The weather has improved as far as the heat and the high humidity. Seems that as we head north, it has become much more pleasant. And it suits us just fine. We have definitely decided to take advantage of this nice weather while it lasts. Spending time at the back pool has been a big help in getting one of us over the dreaded cold. Fresh air never hurts anyone. One passenger, who happens to be in the medical field, mentioned some food for thought…….perhaps some of this upper respiratory congestion may be due to the fact that mold and mildew may have been spread with the changing of the stairwell carpeting recently. Once that dust hits the air conditioning, it spreads throughout the ship. Now we are glad that only one stairwell was completed on this cruise.
Barbara H gave her talk on Rhodes, Greece, coming up after Aqabah, Jordan. It will be a new port for us, so we plan on catching her talk on TV later. Funny thing happened a few days ago when we found Barbara's talk still being broadcast on Mumbai, India. Didn't we leave there over a week ago? More up-to-date lectures took place today all about Petra, the Rose Red City, as well as the Suez Canal. Mel Foster continued with more details on the building of the Suez Canal.
The shops onboard sent out an ad today with the one-time chance to order customized cartouches, the pendants with your name made in ancient hieroglyphics. Guess it does not matter that we are not stopping at any ports in Egypt on this trip. You can still buy that special Egyptian souvenir without ever touching foot in that country.
Another popular activity seems to have started with the HAL Chorale meeting. This was a big activity for lots of singers (or wanna-be), when Bruce Scudder was Cruise Director years ago. No one took his place conducting the choir, so now, we think it is passenger operated. If all works out with their practices, perhaps they will put on a performance towards the end of the trip.
Another new movie popped up in the Wajang Theater……Manchester by the Sea, another contender for the Academy Awards. That makes three big movies in a row. Tonight, we plan on watching La La Land to see what that was all about. That name makes us laugh, because that is what one of our seasoned tablemates (in her 90's) used to call the world cruise……..la la land.
Dinner tonight was in the Pinnacle Grill. Tina had remembered that we had pre-ordered veal chops, and as anticipated, they were delicious. All of our food was hot, even the skinny French fries, as they were cooked right before they were served. Dessert was"naked" baked Alaska, or one serving of Cherry Garcia ice cream, without the meringue or cherry compote.
There was a special event held in the Lido Dome this evening at 9pm. It was 1001 Arabian Nights, a party where complimentary drinks and an array of Arabic foods were served until 10:30pm. The band from the Crow's Nest, Sirius Four, played out on deck, making the occasion a hit for all who went. We expect it to be crowded, because every time they advertise "complimentary" in regards to drinking, it's guaranteed to draw a whole lot of people.
There was a variety show time in the Queen's Lounge featuring Peter Cutler and Don Bryan, but it was held one time only at 7:15pm.
In answer to a question regarding our choices of internet…..on the ship or shore side? For us, we use the ship's internet. Although it may not be as fast, it has been better than on past cruises. Remember, we come from "dial-up" country, and until recently, have not had access to high speed internet. So anything is faster than that. And besides, the last thing we like to do in a port, is waste our time emailing or updating things. It's fine for others, just not us.
Bill & Mary Ann
