Tomorrow we are in Cairns and due to go on a Rain Forest excursion. Gee, it looks like it may rain in the rain forest, surprise!
This morning, as we head north off the east coast of Australia up the Whitsunday Passage, a series of islands that are inside the reef itself, it was wonderful, rather like the Inside Passage to Alaska I imagine. We have a Reef Pilot on board and there was commentary as we wound our way up. The reef was first noticed by europeans when Captain James Cook ran his ship onto it. It is sort of like a underwater gate or submarine net that helps protect the mainland from the ocean waves.
Cook named them The Whitsunday Islands because he first sighted them on Whitsunday on his journey exploring and charting the east coast. At least he thought that it was a Sunday, but it was in reality a Monday as the dateline thing had not yet been sorted!
For your information, Whitsunday is the first Sunday in Pentecost. Pentecost is the 7th Sunday after Easter, and is purported to be when The Holy Spirit came down to the apostles. End of lesson.
A progress report on my cough… It is progressing nicely thank you, this is I think the eighth day. The mornings and nights are the worst and talking seems to trigger an uncontrollable coughing spell, so much so that I cannot possibly stay in a public place while it is going on. I have thought of leaping off the deck but that would entail getting wet and cold briefly, so I dismiss that quickly. Today I was able to attend a lecture and actually went to the evenings entertainment.
Today I decided to try and convey some more of shipboard life with pictures but have only been moderately successful. It is sometime awkward to get a picture of the crew when they are in a high traffic area like the dining room etc.
Firstly I would like to say that every single crew member we have encountered is polite and appears happy. I think that it is generally understood and accepted that they are underpaid and overworked. However, underpaid by whose standards, ours or their home: home is either the Philippines or Indonesia. I am not an expert on the matter and I am only giving you my thoughts but I think that they can improve their lot in life by working in their younger years on a ship and then taking the money saved by very steady work, return home and live out their life, bettered, and in comfort.
There is about one crew member for every two passengers and some of the jobs obviously are menial, demeaning & boring. But it is work and steady work. Their contract is usually eight or nine months then three months home which makes it hard on their wives and family. They are often homesick and perk up when you ask about themselves and their family. When they get ashore it is only for a couple of hours when they have some time between shifts, usually looking for free wi-fi and favourite foods that they may not get in their galley. Their time is usually split into two or three short shifts spread over the majority of the day and evening, dependant upon their job and passenger needs.
Some of the crew are married to other crew members, many are married but the majority are single. It is a bit like life in a logging camp I think, you might as well work as there is not much to do in the way of recreation.
There are many jobs on the ship that are seemingly petty or unnecessary. One such is the job of the 'Iceman'. We get fresh ice in our insulated bucket every morning. There is still ice in there at dinner time but there is a young man whose job is to knock on our door and ask if we need more ice. I often say yes so he continues to have a job. Same as room service, if nobody had room service he would not have a job. Same again goes for the helpers at the buffet who are there merely to carry your plate back to your table. Some people need assistance and I sometimes accept their offer to help justify the job. Anyhow, that's how I feel.
Pics: The morning coffee, Jack; our room stewards, Rudy and Asep; BBQ on deck today cooking kangaroo, emu and crocodile; the Iceman; the Hand Sanitizer Man, one of two at the dining room entrance; Dining room managers and poster boy for HAL; wine steward; our two waiters, Uci and Tre; and lastly some unknown person decorated the dessert plates tonight.
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