Once a little daylight started seeping in through the crack in the curtains, I was awake. I stayed in bed until almost 7:00 but then got up and dressed in the dark trying to be quiet so Bob could sleep. I left the cabin and made a stop at guest services to pick up a Wall Street Journal handout and a puzzle page. I looked through the mini-newspaper while I ate a waffle with strawberries at the buffet. It made me realize just how out of touch with the rest of the world we had been on this trip. We were somewhat aware of what was happening with the U.S. government shutdown, but that was about it. It's not that we don't have access to news on TV, we just have chosen to not watch.
After eating, I popped out on the aft pool deck to check the weather and was surprised at just how pleasant it was. Just a few days ago we were bundled up in so many layers we could hardly move and today I could easily tolerate being outdoors for some time without a jacket. I went down to deck 3 and walked a lap but there was enough sea spray to make me decide that one lap was enough.
I quietly grabbed my iPad from our cabin and went up to the Crow's Nest. Bob was still sleeping and the room was like a cave after being out in the bright sunlight. I read some on my iPad until 9 am when the cruise director showed up for his coffee chat. He said Scott (from the expedition team) was to have been his guest but wasn't feeling well. Instead he just talked a bit and then started having people share what trips are on their bucket lists. It was interesting to hear the different comments. People on this cruise are definitely well traveled.
At 9:30 I went down to the theater for the port talk on Puerto Madryn and Montevideo. Most of the seats in the balcony were already filled, but I found a single seat and had a nice time visiting with the lady sitting next to me before the talk began.
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| At each port talk, Kevin would encourage us to take a photo of his highlights map. This is Puerto Madryn. |
When the presentation was over, I stood up and saw Laurel waving at me from down below. As I exited the theater there was Bob standing in the back. Kent and Laurel were headed to the Crow's Nest for line dancing and Bob went to watch. I went back to the cabin and found the door propped open while it was being cleaned. I desperately needed to use the bathroom so went back to deck 4 to use the public restroom.
At noon the four of us went to the Mariner's luncheon in the dining room. There was a short welcome from the cruise director and the captain. Following the meal we received the traditional blue tiles with a picture of the ship.
Bob hadn't gotten out of bed until 10:00 but after lunch he was still more than ready to go back to the cabin and take a nap. He was really wiped out from his cold. I rested a bit, but couldn't fall asleep...probably due to the coffee I had with lunch. The 2 pm lecture on the Falklands war wasn't a priority to me, but I did consider attending the 3 pm talk on living and working in Antarctica. Instead, I changed into my swimsuit, left Bob a note and went to the covered mid-ship pool. The roof was retracted a bit and it was very pleasant.
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| Zaandam's location. |
The water in the pool was cool, but no more so than the pool at our local YMCA where I do water aerobics each day. I swam a bit and then relaxed and read a magazine I had brought along. I also got most of the way through the crossword on the daily puzzle sheet while enjoying a Diet Coke. (Or in Spanish...sin azucar!) When I got a little warm, I got back in the pool and swam a few more laps. We have been so busy watching for wildlife and trying to attend so many activities, that cruising had almost become work. (I doubt that statement will get me any sympathy! 😉) Sitting by the pool made me feel like I was on vacation!
At 4:00 when I returned to the cabin, Bob was just getting up. He had been in bed the whole time I was gone. I convinced him to take some cold medicine. He is stubborn and rarely takes any type of cold medication, but it was silly to be spending so much of the cruise in bed.
We both showered and dressed for dinner. Bob continued watching a movie on TV while I dried my hair and putzed around the cabin.
During dinner, Thies, (the assistant maitre d) came by our table and we were able to visit with him about how at 24 years old he had gotten this job. He told us a little bit about his background and the jobs he held leading up to this position. (He was from the Netherlands). Such a nice and hard working young man!
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| Thies, the assistant maitre d. |
The evening show in the theater was Ancora, a vocal quartet. This was their second time performing during the cruise but we had missed seeing them the first time. They were very talented but their songs tended towards more operatic type music...not necessarily our favorite.
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| Our balcony view of the stage. |
The sun had already set by the time the show was over...a sign that we are making our way back north. Another sure sign? Tomorrow's predicted temperature is 92º!!
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