Warm and steamy….that’s the way the day began, and it only got hotter. With the ship only doing 10 knots, there was barely a breeze on the outside decks. The majority of passengers stayed inside the ship, joining in the activities of a regular sea day. Lectures on the upcoming port of Cochin provided tips on what to do there, and the speaker educated the folks on the history of Cochin as well. To add to the knowledge of India, a 1984 movie, The Passage to India, was shown in the Wajang.
One fun activity took place in the Lido Pool today. It was a Live Poolside Splash Auction where folks bid to “balloon splash” some staff members. This was done to raise donations for the charity Vision Rescue in India. This may be the first time this was done on the world cruise, as far as we know. Since it was such a hot day in the sun, Hamish, the cruise director, announced this game twice in order to draw the folks out there.
We sailed up the west coast of India all day, and perhaps only 20 or so miles from the shore. There were small boats passing by us all day, more than likely local fishing boats. Some looked like nothing more than big row boats with an engine. Open to the elements, with no protection from the beating sun, there were from 4 to 6 guys in each colorful boat. At a few times, these sailors came within several feet from the ship, which is really unnerving if you were watching from the lower promenade deck. As we approach Mumbai, we are wondering if the ship will be outfitted with the razor wire this year. Even though we have not heard about pirate activity in these seas, does not mean it is not happening.
Everyone has reported that their laundry has been taking several days to come back. Our last one was turned in on the 24th, and we got it back today, the 28th. Then we got a note explaining that the turnaround had been extended up to 72 hours. The blame was put on the fact that 900 guests are making use of their perk for complimentary laundry service. Now that we know this, we have to make it a point to turn the laundry in more frequently to avoid running out of socks or whatever.
We were back to the three of us at dinner, since the fellows had been invited upstairs with other friends tonight. We all ordered good entrees with a little tweaking involved. One thing all of us has learned, sometimes the hard way, is to have gravies, dressings, or sauces on the side. The chefs have been using some unfamiliar spices, so this is the best way to give us the option of using it or not. In our chef salads tonight, there was one item that no one, including Slam, knew what it was. It must have been the substitute for salami strips. Turned out it was thin slices of a smoked sausage, and most tasty.
After dinner, we took our usual walk outside to find the sky was lit up with a lightning storm over the mainland. Too far to hear thunder, it was great to watch. Even in the darkness of the night, several fishing boats were lit up all over. It reminded us of being in the Vietnam area, where night fishing is acceptable. Must be the same here.
Captain Mercer announced that we will be arriving to Cochin an hour earlier than expected. There will be a zero count immigrations check where the entire ship needs to be seen before anyone is allowed back onboard. Many tour groups will be leaving for a three day two night excursion to the Taj Mahal, so they will need to get to the airport for their flights. We did this in 2007, glad we did it, but considered it a one-time visit.
Bill & Mary Ann
Thursday, March 28, 2019
Report #69 Day at Sea March 28, 2019 Thursday Partly sunny & 82 degrees
