31. [New Year's Eve] Drizzle.

Our voyage is WESTBOUND, circling the globe, and that means we will pass through 24 time zones, losing one hour in each time zone passing. It means that 24 times when we go to bed, we will turn the clock BACK. In other words, and extra hour of either sleep or time up before bedtime. However, when we pass over the International Dateline, west of New Zealand, we will LOSE a full day and that lost day is made up by the 24 time zones we will pass through on the voyage spread over the 113 days at sea.

On the other hand, on a circumnavigation of the globe EASTBOUND, one would be required to put the clocks FORWARD 24 times during the voyage. That becomes a bit of an annoyance and it is hard to believe but it does affect you, especially if one is nearer the poles where time zone changes, or longitudes, are closer together, and can happen almost daily, like between northern Japan or Russia and Alaska. At the poles, one can literally walk around the world by merely circling an imaginary mark on the snow or ice and that is where all the longitude lines meet.

I myself find it fascinating and did not fully understand it when in school and only fully grasped it later in life.

Our dressing mirror near the end of a similar voyage, April 2008. I take photos with me of friends and family and put on the mirror so I see them each day. Through the voyage I add memorable events and memorabilia.Tacky I know but it sure is fun and I see my friends and family every day! Visitors to our stateroom spend considerable time checking it out.

 

Amsterdam docked at Gibraltar, April 2008.

***********************************************************************************************

On the home front today we said our goodbyes to family, friends and co-workers. It is at the same time exciting and sad. Sad to be heading off to be with strangers for 1/3 of a year except for sister Moe, on for 37 days, and good friends Jim and Gail who will be with us all the way, and exciting for obvious reasons.

                               

In Craig's house earlier today.

 

 

Fellette with Jeanette, Adrienne and Alicia saying goodbye this afternoon.