Does anyone remember the lyrics from an old be-bop song – we'll be rocking and rolling all night? Well that applied to last night….all night. Some words that describe the experience might be: rolling, bouncing, twisting, rattling, creaking, shuddering, and a merry-go-round ride. That can apply to our nerves as well, unless you are gifted with the ability to sleep through just about anything. That is one of us. The "sissy" one of us (me), had to take a precautionary sea-sick pill just in case. It must be the appearance of those white bags in the elevator lobby that triggers the power of suggestion. Whatever the reason, the little pill worked.
So just about the time sleep was about take over because the motion decreased somewhat, it was time to rise and shine. Figures. These conditions were not the worst we have had, but the motion just kept up most all of the night. It turned out that it would continue all day as well.
Today was Sunday so it was Brunch Day in the dining room at 10am to 1pm. More than usual, we looked forward to our hot breakfast with lots of coffee in the Pinnacle Grill at the usual time of 8am. The way we see it, you do much better with food in your stomach with high seas. We are going to miss this morning venue, since we have made it here every day since we boarded on September 4th. That is one plus of being on these longer voyages, because the wait staff knows exactly what we like to order, and how we like it. They always keep our coffee cups filled and end our meal with both a cappuccino and an Americano. Spoiled, is what we call it.
Walking the promenade as we always do in the morning, we came across a bird sitting on the floor in the aft of the ship. It was a shearwater, and did not appear to be injured. We suspected the bird was simply resting and would take off when it was darned good and ready. Sometimes the night lights on this deck can attract birds. After a few more laps of walking, we did see the bird had left. Whether it had help from a crew member, we will never know.
We finally did some successful shopping, so that job is pretty much done. Later in the day, we received the complimentary photo from yesterday's Mariner's Event in the World Stage. Then after dinner, we had two more 150th Anniversary Delft tiles gifted to add to our collection at home.
There was a cooking demo with the Captain and the hotel manager, Darren in the Wajang Theater this morning. We bet that was fun since they seem to be good buddies. Later in the afternoon, there was a scavenger hunt with the guests versus the officers. These seem to be new games recently added to this itinerary. Then in the late afternoon, there was another guest versus officers music trivia. All in good fun.
Today's theme was "A Splash of Orange" also known as the Orange Party. This evening's attire was to wear a splash of orange, the color of the Dutch. There was a party planned in the Lido dome from 6:30pm to 11pm, however, it had to be switched to the World Stage. Exactly what this party involves is a mystery to us, because it is right in the middle of our dinner time. On past world cruises, we have made a pass through these gatherings and found them crowded with folks that have taken every seat and stay there for the rest of the evening. There is always a band blasting music, and perhaps some folks dancing. Other than that, it is all about the drinking.
The dining room dinner was "Dutch" even though most of the items offered were not Dutch. We ordered the green pea soup, which was very good. In our humble opinion, they should serve it more often. A tasty bay shrimp cocktail was one appetizer, and salads were the second ones. Entrees were one bami goreng, an Indonesian favorite, and one Hodge Podge Klapstock, which was really braised beef brisket with veggies and gravy. It was not Dutch, but German according to Sarif. And it was just right since it was ordered half-size. Dessert was one slice of apple pie with a scoop of NSA vanilla ice cream, because they had run out of the good vanilla. The no sugar added was not the best…butter pecan would have been far better.
There was no entertainment in the World Stage this evening, but there was a movie, A Million Miles Away" shown in the Wajang at 8:30pm. The ship continued to rock and roll and will continue to do so according to the Captain's noon report. We have sailed 1679 nautical miles from Nuku Hiva and have 745 nautical miles to go to San Diego. We are still maintaining a good speed, although normal speed would have been 20 knots. The Captain expected the winds to increase to 6 or 7 on the Beaufort scale with continued sea swells and wave heights at 12 feet. He gave us all hope that tomorrow will be calmer with less wind and lower swells. Hope he is correct since we seriously have to start packing.
Bill & Mary Ann
