Category: Panama

Lynne is feeling unwell this morning – blaming a dodgy prawn from the cocktail party. I said that perhaps my bad head came from something similar. That was not accepted and something “as a newt” was mumbled in response.

Began our transit at around 8am and two, normally closed, crew decks had been opened to the passengers. Unfortunately, they were crowded and it was almost impossible to get a view of our entry to the first lock – Miraflores.

We did have a clear view from our balcony and could look alongside and see ships using the new locks.

Surprised that they are about 20m higher than the old ones and could see a massive cargo ship travelling parallel to us but a couple of hundred metres distant and 20m above.

Went to the Trivia session but I was the only one from our team – probably looking at the canal, or suffering from the party.

Our rival team had a spare place and asked me to join them. We managed to score 13, in the face of some obtuse questions but the winners had 15.

Lynne did not want anything to eat, so went to the buffet for a bowl of soup and spent the afternoon on the balcony, watching the canal go by.

Did not bother with dinner but had room service.

Crossed the Equator during the night and the Headmaster has his foot down to ensure that we arrive at the Panama Canal, in time for our transit.

Despite the fact that we are now in the Northern Hemisphere, a crossing of the line party was held at 2:30pm.

One of the ladies we had dinner with last night – the one giving CPR – was really excited about the prospect and had signed up the take part in the ceremony. Not quite sure why someone would volunteer to be covered with gunge and kiss a dead fish – probably, the certificate designating you as a “Shellback”, rather than a “Pollywog” has hidden attractions.

It reminded me of a question in a recent quiz, on the book that featured the Dashwood sisters – correctly answered Sense and Sensibility. I think it was there that the father said of the youngest sister, that she was the “silliest girl in the county” – probably would have found some competition here.

Speaking of the quiz, we were back to a full team but scored to the lower end of our range. Coming to realise that, while increased numbers broaden the pool of knowledge, they also add to the number of fixed opinions – not that I am sulking about my overruled correct answer.

Decided to attend the delayed Captain’s cocktail party – he sent his apologies, saying he had to mark homework. Had an excessively good time and went on to the disco to dance until late – seemed like a good idea at the time.

Approaching the equator and temperature around 30º, with high humidity.

Trivia was almost a breakthrough but we were robbed. Overindulgence on the previous evening meant that our two new team members did not turn up and were back to the original four.

Our score was, a best ever, 18 but the winners had 20. There was one question – what art form uses “Tasselation”? – where we had no chance. It’s mosaics.

Our other wrong answer was on “what is the flavour of fennel seeds?”. We said licorice but the answer was aniseed. Decided to google it and it appears that both fennel and aniseed have a “licorice” flavour. So, our answer was correct and the winning team’s answer was wrong. That would have given us both 19 and there would have been a tie breaker. Unfortunately, no appeals are allowed, so we were stuffed.

Had our walk around the promenade deck – interrupted by the Officer of the watch, who said that there was a whale coming into view. Nothing appeared and I suppose that any intelligent animal would avoid us.

Listened to a lecture on another blood thirsty murder – this time the body had also been burned. Managed to miss the evangelical life coach and apparently, her audience is dying off (pun intended).

Did some more pedalling in the afternoon and went to the ballroom for a pre-dinner dance. Returned after dinner but the sequence fascist had taken over and were stomping around, with no regard to the music, in their march through the Mayfair Quickstep. As the journey goes on and the exposure to a salt continues, I am sure that I can hear the anguished screams of corroding hip joints, above the clamour of their jackboots.

Shared a table with a younger, that is slightly “pre-retirement age”, couple and two single ladies, who were avid cruisers and keen to share their experiences. I think that perhaps cruising makes you deaf, as they did not seem to hear when others were speaking and constantly interrupted with their inane tales. One of them was a vegetarian jihadist, who I managed to appall, by telling her about the casseroled Alpaca we had eaten in Lima. I was planning to go on to extol the Guinea Pig fritters but she had already passed out and was receiving CPR from her companion.