Bits and pieces, last two days...

Getting adjusted to life aboard can be a bit of a bewilderment. There are so many things to get used to that it rather overpowers our ability to adjust to the new situation. The only common denominator is Fellette, everything else is different than at home. A new home, [cabin], a new town, [the ship], all new neighbours, suddenly, no cooking, dishes to wash, laundry to do and you never go shopping for food, and, you never, never clean house. There is no similarity to a normal life at all. Suddenly you find yourself with all this 'leisure time'. Tough stuff but we are coping.

Last night after dinner we went to the 'show', and as you may know I usually do not go to those things, just on special nights. Last night they had Regis Philbin. [If you do not know who he is, forget about it!] Jim persuaded me to go because it was a super special thing. I went. It was great, he is a very likeable man who entertained us for an hour. Did you know he is an excellent singer? His wife, Joy, is a treat to the eyes and very talented as well. [How do they keep there looks and shape?] Anyhow, no regrets on that, a good show.

Today we went to Sting-Ray-City on a tour, 25 of us. The ship dropped anchor at 8.00 AM in Georgetown, Grand Cayman Island. Within an hour most of us were frolicking with those critters in about four feet of crystal clear warm water.


So help me I could not stop laughing as those creatures swam around our legs, brushing their sides against us. What a feeling, it was not creepy or frightening but rather a feeling of euphoria. They had no fear of us at all. They KNEW that the early arrival of a boat out there meant food for them. [Giant raw shrimp, bigger than the ones I had last night!] Jim was one of the few who grasped a shrimp and let one vacuum it out of his hand. There is a bit of a risk that any protruding pinky may also get taken as a shrimp because their eyes are on the top of their head and their mouth is on the bottom.



Another touristy gimmick is to tell us that if you kiss a sting ray you will have seven years good luck. Jim is good for 35 years, Fellette for only seven. I figure I get 3 1/2 years because I later kissed Fellette!


We were back on the ship by noon, showered, ate and took the tender back to town to check out the town. One word to describe Georgetown on a Sunday is sleepy. We have been here twice before and appreciated some time on board while anchored to do odds and ends. [Like having a two hour nap], Fellette played Scrabble.



It's a Wonderful World Department...

We received an e-mail on my phone while on the tender from friends Alan and Carol Forster of Devon, England. Alan had a heart transplant about six years ago and needless to say his prospects for living were severally reduced prior to the operation. Today, he sent New Year's Greetings from a ship in a thousand miles up the Amazon! Amazing communications and amazing medical technology!