We have experienced the longest stretch of sea days on the cruise from Fremantle to Colombo, Sri Lanka. The days have easily been filled with lots of relaxation and plenty of entertainment on board. Our nightly dinner companions are Paul and Michelle and occasionally Rudi turns up. Rudi is an older gentleman hailing originally from Austria but calls Christchurch home. Apparently he has a girlfriend getting on at Dubai, but he’s still not 100% she’s coming. We call him Rudi, international man of mystery. When he isn’t having dinner with us he says he’s “floating”. We see him with a few different ladies on board and we make up different background stories about him.
The crossing has been quite rough and I’ve suffered a little from motion sickness along with others, but when I get on top of it with different meds it’s fine and now in the Arabian Sea getting close to Dubai it’s as calm as.
On our day in Colombo we went on a city highlight tour with the ship, this was a real hoot. As with a lot of developing countries, the city of Colombo was hit and miss with its highlight package. The museum we would describe as a school project at best, seen there, a worker pushing two exposed wires with no earth into a power socket to make a machine work!! This was almost as Shocking as the bus we were on driving into some power lines and having loose wires visible along the sides of the bus!!! One of the bus staff jumped onto the top of the bus seats, pushed a hatch open, jumped through and dislodged the wires from the bus. The thought did cross our minds that we were in danger of being electrocuted on our first overseas port of call.
As we approach Dubai and then from there head through the Suez Canal we are now on Pirate watch. No passengers or crew members to be out on open deck from sunset to sunrise for the next eleven days, also those with balcony or window cabins to keep their curtains closed during those hours. The crew have all the security measures in place. It’s made it interesting to look out at sea to see if any little boats approach near by. We did see the new Magestic passing by on its way to India.
Temperatures are rising!! 35 today and an expected 45 for our day in Dubai tomorrow. Wowsers. The most interesting fact we have found is the temperatures of the oceans. We had no idea that they would be so warm. We have had sea temperatures of 28- 32 degrees often a couple of degrees warmer than the air temperature.
The high light for James today was performing with his fellow group of ukulele students. The vista lounge was packed with family and friends coming to support the two groups of ukele players and the princess pop choir.
DUBAI
Biggest in the world seems to be the theme here. And as impressive as it may be’ it feels like a movie set and lacking character until you arrive in the old part of Dubai.
We had a fantastic private tour only 6 of us, which gave us the opportunity to cover a lot of ground.
It’s hot and steamy and the first time I think most of the husbands were happy to go to a shopping mall. Ahhh the air conditioning was a welcome respite.
It’s Ramadan here, again James and I have managed to arrive in A Moslem country when it’s been the holy month of Ramadan. You have to feel for the people not eating but, more distressing not drinking even water during sunrise to sunset.
It’s our 7th anniversary today and it’s nice to have been ashore in a new place to remember it by.
Next stop Aqaba and Petra.
We may not have internet for a while so will post a little something when we next can.
Offtolivetheworld 