Friday April 15th. 2011

Good Morning,


This is the email from home that was sent by Jolene this morning.
"""We woke up to a winter wonderland. We got over a foot of snow from 10pm to 6am when I woke up. The city is a mess! It's that really heavy wet snow that breaks tree branches causes Calgarians to forget how to drive. Oh dear. There are city buses jack knifed and stuck in a few places even. The road report on the news this morning was a special edition, it took 7 minutes to get through all the accidents to avoid. Not kidding or embellishing. :( It is supposed to be 5C tomorrow so we've already been warned of sewer system overload and road flooding when it melts... Dontcha wanna come home?!? LOL!! At least we aren't in Medicine Hat, they have called a state of emergency, flooding badly like a few years back. Mother Nature is pissed off! 
Hope you get some sleep Dad, and you get into the groove with all the time changes!
Give kisses to Mom for us!
Xoxoxo"""""""


. Well at least we're missing that lot….

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I put in for a wake up call and once more spent the night waiting for the phone to ring. Got up, did what a man has to do then had breakfast. Easter Island appeared out of the mist and after dropping for what felt like three miles of anchor chain, we anxiously awaited the news, "would we or wouldn't we" be going ashore.

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After much waiting and wondering, the Captains voice from the bridge informed us that we WOULD NOT be going ashore, a collective sigh of disappointment reverberated around the show lounge where we were congregated. Some folk were angry, others sad and let down but  truth be told, we were aware that this lonely Island isolated in the Pacific is always an "iffy" call and much like the Falklands, is surrounded by treacherous waters and passenger safety is first and foremost. We will get over it but after so much anticipation, it really was a let down.

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SO, no miniature Moai to put in our travels cabinet not even an Easter egg:) Somehow though, the engine part that was air lifted to Rapa Nui, did find it's way on board. As a token of the Captain's disappointment! he did make a circumnavigation of the island, where in the distance Moai could be seen like tiny ant like figures, too far away for my lens to capture.

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I heard at dinner that it was known two days ago that we would not go ashore, this of course is typical of such situations and after all, what is a ship without scuttlebutt. True or not, we can't do a thing about it.

What is annoying is, the ship is running out of things, being the last voyage of this vessel, at the end of which some crew will go home and others to other ships, one can sense something though I can't put a finger on it. Drinkers are complaining that beer and wine brands are no longer available, others that staple foods etc. can't be had for love nor money. Personally, I've had no problem but then I'm easy to please!

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Dorothy missed dinner again as she didn't want to be coughing at the table, she went to the show while I'm here working feverishly. Another two sea days before we arrive at Callao, no wake up calls at least for a couple of days, no putting clocks forward, I should sleep well tonight.

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Some will be pleased that this is a short post, my eyes need match sticks to keep them open so until tomorrow, Good night from the Royal "P"

Tony