Days 17 & 18 – At sea - Peru to Ecuador
Dec 7, 2011 – Wednesday – Day 17 – At sea
Cruise ships are a study in contrasts. This morning as I walk through the
casino where the bells are ringing and the smokers are puffing; I hear hymns
being sung in the next room; people are quietly reading or playing board games
in the library; and finally the jewellery store is having a 40% off sale and draw,
so crowds are gathering for that event in the retail area. I see a single
dolphin jumping in the ocean this morning as I walk the Lower Promenade Deck for
exercise.
There is a beautiful sunset this evening, however sea fog obscures any
possibility of seeing the green flash. It is Formal Night, so we have a late
dinner in La Fontaine main dining room. My friends and I enjoy some Robert Mondavi white wine, and I have a rack of lamb done to perfection. The service is
impeccable. As we finish our desserts, the captain announces that we are
diverting to Salaverry/Trujillo for a medical emergency for someone needing
shore-based treatment. We will dock at 11PM this evening, and then resume our course to
Ecuador. He does not foresee any problems arriving in Guayaquil on time the day
after tomorrow.
Dec 8, 2011 – Thursday – Day 18 – At sea
I go to breakfast in La Fontaine the main dining room and am seated with a couple from
San Diego, who have taken many cruises with Holland America. Their last cruise
was 65 days around the Pacific Rim on the Amsterdam, which is a ship they
prefer over the other Holland America ships – “better run” is their comment.
There are many people aboard who prefer the longer cruises.
After breakfast, I go for a walk around the Lower Promenade Deck, but the air
temperature is cool so I duck back inside. The cold
Humboldt
Current (aka the Peru Current) off the coasts of Peru and Ecuador
keeps the air temperature cool, despite being located so close to the Equator. I find a
good seat in the Show Lounge, since there are two back-to-back presentations I
want to listen to this morning highlighting Nicaragua and Manta, Ecuador, our
next ports of call.
I work on my photos in the Explorers Lounge, adding a caption and location to
each photo. While I am working, the fire alarm sounds and the crew is dispatched
to investigate. As it turns out, someone was doing some welding in a work area
below decks, and the fumes got into the crew quarters, setting off multiple
alarms. The captain comes on the PA system shortly after explaining what
happened and assures us it was a false alarm (thank goodness).
We
go to the show lounge this evening to see
Mark Donoghue, a
performer who plays the violin, guitar, piano, harmonica, and he also sings. He is
very good, playing favourites from the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s. My favourites
are the TV themes he performs. Riverboat and Bonanza both bring back
childhood memories of watching these shows on our black and white
Philco TV.
Next >>> Ecuador
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