Yesterday I exchanged a couple of work related messages with Riana. Once she got it , she said…
So this is what we do on a cruise. Others have different activities, but pretty much a day at sea looks like this…
This morning instead of getting out of bed at 5-30am and dashing off to gym, we slept in. Julian came at 7am. We headed down for morning coffee on the 5th deck. There they have a coffee bar. We bought coffee vouchers before we left. It makes cappuccino much cheaper on board than the regular price (about a quarter less). Besides regular cappuccino they have decadent coffee drinks both hot and cold. One we have enjoyed before bedtime is called ‘After Eight’ and is a hot chocolate and mint drink. Delish! After our coffee, we went up to the top deck and marched around a number of times before relaxing for a short time in the highest lounge. It’s right at the back of the ship and is quiet and peaceful. By then it was breakfast time. There are a couple of restaurants for breakfast. The one we have so far selected is on the 5th deck and is at a comfortable more formal restaurant. It’s got a buffet as well as waiters coming round with coffee. You can also order off a menu. I’ll try remember to get a photo of this tomorrow.
After breakfast we retired to our cabins. Benjamin our cabin steward knocked almost the moment we got in. Leaving him to attend to its cleaning, we went up to the 14th deck lounge and read for a while. On our return, the room was spic and span. We sat on our balcony and enjoyed what felt like drifting gently across the Indian Ocean. The sea is sparkling blue…
We are somewhere after St Lucia right now. The coast is clearly visible. 
Through binoculars there’s no life to be seen right now, although earlier we spotted a couple of water craft close to the beach (a paddle boat and a speed boat). We also passed a small cargo ship closer to shore than us. The pace is gentle and relaxing and quite soporific. It’s not difficult to fall asleep with the mild rocking of the ship.
Around 11am, I asked Julian what he was up to and he said he was having coffee with his friend who is also aboard. We joined them and chatted about the book Julian has just given me to read, “The Diary of Iris Vaughan.” I read them a few short passages and there is much laughter. Iris was about 9 years old when she started her diary. Born in 1890, she speaks of a time in the Eastern Cape that is a far cry from what we could ever dream of. It’s seen through the eyes of a young girl who has an exceptional memory and a sharp ability to regurgitate the exact words of her parents. Poor spelling and very little grammar to speak of, add to its charm.
The conversation soon comes round to disembarkation and the bit of a hash up we’ve made with our flights home. The lady at the reception says they can’t book us on the bus to the airport because our flight is earlier than 12 noon. She says the best way for us to get to the airport on time is to get off the ship ‘self-assist’ and catch a taxi or Uber. Our flight is 10-25am. The ship is due in at 5-30am. We should be able to make our flight if the ship is on time. Julian’s flight is even earlier and so we will all try to dash off the ship ASAP and hope we can find a taxi or Uber right away. Note to self – next time book a flight for after 12!
We return to our cabins and there’s more reading and I played Word. Lunch is enjoyed in the same restaurant (actually we even got the same table) as breakfast. We then had tea and coffee on the 13th floor before retiring for an afternoon siesta which is where I started today’s blog. It’s also the reason you get so much more detail than usual.
One of the fun things we’ve tried this cruise is thanking the serving staff in their language. As a result, I’ve got all these words save on my cell phone:
- Italian – Grazie
- Indonesian – Terima Kasih
- Romanian – Multumesc
- Philippines – Salamat
- Madagascar – Misaotra (pronounced Meesh OW truh)
- Ukraine – Spasybi (Spas -Aye-Bee)
Apart from Grazie, Terima Kasih is the one we use the most.
This is our strategy if it’s a new language: As we ask for something, we notice the nationality which is on the server’s name badge. He leaves to go fill our order. We quickly look up the word for thank you in his language and then set about practicing it until he returns. Then as he gives us what we’ve ordered we smile and say thank you in his language. It’s always a surprise!
What would be even better is if we could give them a tract in their language.
As we cruise further north, it seems the internet is getting a bit more sketchy. If I suddenly don’t post, it’s probably because we’ve lost satellite connection. I’ll write the blogs and post them when we reconnect.
1 John 5:1
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of Him.
These are the days!
Keep the smile going.
God bless you.
In His Grip,
Helga xx 🙂
Gym:
We walked!
Braces:
Day 77