EXTENDED FAMILY=  On each voyage students and adults are given the opportunity to form extended families.  For this trip Sandy and I have been assigned three delightful "kids":  Morgan (from Ga.,Univ Georgia), Jaafar (Emerson College, from Morocco) and Molly (Univ. Michigan, from NYC).  We hope to get together with them for dinners; given the hectic and tight schedule each day I am afraid our time together will be minimal.

Morgan, Jaafar, Sandy, Molly

The day we set sail from Costa Rica, May 21, was our 35th wedding anniversary.  The evening before we had a little celebration in the faculty lounge with our friends Dave and Julie Weitz (with whom we had sailed in the fall 2010)

The next day our friends Peter Sanchez and his wife Kathleen surprised us with a nice bottle of champagne delivered to our cabin.

I think due to a snafu that occurred to my laptop while it was configured for the Semester at Sea voyage I lost the ability to post on my blog. So, I am a bit behind in my travelogue.  Last weekend after arriving in San Jose Sandy and I opted to join a small group of faculty and staff to travel to the Poas volcano. It is still an active volcano sitting at about 7,700 feet. Fortunately it was merely giving off steam the day we were there.

Poas Volcano

Replica of old wagon wheel

On our way back to the hotel we stopped to see how the old and very pretty wagon wheels were made.

It is May 17, 2012 and Sandy and I are about to begin another Semester at Sea voyage. This time is for one month and we begin in Costa Rica. Actually, from Sandy's point of view the voyage began this morning at the United lounge at National airport.  I am not sure what it is about getting a free cup of coffee and a newspaper, but she enjoys the time spent in these lounges.  Well, tomorrow we have our pre-voyage field trip to the Poas volcano, just outside San Jose-- so, check back often in the next month and  see what we are up to.