Embarkation day was a long one. I left the San Diego Sheraton at 8 AM and we were headed to Ensenada, Mexico. Crossing the border into Mexico was what took forever. Our bus had to be searched twice, once by U.S. Custom agents and then by Mexican Custom agents. A drug-sniffing dog came on and had an “accident.” It was hilarious, but the smell on the bus wasn’t so funny! It was also incredible to see the line of cars waiting to get back across the border into the U.S. The line had to be at least 2 miles long, and there were four lanes of cars!
The drive through Mexico was mixed. We drove right through Tijuana, which looked horrible. Houses were torn down, people were sleeping in the streets, and buildings were crumbling and abandoned everywhere you looked. After Tijuana, it got better. The drive along to coast was gorgeous, and the houses and buildings got much nicer and more kept. I will upload pictures when I get to Hawaii; the ship’s Internet isn’t the fastest!
We got to the boat by about 11:30 AM (Pacific Time) and we didn’t get to our cabins until about 1:30. It took a while to get through and be inspected by the ship’s security officers. My cabin is tiny, but comfortable. The thing that I’m going to have to get used to is the darkness of the room. With all the lights turned off, the cabin is pitch black no matter what time of day it is. The ship itself is gorgeous. It’s just like a cruise ship. Someone will come in and clean my room, make my bed, and give me fresh towels daily. After meals, you simply leave your plates on the table and the crew takes it away. I feel really spoiled. The captain did warn us that we were heading into rough waters; the ship’s been rocking back and forth like crazy. I’ve gotten used to it I think, but a lot of people have become seasick.
Classes don’t start until tomorrow (January 18) and today is just orientation. It’s also really interesting to be meeting people from all over the U.S. I’ve met people from at least twenty different states. I’m looking forward to seeing what classes will be like…
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