A day at sea is just what we all needed. It was obvious that many folks slept later this morning, because the dining room was half empty. Perhaps some were at the 50% off HAL apparel sale in the Lido dome at 9am. Or at the Coffee chat with Hamish, who was interviewing the entertainer from last night. His name was Craig Richard, a sax player who has toured with Kenny G.
Kate Ross, a new lecturer, talked about Sinhalese Kings of Sri Lanka, still interesting history even though we have left the country. Out of Africa was the topic for the afternoon speaker, Barry Dreyer. We shall be in the first port of Africa very soon.
Barbara H did a change of talks, and switched to a lesson on sari tying. Every year when we approach India, she always has flyers at her desk with directions on how to wrap yourself up in the 6 meters of fabric. Since this evening was switched to an Indian Theme Dinner, she felt the ladies would need some extra hints. Also, she passed out some 400 safety pins to keep the ladies “together”. Unraveling at the table would not be such a great experience. We have seen it happen.
It took some of the morning, and part of the afternoon to catch up on yesterday’s photos. For some unknown reason, the photos are unable to be sent to the site we have been using. Our son is trying to figure it out as we write. In the meantime, we still are maintaining all the info and pictures, and will resume if it is possible.
Today, the waters were almost like waves of satin. Not a whitecap to be seen any way you looked. Going to our spot on deck eight, we found it was very warm, but there was also a nice breeze blowing across the decks. Most people had not moved back this far, so chose not to go out at all. This particular voyage has found the smallest amount of true sunbathers we have ever seen. Not that we are complaining, because when the Panama Canal cruise begins, there will not be an empty lounge out here.
Lunch for us was in our room with a Dive In burger and one hot dog at 3pm. There was no waiting for the order either, since few people were ordering food by then. Also a good time to start a movie we can finish later. We still have to ask why the movies are being repeated since January. There was supposed to be a new set delivered in Hong Kong, but it must have gotten lost.
Since tonight was “sari night”, we set out to see how many people would adhere to the dress code. A few days ago, we got a message saying that this theme dinner was moved forward. Originally the Indian Dinner was a gala night, as it always has been. Guess we all assumed that March 19th remained a classic gala night, that this evening would also be gala or formal. Not so, as the dress code was smart casual. For us, it was not going to happen, because the sari we brought was jeweled and very formal. Not one man was dressed “formally” tonight to match any Indian dress for the ladies. So for us, we skipped it, and attended the dinner in smart casual clothes. The ones best dressed tonight? All of the waiters in Nehru shirts, and the head waiters in satin brocade jackets to their knees. They looked great, but were so uncomfortable as they were hot. The ship has been having some problems with cool air distribution since day one in Florida. With the extra mood lights and the window curtains closed, the dining room was really warm on top of it. The multi-colored lights were so bright, that Barb had to get her sunglasses to cut the glare. We teased her saying she looked like Audrey Hepburn, the actress from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. All she needed was the long cigarette and white gloves. Actually, we think she liked the comparison.
Dinner choices were mostly Sri Lankan/Indian with many spices we are not really fond of. Good thing they had a strip sirloin steak on the menu. Barb, who mainly eats the fish entree, said they have not been the best choices. We all sampled one of the dessert items, that was made from mung beans, palm sugar, and sweet condensed milk. It resembled pudding with lumps, but tasted gritty and overly sweet. Our waiter Slam had said the same thing. Guess it is an acquired taste. Better choices were the strawberry shortcake and biscotti ice cream.
The performer this evening was Lizzie Ball, the violinist…back with an all new show.
Walking on the lower promenade deck after dinner, we found that the pirate measures were back in place. Kind of expected this to happen as we are sailing in some dangerous waters once again. This was confirmed when we got back to our room to find a letter explaining our current position in the Indian Ocean. More security guards have been brought on as extras, and we have a new head security officer now. He is “Copper John” from Cruise Critic fame. He often follows the blogs with HAL, and frequently chimes in with some expert information. Correct information. He had been assigned to our table on the last gala night, but missed us because we were in the Pinnacle Grill that night. Meeting him finally today in the Lido, he promised he would come back again and join us on another gala night. We look forward to it.
Bill & Mary Ann
