Recent Happenings

Suzi requested an update on ship life nowadays. Here it is!

I get to hang out with a fun group of people nowadays, but also a lot of different people. I guess because I never got into any cliques, I’ve met a lot of different people from a lot of different groups. I also get some alone time, which is nice for doing homework and thinking, although it seems like there’s not that much time to think when you’re sailing the world. Tonight we went to belly dancing at 7, square dancing at 8, and played rugby on the basketball court for 15 minutes before hurricane force winds and sea spray chased us off when both Ray and Rolando wiped out banana-peel-slip style and someone got hit in the face with the ball. We couldn’t hear square dancing instructions, so as half the ship stood sheltered from the wind and leaping on each other’s toes, we free-style do-si-doed and swung around in circles, letting the wind whip our hair and throw us with the rocking of the ship. Jenn and I were dance partners. I was the “Adam”, as our DJ put it. We were a lost cause, but it was perfect. (This was an entry from a couple nights ago I never got to finish. I figured I’d just add to it instead!)

I cranked out some homework today, took a quiz, and ran the deck. It was raining, and the gym was overflowing with people trying to get lucky and use a machine. I don’t have a problem running in the rain, and since we’ve been powerhousing it through the ocean (read on) for a half day, we moved through the storm pretty quickly. After that was my first P90x experience. That and Insanity are the new work out videos claiming to get you in shape and help you lose weight. Just remember, if you don’t put your all into it, it probably won’t have the same affect. Watching it doesn’t burn calories, and walking through the exercises will only make you think you’re hungrier at dinner.

Like I said earlier, we’re hauling booty through the ocean right now at full speed. Did you know the MV Explorer is one of the fastest ships in the ocean, and the fastest cruise ship ever built? (That’s a whole other blog entry, thanks to my new friend Ralph.) The plan is to dock in the morning around 7:30 am in a port along the coast. I’m not sure of its name, but I’m guessing we’ll know by tomorrow. There we will be dropping off two female students, both of whom are sick and need to be airlifted to a competent hospital, and a crewmember, who is having problems with their eye (I’m guessing they’re going to the hospital too).

In my opinion, the most legitimate and awesome reason we’re truckin’ it through the Indian Ocean right now is because we’re in a “pirate zone”. I know this is no Pirates of the Caribbean, and I also know “our only weapon is our speed”. Looks like I’ll be pulling out my guns for a bare fist fight. I’ll take one for the team, no big deal. On a serious note, I heard a story about a yacht that was recently overtaken by pirates in the Indian Ocean. None survived from what I’ve been told. Is this a story back in the US?
I also heard insurance doesn’t like us traveling through this area, and there’s a rumor that we pay more in this dangerous little triangle. Money savers. My type of crew!

It’s time for bed so I can wake up and be teased by another port we’re not actually allowed to set foot in it. Darn. I’m willing to skip my 8 am class for a nice morning jog on land. Any takers?