Boy, were we in for a sudden surprise in the wee hours of the morning. Right before 4am, the ship’s alarm went off, with the long warning blast of the horn. One of us heard it loudly, while the other almost slept through it. Earplugs were the culprit. Anyway, the message came through saying that smoke had been detected on deck A in the area of the incinerator. We all know that fire and ships do not go together, and this was NOT a drill. Within five minutes, Captain Mercer came on the speaker saying that ashes from the incinerator had not been completely out last night, and they began to smolder, causing smoke to pour out. It was significant enough to set off the overhead sprinklers, flooding the area we heard later. The Captain said the situation was under control, and we could all go back to sleep. Oh yeah, sure. Some of our friends dug out their life jackets and grabbed warm clothing, just in case. This was the second time we had a scare, but happily, both turned out to be OK. Not everyone heard this first alarm. Barb slept through it, as did Woody, and one of us thought it was a dream. We have been reassured that every cabin would get a wake up knock on the door to get us up, if it became a real emergency.
The internet was still off this morning. We discovered that the power supply to the antennae had been fried, although we suspect that the ship’s internet was still squeaking by. It was suggested that there were no spare parts to fix it. They would have to wait until our next ports of Banjul or Dakar to get replacement parts. That would be better than waiting for Puerto Rico, when the trip is almost over. In fact, we doubt that the Fed Ex gal, Sara, would be able to print the shipping labels without the internet service. It can be scary when you realize how dependent we have all gotten on this form of doing everything online. There is no paper trail, or the ability to do things the old-fashioned way.
Today was Barbara H’s talk on Bangul, the Gambia. Few of us have ever been here, so listening to it for details was important to many of us. As we seldom go to the Queen’s Lounge for this morning lecture, we always catch it on TV during the day. One of our biggest gripes is that you can seldom find the time her talks begin, since they are mixed with other speaker’s lectures. It could be three hours between lectures. The powers to be say that they cannot give us a time schedule on the grid of programming. Why not? It is done on the other HAL vessels. So it is a hit and miss process, which usually finds us tuning in to her talk in the very same place each time we attempt it. One day this ship may update their entire programming with new TV’s and the wonderful interactive systems that the newer ships have. Hopefully, in our life time.
It was also printed in the When & Where paper that our arrival will be later in Banjul, due to the unexpected clearance process and the tidal window. They expect the formalities to be done by 10am now, and our exit will be extended to 7pm. That should work out OK. This is one port that we did book a tour with our travel agency, because we have never been here, and not sure how easily we can get around on our own. The visa fee will run around $125 per person, so whether we go ashore or not, we have to pay that price. Might as well see as much as we can for that money.
We never made it to the pool once again, but did use the time to do offline homework. Lunch was with our friends in the dining room. We had salad, soup, and mini-size reuben sandwiches with chips. Topping off the meal, we ordered flourless chocolate cake and ice cream. This has worked out nicely, even though dinner is at 8pm. It is a long stretch that we remedy with a handful of mixed nuts and a soda break in our room.
The usual suspects in the way of activities kept the folks busy this afternoon. The movie, Gorillas in the Mist, was shown in the Wajang. Perfect subject, since we are sailing in that part of the world, more or less. Speaking of movies and TV, some passengers are most unhappy because we are not getting any ESPN broadcasts. Our geographical location and technical limitations prevent a good connection to that satellite. Ain’t gonna happen. They promise that it should get better the closer we get to Puerto Rico however. That will give the guests two days to enjoy it.
Dinner was shared with Friends Susie, Woody, Barb, and Don on deck five. Nice to be together again, we always have a fine time. The dinner menu was so varied we all said, “There’s nothing to eat”. The alternates looked better than the featured entrees. We do believe the freezer is being cleaned out after four months of sailing the world. The chefs have come up with some really weird combinations, leaving us asking, what the heck is this or that? Desserts are always good, so we all leave the table happy.
Showtime was Omar, a multi-instrumentalist. He plays as many as 20 musical instruments with worldwide music selections.
A special Four Points Pajama Party had been created for tonight. It was to commemorate the point where the Equator and the Prime Meridian cross. A pajama party? Well, it has been done before, but never for an occasion such as this. The main attraction would not only be the new screen showing our exact position, but drinks would be buy one, get one for $2 special. Bet that packs the place. And according to Barb, it did. There were some folks that came in bathrobes and slippers. This occurred between 11pm and 12am. By then, we were “counting sheep”, tired from getting up at 4am. Guess that is called trying to burn the candle at both ends, right?
By the way, the clocks went back one hour this evening…..that did help.
Bill & Mary Ann
