RAIN all day.
The visibility is about a half mile and all we have seen is mist, really a gray blur. People have sweaters on and I switched to long pants. Hmmm, and we are just a few miles from the equator.
Our lazy day has been spent at breakfast, then a session with Jim and Gail regarding what to do ashore the next couple of weeks, then two lectures on upcoming shore excursions followed by a history lesson by a very good lecturer, lunch and then another talk on what to do if you are not on a ship shore excursion. Wow, what an exhausting day eh?
Fellette skipped the afternoon talk and went to crafts where they seem to keep the ladies very busy.
Tomorrow is a port day in Manta, Equador, right on the equator. Jim and Gail are off on a tour from their agent, we are off to see how Panama Hats are made and also how good old fashioned buttons were/are made from a very hard nut called tagua palm nut, [vegetable ivory]. They also make very delicate and involved carvings from this nut. These two skills have always intrigued me.
As you can see, this is a very decadent life we are leading. I can take some of that right now and of course Fellette is happy as a clam.
On Panama Hats: The Panama Hat is not just another straw hat that is commonly seen in many countries. The hat commonly called a 'Panama Hat' is made and always has been made in Ecuador, just south of Panama. It came into public popularity in the Era of Teddy Roosevelt when he was ramrodding the building of the Panama Canal.
Many people jumped on the bandwagon and bought and wore the hat, it came into common usage as the 'Panama Hat. It is made from vegetable matter that at this time I do not know. It can be a very fine and closely woven hat or a more course weave and that is reflected in the price. Priced can range from maybe $50 to over $1000 and more? [Yup, a thousand bucks for a straw hat!]
Note to Stella: Yes, Fellette is getting your emails and appreciates them.
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Words of wisdom from the ship today: "Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new". Einstein
Dinner last night with two Aussies.
My bride this morning, early coffee before the rain started.
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