March 28, 2010

This morning we arrived in Aruba, one day late, but that's not bad. Most shops are closed since it is Sunday, just two are open in the terminal building. I bought a fridge magnet (I have been collecting these for years, and always try to get a special one) and a beautiful wooden carving, I think it is called Mopu Mopu technique. I received a folder, but it is in my cabin. I will correct it, if not right.

The good thing is, we will be in Curacao tomorrow, so I can have a haircut. Due to the sun, the wind and the salt water, my hair seems to grow faster than normal. I can go to the ship's hairdresser, but he mainly cuts the male crew, and they seem to turn out all the same. Short all over, with an even shorter part in the middle!

So, I think it will be better to wait till tomorrow.

Due to head winds we needed three seadays instead of two, to reach Aruba. We will skip Jost van Dyke, and guess what, there was a complaint from one of the passengers! He wanted to go to Jost van Dyke to buy a t-shirt. I told him to order it from the internet. He then asked: is that possible? I think so, I said. But to be honest, I have no idea. Most passengers though, were pleased with the extra seaday.

The weather has been quite rough. We again had a lot of seasick passengers. The positive side is, that the dining room is less crowded.

The deck crew is busy changing sails. We got five new sails on board and one by one they will be put up. They come from America and are quite different from the ones already on the ship.

I have to check what happened on the days since my last blogmail. To be honest, I have no idea if something important has happened. Days go by so fast, it is amazing. I just realised why I could not remember the last couple of days. I have been quite sick. At first, I toughed I was having a sun stroke, so I stayed inside for two complete days! Terrible, staying inside the airconditioned piano bar. But I got feeling worse, and at one point I told the Captain I was going to see Aime, the nurse. He looked at me, and immediately told Ashley to get Aime for me! How thoughtful. She gave me some salt tablets, and told me to get some ice wrappings. I was running quite a fever at that time. So I went to bed, Aime brought me some dinner, but as the day before, when I slept from 16.00 till 22.00 and from 24.00 till 07.30, I slept nearly 12 hours. After some brackfast I fell asleep in the piano bar. Then one of the passengers gave me some high vitamine C tablets, another one gave me something else, and I all took it. It was mainly vitamine C. When I was on my way to recovery, I finally realised it had nothing to do with a heat stroke. I had been in the sun for more than 5 weeks! I then remembered I had been bitten by an insect during the Panama canal crossing. Within two hours I start to feeel sick. So probably been allergic to the bite of the insect. I think it was a bee, since I had to take out a stingy bit of material out of my leg. Better get it checked out when at home. But I am back to my usual self, as they noticed when coming onto the deck early morning. I always start of by singing: Goodmorning, goodmorning, how are you today! Several passengers told me they missed my singing!

I heard today that perhaps Betty and Richard will be returning to the ship, to join us for the transatlantic crossing! Would be lovely. If so, looking forward to their return. Why don't you all (well most of them) return for the crossing. Would that not be fun? I don't expect anything special for the upcoming talent show, well at least nothing that can beat the one we had!

I just went inside the terminal, but the machine were you can buy internet access, has broken down. A serviceman will show up in about an hour, but knowing their culture, I would not be surprised if it will take over 2. Again that is no problem, since we all have to be back on board at 21.30 hours tonight. Departure for Curacao is at 22.00 hours.

For the people back at home, today I posted some postcards. I wrote them on March 17, but the ship wanted to have usd 2,= per stamp, and in Cartagena, they asked usd 3,= per stamp!

Today I bought stamps for just over usd 1,=! So some of you might finally receive a postcard.

Today we are having a deck lunch. A lot of people just returned from their island tour. Another excursions was horse back riding, they told me they had a lot of fun. I won't tell you what a certain lady told me she finally got!

Helena and I went into town, in front of the Renaisance hotel there is a beautiful park, named after our former queen Wilhelmina. Tried to took a photo of an iguana, have not idea yet if it is any good. We there met Margaretha and Peter and the four of us, just walked around town. There were some men riding their third youth' Harley, but none of us was interested. For the rest it just seemed if everybody was still in bed or in church.

The crew normally knows were you can get the best deals, where to get cheap phone cards and a free internet connection. So today, instead of sitting in an airconditioned area just inside the harbour, I walked to the Starbuck's cafe. They offer free wifi, even without taking an order. But I bought a tall black coffee, not too bad. Next to me, some dj started up, deafening! So I have no idea how long I will last at this place. I am expecting Armtjong, the second officer, any moment. His was on duty till 16.00. I had dinner with him last night. Very pleasant young man, only 27 years of age, but I told him that I had adopted him as my son, during the trip. He did not object.

This morning I spoke some Dutch with the Pilot. A good looking guy, but will stay behind in Aruba. Shame! I do not know if I have mentioned that there are two other Dutch people on the ship. We sometimes use the fact, that nobody can understand what we are saying. Since the mix is 50 percent English speaking and 50% German speaking, I am constantly switching between Dutch, English and German. Good for my German. Had not used it for a couple of years. My French is non-existing, there is luckily only one French speaking couple on the ship.

For most of the passengers there is only one week left. 28 Stay behind, and 60 are coming on board.

For me only 25 days out of the 70 days are left! I definetely will suffer from a shock when being back home. No one to make my bed, no one to cook my meals, especially me special deserts, no one to talk to, brrrrrrr.

I hope to find an internet cafe in Curacao, so I can download some of the photo's I took in Cartagena. There are not many, since I returned to the ship very soon, still not feeling very well. But they are nice.

For the person who asked Walt's blogname: I have no idea, since I have not opened it yet. Will leave that till I am back home. But if you google rosaslovian, you might find it. His blog is very posh. He is having an Apple air book, and they have a lot of possibilities. He also prepared his blog weeks before he got on the trip. I just got this computer a couple of days before I left, hence my blog is very basic. But they are completely different. Will be fun to read his blog.

Well, that is it for the time being. My coffee is nearly finished, I still have to check my email and must download several updates.

Take care, en Stella, ik hoop dat alles goed gegaan is met je operatie.

Ineke